Since His Majesty didn't want to continue the conversation, Yan Nangui didn't press the matter further.
I simply sat down and poured him a cup of tea.
Finally, the emperor spoke again: "You've taken care of things in the harem. Murong deserves to die. But this year is the Empress Dowager's birthday. It's not good to see bloodshed. Let's do it next year."
“I know, I told her to live well. Actually, if His Majesty couldn’t bear it, he could have just told her not to come out again. There was no need for him to do it himself. It’s just that the Third Prince is upset,” Yan Nangui said.
“I don’t believe you when you say that,” Shu Chengfeng said.
“Of course I think she deserved to die. She deserved to die. But when I think of you, I feel that it's not impossible to let her go,” Yan Nangui said.
Shu Chengfeng shook his head and didn't continue.
The wild geese flying south are no longer mentioned.
She knew that the Murong family had crossed the Emperor's bottom line and were doomed. So… she'd just suppress them casually.
Whether she lives or dies is actually irrelevant to her.
However, she had previously told the Murong family that if they continued to cause trouble, they would be promoted.
What you say, you must do.
Inside the Jade Lotus Palace, the eldest prince and Consort Ning were sitting and talking.
"What do you think of this matter?" Consort Ning asked.
"It must have been the Imperial Concubine who did this. Although she didn't publicly acknowledge the witchcraft, how could she not secretly harbor resentment?"
Consort Ning sighed, "Yes, the Noble Consort is very cunning. Not to mention us, even your father, the Emperor, was fooled by her."
"This woman has probably been plotting this ever since she let Murong Wanqing go. She dragged you into this, and she also dragged the Third Prince and the First Princess into it. If this matter really blows up, there will definitely be bloodshed. I'm afraid countless people will be implicated and die."
"Back then, if things really escalated to that point, it wouldn't have done her any good. After all, the doll was in her name, and in the end, it really hurt the prince and princess. Your father might not have thought about it when he was furious, but he might have felt sorry for them afterward. When he comes to his senses, he'll probably blame her. Even if he doesn't blame her, he'll probably still have some thoughts about it."
"So she didn't care at all at the time, and probably even advised your father not to be too harsh. At that time, she only demoted Consort Luo, arranged a marriage for the eldest princess early on, and made the two sisters move out." Consort Ning shook her head, her brows furrowed deeply.
"Does Mother mean... that she deliberately sent word that Consort Ke Hui was not allowed to interfere in Third Brother's marriage?" the eldest prince asked.
“At the time, I thought she was ruthless. She had Consort Kehui by the neck. That was revenge. But now that I think about it carefully, I’m afraid it was just something she did on purpose. She made your father see that she had taken revenge. It was her punishment for Consort Kehui.”
"But think about it carefully. Consort Ke Hui was never favored in the palace. It was luck that she was able to give birth to the Third Prince. Even after giving birth to the Third Prince, your father visited her very rarely. She's not as good as Consort Rong." At least Consort Rong, although she was also not favored, could still dine with His Majesty every now and then.
"The Third Prince was her only hope. The Imperial Concubine cut off that hope with a single move. She can't even interfere with the marriage. What about after the marriage? Will her daughter-in-law be able to pay her respects?"
"This completely extinguished her hopes. It forced her to take this step. Lady Lu is useless. Consort Ke Hui won't cooperate with her, but she can still use her as a pawn. Unfortunately, it's too obvious. Once exposed, she's truly finished."
The eldest prince took a deep breath: "The Imperial Concubine is truly cunning and scheming."
"If he were a fool, could he have gotten to this point?" Consort Ning shook her head. "The Third Prince is practically useless now. He has no chance of becoming emperor."
"How... how did Mother make that judgment? Although Consort Ke Hui is not good, Father has always loved Third Brother. He is well-educated and intelligent..." Although he said this, the eldest prince himself felt a little sour.
"Do you know why the late emperor wanted to depose your father several times back then? Was your father not intelligent? Was he not talented?" Consort Ning asked.
"Isn't this because the late emperor and empress dowager were at odds? And because they looked down on the Ye family?" the eldest prince asked.
"Yes. How is your father's treatment of your third brother today any different from how your grandfather treated your father in the past? Consort Kehui will pass away. At that time, will your third brother not feel resentment? Your father now has eight sons, why must it be him?"
The eldest prince nodded: "Mother is right."
"Don't be complacent. If your third brother is out of hope now, your situation won't be good; it will only become more dangerous." It was too conspicuous.
"Yes, I will definitely keep a low profile from now on," the eldest prince hurriedly replied.
“You must treat your brothers well, you must treat them well. Whether it’s your second brother, your third brother, or especially your fifth brother. He is naturally not destined for the throne, and your father loves him very much,” said Consort Ning.
"Yes, son remembers." The eldest prince hurriedly replied.
After seeing off the eldest prince, Consort Ning stood at the door for a long time.
"Your Highness, it's very hot outside, please come in," Hongdou urged.
Consort Ning hummed in agreement and sat down. "I never expected to reach this point. I only hoped that Yuan'er could reach that position. Then all my suffering over the past half of my life would not have been in vain."
“It must be His Highness the First Prince. Although there are so many princes now, who is more noble than him?” Hongdou said.
“A prince is a prince, how can he not be noble? It’s just a matter of who has the support behind him. But His Majesty’s preference is also important. Consort Mei has two sons. Even if the sixth prince is weak, there is still the ninth prince, who cannot be underestimated. Besides, His Majesty is still young. He will have princes in the future. Isn’t Consort Li carrying one in her belly?”
“Although Jin is useless, the Second Prince has become quite proper and polite in recent years, so he may still have a chance. Consort Rong is not ambitious, but the Fourth Prince is also intelligent and knows how to please the Seventh Princess. He should not be underestimated either,” said Consort Ning.
“Your Majesty is right, but as long as our Prince doesn’t make any mistakes, and he’s not stupid. He is the eldest son. Once His Majesty makes up his mind, he will definitely be the Crown Prince. Given what happened with the late Emperor, His Majesty will never change his mind once he’s made up his mind.”
Consort Ning nodded: "But we must be more careful in the future. With Consort Kehui gone from the palace, we must be more cautious."
The wild geese fly south and only return at dusk.
So His Majesty didn't come over that night.
The next day, Consort Jia arrived early.
I also had breakfast with Yan Nangui.
The two people sat outside in the pear orchard talking.
“Yesterday, the First Prince went to Yufu Palace and stayed for about two hours. Could he be plotting something?” Consort Jia asked.
"What else could they be plotting? It's nothing more than the position of Crown Prince," Yan Nangui said.
"Sister... what are you thinking?" Consort Jia asked.
“In my opinion, the eldest prince cannot be the crown prince,” Consort Jia stated bluntly.
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