Chapter 53
There were many princes in the palace, but only five princesses were recorded in the imperial register. The second princess died at the age of six after falling into the water, the third princess's mother died in childbirth, and the fifth princess's mother was a concubine who was not favored and had not even been granted a title.
The new mother chosen by the Empress Dowager for the fourth prince was none other than the deceased birth mother of the third princess, a descendant of the royal family of Bohai.
The Balhae Kingdom was already defunct during the wars of the previous dynasty. After the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty, the royal family voluntarily submitted, and the Balhae Kingdom was officially declared extinct. Its king's title changed from a vassal king to a county king, but he only had the title of county king and did not have the right to govern Balhae. In fact, all the Balhae kings had to live in the capital.
After three generations of hereditary succession, the title of King of Bohai had been downgraded to Marquis of Dinghai. Pei Meng, the mother of the third princess, was the Marquis of Dinghai's favorite daughter. She was granted the title of County Princess from a young age, entered the palace in the tenth year of the Jiahe era and was granted the title of Zhaoyi. She died of postpartum hemorrhage after giving birth to the third princess in the thirteenth year of the Jiahe era. She was posthumously granted the title of Consort Yu and was finally buried in the Bohai King's Mausoleum with the rites of a Noble Consort.
In terms of status, the deceased Consort Yu was clearly superior to Consort Zhen, Chu Wenwan. The Empress Dowager's arrangement for the Fourth Prince was more than the best she could do.
However, it is worth mentioning that Pei Ye, the current heir of the Marquis of Dinghai, is the study companion of the Second Prince. Even if the Bohai clan still has any resources, they will inevitably be in the hands of the Second Prince.
After all, the Second Prince's birth mother, Consort Min, came from a prominent family with generations of officials, and his cousin, Jiang Wen, was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and was deeply favored by the Emperor. This status was the most noble among the princes. Before Consort Zhen was posthumously honored as Empress, without Xue Jin'an, the suddenly emerging legitimate prince, the Second Prince would have been the most rightful candidate for Crown Prince.
In short, anyone with eyes and a mind would know which option to choose. The fourth prince can only gain status, not the support of the Bohai clan.
In addition, the Empress Dowager also planned to hold a small selection process, citing the fact that the Fourth Princess and the Ninth Prince were still young and needed care. Those selected to enter the palace would be directly granted the title of Consort.
It should be noted that although there have always been ancestral rules that the empress dowager should not interfere in politics, the Empress Dowager is still alive. Moreover, although the influence of the empress dowager on the court is not directly proportional, it is not inversely proportional either. At least those who sit in the rank of concubine or above are either from noble families or are first-rank ministers!
Even if it's not for the official position, it would be great to be related to the emperor by marriage. Once she enters the palace as a minor official, she'll be one of the main positions. Wouldn't the positions of concubine and imperial concubine be within her grasp? And if she were to give birth to a prince, that would be incredible!
The ladies who had just been criticizing the Empress Dowager were now all smiles, and those with quick minds had already begun selecting candidates.
The Empress Dowager made arrangements for all the children implicated by Xiao Shu and Chu Wenwan, but not for the Fifth Prince. Firstly, the Fifth Prince was a victim of the Gu poison, and the downfall of Consort Rong had a positive impact on him. Secondly, even though the Ningguo Mansion's title was gone, the Empress Dowager was still alive, and the Zhong family was still alive.
The Empress Dowager ultimately did not want the Zhong family to completely disappear from the historical stage.
In summary, these were all the arrangements made by the old man, which were as perfect as possible. Even Old Master Chu could not find anything to criticize. He personally took off the hat symbolizing the title of Earl of Yongyi, took out the Earl's seal from his sleeve and placed it on the hat, then solemnly kowtowed and remained standing for a long time. "This old minister thanks the Empress Dowager for her grace!"
"Please rise, Your Excellency." Consort Min slightly stepped aside to avoid the grand gesture and personally reached out to help him up. Chu Wenjing also quickly reached out to support him, but Old Master Chu dodged both of their attempts.
He struggled to his feet, leaning on his cane, his back stubbornly straight, and slowly said, "It is the father's fault for not raising his children properly. It is all the old minister's fault. This outcome is only a tenth or a twelfth of the repayment. I don't blame anyone... but the children are innocent. Let the retribution fall on me from now on, so that they won't have peace on their way to the underworld."
Grandpa Chu tapped his cane lightly on the person opposite him, his words sounding like a murmur to himself, yet also like he was speaking to someone else.
Zhou Yushu looked at his back, which couldn't hide his aging appearance, pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.
Everyone present assumed that Chu Wenjing was moved by his father's words, and they all tactfully let the topic fall silent.
Even Fu Lu thought so. The first thing he did when he woke up from the "dream" was to sigh. "Old Master Chu loved his daughter so much that he was willing to take all the blame on himself so that his daughter would not have a hard time on her way to the afterlife... What a good family tradition and upbringing, yet such a vicious person as Chu Wenwan was born. It is truly a case of good bamboo producing bad shoots."
Xue Jin'an declined to comment on Old Master Chu's "deep love for his daughter," only saying, "The Chu family has a bad family tradition."
The real Chu Wenjing was also an uneducated and dissolute young man.
If one child cannot be taught well, it can be said to be the child's problem, but if two children cannot be taught well, then there must be a problem at the root.
The Chu family was a noble family with a history of merit, having followed the founding emperor in conquering the country. Yet, they declined in just two or three generations. This was not something that could be achieved by producing one or two纨绔子弟 (spoiled brats). This can be seen from the fact that the Chu family, despite their status, had the same teacher as the Zhou family.
The Chu family was bad to the core, and their family traditions were never good. If we're being honest, perhaps Old Master Chu was the exception where a bad bamboo produces a good shoot.
Xue Jin'an didn't have any concrete data to prove what the Chu family was really like. The only thing he could prove was that Old Master Chu was truly upright.
Leaving aside the matter of his efforts for Consort Zhen back then, just the words Old Master Chu said earlier, and Zhou Yushu's change of expression at that moment, can reveal some clues.
Xue Jin'an had no way of judging the mood behind Old Master Chu's words, nor could he analyze Zhou Yushu's complex emotions. Of course, he didn't need to get the correct answer. He only needed to integrate all the relevant information and use the character model to speculate on the two people's reactions. When the reactions seriously deviated from the speculation on the characters' logical behavior, it already explained the problem.
For an introverted and taciturn man like Master Chu to say such things in public for the first time, and for Chu Wenjing, played by Zhou Yushu, to be an upright, loyal, and even stubborn man, how could he remain unmoved by Master Chu's words?
Therefore, Grandpa Chu's words were meant for Zhou Yushu, and Zhou Yushu understood and responded silently. This means that there is a 71% chance that Grandpa Chu knew Zhou Yushu's true identity.
—That makes sense. When otaku complain about rebirth novels, the most common thing they say is "rebirth doesn't make you smarter." It's possible that when a person is on the verge of death, they might suddenly realize their mistakes or their personality might change drastically, but their essential character will not change.
"Even if humans were given a chance to start over, they would often go back to their old ways," said the nerdy guy who had seen it all in the cultivation world.
Given that he is indeed the biological son, it's normal for Old Master Chu to have doubts. Perhaps the reason he didn't expose Zhou Yushu's disguise was because of his guilt for not persisting in seeking justice for Consort Zhen back then.
It's not important. Xue Jin'an didn't think about it any further and continued watching the live stream.
Consort Zhen's body had already been burned to ashes, and the Empress Dowager's several imperial edicts had been read out. It was time to disperse when the Fourth Prince suddenly stepped forward and called out to Zhou Yushu, "Uncle!"
The fourth prince, his face pale and eyes red, sought comfort from his family. However, Zhou Yushu glanced back at him, bowed, and distanced himself from him, his eyes lowered and his tone cold, "Your Highness, I am unworthy of such a gesture."
With a look of despair in the Fourth Prince's eyes, Zhou Yushu turned and left indifferently, leaving behind only a curt and emotionless statement: "This humble subject takes his leave."
The Fifth Prince gave the Fourth Prince a deep look. Now that things had come to this, he didn't know what this man still wanted to prove, since this was clearly the best possible outcome.
This time, however, the Fifth Prince said nothing, straightened his clothes, and turned to leave, leaving the Fourth Prince standing there alone, bewildered and helpless, like a lost lamb who had lost everything.
The other princes left with their mothers. Even the eighth prince jogged to catch up with the third prince and Consort Xian, who were walking quickly with crutches. Only the eldest prince took the initiative to walk up to the fourth prince and gently patted him on the back, showing the tenderness of an elder brother.
The fourth prince burst into tears, tightly embracing the eldest prince and crying on the spot for a long time.
After the two parted ways, only the eunuchs and palace maids who were tidying up the mixture of firewood ash and ashes and scrubbing the floor remained in the live broadcast room. Xue Jin'an then turned off the live broadcast room.
Fushou Palace
Seeing that the Sixth Prince had been looking sullen ever since he returned from Xuanwu Gate, and had been frequently looking back on the way, Consort Shu roughly knew what was going on. She touched his head and asked, "What's wrong?"
He then patiently waited for him to speak.
The sixth prince organized his thoughts in his mind, slowly trying to control his speech and pronunciation so that he wouldn't stutter too much, and said, "Mother, seeing the way my fourth brother looks, my heart feels heavy and damp, like a rainy day in spring. I feel very sad."
"But I know that Consort Zhen and Fourth Brother did something wrong. They bullied Seventh Brother and his mother. If I were Seventh Brother, I wouldn't forgive him either. I know Seventh Brother didn't do anything wrong, but... but... I'm still so sad." The Sixth Prince sniffed and pouted, asking his mother with a mournful face, "Mother, if they fight in the Imperial Study in the future, whose side should I take?"
"Mother, am I too stupid? I can't even understand these things..." The Sixth Prince was very frustrated.
Consort Shu hadn't expected that this was what he was so troubled about. She reached out and stroked his cheek, saying, "It doesn't matter who we help in Ping An. You don't need to worry about it."
“But my eighth brother said,” the sixth prince mustered his courage and carefully explained everything to his mother, “that everyone will fight for Father’s throne in the future, and we princes who are powerless and uncared for should choose sides carefully, otherwise the consequences will be very bad.”
"Did the Eighth Prince say that?" Consort Shu frowned. She hadn't expected that the usually quiet Eighth Prince would be so shrewd. But then again, it made sense. He must have some tricks up his sleeve to be able to soothe the easily angered Third Prince.
Consort Shu did not answer the Sixth Prince's question immediately. Instead, she asked him first whether he had a good relationship with the Eighth Prince and whether he had been bullied or teased by him.
The Sixth Prince shook his head and instead whispered about how the Third and Second Princes had secretly bullied the Eighth Prince and threatened him to take the homework that Master Cen had brought last time. "Third Brother is so annoying, and Second Brother is annoying too."
"If you don't like them, don't go near them. It's okay. Your mother won't let anyone hurt you." Consort Shu gently pulled her son into her arms, patted his back, and said in a soft voice with a hint of stubbornness, "As long as my mother grows up safely, that's all that matters."
"Alright." The sixth prince always obeyed his mother's words without question. After nodding heavily, he asked, both happy and conflicted, "Mother, I've heard that parents have expectations for their children. Am I just too stupid, so you have no expectations of me and only care that I'm doing well?"
The sixth prince looked disappointed.
"Why would you think that? Of course not. My Ping An is smart and sensible. He has learned poetry, books, etiquette, and the Six Arts of a Gentleman quite well, hasn't he?" Consort Shu patted his head, then moved her fingers down to touch a faint scar on his neck, a mark left from their last visit to the study.
"Mother is safe. Mother will not let anything happen to you. No matter who it is, I will not let anyone who dares to lay a hand on you get away with it." Consort Shu gently stroked the Sixth Prince's back, her eyes hiding a chilling light.
Yonghe Palace
When the Eighth Prince discovered that the Third Prince was not returning to the Prince's Residence, he took his leave and left, leaving only the mother and son to return to the palace together.
"Your leg is in such a state, and you still don't know how to rest. I'm going to be driven crazy by you sooner or later." Consort Xian looked at the Third Prince walking briskly with his cane and said irritably, "You'd better be careful. If you accidentally become lame, I'll see what you do."
At this point, Consort Xian's heart tightened, and she asked him with a slight change in expression, "What did the imperial physician say about your leg? Is it really alright?"
"What could possibly happen? Mother, don't scare yourself." The Third Prince patted his chest nonchalantly. "Don't worry, your son is perfectly healthy. This little injury won't cause any problems."
Consort Xian believed her and breathed a sigh of relief. Then she rolled her eyes and said, "I can't control you anymore. You're always causing me trouble. Why did I have to give birth to such a fearless troublemaker like you? You'll suffer sooner or later."
The Third Prince used his cane to run outside, completely ignoring what Consort Xian was saying behind his back, which made Consort Xian roll her eyes in anger.
Qing'an Palace
Consort De and the First Prince were the last to return to the palace, because the First Prince had spent quite a while with the Fourth Prince.
Consort De looked at his wet clothes and said, "Go and change into something else."
"It's alright, this is fine too." The eldest prince smiled gently and shook his head.
The two talked about Consort Zhen's fate today, and then about Xue Jin'an. Consort De said, "Xue Jin'an is a man of excellent character and courage. He will not be underestimated in the future."
The eldest prince, however, did not take it seriously: "As for military talent, the third son is probably doomed. It would be good to win over the seventh son."
Consort De glanced at him, but did not refute his words. She simply said, "Don't let yourself be caught off guard."
"Seventh Prince went too far," the First Prince remarked, as if explaining his own words.
Consort De remained noncommittal.
*
Fu Lu was already satisfied with Consort Zhen's final fate, and asked Xue Jin'an mysteriously, "Your Highness, would you like to eat your favorite crystal cake?"
Without waiting for Xue Jin'an's reply, he gave a mysterious smile and ran away.
Xue Jin'an knew at a glance that he was going to crawl through the dog hole—that's right, he knew how Fu Lu received messages from the outside world.
Xue Jin'an never asked Fu Lu about these things. However, when the other party appeared in front of him, the texture, thickness, and direction of the dust on his clothes were enough to explain everything.
The dog hole shouldn't be very big. It's located in a low and secluded spot, and you'd have to lie flat on the ground with your shoulders hunched over to barely squeeze half a shoulder out... A hole that size would be fine for delivering messages, but it would be too difficult to squeeze out. However, the crystal cake itself isn't very big, so bringing it in wouldn't be difficult.
The Imperial Guards around Zhaoyang Palace were quite responsible. The eunuchs and maids delivering messages wouldn't get too close, but it wasn't difficult to drop things near the entrance of the cave. As long as they were retrieved in time, they wouldn't be discovered by the Imperial Guards.
However, Xue Jin'an did not expect that Fu Lu, who said he was going to get crystal cakes, would bring back the Fifth Prince that night.
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