Because there were still many ceremonies and procedures after noon, even the fourteenth could not sneak away.
Actually, it was quite late when he returned to Baohe Hall from Qianqing Palace. Fortunately, Thirteenth Brother covered for him. He didn't know when Third Brother left, and he didn't call out to Fourteenth Brother when he left.
When the Fourteenth Prince arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Third Prince was fawning over his father, the Emperor, as if he wanted to show off all the frustration of not being able to serve the Emperor during this period.
Fourteenth Master looked down on Third Master's arrogant attitude.
He arrived in such a hurry that Fourteen hadn't even put on his knee pads properly, and he was grimacing as he knelt down. He nudged Thirteen and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"I just don't understand. Didn't they say that Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Tenth Brother were injured? What does it have to do with Third Brother?" Fourteenth Brother rubbed his knees and simply put his cloak in front of his knees to cushion them, which was better than nothing.
Thirteen glanced around. In front of him were Eighth Brother and Ninth Brother, but they were kneeling quite far apart, and Fifth Brother was in the middle, which separated them.
Thirteen lowered his voice even further: "I heard, I only heard, that evidence was found from the assassins who tried to kill Second Brother and Tenth Brother, implicating the Changchun Garden incident, and it seems that Third Brother wasn't behind it..."
Fourteen couldn't help but sneer: "Regardless of whether Third Brother is innocent or not, with him trembling like this now, how far can he go?"
Even if he were stupid, he could tell that his father was unhappy right now. After what happened last night, putting aside the matter of face, anyone would find it hard to be happy if they knew that their sons had been assassinated one after another.
Third Brother is flitting around Father Emperor like a butterfly, which annoys him even from a distance. He doesn't know how Father Emperor can stand it.
Fourteenth Brother remained silent, while Thirteenth Brother turned to him and asked, "Have you gone to see Fourth Brother?"
Fourteenth brother said, "Yes, Mother asked me to take ginseng soup to Fourth Brother. He just woke up..."
This reminded Fourteenth Brother of the task his fourth brother had assigned him, but since he was still kneeling, it wasn't appropriate to let the servants leave the palace. He silently made a mental note of it, as he had genuinely forgotten about it earlier.
Thirteen then asked again about Fourth Brother's health, since he couldn't visit Fourth Brother openly and legitimately like Fourteen.
As Fourteen listened, his face fell: "He didn't look well, so I didn't stay long..." Actually, he had been crying so hard that Fourth Brother spent most of the time comforting him.
Finally, when it was time to rest, Fourteen hurriedly instructed someone to go to Fourth Brother's residence to report the news.
When the Fourteenth Prince's men arrived at the Fourth Prince's residence, the Princess Consort was already preparing to go to the palace, and they happened to run into each other.
With the Fourteenth Prince's message, the Princess Consort could finally rest assured. Fearing that she would worry, the Fourteenth Prince only said that he had suffered a minor injury. In any case, if he was injured, he would be in the right. The Princess Consort was now completely relieved.
Li Chenjiao also received the message, and upon hearing it, she couldn't help but sigh: "This is really... Has Fourth Master offended something lately? Why does he always encounter these kinds of things?"
Just hearing it makes one feel terrified.
However, receiving the news does reduce people's anxiety.
...
The Fourth Prince's injury is on his shoulder, so he can certainly move around. Besides, the Qianqing Palace is in complete chaos during the New Year holidays, so it would be better for him to return to his residence to recuperate.
However, on the surface, the Emperor said that the Fourth Prince and others should focus on recuperating to avoid aggravating their wounds, but in reality, Su Peisheng and others would have to undergo layers of checks to enter and leave.
It's obvious that the illness is a pretense, and the real purpose is surveillance.
Fourth Master himself was naturally not guilty. He was also wondering who wanted to harm him, but the current situation was still advantageous to him.
Although the Emperor might suspect that the princes might have staged the whole thing, the injuries on the Fourth Prince's body were undeniable.
Everything will only be clear after the singing and dancing in the Hall of Supreme Harmony ends at night.
...
Yinreng was not actually injured; he was just using the imperial physician's explanation of "excessive fright" as a convenient excuse to shirk his duties.
Of course, it would be best if he were injured, but Yinreng is now somewhat afraid of pain, and even if he knows it is not a fatal injury, he is still terrified.
Whenever blood was involved, Yinreng couldn't help but feel a pang of fear.
He was awake for a day and looked at the fourth brother several times through the screen. It was not a fatal wound either. The fourth brother did indeed appear exceptionally calm, especially compared to the tenth brother.
Even though he was injured, the fourth brother sat there with his back straight, leaning against the large pillow, which was pleasing to the eye.
...
Fourth Master did not return to the manor that night. Li Chenjiao waited for Wanwan to return, and when she looked at the time, it was slightly earlier than the previous few days by half an hour.
Wanwan buried her head in eating wontons, while Li Chenjiao was digesting what Wanwan had just said.
His Majesty seemed to be in a bad mood today. He didn't test the princes' knowledge during the banquet. I heard that His Majesty was not in good spirits later, and the banquet ended early.
Li Chenjiao guessed that the matter was about settling scores for the Fourth Prince's injury. It was one thing to be busy during the day, but after the banquet, she still had to uphold justice. Thinking about it, His Majesty really had a lot to do.
...
Indeed, whether His Majesty was tired or not, we don’t know, but the Qianqing Palace was bustling that night, and His Majesty was so exhausted that he fainted around midnight.
Whether it was from exhaustion or anger, only the imperial physician probably knows.
In addition, His Majesty's headache flared up, and he was unable to get up.
Originally, it was just about upholding justice, but now, it seems there will be no one to preside over the upcoming holiday for the next few dozen days.
The few remaining gentlemen who could still stand firm were all somewhat restless, especially the Third Master.
However, His Majesty did not give him that chance.
Around dawn, His Majesty woke up and, while still lucid, appointed Yinreng to preside over the New Year celebrations for the next few days.
This was a choice that no one had anticipated.
But upon closer examination, it seems to make perfect sense.
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