The second and third princes had previously speculated that the ninth prince's leg was cured by Master Wuzhi. They thought that since the master could help the ninth prince cure his illness, he might also be able to help them read their faces and calculate who would have the hope of inheriting the throne in the future. They looked everywhere for him but couldn't find him. After much difficulty, they found out that he had returned to the temple. When they went there one after another, the master had gone on a journey again.
The third prince felt a little disdainful after hearing what the emperor said. He was injured so badly and for so long, it was good enough that he could walk, how could he not limp at all? The second prince didn't know whether the ninth prince was really lame or just pretending. But he knew that the emperor was "acting". He clearly wanted to pass the throne to the ninth prince, but he still said something like "sharing the worries of the country with his brothers".
Could it be that, except for the ninth son, the other sons are not his biological sons?
The Second Prince did not show it on his face, but he was so angry that he clenched his fists in his sleeves.
Thinking that the big event was about to come, he hoped that he could win the emperor's attention and favor through that means. He didn't need much, as long as his weight in the emperor's mind was one or two points higher than that of Lao Jiu, he would have hope. If Chu Lao San got into trouble again, the Chu family would be finished. The Chu family that supported Lao Jiu to ascend the throne in the previous life was finished, so what if Lao Jiu's leg was healed? The trajectory had changed direction, and he couldn't go up!
That was his biggest card, and it would be the last straw that broke the camel's back for Lao Jiu and Lao San. After playing it, he hoped to get what he wanted...
On the tenth day, Prince Rui and the Ninth Prince set out for Lingyin Temple together.
The two burned incense and ate vegetarian food in the temple for three days, and then returned to the capital. On the way, Prince Rui would stop by the General's Mansion to see his son Li Xuan, and the Ninth Prince and Lord Chu would accompany him to the capital.
A few people entered the General's Mansion and heard from the servants that the old marquis and the eldest lady were taking their brothers and sisters to the main courtyard to appreciate the moon and perform their talents, so they all came.
Because it was dark and far away, and Prince Rui was only paying attention to his son, he did not notice anything different about Chen Dabao, let alone the abnormality in the eyes of the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince was extremely excited. Before he came to Lingyin Temple, his mother had told him to go and see Little Eleven.
Although he was a little far away, he could still see that Little Eleven looked more like his mother, smarter, more lively, and happier. This kind of happiness and laughter was something the Ninth Prince had never experienced in his life.
Mother often cried secretly because she missed Xiaoyi. I must tell her when I go back that it is a great blessing for her brother to be able to live outside the palace... The Ninth Prince suppressed his excitement, but his eyes still flickered, as if there were tears.
The Ninth Prince, Prince Rui, and Marquis Chu were invited into the main courtyard. After they were seated, the old marquis and Chen Afu brought the children to pay their respects to the two princes.
They all hurriedly said, "Old Marquis, you are so polite. Madam Chu, you are so polite. Please take a seat."
Chen Afu brought the child to pay his respects to Lord Chu again.
The two princes brought gifts to the children respectively. At the same time, the servants also brought in the clothes and food that Princess Rui brought for Li Xuan, as well as the gifts for Chen Afu.
Chen Afu asked Li Xuan to go and pay his respects to Prince Rui in private, and whispered to him to call someone.
Li Xuan still had some impression of Prince Rui. He was not close to him in the palace before, and now after such a long time, he was even less close to him.
Prince Rui was absurd and didn't pay much attention to his two sons. Although he loved his legitimate son, he didn't show it on his face.
Li Xuan kowtowed to Prince Rui obediently and said, "Greetings, father."
Prince Rui was very happy. Just as he was about to encourage his son to keep working hard and study well, he saw Li Xuan stand up and run to Chen Afu, hug her, and said with a pout, "I like my aunt, my sister, my brother, and my great grandfather."
Prince Rui was extremely embarrassed.
The old man smiled and said, "Prince Rui, it is already very difficult for Xuan'er to be like this. After he lives with Lingxuan's wife for a while, the situation will be better. Then you and your son can say goodbye again..." and he can also take him back to the palace.
The old man didn't dare to say the second half of the sentence. Although he also liked Li Xuan, it was too stressful to raise two royal descendants at home at the same time.
While the father and son were talking, Chu Lingxuan, who was sitting next to the Ninth Prince, naturally pulled Dabao to his side and let him lean on his lap. The Ninth Prince seemed to say a few words to Dabao unintentionally.
Dabao answered very politely.
After everyone chatted for a while, the two princes went to the outer courtyard accompanied by three generations of the Chu family.
In the inner courtyard, Chen Ahfu looked at the jade pendants that the Ninth Prince gave to the children. The jade pendants were the same size, half the size of a child's palm, and seemed similar, but in fact they were very different.
Although the jade pendants given to Chu Hanyan, Chu Lingzhi, and A Lu were of very good quality, they were much inferior to the jade given to Dabao. Chen Afu gave the jade pendant to Dabao to play with for a while, and then asked Luo's mother to put it away for him and not to take it out for him to wear at other times.
Mother Luo knew something and put the jade pendant away very solemnly.
Prince Rui and the Ninth Prince returned to the capital and went to the Qianyang Palace to report to the Emperor. After Prince Rui left, the Ninth Prince told the Emperor that he had cured the hidden disease and visited Little Eleven.
These two things had been weighing on the emperor's mind, and he was very relieved to hear them. He said, "Very good. The prince is well now, and you should have more children. And you should also teach your mother well that Xiao Shiyi's life outside is much better than in the palace. For so many years, you and your son have lived cautiously in the palace, treading on thin ice, not as happy and free as Xiao Shiyi."
The emperor is fifty-five years old this year. He is very thin and looks old. At first glance, he is a diligent emperor who cares deeply about the country.
The Ninth Prince bowed and said, "Yes, I will persuade mother."
The emperor continued, "I have endured for so many years, it is time to take action. Starting next year, I will first promote the Sun family and deal with the Wang family. The Wang family and the queen have been getting more and more outrageous, and I have caught them in many small braids. However, the second son has become more restrained in recent years, and has also been diligent and righteous. It turns out that he was taught the wrong way by Queen Wang and the Wang family. If the Wang family falls and Queen Wang loses power, the emperor will still treat him well in the future..."
The Ninth Prince knelt down hurriedly, kowtowed to the Emperor, and said, "I will follow your father's instructions."
Afterwards, the Ninth Prince hurried to Luoxia Palace where Concubine Shan lived.
As soon as he entered, the Sixth Princess ran towards him with a smile. She came close to him, bowed to him, and said, "Ninth Brother, you haven't come to see Cheng'er and mother for a long time. We all miss you."
The sixth princess had just turned six years old and her maiden name was Li Cheng.
Of course, she was not Concubine Shan's biological daughter, nor was she the Ninth Prince's biological sister. Concubine Shan was so upset that she almost went insane because her eldest son's legs were broken and she finally got pregnant, but she gave birth to a "stillborn baby".
Half a year later, a concubine died of heavy bleeding during childbirth, and the emperor gave her daughter to Concubine Shan to raise.
This child can be regarded as a comfort to Concubine Shan.
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