Chapter 107 The Crown Prince's Rumors Are True
Hongzhao paused as he stepped across the threshold, knowing that his test was about to begin again.
He approached from the side, walked forward calmly, and bowed respectfully to his father, the Emperor. Then he naturally stood to the Emperor's left with his hands at his sides.
After Hongzhao settled down, Zhang Tingyu spoke first: "I believe that the guilty ministers Yinsi and Yintang have formed cliques and acted recklessly. If they do not repent, they will have brought this upon themselves and cannot escape their fate."
Yinzhen remained noncommittal, showing no particular expression, and turned to look at Longkodo, whose eyes were darting about, and asked in a deep voice, "What does Uncle think?"
Longkodo lowered his head, not daring to raise it. He swallowed hard, a flustered smile flashing across his face. He hesitated before speaking, “This servant believes that although Yinzhi and Yintang are guilty, they are still His Majesty’s brothers. Why not ask the elders of the clan to come to the Imperial Clan Court to instruct them?”
Yinzhen continued calling out names like a headmaster – “Zhen Yuandao.”
Hongzhao looked down and saw a thin, bearded middle-aged man standing with his hands at his sides behind Zhang Tingyu. If it were half a year ago, he would never have been standing here. It seems that his father, the Emperor, has indeed been quite fond of him in the past six months. On the other hand, although his maternal grandfather was also promoted quickly, it seemed that he was given a sinecure, and it seemed that the Emperor did not want the Lü family to get involved.
Hongzhao was a little curious. He could only be described as upright, and even his handsome appearance was barely passable. How come his two daughters were both so beautiful? He figured it must be thanks to that Lady Yun.
"In my humble opinion, if one can disregard the proper relationship between ruler and subject simply because they are brothers, or if they did not act as brothers first and then did not repent and correct their mistakes, then the emperor need not grant them any special favors."
As Hongzhao pondered this, sure enough, not long after Zhen Yuandao finished speaking, an undeniable gaze fell upon him.
“Hongzhao, you’ve been listening for a while now, why don’t you say something too?”
This was noticeably different in tone from the previous two sentences; this time, there was no hint of probing. Instead, it carried more of a test, or even a boastful tone. Yinzhen seemed very confident that his precious crown prince would be able to give the answer he wanted to hear.
All eyes were on the young crown prince, but Hongzhao remained calm. He straightened up confidently, turned to face his father, and cast a sincere and pure glance at him. He cupped his hands and said, "Father, I have some humble opinions. Please correct me if there is anything inappropriate."
"I believe that you, Father Emperor, are the one who values brotherhood the most. For example, my second uncle was only seven years old when he was seriously ill. Yet I know that he wrote you a letter to express his gratitude before he passed away, and I also know that you, Father Emperor, braved the heavy snow to personally pay your respects. This shows your benevolence and filial piety."
"Then there is my fourteenth uncle. When you ascended the throne, Father Emperor, my fourteenth uncle was disrespectful to you. You were so angry that you punished him by sending him to guard the imperial mausoleum. But after only three years, you still thought of your brotherly affection and brought him back safely. You even specially summoned my cousin Hongkai to the palace to accompany my grandmother, and personally bestowed a marriage contract upon him. He was a model brother, which I admire."
He raised his head, his gaze filled with reverence and admiration, his tone sincere and moving—"Father, you have been very tolerant of your eighth and ninth uncles, and even your tenth uncle. So in my opinion, all the misleading things your eighth and ninth uncles say are based on facts that can be refuted one by one. But they cover their eyes and plug their ears, refusing to listen or see, which means they have bad intentions."
“Father taught his son that it is easy for a ruler to bestow favors, but difficult to accept them; it is easy to accept favors, but difficult to preserve them; it is easy to preserve them, but difficult to maintain them completely! Father bestows favors upon them, but they do not remember to be grateful for Father’s kindness. Therefore, I think it is unnecessary to bestow such favors upon them again.”
Although his words weren't exactly eloquent, they were still more substantial than the previous three combined. Moreover, they were substantial and the key points were obvious. Judging from the look of delight and appreciation on Yinzhen's face as he rubbed his hands together, it was clear that his words had struck a chord with him.
He himself probably didn't know that he was so loving towards his brothers, but Hongzhao remembered everything for him.
As expected, Hongzhao understands my heart best.
Even though he intended to keep his opinion a secret from his ministers, he couldn't suppress the satisfied smile on his face. He chuckled twice with narrowed eyes and casually said, "I will consider it further."
He then stood up and walked to Hongzhao's side, affectionately ruffling the top of his young son's head. Watching the boy sway in his hand, he smiled, took Hongzhao's hand, and the father and son left hand in hand, leaving the assembled ministers in the hall looking at each other in bewilderment.
Zhang Tingyu usually discussed matters with the Emperor most often, and he had heard the most rumors about how intelligent the Crown Prince was. He was also used to the Crown Prince's favor. But only today, seeing it with his own eyes, did he truly understand that someone so young could have such insight, speak clearly, think sharply, and quote classical texts so eloquently—something that was beyond the reach of ordinary people. No wonder the Emperor was so proud of his beloved son.
In other words, if this child were his, he would have to pamper him and spoil him rotten.
Unlike Zhang Tingyu, Zhen Yuandao had only recently gained the Emperor's favor and was now serving him due to Consort Wan's influence. Although he had more opportunities to interact with the Emperor, the Crown Prince always stood obediently beside him, listening attentively. He rarely interrupted unless asked, suggesting that the royal family simply wanted to bestow a reputation for intelligence upon their favorite child.
But today's words not only accurately gauged the Emperor's intentions and resonated deeply with him, but also directly refuted the rumors circulating for years that the Emperor had been unkind to his brothers since ascending the throne. To possess such wit and eloquence in such a short time suggests that the rumors were not entirely unbelievable.
——
Today, the Crown Prince had brought him honor, and such a joyous occasion should naturally be shared with his mother. Yinzhen changed his clothes, picked up Hongzhao, held him in his arms, and headed straight for Louyueyunkai.
The servants from the Forbidden City were probably used to the way the emperor and his son traveled, but the servants who had always served in the Yuanmingyuan Garden were seeing it for the first time. When the emperor was around, they all lowered their heads and lowered their brows, but as soon as he left, they immediately started gossiping. What they talked about was how favored the crown prince was and how they should try to please him in the future.
Not far away by the pond, Hongli watched forlornly as his father walked by in high spirits, holding the noble little crown prince in his arms, a smile on his face that he had never seen before.
He usually finds it a luxury to even get a meeting with someone, so why can some people have it all so easily?
His eyes revealed resentment and bitterness, but these vanished as he sensed the person beside him approaching, replaced by a deep self-mockery.
Qingying stepped forward and gently patted his arm with a look of heartache. Seeing him like this, she felt indignant and comforted him in a low, hoarse voice, "Brother Hongli, you don't need to care about other people's honor or disgrace. Even when no one can see us, we can still maintain our dignity. One day, when the Emperor looks back, he will surely be shocked to realize how much he has mistreated you and regret it deeply."
Hongli frowned but didn't say anything. He simply raised his hand and gently grasped Qingying's hand, squeezing it a little tighter.
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