Imperial heir
It was almost late spring and it was raining continuously. The sound of wind and rain swept through the bamboo forest on the outskirts of the city, making a rustling sound.
"Why is it raining so much this year?" A woman in elegant clothes leaned against a soft couch and sipped tea. Even though her face was now full of wrinkles, one could still see her former beauty and grace.
Even though he was over fifty, his appearance was so well-maintained that he looked like he was in his thirties. His frown, with a hint of displeasure, was exactly the same as when he was young.
"Don't worry, Queen Mother. People often say that spring rain is as precious as oil. Plenty of rain like this is a good omen for a good harvest."
The attendant female official tried her best to understand Queen Dowager Xuan's intentions. Her answer was so sound and appropriate that the Queen Dowager could not find any reason to be angry. She could only say sadly, "I am only worried that the spring flowers are too delicate to withstand the rain."
What Queen Dowager Xuan was talking about was the Spring Banquet that would be held in the Imperial Garden of the Imperial City in a few days. Since it was a grand event with the excuse of flower viewing, it would be inevitable that people would lose interest if the flowers withered.
She had always hosted the Chunshu Banquet every year, but this year, due to Si Pei's decree, it was handed over to the Imperial Household Department. Although Si Pei hadn't mentioned it directly and had asked her to carefully review Si Jue's selection of concubines at the banquet, she had now been relocated to the Western Suburbs Palace by Si Pei, and her spies in the palace had been largely reduced, making it impossible for her to intervene in the various matters related to the Chunshu Banquet.
Now we don’t even know what the condition of the palace garden is like.
"Your Majesty, please be more at ease and follow His Royal Highness's wishes. He won't really let you stay in the palace forever."
Although Si Pei did not have a good reputation as a "filial son and virtuous grandson" outside, Confucian culture had been quite popular in the Xijing Dynasty for nearly a hundred years, and respecting elders was a matter of course in the hearts of the people. If Si Pei continued to act on his own, he would inevitably be impeached by all officials.
"What a joke! I am his royal grandmother. How can I bow down to a younger generation?"
Queen Dowager Xuan has been in charge of the harem for many years and is accustomed to sitting in a high position. Even though the situation is different now and Si Pei has long since stripped her of the gorgeous outer shell of "Queen Dowager", deep down she still takes Si Pei for granted as the boy who knelt and shivered in the snow when he was a child.
At that time, Empress Yue hated her eldest biological son, but because the emperor valued him, she had to raise Si Pei by her side in the Yichen Palace. It was not until Si Pei was ten years old that he finally moved to the Eastern Palace.
Queen Dowager Xuan also had a very bad impression of Si Pei.
At his birth, Si Pei was born under the influence of the double-moon star. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory declared that this child had a 50/50 destiny, making him unlikely to achieve great fortune and certain to suffer great misfortune. He should not be kept, as he might one day endanger the government and the country. However, the Emperor had long awaited the birth of his eldest son and refused to give up, even ignoring Empress Yue's near-death experience during childbirth to ensure the birth of Si Pei.
The emperor was destined to have few children. After many years on the throne, only two princesses were born in the palace. There was a lot of criticism from the court and the people, and the emperor was very troubled. He hoped that the eldest son in Queen Yue's belly could break these rumors.
The fact that Empress Yue was able to give birth to Si Pei was a near-death experience. If the Yue family hadn't gone to great lengths to find the most famous midwife, both mother and child might have died in the delivery room.
Queen Dowager Xuan was also a woman. Just by listening to Queen Yue's shrill screams, one could tell how desperate and painful she was in the delivery room. However, she still couldn't persuade the emperor who was eager to have a child.
Fortunately, both mother and child were saved in the end, but Queen Yue was weak and it took her more than half a year of recuperation before she recovered.
At that time, Queen Dowager Xuan and the Yue family also tried to persuade Yue Jinge, saying that at least having a child was a good way to continue to win favor. However, Yue Jinge was already extremely disappointed with the emperor, and even poured these emotions into the newly born Si Pei.
What made the queen even more desperate was that just half a year later, Concubine Jing also gave birth to a prince, and her status was promoted to Imperial Noble Concubine. She was in great favor and was in the limelight.
Although the emperor had appointed the infant Si Pei as the crown prince early on, Queen Yue knew that none of this was out of favor for her.
The one he truly dotes on is someone like Si Cheng, because he loves the child's mother and therefore loves the child even more.
As for her, Yue Jin Ge, she was used like a tool from beginning to end.
It is understandable that Queen Yue, as the mother who suffered the most, could not accept the child who brought her pain. Queen Dowager Xuan, as the imperial grandmother, should have loved her grandson, but she had no sympathy for Si Pei.
Queen Dowager Xuan didn't believe in Buddhism, but she did believe in karma. From the moment she saw Si Pei, she knew he was a debt collector who would bring death to everyone around him.
Moreover, this boy has a cold nature and is rude and immoral to his elders at such a young age. At an age when children should be most innocent, Si Pei has already revealed the sophistication of a precocious teenager. Queen Dowager Xuan disliked such scheming people the most in her life. Even Si Cheng seemed more considerate than this boy.
"Younger generations should be considerate of their elders and obey their orders!"
Queen Dowager Xuan often criticized Si Pei for his indifference, but forgot the source of all this.
"I've said it before, Si Pei is a ghost who wants his life. He was born to kill his mother and has few relatives. I'm afraid it won't be long before he sends me away too."
"Your Highness, please do not say such unlucky words... You will surely live a long and healthy life." The court lady understood what Queen Dowager Xuan wanted to hear: "...Besides, Prince Lin is still alive. His Highness will surely protect you and ensure you live a long and worry-free life."
Everyone in the palace knew that the Sixth Prince, Prince Lin, was the most favored of Queen Dowager Xuan and the most beloved child of Queen Yue. Prince Lin, Si Jue, was a versatile and accomplished scholar, skilled in both civil and military arts, especially zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. His gentle and kind disposition made him a clear superior to the aloof and dignified Crown Prince Si Pei in his youth.
After Queen Yue passed away, in order to let her rest in peace in the afterlife, the emperor sent Prince Lin, who was not even fifteen years old, to his fiefdom in advance, allowing him to live a leisurely and wealthy prince.
"Zi'an..." A flicker of joy flashed across Empress Dowager Xuan's face, then vanished. Si Jue had visited him a few days after returning to the capital, but there had been no news since. Although she could roughly guess what the child was doing, she felt something was amiss.
"He has been making me worried lately."
"His Royal Highness Prince Lin has grown up and has his own considerations. The Queen Mother does not need to worry too much."
The female official smiled and comforted her, but Queen Dowager Xuan forced a smile but did not respond.
It's a good thing that Si Jue has grown up, but she increasingly feels that this child is a sleeping beast that has not yet erupted. There are many things in his eyes that she doesn't want to see - especially the indifference that is exactly the same as Si Pei's.
He had his own thoughts, and Queen Dowager Xuan couldn't interfere too much.
I just wonder how this child has grown into what he is now in just a few years.
"Your Highness, the Queen Mother, the Prince Lin has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Queen Dowager Xuan immediately put on a smile and said, "Welcome in quickly."
The maids lined up on both sides and pushed open the palace door from outside the hall. The young man stepped into the door, smiled and waved his sleeves to signal the kneeling maids to stand up.
"Grandson pays homage to the Imperial Grandmother."
"Zi'an is here." Queen Dowager Xuan also stood up from the couch and stepped forward to help Si Jue, who was paying his respects, and let him sit on the cushion on the other side.
"How come you have time to come to the western suburbs to visit the Imperial Grandmother today?"
Si Jue could naturally hear the accusation in Queen Dowager Xuan's words, and said with some distress, "Grandmother, you have misunderstood me. I really can't spare the time lately."
"Oh, I heard that a girl died in Shanghua City recently, and she was related to the prince?"
"This... I dare not speak nonsense." Si Jue cleverly chose to be vague and pass it over without knowing anything. "It's just that someone spread rumors."
Seeing Queen Dowager Xuan's brow furrowed and anger rising in her heart, Si Jue suddenly added fuel to the fire and vowed: "But my grandson believes in my brother. He will not do such a thing just to please cousin Jing Yao."
"Humph, I think he is capable of doing such crazy things!"
This Si Pei is truly lawless!
Relying on the fact that he is still the crown prince, he dares to disregard the laws of the country and take human lives so lightly. If he really ascends the throne and becomes the emperor in the future, Dajing will surely be destroyed by him!
It was exactly as what the Si Tianjian had said at the beginning, Si Pei was destined to be the one who would destroy his family and his country.
Queen Dowager Xuan's hatred for Si Pei grew ever more intense. She reached out and grasped Si Jue's wrist, whispering, "Zi'an, there are some things I don't need to explain to you. You probably understand them. I have nothing else to say. Just remember that the Empress Dowager is always on your side."
Si Jue was silent for a moment and just nodded.
He had sent people to clean up the Western Suburbs Palace once before. Thanks to Yue Ningning's help, Si Pei had not discovered their actions yet, and he was one step closer to success.
It can even be said that it is very close.
When he thought about Si Pei, Jing Yao and the others who were still unaware of the impending danger, he couldn't help but smile triumphantly in his heart.
"Zian?"
Queen Dowager Xuan noticed his expression, which showed a hint of madness, and she felt a little worried. But when she saw the young man's innocent face, she sighed and said, "I have already selected all the girls of marriageable age in the capital for you. You can see them for yourself at the Spring Banquet."
"Grandmother, my brother only gave you this task to help me get married and keep me in check. Why do you take it so seriously?"
Si Jue asked anxiously.
Queen Dowager Xuan frowned in dissatisfaction: "You are also of age to get married. You must not be like Si Pei, who is over twenty years old and has no children, let alone other women."
As the crown prince, Si Pei has already reached the age to have children for the royal family, but he refuses to even have concubines.
Although the emperor did not have a prince until he was twenty-five, his first daughter, Princess Xiaoyuan, was born to him and Concubine Shen Liangdi when he was seventeen years old and still the crown prince.
"He was just guarding Jing Yao, but I didn't see any movement from them."
Queen Dowager Xuan sounded somewhat helpless. Although she did not like Jing Yao's personality, and even more so her aunt, Concubine Jing, Jing Wu had actually given birth to a son and a daughter for the royal family, and her daughter had even gone to Yin Dynasty to marry.
But Jing Yao is clearly a mother hen who doesn't place orders. Only Si Pei holds her in his hands like a treasure.
"She's only copied her aunt's coquettish charm to the hilt, and she hasn't gotten pregnant yet."
Queen Dowager Xuan had a look of disdain on her face. She turned around and saw Si Jue lost in thought.
He's been distracted quite a bit today.
She was about to explode when Si Jue suddenly smiled. Although the smile sounded funny, Queen Dowager Xuan found it inexplicably sinister.
Si Jue remained noncommittal: "I'm afraid...it's my brother's fault?"
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