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◎It doesn't matter if they didn't expect it, she has already walked in front of them.◎
Qin Hong's dethronement came as a bolt from the blue to the Imperial Concubine and the Concubine Li, with no sign of it happening beforehand.
Upon learning that the Emperor not only deposed the Crown Prince but also demanded that the eldest son and his family move out of the palace immediately, the Imperial Concubine first took Concubine Li to the Qianyuan Palace to plead for the Crown Prince. However, they were turned away by He Yuanjing, who said that the Emperor was recuperating and would not see anyone. This made Concubine Li, the most favored concubine in the harem, so anxious that she broke the rules for the first time. She cried and begged the Emperor to come out at the door, but Emperor Xingwu still refused to see her.
It was the Imperial Concubine who persuaded the Li Concubine, and the two concubines went to Chongyuan Palace together to visit yesterday's Crown Prince and today's Prince An.
At that time, Qin Hong was busy moving. He sent the two concubines away to prove to them that he was willing to resign and that it was his dream. He also told them that he had other arrangements when he left the palace and asked them not to come and see him off.
The sincere smile on the eldest prince's face blocked all the advice from the second concubine.
Concubine Li followed the Imperial Concubine to the West Palace in a panic.
She knew about the punishment of the Crown Prince and Yongkang siblings, but from that day on, the Emperor never summoned her to spend the night in Qianyuan Palace again.
The emperor is almost sixty years old. He has not been active in that kind of things in the past two years. He has been made sick by his two children. It is natural for him to want to recuperate in peace and quiet. Concubine Li has no extra thoughts except worrying about the emperor's health. Who would have thought that after not seeing the emperor for only ten days, the father and son would team up to make such a deafening move?
Now that the crown prince has been deposed, is there any possibility of reinstating the eldest prince?
If it is certain that the eldest son will not be made emperor, then...
Concubine Li looked at the Imperial Concubine who was half a step ahead in panic. Oh my God, the Imperial Concubine wouldn't suspect that she was interfering, would she? Did the Imperial Concubine want Prince Jing to take that position?
At this moment, the imperial concubine turned around and looked at her, and Li Fei quickly lowered her eyelashes and avoided her.
There are only two concubines in the harem, how could the Imperial Concubine not understand the Li Concubine?
Just seeing that the emperor hasn't summoned Concubine Li to accompany him recently, we know that the matter of deposing the crown prince has nothing to do with Concubine Li, and the emperor doesn't want Concubine Li to be involved.
As for the new crown prince in the emperor's mind, it is even less likely to be her brave but foolish and self-willed Bing'er.
The Imperial Concubine gently took Li Fei's arm and led her forward: "Don't worry, the Emperor will make his own decision."
There is no point in worrying too much. No one can make the emperor's decision, so they should just wait patiently.
By dusk, all the things belonging to Prince An's family in Chongyuan Palace were sent to the magnificent mansion, which had just taken down the plaque of "Princess Qingyang's Mansion" and had not yet prepared a new one.
The people in the capital all knew that Emperor Xingwu treated the two princesses and the two princes equally, and the mansions and titles he awarded them were the same. In addition, the little princess was the most favored. So even though the little princess's mansion looked as big as the eldest princess's and the two princes' mansions from the outside, the people would secretly speculate that Emperor Xingwu had subsidized the little princess with money from other places, and the wood, stone, paint, various utensils, and garden scenery used to build the mansion must be the best among the four mansions.
The truth is not important. What is important is that officials and people may be surprised that the emperor has really deposed the prince, but they will never think that the emperor has wronged Prince An by giving the little princess's mansion to Prince An. Even if a new Prince An mansion is rebuilt, the new Prince An mansion will never be better than the little princess's.
The people just gathered outside Prince An's mansion to watch the excitement. In Qianyuan Hall, Emperor Xingwu had been lying on the bed for most of the day. When he opened his eyes, his head was full of things. When he was too tired to hold on, he fell asleep. He woke up from sleep again and again, and when he opened his eyes again, he found that the tent was pitch black. There were two lamps lit outside that could barely illuminate the furnishings in the room.
Emperor Xingwu sat up.
He Yuanjing, who had been guarding behind the screen, immediately rushed over with his back bent.
Emperor Xingwu rubbed his forehead and asked, "What time is it?"
He Yuanjing: "It's 25 minutes to the hour of Xu."
Emperor Xingwu: "Have you finished moving everything?"
He Yuanjing said in a low voice: "Yes."
Emperor Xingwu was silent for a moment, then ordered, "Send someone to check again. If there's anything missing, send it back. If not, lock the gate."
He Yuanjing then understood that Prince An's family would never move back.
After He Yuanjing left, Emperor Xingwu lay down again, and the scenes from his son's resignation in the morning to his receiving the imperial edict and expressing his gratitude appeared before his eyes again.
The son who had been afraid of him for more than 20 years, the prince who had been indecisive and timid for more than ten years and wanted to share his worries, actually showed the decisiveness and courage he had longed for when he resigned from the position of crown prince.
Emperor Xingwu was really angry because his son was useless when he should have been. But Emperor Xingwu also really loved him. He loved his son even though he was useless. However, he was filial to his father and kind to his siblings. He was a good child.
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Emperor Xingwu had deposed the crown prince, but he had not yet announced it to the world, nor had he immediately assigned a task to Prince An. Only the people in the capital heard about this, and at most the news was spread by the passing merchant caravans.
Prince An moved away, and Emperor Xingwu continued to recuperate in Qianyuan Hall. All state affairs were handed over to the Secretariat. Except for the two prime ministers who could enter Qianyuan Hall to report in the morning, Emperor Xingwu would not see anyone else.
Half a month passed in a flash, and when everyone in the capital knew about the prince's dethronement, on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, the triumphant Princess Qingyang sent someone to deliver a memorial to the capital, saying that the army had arrived in Xiuwu County and was expected to arrive in the capital on the morning of the third day of the twelfth lunar month.
Like a wisp of spring breeze blowing into the Qianyuan Hall, Emperor Xingwu finally smiled again after reading the memorial, and personally presided over the court meeting the next morning.
Not only did Emperor Xingwu attend court, he also summoned Prince An, who had been staying indoors for half a month.
When they were waiting outside the hall just now, it was pitch black everywhere. The officials in the back couldn't even see the figure of Prince An in front of them. Yan Xizheng, Lu Zan and others who were close by couldn't see Prince An's appearance either. After entering the hall, where the candles were bright, these important officials secretly observed Prince An and saw that his thin face had gained some flesh and his complexion was more rosy!
Lü Zan: “…”
Very good, very good. As long as the son-in-law is willing to step down, the new prince will not regard him as a thorn in his side, nor will he regard him as a general who may rebel with the deposed prince at any time!
Duke Lu, who had lost weight from worrying so much, silently comforted himself in his heart.
Emperor Xingwu, sitting on the dragon throne, scoffed at the sight of his eldest son, who looked so refreshed. "Well, turn around and show the civil and military officials! You've pissed me off so much I've been confined to my bed for half a month, while you've been eating and sleeping well and gaining some weight. It seems I've really been keeping you caged for the past decade!"
Qin Hong was not as shameless as his third brother. He was indeed too excited on the day he left the palace. He was so excited that he said whatever he wanted to say and didn't care what the ministers thought. Now he had calmed down a long time ago, and the propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame that he should follow had returned. When Qin Hong turned around to show the ministers after being ridiculed by his father, his face showed a bit of embarrassment.
Just embarrassed, no regrets.
After letting the ministers crane their necks and lean their bodies to watch for a while, Qin Hong silently turned around, knelt on the ground and said, "I am an unfilial son and have caused your father great distress."
Emperor Xingwu: "It's okay if you're injured. I don't have many years left to live anyway. I just hope you can escape from this suffering and live a long and healthy life."
At this moment, all the civil and military officials in the court knelt down and begged the emperor to stop speaking angry words.
Emperor Xingwu waved his hand, asking everyone to stand. He sighed, "It's all because of Prince An that I'm feeling down. But my daughter, Lin'er, is returning to the capital. She's made a tremendous contribution to the Great Qi, securing at least twenty years of peace along the border for the people of Great Qi. I should happily go to greet her, and the victorious soldiers, instead of being sickly and spoiling their fun."
The ministers hurriedly said some auspicious words of congratulation to make the emperor happier.
Emperor Xingwu laughed for a moment, then said to Prince An, "Deposing the Crown Prince is both a state and a family matter. I don't want Lin'er and your second brother to misunderstand that I am cruel and heartless and must depose you, so you should leave the capital now to fetch them. You should explain things to them in person, and have the brothers and sisters return in a few days in peace. Don't let the people think that our Qin family is about to engage in a drama of fratricide for the throne."
Qin Hong: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will explain it clearly."
Emperor Xingwu nodded, then looked at the third son beside him and said, "You go with your eldest brother. Remember to put on your cloak. My third son is afraid of the cold. Don't freeze to death outside."
He finally remembered the two small hot water bottles that the third brother threw out.
Qin Ren was ridiculed so much that he couldn't even raise his head. He walked out with an embarrassed look on his face behind his elder brother. Qin Hong, who had such a younger brother, didn't look very happy either.
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The two brothers rode on horseback with a team of imperial guards to the north bank of the Yellow River, while the 70,000 troops in Qingyang continued to march towards the capital at a speed of 60 to 70 miles a day.
Qingyang didn't know that her eldest and third brothers were on their way. At dusk at the end of the month, the army was about to set up camp again. Because it would be a busy period, Qingyang waited outside the camp first, with Qin Bing and Zhang Su by her side.
Qingyang glanced at Zhang Su's hand holding the reins and asked, "Have you used the frostbite cream I gave you?"
While marching in the cold winter, many soldiers developed frostbite, including Qingyang. However, as soon as the signs appeared, Jie Yu took out the frostbite ointment prescribed by the imperial physician, so Qingyang's hands and feet were not frozen too severely.
Zhang Su's hand was just a little red and swollen, and he didn't pay much attention to it. He didn't expect the princess to notice it.
"I've used it. Thank you, Your Highness, for the medicine." Zhang Su said respectfully.
Qin Bing wasn't afraid of the howling north wind, but Zhang Su's words gave him goosebumps. He touched his arm and looked at Zhang Su: "No way, you and your sister are already engaged, and there's no outsider here, so why are you still so rigid?"
Zhang Su did not answer. Not to mention that Prince Jing was there, even if Prince Jing was not there, he would not forget the rules in front of the princess.
Qingyang smiled and looked at the camp that was gradually being set up. Her memory went back to the day when Zhang Su and her second brother's special forces had just returned to the Jizhou camp. She did not look at Zhang Su much because of her status as a military supervisor and the dignity of a princess. Zhang Su also kept his distance and did not take the initiative to show any intimacy between an engaged couple.
Qingyang likes Zhang Su like this. She wants to establish her authority in the army instead of flirting with her husband all the time.
Just as they were about to enter the camp, a group of galloping horses suddenly appeared in the distance.
Fan Huaizhong, who was guarding at a distance, immediately brought his personal soldiers to the two princes.
Only after recognizing the faces of the Crown Prince and Prince Xian did Fan Huaizhong lead his men back to their original positions.
Qingyang spurred his horse forward in surprise, "Big Brother, Third Brother, why are you here?"
Qin Hong smiled and said, "Father asked us to come and pick you up."
Qin Ren couldn't laugh because the girl opposite him had lost weight and was tanned. It was obvious that she had suffered a lot, and he felt sorry for her!
At this time, Prince Yong, Hou Wanzhong, Deng Kun, Fu Kui, Meng Changhe, Cheng Zhixu and other military officers rushed over. Except for Prince Yong who was still standing, the others knelt down and saluted the prince.
Qin Ren felt even more heartbroken. Qin Hong said frankly, "Half a month ago, I resigned the throne of Crown Prince from my father. Now I have been granted the title of Prince An. I don't blame you for not knowing this time. Don't call me by the wrong name next time."
Hou Wanzhong and others: "..."
Prince Yong, Qin Bing, and Zhang Su and Fan Huaizhong, who had just tried to pay their respects but were stopped by Qin Hong, also began to doubt their ears.
Qin Hong said ashamedly, "This is a long story. The generals will know the whole story after returning to the capital, so I won't explain it any further."
Hou Wanzhong and the others didn't dare ask the prince for an explanation. They quickly put away their displeasure and escorted the five royal uncles and nephews into the main tent before leaving. As Deng Kun left, he subconsciously glanced at Zhang Su, who met his gaze, puzzled, until Deng Kun looked away first.
Inside the big tent, Qin Hong told his closest relatives what had happened in detail.
Prince Yong was so angry that he slammed the table and said, "What a trivial matter, is it worth resigning?"
Qin Hong: "It has nothing to do with this punishment. I've been exhausted for a long time. My second brother and sister-in-law don't know about my headache. Uncle Wang has been in Beijing all year. Can't he see that my body really can't take it anymore?"
Prince Yong was speechless, and didn't really want to speak. His eyelids drooped, and in his ears was his son's analysis of who would be more beneficial to his son as the crown prince before he left Beijing.
The eldest nephew is the most cowardly and the most likely to give up his position. The second nephew is as tough as him. The third nephew has no bones, but he has a little niece behind him who has even tougher bones than him.
Uncle Wang had said everything Qin Bing wanted to say. Then, looking at his eldest brother, who was determined to resign the crown prince's position, and noticing the dejected look on the face of his third brother beside him, Qin Bing suddenly had an idea: "If my eldest brother doesn't take the throne, then who will? Ah, eldest brother, you're not giving up the throne to me just because I've made military achievements, are you? That won't do. I only know how to fight, not the job of a crown prince!"
He even had a headache dealing with the civil servants on his southern tour, and dealing with important officials like Yan Xizheng all day long was even more stressful.
Qin Ren suddenly raised his head and said, "I can't do it either. You two can do it if you want. I won't do it!"
When the second nephew spoke, the prince looked at the second nephew; when the third nephew spoke, the prince looked at the third nephew. Seeing that neither of them wanted to be the prince, the prince breathed a sigh of relief and said to the eldest nephew, "You are the eldest son. No matter how hard or tiring it is, you have to bear it. Don't worry. When you return to the capital, your uncle will talk to the emperor on your behalf and ask him to reinstate you. Just don't be embarrassed."
Qin Bing and Qin Ren nodded in unison, then stared at their eldest brother to prove their sincerity.
Qin Hong smiled and said, "If you don't want me to be the Prince of An, I will continue to ask my father to depose me as a commoner, so that you can believe in my determination."
Qin Bing and Qin Ren: "..."
Qin Hong: "Alright, I only have the qualifications to resign the crown prince position. I don't have the qualifications to advise the emperor on who to appoint as the crown prince. I don't have that, and neither do you. That's the emperor's concern. You just need to do your part and avoid making your own decisions."
Only after dealing with Uncle Wang and his two younger brothers did Qin Hong have time to visit his most sensible sister.
Qingyang could see the strength of his elder brother's resolve, so he smiled at him and said, "I will listen to you. I hope that after you have resolved your worries, you will never have to worry about any more headaches and live a long and happy life."
Qin Hong knew that among his brothers and sisters, his sister understood him best.
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With two more royal brothers around him and the incident of the deposed crown prince, Qingyang did not have the opportunity to be alone with Zhang Su on the rest of the march. However, Zhang Su has always been calm and composed. Even if Zhang Su could not guess his father's intentions, he would not cause any trouble because of his cautious words and actions.
On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, the army was about to arrive in Beijing, escorting the brothers Yelu Chong and Yelu Xu, who were still hanging on to their lives, as well as their wives, concubines and children.
As the military supervisor of the Northern Expedition, Qing Yangru wore the bright yellow armor when she set out, riding alone on horseback in the front. She heard her second brother wanting her eldest brother and Uncle Wang to follow closely behind her, and her eldest brother insisting on following Uncle Wang and her second brother with her third brother.
They were all familiar voices, reminding Qingyang of the situations in which his three royal brothers and the prince's uncle either persuaded or rejected the position of crown prince.
At that time, Qingyang felt that the four uncles and nephews were very noisy, including her closest third brother.
She was still close to her third brother and respected her eldest brother, but that didn't stop her from disliking their noisy behavior, just like the back and forth they were doing now, which was both noisy and ridiculous.
Because she is the younger sister, the princess, so even though she is well-known for her virtue and is feared throughout the grassland, they still don't think of her?
Touching his mount, which seemed to have been disturbed by them, Qingyang looked up in the direction of the capital.
It doesn’t matter if they don’t expect it, she has already walked ahead of them.
【Author’s words】
Humph, these four uncles and nephews are all idiots!
100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!
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