Looking at the attendant outside the door, Liu Huan felt both anticipation and unease.
The moonlight shone on his blank face, but the corners of his mouth were strangely upturned, making his expression particularly odd. The attendant, with his head down, did not see it, but Xiao Zhuzi, who was following behind him, did.
Xiao Zhu was indignant. He had always thought that Lord Liu was not a fool, yet he looked down on their Prince's Mansion so much. It was outrageous! The Princess had even sent him to deliver a letter. He had to find a day to let Lord Liu know how powerful the Princess was.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Lord Liu, but Mr. Huo did not send you a letter. It was my master who sent it." The letter was unsigned, so Xiao Zhu Zi naturally lied and said that it was sent by Prince Yong, after all, men and women should not overstep their bounds.
His voice was cool, and his resentment was obvious. Liu Huan's old face turned red. All the noble families and nobles in the capital looked down on the Prince Yong's Mansion, but His Highness the Crown Prince had always been close to the Prince's Mansion. Even if he didn't value it, he couldn't show it. Many times, the Crown Prince still needed the Prince Yong's Mansion to help him out.
The Emperor has many sons, but none can rival the Emperor's favor with the Princess of Yong's Mansion. Especially recently, the Emperor has been particularly fond of her daughter.
This was something he couldn't understand!
Today, the Prince Yong's Mansion promptly notified the Jingzhao Prefecture, which saved the Fourth Prince's life. Oh no, why didn't he think of this earlier? The Crown Prince's life or death is still uncertain, yet the Prince Yong's Mansion is already putting all their eggs in one basket with the Fourth Prince.
No, no, the Prince Yong's mansion is an asset that must be protected for the Crown Prince. Thinking of this, he forced a smile. "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and pour some tea for the eunuch. It's late and the dew is heavy. You must be tired. May I ask what message His Highness asked you to deliver to me?"
The speed at which her expression changed made Xiao Zhu Zi feel ashamed. He had never received such treatment before. He figured it was because the Prince's status had risen so much recently, and it was all thanks to the Princess's clever planning.
As he spoke, he gestured for Xiao Zhu to enter the study, but Xiao Zhu did not move. Instead, he took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Liu Huan, saying, "My lord, I shall take my leave and not disturb your important discussions any longer."
Liu Huan took the letter, and Xiao Zhu Zi bowed and turned to leave. Under the moonlight, without needing a lamp, he walked very fast. Liu Huan, who had just realized what was happening, chased after him, panting heavily. He was greatly surprised. The people of the Prince Yong's mansion were all very capable.
He walked to the lamp, unfolded a small piece of paper, and found only a few lines of text: 'Tomorrow morning court will be held, and the Emperor's younger brother will tour the realm on behalf of the Emperor. The Crown Prince can be saved.'
Liu Huan's heart pounded like thunder. Who else in the Emperor's court besides Prince Yong? Under the guise of inspecting the country, was he secretly searching for the Crown Prince? Yes, Prince Yong's residence had always been close to the Crown Prince, so it must be so. In this way, no one would dare to harm Prince Yong, and he could go wherever he wanted.
Dayong is currently in a strange balance, and no one dares to break it. As a result, wherever His Highness Prince Yong goes, the local officials must be on high alert to protect him. Otherwise, if the emperor's son, who is on his behalf to tour the country, gets even a scratch, they will have a hard time explaining themselves.
Gu Bozhou glanced at the contents of the paper and was overjoyed. "Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, sir! His Highness Prince Yong may be muddle-headed in small matters, but he is very clear-headed in important ones. With the Prince's mansion's help, you no longer need to go to find the Crown Prince yourself, and you can also retain your real power. It's truly a blessing from heaven! His Highness the Crown Prince is blessed with good fortune and will surely return to the capital safely."
Liu Huan's mouth was stretched to his ears, and he was overjoyed. The two looked at each other and laughed. After their excitement subsided, they sat down to discuss the funeral arrangements.
Gu Bozhou stared at the note for a long time, then suddenly said, "This handwriting doesn't resemble Prince Yong's."
Liu Huan was startled. He couldn't afford to make a mistake. He held the note up to his eyes and examined it carefully several times. The handwriting on the note was elegant and powerful, beautiful small regular script, yet it possessed a unique strength, like a proud plum blossom braving the cold.
He frowned, his heart sinking to the bottom. "Liu Da, Liu Da."
Having just seen Xiao Zhu off, Liu Da, still panting, heard the call and immediately opened the door to come in. "Master, is something the matter?"
"Are you sure the messenger is from the Prince Yong's mansion?" He stared intently at Liu Da, ready to kick him away if he dared to utter a word of dissent.
Completely baffled, Liu Da replied truthfully, "He is someone from the Prince's mansion, or one of the two chief eunuchs of Princess Jun."
Officials have their own code of conduct, and servants have their own code of conduct. For example, Qiu Chengshi could remember a minor chief clerk in the capital prefecture. Liu Da, as a personal attendant, would naturally also be familiar with the chief stewards of various prefectures in the capital, especially since his master worked for the crown prince, and the crown prince was close to the prince's mansion.
Liu Huan breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a glance with Gu Bozhou. "Then there must be no mistake. It's possible that His Highness Prince Yong's beloved daughter had the princess write it on his behalf. Bozhou, quickly write a memorial, and I'll go and discuss it with Lord Qiu first."
Gu Bozhou pulled Liu Huan back, "My lord, don't be anxious. Right now, Lord Qiu is probably too busy to attend to the Crown Prince's affairs."
Liu Huan was preoccupied with the Crown Prince and his interests, and didn't think about anything else. When asked this question, Gu Bozhou replied with a serious expression, "My lord, do you know who else has entered the capital besides Young Master Huo?"
"Who?" He thought of Xie Yun who had gone to Jiangnan. Could it be him? If so, then this would be troublesome.
Gu Bozhou knew he had figured it out. "Your guess is correct, it is indeed the Yan family. I wonder how Xie Yun managed to get them here so quickly, from Jiangnan to the capital and even into the palace. Tomorrow will be a tough battle."
In the civil service, the division of power has always been a battle of family influence and the number of cronies, with the emperor's favor being secondary. He was originally pleased that the Huo family had come to the capital, which would benefit both the official and the crown prince. The official would serve the crown prince, and the Huo family was the official's maternal family, so there would be no problem with them being appointed prime minister and receiving a high-ranking position in the future.
However, just a few hours ago, news suddenly arrived that the Yan family from Jiangnan had also entered the capital.
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