Zhao Shu was innocent and carefree, yet she tried her best to appear serious. Anyone who saw her would think that although she was spoiled, she was good at heart.
Innocent and adorable.
"Father is your most beloved younger brother. You would grant him any request, right?"
What kind of question is this? The emperor was still waiting for Zhao Shu's question with a straight face, but everyone felt that it was a bit strange that she could ask such a question. She would agree to any request. She was too arrogant. Could it be that this princess had been spoiled and had become arrogant?
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor thought the same thing. The Empress Dowager was a little better off, as this was exactly the effect she wanted, but saying it so bluntly made her seem a bit foolish.
The emperor had a whole host of thoughts. He wondered if he had spoiled his younger brother too much, granting him every request. If his brother wanted the throne, he would have to give it to him too.
The Empress looked at Zhao Shu with pity. This child was far too ignorant.
Everyone had their own thoughts, but Prince Yong was still immersed in happiness. Zhao Shu looked like she was very silly and naive. The emperor suppressed the doubts and displeasure in his heart and said, "As long as it is not detrimental to Dayong, your imperial uncle can agree."
The emperor thought the answer was very clever, and Zhao Shu and everyone else also thought it was very clever.
"Hehe, Father, hurry up and make a request to Uncle Emperor, quick, quick!" She urged Prince Yong with great enthusiasm, as if afraid that the Emperor would change his mind.
The emperor narrowed his eyes. "What are your requests, nineteenth brother?"
Everyone was stunned. They actually dared to make a request to the emperor? Instead of asking for a favor?
A difference of just one word can make a big difference.
Prince Yong recalled what Zhao Shu had whispered in his ear in the carriage. Feeling somewhat aggrieved, embarrassed, and hesitant to speak, he said, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Now everyone's itching to help. Just tell us what kind of help you need then.
The emperor raised an eyebrow. "Nineteen, please speak freely."
Prince Yong hesitated, glancing resentfully at his daughter, feeling embarrassed to speak.
Seeing her father like this, Zhao Shu sighed and took over the conversation, saying in a clear voice, "Father feels that it is too hard for Uncle to manage the world, and he is embarrassed to ask Uncle to help manage the palace again."
“Yes, yes, that makes sense.” Prince Yong nodded hurriedly.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But then again, which household would willingly allow others to interfere with its management? Why would Prince Yong relinquish control of his household?
"What happened?" The Empress Dowager quickly grasped the key point.
Prince Yong recounted in detail the matter of removing Wei Shu.
The emperor now understood; things had progressed too quickly, and Lan Yue hadn't had time to report it.
"So what if you're dismissed? I'll just send you someone better. I can't be bothered with the affairs of your household." Managing a small prince's residence, even if you do it well, doesn't bring any sense of accomplishment, does it?
Before he could finish speaking, Prince Yong erupted, "Mother, my elder brother no longer loves me! My elder brother doesn't care about me anymore! Mother..."
The emperor was exasperated. What was going on? Then he heard Prince Yong say, "People say that the eldest brother is like a father, but I no longer have a father, yet my elder brother refuses to care for me. Mother..."
What kind of prince is so absurd! The emperor, who was already in his twenties, kept flipping through the history books he had read before, but found that there really was no such prince.
And he even kept criticizing his elder brother, the emperor. Who gave him the audacity!
Seeing that her father had already deviated from the path they had discussed in the carriage, Zhao Shu hurriedly came out to remedy the situation, but it was too late.
The emperor pointed at Prince Yong and scolded him with exasperation, "All you do is cry! Can't you give me a break? Shut up and stop crying!"
Prince Yong shut up and looked at Emperor Mingde with a wronged expression.
Zhao Shu was also dumbfounded. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way. She still remembered that the man in front of her was the emperor, and she felt that her father had gone too far.
Seeing his younger brother, whom he had watched grow up, being wronged, Emperor Mingde was also not particularly happy. Back then, when his position as crown prince was in jeopardy, his mother became pregnant. His father was happy and didn't hold his position as crown prince against him.
He had mixed feelings about his younger brother; he hoped he would be successful, but also a bit spoiled. After all, he was his own brother, but he was also afraid that his mother's pampered child might pose a threat to him.
"Summon Wei Tingsi and have him temporarily serve as the commander of the Yongwang Mansion's troops."
Zhao Shu was delighted, fearing that her father might cause any more trouble, and hurriedly expressed her gratitude, "Father, quickly thank your royal uncle for his kindness, Lord Wei is a good official."
Prince Yong was actually quite afraid of Wei Tingsi. No, all the civil and military officials were quite afraid of Wei Tingsi. It was said that this man could bring the dead back to life and even find human flesh!
But, having finally gotten close to his daughter, he gritted his teeth and didn't say a word of rejection.
Having achieved their goal, Zhao Shu groaned twice and the pain subsided. Prince Yong also stopped crying. The emperor felt that he had been tricked by the father and daughter.
His gaze swept back and forth between the father and daughter with a sinister look, revealing Prince Yong's deep affection for him, while Zhao Shu appeared to believe that everyone her imperial uncle had given her was a good person.
Being relied upon so much filled the emperor with an inflated sense of self-importance. His younger brother and niece were different from his other children. Which of the princesses and princes didn't have a prominent maternal family? But his younger brother and niece only had him and the Empress Dowager.
He completely ignored Zhao Shu's maternal family, though they weren't exactly high-ranking officials or wealthy families.
Humans are not plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? At this moment, the emperor was a kind and respectful elder brother and uncle.
"However, it's agreed that Wei Tingsi can only concurrently serve as the commander of the imperial guards. Nineteen, you must find a suitable candidate to take over as soon as possible." The emperor didn't seem to be joking.
The Fubing (府兵) were a special case in the Dayong Dynasty, not the elite force of the national dynasty. They were only slightly higher than servants like household guards. Therefore, the Fubing commanders were directly under the command of the prince, and could be considered high-ranking servants.
Strictly speaking, this is the direct difference between the imperial family and noble families; only members of the imperial family were qualified to maintain their own military forces.
However, Zhao Shu knew that noble families secretly kept assassins.
In his previous life, Zhao Bi was able to ascend the throne by taking advantage of the fact that the powerful families who supported him had used underhanded means to eliminate his opponents.
The Gu family has people like that.
"Mother..." As Zhao Shu's thoughts drifted away, Prince Yong became unreliable again. He really didn't want to care about these things; he was busy playing with crickets.
The Empress Dowager was embarrassed, as her son, whom she had raised according to the standards of a virtuous prince, had already been raised.
Unexpectedly, even Prince Yong wouldn't have dared to do this before, but while in the carriage, Zhao Shu said, "The Empress Dowager is your own mother, and the Emperor is your own brother. If there's anything, naturally you should seek their advice. We can't give those sycophants the opportunity to curry favor with the powerful; that would be undermining your uncle's position."
Prince Yong remembered these words clearly, so he really didn't want to care about the successor selection.
"Uncle, you just answered A-Jun's question, but A-Jun hasn't answered yours yet," Zhao Shu said, cleverly changing the subject.
Emperor Mingde laughed heartily, thinking that he had been led by the nose by this little girl today. In a good mood, he said, "Then, Ah Jun, quickly answer your uncle's question."
Nobody knows why he's so happy about this.
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