Song Xibai happily finished a string of candied hawthorns, made from yesterday's crabapples, and then lay on the soft couch by the window, basking in the sun, feeling incredibly comfortable.
"This is too sinful."
After reflecting on his actions, Song Xibai realized he couldn't continue like this.
If she continues like this, she'll become a parasite.
So, when Dingxiang came over for her routine pulse check, Song Xibai enthusiastically pulled her aside to discuss going out for fun.
Meanwhile, Song Xibai was living a happy and carefree life in the Eastern Palace, while the court was in turmoil because of the Shu family.
The Shu family was a powerful and influential family, and there were quite a few officials in the court who favored them. Apart from a few who remained neutral, the remaining officials made a ruckus every day during court sessions.
Time flies, and soon it was early March.
The busiest departments during this period were the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate. Despite the joint trial by the three courts, with Prince Hui overseeing the proceedings, they were unable to find crucial evidence and ultimately could only acquit the Shu family.
On the fourth day of the third lunar month, Shu Kefang, dressed in brand-new court attire, came to court in high spirits.
At the same time, Yongshou Palace reopened its gates, and Consort Shu reappeared in public.
To appease the emperor, the emperor issued an edict that, considering Shi Gui's exceptional filial piety, he would not pursue the crime of false accusation and would even restore his father's title.
Shi Gui was overjoyed to have received the benefit and kowtowed heavily to the dragon throne.
Of course, this title could only be passed down to one generation, and it would be revoked upon Shi Gui's death. But for Shi Gui, this was already excellent compensation.
Immediately afterwards, the emperor suddenly issued an edict, bestowing the title of Prince of Yan upon the eleven-year-old eighth prince, and ordering the Imperial Clan Court to begin constructing the Prince of Yan's residence.
This matter astonished everyone.
Princes were usually granted titles and established their own residences after they came of age.
The normal order is engagement – conferring of a title – establishment of a residence – grand wedding. This process is a tradition inherited from the previous dynasty by the Dayin Dynasty and has never been changed.
Getting married means that the princes have come of age. Except for the crown prince, all the princes must move out of the palace and establish their own households. After the wedding, they can move directly into the new prince's residence. Isn't that perfect?
But the Eighth Prince is only eleven years old!
Moreover, his birthday is in autumn, so he's not even ten years old yet!
Not to mention, he was even granted the title of Prince of Yan.
The princes' titles were all related to their fiefdoms. For example, the third prince, the Prince of Wu, was enfeoffed in Jiangnan. In addition, the second prince, the Prince of Qin, and the fourth prince, the Prince of Lu, were also given titles based on their fiefdoms.
The fifth prince's wedding date has been set, but the wedding has not yet taken place, so he still lives in the palace. His title has already been decided: Prince Qi.
The sixth prince is only sixteen years old and not yet engaged, therefore he has not yet been granted a title.
In this situation, the most awkward person is the sixth prince.
But the emperor remained resolute and refused to budge no matter how the officials tried to persuade him.
Even after the court session ended, the officials continued to discuss the matter.
The news spread quickly.
The other princes didn't react much, but the sixth prince was furious. He smashed a room full of porcelain decorations and then stormed off to the emperor demanding an explanation.
As a result, he was scolded by the emperor and kicked out.
The sixth prince stood outside the Qianqing Palace, so sad he wanted to cry.
Just then, the Crown Prince came over with his servants and saw the Sixth Prince standing pitifully under the eaves of the palace. He then went up to him.
"Xiao Liu, what's wrong?"
The sixth prince's eyes were red-rimmed. He quickly turned his head away, wiped them with his sleeve, and replied in a muffled voice.
"I'm fine, the wind just got in my eyes."
How could the Crown Prince not see it? He walked over and patted the Sixth Prince on the head, comforting him.
"You got scolded by Father? Don't take it too seriously. Isn't it normal for a son to get scolded by his father? I was often scolded by Father when I was a child. Come on, let your brother take you horseback riding."
The sixth prince and the crown prince were far apart in age and rarely interacted, so their relationship had always been lukewarm.
He could have held back, but the Crown Prince's concern suddenly made his nose tingle and tears streamed down his face.
The two left the Qianqing Palace one after the other. After they had gone some distance, the Sixth Prince couldn't help but tug at the Crown Prince's sleeve and ask in a low voice.
"Brother, does Father hate me?"
The crown prince was taken aback, then smiled.
"How could that be? You are Father's child, the sixth prince. How could Father dislike you?"
The sixth prince said listlessly, "Brother, don't try to comfort me. It's obvious to everyone that Father has always favored the eighth prince. I don't dare to compare myself to my brothers, but the eighth prince is several years younger than me, yet he always gets Father's favor. I'm really upset..."
He paused, forcefully wiped away the tears on his face, and continued speaking.
“When the seventh prince was still alive, my father didn’t care much about him. My mother told me not to compare myself to the eighth prince, saying that my father felt particularly guilty towards the Consort because the seventh prince was gone, so he doted on the eighth prince more.”
"I tried my best, but this time, Father Emperor, I really, really... I've become the laughingstock of the entire capital!"
After all, he was just a teenager, his mind was not stable, and he couldn't bear to be wronged. He poured everything out.
The crown prince sighed inwardly.
"That's Father Emperor, you can't hold a grudge."
The Crown Prince was taught by great Confucian scholars from a young age that Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher were the same people. The Emperor was Heaven, Ruler, and Father, and the Crown Prince could not oppose him no matter what he did.
Sometimes the crown prince felt that being the heir apparent was meaningless, and that he was less free than an ordinary person at home.
However, once he was in that position, he lost control of many things after being named crown prince at the age of five.
He has no choice but to go down this path to the bitter end.
The prince cleared his mind of his chaotic thoughts, and his expression quickly returned to normal.
"I'm going out of the city for a trip in a few days. Little Six, you can come along too! Just to relax. As for Father... what's yours will be yours eventually. There's no use in being impatient."
After the sixth prince had said so much, he had calmed down.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It is Your Majesty who cares for your younger brother the most."
The two brothers went to the racecourse together and released their energy. When they returned, they were much closer. The sixth prince kept tugging at the crown prince's sleeve and calling him "brother" repeatedly.
From then on, the sixth prince became the crown prince's little follower.
The emperor showed no reaction, but the King of Wu became nervous.
"You damned sixth prince! I underestimated you before. You've even abandoned all dignity as a prince just to curry favor with the Crown Prince!"
The King of Wu cursed loudly in his palace.
Princess Wu, reclining to one side, scoffed upon hearing this.
"Didn't you flatter the Crown Prince yourself before? How come you can do it, but others can't?"
The King of Wu, enraged and humiliated, retorted: "Whose side are you on? I am your man!"
Princess Wu rolled her eyes.
"If you can't even handle such a small matter, what can I expect from you? The Sixth Prince, relying on his youth, follows the Crown Prince everywhere without anyone saying anything, and people even praise him for his brotherly affection. If this continues, you won't even have a place to stand next to the Crown Prince."
The words of the Queen Consort of Wu made the King of Wu feel an unspeakable sense of urgency.
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