Chapter 139 The Unlucky Prince Goes Crazy (9)
"Your Majesty, have you heard about the recent rumors in the palace?" The empress dowager's face flushed, she leaned sideways on the pillow on the side of the soft couch, and mentioned this matter to Emperor Xuan as if she was chatting.
Emperor Xuan was sitting on the other side of the soft couch across the square table. When he heard the Queen Mother's words, he was startled and then replied,
"It's my fault for letting those indecent words disturb your peace. I'll have someone investigate when I get back."
The Queen Mother waved her hand. "I was just asking casually. You know, if too many people spread something, even if it's false, it will be taken as true."
"Yes, I understand."
After Emperor Xuan chatted with the Queen Mother for a while, he left the Queen Mother's bedroom and returned to the Yangxin Palace.
"Li Dequan, call Liu Wei to me," Emperor Xuan ordered the eunuch to find someone as soon as he entered the Yangxin Palace.
"Yes," Li Dequan hurriedly retreated to announce Liu Wei.
He didn't know what Emperor Xuan had ordered Liu Wei to do, but there was only one thing that was widely rumored in the palace recently. After guessing back and forth, Li Dequan could come up with a general idea. He had thought before that the Fourth Prince might be his next master, but judging from the recent trend in the palace, this matter was probably over.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Tuoba Hong's confinement period was over and he returned to the court. The initial discomfort was over. Now, except for his increasingly bulging lower abdomen, he had no other discomfort.
On the first day back in the court, Tuoba Hong was full of energy.
"Father, I was wrong before. I respectfully request that you and the other ministers supervise me and I will never make the same mistake again."
Emperor Xuan sat upright on the dragon throne, his pair of black eyes were so deep that it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He had underestimated his son before, according to Liu Wei's investigation of his activities outside the palace.
His son's travel was fake, and his real intention was to form gangs. In order to avoid being discovered, he used countless fake names along the way. However, no matter how careful he was, the sticking rod department still found some clues.
"It's enough that you know you're wrong. Don't make the same mistake again," Emperor Xuan said without much sincerity.
"Yes," Tuoba Hong bowed.
Tuoba Hong had not dealt with these ministers for three months. After the morning court session, he found the prime minister among the ministers leaving the palace and quickly followed him.
"Prime Minister, wait a minute. I have some government affairs to ask you for advice," Tuoba Hong said, holding the respectful and humble attitude of a student, and stopped the Prime Minister.
"Your Highness, please excuse me. I cannot even bear to ask for your advice. Please just speak frankly." At the morning court session, Emperor Xuan's unprecedentedly cold attitude towards Tuoba Hong made the ministers, including the powerful Prime Minister, feel puzzled.
His position seems to be very glorious, but it is actually the easiest to get killed. If he stands on the wrong side, it is definitely not just him who will die. The lives of hundreds of people in the Prime Minister's Mansion will also be implicated by him and die innocently.
Since this was a matter of life and death, the Prime Minister did not dare to be careless at all. He answered some of Tuoba Hong's questions with the attitude of a distant and respectful subject.
How could Tuoba Hong not see through this old fox? He deliberately distanced himself from him, casually asked him a few questions about recent government affairs, and then left with an excuse.
"It's said that the Fourth Prince is incredibly lucky. He has been alone in such a dangerous place like Jianghu for several years, yet he remains unscathed. I heard he even learned a lot of skills."
"Of course, he's the reincarnation of a fox demon. Even the most compassionate people like the Queen Mother, gods, and Buddhas have been knocked unconscious by him. How can ordinary mortals be his match?"
"I'll have to avoid him when I see him next time. I'm a nobleman at the bottom of the social ladder. If he accidentally spots me, I'll be doomed."
"Who says it isn't?"
…
When Tuoba Hong was returning to the palace and passing a corner of the imperial garden, he heard someone talking about himself in the pavilion beside the corner. He couldn't help but stop and listen.
The emperor had many concubines, and Tuoba Hong only recognized the voices of Concubine Shu and Concubine Hua. He could not recognize the others, and thought that they were probably unknown people who did not see the emperor for a year.
As he left, the sounds of laughter continued in the pavilion. How could the Fourth Prince of the Great Sage Dynasty allow himself to be slandered by these unknown people? He would have to pay the price for saying so.
However, Tuoba Hong never expected that his actions would further confirm the rumors that he was the reincarnation of a fox demon. He secretly ordered his personal guards to teach those who spread rumors about him a lesson. On the surface, those who spread rumors about him were injured for no reason. What else could this be but retribution?
Tuoba Hong believed that what he had ordered the guards to teach those people a lesson was extremely secretive, but nothing in the palace could be hidden from Emperor Xuan's eyes, not to mention that Emperor Xuan had long been wary of him. The people in the Sticking Rod Office were always watching Tuoba Hong and the people around him's every move, and Emperor Xuan saw through his little tricks clearly.
Emperor Xuan thought about it and felt that this was a good opportunity to teach him a lesson, so he asked Li Dequan to call people to the Yangxin Palace.
"Asshole, is the palace the place for you to carry out lynching? I think you are getting more stupid as you grow older," Emperor Xuan shouted angrily.
Tuoba Hong was already uncomfortable with the belt tied around his waist, and after kneeling for a while, he felt that he was about to fall to the side due to the pain in his waist and legs, but he couldn't fall down and could only endure it.
"Father, those people in the palace made up rumors about me at will. I was so angry that I did that." Now that the matter has been exposed, it is useless for him to insist on it. It is better to admit it frankly.
Emperor Xuan was so angry at his straightforwardness that he picked up the teacup beside him and was about to throw it at Tuoba Hong. He raised his hand in the air, but seeing his pale face, he finally couldn't bear it.
"Go back and reflect on your actions. Without my order, you are not allowed to leave your bedroom." Emperor Xuan threw the teacup on the table with a clang in frustration. He closed his eyes and waved at Tuoba Hong who was kneeling on the ground, as if he didn't want to see him.
The news that the Fourth Prince had just been released from confinement and was then punished by Emperor Xuan to remain in the palace for self-reflection soon spread throughout the palace.
"I've been saying this. The recent events in the palace are closely related to him. Otherwise, why would even the emperor be afraid of him and confine him to his chambers to prevent him from causing harm?"
"This kind of evil should be sent out of the palace and sent to a temple, where the Buddha can suppress him and prevent him from coming out and causing harm to others again."
…
In a pavilion in a corner of the imperial garden, the gossipy concubines discussed without any hesitation how to deal with Tuoba Hong.
Muyan, lying in the corner of the rockery, heard their words clearly.
Send out of the palace?
That's impossible. Someone is on his way to the capital and can't wait to see him. How can he be allowed to leave the palace?
After Mo Su returned to the Western Regions and rested for more than half a month, the King of the Western Regions set a wedding date for him and Princess Xianyun.
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