Chapter 112 The Sickly and Tyrannical Crown Prince (10)
When Xie Rong attended the morning court session for the first time, everyone in the Eastern Palace was on high alert, and the night before, they ironed the Crown Prince's court robes until they were perfectly in place.
The next day, Xie Rong obediently drank a bowl of bitter medicine and rode in a sedan chair to the Golden Palace.
In front of the Golden Palace, the ministers who had been exchanging pleasantries fell silent, their eyes fixed on the sedan chair that had stopped.
No one would fail to recognize the Crown Prince's palanquin.
Xue Feibai pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, lifted the sedan curtain, and leaned down to look at the person inside.
“Crown Prince Cousin, do you still remember me?” Xue Feibai smiled at him. “I even held Your Highness when we were little.”
Xue Feibai is nine years older than Xie Rong. He is known for his easygoing nature and is also the most handsome and well-connected young master in the capital. However, he is still unmarried and devotes all his attention to the military camp.
Yesterday, the Empress sent a message to the Xue residence early in the morning, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince was going to the morning court session. Today, Xue Feibai specially rushed back from the military camp to accompany His Highness to the morning court session.
After all, none of those old fogies in the court are easy to get along with. His cousin is frail, and if he gets bullied, his aunt, the Empress, and his hot-tempered father will probably make a scene before the Emperor again.
Xie Rong stepped down from the sedan chair and called out to him in a soft voice, looking extremely obedient, "Cousin."
It had been many years since Xue Feibai and his cousin, the Crown Prince, had last seen each other. Especially in the last three years, the Crown Prince had been seriously ill and had nearly died several times. The gates of the Eastern Palace were tightly closed, and all visits were refused.
Seeing him again now, still looking like he could be blown away by a gust of wind, Xue Feibai couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He took his hand and led him inside, saying, "It's windy here, let's go inside first."
The ministers automatically made way for each other.
About fifteen minutes later, the emperor arrived, and the morning court session began.
Xie Rong stood at the very front, but behind him were several princes who had entered the court before him. He felt somewhat displeased, and his expression darkened.
In addition, he knew nothing about the affairs of the court, could not understand them, and did not recognize all the people. Moreover, people would often glance at him as if they were laughing at him!
Xie Rong couldn't help but recall the days when he was seven years old and had just started attending classes at the Imperial Academy. A group of people surrounded him, and some even playfully pinched his cheeks. They must have seen that he was weak and ganged up on him to bully him, not taking his status as the Crown Prince seriously at all.
Now that these people have grown up and entered the imperial court, they still dare to laugh at him behind his back!
Xie Rong was furious.
He never wanted to attend court again before his father passed away.
Why couldn't Father have died sooner and passed the throne to him? Once he became emperor, let's see who would dare to even glance at him.
After the court session, the emperor kept him in the imperial study for a talk.
How are you feeling today?
The eldest prince, standing to the side, smiled and reassured him, "Seventh brother, it's inevitable that you'll be a little rusty since this is your first time attending court."
Xie Rong stared at him coldly: "I am the Crown Prince, how dare you call me Seventh Brother?"
The emperor coughed lightly, then slapped his desk in feigned anger. "Crown Prince, you should stop now. He is, after all, your elder brother."
"So what if he's my elder brother?" Xie Rong smiled, toying with the hand warmer in his palm. "Back then, wasn't my second uncle also my father's elder brother? Didn't my father kill him too?"
"I didn't kill him, which is much better than my father's actions. Shouldn't he at least come and thank me?"
"You rebellious son!" the emperor roared in fury. "You get back to the Eastern Palace and stay there!"
Xie Rong looked listless as he walked out of the imperial study. Xue Feibai was still waiting for him outside.
Seeing him come out, she went up to him and said, "It's windy outside, go back early."
Xie Rong walked faster and faster with a cold face.
Xue Feibai tentatively asked, "Did His Majesty reprimand His Highness?"
Xie Rong felt frustrated and remained silent in the sedan chair the whole way until they returned to his bedchamber, at which point he suddenly lashed out.
He smashed the antiques and ornaments all over the floor, his bloodless fingertips trembling slightly on the edge of the table, his eyes red-rimmed, and his beautiful eyebrows slightly distorted.
"I am the Crown Prince, how dare these people disregard me!"
"Why is it that only I am unwell, and why don't they get sick?"
"Since Father has appointed me as Crown Prince, why does he still allow those lowly bastards to attend court? Are they deliberately trying to steal my throne?!"
All the palace servants in the Eastern Palace knelt on the ground, not daring to move, except for Xue Feibai, who squatted down to pick up his Crown Prince's golden seal.
Xie Rong's eyes darted around, and he suddenly grabbed Xue Feibai's hand urgently, "Cousin, they all praise you for being both scholarly and martial, and even better at fighting than Uncle. Will you help me get rid of them?"
Xue Feibai sighed helplessly, but before he could speak, Xie Rong had already shaken off his hand and said fiercely:
"Why don't you help me? You're one of them!"
"You have no idea how Father Emperor reprimanded me in the Imperial Study today! He wants to depose me as Crown Prince so that Consort and her son can have their way!"
Xue Feibai's expression darkened upon hearing this: "Really?"
Xie Rong pretended to squeeze out a tear, and nodded his head vigorously, looking like a wronged cat.
Xue Feibai's heart softened, and he finally understood why his aunt, the Empress, and his father doted on this cousin. He reached out and wiped away his tears. "Your Highness, rest assured, no one can shake your position as Crown Prince. Anyone who dares to have designs on the Crown Prince is going against the Xue family."
Having said that, seeing that the little master's face had finally been appeased, Xue Feibai glanced sideways at Eunuch Gao without making a sound.
Eunuch Gao understood immediately and quickly directed the palace servants to pick up the broken pieces from the ground.
Xue Feibai stayed at the East Palace for lunch.
During the meal, a man with an iron chain around his neck walked in and squatted down at Xie Rong's feet.
Xue Feibai paused in his hand as he was putting food on Xie Rong's plate, then narrowed his eyes slightly. "A person from the northern frontier?"
Xie Rong picked up a piece of meat and fed it to the man. The practiced movements showed that he had been doing this for some time. "Cousin has a good eye."
“I have killed so many people from the northern frontier on the battlefield, and I even personally beheaded the leaders of the northern frontier, so I can recognize them at a glance,” Xue Feibai said, glancing at the tattoo on the man’s neck. “Those who are not of our race are bound to have different hearts. Most of the men from the northern frontier are barbaric. My cousin tattooed words on him, and he pretends to be docile, but he probably hates you and me to death in his heart.”
"Oh," Xie Rong lowered his head and asked Lu Yuanju, "A Chou, what do you think?"
"I don't know," Lu Yuanju said, concealing the murderous intent in his eyes.
General Xue did not recognize him, but if he had, he would probably never have allowed Xie Rong to keep him.
“Look, he’s just a dog that’s been raised alone. He can’t understand what you’re saying at all,” Xie Rong said smugly, looking back at Xue Feibai as if showing off that he had tamed this barbarian from the north.
Xue Feibai took a deep breath. "When Your Highness was young, I presented the Eastern Palace with a mastiff. It was more loyal than these prisoners of war from the northern frontier. Does Your Highness not like it?"
“It’s so disobedient,” Xie Rong pouted. “Alright, cousin, I’m tired, time for a nap.”
Xue Feibai had no choice but to leave.
But halfway there, he realized he had left his sword at the East Palace, so he had to go back to get it.
Xue Feibai placed his hand on the door of Chongming Hall, about to push it open, when he heard a broken sob.
"You were so good just now," it was Xie Rong's voice, panting slightly, with a strange pleasure in the last syllable, "You didn't embarrass me in front of others."
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