Chapter 465 The Crown Prince is Seriously Injured
In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. By the fourth quarter of the hour of You (5-7 PM), it is already completely dark, but the mansion is brightly lit.
Meng Jinyao went to the clean room to take a bath and was about to go to bed to rest. Her husband was not there, and she felt that something was missing. In addition, the weather was cold, so she decided to lie down and rest early rather than sit.
Suddenly, she heard a noise outside. She listened intently and realized that her husband had returned. Her face lit up with joy, and she abandoned her desire to rest. Just as she turned to go out, she saw that familiar figure appear in her sight.
The man, dressed in a white fox fur coat, was walking towards her.
She smiled, her eyes sparkling, and looked at him with a mixture of surprise and joy, calling out, "My husband, you're back."
Gu Jingxi nodded with a smile. Seeing that she reached out to hug him and lean into his arms, he quickly reached out and grabbed her shoulders, successfully preventing her from getting into his arms.
Seeing this, Meng Jinyao's smile froze. She pursed her lips, raised her eyes and glared at him resentfully, asking in a mournful tone, "Husband, it's only been a few days since we last met, and our relationship has already faded? You weren't like this before."
Hearing this, Gu Jingxi couldn't help but laugh out loud and pinched her cheek: "Don't think nonsense, nothing of the sort. I just came back from outside and I'm still chilly. I didn't want to pass on the chill to you."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao smiled again and said gently and considerately, "My husband probably hasn't eaten yet, has he? I'll have someone prepare some food right away." With that, she turned to leave.
Gu Jingxi took her hand and said gently, "No need, I've already eaten before I came back. I'll take a bath first, and we can talk later."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao instructed Qingqiu to prepare clothes for him, and also instructed Ningdong to have someone prepare water.
After Gu Jingxi finished bathing, Meng Jinyao took a closer look at him. She noticed that he seemed a little tired, probably from accompanying the emperor. She then asked curiously, "Husband, why did the winter hunt end so quickly? It ended two days earlier than scheduled."
Gu Jingxi replied, "Something happened halfway through, so we had to end it early."
Meng Jinyao's heart tightened: "What happened?"
Gu Jingxi frowned and said in a heavy tone, "His Highness the Crown Prince was assassinated and seriously injured. He is still unconscious."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao was greatly alarmed and looked shocked: "Who is so bold as to attempt to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince during the winter hunt?"
"There's still no lead. The assassin didn't leave any useful information, so there's no way to prove anything." Gu Jingxi shook his head slightly, then changed the subject, "But as the princes grow up, their struggles will only intensify."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao subconsciously thought of the Second Prince. The Second Prince's birth mother was Consort Xiao, the youngest son of Consort Xiao's own brother, and he had married the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Zhennan, thus bringing the Marquis of Zhennan's power under his control.
The Xiao family are civil officials, while the Qin family of the Marquis of Zhennan are military generals. With the marriage between the two families, the Second Prince now has power on both the civil and military sides. His power is growing and he is showing signs of surpassing the Crown Prince.
His Highness the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather was the Emperor's tutor, but his Grand Tutor had passed away, and his maternal uncle was not very capable and could not help him much. Fortunately, the Emperor valued the Crown Prince highly, and the Crown Prince lived up to expectations, with many ministers on his side.
When the emperor was still the crown prince, he married the daughter of the Grand Tutor, who was his childhood sweetheart. However, in order to consolidate his position, he had to take Lady Xiao as a concubine. After ascending the throne, he made his wife the empress and Lady Xiao a Noble Consort. In order to balance the power of Lady Xiao, he also took the daughter of Tao, the Grand Secretary, who was a political enemy of the Xiao family, as a Noble Consort.
Consort Tao gave birth to a son and a daughter. The third princess is about to come of age, while the seventh prince is only a two-year-old child. He is currently unable to seize the position of crown prince, but he can at least keep the Xiao family in check.
As for the Third Prince, his mother was of low birth and not favored by the emperor. He himself was of mediocre talent and had no supporters. The Fourth Prince was intelligent, but sickly and frail, looking as if he would collapse at the slightest breeze. He needed constant medication and had almost no supporters. The Fifth and Sixth Princes were young, and the Sixth Prince was born to the Empress.
Meng Jinyao whispered, "Husband, do you think it might be..." She didn't finish her sentence, but simply held up two fingers.
Gu Jingxi understood what she meant, reached out and held her fingers, and said gently, "Ayao, you can't say things carelessly, after all, this is something without evidence."
Meng Jinyao nodded, then asked, "Husband, do you think His Highness the Crown Prince will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune this time?"
Gu Jingxi's expression was grave: "His Highness the Crown Prince's injuries are serious, and even the imperial physicians cannot guarantee his recovery. We hope that His Highness can pull through."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao's expression also turned solemn. Although she had never met the Crown Prince, she had heard of his deeds. He was a kind, benevolent, talented, and far-sighted heir apparent. If he were to ascend the throne in the future, he would surely be a wise ruler. It would be a great pity if he were to die like this.
Meng Jinyao asked, "The Sixth Prince is still young. If something happens to His Highness the Crown Prince, wouldn't the Second Prince have the best chance?"
Gu Jingxi disagreed, saying, "In the struggle for the throne, you never know who the winner will be until the very end. Sometimes the one who is closest to the throne fails to ascend it, while the most inconspicuous one becomes the ruler of the world."
“That’s true. Throughout history, even crown princes have failed to ascend the throne.” Meng Jinyao raised her eyes to look at him, asking curiously, “Husband, which side are you on? Are you on the crown prince’s side?”
Gu Jingxi replied, "Your husband is just a loyal subject, devoted only to the emperor, and he doesn't take sides."
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly after hearing this.
Gu Jingxi added, "We have no right to interfere in royal affairs. As your subject, your husband only needs to fulfill his duties. It's getting late, let's rest first. There's a court assembly tomorrow, and I need to get up early."
Meng Jinyao nodded and replied, "Okay, let's go to sleep first."
Once in bed, Meng Jinyao suddenly didn't want to go to sleep early. She wanted the couple to sit and chat some more, because what he meant by "sleep" was different from what she understood as sleep.
After a long while, Meng Jinyao leaned against him, slightly out of breath, and pinched his waist angrily, glaring at him: "Gu Jingxi, didn't you say you had to get up early tomorrow and go to bed early tonight? Is this what you mean by getting up early?"
Gu Jingxi looked completely innocent: "What's wrong with finishing this so we can go to sleep sooner?"
Hearing this, Meng Jinyao pinched him again in anger: "Now that you've taken care of it, go to sleep."
Gu Jingxi held her hand, his eyes pleading as he looked at her: "Ayao, I don't think it's resolved yet. How about Ayao helps her husband again, okay?"
Having learned from past mistakes, Meng Jinyao instinctively withdrew her hand and firmly refused, saying, "I don't think it's a good idea. It's late now, and my husband has to get up early for court tomorrow. Let's talk about this later."
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