Back in her courtyard, Qingyou met the maid who had been deliberately placed in the capital to gather information.
The other party reported on some recent events, both big and small, that had occurred in the capital.
Qingyou toyed with her teacup and asked, "How has Lou Kui fared in the Prince's mansion since she was taken back by the Prince of Guangfeng?"
A month ago, the Prince of Guangfeng suddenly announced that his son and the daughter of the Marquis of Pingnan had been switched at birth.
Before giving birth, the wife of the Marquis of Pingnan went to the temple to burn incense, and the concubine of the Prince of Guangfeng, who was pregnant at the time, also went to that temple.
Then the two gave birth on the same day. At that time, things were quite chaotic, and some people in the Prince's mansion did not want the concubine to have a son, so the maid deliberately switched the two children.
It wasn't until recently that the Prince of Guangfeng discovered this matter and then went to the Marquis of Pingnan's residence to reunite with his son.
Unfortunately, the daughter of the Marquis of Pingnan died young in the Prince's mansion.
However, Marquis Pingnan generously returned Lou Kui, his son, to the Prince of Guangfeng, who then presented him with many valuable gifts in return.
Qingyou also knew about this through the mental energy mark she placed on Lou Kui.
The Prince of Guangfeng has no sons yet, but has already fathered more than a dozen daughters.
Knowing beforehand that Lou Kui was a son, they probably wanted to keep him hidden as a backup plan.
If he rebelled, he could recognize Lou Kui if he succeeded, and even if he failed, he could still leave a bloodline for himself.
This time, however, Lou Kui went to contact the Prince of Guangfeng first and told him that the Marquis of Pingnan knew about the matter.
The Prince of Guangfeng was afraid that the Marquis of Pingnan would harm his son, and he desperately needed a son to stabilize the hearts of those who followed him.
So they came up with an excuse that the babies had been switched at birth, and after obtaining the emperor's approval and support, they brought Lou Kui back to the Prince's Palace.
Then, the Prince of Guangfeng also requested that a crown prince be established for Lou Kui.
This is something Qingyou is happy to see happen; the higher Lou Kui's status, the more she can jump around.
The higher you jump, the harder you'll fall.
The maid replied, "When Lou Kui was made the heir apparent, the Princess Consort of Guangfeng was very unhappy and tried to suppress him, but Lou Kui saw through her plan and was instead confined to her quarters by the Prince of Guangfeng."
"The concubine of the Prince of Guangfeng was outwardly warm to Lou Kui, but inwardly very cold."
"Since becoming the heir of the Prince's mansion, Lou Kui has been making more frequent connections with princes, nobles, and scions of prominent families."
The maid thought for a moment and then said, "Lou Kui still associates frequently with the Third Prince, and also has close ties with the Fourth Prince."
"Before recognizing the Prince's Mansion, Lou Kui saved a scholar who became the top scholar in the palace examination this month."
She discovered that Lou Kui seemed to possess some inexplicable charm. Whether they were scions of prominent families or talented young men, anyone who had come into contact with Lou Kui could become close friends with her, which felt a bit eerie.
She was even more indignant on behalf of her princess. After what had happened, the Third Prince was still frequently seeing Lou Kui, which was outrageous.
Qingyou nodded, "I understand!"
The top scholar mentioned by the maid was none other than the future prime minister of the original owner's life, Fei Yu's right-hand man.
These men, all in love with Lou Kui, developed a close relationship.
That prime minister was the main force behind Lou Kui's efforts to ruin the original owner's reputation, and he also helped Lou Kui frame the Pingnan Marquis's mansion.
This time, Qingyou naturally wouldn't let the other party climb any higher.
After the meeting, Fei Chen should transfer the person to the Ministry of Works to be sidelined.
He had lofty ambitions and a desire to climb high and return home to slap his face, but he was transferred from the Hanlin Academy to the Ministry of Works to sit on the sidelines, and he couldn't be transferred to other places to accumulate political achievements. The other party probably felt depressed and vomited blood every day.
Qingyou thought about it more and more and felt that this was a good idea.
Moreover, she wanted the other party to know that she was the one who had instructed the Crown Prince to do it, and the reason was naturally because of Lou Kui.
Because of Lou Kui, he could no longer climb high and realize his ambitions. He didn't know if the top scholar would still treat Lou Kui with the same sincerity and without any resentment.
Meanwhile, Fei Chen also returned to the palace.
The emperor was originally meeting with his ministers and several princes.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had returned, a smile instantly appeared on his previously serious face. "Quickly let that scoundrel in."
Seeing their father's impatient expression, the princes couldn't help but feel envious.
They're both sons, but the difference is just too big.
As soon as Fei Chen entered the main hall, he immediately ran to the emperor.
He called out affectionately and carefree, "Dad, I'm back!"
The emperor allowed the crown prince to skip the formalities between ruler and subject, so no one present was surprised by his behavior.
After all, they had seen even more outrageous things, such as the emperor carrying the crown prince on his back to take him to class.
But every time the princes saw the two of them so close, they couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
There was a time when a young prince tried to emulate the crown prince, but was reprimanded by the emperor.
In any case, the emperor is extremely biased towards the crown prince, and he doesn't even try to hide it.
The emperor rolled his eyes at Fei Chen. "So you finally decided to come back? I thought you were having a great time."
Fei Chen chuckled and said, "How could that be? I've been missing Dad for a long time. I was just recuperating in Qinan Mountain, which is why I came back late."
Then he took out a bulging object wrapped in paper from his pocket and placed it on the emperor's desk.
“I’ve been thinking about Dad all along. On my way back today, I passed a stream and caught a fish to grill and bring back as a gift for him.”
He then opened the paper, and sure enough, there was a cold grilled fish inside.
The emperor didn't mind at all; this was the first time his beloved son had baked something for him.
As the emperor ordered someone to bring chopsticks, he raised an eyebrow at his son and asked, "You even learned how to grill fish?"
He knew that his son had been spending all his time playing with Qingyou lately, and the two of them had often gone out to catch and grill fish.
Fei Chen smiled and took the chopsticks handed to him by the eunuch. He picked up a piece of meat from the belly and put it into the emperor's mouth. "I learned how to make this especially for Father. You should try it and see how it tastes."
Actually, it was to bake it for Youyou later; Dad was just an afterthought.
But I definitely can't say this out loud; anyway, in front of my father, it's all for his sake.
As expected, the emperor was overjoyed to hear this.
Looking at the fish with disdain, she said, "Can you even eat it like this?"
She then ate the fish that her son fed her, saying, "The taste was just so-so."
He took the chopsticks and ate a few more bites, saying, "But his filial piety is commendable!"
The other princes: "..." A cold, burnt roasted fish, what's so special about it? This is commendable filial piety.
So all those fine things they sent to the palace every year as tribute were wasted. Father Emperor is truly blind and heartless.
Fei Yu has been released from confinement and will be among them.
Seeing the interaction between the father and son, his expression remained unchanged, but his heart was filled with coldness.
Even though his father is so biased, he still insists on taking the throne from Fei Chen. Who says the throne has to be inherited by the legitimate heir?
The ministers once again experienced just how much the emperor doted on the crown prince.
To be honest, even they looked down on this grilled fish, but the emperor actually ate several bites. He really spoils the crown prince to an extreme.
However, they dared not say anything, after all, the emperor was usually a wise ruler, but when it came to the crown prince, he lost his mind...
The emperor ate a few bites, put down his chopsticks, and then complained that his ministers and several princes were in his way.
He waved to them, "You may all leave now. I need to speak with the Crown Prince."
The ministers and princes then bowed and left.
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