The Crown Prince naturally wanted to stay on the Fourth Prince's estate, but things were different now. In the past, he could, as it would demonstrate his brotherly bond with the Fourth Prince.
But now the Emperor is full of suspicion, and I'm afraid that if he doesn't return to Yuqing Palace today, there will be many more spies around him.
For the Crown Prince, the Forbidden City is now no different from a prison, but even though he knows it is a prison, he has no choice but to stay obediently in that prison.
It's almost time; the time for him, the crown prince, to be deposed is fast approaching.
...
Inside the Forbidden City, it was time to choose a concubine, but the Emperor delayed. Instead, he was reviewing memorials in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The disaster in Shandong was urgent, and comforting the victims was of utmost importance. The ambitious Mongol tribes in the north also made the Emperor wary.
This northward tour to the border regions was originally intended to intimidate and deter the various Mongol tribes.
His Majesty has not forgotten that at the beginning of the year, those Mongolian tribes secretly sent gifts to Yuqing Palace...
The Emperor reviewed the memorials, his expression unchanged, and simply asked, "Has Bao Cheng returned to the palace?"
Liang Jiugong was grinding ink on the side. He said, "The Crown Prince returned to Yuqing Palace a quarter of an hour ago. The Crown Prince was worried about the disaster victims, so he went to his study to discuss disaster relief matters after returning to Yuqing Palace."
Clearly, His Majesty was fully aware of the Crown Prince's whereabouts.
Otherwise, Liang Jiugong wouldn't be able to explain clearly what the Crown Prince did in the study.
The Emperor seemed to snort coldly upon hearing this: "They don't even come to me to reply."
Liang Jiugong lowered his head, silently ground the ink, and said nothing more.
The Emperor put down his vermilion brush, leaned back slightly against the dragon throne, and his face seemed veiled in mist, making it difficult for anyone to guess his thoughts.
Seeing that His Majesty had stopped writing, Liang Jiugong waited a moment and then asked in a low voice, "The Imperial Household Department is already waiting outside. Why doesn't Your Majesty choose a nameplate to arrange for them?"
The Hall of Mental Cultivation was brightly lit, and His Majesty remained silent for a while.
After a long while, Liang Jiugong finally heard the Emperor's voice.
"The peach cakes in Consort De's palace are delicious; I remember the Fourteenth Prince loved them the most. Very well, let's go to Yonghe Palace."
I went to Yonghe Temple, but I didn't get a nameplate.
After all, the Fourth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, and Princess Wenxian are all getting on in years and are at the age where they should be settling down and starting families.
If His Majesty says he's going to Yonghe Palace to see Consort De, then he's only going to see Consort De; there's no need to worry about anything else.
As His Majesty entered the inner palace, Consort De in Yonghe Palace had not yet rested. She had simply changed out of her nightgown and was looking at the list of this year's imperial concubines by candlelight.
Because the fourth prince didn't plan to take any new concubines this year, Consort De hadn't looked closely at the list of candidates for the imperial concubines. She had already looked at it once in the past few days, but she had talked about it with the thirteenth prince during the day today, so she was still a little worried and had Zhao Mama bring the list to look at it again.
Because she hadn't expected His Majesty to come today, Consort De had already removed her hairpins and jewelry, making it difficult to conceal the pale blue under her eyes and the signs of age in her brows and eyes.
After His Majesty was seated, Consort De personally served him tea: "Your Majesty, have a cup of honey soup to relieve your fatigue and help you sleep soundly."
The Emperor sat cross-legged opposite Consort De. He casually picked up a snuff bottle from the small table and fiddled with it, asking, "What are you looking at?"
Consort De still had the register beside her, and as soon as she sat down, she picked it up again.
"Your Majesty, I am looking at the list of candidates for the imperial concubine selection this year," she said, handing the list to the emperor.
His Majesty waved his hand, having already seen these lists: "Why are you suddenly looking at this? Didn't you say that the Fourth Prince wanted some peace and quiet? Is this for the Fourteenth Prince?"
Seeing that His Majesty did not take the paper, Consort De withdrew her hand and carefully turned a page: "Your Majesty knows the Fourth Prince's temperament without me having to say anything. I'm looking for a match for Yinxiang. The Fourteenth Prince is indeed of marriageable age, but Yinxiang's marriage is still undecided."
The Emperor pondered for a moment after hearing this, then leaned back against the large bolster behind him: "If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten..."
Consort De raised her hand and gently pressed her eyes: "I have been worried about the disaster in Shandong recently. If it weren't for the Fourth Prince mentioning it, I would have forgotten about it."
When Consort De finished speaking and looked up, their eyes met. Consort De had a pair of extremely gentle eyes, and she spoke softly and gently. Even without saying a word, just listening to Consort De's voice was enough to make one feel at ease.
The Emperor's eyes softened: "Fourth Prince and Thirteenth Prince are on good terms, have they taken a fancy to any girl?"
When Consort De heard His Majesty say that "the fourth prince and the thirteenth prince have a good relationship," she slightly suppressed her smile, but did not dwell on the topic: "When I was looking for a primary consort for the fourth prince, I was overwhelmed with choices. Now, I think every girl I see is quite good, but His Majesty still needs to make the final decision."
When Consort De learned that His Majesty had arrived, she deliberately placed the list of candidates for the imperial concubines in a place where His Majesty could see it as soon as he sat down. She could choose suitable candidates herself, but in the end, His Majesty still needed to approve them.
It would be better to let His Majesty choose gradually and step by step.
Since he wasn't her own son, even if Consort De wanted to, she couldn't interfere too much.
She could say a few words from the side, but afterwards she still had to ask Yinxiang's opinion.
After all, she herself hadn't expected that His Majesty would come to Yonghe Palace today.
Upon hearing this, His Majesty finally took the list of candidates for the imperial concubines: "Which ones did you look at?"
He asked the question casually, not expecting any response from Consort De, and continued flipping through the page that Consort De had just been looking at.
"A mediocre appearance." The Emperor quickly flipped through two or three pages.
Consort De did not move. She sat upright opposite His Majesty and knew perfectly well which young lady His Majesty was looking at at that moment.
After a moment, His Majesty finally stopped turning the pages: "This Lady Zhaojia... I remember her father, Marhan. He was a man of principle when the Three Feudatories were quelled, and he did a lot of practical work with Songgotu in recent years..."
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