Chapter 145 (The end of the year is approaching)
The farce at the grand assembly has temporarily come to an end.
Emperor Hongren abruptly left the court, not even glancing at the Third Prince again.
His reaction—neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but simply staring at someone with an inscrutable expression—completely bewildered the Third Prince, who knelt on the ground, utterly bewildered: "..."
What does this mean exactly?
He might have felt resentment, but in front of so many people, the Third Prince didn't dare to think any further. Now, he was filled with fear and unease.
Did the Emperor believe him of his innocence? Did he consider letting him off the hook because of his past favor?
If he is truly excluded from the succession struggle, wouldn't Father worry about Sixth Brother's mediocre abilities? In the future, besides Seventh Brother, the son of a palace maid, who else can replace him? Rely on those unborn children in the harem, whose genders are still unknown?
The Third Prince stood up dejectedly, not even in the mood to glare at the Minister of Justice who had kicked him in return.
The punishment for him will not be handed down until the Jizhou case is thoroughly investigated. It's too difficult to endure in the meantime, so it's better to give him a quick answer today.
The officials began to disperse in twos and threes.
The Third Prince quickened his pace to avoid being caught up and ridiculed by his eldest brother. He rushed into the Third Prince's residence with his head down. The anxiety and frustration in his heart turned into violence when he saw the concubine who came to greet him with a helpless and tearful face.
"What are you crying for! I'm not hurt yet!" he snapped irritably. "Little Huazi, drag the gatekeeper over and give him ten lashes. You're letting all sorts of news leak out now?!"
His personal eunuch didn't dare to utter a sound, but after responding, he quickly called two people over.
The concubine turned even paler with fright, trembling as she forced herself to say, "Your Highness... I found out from the people in the Imperial Garden, and... it has nothing to do with them."
The third prince glanced at her with disdain, said nothing, and strode inside.
His father and mother have been choosing a princess for him for the past two years, but they haven't made a decision yet. They're just thinking about slowly finding someone better.
His mother doted on him and first chose a concubine for him from among the common people. Although she wasn't from a high-ranking family, she was well-educated and reasonable. The reasoning was clear at the time—if the concubine's status was low, his father would only want to compensate him more by choosing a noblewoman of high status, good character, and perfect qualities to be his principal wife.
The third prince was happy to accept it, and he was also eager to have a child as soon as possible to prove that he had grown up and was no different from his eldest brother. He also had a period of intimate relations with his concubine.
But later, the concubine's belly remained flat, and he felt that she wasn't very clever, only dull and obedient, and not very bold. He suppressed his dislike and made do with her until the principal wife was chosen.
Now this is a huge problem... The concubine's behavior is so appalling! She might not even be able to become the principal wife of a noble lady in the future!
The Third Prince was in a state of turmoil, and his initial dislike swelled into intense disgust. He didn't want to see his concubine even once.
...
Suddenly, a shocking incident occurred in the capital: the "Jizhou Blood Letter Case." The news spread like wildfire throughout the city and beyond after the grand court session, and then rapidly expanded to the surrounding areas.
If it weren't for the irrefutable details written in the blood-written letter, no one would have known that such a tragedy had occurred in Ji Province. Even more shocking was that the mastermind behind this heinous grain trafficking was somehow connected to the Third Prince?!
"Hiss... He's a prince of the imperial family, huh?" Someone in the teahouse couldn't help but mutter under their teeth, immediately getting slapped on the shoulder by the person next to them: "Are you out of your mind?!"
It's fine for them to talk big normally, but there are different situations! You're here gossiping about the emperor's son; can family matters and political affairs be treated the same?
The storyteller was spitting as he recounted a particularly exciting episode of "The Story of Bai Die's Rescue," while the people sitting below exchanged glances, winked, and displayed a wide range of expressions: "..."
The Third Prince usually has such a good reputation.
My maternal grandparents' family was renowned for its literary tradition, and their household was filled with high-ranking officials who were eloquent and held real power. My mother was a favorite concubine of His Majesty who had enjoyed his favor for nearly ten years. She was said to be both a scholar and a warrior, and her words were insightful. She was outstanding among the princes and, like the eldest prince, was a strong contender for the throne.
After the eldest prince's reputation suddenly faded, the third prince became even more sought after, a fact that was well-known to the common people.
When idle men, ladies, and young women gossip, they habitually say, "The Third Prince is the most likely to ascend the throne."
"I've heard he's of noble character, and the Emperor adores him!" "Indeed! Look at how many flower selection events the Imperial Clan Court has organized to choose a consort for him. If the last one didn't work out, they'll have to wait until next year's selection!"
Now look what's happened.
The common people know best how important food is for winter. Just thinking about the evil deeds the Third Prince had committed, even if they didn't happen to themselves, made them grit their teeth and feel indignant, even though they dared not spread the rumors.
Now, not to mention the group of people sitting in the teahouse, who are all more well-informed and quick-witted.
Some busybodies would make that connection...
Haha!
Although the eldest prince is no longer favored by His Majesty, many troops fighting on the border still rely on the connections and military merits of his maternal grandfather's side.
We're really short of food and supplies.
As for the Third Prince...
Is this a deliberate act of antagonism? Or is it an attempt to cultivate some power for counter-insurgency...?
Although the connection between the two is completely unfounded, some people still find it fascinating, linking it to the princes' struggle for the throne and their intrigues and rivalries. Rumors spread like wildfire, and countless couples in the capital had something to gossip about in private.
Qi Chengming, who was far away in Liuzhou, finally received a reply from the capital. After reading it carefully for a long time, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"This matter is now closed," he said with relief.
Song Gu sat in the study listening to his instructions, and asked, "Your Highness, when should we release the governor?"
"No rush." Qi Chengming calmly put down the letter, looking somewhat innocent. "Let's wait for the imperial edict sent by my father to reprimand me before we talk about it."
Without the imperial decree from the capital, how could a lowly prince from a remote area with no connections possibly know what his father meant?
Before that, he could only anxiously keep the Governor of Yulin "well" in his residence and grit his teeth to continue waiting for the imperial decree.
Song Gu couldn't help but lower his head, concealing a hint of a smile.
The new emperor is really mischievous.
It seems he hasn't done enough with his usual antics; he needs to put more effort into that person to make the new emperor even happier.
Qi Chengming smiled and nodded slowly in agreement.
He already knew what kind of life the Governor of Yulin had been living after being imprisoned; there was no beating or abuse, but there was no good food or drink either. On the contrary, the servants of the Prince Rui's mansion lived a fairly high standard of living, and he was afraid of letting the other party benefit unnecessarily.
So when Song Gu locked the man in the east wing, he specifically went to the county government office to inquire about how ordinary prisoners lived. He then strictly enforced this on the man, going through everything from the damp, insect-infested environment to the cheap, perishable food, and then...
They just keep them locked up and don't let them do anything.
Although it wasn't a dark room, being locked in it alone drove him crazy with boredom, and the guards on duty seemed deaf, ignoring him except during interrogations. The governor of Yulin went through a complete transformation, from his initial arrogance and impotent rage to cursing, shouting, begging for mercy, weeping, and rambling incoherently.
Now he has become a listless, dejected person.
—This is purely due to being imprisoned.
If it were an idle man in the farmland, he would be able to endure loneliness more easily, and daydreaming would be a rare form of leisure for him. How could he be as tormented as Governor Yulin?
After tormenting them for so long, the Imperial Guards finally got their revenge.
When Qi Chengming was away for a while, Liuzhou was in complete chaos. You know, it was them who were running around dealing with all the troubles!
Now that a perfectly good high-ranking official has fallen into the hands of this group of military leaders, they are naturally overjoyed.
They should hurry up and report back.
...
"We also need to clear out the hidden dangers in Liuzhou." Qi Chengming calculated the time and had a premonition that his time to lie low was really running out.
He was originally going to be impeached this time, and his situation was almost exposed.
Thanks to him sending the eloquent Mr. Qin with a group to Jizhou, the major scandal involving the Third Prince was detonated years in advance. With such a huge incident preceding him, even if the mastermind behind Qi Chengming's case wasn't the Third Prince but another suspect, the Seventh Prince—
They couldn't focus their attention on him for the time being, and they couldn't push him into the limelight again.
This is the time that Qi Chengming bought for himself.
Yes.
Last time we discussed how Qi Chengming's manpower was too thin, making it difficult to discern who was behind the Governor of Yulin, who had already coveted Qi Chengming's lucrative position and were maliciously targeting him. Well then, he won't investigate; let his good father, the Emperor, investigate it all.
In the end, a more suspicious person was identified, along with a detailed relationship.
Qi Chengming himself felt that it was the original male lead who was behind it. Since the Third Prince was already severely weakened, even if it was him, it wouldn't be a threat.
Therefore, we need to be even more vigilant in the coming days.
...
"Steward Song, remember to sew all the cotton produced this year into cotton-padded clothes and have them sent to Qiongzhou. Make sure to hide our tracks well." Qi Chengming glanced at the time.
Although he still couldn't receive any news from his cousin, he still had the contact information they had agreed on when they arrived in the local area. He wasn't too anxious and just hoped to help out quietly.
"Yes," Song Gu replied smoothly. "What are our plans for the New Year this year?"
When I first arrived last year, there were both natural disasters and man-made calamities, making things chaotic and uneventful. The New Year passed uneventfully without any joy. This year is different. Liuzhou has undergone tremendous changes. Everyone has enough to eat, can afford to pay taxes, has learned a skill, and even has time to learn a few words.
These people from the capital gradually adapted to the humid and hot climate here, and felt a sense of familiarity with the Prince's Mansion.
Although they had just weathered another storm, Song Gu felt that it wouldn't affect the New Year celebrations.
"New Year's..." Qi Chengming paused for a moment, then set the tone, "We'll hold it this year, but there absolutely can't be any extravagance or ostentation. No waste is allowed. I'll punish anyone who does anything like tying silk to trees to make flowers."
"Yes." Song Gu replied earnestly, and he would urge them to do so without any compromise.
Qi Chengming nodded with satisfaction. After sitting for a while, he went outside to stretch his legs. Gazing at the warm scene of smoke rising from thousands of chimneys in the distance, all the pressure in his heart vanished, and his heart was transformed into motivation.
Okay! After this New Year, we need to work hard next year too!
Although his long-term plan to seek out talent failed, he did experience the hardships of life and brought back a great man named He, so the trip was still quite fruitful.
Now we can only focus our attention on the one served by Grand Eunuch Zhang in the capital.
We should at least bring in one more talented person.
Just a month away is the end of the year.
After touring for so long, the Empress Dowager should have brought the Sixth Prince back to the capital ahead of schedule.
With the Third Prince now out of the spotlight, it will inevitably become the Sixth Prince's time to shine. It remains to be seen whether the original protagonist, the Seventh Prince, will step in and test his mettle.
Qi Chengming felt it was somewhat risky—
If the person behind the Yulin governor is actually the Seventh Prince, then he will only lie low and wait for this storm to pass before racking his brains to expose Qi Chengming and make a big scene.
Thinking about it this way, this year's New Year should be a little more peaceful.
Let's put everything aside after the New Year!
Qi Chengming felt much more at ease after thinking about how he still held the Empress's secrets.
With the princes falling from power one after another in the past two years, he needs to slow down and can't reveal all his cards so soon.
I need to think about how to fight back against the original male lead.
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