Chapter 21: Farce A gentle breeze ripples the water in the pond, the moonlight is clear...
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is feeling depressed and has caught a cold today. He is weak and should rest for a few days before taking strong medicine..."
The imperial physician was terrified and bowed to salute, but was interrupted impatiently by his superior.
"Don't talk nonsense, just tell me what's going on with Xuanhui."
The imperial physician was afraid of displeasing the emperor and having his head chopped off, so he immediately knelt down and kowtowed to apologize. He also explained that his medical skills were not very good and that the prince's illness was very difficult to treat. In the end, he could only say that the prince was seriously ill, but he dared not say anything else.
The emperor was about to get angry when the prince "woke up" and shouted weakly:
"Father, please don't get too angry. I am already at the end of my strength, and it is really difficult for the imperial physician."
Perhaps it was this frail and weak appearance, which was the exact opposite of the arrogant attitude that the emperor used to hate, or perhaps it was the prince's imminent death that made this usually heartless emperor feel a bit of "kinship" for him, caring and protecting him.
But if you look deeper, it's all just hypocrisy, just a show for the world. Xie Xuanhui just feels disgusted when he sees it.
Hiding the gloom in his eyes, the prince forced himself to respond despite his nausea. Rewards were carried into the East Palace like a stream. His position as the prince was not abolished after all, and the aristocratic families were eyeing him covetously. Keeping him for now would not attract attention, and the old man could also pave a way out for his "son".
Besides, he won't live long, so the old man naturally feels that he can wait.
Unfortunately, this was a set-up, and the old emperor's wishful thinking was doomed to fail.
Just as Ah Shu expected, this trick diverted the attention of his two good brothers and dispelled some of their doubts.
At least for the time being, he doesn't have to worry about assassinations and surveillance from the dark, giving him time to bide his time, recuperate, and complete his plans.
Looking at the empty and peaceful East Palace, Xie Xuanhui was in great joy, but this good mood did not last long, because he found that the little bird, which he regarded as a treasure, was about to fly away secretly.
"Brother Xiao, have you really made up your mind to go to that remote place?"
At the Qionglin Banquet, Yao Ce was dressed in blue, looking gentle and humble. In the morning, Yao Ce was appointed as an official to the Hanlin Academy. His career would naturally be bright from then on. However, he still didn't understand why Brother Xiao gave up his bright future and went to Ci County to be a small official. He wondered if he would have the chance to return to the capital.
Is it because His Majesty granted the marriage the day before yesterday?
"Since I have made it clear to Your Majesty, I cannot lie."
Beside him, Xiao Wangshu was dressed in moon-white clothes, with his black hair tied up with a green hairpin. The moonlight poured down, and the rippling lake reflected his upright figure like pine and cypress. On the other side of the lake, the young ladies of wealthy families and the sons of officials were chatting and laughing. I don't know which young talent they were talking about. Their faces turned red due to the candlelight, and they walked away laughing.
"But for..."
As if understanding what he hadn't said, Xiao Wangshu interrupted with a smile:
"Of course not. I can't talk about all these things with Brother Yao, but I have something I want to ask you before I leave Beijing."
"Brother Xiao, just open your mouth. I will tell you everything I know."
A gentle breeze blew, rippling the water in the pond. The cold moonlight could not illuminate the light and darkness at the bottom of the pond.
"There was a family in Bianjing. The young master of the family kept a raccoon. The raccoon was extremely intelligent, cute, and adorable, and the young master loved it very much. But one day, the raccoon scratched the master's right-hand man. Brother Yao, what do you think the young master should do?"
"Of course we have to punish the raccoon slave a bit to calm the steward down."
Without thinking, Yao Ce said subconsciously. After he finished answering, he understood the key point. He looked up in surprise and met Xiao Wangshu's meaningful smile.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao, for your advice."
"Brother Yao, you're joking. I should be the one thanking you."
Suddenly a servant came in, saying that the boss had come to invite him and that the princes had summoned him.
After Xiao Wangshu and Yao Ce were led to the main seat, the servant bowed and left. Yao Ce and Xiao Wangshu naturally bowed and greeted the princes, but were waved away.
"No need to be so polite. We are just a few brothers here, so we can skip the formalities."
The one who spoke was the Fourth Prince who was sitting in the main seat. The First Prince's biological mother was seriously ill and was now attending to her in the palace. The Second Prince, also known as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, fainted in the hall yesterday and was not present today.
The eldest princess, also known as Princess Anping, went to Beiliang to marry a foreign prince two years ago. Besides, she should not meet outsiders at such a banquet. Among the remaining princes, the fourth prince is the eldest and is the legitimate son. Naturally, he is the most honorable and was the first to speak among the group.
"Fourth brother is right. I've heard of you two before, but now that I've met you in person, it feels like we've known each other for a long time. It would be really strange to continue to follow those etiquette."
The next person to speak was the Sixth Prince, who was still holding his folding fan. His eyebrows were curved as he spoke, and he looked very easy-going.
As for what he said, it was naturally a lie. Which of the two Sixth Princes here hadn't secretly contacted each other? It's just that no one present would expose him.
"Just listen to Fourth Brother."
Beside the Fourth Prince was the Seventh Prince Xie Zhenhe, the younger brother of Princess Anping. He was the same age as the Sixth Prince, but just a little boy with a kind and straightforward nature. He did not look at Xiao Wangshu and the others, and his tone was stiff, as if he had a rift with the Sixth Prince, and he had no intention of hiding it at all.
The two of them naturally couldn't respond to this, but the Fourth Prince, who had recently been quite dissatisfied with the Sixth Prince, laughed it off, preventing the atmosphere from becoming completely dull. They had everyone seated, and the host served wine and food, accompanied by stringed instruments, musicians, and dancers, creating a lively atmosphere.
This kind of banquet is nothing more than a way to make connections and win over people's hearts.
The host comes out and there are wine and food, music, or games, just to make the place lively.
After three rounds of drinking, even Xiao Wangshu felt tired. He apologized and was taken to the guest room by a servant to rest for a while and sober up. However, since the princes had not left the mansion yet, it was not convenient for him to leave first.
Seeing that the courtyard of the guest rooms was in front of him, he waved away the servant and thought that he could only take two steps, but he heard the conversation of several young ladies in the back house through the courtyard wall.
"Princess Duanyang has truly lost face. Young Master Xiao would rather claim illness than ask for her hand in marriage. Isn't that laughable?"
After this person finished speaking, someone in a high-pitched voice continued:
"Who says she isn't? She's always been so proud and arrogant, looking down on us ordinary people. Now the one she admires doesn't admire her. How can she not be laughed at?"
As he spoke, everyone started laughing.
"Ladies, please be careful with your words. Walls have ears, but this is just your own speculation.
Moreover, Young Master Xiao claimed to be ill in the palace. If this were false, he would be guilty of deceiving the emperor and could be killed. If you ladies get involved one day, you will harm yourselves and your clan."
He suddenly spoke, scaring the people on the other side of the wall so much that they screamed a few times. After he finished speaking, several footsteps were heard over there, gradually fading away.
Shaking his head and sighing, Xiao Wangshu was about to go to the guest room to rest, but was stopped by someone.
"Why bother with these things? You won't get any benefit from them."
Following the sound, he saw a young man squatting in the corner, holding a piece of grass that he had pulled from somewhere in his mouth. He had just met this young man at the banquet. He was the Seventh Prince Xie Zhenhe.
"Your Highness, you are joking. If I don't care and the news gets out tomorrow, what will happen if Your Majesty really punishes me for deceiving the emperor?"
Without much hesitation, Xiao Wangshu walked towards Xie Zhenhe. Just as he was about to salute, he smelled the rich aroma of wine. He simply squatted down and saw in the moonlight that the Seventh Prince's face was as red as a monkey's butt.
"Seventh Prince, I'm afraid you're quite drunk. Would you like me to help you go inside and rest?"
"Aren't you afraid that I will punish you for speaking to me like this?"
Having said that, the Seventh Prince did not look like he wanted to punish anyone; he was just simply curious.
In his previous life, he happened to be the kind of pedantic and boring person that the child hated the most. He didn't have much contact with the Seventh Prince, but he knew the child's temperament. If he was from an ordinary wealthy family, he would probably have a smooth life and would not have to die on the battlefield at such a young age.
Although I sigh, I also admire the courage of His Highness the Seventh Prince.
"Your Highness, are you going to punish me for disrespect?"
"No, don't try to fool me. Those young ladies were just private talk. How could my father take them seriously? Duan Yang's current situation is just karma."
Throwing the grass in his mouth aside, the Seventh Prince sat down and talked about Princess Duanyang, with anger evident in his eyes.
"Your Highness, be careful with your words. The marriage was originally granted to me. It was my fault that it affected the princess's reputation. I hope Your Highness will not say such things again."
As he sat down, Xiao Wangshu began to wonder why the Seventh Prince harbored such hatred towards Concubine Liu's children. Suddenly, a sudden inspiration struck him, as he recalled the Seventh Prince's older sister, Princess Anping, who had married into Northern Liang some years earlier.
"Am I wrong? She likes to act cool and aloof, but she pushed my elder sister to marry. It's just that my elder sister took the title of the eldest princess, and she was not happy about it."
Xie Zhenhe sneered with disdain. When he thought about his elder sister marrying far away in Beiliang and having no one to rely on, and his mother crying every festive occasion, while Duanyang could always be by his mother's side, he felt so angry that his teeth itched.
This is a royal secret. If others knew about it, I'm afraid nine heads wouldn't be enough to chop off.
However, thinking of the Seventh Prince's final outcome in his previous life, Xiao Wangshu finally advised:
"I don't know the whole story, so I can't make any rash judgments. Although it's extremely disrespectful to say this, I still have to tell Your Highness.
The six kingdoms of China are well-known, but our country of Zhongshan is at the bottom of the national strength. Not only were we defeated in the war, but the country also has internal troubles. The act of marriage is a helpless measure. This matter was proposed by the ministers of the court and finalized by the current emperor.
How could Princess Duanyang, a girl from the boudoir, influence important affairs of the court?
Fundamentally speaking, as a powerful nation like our Zhongshan Kingdom, why would we offer our princess a marriage in exchange for a moment of peace?
As men, we should protect our country. If the day comes when the whole nation welcomes the princess home, we should do the right thing for Her Highness, rather than focusing on a woman's body."
"Of course I don't know! But my sister is innocent. Well, I have the emperor's favor. What can I do to her? I'd rather fight the enemy and bring my sister home. My chances of success are much better."
At this point, the Seventh Prince's face was filled with grief and indignation, but he was not favored and his mother had no power behind him. It was just as this person said, he might as well go into battle and kill the enemy, to find a way out for his sister and himself.
"Your Highness is still young, why not take a few years to settle down? Besides, the Empress Defei in the palace also needs Your Highness."
After patting the Seventh Prince on the shoulder, Xiao Wangshu stopped talking.
"Today I was just drunk and talking nonsense. I talked to you a few words to ease the depression in my heart. I appreciate your kindness. But after this day, you and I will pretend that we have never met."
After saying this, the Seventh Prince staggered out of the yard, holding on to the wall. Although he was only fifteen or sixteen years old, he had to provide for his elder sister and mother.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
