Chapter 78
A giant in slogans, a dwarf in actions.
Qu Watanabe explained this sentence to his father vividly through his actions.
It is impossible to make progress without making progress.
Qu Watanabe's performance still remains at a mediocre level.
Ever since he started shouting "make progress" every day, Emperor Chongzhao never told him "look like a prince" again. He was probably afraid that after school every day, he would shout "Father, I look like a prince today!"
The Cining Palace orchestra incident was over. The empress guessed that Emperor Chongzhao had calmed down, so she changed the morning and evening visits and the evening greetings to square dancing.
It was carried out in Fengwu Palace.
Whether the concubines volunteer to come or not, the orchestra will select a new group of people to learn the music from the ones brought by the Seventh Prince.
All procedures are in compliance with regulations.
Emperor Chongzhao neither nodded nor refused, which was considered as his tacit agreement.
Therefore, square dance social activities were retained in the harem.
The concubines are happy, and the queen is happy too.
Because square dancing was done every three or five days, she didn't have to deal with concubines who would come to her for a walk every night and pay their respects.
They are casual, and she is disturbed every day, which is really tiring.
However, three months later, Ding Changzai fainted during a square dance activity in Fengwu Palace.
The queen hastily summoned the imperial physician, who found out that Ding Changzai was already one month pregnant.
-
late at night.
Qu Dubian sat in his small study.
There were two lamps on the corner of the table. He was the only one in the study room. Even Concubine Xuan was not allowed to come in without his permission. Although Liu Liu was off work, he would still use the simulator to supervise.
At this time, there was a piece of spread out paper on the study table.
A complex relationship diagram is drawn above.
All of them were concubines who had had contact with Concubine Yun during her lifetime. The focus was on the biological mothers of his brothers, the maternal families standing behind them, their positions in the court, and whether they were related to each other.
The dense lines and markings in the corners are all in English and simplified Chinese characters.
Qu Dubian frowned, holding a charcoal pencil in his left hand, occasionally sketching on it. He wrote two words in modern Chinese in the blank space:
murderer.
Then he made a circle and put a question mark on it.
There is a huge difference between the handwriting of his left hand and that of his right hand. His right hand is just like a child's handwriting. Since he deliberately didn't practice it, there is no special feature at all except that it is ugly.
The handwriting of his left hand is sharp and restrained, and every stroke is very neat and beautiful.
Master Fang didn't know that he actually wrote with his left hand.
When Ding Changzai found out that she was pregnant, his first reaction was to wonder if the murderer who had framed the original owner and her mother would strike again.
Although Ding Changzai's situation was very different from that of Concubine Yun at the time, and the possibility of her colluding with others to frame her was extremely small, but - this did not mean that it did not exist.
Three or four years of playing around did not prevent him from collecting information related to Concubine Yun a few years ago.
It is not without benefits to get along with the concubines. Occasionally, when I go to Fengwu Palace to conduct square dancing and chat with them, some information will be revealed invisibly.
For example, who has a bad relationship with whom, and who started the conflict with whom and when.
Qu Watanabe pondered here until midnight.
When he came into this body, he said that he wanted to avenge the former little prince and Concubine Yun, who gave him a reincarnated body. This karma must be repaid.
According to his observation, Concubine De is of the same type as the eldest prince. She is straightforward in her actions and does not have many evil intentions.
Concubine Wen is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She may be in a daze sometimes, but she will also work hard for the future of the third prince.
Concubine Ruan, the mother of the second prince, and Concubine Yi, the mother of the fourth prince, are both characters with very low presence.
Concubine Rong and Concubine Lan are together. If Concubine Rong takes action, there is a 90% chance that Concubine Lan is the mastermind behind the scenes. If Concubine Lan takes action, it is unlikely that Concubine Rong would know about it.
These two are tied together.
Ye Xiaoyuan stood outside the bedroom, hesitating for a long time, but couldn't help but worry, so he pushed the door open and went in.
He first looked at the bed, and seeing no one on it, he went outside the small study, stood behind the screen, and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness?"
Qu Dubian stacked the relationship diagrams and stuffed them into the innermost part of the small drawer.
"Ye Banban?"
As soon as he spoke, he realized that his voice was hoarse.
Qu Duanbian cleared his throat and said, "I'll be out right away."
He jumped off the chair, walked around the partition and came out from behind the screen. He suddenly felt sleepy and yawned loudly and coughed a few times.
"Companion."
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Your Highness, it's already late at night. If it's any later, His Majesty will probably have to go to court. You..."
He sighed, picked up the staggering child, took a few quick steps and put him on the bed, then poured him a glass of warm water.
Qu Dubian sat cross-legged on the bed, holding a cup.
Ye Xiaoyuan touched his head and pinched his palm. He felt that he didn't have a fever or sweat, so he scolded him, "What's the emergency? Why are you staying in the study until now? Did Master Fang assign you too much homework? If you can't finish it, give it to Xiaochun. Anyway, he has nothing to do on weekdays."
"Banban, for the next nine months, you and Xiaochun will help me keep an eye on Ding Changzai."
Ye Xiaoyuan stopped talking.
Qu Dubian lowered his head and drank a sip of warm water.
He was alone and couldn't keep an eye on Ding Changzai, and he needed Ye Banban's help in this matter, so he didn't intend to hide it from him.
"It's mainly to see if anyone is approaching her with bad intentions, or to see if there are subtle items or spices..."
The slightly cool little hand was placed on the back of Ye Xiaoyuan's hand, and Qu Dubian said seriously: "Banban, I don't want to protect her, you know what I'm thinking."
Ye Xiaoyuan was silent for a long time, then he raised his hand, and when his palm landed on Qu Dubian's head, he trembled unconsciously.
"The companion knows."
The death of the queen was also a wound in his heart, a hurdle that he could not cross. They had no way to question Zhang Fanming of the Astronomical Bureau, but there must be a hidden hand in the harem.
"Don't worry, your highness. Xiaochun and I will help you. Now you need to go to bed."
Qu Duanbian responded and handed him the empty cup, "Banban, you should go to bed too."
Ye Xiaoyuan nodded.
He stayed by Qu Du's bed for a long time.
In fact, the moment he knew that Ding Changzai was pregnant, he had already asked someone to plant spies and people around Ding Changzai's palace. He just didn't tell the little prince.
After His Highness came out of Ju'an Hall, he lived a relatively comfortable and smooth life for about four years.
He thought that His Highness would gradually forget the Queen, and would also gradually forget the past two and a half years of hunger and cold. After all, children have short memories.
Ye Xiaoyuan felt that this was a good thing. His Highness didn’t have to work so hard and should always remember only ease and happiness.
but……
Your Highness has not forgotten.
Even as we get older, we remember things better and become wiser.
Ye Xiaoyuan stuffed his exposed hands back into the quilt.
It is now late autumn and the weather has turned cold. Qu Dubian coughed a few times in his sleep, and Ye Xiaoyuan patted him gently through the quilt.
During this period, perhaps due to the change of seasons, His Highness's night cough has been more severe. Concubine Xuan made autumn pear soup to moisten the lungs, but it did not help much.
When it was just getting light.
Ye Xiaoyuan looked at the skinny child on the bed.
There was heartache in his eyes and his voice was barely audible.
"Your Highness, all you have to do is be clean and happy."
It was painful enough for him to discover tonight that the young prince was still remembering the Queen's death.
If one day, hatred and blood really covered His Highness's hands and clothes, he couldn't imagine how crazy he and Xiaochun would go that day.
-
Xiuxiang Palace.
Concubine Lan is drinking tea with Concubine Rong.
"With Concubine Ding's position, she can't keep the child. Let's see who your majesty will give the child to."
After hearing what she said, Rong Guiren asked tentatively, "Madam, you don't plan to...?"
"It's not necessary," Imperial Concubine Lan said calmly, "Little Six has grown up now, and the Seventh Prince is just an average boy, not particularly outstanding, and also sickly. I was worried before that he would be favored by His Majesty and block Little Six's path, but now it seems that there is nothing to worry about."
"The Fourth Prince is incredibly lazy, and the Fifth Prince is pretty obedient following Little Six."
Concubine Rong smiled flatteringly, "Of course. It seems that only the Sixth Prince can compete with the First Prince and his two brothers."
Imperial Concubine Lan looked at her nails critically and said with satisfaction, "Well, after the New Year, the Fifth Prince will be almost ten years old and will go to live in the Prince's Residence. When Concubine Ding gives birth, His Majesty will certainly promote her position. By then, I will speak well of her in front of His Majesty. In view of your contribution to raising the prince, you may be promoted to a concubine and sit firmly on the main seat of Changxin Palace."
Concubine Rong was overjoyed and knelt at Concubine Lan's feet and paid her respects.
"Thank you, Madam!"
She returned to Changxin Palace at great speed, unable to stop smiling.
The fifth prince came back from school and saw her in high spirits. "Mother, why are you so happy?"
Concubine Rong pulled him over and praised him warmly, leaving the Fifth Prince completely confused.
Rong Guiren even asked someone to prepare a table of dishes: "Eat quickly, eat quickly, I have good news to tell you later."
The fifth prince ate a few bites and secretly glanced at his mother. After finding that she was indeed in a good mood, he hesitated for a moment and mustered up his courage, "Mother, I also want to tell you something."
Noble Lady Rong: "Good son, you say."
Her gentle tone gave the Fifth Prince some encouragement, and he put down his chopsticks.
"I don't want to run around behind my sixth brother anymore. It's not... It's not that I won't help him in the future. It's that next year, I will go to the Prince's Residence, and I won't be with my sixth brother from the Prince's Residence to the academy. It won't be convenient in the future. If my sixth brother tells me to do things again, it will delay my studies."
"In fact, it's very time-consuming now. When my sixth brother doesn't study, I won't study either even if I'm pulled to study. Mother, can you tell Imperial Concubine Lan? I can do anything when I don't go to school, but..."
Bang!
Concubine Rong threw her chopsticks with a gloomy face.
The fifth prince shuddered with fear.
Rong Guiren stood up and pulled him off the stool: "Stand still!"
The Fifth Prince: "Mother..."
Rong Guiren squatted down irritably, "Mother will soon sit in the main seat, did you know that?"
"Today, Imperial Concubine Lan said that you will go to the prince's residence next year. She will report to His Majesty that I worked hard to raise you, and there is no master in Changsheng Palace, so she promoted me. It will be next year, how can you hold your mother back at this critical moment?"
The fifth prince was silent for a long time before he said, "Mother, we don't need to rely on others to live well. I am a prince, and I will leave the palace and build a mansion to take care of you in your old age. When you are old, I can also ask my father to let you leave the palace and live with me."
"Mother, I won't compete with my brothers for anything, and you don't have to please Concubine Lan..."
“What are you talking about!”
Concubine Rong couldn't believe it. "My son, your mother worked so hard to raise you. When I was pregnant with you, I was worried every day, afraid that someone would snatch you away. I was able to raise you by my side, all thanks to Concubine Lan."
"Now that you are going to the prince's residence, you feel that your mother is no longer important and can no longer control you, right?"
The Fifth Prince: "Mother, I didn't. That's not what I meant."
Rong Guiren choked up and said, "So you don't want mother anymore?"
The Fifth Prince: “…I didn’t.”
Rong Guiren hugged him and said, "Good boy, when I become a concubine, your status will be higher. For the sake of your mother, please don't be willful, okay?"
The Fifth Prince rested his chin tiredly on Concubine Rong's shoulder and patted her back.
"Okay, I promise."
"Mom, don't cry."
He reached out and wiped away Concubine Rong's tears.
-
A few months passed by like flowing water.
Ding Changzai's pregnancy was already five months old, and it was the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
Qu Dubian was squatting in the yard making strawberry juice. Dahei started to get lazy and snuggled up at his feet, basking in the sun for two or three hours.
Zhiyi was holding a glass of water and walking according to court etiquette, and she was walking very gracefully.
This is the peaceful and tranquil daily life in Shunning Palace.
A piece of news suddenly spread out from nowhere -
The child in Ding Chang's belly is incompatible with the Sixth Prince.
Qu Watanabe: "Incompatible with Sixth Brother?"
Ye Xiaoyuan: "Yes, I checked it several times and it is indeed spread like this."
Qu Dubian poured the strawberry juice into the diabolo cup, added honey water, lemon, and some crushed ice, covered it with a lid, and shook it.
"Banban, do you feel that the method of spreading rumors is very familiar?"
Ye Xiaoyuan nodded.
But this time there was no Astronomical Survey Office involved, only widespread rumors.
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