Chapter 468 Chang Qiu Luan 11
"Your Highness."
Zhu Biao walked with his usual steady steps, his face still expressionless. Wherever he passed, the palace guards all became even more respectful and solemn.
"Everyone, step back."
Arriving at the Crown Princess's Palace, Qiu Luan dismissed everyone without waiting for Zhu Biao to speak. Turning around, she saw that the Crown Prince, who had always seemed nearly perfect to others, now displayed a rare look of dejection.
Zhu Biao propped his face up with his hands, his voice growing deeper through them. "Was I too harsh on him? The imperial physician said that fortunately, the fourth son was skilled in riding and shooting, and his physique was stronger than that of an ordinary person. Even so, he was still badly injured. From childhood to adulthood, I have never laid a hand on him."
"How badly? Are those few lashes the Prince of Yan received worse than the injuries the Duke of Wei and the Duke of E received over the years while accompanying the Emperor on his campaigns? Are they worse than the injuries inflicted on the people of Ming Dynasty by the nobles and corrupt officials?"
Qiu Luan deliberately didn't use those intimate titles, and her words were so cold that the prince's brain trembled.
He raised his head from his palms, looked at his wife sitting across from him, and suddenly smiled, "People say an eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, and that a loving mother is a strict father. Why do I see that it's not like that at all when it comes to you?"
"Hasn't it been clear to you what I look like? 'The God-killing father gave birth to a Bodhisattva-looking Asura girl'. Isn't that what the second brother and the younger generation were talking about behind my back? I don't believe you don't know."
Chang Qiuluan slightly raised the corners of her lips, and the rouge mole between her eyebrows seemed to become more colorful. It was clearly a smile of compassion, but it gave people a thrilling feeling.
"If jade is not polished, it will become nothing. As soon as the news of the Duke of Wei's eldest daughter planning a marriage with the Prince of Yan surfaced, those people pounced on it like wild dogs smelling meat, hoping to drag Uncle Xu down with them, so he could become part of their filth and perish together."
Behind closed doors, Chang Qiuluan discussed government affairs with a stern, murderous aura that rivaled her father's, the god of death. Her words were sharp and bitter, "When we were discussing marriage, they played these tricks. Unfortunately, my father is the most heartless and disloyal man in the world, caring only about his father and the emperor, not about his relatives and friends. He didn't even know the names of the Huaixi nobles and Zhejiang celebrities. He would cross the door three times a day until he had offended them thoroughly."
"If the Duke of E can't bite it, he's going to bite the Duke of Wei? Ha, this is really trying to cover up the truth. The emperor hasn't done anything to them yet, but they're so scared. But look, are they willing to change? Will they change?"
"They've committed corruption, bribery, arson, murder, and looting, deceiving the emperor and humiliating the people. How many years has the Ming Dynasty been established? These are just ministers. The second, third, fourth, and even these younger brothers below them will become bona fide royal relatives and powerful princes in the future!"
Chang Qiuluan supported himself on the long table with both hands while he and Zhu Biao stood and sat, as if they were facing each other: "I'm just afraid that you are not cruel enough and your hands are not strong enough to educate your brothers well..."
"...I will naturally educate them well. The eldest brother is like a father. Besides, educating them well will only benefit me in the future."
"That's it. I'll keep the three rules in mind. Don't worry, for your sake, I won't cross the line."
Her crimson lips opened and closed, like a ghost ready to devour someone: "We agreed that as long as you keep looking at me, I will endure it. However, if you continue to indulge them, I'm afraid I will give them a little care."
Zhu Biao knew that she was not only talking about his brothers, but also the group of noble ministers in the court.
Facing his wife's appearance, Zhu Biao showed no surprise. Instead, he reached out and covered the back of Qiu Luan's hand as usual: "Jiu Niang, are you angry with me?"
Chang Qiuluan: ...
Chang Qiuluan: "You can't always use this trick. You know I won't blame you."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was only eighteen years old this year, showed a little triumphant smile, pulled the discouraged Qiu Luan's shoulders against his, and sat close together on a big chair.
He stroked his wife's slender and beautiful hands. Such well-maintained hands should not be involved in those dirty things.
Ever since he accidentally witnessed Jiu Niang taking action at the age of ten, Zhu Biao made up his mind to bury this secret in his heart forever.
Everyone outside praised the Crown Prince and his wife as a perfect match made in heaven, a pair of childhood sweethearts. Those who had witnessed their resurrection from the dead believed that they were born as a result of karma from past lives.
Unfortunately, they were only half right.
"Grudges are born", "disasters arise in troubled times"...
God knows how scared he has been all these years. What should he do if Qiu Luan does something irreparable?
Fortunately, no matter what, she always listened to him. Just like him, he had always acted with a clear conscience, except when it came to his wife. Zhu Biao admitted that he had a secret affair.
"Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. Things must be completed one by one, and the same applies to people. To those parasites of the country, my heart has always been the same as yours."
Zhu Biao had always been a reserved person, and everyone praised the Ming prince for his elegance and integrity, setting an example for the world. However, they forgot whose bloodline Zhu Biao was descended from.
If there is anyone who really thinks that the Crown Prince is more benevolent and charitable than the Emperor and therefore looks down on him, then he is the biggest fool in the world.
"As for the fourth brother, I've had someone send him a book. Whether he can appreciate the essence of it depends on his understanding." Zhu Biao flicked his sleeves and said matter-of-factly, "Since he is my younger brother, if he cannot be my right-hand man, he will have to learn to be a well-behaved and sensible prince."
After all, he had more brothers than me, and although he favored the fourth brother, it was because he valued his character and potential. But if the fourth brother really couldn't turn around, Zhu Biao wouldn't hold on to him.
For Zhu Di, this was obviously not a path he could accept. But that was the reality, who would wait for you there forever?
Choice, this is the first lesson in his life.
Zhu Biao had already sorted out the order of priority of all things in his mind: deal with family affairs first, and then his father and he would have time to deal with state affairs.
Hu Weiyong has been acting more and more impeccably recently, but unfortunately he is too powerful to be removed. Having fallen into the quagmire in the past, he wants to clean himself up now, but I am afraid that his allies may not be willing to obey.
Even if he took the courage to report the crimes of those people in Huaixi, he was actually just retreating to advance. He neither really offended those people nor earned a good reputation.
It's a pity that such a smart person chose the wrong path.
However, this is probably the shortcoming of smart people. They always think that they can plan everything and get the best of everyone, but they don’t know that their every word and action has already been seen by others and remembered by others.
This is the case with people being too clever for their own good.
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