In January of the thirteenth year of the Shenghe era, at the beginning of the new year.
The spring chill lingered, and the climate in Kyoto still carried a hint of coolness.
But it's much better than winter, and everyone has taken off their heavy cotton-padded clothes and put on spring clothes early.
This winter was shorter than usual, and due to the mild winter, the ice on the river was much thinner than in previous years.
These past few days, the Crown Prince has been returning from court with a noticeable bulge between his brows, and his complexion has been rather poor each day.
However, after Liu Lingxi became pregnant, she gradually became sleepy and aloof.
Now, she is six months pregnant, her belly is swollen, and because the Crown Prince is deliberately hiding it, Liu Lingxi has no idea that anything is wrong.
Ye Zhi, on the other hand, stayed by Liu Lingxi's side, taking care of everything for her. She was bold yet meticulous, and knew that the Crown Prince had been somewhat troubled lately.
But she didn't dare to say these things to the Crown Princess casually, otherwise, wouldn't she disturb the Crown Princess's pregnancy?
Unfortunately, no matter how well you try to hide it, there will always be a time when it's exposed.
However, no one expected that this day would come so soon!
...
Hall of Mental Cultivation.
That day, after the Crown Prince finished court, he went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and stayed there for most of the day.
No one knows what he said to the emperor; all that is known is that after leaving the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he locked himself in the West Warm Pavilion and never went out again.
"This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Go down."
At the Crown Prince's command, Ye Zhi and the others withdrew from the room.
Only the Crown Prince and Liu Lingxi, who was still fast asleep, remained in the hall. He simply sat quietly by the bedside.
The charcoal fire inside the room was burning brightly; the finest golden charcoal produced absolutely no smoke, yet it warmed the room like a spring day.
In this warm room, the woman's beautiful face remained unchanged as she slept soundly, still as stunningly beautiful as ever, a sight that one could never tire of.
Her soft, black hair cascaded down onto the soft pillow like a waterfall. Her face was as white as jade, her skin as smooth as ice and her bones as delicate as jade, as beautiful as a dream.
Crown Prince Sheng Changfeng sat by Liu Lingxi's bedside, his large hand gently stroking her eyebrows and eyes from a distance.
Just by gesturing like that, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
If it weren't for the sudden floods in Jiangnan that implicated corrupt officials, he wouldn't have had to take on this job.
This year, after a mild winter, the Jiangnan region experienced continuous rain. Coupled with the melting of ice and snow, the river rose extremely quickly, and several nearby villages have already been flooded.
Originally, it wasn't a big deal, and the imperial court even issued disaster relief funds.
All that's needed is for local officials to properly resettle the disaster victims, set up soup kitchens, and dredge the waterways.
but--
Unexpectedly, once the disaster relief funds reached the hands of local officials, they were siphoned off at every level, leaving very little money behind.
The granaries have long been empty; it's unclear where all the grain taxes collected on a daily basis have gone!
The emperor ordered a thorough investigation, but the inspector was killed by water bandits midway through the journey, and his remains were never found.
Such a coincidence seemed more like a huge conspiracy, which enraged the emperor, who immediately ordered a thorough investigation.
No one in the court dared to take on this task; if they didn't do it well, they would lose their lives, except for the Crown Prince!
He certainly had his doubts, but he had no other choice.
Firstly, he is the crown prince, receiving the emperor's bounty and relieving the emperor's worries. If he were to cower in fear at this time, he would no longer need to be the crown prince.
Secondly...
The crown prince slowly lowered his head, looking at the person sleeping so soundly, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
He wanted to use this opportunity to rebuild his prestige, win over officials in Jiangnan, and develop his own power!
The key to breaking the deadlock may lie in this gamble.
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