Zhao Qingqi never expected that his trip outside the palace would change everything.
Looking at Ning Hongze sitting opposite him, his heart pounded, not from shyness or nervousness, but from fear.
"His Majesty said that your studies have declined quite a bit recently, and he has asked me to teach you personally."
"What? That's impossible. I already have a tutor. Why would Father Emperor let you teach me?"
Has his father gone mad?
Should a eunuch teach him?
"No, I need to go find my mother." The emperor dotes on this eunuch, and when he's in a daze, he's capable of anything. But my mother should still have some sense.
Zhao Qingqi turned and ran outside, only to see Mingyu standing at the door.
"Aunt Mingyu, what are you doing here?"
"By order of the Empress, His Highness the Crown Prince may study under His Highness the Ninth Prince with peace of mind."
After Mingyu finished conveying the imperial decree, she bowed to Ning Hongze and said, "This servant greets Your Majesty."
"Get up."
"yes."
"Aunt Mingyu, has my mother gone mad too?"
"Your Highness, you should study diligently under His Highness the Ninth Prince. Her Majesty the Empress said that His Highness the Ninth Prince is an extraordinary person and will surely be able to teach you well."
Mingyu sighed softly.
After tidying up, she didn't quite understand the Empress's thoughts.
There are so many great scholars in the world, why send a eunuch?
"I don't want to."
"If you don't want to, then forget it. I don't want to take on a greenhorn like him." Ning Hong lowered her eyes, her delicate lips curving slightly upwards, revealing a hint of mockery.
"What did you say? You dare to defy your superiors?"
"Did I say anything wrong?"
"What right do you, a eunuch, have to stand in the court? What right do you have to manage state affairs for my father, the emperor?"
“What? You’re not reconciled? Everything I have is given to me by His Majesty. If Your Highness is unwilling—” Ning Hong suddenly leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, “then you should take this position as soon as possible and seize the power back.”
"You—" How dare he say such a thing? If the Emperor finds out, this eunuch will die without consequence, but he and his mother will be implicated.
Zhao Qingqi's fingers trembled, but he dared not say anything.
He is the crown prince. If such words were to get out, he might be misrepresented by those with ulterior motives as having wolfish ambitions.
"Who told you to be so utterly incompetent, unable even to share the Emperor's burdens? What can the Emperor do?"
"Who says I'm incapable? Of course I'm willing to share my father's burdens."
Zhao Qingqi roared, "Ning Hongze, don't go too far!"
"This is the first lesson I'm teaching you: don't let your emotions show."
"What?"
"Your Highness, you are too naive. Just by looking at your face, we can tell what you're thinking?"
That's true.
His cousin has brought up this issue more than once.
The Empress Dowager also said that it doesn't matter now that he is still young, but if he remains so naive when he grows up, it will be quite detrimental to both him and the Empress Dowager.
"Being the crown prince is no fun at all," Zhao Qingqi muttered.
“If you don’t care about this position, someone else will. If you were just an ordinary prince and didn’t want to compete, that would be a good thing. But you are not. You are born to the Empress, the so-called eldest son of the legitimate wife, with the rightful status. Once the new emperor ascends the throne, the first person he will deal with will be you. He won’t even spare the Empress.”
To prevent those hypocrites from constantly clamoring for the establishment of a legitimate successor.
“I—I can leave with my mother.”
"Then where do you intend to take the Empress? Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the Emperor. Unless the Emperor deposes you right now, or to put it bluntly, banishes the Empress to the Cold Palace and establishes a new Empress, you might be able to prolong your lives."
The words were extremely harsh.
Zhao Qingqi, however, strangely listened to everything.
It must be admitted that Ning Hongze was absolutely right; it was like a hammer, hammering those words into one's heart, one by one.
"In this harem, if you want to protect the people you care about, first of all, you must have power."
Mingyu stood at the door listening. The two people weren't speaking loudly, but you could still hear them to some extent.
She suddenly understood what the Empress was thinking.
Your Highness, you have the mind of a child. If you want him to succeed, you must take an unconventional approach.
"Alright, I'll ask you one last time, are you willing to let me have my former teacher?"
Zhao Qingqi pursed his lips and clenched his fists. He suddenly took a deep breath, clasped his hands in greeting, and bowed, "Student Zhao Qingqi greets Master."
"Very good, don't worry, I will definitely do my best to teach you—"
I will make sure you become a wise and benevolent ruler, so as to make up for the debts you owed in your previous life.
——
"What did you say? The Emperor has appointed the Ninth Prince to tutor the Crown Prince?"
In Huining Palace, the woman who had been leaning against the chaise lounge suddenly sat up.
"Ning Hongze also agreed?"
"Agreed."
"How could that be?" Given the Empress's personality, how could she possibly agree to let a eunuch teach the Crown Prince? But not only did the Emperor agree, the Empress did too.
What exactly happened?
"Your Majesty, do you think the Ninth Prince has reached an agreement with the Empress to fully support His Highness the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne?"
"Although I don't like the Empress, we've been sisters for many years and naturally understand her personality. She would never cooperate with Ning Hongze."
Consort Hui looked at the pink nail polish she had just applied and was slightly dissatisfied.
"Indeed, nothing looks as good as bright red." Even now, though her position in the harem is second only to the Empress, she can never wear bright red. She longs to wear bright red clothes, she longs to wear bright yellow imperial robes, and the thought keeps her awake at night.
Consort Hui, Xu Huiyun, was the illegitimate daughter of Minister Xu, and an extremely unfavored one at that. She was able to climb to her current position by stepping on her legitimate sister. She has always understood her strengths and how to use them better than others.
She touched her face and looked at her figure.
I don't know if the honey trap is effective against the authorities.
It is said that eunuchs are somewhat twisted in their minds; although they are physically impotent, they find pleasure in torturing women.
However, it seems that this young man, who has been in the palace for so many years, has never done such a thing.
Because of his high position and great power, as well as his youth and good looks, he was not short of palace maids who took the initiative to seduce him, but he seemed to have no interest in any of them.
Perhaps it's because those women weren't beautiful enough—
And what about her?
I wonder if a beauty as stunning as her could catch his eye.
Consort Hui was very confident in her appearance; no man could resist her charm.
Back then, the emperor was immediately captivated by her beauty, abandoning her elder sister and choosing her to enter the palace.
She was willing to pay any price to become the most honored woman in the harem.
"My son, I will surely make sure you ascend to that position—"
It doesn't matter. If I can't be the empress, I can be the empress dowager.
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