This palace is truly fraught with danger at every turn!
This was clearly not done by the female official in charge of clothing, yet she received the most severe punishment.
Of course, she wasn't entirely without fault. Failing to manage her subordinates properly, allowing them to take advantage of loopholes, is also a problem!
With a change of heart, Song Xibai put down the melon in his hand and asked Fuliu.
"Who is the newly appointed lady-in-waiting? Is she one of Consort De's people?"
Fu Liu blinked, revealing a playful expression: "Master, guess?"
Song Xibai pondered: "It seems she's not one of Consort De's people. That makes sense. If she promoted one of her own people, wouldn't people suspect that she deliberately plotted against her? Consort De is so protective of her reputation, she certainly wouldn't do that."
"Master is indeed exceptionally intelligent!" Fu Liu chuckled.
Song Xibai thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Is it the Crown Princess's person?"
Fu Liu's eyes widened slightly.
Song Xibai knew he had guessed correctly.
The Crown Princess was quite adept at seizing opportunities; she subtly and skillfully placed her own people into the Imperial Clothing Bureau.
I wonder if she and Consort De reached some kind of agreement in private, or if it was just a coincidence?
It should be the former.
The power struggles within the palace are becoming increasingly fierce.
She shook her head.
I'll just keep enjoying my gossip!
The power struggles within the harem were raging when news of the Crown Prince's disappearance reached the capital.
The emperor made no attempt to conceal the matter, announcing it directly in court, feigning concern, and then pretending to send a troop of men to search for them.
When the Crown Princess heard the news, she fainted immediately.
The entire Eastern Palace was plunged into endless panic.
If the crown prince dies, what good will come of it for these women?
The news quickly spread throughout the capital.
The Prince of Qin's residence remained silent as always.
After the initial shock, the King of Wu was secretly delighted, feeling that his opportunity had arrived!
Although I bowed down to the Crown Prince before, now that an opportunity is presented to me, I would be a fool not to take it!
He was itching to make a move, wondering who he could consult with.
Just then, the Queen Consort of Wu suddenly walked in, waved away the other servants, looked at the King of Wu, and sneered repeatedly.
The King of Wu asked instinctively.
"why are you laughing?"
"I'm laughing at your stupidity!"
Princess Wu showed no politeness and strode forward.
Are you trying to take advantage of the chaos and climb the ladder?
The King of Wu's eyes flickered, but he did not reply.
Princess Wu walked up to him: "I knew it! Can't you use your brain? Stepping forward now will only get you caught in a pincer attack, and you won't even know how you died!"
"What do you, a mere woman, know?!" King Wu retorted sternly, displeased. "If the Crown Prince were to die, according to seniority, I should be the Crown Prince. The crippled King of Qin is not even a consideration. Who else could it be but me?"
Princess Wu rolled her eyes: "Why did the Crown Prince get into trouble? Why would he suddenly disappear during a disaster relief mission? Haven't you thought about that?"
"This trip out of the capital to provide disaster relief was a clever move by your father. Everyone can see that he doesn't like the Crown Prince. He used to pretend to be a loving father, but now he's even abandoned all pretense. The position of Crown Prince is a hot potato; whoever sits on it will be doomed."
After a barrage of words from the Queen Consort of Wu, the King of Wu's feverish mind was finally calmed down.
He wasn't stupid; after a little thought, he understood what Princess Wu meant.
"You mean the Crown Prince's accident was caused by Father? But... but why would he do that?"
The King of Wu couldn't understand it. In his memory, his father had always favored the Crown Prince the most!
From childhood, the King of Wu had always been eager to compete with the Crown Prince for this and that, but what he really wanted was his father, the Emperor's, attention.
Princess Wu picked up a cup of cold tea from the table and drank it all in one gulp.
"Perhaps he feels the crown prince is too old and a threat to him, or perhaps he prefers another son. What's so strange about that?"
"The other son, you mean Xiao Ba?"
The King of Wu's eyes flickered.
Indeed, ever since the birth of the Eighth Prince, the Emperor has shown him exceptional favor. As a result, the Eighth Prince's birth mother has risen in status because of her son, surpassing Consort Shu and Consort De, and becoming the Noble Consort, the head of the Four Consorts.
"But Xiao Ba is only 11 years old..."
He said in a low voice.
"Precisely because they are young, they pose no threat, don't they? You adult princes have long been excluded by your father."
Princess Wu spoke without any politeness.
The King of Wu paled, his thoughts racing, until he finally understood.
However, there was still something he didn't understand: "How do you know so much?"
Princess Wu raised an eyebrow: "When I entered the palace some time ago, my mother told me to keep an eye on you and not to compete for the throne."
"What? Why didn't Mother tell me?" King Wu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his voice rose.
"I'm only telling you this if you're willing to listen! Alright, alright, enough of this useless talk, let's hurry up and find a way to find the Crown Prince."
King Wu was indignant and muttered a few words under his breath, but in the end he had to admit that what Queen Wu said made sense.
The idea that had just arisen in the King of Wu's mind was suppressed by the Queen Consort. As for whether the other princes had any thoughts about it, that remains to be seen.
The most anxious families in the capital were the Zhou family, the maternal grandfather of the Crown Prince, and the Zhao family, the Crown Princess.
Both of them were tightly bound to the Crown Prince, and even if they wanted to find another way out, it was too late.
The patriarch of the Zhou family sat firmly at home, like a pillar of strength, stabilizing the Zhou family.
Old Master Zhou did not act rashly, but secretly sent his guards to search for the Crown Prince's whereabouts.
As for the Zhao family, they also sent their own people.
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