So when Eunuch Feng finished reading the memorial, many officials became emotional and denounced the concubines in the harem for "being like hens crowing at dawn" and "attempting to manipulate the court." Their indignant expressions made it seem as if they had solid evidence!
The emperor's expression turned cold.
Even the officials he had secretly instructed and hinted at stopped attacking the crown prince and fell silent.
The emperor was furious.
What a rare opportunity, and it's failed again?!
Why did the Crown Prince's concubine get pregnant at this particular time?
The emperor gritted his teeth inwardly, glanced around, and knew that the opportunity had passed. He had no choice but to lie low once again.
He sighed a few times in a mock manner, then raised his hand to cover his forehead.
"I never imagined this matter involved such a wide range of people. I have misunderstood the Crown Prince."
He paused, adjusted his expression, and feigned a look of self-reproach.
"I will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly. As for the Crown Prince... although there was a reason for it, he did make a mistake, so punish him by making him reflect on his actions in the Eastern Palace!"
The court officials had no objections and praised the emperor's wisdom one after another.
Even Censor Zhou and his men did not press their advantage; they knew when to stop.
Before long, the Crown Prince received the news and learned what had happened during the court session.
The messenger was the deputy commander.
When the deputy commander received the order to retreat, he knew that the crown prince was safe and sound and had successfully weathered the crisis.
To avoid the Crown Prince holding a grudge and seeking revenge later, the Deputy Commander personally delivered the message, which can also be considered a gesture of goodwill.
After hearing this, the Crown Prince remained calm and gently helped the kneeling deputy commander to his feet.
"The Deputy Commander acted in accordance with orders, which is a loyal act to the Emperor, and I am very pleased. In the future, I hope that the Deputy Commander will not forget his original intention and will maintain the loyalty of a pure subject."
The deputy commander felt that the crown prince's words had a hidden meaning, but he was a rough man and not a scholar, so he really couldn't understand them.
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
After saying a dry, curt sentence, he got up and took his leave.
The crown prince sat back down in his seat, stroking his chin in deep thought.
"Facing the wall in contemplation" is a nice-sounding phrase, but it actually means being confined to one's home.
Moreover, no time limit was specified; if he wanted to leave the Eastern Palace, he would have to wait and see what the emperor wanted.
Given the emperor's temperament, it's unlikely he'll speak anytime soon.
However, the Crown Prince was not afraid. He had sent most of his men outside the palace, leaving the Eastern Palace with the fewest people.
The Crown Prince's humility and courteous treatment of foreigners over the years have not been without effect. Just look at the reaction in the court today.
Although some were the Crown Prince's men, many were neutral officials, but most of them were aligned with the Crown Prince.
The prince murmured to himself.
"To be an emperor to this extent, Father's methods are truly rather unsophisticated."
After shedding the aura of "Emperor and Father," the Crown Prince calmly observed and discovered that the Emperor's methods were nothing more than that.
This gave him more confidence in himself.
About half an hour later, Eunuch Feng was carried back.
The Crown Prince went to fetch him personally, and upon seeing the bloodied body of Eunuch Feng, who had grown up with him, he was filled with rage.
"They actually fought?"
When Eunuch Feng brought his memorial into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he was leaving the palace without permission, which was against the emperor's orders and would be punished.
Earlier, the Crown Prince summoned several of his trusted eunuchs and mentioned the matter. Eunuch Feng took the blame before the others and proudly boasted about it to them.
The Crown Prince warned him that he would be punished, but Eunuch Feng didn't seem to care at the time, saying that being beaten for His Highness was an honor for his entire life.
But now...
The Crown Prince grasped Feng Jia's hand, his voice low and hoarse.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked you to go."
Eunuch Feng forced a smile.
"How could that be? I am His Highness's most trusted servant. Such a great merit should naturally be mine! It would be a miscalculation if Jin Xiang and Liu Ji beat me to it!"
The crown prince patted the back of his hand.
"Take good care of your injury."
Eunuch Feng was carried back to his residence.
Just as he lay down, Jin Xiang and Liu Ji arrived together.
Seeing him lying miserably on the bed, even Jin Xiang, who didn't get along with him much, showed a hint of pity.
"It seems the Emperor really hates our Prince. You were just delivering something, and you got beaten up like this."
Liu Ji remained calm and watched with interest as the young eunuch applied medicine to Feng Jia.
The young eunuch cut open the blood-stained trousers, peeled them off piece by piece, washed them with clean water, and then began to apply the medicine.
"You little rascal, who taught you this skill?" Liu Ji suddenly asked the young eunuch.
"I learned it from Miss Dingxiang," the young eunuch replied, without looking up, diligently applying the medicine.
"Speaking of which, it's true. Miss Dingxiang helps the palace servants with their medical needs and also gives them some pointers. Last time, when the interrogation of a prisoner yielded no results, I even went to ask her which parts of a person's body hurt the most, and how to injure someone so much that they vomit blood but the injury isn't serious..."
Jin Xiang took over the conversation and said a few words, then suddenly stopped, only to find that the others were looking at him with strange eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"That girl, Dingxiang, is studying medicine. Why are you asking her these questions?" Liu Ji said speechlessly. "What if you scare her?"
"No, Miss Dingxiang is quite brave. She even said she wanted to see the corpse up close!"
"Examining a corpse? What for? Does she want to become a coroner?"
"Who knows? It could also be a drug trial?"
Feng Jia rolled her eyes in anger as she listened to the two talking.
They said they came to see me, but they talked about corpses in front of me. Are they afraid I won't die?
He coughed loudly.
"What are you all standing here for? Aren't you going to serve His Highness?"
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