Chapter 270 Prince Lang is Seriously Ill
Duke Anguo remained silent, only listening to the conclusion and not participating in the discussion.
You may continue.
Just tell me what to do!
He glanced at his granddaughter, and it was another day he was healed by her vibrant energy.
Awesome!
"What does the Duke think is the best course of action?" The Grand Tutor was clearly unwilling to let him have some peace and quiet on his own.
Being bitten by the Grand Tutor was truly unfortunate.
Duke Anguo turned to Xiao Qing and said, “Your Majesty, this old minister also does not know how to arrange things, otherwise I would not have come to the palace. However, Prince Lang is a prince with a fiefdom in the country, and Your Majesty’s own brother in the imperial clan. How to arrange things is actually entirely up to Your Majesty.”
This Prince Lang is really unlucky.
In his youth, he was a prince renowned throughout Heian-kyo, known for his straightforwardness and refined manners, and was privately considered the most likely candidate to become the crown prince.
At that time, Prince Lang was full of vigor and had a bright future ahead of him.
Unexpectedly, he fell off his horse and broke both legs. He also angered the late emperor, and was quickly ordered to go to the desolate and barren fiefdom of Langzhou, and was not allowed to return without an imperial edict.
It's heartbreaking.
However, the broken legs didn't damage his brain. After the Prince of Lang went to Langzhou, the city took on a completely different look.
It's still a pity about those legs, otherwise...
Just as Duke Anguo pulled his wandering thoughts back, he heard the Grand Tutor say, "Why not settle him in my residence?"
Duke Anguo nodded, "That's fine too."
However, the young emperor clearly had other ideas.
"It would be better to place him in the palace, together with my younger brother Yan."
Duke Anguo turned his head, his face full of question marks.
What's the logic behind this?
Fu Mingyi also disagreed.
Xiao Qing smiled and said, “I have heard a lot about the matter of Prince Lang. When Prince Lang was the same age as Yan, he was already famous in the capital. Since we are brothers and he is ill, why not bring him into the palace? Firstly, it would be convenient to take care of him and fulfill our brotherly bond. Secondly, Prince Yan has always been diligent in his studies and can learn from his elder brother.”
She winked at Fu Mingyi.
Fu Mingyi was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Although it is not in accordance with etiquette, it is reasonable."
Duke Anguo's expression was somewhat complicated. "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor, it may be quite inconvenient for an adult prince to live in the palace."
Xiao Qing waved his hand, "What inconvenience is there? There's no need to be so formal in these extraordinary times. Besides, I haven't taken any concubines, and Prince Yan's palace is quite far from the inner palace."
Fu Mingyi naturally nodded in agreement.
Duke Anguo couldn't say anything more, and in the end, he took Xiao Fu back with a head full of legal troubles.
Xiao Fu, who was becoming more lively, noticed that Duke Anguo looked worried in the carriage and asked curiously, "Grandpa, what's troubling you?"
Duke Anguo hesitated several times before finally asking his granddaughter, "His Majesty is kind-hearted, but he seems to be too unguarded with his relatives. Even the Grand Tutor doesn't seem to know how to advise him. I'm afraid..."
Then he explained in detail the matter of settling the Prince of Lang.
Duke Anguo was a man who had weathered many storms, and because he doted on his granddaughter, he no longer believed that girls should be confined to the inner quarters and detached from state affairs. Therefore, the grandfather and granddaughter did not hold back in their private conversation.
To everyone's surprise, Xiao Fu laughed and said, "Grandpa is overthinking it. If Grandpa can think of this, how could His Majesty and the Grand Tutor not? I'm afraid it's intentional, a test for Prince Lang."
Duke Anguo was taken aback, then shocked.
Having experienced much, he realized that the tests had been conducted on more than just Prince Lang. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Fu'er is indeed clever!"
At the same time, Fu Mingyi in the palace was also talking to Xiao Qing about the Prince of Lang.
He originally felt that there were many things he didn't need to tell the young emperor.
Firstly, he felt that the young emperor did not have much of a sense of responsibility as an emperor, so there was no point in saying more.
Secondly, he believed he could clear all obstacles for His Majesty.
According to his initial idea, as long as the young emperor was willing to stay on the throne obediently for ten years and become his nominal supporter, he could help the Great Xiao Dynasty rebuild and reclaim lost territory.
But gradually, his thinking changed, and he became greedy.
Especially after the chaos at Mengshan Villa, he became even more determined to achieve his goals.
Putting aside the controversy over gender, His Majesty's temperament is actually very suitable for being cultivated into a wise and virtuous ruler.
The Great Xiao Dynasty desperately needed such a ruler.
If His Majesty becomes such a ruler, the restoration of our land will be just around the corner!
Therefore, Fu Mingyi recounted the story of Prince Lang in great detail this time.
Xiao Qing already knew some things about the Prince of Lang, but after listening to Fu Mingyi's explanation, she realized that her understanding was still too superficial.
The Prince of Lang was more capable than she had imagined. Most importantly, although he was crippled, he was a prince who truly commanded a state army. It was under his leadership that Langzhou escaped poverty and hardship.
Langzhou was a vast and desolate place with a fierce and unruly populace. In the time, the Great Xiao Dynasty, which did not have strong control over the region, this place was a corner that the Great Xiao Dynasty could not reach. Even information such as population and military and political data could not be accurately collected.
In reality, the Prince of Lang was driven to Langzhou.
Xiao Qing didn't know what the late emperor was thinking, but according to Fu Mingyi, the Prince of Lang had little chance of survival in Langzhou. Unexpectedly, he successfully took control of Langzhou, not only leading the people of Langzhou to carry out large-scale construction and escape poverty, but also rebuilding a state army that was said to number 200,000.
"The true number is probably more than 200,000," Fu Mingyi guessed.
Xiao Qing nodded; that was possible.
"Two hundred thousand troops from the state are entrenched in Langzhou. If it weren't for his leg ailment, Nanxiao would probably have welcomed the King of Langzhou as their ruler."
Fu Mingyi nodded, "Beiping City was embroiled in war, and the 200,000 troops under the Lang King never left Langzhou."
Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow; this sentence contained a lot of information.
Fu Mingyi looked at Xiao Qing approvingly, "Your Majesty is much more mature in handling affairs now, which is why you were able to consider the interests of all parties and devise a plan to bring Prince Lang into the palace. This is truly commendable. Moreover, in my opinion, Duke Anguo is trustworthy."
Xiao Qing smiled. "The Duke of Anguo dotes on Xiao Fu, and both of them are trustworthy. As for the Prince of Lang, I'm actually more curious about him. Since I'll have to meet him sooner or later, I might as well settle him in the palace early. He'll be returning to Langzhou after the New Year anyway."
It wasn't a deliberate setup, but in retrospect, it's quite remarkable.
Fu Mingyi nodded, "I will discuss the defense with Commander Zhao."
Not long after, Fu Mingyi took Xiao Yan to the post station to escort Prince Lang to the palace.
Prince Lang was delirious with illness. Although those around him argued that entering the palace would violate ancestral rules and was inappropriate, they ultimately couldn't completely refuse the eloquent Grand Tutor, especially with Prince Yan present...
The group was quickly taken into the palace.
At this time, Chu Lianzhou, who had already purged the Inner Palace Bureau and the Palace Prison, was selecting personnel.
Since Xiao Qing had no concubines in his harem, the Inner Palace Bureau and the Palace Prison, which should have been under the control of the Empress, were transferred to the jurisdiction of Chu Lianzhou, the female official.
Xiao Qing clearly had no intention of taking a concubine; by inviting Chu Lianzhou in, he left all these matters to her.
After observing for some time and employing various methods, Chu Lianzhou now intends to select some capable individuals to keep by his side.
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