"My Lady, the selection of the crown prince was all decided by the previous dynasty. We are both women, so there is nothing we can do."

Gu Yunru also seemed helpless.

"How could that be? Prince Zhao loves his princess the most, and everyone knows that." Concubine Cao brought up the history of their love. Everyone knew what they had been through, and it was well-known and enviable.

"This is a man's business. We women can't really help. Everything is up to God."

Seeing that she didn't answer the question, Cao Yinyue asked indirectly whether the Queen would mention the issue of appointing a crown prince at the flower banquet today. Shu'er couldn't sit still anymore, so she shook the round fan in her hand and smiled, "Isn't it just the eldest son or the heir? It has been like this since ancient times, and there is almost no suspense. Why did Concubine Cao ask this? Do you think such a good thing will fall on the heads of the fifth and sixth princes?"

“………”Cao Yinyue’s face changed. It seemed that Shu’er’s words had some effect. Just one sentence made her speechless. She wished she could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it. To say that Cao Yinyue was really meddling in other people’s business after having eaten her fill.

The stage in the Imperial Garden has been set up, and dozens of large round tables have been placed on both sides, making it an unprecedentedly grand event.

Everyone sat down one by one, but at this time, Yongning Palace seemed a little uneasy. Concubine Duan hurriedly summoned the left prime minister for Rong Yinzhi's matter, asked the servants to leave, and hurriedly stepped forward and said, "There has been no news about Zhi'er for three days. Do you know where he is?"

"This... I have already sent people to investigate, but there is still no news." The left prime minister frowned, looking at Concubine Duan's panicked look, gently stroking the back of her hand and said, "Don't worry, the flower banquet must be dealt with first, and they must not know that the eldest prince is missing."

"good."

At this moment, the palace maid at the door urged Concubine Duan to hurry into the courtyard. The flower banquet had already begun, and the palace was decorated with lights and looked very lively.

The princes sat at the same table without exception. From this point of view, they could clearly see their handsome appearances. However, only five of the seven princes came. Gu Yunru looked at Rong Zhen who was sitting next to him curiously and asked, "Why didn't Yin Zhi come?"

"Yinzhi..." Rong Zhen looked at the crowd curiously. Logically speaking, the time had already arrived, and it would be against the rules if they hadn't arrived yet.

At this time, the Seventh Prince sent someone to rush over and said to the Queen, "Queen, the Seventh Prince has a coughing fit and cannot come to the banquet at this moment."

"It's okay. Yin Cheng is not in good health. This is also known to everyone. Let him have a good rest and take good care of his body. I am still waiting for him to pay his respects."

"Thank you, Queen, for your consideration."

Gu Yunru saw the eunuch leaving, and he rubbed Gu Yunru's arm with a gossipy look on his face.

"Yin Cheng... the Seventh Prince, I don't think I've ever seen him." Gu Yunru thought about it. When the Seventh Prince was growing up, she should have been practicing in the mountains. Now, if she carefully calculated, he was only seventeen years old. He looked like the son of Concubine Rong. However, Concubine Rong died of illness six years ago, and the disease was passed on to Yin Cheng, so that he would cough all year round. If he was exposed to the wind and sun, he would fall to bed for three days and linger on the sickbed. The imperial physician was helpless.

"I have asked a famous doctor in this city to see him, but the doctor said that his pulse is very strange." Rong Zhen did not forget his nephew. He knew that he was frail and sickly, and could not see the sun or be blown by the wind. He was afraid that he would not be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of flowers blooming in spring.

"Is it really that weird? I'd like to see it. After the flower banquet, let's go see him together."

"good."

The two of them discussed quietly. The empress was very graceful. She sat on the high seat and looked at everyone and said loudly, "The empress dowager is not feeling well today, and the seventh prince is not well yet, so she cannot come to the flower banquet. This annual flower banquet summons the female relatives in the palace and some ministers of the previous dynasty to discuss the issues that were missed when the late emperor was away. I have been very busy these past few months. If there is anything unreasonable, please bear with me."

After hearing this, everyone felt that the Queen's words were too serious, and they quickly raised their exquisite little wine glasses and drank them all. The atmosphere was quite good.

The Queen looked at the crowd. Concubine Duan didn't come. She moistened her throat and sorted out her words. "The country cannot be without a king for a day. I summoned everyone here to discuss the appointment of a crown prince. The last time the late emperor saw him was with Prince Zhao, so it is only fair to let Prince Zhao announce the candidate. What do you think?"

No one spoke, and everyone acknowledged Rong Zhen's status in the court. They didn't expect that they would see their husband go on stage and give a speech in their lifetime.

Rong Zhen stood up and looked at everyone, then handed a yellow booklet directly to the eunuch beside the queen. The eunuch then handed the booklet to the queen. The queen's eyes lit up, as if it was expected.

The faces of the princes were not very good, especially Yin Li, whose heart was already filled with turmoil.

The queen nodded in satisfaction and read out the imperial edict herself. This was the will of succession. Everyone stared at the queen with piercing eyes. She read: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, decrees that I have a son, Yin Bai, who is extremely intelligent and blessed by Heaven. Therefore, I pass the throne to him in the hope that he will be a wise ruler who loves the people. I decree this!"

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As soon as he finished reading, there was an uproar in the crowd. Especially Yin Li's face turned pale, while Yin Bai looked at the congratulatory and jealous eyes of the crowd with a blank face. Gu Yunru did not react either. The third prince had not been in the court for long, but he had just returned from the border. Unexpectedly, the emperor actually intended to pass on his position to him, which really surprised and puzzled everyone.

“No!”

At this moment, a loud female voice came over, and the one who walked in was a concubine dressed in gold and silver, it was Concubine Duan.

"How dare you, Concubine Duan! You know that what I just read out was the imperial edict of succession, and you actually dared to interrupt me!"

The queen stared at her with an unhappy expression, and her murderous look was so frightening that it made people feel terrified.

"Empress, since ancient times, the eldest son has been the heir apparent. No matter what, it won't be Yin Bai's turn. So where did you put the second prince? Besides, the eldest prince's whereabouts are still unknown, but you are reading the portrait at the banquet. Is there something wrong with that?!"