Chapter 36 Your Majesty, she replaced the grass the rabbits ate with bamboo leaves.
Inside the palace.
On the bright yellow dragon bed, the Emperor looked weak, pausing after each word: "Let the princes all come in."
"Yes." The eunuch withdrew and went outside the hall. The empress and concubines also left before the princes entered.
The princes were waiting outside, and upon hearing the message, they all entered the hall.
"Father!" the second prince called out anxiously as soon as he entered, sounding very worried.
"What are you shouting for?" The Emperor sat up on the bed, glanced at the Second Prince, and although he was weak, his tone and manner still exuded an unquestionable majesty.
The second prince fell silent and said nothing more.
Now, only the Second Prince, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Emperor are in the hall. Everyone else has left. The already spacious palace now appears even more empty and desolate.
"You all know why I summoned you here today," the Emperor said, looking at the princes before him, each with their own thoughts, and seemed somewhat dazed.
He previously considered himself a qualified emperor, and as an emperor, he was well-versed in the art of balancing power, but as a father, he seemed to be inadequate.
He had only four princes and three princesses in his lifetime.
In the end, when he was dying, only his three children were left before him.
Of the three princesses, one was sent to a political marriage, and the other two were already married.
As for the four princes...
The eldest prince was exiled, and even a lowly eunuch in the palace could probably see through the second prince's thoughts. As for the third prince, he was the child he disliked the most.
But few people remember that when he was a child, the Third Prince was his most beloved child, born to Consort Li in the palace.
He doted on Consort Li, even though she was just a commoner, he still made her a consort. So when he discovered that Consort Li didn't like him at all, and even hated him, he was extremely angry.
That day, when I went to find her, I deliberately didn't ask the palace servants to remind me, wanting to give her a surprise. However, I overheard her conversation with her maid outside the door.
The maid advised her, "Your Highness, are you really not going to look for the Emperor? The Emperor hasn't come for some time. I heard that Consort An brought pastries to the Hall of Mental Cultivation yesterday, and the Emperor stayed there last night."
"Seek the Emperor?" She put down her cup and sneered. "Even if he comes tonight, what can I gain? Do I have to pretend to be gentle and affectionate in front of him all night?"
“They took me from outside the palace, trapped me here, and made me fight with others every day just for his meager favor? And they think it’s a favor to me.”
"That's disgusting."
As an emperor, he had never cared much for romance, but at that moment he was extremely angry, and he had never been spoken to like that before.
He had provided her with a life of luxury, yet she was still dissatisfied, complaining about why he had brought her in from outside the palace.
Countless people would kill to get into the palace, but she, after entering, still dreamt of leaving.
Upon seeing him enter, Consort Li did not panic or feel fear. Instead, she remained unusually calm. After a moment of surprise, a look of relief appeared on her face. She bowed to him, but her eyes remained fixed on him: "Your Majesty is wise. Everything was just my word. I hope Your Majesty will not punish anyone else."
Although the words were pleading, there was not a trace of yielding in them.
The Emperor laughed in exasperation: "Of course, don't you dislike the palace? I'll make sure you can never leave it for the rest of your life."
"From this day forward, banish her to the cold palace and forbid anyone from visiting her." With that, he turned and left.
From then on, his attitude toward the Third Prince changed drastically, and every time he saw him, he would think of that woman.
That's why he was sent to the frontier so early on.
Years later, upon hearing the news of Consort Li's death in the Cold Palace, he merely paused briefly.
But perhaps in the final moments of life, one can think more clearly about many things than before.
When he thought of Consort Li, he felt a pang of guilt. They had shared some wonderful times, especially in the beginning when he was still traveling incognito outside the palace.
Even now, I feel somewhat guilty towards the Third Prince, but it's only a little bit.
Finally, there was the fourth prince, his most beloved prince.
From the moment the fourth prince was born, he adored the child, feeling that he resembled him the most. However, as the prince grew up, he felt more helpless towards him.
She wanted to hand over the country to him, but he didn't like the position at all and only thought about traveling and having fun all day long.
But I have been controlling and suppressing him, forcing him to learn the art of being an emperor, and not letting him leave the capital. Now, it has actually distanced me from him.
But it doesn't matter. When he sits in that position, he'll understand his good intentions.
No one can refuse supreme power and status.
He first brought the third prince to his side, took the prince's hand, and looked at the prince's flattered expression with satisfaction: "From now on, you must assist your fourth brother well and guard the border. All that happened before was just to temper you. You are the one I value most."
He had suspected whether the Third Prince coveted his position, but he was very satisfied with the Third Prince's performance since returning to the capital.
After returning to the capital, he kept track of the Third Prince's every move and saw that he had not made any moves to form cliques or engage in any private activities, so he was now completely relieved.
The third prince replied with trepidation, "Of course, Father."
Facing the second prince, whose face was somewhat distorted, he said coldly, "After your fourth brother ascends the throne, you can choose a fiefdom."
With the example of the eldest prince, he didn't think the second prince would do anything unexpected.
Even if there were, it wouldn't be a cause for concern. It's impossible that he left nothing for the Fourth Prince. As long as the Fourth Prince doesn't want to, the Second Prince can't threaten his most beloved prince.
Finally, he looked at the fourth prince and said in a gentler tone, "I have saved the best for you. You must be a good emperor."
After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and said, "You may all leave."
"Yes, Father." The three princes responded in unison and left the palace.
-
The Third Prince boarded the carriage leaving the palace, where Yan Zhenxi was already waiting. The Third Prince then recounted everything that had just happened in the palace.
"He really is planning to have his fourth brother ascend the throne," the third prince said in a deep voice, showing no trace of the cautiousness he had shown in front of the emperor just moments before.
"It's alright," Yan Zhenxi said calmly. "Everything will proceed as planned."
"Now, let's wait and see what my good second brother is going to do," the Third Prince said with a hint of sarcasm.
Perhaps it's because he's been sitting in that position for so long that His Majesty has forgotten its appeal to others, or perhaps he's too confident in his own control.
They think they can get rid of the Second Prince with just a fiefdom. Even if they have the First Prince as a precedent, so what?
Given the Second Prince's personality, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, he wouldn't easily give up on ascending to that position.
As for the Third Prince, all he needs to do now is wait and see, and wait to reap the benefits.
-
Nighttime, Yan residence.
Jiang Zhiyao tossed and turned in bed, this was the first time in a long time that she had fallen asleep alone.
Perhaps the clouds were too thick, because she couldn't see the moon through the small window next to her bed today.
Jiang Zhiyao closed her eyes, trying her best not to let her mind wander so she could fall asleep quickly.
But after struggling for a long time, I still couldn't fall asleep, and I felt like something was missing.
Jiang Zhiyao didn't know whether it was the lack of her familiar embrace or that familiar scent.
Jiang Zhiyao opened her eyes and stared blankly at the bed curtains. After a long while, she slowly moved from the inside of the bed to the other side.
Surrounded by the familiar scent, Jiang Zhiyao felt that the autumn night was a bit chilly, so she wrapped herself tighter in the blanket.
Finally, she drifted off to sleep.
On the other side.
In an unfamiliar study, Yan Zhenxi looked at a secret letter he had just received, frowned as he read it, and then placed it on the candlelight beside him.
The flickering firelight illuminated Yan Zhenxi's face. If Jiang Zhiyao saw Yan Zhenxi now, she would probably find him somewhat unfamiliar.
The usually gentle man now appeared to have an undeniable sharpness about him. The veil that had been covering his face was gone, revealing clear eyes with a determined ambition in them. The candlelight and burning paper beside him added an indescribable danger to his delicate features, making people afraid to look directly at him.
But the next second, he softened and Yan Zhenxi picked up the sachet beside him.
This was embroidered by Jiang Zhiyao after the Mid-Autumn Festival. It contained dried osmanthus flowers. Looking at the adorable rabbit embroidered on the sachet, Yan Zhenxi couldn't help but smile.
Jiang Zhiyao was embroidering at the time and asked Yan Zhenxi what kind of pattern he liked.
Yan Zhenxi thought for a moment and replied, "Rabbit."
"Hmm?" Jiang Zhiyao was a little confused. She thought she would get an answer about plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, or chrysanthemums.
"It needs to be cute," Yan Zhenxi continued seriously.
"Okay." Jiang Zhiyao didn't think much of it and started embroidering as he instructed.
Jiang Zhiyao thought that Yan Zhenxi didn't usually wear this sachet and just wanted a rabbit pattern on a whim, so she didn't pay too much attention to it and embroidered a very cute little rabbit eating something. Strangely, while embroidering, she changed the grass the rabbit was eating to bamboo leaves.
Rabbits eating bamboo leaves isn't really that strange, Jiang Zhiyao thought to herself, since it's not really that noticeable anyway.
But she didn't expect that Yan Zhenxi would wear this sachet, which she had made casually and not very properly, on her body, and in the most conspicuous place.
Thinking of the slightly surprised expressions on the faces of some officials and subordinates when they saw the sachets today, Yan Zhenxi felt an indescribable pleasure.
They were surprised by Yan Zhenxi's unusual behavior, which was out of character for him. Yan Zhenxi, however, was rather proud of it. It was embroidered by A Yao, his wife, and was a little rabbit that belonged only to him.
Whenever Yan Zhenxi went out alone and couldn't see Jiang Zhiyao for a while, he would try to leave some trace of her on his body, and he enjoyed doing so immensely.
It started as a hairpin, then it was a hair crown that was worn slightly crooked, and this time it's a sachet.
Yan Zhenxi laughed. If she knew, she would probably blush and slap him before making him take off the sachet.
By candlelight, Yan Zhenxi took the sachet closer, stroked the pattern on it a few times, and then took a light sniff. In addition to the fragrance of osmanthus, Yan Zhenxi felt that there was also a faint scent of Jiang Zhiyao's hand cream.
Yan Zhenxi laughed again. What was she doing now?
Did you get a good night's sleep when he wasn't around?
Will the blanket she always gently pulls down at night be properly covering her tonight?
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Author's Note: The political intrigue parts are all just random random thoughts. My writing is amateurish; it's just for the sake of the plot. I hope you all don't mind. [Please][Glasses][Heart]
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