Chapter 98 Prince Dun assaulted someone!
Yinzhen looked at the warm fire beside him, his mouth opening and closing with a serious expression, and his hand, faster than his brain, raised up and gently pinched the little face that was red from the heat with two fingers together.
His eyes were filled with self-satisfaction, but there was nothing more than deep admiration. When he spoke, his gentle tone was so striking that it would make anyone stare in disbelief: "I have already said that these are the words of father and son. You'er has considered everything very thoroughly. How could your father punish you? Then let's change the date. Let Consort Jing prepare first. We have agreed to the Dzungars' request and given them their own princess. The wedding date is naturally up to us."
He thought for a moment, straightened up and waved to Su Peisheng beside him—"The Crown Prince's memorial is very reasonable. Since Princess Chaogui is already a Heshuo Princess, I will make an exception and confer upon her the title of Gulun Princess, and raise the corresponding status. This will also satisfy my heart as her elder brother."
"Yes." Su Peisheng responded and gently raised his eyes to look at the Crown Prince in his apricot-yellow casual robe opposite him.
Yinzhen lovingly raised his hand and gently fiddled with the bell that kept rustling as Hongzhao swayed from side to side. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, "I will summon your teacher later and change the time of your morning lessons. Starting tomorrow, you will go to court with your father."
Except for the day of the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony, Hongzhao had never accompanied the Emperor to court. He looked up at his tall father, whose dark eyes were fixed on him. Fortunately, it was not a question, so Hongzhao did not need to think too much about whether this was a trial conversation or not.
He pursed his lips, revealing shallow dimples on his cheeks, and his round, black grape-like eyes stared straight at his father, nodding firmly as if bearing a heavy responsibility.
Yinzhen smiled, his expression revealing his good mood. "Su Peisheng, did you hear that? Don't forget to wake our Crown Prince tomorrow."
——
A cold winter wind howled, and even the charcoal brazier burning in the palace couldn't block the chill that rushed in from the main entrance. This was probably part of the arrangement, since if it were too warm, who wouldn't be sleepy at four or five in the morning? However, the Emperor was always diligent in his duties and arrived early every day, so the ministers naturally didn't want to keep him waiting and thus arrived earlier each day. Although today wasn't late, it was still a little later than usual.
As everyone was wondering, they heard footsteps approaching from afar, followed by the sound of pearls and jade pendants being struck.
"His Majesty has arrived!" Su Peisheng announced, and the crowd immediately knelt down, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Just as they were waiting for the Emperor to say "Rise," they unexpectedly heard Eunuch Su speak again.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"
The Crown Prince? A little Crown Prince who is not even eight years old?
This is the phrase that pops into everyone's head. But the mouth is faster than the brain, and the words "Long live the Crown Prince!" come out smoothly.
Hongzhao once again felt the thunderous greetings, but his feelings were not as strong as before. The reason was simple: he was too sleepy.
He was full of confidence yesterday, thinking that he would definitely make a good impression on his first court appearance today. But he never expected that the first thing to defeat him was getting up at three in the morning. It was winter and snowing outside. The room was heated by an underfloor heating system with four charcoal braziers and two heaters under the blankets. No one could just walk out like that.
His cheeks were numb from the wind all the way, and two bright red patches of rosy cheeks still clung to his face. Standing to the left of the Emperor, he calmly looked down.
To outsiders, this appearance might be seen as praiseworthy, suggesting that the Crown Prince possesses such courage and boldness at such a young age. However, to Yinzhen, it was simply adorably silly. Thinking of Hongzhao's bewildered state during the journey by sedan chair, his mood for court improved considerably.
"My beloved subjects, please rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Before everyone could even stand up properly, a white-bearded censor, well past sixty, stepped forward with a nimble gait – “Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present. I believe that the Crown Prince’s presence at court today was somewhat inappropriate.”
"What's wrong with that?" Yinzhen lowered his eyes, his good mood just now disappearing by more than half - "According to ancestral rules, princes can attend court at the age of six. Hongzhao is six years old and still the crown prince. What's wrong with that?"
Imperial Censor Zhang Lin held the court tablet, his expression respectful but his words firm: "Your Majesty, the ancestral rules are indeed so, but there are still brothers above the Crown Prince. Currently, the elder brother has not yet been granted permission by Your Majesty to attend court. If this continues, the Crown Prince, being young and unsettled, may develop feelings of rivalry."
The implication is that if you bring the Crown Prince to listen, you must also bring his two older brothers.
Before Yinzhen could speak, another person jumped out and said, "I think so. Putting aside the fact that the Fourth Prince has been living outside the palace for a long time, the Crown Prince's intelligence and wit have already far surpassed those of his two elder brothers. Even if we were to compare them, they would not be able to compare."
"emperor..."
"Alright." Yinzhen waved his hand impatiently, and the hall fell silent instantly. He rested his hands on his knees and said in a deep voice, "The Third Prince is indeed of age, but he would be better off spending his time reading more books to ease my worries. As for the Fourth Prince... just as you said, he has been living outside the palace for a long time, so let's not mention him."
Undeterred, Imperial Censor Zhang Lin was about to bow again when he saw the Emperor's impatient expression and spoke again, but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of clashing weapons approaching from outside the main hall.
Where did the sounds of warhorses and golden armor come from in the main hall? Everyone turned to look, even Hongzhao couldn't help but crane his neck and tilt his head to see.
Prince Dun, dressed in full military armor, swaggered into the palace with each step making a loud thud.
Hongzhao glanced back at his father's face... well, it was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Zhang Lin was the first to stand up, her emotions clearly many times more intense than before. She practically jumped up and down as she rebuked Prince Dun from beginning to end.
The eloquence of the speech was so impressive that even Hongzhao couldn't help but applaud inwardly. The censor was indeed worthy of the title; he could deliver insults in a roundabout way, leaving Prince Dun speechless.
But he silently lit a candle in his heart for this elderly censor, who was over sixty years old. After all, looking at Prince Dun's flushed face and his tightly clenched fists, which were as big as sandbags, he figured he was going to suffer a bit soon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
