After all, when Yinreng was still the Crown Prince, he was often assigned to "share the burden" by the Emperor during the New Year. At that time, it was ostensibly about sharing the burden, but in reality, it was a way to train Yinreng.
Yinreng knew perfectly well that in those years, if he did anything wrong in his training, he would be scolded by his father. It was really ridiculous that now Yinreng was actually getting some training.
However, it is only due to the current situation. If His Majesty were not currently unable to get up, and if among the princes, Prince Zhi was implicated in the crime of plotting against the princes, the Third Prince, with his fiery personality, would be quite adept at making friends with ministers, but utterly incompetent when it comes to handling state affairs.
Of the others, the fifth prince was upright and honest. His Majesty had originally considered the fifth prince, but during the New Year, every single thing had to be done perfectly, as it concerned the face of the royal family. In addition, in the next few days, various Mongol tribes and foreign envoys would be visiting, so there was no room for error.
If it were just a regular job, it would be fine, but this one is better left unfinished.
The seventh prince has difficulty walking, so whether he can attend is a question. The eighth prince used to seem steady and decisive, but now, like the Prince Zhi, neither the eighth nor the ninth prince is suitable.
The injuries on the fourth and tenth brothers were even more severe, not to mention the injuries on the others.
The Emperor was not entirely satisfied with Yinreng. Yinreng had been somewhat indecisive when he was the Crown Prince. Originally, this was only in terms of official duties and government affairs. However, in recent years, coupled with the scandals that had occurred within the Hesheli clan, the Emperor had become dissatisfied with Yinreng.
But given the current situation, His Majesty has no choice but to choose the tallest among the short ones to take charge.
However, those in the court and outside were unaware of His Majesty's plans. In the eyes of the court officials, it seemed as if the Prince Zhi and the Eighth Prince, who were originally quite favored by the Emperor, had been sidelined, and that the Emperor was now remembering Yinreng's good qualities.
For the next few days, Yinreng led the court officials during the day, while the Emperor mostly claimed to be ill and did not appear. The Fourth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who also did not appear, had a legitimate reason to stay in the Qianqing Palace.
The reason was that both of them stayed to serve the Emperor when he was ill.
Although some might wonder why Prince Zhi was left out, both the Fourth Prince and the Tenth Prince are princes of the same rank. One's adoptive mother was Empress Xiaoyiren, and his birth mother is one of the current four imperial consorts. The other's birth mother was Imperial Noble Consort Wenxi. Given their status, it's not unreasonable for these two princes to attend to the sick together.
During the first month of the lunar calendar, all sorts of rumors and stories circulated.
Li Chenjiao, who was resting peacefully in the East Courtyard to prepare for childbirth, had heard many rumors circulating outside, such as that, given the Emperor's current favor towards Yinreng, Yinreng would soon be reinstated as Crown Prince.
Another theory is that Prince Zhi offended His Majesty and displeased him. This is the most common explanation, since Prince Zhi has indeed been neglected lately, and even the Eighth Prince seems to be less favored.
As for the rumors that the Fourth Prince and the Tenth Prince were attending to the Emperor during his illness, Li Chenjiao knew that the Fourth Prince was recuperating in the palace, so she naturally wouldn't take such rumors to heart.
However, she actually found it a bit strange. The Lantern Festival was just around the corner, so was His Majesty's health really not good? She hadn't heard of His Majesty having any old injuries. Could it be from that time at Changchun Garden?
Another issue is the assassination attempt on the Fourth Prince. Why hasn't the case been resolved yet? Is it because His Majesty doesn't want his family scandal to be exposed, or is it simply because the case hasn't been solved?
Because His Majesty was ill and did not appear, the children were spared the inevitable tests of knowledge during the annual festivals. These past few days, Wanwan had been playing happily in the palace. Well, he did show a slight concern for his father, but not much.
The snow fell quite heavily on the Lantern Festival. Li Chenjiao didn't sleep well last night. Around midnight, she felt mosquitoes buzzing around her, even though her bed was covered with insect-repelling curtains, which were in winter.
After tossing and turning and unable to fall asleep, Li Chenjiao simply stopped sleeping. Hearing the noise outside, she knew that Wanwan had woken up. She lay down for a while longer before getting up.
Watching Wanwan leave before dawn, Li Chenjiao sighed silently. Yes, she still felt sorry for Wanwan. However, she was feeling sleepy again and turned to squeeze into Aman's bed to sleep.
She hadn't slept with Aman for several months since she got pregnant, and the maids hadn't realized it yet.
Li Chenjiao was not very clear about the turmoil in the palace. The mother and daughter slept together warmly until the sun was high in the sky. While Chen Shi took Aman to wash up, Qiu Hu and Lin Mama came in.
"This morning, just as dawn broke, the gatekeeper sent word that Nian Gengyao's wife had arrived. She said that she had heard that the Fujin (princess) had not been feeling well lately, so she brought some century-old ginseng."
This is quite unusual at this juncture, but with everyone's eyes fixed on the palace, the Nian family has chosen a good time.
"Is she the only one?" she asked, yawning.
Qiu Hu said yes, but meant no: "After all, it's the Prince's backyard, so it's not appropriate for unmarried young ladies to come and pay their respects so casually."
These words were quite reasonable. Li Chenjiao looked at her and still said, "You mustn't say these things outside."
She knew Qiu Hu was sensible, so she only said that one sentence.
Qiu Hu responded with a sound of understanding, realizing what his master meant.
Meanwhile, in the main courtyard, the Fujin (principal wife) had been ignoring Nian Gengyao's wife for a while and felt disgusted. She certainly wouldn't want another person in the backyard.
"You personally escort Xianxin out of the manor, making sure no one sees her. Mother is really something, making Xianxin come to visit all the time, as if she's afraid others won't know what she's thinking..."
The princess was somewhat annoyed.
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