The emperor snorted and said, "Stop trying to comfort me. I'm not stupid. How could I not feel it?"
"Chen'er is even more distant from me now that he's back; he must have suffered a lot outside."
Eunuch Xiang quickly smiled and said, "The Ninth Prince has grown up. Look, he has accomplished something truly momentous."
They actually managed to escort grain supplies all the way to the northern border. How old is our Ninth Prince? He's only twelve or thirteen years old, yet he can accomplish such a great task.
"They'll be amazing when they grow up!"
The emperor was pleased to hear what Eunuch Xiang said. It is said that like father, like son, and he said that his son Xiao Mochen was the most like him.
Thinking of this, the emperor muttered to himself, "Your words have reminded me that Chen'er has made such a great contribution, how can I just give him a simple reward and call it a day?"
After saying this, the emperor looked at Eunuch Xiang and said, "Draft an edict, I wish to bestow upon Chen'er the title of Prince Chen."
Eunuch Xiang was greatly surprised to hear this. According to the ancestral rules of the Great Yan Dynasty, princes could not be granted the title of king before they came of age without making significant contributions.
Xiao Mochen is only thirteen years old this year, yet the Emperor is about to bestow upon him the title of King, which shows how much the Emperor values this son.
The eldest prince, Xiao Moyan, is almost twenty years old, and the emperor has not yet made him a prince. If Xiao Mochen is made a prince, he will definitely surpass the eldest prince in the future.
Once the Emperor made up his mind, Eunuch Xiang was also happy to see it happen and quickly helped grind the ink.
The emperor picked up his brush and wrote: "By the mandate of Heaven, the emperor decrees: Your Majesty's benevolence extends far and wide, and all things under Heaven and on Earth are respected and cherished; Your Majesty commands the generals, and from the corners of the sea to the sunrise, none fail to obey. In the past, my imperial ancestor gave birth to many children."
The throne has been passed down through three reigns, and now there is the Ninth Prince, Xiao Mochen, who is the son of the First Empress.
He was of noble birth and highly experienced, and personally escorted grain supplies to the northern border when a sudden disaster struck the south.
He relieved the northern border from its predicament, protected the safety of the nation, and rendered great service to the country.
Although he is still a minor, his future is promising, so I hereby break with ancestral rules and bestow upon him the title of Prince Chen.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau will select an auspicious day to conduct the investiture ceremony.
So be it!
The emperor issued the imperial edict in one swift motion, then affixed the imperial seal and said to Eunuch Xiang, "Proclaim this to the six palaces and the whole world. Go and deliver the decree!"
Eunuch Xiang quickly agreed and accepted the imperial edict with both hands.
The Ninth Prince, oh no, he should be His Highness Prince Chen now. As things stand, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is a shoo-in for the position of Crown Prince.
After the news of Xiao Mochen being granted the title of king spread, many people were quite agitated.
Some were happy for Xiao Mochen, while others were furious and couldn't sit still.
Especially the eldest prince, Xiao Moyan, whose mother, Consort Yu, although her confinement was lifted, her rank has never been restored.
He was the emperor's first son and had been raised by the late empress. He was already an adult, but the emperor never intended to make him a king.
However, Xiao Mochen was still a child who hadn't even grown up yet, but the emperor had already bestowed upon him the title of Prince Chen.
Chen was a title reserved for emperors; how could he not be angry?
Therefore, upon learning this news, Xiao Moyan angrily smashed everything in his study.
After Xiao Moyan finished venting his anger, his advisor dared to step forward and say, "Your Highness, now is not the time to be angry."
Although the Emperor bestowed the title of Prince Chen upon the Ninth Prince, he did not make him the Crown Prince.
The strategist's words immediately enraged the eldest prince, who disregarded all etiquette and kicked the strategist, roaring, "What do you mean? With me here, Father will pass the throne to that brat who hasn't even grown up yet."
The strategist, who had just been kicked, said in a flustered manner, "Your Highness, please calm down. That's not what I meant."
What I'm saying is that since His Majesty has already bestowed the title of Prince Chen upon the Ninth Prince, he has no intention of making him the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, as the eldest son and the only adult prince, the position of Crown Prince is undoubtedly yours."
Xiao Moyan calmed down after hearing this, and then helped the advisor up and said insincerely, "Sir, you know I have always had a bad temper."
But with me, the prince, around, how could I possibly allow my father to make that young brat the crown prince?
The aide quickly agreed, but his heart was ice-cold.
Everyone says he is Xiao Moyan's top advisor and enjoys Xiao Moyan's great trust.
He initially genuinely wanted to assist Xiao Moyan, but judging from the current situation, Xiao Moyan is irritable, easily angered, and lacks talent; he's simply not cut out to be an emperor.
It would be better for him to withdraw sooner rather than later.
Xiao Moyan was unaware of his advisor's thoughts and asked, "Sir, what do you think I should do next?"
Before the advisor could answer, Xiao Moyan muttered to himself, "Never mind, I'll go to the palace and ask my mother about this."
Seeing that Xiao Moyan was not listening to his opinions at all, the advisor simply shut up.
After entering the palace, Xiao Moyan went straight to Xihua Garden.
Since Consort Yu was released from confinement, she has never won the emperor's favor again, or rather, she never had the emperor's favor at all, she just didn't know it herself.
However, Consort Yu was not simple-minded. She was able to rise from a lowly concubine to a Noble Consort and even manage to win over the late Empress.
However, ever since the late empress passed away, she has always believed that the empress is hers for the taking, and thus she has become increasingly arrogant.
Now that he's been imprisoned by the emperor for a few months, his mind has cleared up.
When she heard the news that Xiao Mochen had been named Prince Chen, she was filled with hatred and gritted her teeth, but she still managed to control her anger.
She instructed her personal maid, "Go to my storeroom and select a few fine ornaments. I will send them to Prince Chen in a while."
Before the head palace maid could respond, a furious voice rang out: "Mother, you actually want to send a congratulatory gift to that little bastard!"
Your son hasn't even been granted the title of king yet; Father Emperor, this is a blatant slap in my face.
"Aren't you going to help me either?"
When Consort Yu saw that it was Xiao Moyan who had arrived, and that he was full of anger, she knew that he was unhappy, but she still scolded him: "Shut up, Mo Chen is your younger brother, and he is now the Prince Chen, appointed by the Emperor."
"This shows disrespect for your father and your own brother."
Xiao Moyan was even more indignant upon hearing this, and snorted coldly, laughing, "Yes, I have no respect for my father and my own brother."
She was unloved by her father and mother; otherwise, she wouldn't have been given away to be raised by others right after birth.
Consort Yu felt a pang of sadness upon hearing her son's words. Did he think she was willing to give away her child as soon as it was born?
Seeing her son call someone else "Mother," who knows how much hatred she felt? She had no choice; if she wanted to climb the social ladder, she had to please that woman.
Seeing that Xiao Moyan's temper was getting worse, Consort Yu quickly dismissed the palace servants.
Then he stepped forward and said, "Yan'er, there are too many people and too much gossip in the palace."
Your father has spies everywhere. If what you just said reaches his ears, he'll be even more resentful towards us, mother and son.
Then he patiently explained to Xiao Moyan for a while.
Xiao Moyan's anger subsided considerably.
However, he muttered, "What's so great about it? Sooner or later, Father will force me to raise an army in rebellion before he's satisfied."
These words startled Consort Yu, who quickly covered his mouth.
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