"How impudent!" The Emperor’s face darkened.
Qingping promptly begged for mercy, "Imperial Brother, please calm your anger."
With a severe look, the Emperor furiously rebuked, "Leave!"
Without uttering another word, Qingping turned around and left the Xianfei Palace. However, in her heart, she knew that her words had ignited the Emperor’s rage. Of course, this anger was not directed at her, but rather at Duke Residence. She scoffed silently, her aunt had never looked highly upon her, but what did that matter? Her imperial brother would not tolerate the continued prominence of Duke Residence unless the Crown Prince succeeded the throne. But it was unclear whether the Crown Prince could smoothly take the throne.
After Qingping left, the Emperor knocked a tea cup to the floor. "Pop" was the sound it made as it shattered into pieces on the floor.
The Xianfei showed a startled expression, but in her heart, she was not panicked at all. She quickly grabbed the Emperor’s hand and said gently, "Your Majesty, why must you be so angry? The eldest princess has always been like this."
The Emperor’s expression grew darker, "Indeed, she has always been like this."
He pulled his hand away from Xianfei, stood up abruptly and strode towards the exit. Taken aback, Xianfei swiftly got up to stop him, but the Emperor left the Xianfei Palace without a backward glance.
By the time Xianfei chased after him to the door, the Emperor had already gone.
Xianfei’s face darkened. Although she knew that the Emperor was angry with Princess Sheng An because of Qingping’s words, his stormy departure still left her unsure.
Since the establishment of the dynasty by the great ancestor, the Duke Residence had always been loyal and steadfast to the imperial authority, never betraying or taking sides. But that was the past. Now, Zhou Gu was clearly serving the Eastern Palace and assisting them.
While one Zhou Gu may not represent the entire Zhou Family, he was the youngest and most favored descendant of the Zhou Family. If he worked for the Crown Prince, who could say that he wouldn’t gradually pull the Duke Residence into the Eastern Palace’s camp?
If Duke Residence were to support the Eastern Palace, then with their combined forces, would her son still have a chance of gaining the throne?
A dark cloud appeared in Xianfei’s eyes as she thought, she could not let Zhou Gu and the Eastern Palace continue to advance without obstacles. After witnessing the incident with Duanhua today, it became clear to her that both Zhou Gu and the Duke Residence seemed to value that little illegitimate girl from Jiangning County. If not, Princess Sheng An would not agree with what Zhou Gu did and specifically stand up for him.
If so, could she use that illegitimate girl as her point of attack?
Having thought of this, Xianfei turned around back to her palace and called for a servant, to whom she whispered, "Send someone to Jiangning County to investigate Zhou Gu’s fiancée."
The servant replied in a low voice, "Your Highness, Su Xu, the once governor of Jiangning, has been promoted to the inspector of Jiangzhou and is probably no longer in Jiangning County." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"No matter where she is, investigate. I want to know everything about her, especially why there is a marriage arrangement between the residence of the Duke and that Jiangning governor.", Xianfei commanded.
The servant acknowledged her command.
Having left the Imperial Palace, Princess Sheng An and Zhou Gu got into a carriage. Respecting, Zhou Gu said, "Grandmother, you are truly formidable."
The Grand Princess Sheng An was amused and tapped his forehead, "What do you know? When your grandmother was at her most formidable, you weren’t even born yet."
Zhou Gu: "..."
Seeing Zhou Gu speechless, the Grand Princess Sheng An stopped smiling, "As long as your grandmother is alive, even the Emperor wouldn’t dare to bully my grandson."
Zhou Gu smiled briefly, but soon his smile faded, and he said to the Grand Princess Sheng An, "Grandmother, I am now assisting the Crown Prince in his work."
The Grand Princess Sheng An nodded, "When you first entered the study, and later were sent to the Eastern Palace by the Emperor, it was the result of a mutual test between your grandfather and the Emperor. If the Crown Prince were unjust, your grandfather would not have allowed you to stay in the Eastern Palace as a tutor for so many years. Although our Duke Residence does not take sides in the power struggle among the princes, it’s because we have a wise ruler. Now, with the wise ruler gone, it’s a different story. Besides, you have a scholarly background and are not involved in military affairs, so you can choose your own path."
Zhou Gu muttered, "My grandfather did not give me the chance to choose either."
The Grand Princess Sheng An laughed heartily, "Are you referring to your decision to give up martial arts and pursue literature?" She patted Zhou Gu’s head, "Among your four brothers, you are the only one whom your grandfather taught personally. Haven’t you ever wondered why he didn’t insist on them, but only on you, he strongly urged you to study literature?"
Zhou Gu naturally had thought about this, "Because I’m smart."
The Grand Princess Sheng An nodded with a smile, "You are not wrong to say that. Your grandfather once said that of all your siblings, you are the most intelligent one. Not only are you physically fit for martial arts, but you also have a great talent for reading. It would take your three brothers half an hour to recite a piece, but you can do it in the time it takes to steep a cup of tea."
Zhou Gu wanted very much to say that Su Rong was even more adept, having a photographic memory. His quick study was nothing in comparison to hers.
"Your grandfather served three emperors and assisted three different monarchs. Your father and your uncles all died on the battlefield. This is what we, the Duke family, must face – laying down our lives for our loyalty. It’s not an empty promise." The Grand Princess Sheng An mentioned how white-haired people sent off their black-haired ones. Even after so many years, it still reminded her of the painful loss of her children, "Our Duke Residence, has come to a point where we don’t need our descendants to glorify our lineage and achieve great things. What we need is to protect our family and our nation while staying grounded in the present, and prolonging our lineage for generations to come."
"Looking back at history, have you ever seen any mighty military family that has always remained prosperous?" She stroked Zhou Gu’s head, "The current Emperor’s mind doesn’t match the breadth and depth of his predecessors. Your grandfather and I are well aware that as long as we’re alive, the Duke Residence will stand firm. The day we die, that might change. Fortunately, the Crown Prince is dependable. You are the alternative path your grandfather paved for our Duke Residence. Of course, it’s also because you have this talent. You can give it a try. There’s no room for your development in the military anymore. After all, the glory of our martial family has peaked, and your older brothers are sufficient to uphold our family’s honor. But if you take the path of a civil official, Zhou Gu, you have infinite possibilities. It’s not far-fetched to think you could become a name that will go down in history."
Zhou Gu took a deep breath. Although he always knew about his family’s plans for him, having it stated so explicitly still made him feel pressured. He held his breath for a moment, then said, "Grandfather really thinks highly of me."
The Grand Princess Sheng An laughed, patted his shoulder, and said affectionately: "Be confident. Your grandmother believes in you."
Zhou Gu scoffed. He would rather not be so smart. During his childhood, he felt like a ball being kicked around. Now that he had grown up, he felt it wasn’t as good as when he was young. He would rather be in the Eastern Palace accompanying the Crown Prince in his reading.
He sighed deeply, "The Emperor is supporting the first and second princes, trying to balance the power against the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has to remain steady while not losing ground. I don’t know how long this situation will last. If it stays the same for years, the younger princes will also rise up. By then, there will only be more people coveting the Crown Prince’s position and be even more ruthless."
"Although the Crown Prince’s situation is not ideal, it may not necessarily be a bad thing. The current emperor ascended the throne too smoothly. Instead of relying on himself, he was supported by others to ascend to the throne. That’s why he has never been at ease after sitting on the throne. He was alright in the earlier years, but in recent years, he has become increasingly suspicious." The Grand Princess Sheng An said, "Only by ascending to the throne step by step on one’s own, can one feel at ease. Even though it might be challenging, is ruling the world ever going to be easy? It is not easy to gain and keep power. But as long as it is obtained by oneself, one will be more stable, not be overly suspicious, care about the world, and benefit the people."
Zhou Gu nodded, "What grandmother said makes sense."
"Breaking the current situation is just a matter of time. The Crown Prince is capable. You just need to do your job for him. When push comes to shove, your grandfather and I will lend a hand. As for our Daliang..." The Grand Princess Sheng An paused, narrowing her eyes, "We have guarded this Daliang with countless people. Even if it can’t last for thousands of generations, it can’t just last a few generations either."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
