Chapter 91 "The princess and prince are seeing each other off, huh? Just passing by..."
The Ninth Prince and Princess Jiahe, who were anxiously waiting inside Guanju Palace, received the Emperor's summons before their mother returned.
Following Eunuch Chen, they arrived at Hanyuan Hall. The two paused briefly at the entrance before entering.
As soon as she entered, the Seventh Princess quickly looked up and glanced into the hall, but she didn't see her mother. Instead, she saw Emperor Xuanpei at the head of the table, looking rather serious.
Even though the Seventh Princess had been pampered by Emperor Xuanpei since childhood, children born into the royal family seemed to be inherently separated from their father by a certain distance.
Seeing Emperor Xuanpei's expression, the Seventh Princess, somewhat uneasy, bowed to the Ninth Prince.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
Soon, they heard Emperor Xuanpei's very direct question: "Jiahe, I heard that you made your teacher faint in the study today?"
"Acting cute and charming" in front of Emperor Xuanpei was also one of the Seventh Princess's "strengths".
Normally, she would beg Emperor Xuanpei to make a request, and her father would always comply.
But now, the Seventh Princess simply couldn't bring herself to say "I was wrong."
"Father, your son..."
After struggling to utter a word for a long time, the Seventh Princess bit her lip and simply knelt down.
"This is indeed true, and Jiahe is willing to accept the punishment."
"Father, please forgive me."
The Ninth Prince, who was standing to the side, also lifted his robe and knelt down.
He looked at Emperor Xuanpei earnestly and said, "The reasons for this matter are entirely due to your subject. Jiahe was also doing it for..."
However, Emperor Xuanpei, sitting at the head of the table, waved his hand to stop the Ninth Prince, saying in a tone that revealed neither joy nor anger, "Let her speak for herself."
"Jiahe."
Emperor Xuanpei's gaze fell on the Seventh Princess, and he said in a deep voice, "Tell your father, why did you play such a trick on your teacher?"
"Father."
The Seventh Princess, who was trying hard to hold back her tears, still spoke with some resentment.
"Because he really went too far."
“He kept saying things like ‘A gentleman understands righteousness, while a petty person understands profit,’ and ‘A gentleman establishes himself with righteousness and builds his career with virtue’... He knew the words but did not put them into practice.”
"For the sake of profit and power, he acts improperly and often uses the pretext of studying to bully my elder brother, doing everything he can to belittle and ridicule him... Father, I am extremely disgusted with him."
Looking at the Seventh Princess, who was bowing her head and quickly wiping away her tears, Emperor Xuanpei's voice sounded like a sigh, "Why didn't you tell your mother and me?"
"Because of him, he is...our teacher."
“He has acted improperly, so he certainly wouldn’t have dared to speak ill of my elder brother to you before.”
The Seventh Princess looked up at Emperor Xuanpei: "But if I were to tell you, a villain like him would certainly do anything to trample on my brother so that he can clear his name."
"He must have told Father that it was because my elder brother wasn't studying well and lacked ambition, and that his strictness was only for his brother's good..."
"So I was just angry and wanted to make him hesitate, so... who knew he would faint."
After listening to the Seventh Princess's words, Emperor Xuanpei neither agreed nor disagreed. He simply said that Azhu was in the back hall and asked Princess Jiahe to go there first to keep her mother company.
The Seventh Princess, kneeling on the ground, subconsciously looked at the Ninth Prince beside her, only to see the Ninth Prince smiling and nodding at her.
"Your subject, Your subject takes his leave."
The Seventh Princess left with Eunuch Chen, leaving only Emperor Xuanpei and the Ninth Prince in the hall.
Emperor Xuanpei looked at his youngest son.
The Ninth Prince's features are very similar to A-Zhu's, but their personalities are different.
When people in the palace gossip about the Ninth Prince, they always sigh and say that apart from his appearance, he is neither like Emperor Xuanpei nor Consort Jiang.
She is genuinely gentle and humble, and quite easy to get along with.
"Mingchen."
"You are your mother's eldest son, and you and Jiahe are siblings from the same mother. You are her brother. After I pass away, you will be the only one they can trust and rely on."
Emperor Xuanpei looked at the Ninth Prince.
Outsiders say you have a mild temperament, but you have a deep and insightful mind.
"If you are determined to be a wise prince, I will arrange the best fief for you. At that time, you will bring your mother to the fief... take good care of her and let her live a peaceful life."
"But things like the Imperial Study are not the end, but only the beginning."
"If you can endure this as you do today, you won't let your mother, who is getting old, have to live in fear with you."
"By then, I... I will be gone, and there will be no one to comfort her."
The Ninth Prince remained silent for a long time.
He looked up at Emperor Xuanpei, his expression sincere and earnest.
“Father, when I was young, I only knew how to eat and drink and never thought about this matter.”
"Later, when I was sitting in the Imperial Study, reading with the teachers, I suddenly had this thought one day... Ignorance is bliss."
"But the more I study with these teachers, the more I learn, and the more apprehensive I become when I think about this idea—the world is so vast, and the livelihoods of millions of subjects are of paramount importance. Can I bear such a heavy burden?"
The Ninth Prince shook his head.
"Even now, I cannot be certain."
"Father, if I make a hasty decision while my mind is still hesitant, it will surely cause trouble. I am prone to changing my mind and being caught in a dilemma. Can you give me some more time?"
Looking at the "slow and hesitant" Ninth Prince, Emperor Xuanpei showed his first smile since the Ninth Prince and Princess Jiahe entered the hall.
The smile contained relief, expectation, reluctance, and a touch of melancholy.
After a long pause, Emperor Xuanpei did not respond to whether the Ninth Prince was right or wrong. He suddenly said, "Chen'er."
"It is said that knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial; true understanding comes from practice."
"The world is so vast. If you can't see it clearly while sitting in your study, why don't you go out and explore it yourself?"
To be honest, when the Ninth Prince said those words, he considered all sorts of possibilities, but he never expected to hear Emperor Xuanpei tell him to go out for a walk.
When the Ninth Prince thought of leaving the palace, the first people he thought of were his mother and younger sister, Jiahe; he couldn't bear to part with them.
But when Emperor Xuanpei said he was going out to see the world, the Ninth Prince vaguely heard his heart pounding rapidly.
He wanted to go.
"Father..."
The Ninth Prince clenched his fists involuntarily. "Your subject, your subject wants to go."
Emperor Xuanpei nodded slightly: "Chen'er, the food, clothing, and lodging outside are not as exquisite, proper, or to your liking as they are in the palace, but once you say you want to go out, there is no reason to give up halfway."
"Yes, Your Majesty understands."
Seeing the Ninth Prince's firm belief, Emperor Xuanpei smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Good, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy is to stand firm and serve the world, so you will go with this old man."
"Thank you, Father Emperor."
After the Ninth Prince expressed his gratitude with a joyful expression, his expression became somewhat hesitant. "Father, what about Mother...?"
Emperor Xuanpei's smile vanished instantly.
He subconsciously looked at the Ninth Prince, only to see that the child looked honest and obedient, gazing at him pitifully.
Tsk, Emperor Xuanpei rubbed his temples and shook his head repeatedly, sighing, "Alright, alright, I'll go talk to your mother about this."
As expected, Emperor Xuanpei had just arrived at the rear hall and begun to speak about this matter—
"no!"
Ah Zhu, who had initially looked rather pitiful, became aggressive and seemed ready to jump up and protest upon hearing Emperor Xuanpei's words.
"How old is Chen'er?"
"He is so young, and has always lived in the palace, never leaving the concubines' side. How can His Majesty bear to suddenly send him out to suffer?!"
Azhu, her eyes red with emotion, looked at Emperor Xuanpei.
"If His Majesty is dissatisfied with the affairs of the Imperial Study, what explanation do you expect them to give for sending Chen'er away..."
"Then let's send the concubines and Jiahe out of the palace as well."
"So that the three of us, mother and children, won't stay in this palace and get in other people's way."
"We'll definitely get far away from you then, so as not to become a nuisance or a thorn in your side."
"A-Zhu!"
Upon hearing A-Zhu mention leaving the palace, Emperor Xuanpei's eyes turned cold, and his face instantly darkened.
But seeing her eyelashes trembling and her eyes brimming with tears, Emperor Xuanpei's tense expression softened.
He stepped forward to wipe away A-Zhu's tears, his voice softening: "Look at you, what are you saying?"
"What do you mean I'm going to kick you out of the palace?"
Emperor Xuanpei sat down, holding Azhu in his arms, and asked, "When did I ever say that?"
As he spoke, Emperor Xuanpei narrowed his eyes slightly.
He scrutinized A-Zhu, his gaze turning dangerous: "Could it be that you yourself intend to leave the palace right now...?"
Seeing Emperor Xuanpei's expression, Azhu's heart skipped a beat.
Ah Zhu has had it all in the palace these past few years.
They get whatever they want, whether it's wind or rain.
The only thing she didn't get tired of was Emperor Xuanpei's persistent pestering; on the contrary, she became even more insistent on it.
As I get older, I feel an even stronger urge to keep her by my side, taking her wherever I go.
"His Majesty clearly said that he would provide his concubines with a life of luxury and wealth for the rest of their lives!"
Instantly choosing to "turn the tables," A-Zhu shoved Emperor Xuanpei, causing him to fall onto the couch.
She said indignantly, "But now His Majesty not only wants to drive away my child, but he's even trying to pin the excuse of leaving the palace on me?!"
A-Zhu, who was described as "yellow cabbage in the field," clutched her chest and gasped for breath after each sentence, wailing incoherently.
"Your Majesty, I have been with you for so long."
"Even the two children are so grown up now. His Majesty said he would support me for life, but now he's gone back on his word..."
Seeing Ah Zhu sitting on his lap and acting all unreasonable, Emperor Xuanpei reached out and supported Ah Zhu's waist, so that she could sit more steadily as she twisted and turned and tried to "act up".
Seeing Emperor Xuanpei's gentle expression and the smile in his eyes as he looked at her, Azhu, who had been whining and "fake crying," stopped crying.
Her ears turned red, and she slowly reached out to cover her face.
"...I am already this old, Your Majesty, please forgive my appearance."
Emperor Xuanpei smiled and tugged at Azhu's arm.
A-Zhu lowered her hand and leaned down to rest in Emperor Xuanpei's arms.
Emperor Xuanpei rubbed Azhu's red ears and said with a smile, "My Azhu, no matter when or what, I love him very much."
A-Zhu rubbed against Emperor Xuanpei's chest.
Emperor Xuanpei, who could hold Ah Zhu all day long, quietly held her for a while before Ah Zhu, who had calmed down, said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Chen'er, does Chen'er really have to leave the palace?"
Emperor Xuanpei patted Azhu's back gently and said in a low voice, "While parents are alive, one should not travel far. If one must travel, one must have a destination in mind... Such youthful spirit is the most precious thing."
"I also do not want to see him trapped in this deep palace, confined by these conspiracies and intrigues, his spirit gradually extinguished."
"The world outside is vast; let him go out for a walk now."
A-Zhu closed his eyes and didn't speak, but tears unknowingly seeped into Emperor Xuanpei's clothes, burning his heart.
Emperor Xuanpei paused while patting Azhu's hand.
He sighed softly, "Well, Chen'er is still young after all. I was indeed a little too impatient. Let's wait another two years."
"Your Majesty... let him go, let him go."
A-Zhu hugged Emperor Xuanpei tightly and murmured, "The child has his own path. I can't help him, but I can't stop him either."
"Your Majesty, I'm just... just a little sad because I can't bear to part with you... Could you please spend some time with me?"
"good."
Emperor Xuanpei responded and hugged his Azhu tightly.
"Let the children go their own way, I will accompany you."
The matter of the Ninth Prince leaving the palace to study was settled, and the Seventh Princess, who knew about it, also went to A-Zhu for help.
The Seventh Princess never liked any kind of quiet, gentle, or temperamental work.
She neither liked embroidery nor playing the zither or chess.
She dislikes speaking insincerely and politely to a group of people who are "smiling with daggers hidden in their hearts."
Those classical Chinese philosophical principles left the Seventh Princess dizzy and confused. It was alright when the Ninth Prince was in the palace, but now that she was all alone...
Whether one leaves the palace or two leaves the palace, it's still leaving the palace. Looking at her youngest daughter kneeling in front of her, begging and pleading, A-Zhu finally couldn't persuade her otherwise.
Watching the Seventh Princess rushing off to the side room amidst cheers and excitement, Qingliu couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Your Highness, His Highness and the officials from the Imperial Academy are going on a study tour."
"The journey has been arduous, and the hardships of eating and drinking are inevitable. The Seventh Princess, a person of noble birth, this..."
"Let her go."
“She has someone following her, so if she feels tired, she can come back anytime.”
As Azhu watched the Seventh Princess's departing figure, she smiled and said softly, "I entered the palace when I was young, and I've been trapped in this imperial city for the rest of my life... I can't leave the palace, so let her go."
*
There are no secrets in this palace.
The news of the Imperial Study had barely spread when Emperor Xuanpei issued an edict: Grand Secretary Gao was morally deficient, unfit to be a teacher, and had wicked intentions, deliberately sowing discord among the princes; he was to be dismissed from his post and investigated immediately.
The entire court was in uproar.
In order to protect the unruly Seventh Princess, the Emperor actually went so far as to punish the Grand Secretary.
This is outrageous! Where is justice?!
Before some loyal ministers could even offer their dying remonstrances outside the palace, the Ninth Prince left the palace to "study abroad."
The fact that a Grand Secretary's future was directly "exchanged" for the beloved son of a favored concubine... caused the originally agitated court officials to quiet down again.
Even the Crown Prince took Hongzhen to Hanyuan Hall.
This trip was both to apologize for the verbal dispute and to address the fact that the Ninth Prince was leaving the palace to "study" at such a young age.
After all, regardless of how this happened, if we take it this way, it would be too hurtful to say that the nephew bullied and ostracized his uncle, causing him to be unable to even go to the Imperial Study and only be allowed to leave the palace.
But Emperor Xuanpei did not change his mind.
Seeing that the matter of the Ninth Prince's "study abroad" was beyond redemption, after the Crown Prince went to Hanyuan Palace, the Crown Princess took Hongzhen to Guanju Palace to apologize.
Ah Zhu looked listless, and her eyes were red from crying, so she was in a very low mood.
When has the Crown Princess ever seen Consort Jiang, who was "the most favored concubine in the palace" and had always been the most popular, with such an expression?
Regardless of what the Crown Princess said, A-Zhu was clearly not interested in saying anything more, only saying that the Ninth Prince himself wanted to leave the palace.
The Crown Princess returned empty-handed and disappointed, and the other concubines in the palace were even less willing to provoke Consort Jiang at this time.
For a moment, the palace was unusually harmonious and quiet.
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
