The first thing Consort Shu did after taking power was to send something to Princess Xiaoyao. This was no secret and quickly spread throughout the harem, leading many to try to curry favor with Song Wenyue, believing that Consort Shu had joined forces with her.
Song Wenyue tore off a handkerchief in annoyance, sneered a few times, and then took the Sixth Prince to the Emperor to make his presence known.
She has now abandoned heavy makeup and returned to her former delicate and innocent appearance, looking truly fragile and naive.
"Your Majesty, look at the Sixth Prince! He can already call you 'Father'!"
Yuwen Wuji felt a sense of satisfaction at being called by the child. The fact that he could still have several children at his age only proved that he was in good health.
“He is intelligent. I will find some great Confucian scholars to enlighten him.”
"Your Majesty, I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the Sixth Prince!" Song Wenyue said with a smile. "Originally, I was thinking of asking Consort Shu for advice on how to educate children, but Consort Shu is very busy right now, so I would be embarrassed to bother her."
Yuwen Wuji held the sixth prince's chubby hand, listening to the child call him "Father Emperor" repeatedly, and was overjoyed. Naturally, he didn't mind listening to a few of Song Wenyue's nagging words.
"She really taught the fifth child very well."
"That's right! A few days ago, when I was receiving my family, they all told me that the Fifth Prince had put forward several suggestions on water conservancy, which were highly praised by the court officials! They all told me to consult with Consort Shu and to make sure that the young prince is as outstanding as His Highness the Fifth Prince, so that he can share the Emperor's burdens!"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Wuji's smile lost its previous sincerity. He casually asked, "Oh? Fifth Brother is actually quite capable?"
"Indeed! I've heard that everyone in the court praises him!"
Yuwen Wuji scoffed, "He's just a child. No matter how capable he is, those people only say those flattering things because of me. It's only because you've heard them so much that you've started to believe them."
"Your Majesty is right. I was just envious of Consort Shu!"
Yuwen Wuji couldn't stand hearing her praise his son, so he had her and the child have dinner with him before sending her away.
After Song Wenyue left, Li Wei helped him lie down. Yuwen Wuji suddenly asked, "What has Prince Xuan been doing these days?"
"His Highness Prince Xuan is still investigating the assassin."
"It's been several months, and he still hasn't found out! Has the Crown Prince been cleared of suspicion?"
"This... I'll send someone to inquire later." Li Wei thought to himself, "The Emperor intends to release the Crown Prince."
Consort Zhen's flattery was truly effective; she knew the Emperor valued his power and health above all else. Her constant praise of the Fifth Prince only made the Emperor anxious.
If his health remains poor, the Crown Prince will have something to criticize him for. Once the Fifth Prince wins over the hearts of the court officials, they might force him to abdicate and become an emperor emeritus.
How could Yuwen Wuji tolerate such a thing happening? He was not yet forty years old, in the prime of his life. To make him abdicate now would be worse than making him kill this son.
The next day, the Crown Prince came out of the East Palace and went to the Qiankun Hall to express his gratitude to Yuwen Wuji.
The Crown Prince looked haggard, and it was clear that he had not been having a good time in the Eastern Palace these past few months.
"Get up." Yuwen Wuji sat on the bed. He could get out of bed and walk around now, but he would still feel short of breath if he walked too much.
"Your subject thanks Your Majesty!" The Crown Prince lowered his head. During this time, he and the Crown Princess Tao had been in the Eastern Palace together, and the two of them had figured out why the Emperor had taken so long to release him.
He wanted to give his son a warning, to tell him that even though he was now the crown prince, he was still not the emperor. In this world, only the emperor had supreme power, and only the emperor had the right to decide a person's life and death.
"Father, I have never done anything to betray you! You must believe me!" He looked aggrieved, like a child whose candy had been taken away, seeking his father's support.
"I know it wasn't you, but you're stupid too, otherwise how could you have been so easily driven into a corner!"
The crown prince immediately burst into tears, "Father, your son...your son is incompetent!"
Seeing the Crown Prince like this, Yuwen Wuji felt much better. He didn't need a crown prince who was better than him in every way; he just needed to occupy the position of crown prince to shut up the old ministers.
It's good that the Crown Prince is so mediocre.
"If you're incompetent, then learn more! Look at your fifth brother, he's in court now, and so many people praise him. You're so much older than your fifth brother, you can't let him outdo you!"
The Crown Prince immediately kowtowed, "Your subject will be careful and cautious in the future and will never make the same mistake again!"
"Get out!"
After the Crown Prince thanked the Emperor and left, King Xuan arrived carrying a thick stack of documents.
"Your Majesty, I have found out who ordered the assassins at Huangjue Temple."
"Who?" Yuwen Wuji's voice was cold and deep, his tone filled with intense killing intent.
"It is the disgraced concubine Gao Ping."
"What did you say!" Yuwen Wuji was momentarily incredulous. "Wasn't she atoning for her sins at the Xie family ancestral graves?"
"I sent people to the Xie family ancestral tombs. Consort Gao Ping was indeed atoning for her sins, but before she left the capital for Chenliu, the Crown Prince, feeling sorry for his birth mother, gave his seal to Consort Gao. During her time of serving her sentence, Gao Ping could not bear such humiliation, so she used the Crown Prince's seal to order the assassination of the royal family."
Yuwen Wuji was furious. He clutched his chest, unable to accept that his current broken body was a result of this woman!
"Fool! Fool! How could you give away the Crown Prince's seal so easily!" Yuwen Wuji pounded the bed in anger, but at this moment, he couldn't severely punish the Crown Prince. He still wanted the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince to check and balance each other, thus consolidating his own power.
"Your Majesty, please don't be angry!" Li Wei stepped forward and gently patted Yuwen Wuji's back to help him catch his breath.
It took Yuwen Wuji a while to catch his breath before he said, "Kill Gao Ping to vent my hatred!"
"Your Majesty, Gao Ping has committed suicide out of fear of punishment," Prince Xuan quietly announced.
This made Yuwen Wuji feel powerless, like punching cotton. He had anger but couldn't vent it, and it was extremely uncomfortable with it stuck in his chest!
"Your Majesty, this case..." This is crucial to the Crown Prince's future. If it is recorded in the archives in this way, the Crown Prince will have no chance of ascending the throne in the future.
Yuwen Wuji paused for a moment, then said, "No need for public announcement, just file it as is."
King Xuan lowered his eyes, immediately bowed and withdrew.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave. Please take good care of yourself!"
Li Wei helped Yuwen Wuji lie down, and Yuwen Wuji cursed, "Bitch! What a bitch! I should have killed her back then!"
As he continued cursing, Yuwen Wuji suddenly fainted.
Li Wei covered him with the blanket, feeling a sense of relief; finally, there was peace.
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