"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees... The Empress is unwell... All the concubines involved are to be demoted and confined to their palaces for one year to reflect on their mistakes. This is the imperial decree—"
!
Consort Yu, no, she's now Noble Lady Yu.
She never expected that she would be demoted just for sitting in the Phoenix Palace for a short while last night!
Although there is only one rank difference between a concubine and a noble lady, their treatment is vastly different, practically cut in half.
If I had known this would happen, if I had known the Emperor would punish me, I wouldn't have gone to Fengyi Palace!
Consort Yu was filled with remorse, as was Consort Wang; they couldn't even maintain their fake smiles.
Bai Qing glanced at their expressions, muttered a sigh of despair to himself, and made no further comment.
He had to go to the next place to deliver the imperial decree, so he urged him on.
"Your Majesties, please accept the imperial decree."
"Your Majesty, I accept the imperial decree and thank you for your great favor."
After Bai Qing left, the two dignitaries looked at each other and could only manage a bitter smile.
They didn't even have the strength to speak. Consort Wang's legs were so weak that she had to be supported by her personal maid to avoid falling to the ground.
At the same time, they understood the Emperor's meaning: this was a warning to them.
Tell them not to meddle in things that aren't their business; they don't have the ability to stand up to the Emperor!
Realizing this, they all understood the stupid thing they had done and wished they could go back to yesterday and slap themselves hard enough to knock them unconscious.
Consort Yu shook her head without saying a word, only sighed and returned to the palace.
Consort Wang, pale-faced, returned to her palace with the help of her personal maid.
Jingyang Palace suddenly became deserted.
Even the palace servants lost interest in gossip and were all dejected.
If their master is punished, how much better can they, the servants, expect?
Similarly, this scene also occurred in other palaces.
The concubines who had just been planning to cause a ruckus at the Hall of Mental Cultivation all wilted like frostbitten eggplants and returned to their own palaces dejectedly.
No one dared to make a big fuss or argue anymore.
If they keep arguing, they will all be demoted to low-ranking concubines and suffer an even more miserable fate.
The matter was officially dropped in the inner palace, and no one dared to utter a word in its defense.
...
During the morning court session, Imperial Censor Shi did bring up this matter.
Before he could say more than a few words, the emperor retorted, "You all want to interfere in my harem? You must have a death wish."
Those who become officials are not simple people, especially those who have reached their current positions.
The ministers all saw that the emperor had made up his mind, and dared not try to persuade him, so they all pretended to be very obedient.
After the morning court session, when the ministers returned home, they received news that many of the concubines in the palace had been demoted and confined to their quarters, and they, without any sense of propriety, offered their opinions.
I've never heard of even the Empress claiming illness and not leaving the palace. This is a sign of a major upheaval in the harem.
I wonder what the Emperor is up to, that he's giving such high praise to the Crown Prince's family.
The court officials all guessed this, and Prince Jing, who received the news even before them, was even more suspicious.
...
Prince Jing's Mansion.
study.
Prince Jing's advisors gathered once again to discuss the Emperor's favoritism towards the Crown Prince.
This time, however, there was no relaxed expression on their faces. They all looked serious, as if they were troubled by some difficult problem.
"What, have I been feeding you all for nothing? Are you mute?"
A sinister glint flashed in Sheng Changling's dark eyes. He was still dressed in red with black hair, but he could not hide the murderous aura emanating from him.
His bewitching face had skin that was unbelievably white, paired with lips as red as blood, making him look like a monster that sucks human blood.
And his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes, even just slightly narrowed, send chills down one's spine.
Everyone knows that this ancestor was ruthless and always dealt with useless people directly.
"Your Highness, the Emperor dotes on the Crown Prince so much, and he is in the prime of his life. It would be best if we lay low."
"Yes, yes, the Emperor has already moved the Crown Prince and his pregnant wife into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The people we have arranged in Chonghua Palace are now useless. We cannot act rashly now."
"I do find something strange, though. Why did His Majesty bring the Crown Prince's family to the Hall of Mental Cultivation?"
Could it be that caregiving is also surveillance?
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to this person, a short, middle-aged man with a goatee.
His guess differed from others', and it successfully caught Sheng Changling's attention.
Sheng Changling put down the jade piece he was playing with, sat up a little straighter, and asked with interest.
"Oh, tell me, why does the Emperor want to monitor the Crown Prince?"
All I can say is that King Jing truly lived up to his name.
Although there was no hint of interrogation, the man with the goatee exuded a threatening aura, which frightened him so much that he immediately spoke up.
"Your Highness, His Majesty's attitude towards the Crown Prince has been ambiguous for the past month. We initially thought His Majesty valued the Crown Prince, but—"
He paused here, mainly glancing at the advisor who had previously been most trusted by Prince Jing, before continuing.
"I believe that His Majesty is somewhat tired of the Crown Prince and does not want him to be involved in politics, which is why he has banished him outside the palace."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Changling's expression hardened, and he looked at him with incredibly sharp eyes, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
The man with the goatee stiffened under the scrutiny of Prince Jing, fearing that this unpredictable prince would drag him out to be used as fertilizer.
“Very good, here’s a reward of one thousand taels of silver. Continue, well said… more.”
That's right, the premise for them to be willing to risk their lives for Sheng Changling is that Sheng Changling is actually throwing real money into it.
The dream of overnight riches that countless people yearn for can be realized at the Prince Jing's Mansion.
Where there's a good reward, there will be brave men.
Those who came to serve as advisors to King Jing were all fearless.
Encouraged, Goatee suppressed his joy and continued.
"Your Highness, haven't you noticed that the Crown Prince's power has declined significantly?"
In the past, the Crown Prince always knew about important court affairs first, and officials would defer to him to avoid trouble; those who wanted to surrender were as numerous as carp crossing a river. But what about now?
Following his train of thought, Sheng Changling realized that many court officials had indeed become closer to him.
Some of them were even members of the princeling faction, who surprisingly sided with him in court and strongly supported him.
Could it be that the Crown Prince has really offended the Emperor, and the father and son... are having a falling out?
If it's true, then things will be much easier.
Sheng Changling vaguely felt that he had grasped some truth, and was just one step away from understanding it.
Thinking of this, he decided not to continue the discussion, but instead wanted to find spies in the palace to investigate the matter.
"Alright, you can go to the treasury and collect three thousand taels of silver. What's your name?"
"My name is Zhang Yi. Thank you for your reward, Your Highness."
However, Your Highness could still keep an eye on the movements in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, or the events that occurred at Chonghua Palace, after all—a wild goose leaves a trace in its wake.
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