Who can say what will happen after Chapter 98?
Being born into an imperial family often means being unable to control one's own destiny. Take Prince An, for example. Born to a palace maid, he now commands the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Emperor is destined not to pass the throne to him. The next Emperor will not treat him well either, and may even perish from him, because the Embroidered Uniform Guard holds far too many secrets.
So, was Prince An willing to accept this?
Regardless of whether he harbored ambitions to seize the throne, he certainly didn't want to be purged by the next emperor. Therefore, he needed to plan ahead and secure his future.
"Is it really impossible for Prince An to be here?" Jiang Yu asked the Duke of Chu.
Although the emperor is now in his prime, everyone in the court has to deal with the same issue: choosing sides, unless you are so capable that even the princes are wary of you.
Jiang Yu has no intention of taking sides right now, but wants to learn more about the princes in order to make a better judgment.
The Duke of Chu picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and did not answer her question. Instead, he said, "The second prince, born to the Empress, was named Crown Prince, but he died of illness not long after he came of age."
The news circulating in the palace was that she had been poisoned. From then on, the Empress became despondent. The Emperor once suggested that she choose one of her remaining princes to be raised under her name, but the Empress refused.
Jiang Yu pondered for a moment and then asked, "Who poisoned the late Crown Prince?"
The Duke of Chu shook his head. "There's still no result, but judging from the Marquis of Chengen's behavior over the years, they probably suspect Consort Su."
It was Consort Su again. Jiang Yu leaned back in her chair and remained silent for a moment before saying, "So, when you wrote to Marquis Chengen asking the Empress to prevent Consort Su from seeing the Emperor, Marquis Chengen agreed without hesitation."
The Duke of Chu hummed in agreement. "Moreover, there has always been a three-way power struggle within the harem: the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Su. To protect her own position, the Empress will not allow Consort Su to have everything go smoothly."
Jiang Yu nodded, and then heard the Duke of Chu say, "Now that the princes have all come of age, although the Emperor is in good health, there has been no shortage of open and covert struggles. They have basically formed three factions. One is the eldest prince, whose birth mother is Consort Xian, and whose maternal family's influence is not prominent."
Consort Xian was a senior member of the Emperor's inner circle. She started as a maidservant and rose through the ranks to become a consort. Although everyone said she was unassuming and devoted only to the Emperor, she couldn't have gotten this far without a bit of cunning.
The eldest prince was the same; as the emperor's eldest son, much attention was focused on him, but he was always praised for his wisdom and virtue.
Jiang Yu frowned slightly. "If you can think this way, why can't the Emperor?"
The Duke of Chu shook his head. "The emperor is also human. His mindset is different towards those he trusts and his own son. He will unconsciously treat them as a husband or father, not as an emperor. Of course, everyone is the same."
Jiang Yu nodded knowingly; that's what filters are. Everyone unconsciously applies a filter to those close to them.
"Although the eldest prince's maternal family is not prominent, he has gathered many people around him because of his good reputation. The fourth prince and the sixth prince now almost follow the eldest prince's lead."
The Duke of Chu continued, "The Third Prince was born to Consort De, who came from the Marquis of Changping's family. Like us, the Marquis of Changping's family was also granted a title at the founding of the state. However, the Marquis of Changping's family has always been low-key and moderate in its actions, so it has remained stable and secure until now."
However, the Marquis of Changping's network of connections is no less extensive than that of the officials in our Chu State government. It's just that each generation of Marquis of Changping holds a sinecure and rarely participates in matters of state, so people don't pay much attention to them.
Regardless of whether the Marquis of Changping's household held real power, the Third Prince still had a marquisate family on his maternal side, placing him among the princes in a relatively high position. He also had some followers, such as the Seventh Prince.
Jiang Yu felt that the Marquis of Changping's family was truly clever; those who stick their necks out are the ones who get shot, and those who keep a low profile are the ones who survive the longest.
"Let's not talk about the Sixth Prince, Prince An. As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it seems he won't be able to hold that position in the future, and he won't have a good ending either." Duke Chu paused here, and then said, "But nothing is absolute. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?"
Jiang Yu agreed with this, and then the Duke of Chu continued, "Right now, the most prominent ones are Consort Su and the Eighth Prince. Consort Su has been favored since she entered the palace, and she still is. The title of Earl of Qingshan is proof of the Emperor's favor towards Consort Su."
Jiang Yu nodded to indicate that she understood. Actually, it's not that Consort Su and the Qingshan Marquis's family were arrogant; when someone is proud, they unconsciously exude an air of pride. For example, someone who earns only three thousand yuan a month certainly wouldn't be too flamboyant in their actions and words, since their circumstances don't allow for it.
But one day he suddenly exploded, earning 70,000 to 80,000 or even more a month. He unconsciously became much more outgoing in his speech and actions, and that was his confidence.
The arrogance of Consort Su and the Earl of Qingshan's family stemmed from their confidence. Their confidence came from the Emperor's favor, which initially allowed them to remain rational and keep a low profile.
However, very few people can maintain this level of rationality over a day, two days, a year, two years, or even a decade or two. If someone does, that person is destined for greatness.
"Now that His Majesty is in good health, there is no need for us to get involved in the struggles between the princes," the Duke of Chu said. "The key now is to recommend you for an official position, and preferably directly into the Six Ministries."
Jiang Yu sat up straight. "I will prepare well."
The Duke of Chu nodded, "I'll send an invitation to the Tang family in a bit, and we'll visit them in a couple of days."
The Tang family was the maternal family of the Duchess of Chu. It was thanks to the guidance of the Tang family's renowned scholar that the Duke of Chu passed the imperial examination, successfully entered the court, and established himself. The Duke of Chu was always grateful to the Tang family.
"Okay, I'll study hard and not show my ignorance when my maternal grandfather and uncle test me," Jiang Yu joked.
The Duke of Chu smiled slightly. “The current head of the Tang family, you should call him your maternal grandfather. Although he is a bit serious, he cares a lot about the younger generation. Your father was personally taught by him for a few days back then, but your father was uncultured and was sent back after a few days.”
Jiang Yuxin said that learning really depends on talent. This talent refers not only to intelligence, but also to the ability to endure loneliness and the spirit of inquiry.
In fact, most people have similar IQs. The reason why some people succeed while others do not, aside from family background and IQ factors, is more due to factors such as emotional intelligence and adversity quotient.
No one has a smooth life forever. The key to success is knowing how to adjust when faced with setbacks, how to stay clear-headed in adversity, and how to maintain a good state of mind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com