Chapter 182 Clearing Up Misunderstandings
The impeachment of the prince's faction was the reply Lu Yuanduo gave to Yun Wan.
He even dragged the Cui family into the water, making them completely stand in opposition to the prince's faction and become their enemy, only in name for the third prince.
It was rare that none of the ministers in the court who had always remained neutral and were good at smoothing things over stood up this time, let alone spoke for the prince.
They all watched coldly.
Therefore, at the beginning of the new year, the prince's faction headed by the Li family was extremely busy, and even the atmosphere in Yaohua Palace was not much better, it was extremely deserted.
Concubine Li was so worried that she got several blisters in her mouth and was upset by the endless trivial matters.
Seeing the prince acting like nothing happened, she was even more furious and started to scold him:
"I told you to do your own thing, be more diligent, spend more time on your studies, and not provoke your two brothers again. Why didn't you listen?"
Unfortunately, he was not thorough enough and left others with something to hold against him. Now everyone knows that it was the prince who was causing trouble and alienating the relationship between his two younger brothers.
On the other hand, the Crown Prince was rebuked, but he didn't take it seriously: "I just said a few truths. They want to break up on their own. What does it have to do with me? Mother, aren't you making a big deal out of nothing?"
Doesn't this further prove that the relationship between Qi Chenghui and Qi Chengsui was hypocritical and unreliable?
"I'm making a fuss out of nothing? Who am I doing this for?"
Concubine Li was so angry that she almost died. "Because of you, your uncle is now being suppressed by the Lu and Cui families. Are you satisfied with this result?"
"Although your father hasn't summoned you for questioning, he might have already become disappointed in you."
This is what Concubine Li is most worried about. His Majesty has never been a kind father. If the same mistake is made for the first time, he might personally preach and urge the child to correct it.
But if it happens the second or third time, it’s not certain. No one knows when an imperial decree of punishment will come, and there will be no room for maneuver.
And he still felt it didn't matter.
Thinking of Emperor Jingxuan's decisive and murderous nature, a look of guilt and fear flashed across the prince's face.
"Mother..."
He swallowed hard and said in a dry voice, "Could it be that the emperor really has abandoned me?"
Seeing this, Concubine Li calmed down a bit and squinted at him: "Are you scared now?"
The prince remained silent, looking worried.
After all, he was her own child. Concubine Li softened her heart and said earnestly, "You are the eldest son, but not the legitimate one. Your position as Crown Prince and my prosperity and wealth are all due to the grace of your father. Later, you will take the initiative to apologize to His Majesty."
"Your son also wants to be the legitimate son. Isn't it because mother is not working hard enough?" The prince muttered subconsciously.
Although his voice was low, every word fell into Li Guifei's ears. Her face suddenly changed slightly, "What did you say? Say it again!"
"Why can't mother work hard to win father's favor? Otherwise, the position of Empress would have been yours long ago!"
Then he is the eldest son of the Queen, so why bother to fight?
The prince had been harboring resentment for a long time, and when provoked by her, he simply spoke his true feelings.
Concubine Li laughed in anger: "What do you mean by that? Are you blaming me?"
The prince said: "I dare not."
He said this, but his facial expression meant something else.
No one knows a son better than his mother. Concubine Li was so angry that her heart ached.
How could she have given birth to such an ungrateful and useless kid?
Doesn't she want to be queen?
His Majesty had no intention of appointing a queen, so she wanted to secure her son's position as crown prince, striving to make sure that one day he would ascend the throne and she would become the empress dowager.
........
At the entrance of the side hall of Qiyun Palace.
"I'll say it again, if you don't come out I'll have the door torn down."
Emperor Jingxuan said expressionlessly to the closed door.
The palace maids waiting on the side were no longer surprised, because His Majesty had said this many times.
The young prince had a conflict with the third prince these days and was in a bad mood, so he locked himself in the room all day.
If you stay too long, His Majesty will come in person without waiting for the Queen's orders and threaten the young prince by "breaking down the door".
Sure enough, within a few breaths, the door creaked open from the inside, revealing a similar but slightly dejected little face.
Emperor Jingxuan stared down at him and sneered, "Are you willing to come out?"
He was blocking the doorway, his eight-foot-tall figure towering like a mountain, his eyebrows like swords, his eyes like torches, and a subtle hint of indulgence and doting hidden in his eyes.
Asui was tired of looking up, so he simply stopped looking up and said in a stern tone, "Didn't you ask me to come out?"
His forehead was throbbing wildly. Emperor Jingxuan picked him up and walked out, "Stop talking nonsense and go to the front hall."
Asui reacted calmly, put his arms around his neck, and skillfully adjusted himself to the most comfortable position.
Emperor Jingxuan glanced at him sideways and warned, "Your mother has been worried sick about you these past few days. Don't get angry later."
Ah Sui looked at him strangely: "I won't be angry with my mother."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingxuan laughed and said, "Yes, you only know how to get angry with me."
The more he got along with them, the more he realized that children of this age had one thing in common: they were arrogant and pushy.
Asui is usually more sensible and well-behaved than ordinary children and rarely gets angry, but once he is angry, he can be very stubborn and take it out on his father.
He weighed the dumpling in his hand and snorted softly, "I am so broad-minded and patient. Otherwise, if you were an ordinary father, you would have been beaten."
"oh."
Asui looked depressed.
In the front hall, Yun Wan was carefully checking the arrangements made by the palace servants to ensure that nothing was missed.
As soon as Asui came in, he smelled the sweet and soft aroma of cakes. He noticed that the long square table in the hall was filled with various snacks, fruits and candied fruits.
In addition, there were unprepared cold and hot foods. The empty floor was covered with a thick carpet and filled with toys collected from outside the palace. It was obvious that they were prepared for children.
Ah Sui was puzzled: "Mother, what are you doing?"
Yun Wan sat down, took his hand, and said with a smile, "Mother has invited the Third Prince and Young Master Pei to be our guests. As the young master of Qiyun Palace, remember to entertain them well, okay?"
Hearing that the two were coming, Ah Sui's eyes flickered slightly, and then he said with a stern face: "I have already severed ties with them. We are no longer friends."
Touching his stubborn little face, Yun Wan did not refute, but followed his meaning and continued: "If not friends, then we are still relatives. The Third Prince is your elder brother, and the young prince is your cousin. They are both your elder brothers. How about you treat it as a younger brother entertaining his elder brother?"
"Mother believes that you can shoulder this important responsibility, right?"
A hint of interest flashed across Asui's face, and after a moment he nodded: "...Okay."
Yun Wan smiled. "Besides, breaking up doesn't mean we can't reconcile. It's better for everyone to sit down and talk it out, then make a rational decision, rather than just breaking off relations without thinking, right?"
Asui understood the truth, but——
"Third brother wronged me and didn't believe me, so I don't want to make peace with him." He said unhappily with a clenched fist.
Yun Wan instantly thought of Emperor Jingxuan. Both father and son were vindictive and concerned about their reputation.
Her smile deepened, and her gentle voice was like a spring breeze, "Even if we can't reconcile, haven't you tried your best?"
"Friendships need to be maintained. How about Guaibao be the first one to do so today? If the Third Prince refuses to make peace with you, then we can just let it go. At least there will be no regrets."
Yun Wan would also feel it was a pity if Asui really lost his close friends because of the prince's provocative words.
It would be fine if the disagreements between the children arose when they grow up, but now that they are young and can only remember things, what may seem like a small matter to adults is a big deal to them and still needs to be handled with caution.
As she was speaking, a palace maid came to report: "Your Majesty, Princess Yongshou has arrived with the young prince."
A moment later, Princess Yongshou came in smiling in gorgeous clothes. Pei Qian beside her looked a little paler and stronger than before, and seemed to be living a comfortable life.
After entering the palace, Princess Yongshou let go of her son and pushed him forward without hesitation: "This kid has been giving me a headache at home these past few days. Today, I will trouble you, Your Majesty and the young prince."
Ah Sui nodded and replied solemnly on behalf of Yun Wan: "Aunt Yongshou is too polite. I will treat Cousin Pei well."
In front of outsiders, he is a polite child.
Princess Yongshou was so delighted that she waved and said affectionately, "Good boy, come and hold me!"
Before she could even touch Asui, Pei Qian gave him a bear hug. "Oh my God, I miss you so much!"
He was very strong and Asui's face turned red from being strangled by him.
It was Princess Yongshou who saved Asui by slapping her own son.
"Pfft, if you keep saying you're not going to die, I'll beat you up."
Princess Yongshou explained to Yun Wan with a helpless look on her face, "This kid has been acting strangely these past two days after listening to a few operas. I don't know where his accent comes from."
After being scolded, Pei Qian immediately changed his tone: "Then I really want you to live!"
Asui straightened his shirt expressionlessly. Then he looked up at Pei Qian and calmly stated a harsh truth: "You seem to have gained weight."
Pei Qian was stunned. "Zhuang! I mean Zhuang! Strong as in Zhuang!"
Ah Sui ignored him and continued to tell him a more cruel truth: "You must not have done the homework assigned at the end of the semester."
Pei Qian instantly felt a foreboding premonition, and sure enough, the next moment he heard him calmly say, "I've finished."
These days, he turned his grief and anger into motivation and completed all his winter vacation homework in one go.
Little Pei Qian's pupils were shattered and his heart was dead.
He turned his grief and anger into appetite.
Seeing her son's humiliated look, Princess Yongshou laughed at him mercilessly.
Yun Wan felt helpless and amused.
The third prince arrived at this time. Hearing the laughter in the hall, he stopped at the door and hesitated to move forward.
Yun Wan was the first to notice. She stood up, walked up to him, and asked softly, "Why is Chenghui standing here and not coming in?"
Meeting her gentle gaze, the Third Prince scratched his palm and said sullenly, "I'm afraid of disturbing you."
There was no way Concubine Lu would agree to let him come, so he hesitated for a long time and finally came secretly.
"How could that be?" Yun Wan held his hand and encouraged him, "How could my inviting you here be a bother? Asui has mentioned you several times these past few days. Come on in."
When the Third Prince heard Asui mention him, his expression brightened up a little.
Yun Wan helped him take off his cloak and led him into the hall.
The Third Prince: "Thank you, Concubine Yunmu."
"You're welcome."
When Asui saw the Third Prince, he called out awkwardly, "Third Brother."
"Fourth brother." The third prince scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.
After addressing each other, the two stood face to face in silence.
Seeing the two children's discomfort, Yun Wan and Princess Yongshou exchanged a glance and said, "This is left to you. Take whatever you want to eat or play with. We'll be leaving first."
There were no adults around, and the three children in the hall looked at each other in confusion.
Now it was Pei Qian's turn to watch the show.
He grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table and stood between the two of them, eating them with relish.
After a while, Asui mustered up the courage to say, "Brother Emperor, can we make peace?"
"good."
Asui was stunned by the answer that came almost without hesitation.
The Third Prince muttered softly, "I thought about what you said the other day for a long time, and I think you made sense."
"I can't just do what others say. I should follow my heart. Otherwise, what's the difference between me and a puppet in a puppet show?"
His cheeks turned slightly red, and he was obviously embarrassed to reveal his true feelings in front of his younger brother.
Ah Sui nodded, "Well, you are not a puppet, you are my brother, and I have never lied to you."
The Third Prince: "I know, you are so smart, there is nothing I can do to deceive you."
In the past, his mother wanted him to compete with the crown prince, and now she wants him to compete with Asui. The third prince actually knows all this, but in fact he does not want to compete with anyone, and he does not like the feeling of being caught in the middle.
"I just want to have enough food and drink. My mother and grandfather think I'm useless."
The third prince knew that he was neither good at literature nor at martial arts and could not shoulder the heavy responsibility.
As soon as he said this, Pei Qian immediately refuted him: "How can you be useless? The fact that you were reborn as a prince means you have more potential than most people in the world."
"If I were a prince, I would walk sideways every day!"
The Third Prince's eyes suddenly lit up: "Then I'll trade with you!"
No matter how strict Aunt Yongshou and Duke Cheng'en are, they are certainly not as strict as my father.
Pei Qian nodded, and the image of Emperor Jingxuan's stern, majestic face instantly surfaced in his mind. He shook his head hurriedly, "I don't want it!"
Uncle and father are still different.
It's not easy to be your uncle's child.
Having said that, Asui and the third prince have rebuilt their friendship.
He turned around and asked Pei Qian, "We've reconciled. Do you still want to break up with us?"
Pei Qian was stunned for a moment: "Ah? We broke up?"
He thought about it carefully and it seemed to be true. He chuckled and said, "Sorry, I forgot."
Asui/Third Prince:............
At the palace gate, Yun Wan smiled slightly when she saw the three children put aside their past grudges and become friendly again.
Emperor Jingxuan's eyes flashed with relief, and he praised generously: "Madam, you still have a way. Thank you for your hard work."
Yun Wan looked at the Third Prince, whose smile was blooming, and sighed, "Chenghui is also a good child. Your Majesty is too strict with him. He is afraid of you."
Emperor Jingxuan snorted and laughed: "He fell asleep in class, so he may not be afraid of me when he takes the exam."
Not long after, news came out that the two little princes had put aside their past grudges and shook hands in peace, and the ministers were very relieved.
In comparison, the prince's reputation is even worse.
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