The Fourth Prince and his wife left the mansion one after the other. As soon as they came out, they encountered the Fifth Prince riding a horse towards them. Apparently, his servant had not returned for a long time, so he came in person.
Fourth Master had never realized that his fifth brother was so attached to him.
However, since the fifth prince was always kind and gentle, the fourth prince naturally wouldn't feel impatient because of this.
The reason why Fifth Master always comes to Fourth Master first when he has something to do is because this older brother seems more reliable.
The Fourth Prince always has a stern face, and it's likely that even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him, he would still remain calm and composed. Such a Fourth Prince naturally makes people feel at ease.
At this moment, Fifth Master didn't even have time to dismount. He bowed to Fourth Master and his wife from his horse and said, "Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law are really loving, aren't they? Are Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-law on their way to Fifth Uncle's residence?"
He was quite the smooth talker, and when he saw the Fourth Prince and his wife together, he began to speak affectionately. The wife smiled shyly and was about to say something modest when the Fourth Prince cut her off first.
"Let's go to Fifth Uncle's residence first." He was as concise as ever.
The princess immediately fell silent and quietly boarded the carriage behind her.
All that favor was illusory; in the end, the only one who could truly stand with the Fourth Prince was her, his rightful wife.
Even in June, the weather was still hot, and the smile on the Fujin's face hadn't faded even after she got into the carriage.
Outside, Fourth Master and Fifth Master rode their carriage all the way to Prince Gong's Mansion.
Fifth Uncle, being more well-informed, told us along the way: "I heard that he collapsed as soon as he got up after noon. Fifth Uncle has always been low-key, so he only invited the imperial physician and didn't make a fuss. Later, the imperial physician realized something was wrong and then invited various families. I heard that they are already making arrangements for his funeral."
Fifth Master spoke a little softly in the last few sentences.
His information network might not be as extensive as the Fourth Prince's; he just happened to be in the Empress Dowager's palace when the news reached the palace and overheard it.
The Fourth Prince hummed in agreement and asked, "How is it now?"
Fifth Master frowned, his expression not good: "I heard it's a sudden illness, and he also has old ailments piling up. I'm afraid it's not good."
Everyone had been watching Prince Yu's health closely, and now that Prince Gong had fallen ill, it certainly caught everyone off guard.
As the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince talked, they arrived at the Prince Gong's Mansion.
Prince Zhi and the Third Prince had arrived long ago, and the Eighth Prince had also arrived later, but the Eighth Prince was not seen.
Fourth Prince knew that Eighth Prince had arrived because Third Prince had told him. He didn't see Eighth Prince because Eighth Prince was busy working at Prince Gong's residence.
"Eighth Brother, he's being very attentive," Third Master said with a hint of sarcasm.
Prince Zhi glanced at the Third Prince: "The Prince asked the Eighth Prince for help. He's been working at the Imperial Household Department lately, so it doesn't seem inappropriate for him to lend a hand, does it?"
Upon hearing Prince Zhi's words, Third Master immediately fell silent, bowing his head and acting like a mute.
The Princess Consort followed silently behind. The Fourth Prince did not interfere with the conversation between the Prince of Zhi and the Third Prince. He turned around and whispered to the Princess Consort.
"Go ahead and see if there's anything you can do to help your aunt."
Upon hearing this, the Princess Consort naturally nodded in agreement. Of all the princes present, only the Fourth Prince had come with her.
She and Prince Zhi nodded slightly and went to the backyard.
The wives shouldn't interfere in the affairs of these men.
Naturally, she also looked down on the Eighth Prince's behavior. What kind of behavior was it for a proper prince to be running around in someone else's mansion?
The Fourth Prince naturally wanted to visit Prince Gong first, along with Prince Zhi and the others. Prince Gong looked even worse than when the Fourth Prince last saw him, and he was now so thin that he looked almost unrecognizable.
The imperial physician had instructed them not to disturb him, and after they went in, they didn't get to say much. Prince Gong was still unconscious, so even if they had prepared a lot of words of concern, they had nowhere to say them.
After everyone came out, they couldn't help but feel a little heavy-hearted.
Prince Gong's primary wife, Lady Nara, had fainted several times already. The couple had always been loving, and it was naturally difficult for them to accept the bad news. At this moment, the primary wife was comforting Lady Nara.
Prince Zhi summoned the imperial physicians for questioning. Both physicians gave their accounts, stating that it was a sudden, acute illness, beyond any hope of recovery. Their implication was that Prince Zhi and the others should prepare for the worst.
One of the imperial physicians, who was more senior, stroked his white beard and gave a definite answer: "It will probably be within this month."
After the imperial physicians left, it was the princes' turn to discuss matters in the side room.
Eighth Master is still busy outside and hasn't come in yet.
Prince Zhi, sitting in the seat of honor, spoke first: "Let's write a letter to Father Emperor first; we must inform Father Emperor first."
Third Master chimed in, "We've already sent a messenger at top speed. But we need to be prepared in advance. We can't afford to wait in the summer."
Fourth Master remained silent, and Fifth Master glanced at Fourth Master opposite him, also choosing to remain silent.
Since Father is not here right now, no matter how many ideas I come up with, he might not see them, and it might even incur my elder brother's hatred. It's better not to say anything.
Prince Gong's illness came on suddenly. The Imperial Household Department may have made preparations, but funeral rites and coffins cannot be made in a day or two.
Although princes of the imperial family would usually make preparations in advance as they reached a certain age, Prince Gong was not yet fifty years old and had always been in good health. Naturally, Prince Gong would not invite bad luck by making preparations for his own funeral. Therefore, the suddenness of the event made things hasty.
Seeing his two younger brothers remain silent, the Third Prince pursed his lips. After a moment, he suddenly remembered something and his eyes lit up: "Didn't the Imperial Household Department prepare it for Prince Yu...?"
As soon as Fourth Master heard Third Master speak, he understood Third Master's idea. He frowned and said, "Third Brother, this is not appropriate."
Although Prince Yu's health is gradually improving, no one knows what might happen next, just like the sudden incident involving Prince Gong today. Who can say for sure?
The funeral arrangements prepared by the Imperial Household Department for Prince Yu were all approved by the Emperor and were intended for Prince Yu. If they were to be allocated to Prince Gong first because of this matter...
Fourth Master did not approve of this approach.
Third Master pursed his lips: "If that's the case, Fourth Brother, what do you suggest we do?"
The Fourth Prince said coldly, "It might not be impossible to order the Imperial Household Department to rush the production overnight. Alternatively, we could select suitable candidates from among the common people or members of the imperial family."
However, they could not set their sights on Prince Yu.
"Old-fashioned." This voice came from Third Master.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
