Chapter 87 Learning from the Crown Prince: He is the Crown Prince, and the Empress is the Empress
Kunning Palace
"Your Majesty."
Upon hearing the news, Nianqin hurriedly entered the hall.
"His Highness Prince Rui accepted his mission to travel outside the capital early this morning and has already left the capital."
Empress Wang sat there, remaining silent for a long time.
Having spoiled and indulged this child for so many years, Empress Wang clearly knew a thing or two about Prince Rui's temperament.
He was slapped yesterday during an argument, and now he's stormed off the capital in a huff because of it...
It's really not surprising at all.
After a long while, Empress Wang shook her head and sighed softly.
"This child..."
Prince Rui is gone, but the mess he left behind still needs to be cleaned up.
Empress Wang forced herself to stay alert and asked, "Have you thoroughly investigated the people around Zhen'er these past few days?"
"Your Majesty."
Nianqin took a few steps closer and whispered, "The people in the manor said that the prince did indeed bring back someone dressed as a palace maid, but it hasn't been confirmed yet whether it really is her..."
It's probably true.
The palace is so vast, and there are so many people. No matter how luxurious and magnificent the place is, the more powerful and influential the people there are, the more eye-opening it becomes.
It's not surprising at all that strange and bizarre things happen here; sometimes, the events are even more outrageous than those in theatrical repertoire.
From a palace maid to a palace maid serving the Empress Dowager.
Then, taking advantage of the Crown Prince's regency, he went to a lowly concubine who was out of favor... Empress Wang truly believed that Prince Rui was capable of doing such a thing.
"Although His Majesty was completely bewitched by that 'vixen' Jiang, he is still sitting in that seat, perfectly fine, and hasn't closed his eyes yet!"
"That beast! How dare he?! How dare he?!"
“Your Majesty…” Nianqin quickly patted Empress Wang’s back, “You have been working so hard these days, your health is the most important thing.”
"How can I rest easy knowing you've done this?!"
Prince Rui may be confused, but Empress Wang cannot allow him to be confused.
Lu Yinyue cannot stay.
Regardless of whether Prince Rui liked her or not, and regardless of whether she voluntarily left the palace with Prince Rui, she absolutely could not live in this world with the opportunity to speak.
Empress Wang held Nianqin's hand, her expression somewhat gloomy.
"Go and send a message to the manor. While Prince Rui is away from the capital... tell them to find the person immediately."
"Since there is already Consort Gong in the palace who is resentful of the Emperor's favoritism and is willing to take risks."
"Now it would not be surprising if another concubine, unable to bear the gossip in the palace because she had not been summoned by the emperor for a long time, hanged herself in despair."
This debt can even be attributed to A-Zhu.
The problem is not scarcity, but inequality.
Isn't this all a disaster caused by the emperor's excessive favoritism?
Having made up her mind, Empress Wang slowly withdrew her hand, straightened her back, and regained her composure and solemnity.
This matter is both difficult and easy.
Fortunately, Jangryeong Palace had been closed off for some time, so no one would notice the little beauty inside.
Moreover, Consort Zhao, as the head of the palace, is on the same side as Empress Wang. With her help to cover things up, the results will be twice as good with half the effort.
It is a serious taboo for a concubine in the palace to be out of contact for such a long time. At the very least, Consort Zhao cannot escape responsibility for negligence.
It wouldn't be surprising if, by a moment's carelessness, an imperial decree were issued to punish them.
Upon hearing the summons from Kunning Palace, Consort Zhao, thinking she had found the person, rushed there without stopping.
But after hearing Empress Wang's instructions, Consort Zhao remained in a daze for a long time. When she left Kunning Palace, she hung her head and walked with extremely heavy steps.
When she sat in the sedan chair, her eyes were still somewhat unfocused.
His Highness the Crown Prince is perfect in every way. He is exceptionally handsome, gentle on the outside but firm on the inside, skilled in both literature and martial arts, acts appropriately, and knows how to advance and retreat with composure. He is truly near perfect.
Even though Prince Qi was determined to compete with him, no one in or outside the court felt that the position of Crown Prince was unstable.
But perhaps even God didn't want such a perfect person to exist in the world. Empress Wang... let's not talk about Empress Wang.
The Crown Prince's younger brother, Prince Rui, is a troublemaker who often causes trouble for the Crown Prince, who has even had some disputes with the Prince of Ying.
But in front of Empress Wang, how could Consort Zhao dare to criticize Prince Rui?
Not only could she not, she also had to fawn over Prince Rui, praising his filial piety to please the Empress.
Now look what's happened! After all these years of being pampered and indulged, this huge trouble has arisen.
As Zhao Jieyu alighted from the sedan chair, her mind heavy with worries, she glanced at the Guanju Palace, which was under renovation not far away.
At the New Year's Eve banquet, when A-Zhu broke into Changli Palace to apologize, Consort Zhao naturally did not accept it. In front of everyone, she even repeatedly expressed her relief that Changli Palace could be put to use.
"Red Pearl".
Hongzhu helped Zhao Jieyu up, saying, "Your Majesty."
"How many days has Consort Jiang been living in Hanyuan Palace?"
"Your Majesty, it has been eleven days."
*
"The eleventh day."
Inside the Palace of Fulfillment, Consort Zhang was also counting down the days.
She shook her head and sighed, "This palace is so big, yet there's not enough room for Consort Jiang... No, in six days, she should be called Imperial Noble Consort Jiang."
Qingwen brought over a bowl of longan, red date, and donkey-hide gelatin soup.
"Your Majesty, please have some soup to warm yourself up."
Consort Zhang reached out and took it.
The warm soup bowl was pressed against her palm, but she clearly had no appetite for it.
"When the fire broke out at Guanju Palace, the investigation concluded that it was due to negligence by the palace staff of the Imperial Household Department."
Consort Zhang's face was somber as she murmured, "...arson in the palace...Empress Wang has gone mad."
That's right. If this matter can't be investigated, or if it turns out to be just an accident, Consort Zhang can confidently convict Empress Wang directly.
After all, there are very few people in the palace who are capable of doing such a thing and cleaning up the mess so cleanly.
Empress Dowager Shu has already left the palace;
Emperor Xuanpei would never have set fire to Guanju Palace;
No one else in the palace would do something so outrageous, and Consort Zhang knew very well that she hadn't done it... That leaves only Empress Wang.
Emperor Xuanpei suddenly fell ill, and the Crown Prince, who was hastily appointed to the throne, performed his duties exceptionally well.
Even Consort Zhang herself couldn't lie and say anything bad about the Crown Prince.
"If it weren't for Empress Wang... I might have just let Mao'er obediently follow the Crown Prince and do his work, so that he could live a peaceful and safe life as a wise prince. That would be better than this kind of sibling rivalry."
Honestly, even now, Prince Qi and the Crown Prince are still locked in a power struggle without a complete breakdown.
When Emperor Xuanpei was in good health, the struggle for the throne among the princes would not have escalated to the point of being a life-or-death struggle.
Consort Zhang was truly capable of bowing down to the Crown Prince.
After all, given the Crown Prince's temperament, he wouldn't treat the mother and son too harshly after ascending the throne.
But Empress Wang was truly incapable.
The two women are bound by the hatred of "killing her son," and their enmity has lasted for many years. If Consort Zhang is able to turn the tables in the future... she will definitely not let Empress Wang get away with it.
Similarly, the same applies to Empress Wang.
At that time, not only will they have to live in fear and humility, but the Crown Prince is also the most benevolent and filial. If Empress Wang becomes the Empress Dowager and insists on punishing them, who will they turn to for justice?
Consort Zhang couldn't help but murmur another sentence.
"If only Empress Wang weren't here..."
Without Empress Wang, even if Prince Qi obediently went to his fiefdom, Consort Zhang was not particularly opposed to the Crown Prince succeeding to the throne.
It wasn't just Consort Zhang who thought this way; even A-Zhu, who was huddled on the chaise longue in Hanyuan Palace, was repeating the same thing to Consort Feng.
"...The Crown Prince has done a good job as regent this time."
"There is no one in the court or among the people who is dissatisfied. I think even the emperor is quite proud of this son."
Ah Zhu rolled over and sighed repeatedly, "If only he weren't Empress Wang's child."
"But without Empress Wang, he wouldn't be the Crown Prince."
After sighing a few times, Consort Feng, who wanted to grit her teeth just thinking about the terrifying New Year's Eve, looked at A-Zhu.
"A-Zhu, have you found the person who set fire to the palace?"
Ah Zhu sat up, shook her head, and whispered, "No."
"I think even the emperor himself is wavering between Consort Zhang and Empress Wang, and he can't be sure who did it."
"Your Majesty, who do you think he looks like?"
This is indeed a difficult problem.
Logically speaking, when something goes wrong, the guilty party should be determined by who benefits from it; the 19th Party Congress is no exception.
But Ah Zhu was unlucky, while Empress Wang and Consort Zhang were the beneficiaries.
"If Consort Zhang was dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's regency and harbored resentment towards your promotion to the rank of Consort, it would be quite plausible for her to use this opportunity to frame Empress Wang and eliminate you."
"But Empress Wang also harbors resentment and dissatisfaction towards you. If she were to secretly harm you, she could cry foul and frame Consort Zhang, killing two birds with one stone."
This left people completely bewildered, with no idea where to begin.
Ah Zhu rubbed her stomach, feeling utterly helpless.
She said with a bitter face, "The emperor has always been a very sensitive and petty person, but he used to be able to keep a straight face."
"Now, their mysterious and cryptic 'bewitching' tactics are making the emperor feel uneasy, which is really hard to resist."
Consort Feng looked at A-Zhu and suddenly said, "A-Zhu."
"You are now a Noble Consort and the Emperor's favorite concubine. Your influence through your pillow talk is more effective than anyone else's. You are also much younger than the Emperor... Have you ever thought about who you would support to succeed to the throne?"
A-Zhu replied without hesitation, "If there were no Empress Wang, then the Crown Prince would be the best."
Consort Feng nodded and said nothing more.
Ah Zhu and the emperor could not have gotten along better now.
She subconsciously knows what is the most appropriate thing to do, without needing others to tell her what to do.
Moreover, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Emperor Xuanpei is likely to live for many more years.
Consort Feng's eyes flickered—the Crown Prince, lacking sufficient ability, couldn't control the other princes.
The crown prince who was defeated at this time suffered the most; being merely imprisoned was considered a good outcome.
But a near-perfect crown prince can be praised by all the people and officials for a year or two... but what about five or ten years?
The struggle for the throne, now that a crown prince has been appointed, is no longer a contest between the crown prince and the other princes.
That was a struggle between the crown prince and the emperor.
Crown Prince, tsk, this position is really hard to hold.
*
Because of the repeated snowfalls this year, and the heavy snowfall in some areas, the region has already suffered from snow disasters.
After receiving the imperial decree to inspect the disaster-stricken areas, Prince Rui immediately set off. Emperor Xuanpei then held a meeting in the cabinet with several important ministers and grand secretaries.
"Your Majesty."
The Vice Minister of Revenue, dressed in a red robe, bowed deeply upon entering the hall and did not rise: "...the land north of the Yellow River has suffered disaster, affecting a total of 71 counties and districts in 8 prefectures across 3 provinces."
"The imperial court had already prepared proposals for these areas, and the handling was appropriate, so the losses were manageable. However, twenty-two counties and districts were the most severely affected and simply unable to save themselves..."
"According to the Ministry of Revenue's calculations, this disaster relief effort requires a total of 145,000 taels of silver, which can be drawn from the national treasury and will be dispatched immediately."
Since ancient times, natural disasters have been beyond human control, and all the court could do was to arrange disaster relief as quickly as possible.
However, the practice of "skimming" from the imperial disaster relief funds... is something that has been repeatedly prohibited but still persists.
No matter how many people have died because of this, there will always be some people who, for some unknown reason, have the audacity to risk their lives to reach out.
Even when Emperor Xuanpei was at the border, he personally witnessed people exploiting military pay and provisions.
There were also cases of receiving salaries without working and "drinking the blood" of soldiers...
Their desires are insatiable, they have no scruples, they can never be completely eradicated, nor can they be exhausted.
In a meeting like today, besides clarifying the extent of the disaster, the most important thing is to determine the candidates for disaster relief.
Who can hold onto this disaster relief fund and distribute it appropriately?
Considering that it was Prince Rui who set off early to inspect the area, what about the selection of people for disaster relief...?
"Let the Crown Prince go."
As expected, this is not surprising.
Emperor Xuanpei still preferred the Crown Prince to take on this task.
"Disaster relief is always as urgent as putting out a fire. Let the Crown Prince set off immediately."
"By imperial decree, the Crown Prince shall make all decisions regarding this disaster relief effort."
Emperor Xuanpei spoke while looking at the court officials below.
"Wherever the Crown Prince went along the way, it was as if I were personally present."
"All regions shall be at the Crown Prince's command and shall not disobey. If any unusual movement occurs, the Crown Prince may execute the offender first and report it later."
The courtiers below bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, we obey your decree."
The Crown Prince, upon hearing the summons, did not delay for a moment. He rushed to Hanyuan Hall, received the decree in public, and then set off.
Because of this matter, they were busy until almost dinner time before things calmed down. Ah Zhu, who had been well-behaved all day and hadn't bothered Emperor Xuanpei, finally came out from the back hall.
She placed a warm, slightly hot towel on Emperor Xuanpei's face, especially around his eyes, and then quickly removed his hair ornament and gently combed his hair.
About half an incense stick's time had passed before A-Zhu used a simple hair ornament with a jade hairpin to tie up Emperor Xuanpei's hair and removed the face mask that had been changed several times.
With a relaxed expression, Emperor Xuanpei took Azhu's hand and pulled her to sit in his lap.
He closed his eyes and leaned against A-Zhu's neck, then subconsciously nuzzled her soft chest, asking, "Were Xiao Jiu and Jiahe well-behaved today? Did they cry and fuss again?"
Ah Zhu smiled and gently touched Emperor Xuanpei's hair.
"You've been very good."
"Now I eat and sleep, and when I wake up I eat again, and I don't make a fuss at all."
These warm moments can really soothe a chaotic and gloomy mood.
Azhu held Emperor Xuanpei in her arms.
Now that he was used to coaxing both children, Azhu casually patted the emperor gently.
Only after Eunuch Chen entered the hall to indicate that dinner was ready did A-Zhu turn his head and kiss Emperor Xuanpei's temple.
She said softly, "Your Majesty, you had a hurried lunch. How about you have dinner first and then rest?"
Emperor Xuanpei slowly opened his eyes.
He turned his head and saw Ah Zhu, who was standing right next to him, with her eyes lowered and a smile on her face.
Every time Ah Zhu smiles, her eyes crinkle into crescents, she becomes incredibly sweet and radiant.
Emperor Xuanpei smiled and kissed Azhu's cheek, then picked her up and went to have a meal.
Ah~
She was still smiling when she was suddenly picked up and exclaimed in surprise. Then she threw herself into Emperor Xuanpei's arms and put her hands on his shoulders with a smile.
During the meal, A-Zhu did not cause any trouble for Emperor Xuanpei.
The two of them had a proper meal together.
They slept together in the back hall that night, with bright yellow brocade curtains hanging down. After their tender moments, A-Zhu lay on Emperor Xuanpei's body. Emperor Xuanpei closed his eyes, holding A-Zhu with one hand and gently stroking her back with the other.
After a while, Emperor Xuanpei heard Azhu say softly, "Your Majesty, when will the Guanju Palace be repaired?"
"Originally, I intended to restore it completely, but the more meticulous the repairs, the slower the process..." Emperor Xuanpei held Azhu in his arms and said gently in a low voice, "But there is nothing about Hanyuan Hall that I don't like. I have them change it first thing tomorrow morning."
No, no.
As A-Zhu spoke, he raised his head and snuggled closer to the Emperor Xuanpei, who pulled the brocade quilt over A-Zhu's shoulders.
"Hanyuan Palace is wonderful in every way, and it's convenient for accompanying His Majesty, but..."
Ah Zhu cupped Emperor Xuanpei's face in her hands and hummed, "But Guanju Palace was bestowed upon me by His Majesty, and even the name of the palace was specially chosen by His Majesty."
"I like the name of that palace."
Emperor Xuanpei's intentions, which Azhu so liked—the person who ruined these intentions was truly guilty of a heinous crime.
Emperor Xuanpei reached out and gently rubbed the back of Azhu's neck.
"A-Zhu..."
A-Zhu nestled against Emperor Xuanpei's neck, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and softly responded.
Emperor Xuanpei remained silent for a long time.
Emperor Xuanpei is now extremely distrustful of placing his Azhu anywhere else.
Hanyuan Hall was Emperor Xuanpei's own residence.
Look, Azhu is in Hanyuan Hall right now. It's guarded by the imperial guards. Unless some group rebels and storms into the capital, Hanyuan Hall is the safest place.
Emperor Xuanpei held a court assembly in the front courtyard, and Azhu stayed obediently in the back. She could see him in the blink of an eye, which made her feel very at ease.
"I, I..."
After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Xuanpei sighed: "Last year, you fell from the palanquin while you were pregnant, and we were unable to find out who was responsible... Now, we still can't find the culprit behind the arson in the palace. I am really, really worried."
A-Zhu hugged Emperor Xuanpei tightly, then couldn't help but chuckle softly: "Your Majesty is saying that this palace is full of dangers."
"You've dismantled the Imperial Household Department so thoroughly, now what audacious madman would dare to act foolishly?"
"They say things shouldn't happen more than three times, but Ah Zhu, just twice is enough to make me feel uneasy and anxious."
Emperor Xuanpei gently rubbed Azhu's head.
He squinted at the dragon pattern on the brocade curtain and said softly, "Give me a little more time."
"A-Zhu, I can only rest assured after I have cleaned up everything inside and out."
Given the emperor's current strange and unpredictable emotional state, to put his mind at ease... what kind of situation would that be?
But having said all that, A-Zhu naturally wouldn't insist on going against Emperor Xuanpei.
She rubbed her chin against Emperor Xuanpei's chest.
"Your Majesty, I will obey your every command."
So good.
A smile appeared in Emperor Xuanpei's eyes.
"Your Majesty."
"Um?"
"In a few days, it will be time for me to go to Kunning Palace to pay my respects."
Emperor Xuanpei stopped laughing.
He rubbed A-Zhu's head: "Are you going to pay your respects?"
Ah Zhu murmured and leaned over to whisper in Emperor Xuanpei's ear.
"As you know, Her Majesty the Empress values rules the most."
"Paying respects to the Empress at dawn and dusk is a rule in the palace. No matter if it's windy or rainy, the concubines in the palace must go to pay their respects to the Empress."
"I am about to be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, and Her Majesty the Empress already feels that this is somewhat against the rules."
"You said that if I, as a concubine, didn't even go to pay my respects..."
"Both the Crown Prince and Prince Rui are currently on official business outside. Her Majesty the Empress is already worried about them, so I'm afraid she's even more upset now."
"Your Majesty."
Azhu kissed Emperor Xuanpei's ear and whispered, "It's still the New Year holiday, and you're already busy with state affairs, worrying and working so hard."
"This concubine is useless, and I have no intention of causing trouble for His Majesty at this time."
“Otherwise, after His Majesty has finished his duties in court, he will also have to worry about “adjudicating cases” in the harem, which will make me feel uncomfortable.”
"Your Majesty, please consider this as me wanting to do my part, feeling that I can help you, so that I can feel at ease, okay?"
No one in the world could whisper sweet nothings in Emperor Xuanpei's ear like Azhu.
With her constantly referring to Emperor Xuanpei and kissing his ear so sweetly, how could Emperor Xuanpei not be easily swayed?
"Okay, okay."
Emperor Xuanpei patted Azhu, "However, I will issue an edict that you cannot withstand the cold, and you should wait until the snow on the road has melted before you go out."
This is the limit.
Once Emperor Xuanpei is willing to back down one step, he will not back down a second step.
A-Zhu stopped haggling and just laughed and kissed Emperor Xuanpei's face repeatedly.
"I knew it, Your Majesty is the best."
"His Majesty is the best, the very best His Majesty in the world."
Emperor Xuanpei shook his head, smiled, and patted Azhu's bottom.
"Sycophant, behave yourself and rest."
As soon as Emperor Xuanpei finished speaking, Azhu collapsed with a "whoosh," remaining motionless and silent.
Emperor Xuanpei couldn't hold back any longer. He chuckled softly, kissed Azhu, and closed his eyes while holding her in his arms.
*
The next day, Emperor Xuanpei got up very early.
When it was still barely dawn, Eunuch Qing was already waiting outside the palace to receive orders.
Emperor Xuanpei wrapped Azhu, whose face was flushed from sleeping, in a brocade quilt and placed her aside. He lowered his head and kissed her again, then casually took his inner robe, put it on, lowered the brocade curtain, and left the inner palace.
"Your Majesty."
Eunuch Qing presented the memorial in his hand to Emperor Xuanpei.
Emperor Xuanpei looked at the contents of the memorial without any surprise.
After a long pause, he softly uttered a sentence.
"The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, and the Empress is the Empress."
But the Crown Prince and the Empress are closely connected and cannot be separated.
When Eunuch Qing, who was waiting to the side, heard these words, he didn't even raise an eyebrow.
It stood there quietly, like a shadow.
......
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