The Crown Prince led the way, followed by the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Princes, but everyone seemed somewhat distracted at the moment.
Third Master couldn't help but chatter: "It's been a while since I've seen my eldest brother, and I'm starting to miss him terribly."
Fourth Master remained silent; he was also distracted at the moment.
Li's period had just ended, and the Fourth Master had stayed in the East Courtyard last night. He was unusually absurd and got up a little late this morning.
When Fourth Master left, Li Chenjiao had not yet gotten up, but a faint fragrance could still be seen on the exposed section of her arm.
When Fourth Master left the East Courtyard, he instructed Su Peisheng to go to the storeroom and get some ointment.
He is not an unrestrained person, but he was indeed outrageous last night.
However, Fourth Master belatedly realized that he hadn't sent any "tonics" to the East Courtyard today.
Since Li Chenjiao finished her confinement last year, the Fourth Prince has instructed that the imperial physician be invited to examine Li Chenjiao's pulse every half month.
Li Chenjiao's health is gradually improving, but it's still not as good as before.
Just as Fourth Master came to his senses, Fifth Master spoke up.
"Since Third Brother misses you so much, why don't you have someone bring a horse and go to greet Father Emperor and Eldest Brother yourself..."
Fifth Master had grasped the loophole in Third Master's words.
The Third Prince just mentioned missing his eldest brother, Prince Zhi, but didn't mention his father, the Emperor... The Fifth Prince's words were quite insinuating.
Third Master was naturally displeased with these words and immediately wanted to refute them.
Before he could refute, Fifth Master had already turned around and pulled Fourth Master aside to talk.
Eighth Master, standing at the back, was completely ignored by the others.
Ninth Prince didn't come today. The Empress Dowager hasn't been feeling well these past few days, so Ninth Prince stayed in Cining Palace to take care of her.
The Tenth Prince didn't come today either. I heard that he and his wife had a fight, and he left the capital in a huff yesterday. I wonder where he went now.
Without Ninth Master and Tenth Master, Eighth Master is now somewhat isolated and powerless.
Finally, the Crown Prince spoke up calmly: "Alright."
As soon as he spoke, Fifth Master obediently turned his head and smiled, then silently shut up.
Third Master gave a soft hum, but didn't say anything more.
By midday, the imperial procession could be seen in the distance.
The third master, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot it. He nudged the fourth master, who was standing next to him, and everyone immediately knelt down from a distance.
They did not stop when the emperor's carriage approached, but only when he was right in front of them did they hear a familiar voice.
"By order of the Emperor, everything will be discussed after we have rested in the palace. The Crown Prince is to wait in the Qianqing Palace."
That voice... is it Prince Dun, the Tenth Prince?
Third Master looked up in disbelief, clearly surprised to hear Tenth Master's voice at this moment.
When the emperor had departed and everyone stood up again, they were all somewhat surprised by the appearance of the Tenth Prince.
However, the young master quickly regained his composure: "Let's go."
His voice was calm, and after the brief incident, everything returned to normal, as if nothing could disturb his mind.
When Third Master mounted his horse, he seemed to want to complain about something. He had arrived here before dawn and had been waiting for half a day...
However, he dared not utter a single word of complaint against his father, and could only secretly envy Prince Zhi and the Tenth Prince.
He thought to himself that he had angered his father, the Emperor, because of the matter of restoring his title of Prince of the Second Rank a while ago, so it was better to keep a low profile now.
However, seeing how easily Prince Zhi and the Tenth Prince could win the Emperor's favor, he couldn't help but feel that it was very unfair.
The Third Prince felt a pang of sorrow, and it wasn't until they arrived at the Qianqing Palace that these emotions subsided somewhat.
They arrived at the Qianqing Palace quite late.
After all, even when the Crown Prince and his entourage rode horses, they could only follow closely behind the Emperor's carriage, not daring to step over him.
When everyone followed the Crown Prince to the Qianqing Palace, His Majesty had already rested and changed into his everyday clothes.
The Emperor glanced at the princes standing in a row at the head of the table, a faint smile on his face.
However, unexpectedly, he did not greet the Crown Prince first, but instead asked the Third Master a question first, which was unprecedented for him.
"Third brother, it's been a while since I've seen you, you seem to have lost some weight..."
These words, though seemingly simple, warmed Third Master's heart.
The Third Prince raised his head, looking at his father, the Emperor, at the head of the table with some disbelief, a hint of excitement and joy flashing in his eyes.
Third Prince tried his best to control his emotions and not lose his composure in front of his father, the Emperor.
He raised his hand in a gesture of respect and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Father Emperor..."
He didn't say much. After what happened last time, the Third Prince had learned a lot. After saying that he was worried about His Majesty, he added that everyone was thinking about their father, the Emperor.
His Majesty smiled with satisfaction, finally giving the Crown Prince a proper look, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"During my absence from the capital, I was fortunate to have Baocheng..."
The Crown Prince bowed and said, neither humble nor arrogant, "I rely entirely on the Emperor's judgment."
His Majesty chuckled: "Even without me, Bao Cheng handled these matters very well."
Even though the Emperor was smiling as he said these things, the Third Prince, who secretly raised his eyes, felt a chill run down his spine and almost broke out in a cold sweat.
It seems that the Wutai Mountain incident... did not pass so easily. It's like a thorn stuck in one's heart. It may not be fatal for a while, but it will always cause a dull ache whenever one thinks about it.
Third Master unconsciously smiled, but he wisely lowered his head.
As for the Fourth Prince and others, they were not mentioned by His Majesty at all.
Since His Majesty had not yet eaten, he invited Prince Dun and the Crown Prince to dine with him.
After all, Prince Zhi had been traveling a long and tiring journey.
The Fourth Prince ran into Prince Zhi again after leaving the palace.
It had been almost two months since they last met, and Prince Zhi looked much thinner, probably because of the hurried journey. The Fourth Prince could still see the bluish tinge on Prince Zhi's chin.
Prince Zhi nodded slightly to the Fourth Prince: "Fourth Prince, you... look quite well."
As he spoke, he suddenly raised his finger and pointed to the side of his neck.
Fourth Master didn't touch it, realizing something, but he wasn't embarrassed or anything.
"Brother is joking."
Something flashed in Prince Zhi's eyes, but he only nodded once more before riding away.
When Fourth Master went to the Ministry of Revenue, he asked Su Peisheng to bring him a bronze mirror. Sure enough, there was a slight scratch on the side of his neck, which was not visible unless you looked closely.
Fourth Master raised his hand and touched it. He wasn't unhappy, but he still scolded Su Peisheng: "You're doing your job better and better."
This morning, Su Peisheng didn't notice anything when he dressed him.
Su Peisheng hurriedly said that he dared not, and could only plead guilty.
When Fourth Master got up this morning, it was still dark. What could he possibly say?
Okay, then, just admit your guilt.
It just so happens that Prince Zhi saw it, but fortunately it wasn't seen by anyone else.
This is fortunate.
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