Chapter 95 Ambitious
Prince Rong's Mansion.
Prince Rong sat in the main seat with a gloomy face.
"At the morning court this morning, the Fifth Prince appeared in the Taiji Hall and has asked the Emperor for permission to take over the salt tax."
"Regarding the salt tax, it's an offensive task, and the ministers are all trying to hold back. The Fifth Prince stepping forward at this time has alleviated the emperor's urgent need."
"Father publicly praised the Fifth Prince for his responsibility, which is quite similar to how he was when he was young."
Su Yan spoke thoughtfully after hearing this.
"Your Highness, it seems that the Fifth Prince is no longer willing to remain unknown."
Prince Rong heard this and spoke in a deep voice.
"He knew full well that the salt tax issue was a thorny one, yet he volunteered. Firstly, this established an image of diligence in front of the Emperor, and secondly, it gave him an opportunity to gain a seat at the court. If he could handle the salt tax issue successfully, I'm afraid he would have considerable prestige in the court in the future."
It seems that the fifth prince is also not an ordinary person. The crown prince has the queen's family. Although Concubine Yao is favored, the Yao family is not as good as the Chen family. Moreover, the Chen family has taken over the military power of the southern border this time. It may not be a bad thing to have the fifth prince involved.
"Your Highness, the issue of salt tax is complex and involves many interest groups. The Fifth Prince has just entered the court and may not be able to quickly control the situation."
"And, in another way, this might be a good thing."
Upon hearing this, Prince Rong looked at Su Yan with displeasure in his eyes.
"He has been in the spotlight in Taiji Hall today. Now you tell me, maybe this is a good thing?"
Seeing King Rong was angry.
Su Yan stood up and bowed.
"Your Highness, you and the Imperial Concubine have been battling the Empress and the Crown Prince for years. However, the Crown Prince's position as heir apparent has already been confirmed. It would be extremely difficult for the Emperor to depose him! Since the situation is not favorable for us, why not make it even more chaotic? Even if the Fifth Prince becomes prominent for a while, his mother's family is too weak to be more difficult to deal with than the Crown Prince."
Prince Rong nodded after hearing this.
"You have a point. I am not the crown prince now, so if anyone should be panicking, it should be the crown prince. His brothers are all more powerful than the other, and he is weak in character, relying entirely on the queen for advice. Now that the fifth prince has emerged, it is only right that they, mother and son, should be in a panic."
Then the conversation took a sudden turn.
"How are you preparing for the imperial examination?"
"Are you sure?"
Su Yan bowed when he heard this.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I have made all the necessary preparations. Whether in civil or military matters, I will definitely be among the top three."
Upon hearing this, Prince Rong smiled and nodded, and gestured for him to sit down.
"Sit down and have some tea. If you can make it into the top three, you can choose any position in the six ministries."
Upon hearing this, Su Yan's face lit up with joy and he immediately stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, Your Highness. If I can make it into the top three, please recommend me to the Dali Temple."
Upon hearing this, Prince Rong looked at him puzzledly and spoke.
"Why Dali Temple?"
Su Yan bowed and explained.
"The Dali Temple has taken over most of the cases and holds more real power. It also controls the information of many ministers in the court. If I join the Dali Temple, I will be able to better serve the prince in the future."
Who in power doesn’t want to have a loyal minister and general by his side? Prince Rong greeted him with a smile.
"Brother Su is really thoughtful. Come and have some tea."
"I see that Brother Su is also a tea lover. This is the spring tea that was urgently sent to the Imperial City this year. Besides my father, I am the only one who has it. I will ask the butler to bring a box to Brother Su later."
Regent's Palace.
Xiao Fuguang took the tea handed to him by Liu Yue, looked at the woman kneeling below, and spoke majestically.
"You are Madam Hu who serves the princess."
Nanny Hu looked up at Xiao Fuguang drinking tea, with dissatisfaction in her eyes.
"Yes, I was originally in service of Consort Liang, then I served the prince, and later I took care of the princess. I followed the prince and princess all the way from the imperial palace to this regent's palace."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fuguang did not ask her to stand up, but drank his tea slowly.
Madam Hu knelt for a moment, touched her knees with her hand, and a hint of honesty flashed in her eyes.
"I wonder what instructions the princess has for calling me here?"
"Or perhaps I have done something to displease the princess, causing her to humiliate me like this."
"Over the years, even the prince and princess have never criticized me because of my hard work over the years."
Liu Yue scolded him harshly upon seeing this.
"How dare you, you are just a servant, and you dare to be so rude in front of the princess!"
When Madam Hu heard this, her face turned pale, but she still raised her head stubbornly and said.
"I am only speaking the truth. If the princess does not have a reasonable explanation, I will not accept it!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fuguang glanced at Madam Hu. No wonder she made An Ning have such wild thoughts. This madam was a little ignorant of the world.
Liu Yue stepped forward and slapped Madam Hu in the face.
"How dare you take the blame for your master's crime? You deserve to be punished."
Xiao Fuguang gently put down the teacup, looked at her with sharp eyes, but his voice was unusually calm.
"Madam Hu, this slap is to punish you for being disrespectful to this princess. You have been in the palace for many years and have indeed worked hard and made great contributions. However, the palace has its own rules, and servants should behave like servants. I called you here today because you instigated the princess and provoked the relationship between me and her."
When Madam Hu heard this, her face changed drastically and she kowtowed quickly.
"Princess, please understand. I didn't do that. I just felt sorry for you and was afraid that you would be wronged..."
Xiao Fuguang interrupted her with a sharp look, holding a teacup.
"If you feel sorry for the princess, you should guide her onto the right path instead of letting her overthink things or even feel guilty. The princess is in poor health and needs to rest and recuperate, not be troubled by these unnecessary speculations."
Madam Hu was speechless, her body trembling slightly.
Xiao Fuguang continued.
"Considering your years of hard work and this being your first offense, I will forgive you this time. This palace is a simple place, and since the princess is the prince's biological sister, I will treat her as one."
"If you wish to continue serving the princess, you must be a loyal servant to me. I cannot tolerate filth and do not like to waste my time on trivial matters. Since you are a maid from the palace, I hope you understand the rules."
Nanny Hu was slapped in the face and felt humiliated. Looking at the look in Xiao Fuguang's eyes, she had no choice but to bow.
"Yes, I have made note of it. Thank you for reminding me, Princess."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fuguang winked at Xingyue.
"Get medicine for Aunt Hu."
Then he glanced at Aunt Hu.
"Today, you don't need to serve the princess."
Xingyue took the medicine and went to help Aunt Hu.
"Mammy, please get up quickly. Xingyue will accompany you back to your room to apply the medicine. You have worked hard to serve the princess. You have caught a cold today. The princess is kind enough to give you two days off. It just so happens that the princess will go back to the marquis' mansion with her tomorrow to play."
Nanny Hu looked at Xingyue who was supporting her, and then silently glanced at Liuyue who was standing next to the princess. She had underestimated the princess. As for the two maids beside the princess, one played the good cop and the other played the bad cop, neither of them was simple.
"Yes, I understand."
Watching Xingyue help Madam Hu out.
Liu Yue spoke from the side.
"Miss, this nanny has been serving the princess for too long and has lost her sense of propriety. She actually dared to openly take the blame for the princess."
Xiao Fuguang took a sip of tea slowly.
"After all, she's an elderly person by the princess's side, so we can't just send her away. We need to have someone keep an eye on her. If she behaves well in the future, let her stay by the princess's side. If she doesn't behave well..."
Xiao Fuguang paused.
"Then leave it to the prince to deal with."
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