No one in the entire palace had their eyes on the Crown Prince.
If there's any disturbance at the Crown Prince's residence, everyone in the palace will rush to spread the news.
Consort De naturally received the news as well.
Consort De was not worried about the Crown Prince, but she was worried that the Fourth Prince would plead for the Crown Prince, which would anger His Majesty.
Knowing that her mistress was worried, Zhao Mama seized the opportunity to change the subject: "Your Majesty need not worry. Instead, you should be concerned about the Fourteenth Prince's trip to the south with His Majesty."
Consort De shook her head with a headache: "Don't even mention those two rascals—neither of them gives me a moment's peace."
Zhao Mama's eyes darted around, and she found another topic to comfort her mistress: "Later, after Princess Wenxian has finished her visit from the Empress Dowager, she will come to visit Your Highness. Your Highness, please take a look at the dinner that I have prepared and see if it is suitable?"
Consort De finally relaxed her furrowed brows: "Why is that girl still so obediently serving the Empress Dowager in such heavy rain—"
After speaking, Consort De's expression changed again: "In the end, it's still one's own daughter who is the most considerate."
This was naturally because she remembered her wife, who wouldn't return to the palace unless summoned.
"The Xie family is the one who came to me personally to beg for help. I can't let her fail because of her own actions."
Consort De naturally knew that Lady Xie had been arranged to return to the mansion by the Fujin (the wife of the deceased) and that the Fourth Prince had ordered people to keep an eye on her upon her return.
Consort De thought again about not receiving a reply from the fourth prince, and couldn't help but think that the fourth prince was angry because of Xie Shi's matter, and her face was filled with worry again.
——
Let's talk about Mount Wutai.
The Emperor often visited Mount Wutai to worship, and there was a special palace behind the mountain for him to rest.
When His Majesty learned of the foolish things done by the Imperial Household Department, he was furious. Liang Jiugong persuaded him and then helped His Majesty to rest.
Emperor Kangxi did not sleep soundly; he was not a person who dreamed a lot.
However, she had a rather unsettling dream, in which she saw the Crown Prince, Prince Zhi, the deceased Hesheli, and the Imperial Noble Consort Wenxi.
After waking up, Emperor Kangxi remained motionless for a long time until his eyes started to ache, at which point he finally moved his lips.
"Call the tenth brother here."
Liang Jiugong bowed in response and did not ask any further questions, only saying, "Your Majesty, the Third Master is still kneeling outside, saying he wants to plead for the Crown Prince."
Emperor Kangxi was still lying down, his bright yellow nightgown slightly open, and it took Liang Jiugong quite a while to hear his voice.
“Tell him to get back to his own courtyard. What does the mess that the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department made have to do with Bao Cheng? That third son of yours is a fool.”
This makes it very clear; the word "guarantee" is enough to make it clear what the Emperor's attitude is.
Liang Jiugong then understood the situation.
The next day, an urgent message arrived from the capital.
Guarjiade, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, wrote a memorial requesting to resign from his position. He painfully confessed his sins in his heart, but he also produced evidence to prove that he had not touched the betrothal gifts of the Seventh and Eighth Princes. He also earnestly said that he had failed His Majesty's high expectations.
Not a single word was mentioned about the Crown Prince.
None of the princes knew the Emperor's reaction after reading the letter; they only heard that Dechang was stripped of his official hat that very day.
However, the Crown Prince received a flood of rewards from His Majesty.
It is said that His Majesty knew that the Crown Prince had also been deceived, and told the Crown Prince to rest assured and oversee the country.
At this point, countless people must have gritted their teeth in frustration.
However, there are still some things that are funny.
For example, the Third Master, after the Emperor's decree was issued, loudly proclaimed, "I knew the Crown Prince was innocent."
Even the Fourth Master couldn't help but laugh after hearing what Su Peisheng said.
However, the position of the head of the Imperial Household Department suddenly became vacant again.
However, since His Majesty did not make any statement, everyone could only wait in silence for His Majesty's arrangements.
On the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, the worship ceremony at Mount Wutai finally came to an end.
Prince Zhi, the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Eighth Prince are all returning to the capital.
However, before the princes returned to the capital, His Majesty appointed the head of the Imperial Household Department while all the princes were present.
"This whole thing has really upset the seventh and eighth sons—"
Upon hearing Emperor Kangxi's words, the Eighth Prince, who was standing at the end, could no longer contain himself, and his heart pounded wildly.
Because of his leg problems, the Seventh Prince rarely participated in matters that required him to leave the palace.
Fourth Master stood between Third Master and Fifth Master, and clearly heard Third Master let out a soft snort, and Fifth Master mutter behind him, "No way—"
The Fourth Prince kept his head down, waiting patiently for his father, the Emperor, to continue.
"Seventh Prince is a good boy. It has been a hardship for him to stay in the Imperial Study all these years. This time, he has suffered even more. I have chosen Li Weijun for the position of Director of the Imperial Household Department. However, he is a new official. From now on, I will have Seventh Prince look after him to prevent him from making the same foolish mistake as Dechang."
Li Weijun was formerly the Deputy Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department.
He was an upright man, and being of Han Chinese descent, he had no dealings with any of the princes, making him a truly loyal and upright official.
Silence fell once again upon hearing this.
It was the Third Prince, the most easygoing of them all, who broke the silence first: "Father is wise, but there's still the Eighth Brother—"
The Emperor, sitting at the head of the table, had already noticed the restless thoughts of his sons below. When he heard the third son's words, he simply looked at the eighth son in the same direction.
"With you by my side during my southern tour, Third Brother, your position at the Ministry of Rites has become available. Eighth Brother, you can start learning on behalf of your Third Brother."
The Fifth Prince inside the hall couldn't help but burst out laughing, cupping his hands in praise: "Your Majesty is wise."
Third Master turned to look at Fifth Master, and only then did he understand what it meant to lift a stone only to drop it on one's own foot.
Eighth Master, standing at the back, quickly received a cold look from Third Master. He maintained a respectful demeanor on the surface, but inwardly he was secretly suffering.
All that careful planning ended up benefiting that good-for-nothing seventh brother.
Third Brother's eyes were like he was guarding against a thief. Did he really think anyone cared about Third Brother's arduous job in the Ministry of Rites?
The Ministry of Revenue of my fourth brother and the Ministry of War of my fifth brother are both more useful than the Ministry of Rites.
As for Prince Zhi, who was standing at the very front, he was currently lost in thought, pondering His Majesty's current attitude towards the Crown Prince.
As for Lao Ba's job.
Prince Zhi looked down on the Eighth Prince from the bottom of his heart. Yesterday, his father summoned the Tenth Prince, and today he heard that the Eighth Prince went to see the Tenth Prince.
Prince Zhi preferred that the seventh prince assist in managing the affairs of the Imperial Household Department.
He wasn't unaware of Lao Ba's ambitions, but Lao Ba didn't seem to realize his own limitations.
Of all the princes, the eighth prince was the least deserving to covet that position.
After the Qingming Festival, the princes first escorted the Emperor's entourage on his southern tour before setting off back to the capital.
The thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth princes in the palace had just set off from the capital to catch up with the emperor.
On their way back to the capital, the Fourth Prince and his entourage happened to meet the princes who were leaving the capital.
Fourth Master gave some instructions to Thirteenth and Fourteenth.
Watching the group of people disappear into the distance, Fourth Master looked back at the capital city that had fallen into the west.
He knew perfectly well that the capital, without his father, was another battlefield without gunpowder.
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