Chapter 122 King Wu and King Qi
As for Xie Zhenrong, she was extremely anxious after learning that Prince Yu was taking charge of the government.
After thinking it over, she took the opportunity to come before the prince and talk to him about this matter.
But before she could say anything, Yan Shixu spoke first.
"Crown Princess, for the sake of your unborn child, the Empress Dowager has allowed you to come here daily to pay your respects and not to stand vigil. You can go back and take care of your baby. You, a pregnant woman, don't need to worry about anything else."
He deliberately emphasized the last sentence.
Xie Zhenrong was slightly stunned. Did the prince know what she was going to say?
But she came here specially and she won't give up until she gets to the bottom of it.
Nanny Zhuang pulled her sleeve from behind with some force.
Xie Zhenrong took a deep breath and finally held it in.
She bowed to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, I will return to the Eastern Palace first. Don't be so stubborn. If you can't bear it any longer, take a rest."
The prince nodded and sent someone to send her back.
After Xie Zhenrong returned to Fuyao Palace, he was still very nervous.
Prince Yu is the Queen Mother's favorite son and is many times smarter than Yang Guifei and the Emperor.
What would happen if he were allowed to take charge of government affairs?
With so much power in his hands, if he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to rebel...
His Highness is guarding the body in Taiji Palace every day, how could he be discovered?
Seeing her pacing back and forth in the hall with a worried look on her face, Madam Zhuang hurriedly tried to persuade her.
"Crown Princess, you don't have to worry. The Emperor's will has already been read out in front of all the civil and military officials today. What can Prince Yu do with his role in government?"
"Once His Highness has completed his mourning period, Prince Yu will naturally return his power, and Grand Tutor Xu will be with him."
"Don't worry too much. It's not good for the child."
"Besides, the Queen Mother is on the side of the Crown Prince. If Prince Yu really has rebellious intentions, the Queen Mother will not ignore it."
Xie Zhenrong pursed her lips when she heard this. This was what she was worried about.
"Nurse, Prince Yu is the Queen Mother's favorite son. Do you think... after Prince Yu and the Crown Prince confront each other, will the Queen Mother really still stand on the Crown Prince's side?"
Madam Zhuang's breath was caught.
What the Crown Princess said does make sense.
Everyone knows that the Queen Mother dotes on Prince Yu.
As for the fiefdom of Xizhou, since the founding of the country, the fiefdoms of the vassal kings have never been located on the edge of the capital.
If Prince Yu really confronted the Crown Prince...
One was born from the empress dowager's womb, and the other was just an adopted child of the queen.
Even after thinking about it, Madam Zhuang was still not sure which side the Queen Mother would stand on.
but……
"Crown Princess, you don't need to worry too much. His Highness is not someone who can be manipulated. All you need to do is take good care of your pregnancy and give birth to your child safely."
"For Your Highness, whether you are the Crown Prince or the Emperor, a legitimate son is of vital importance. Only by giving birth to a legitimate son safely can your position be secure."
Xie Zhenrong stroked her belly, took a deep breath, and nodded.
The most important thing for her now is to give birth to the child safely.
As for the prince, he seemed to be becoming more and more estranged from her.
She only prayed to the Buddha for blessings, and that she must give birth to a son this time.
…
However, Prince Yu and his wife cried so hard in Taiji Palace that they insisted on keeping vigil for the deceased emperor every day.
After a few days, the two men had become so haggard that they looked unrecognizable.
The Empress Dowager summoned the couple to her Cining Palace and was shocked to see how they had become in just a few days.
"Son, I know you mourn for your brother, but you must also take care of your own health. Otherwise, if you collapse, what will an old woman like me do?!"
Prince Yu's eyes were red, and he prostrated himself on the Queen Mother's knees and cried bitterly like he did when he was a child.
"Mother, I just... I just can't believe that my royal brother is really gone. I still have so much to say to him, so much to do with him... but it's too late now."
As he spoke, tears flowed from his eyes and soon soaked the empress dowager's robe.
There were also tears in the Queen Mother's eyes.
"Yes, who would have thought that he would pass away before he reached the age of knowing his destiny! It is too painful for me, an old man, to send off a young man. So, you must be well, take care of yourself, and don't let me worry."
Prince Yu nodded with a sob.
Princess Yu wiped her tears and said, "Your Highness, what are you doing? Just a few days ago, you said that our brother had passed away and that you would spend time with our mother after returning to the capital, so that she could quickly get over the pain of losing the emperor. How come here, you're asking our mother to comfort you?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Yu quickly straightened up and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Mother, it is my fault."
The Queen Mother was so distressed that she patted the back of his hand and sighed with emotion.
"I know you value relationships the most, but you need to move on as soon as possible. Dayan needs you, and Xu'er needs you too. Now that the emperor is gone, someone needs to take charge of the government. You've always been intelligent, and after discussing this with Xu'er, I've decided to let you take over the government temporarily."
Prince Yu was shocked and looked terrified.
He knelt in front of the Queen Mother and shook his head.
"Mother, this is absolutely impossible. As a vassal king, I will definitely incur the dissatisfaction of the civil and military ministers if I act as the governor. Then..."
The Queen Mother lovingly helped him up and said sternly, "Yu'er, I know what you're worried about. But now that the Crown Prince is in mourning, the affairs of the court must be managed. You will have to endure some hardship for a while and negotiate with the ministers. You are also a descendant of the Yan family. If they have any objections, let them come to me!"
Prince Yu was still a little hesitant.
Princess Yu, upon seeing this, advised, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is in mourning now, and he's too busy to manage state affairs. As his uncle, if you don't help him, who will? When the Crown Prince's mourning period is over, you will return power to him, and then we can return to Xizhou."
The Queen Mother nodded. "Your princess is right. Xu'er needs your help right now. If you, the royal uncle, don't help him, how can you still count on the help of King Wu and King Qi?"
Prince Yu paused, hesitated, and finally nodded in agreement.
The King Wu and the King Qi mentioned by the Queen Mother were the two illegitimate sons of the late emperor, ranking second and fourth.
Like the emperor who just passed away, the late emperor also had only four sons, but more than ten daughters.
King Wu's biological mother was Concubine Duan, whose fief was Youzhou in the northwest.
Ten years after King Wu was enfeoffed, he requested permission to take Concubine Duan to Youzhou to spend her remaining years.
The biological mother of the King of Qi was Concubine Shu, whose fief was in Yuzhou in the southwest.
The King of Qi wanted to take his mother to Yuzhou to enjoy a good life, just like King Wu did.
Unfortunately, Concubine Shu did not live as long as Concubine Duan and died of illness in the palace.
Now that the King of Qi had no worries, he didn't like to return to the capital. The last time he returned to the capital was when Concubine Shu passed away.
After the emperor fell ill this time, the empress dowager also sent someone to send a letter to the King of Qi.
But the King of Qi wrote to say that he was suffering from a serious cough and could not bear the long journey. He could only set up an altar in his fiefdom to offer remote sacrifices and recite scriptures to pray for blessings.
Since the Prince of Qi had said so, it was naturally impossible for the Queen Mother to allow a vassal prince to be escorted back to the capital.
On the other hand, King Wu had always been grateful to the Queen Mother and the Emperor for allowing him to have Concubine Duan accompany him to Youzhou. This time, after receiving the news that the Emperor was ill, he began to rush to the capital.
But the northwest is very far away from the capital.
He traveled day and night, but it still took him four or five days to reach the capital.
…
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