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"It must be tiring carrying me on your back, right?"
The Western Garden Palace, which was renovated by the Ministry of Works under the order of Emperor Xingwu, was divided into the Inner Palace and the Front Court. In addition to the offices of the Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and the residences of accompanying officials, Emperor Xingwu also had a circle of palace walls built on the southeast side and named it Nansuo. Six small courtyards with two entrances were also built in Nansuo, which were given to clan members who were not suitable to live in the Inner Palace.
The Yongwang family and the Yongkang family each chose a courtyard.
Although Yongkang felt a little uncomfortable, he accepted the arrangement when he thought that his younger sister would have to live in Nanso after she got married, and that his second and third brothers would also have to live in Nanso like his uncle when they came to the palace after his younger brother ascended the throne.
After two days of traveling, Yongkang decided not to climb Feiying Peak. He slept comfortably for a long time. When he woke up, he took the children for a walk to the imperial concubine's place. He then called a few wives of officials and young wives with whom he got along to enjoy the scenery together. When the sun rose high and became brighter, Yongkang returned to Nanso to rest.
When the son-in-law Fu Kui came back drunk, Yongkang's lunch was almost over. He ordered Fu Kui to take a bath before allowing him to lie down on the bed.
Drinking to liven up the atmosphere, the princess and her husband, who were still young even though they had been married for six years, naturally made a fuss.
After the meeting, Fu Kui wanted to sleep, but Yongkang would not let him. He asked, "You set out so early this morning and have been accompanying the emperor for three full hours. Did anything new happen?"
Fu Kui thought, when he was climbing the mountain with a group of familiar noble sons, playing and joking around wasn't anything new. At the banquet, the emperor and his meritorious officials didn't discuss state affairs, preferring to reminisce about the heroic days of their youth. The younger generation had almost memorized the stories by heart. As for novelty...
Fu Kui could only think of one thing, and said in a tone of amusement, "Prime Minister Yan is so bold! He even dared to ask the Emperor if he wanted to teach Princess Qingyang to become a meddling princess."
It seems that Prime Minister Yan has put forward two expectations that the emperor might choose, but which wise monarch would condone the princess's interference in politics? So Prime Minister Yan was warning the emperor to quickly restrain Princess Qingyang. As expected, the emperor listened to the advice and made it clear at the end of the banquet that he did not want to continue to condone Princess Qingyang's mischief in the former court.
Qingyang interferes in politics?
Yongkang's face darkened. He pinched the sleepy prince consort twice and asked him to explain the whole cause and effect.
Fu Kui was both hurt and annoyed, but who made him marry the emperor's daughter?
But the matter was actually very simple. Leaving aside the two paragraphs in which the little princess refuted Prime Minister Yan, Fu Kui finished speaking quickly. Seeing Yongkang sitting beside him in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking about, Fu Kui took the opportunity to fall asleep as he wished.
Yongkang's head was filled with the words that Yan Xiang used to praise his sister: talented, persevering, touring the country, and making acquaintances with important officials!
The emperor has three sons. No matter how much he loves his younger sister, he will never pass the throne to her. No matter how incompetent the emperor was in the past, he never did such a thing. What he is afraid of is that the emperor will continue to indulge his younger sister. The overly intelligent sister will really develop ambitions because of this indulgence. She herself cannot sit on the throne, but she can use her intelligence and the power she has gained by winning over ministers to support her third brother!
Don't say that women don't have this ability. Even if Yongkang has little education, he has heard that there was an Empress Dowager Lu in the Han Dynasty who controlled her descendants and emperors and presided over the court. If my sister really wants to have this idea, my third brother's lazy and useless character is just right for him to be a puppet emperor!
All kinds of thoughts came to his mind one after another, and Yongkang became more and more frightened. He was so busy preventing his second and third brothers from competing with his younger brother for the position of crown prince that he almost neglected Qingyang, the little girl most favored by his father.
Leaving her sleeping husband behind, Yongkang put on her clothes and went to the study, where she pondered for a long time. When the wind outside the window became cooler, Yongkang took the palace maid to the inner palace.
She first went to visit her sister whose legs were sore that she couldn't stand up. When she learned that her sister was taking a break due to overwork, Yongkang then "took the opportunity" to go to the prince's palace.
Qin Hong was called by his father to play chess and talk. It was already past the break. As the crown prince, it was not convenient for him to sleep in. Qin Hong simply went to the study. Although he could not concentrate on reading, it was a quiet place for him to savor the way of being a king that his father taught him.
"Your Highness, the eldest princess is looking for you." Dequan said behind the curtain.
Qin Hong: "..."
It has been like this since he was a child. Every time he went to see his grandmother, the imperial concubine, the beautiful concubine, or his father who occasionally came back alone, his eldest sister would ask him again.
Qin Hong didn't like it, but he knew his elder sister meant well, and he felt sorry for her hard work protecting him when she was still a child. So he sighed and was about to move to the living room to see his elder sister when his elder sister's puzzled voice suddenly rang out from a place a little further away from Bi Dequan: "Why is there no sound? Did the prince get tired from reading and fall asleep?"
Qin Hong quickened his pace, lifted the curtain between the study and the main room, and immediately saw his elder sister walking in from the outer door of the main room and only a few steps away from the inner door.
Qin Hong smiled and asked, "Why did you come here, elder sister? Didn't you see Wen Rong?"
Logically speaking, Wen Rong should invite her elder sister to the living room for tea.
Yongkang said impatiently, "I came to see you. I don't need her to entertain me. Okay, Dequan, you go guard outside and don't let anyone get close."
Dequan bent over and stole a glance at the prince.
Qin Hong waved his hand, lifted the curtain, and invited his elder sister to come inside to talk.
What Yongkang wanted to talk about was his sister, reminding his younger brother to be wary of his sister's possible ambitions in the future, including his father's excessive partiality towards his sister.
Qin Hong's head ached after hearing the beginning, and he said unhappily, "Prime Minister Yan is being overly suspicious. Why is my elder sister like this? Qingyang is only nine years old, what does she understand? And the emperor has no intention of condoning her meddling in government affairs."
Yongkang: "Qingyang is young now, but she will grow up. Okay, we'll talk about her when she grows up. As for the emperor, how can you be sure that he doesn't have this idea? He has been doting on Concubine Li for many years. Isn't it common for emperors to be fooled by their favorite concubines?"
Qin Hong looked at his sister in disbelief: "That's father, you, you..."
Yongkang sneered, "So what if Father is so great? He has five biological children, but you and I are the only ones born from the same mother. We are the only ones who are connected even if we are broken bones. We can talk about brotherly love for other things, but there is only one throne, and in Father's heart, it probably doesn't matter which of his three sons sits on it. After all, his family business didn't fall into the hands of outsiders. But it's different for us. No matter whether the second or third brother sits on the throne, life will not be easy for you and me."
Qin Hong had heard enough of similar remarks, and even seeing his elder sister's stern and fierce face made him feel annoyed and irritated. He sat closer to her, but turned his head in another direction and whispered, "You're the only one who thinks of our father as crazy. After we came back, our father told me in person that he loved Qingyang only because he was young, and that I was the future emperor he chose. He also told me to be caring and strict with Qingyang, and to put the emperor's authority before personal feelings."
Yongkang asked in surprise, "Really?"
Qin Hong nodded, still turning his head away.
Yongkang thought for a moment and scoffed, "Perhaps Father is just saying a few nice words to coax you, fearing that you will alienate his most precious little princess because of Prime Minister Yan's reminder."
Qin Hong didn't want to engage in the intrigues of siblings, nor did he want his sister to be suspicious of him. After he said that, his sister actually went so far as to frame their father. Impulsive, Qin Hong clutched his thigh and turned around to tell his sister the truth: "Father didn't say Qingyang, he was talking about our two princesses. Don't spoil either of them!"
Yongkang felt as if those words had really stabbed him in the chest. He opened his mouth in shock but couldn't make a sound.
Qin Hong felt uncomfortable watching this, and continued to lean to the other side, waiting silently.
Yongkang's eyes were a little blurry. What she saw was not her brother, but more like her father who had rarely hugged her.
The emperor puts his power before personal feelings. There is nothing wrong in his father letting his younger brother treat Qingyang and his second and third brothers in this way, but she is his elder sister. As his elder sister, she has taken care of his younger brother more than his father and his mother and grandmother who died early. It’s bad enough that his father doesn’t love her, but he also doesn’t allow his younger brother to love her!
Qin Hong glanced over secretly and saw that his sister was still sitting there motionless, tears streaming down her face.
Qin Hong quickly took out a handkerchief and went over to wipe his sister's tears.
Yongkang turned his back and said, "You are the prince, you don't have to care about me!"
Qin Hong held his sister's shoulders. "Alright, don't you usually want me to be tougher? What Father said means the same thing. He said that because he hopes I will be a dignified emperor. If Father really wants to replace my second and third brothers or even let Qingyang interfere in politics, what else can he teach me?"
Yongkang believed it and asked his brother with red eyes: "What about me? Am I your sister or a married outsider?"
Qin Hong: "Of course it's my sister!"
Yongkang wiped his face and gritted his teeth, saying, "I don't care whether my father loves me or not, but you can't. Just like my father loves Qingyang, you must love me the same way in the future."
Qin Hong: "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever my sister says."
.
After being visited by his mother, the imperial concubine, and his father, the emperor, and his elder sister, Qingyang had a good night's sleep. When he woke up in the morning, he first lifted the quilt and lifted his legs, then got out of bed and walked around. After making sure that his calves were only a little sore, Qingyang was very happy. He had breakfast by himself and then went next door to find his third brother.
Fu An came out to greet him, his face complicated. "Princess, His Highness had me lock the door to the main hall last night and then throw the key through the crack in the door. He said he wouldn't get up early unless the Emperor sent someone to knock on the door."
Qingyang: “…”
He walked a few more steps to find his second brother, but he hadn't gotten up yet. Qingyang looked at his eldest brother and sister-in-law, then went to pay his respects to his father.
The first three days after arriving at the Western Garden were all rest days. Emperor Xingwu, who had been diligent in his work for many years, also wanted to take a good rest for a few days. He said to the little princess, "Your Majesty wants to go for a stroll alone. Lin'er, please ask some friends to play with you. You can play whatever you want, but you must pay attention to safety. Especially you are not allowed to ride horses alone."
Qingyang: "Okay, then I'll go fishing in the lake."
Emperor Xingwu: "Well, I'll be leaving first. You can go and invite your friends half an hour later. They may be sleeping in right now."
Qingyang was too lazy to wait. After seeing her father off, she called two eunuchs who were responsible for running errands and delivering messages. One went to the lake to prepare a cruise ship and two fishing gear, and the other went to the official residence to call Zhang Su.
After sitting with his mother for a while, Qingyang brought Jie Yu to Xijing Gate. Sure enough, Zhang Su, wearing an indigo round-necked brocade robe and a study-companion badge around his waist, was already waiting there.
Qingyang smiled at him, pointed in the direction of the lake and said, "Let's go."
Zhang Su glanced towards Xijing Gate again and asked, "Has His Majesty the Third Prince already set out?"
Qingyang hummed, "Third brother is still sleeping in. Maybe he'll come find us when he wakes up."
Zhang Su lowered his eyes, his vision focused on the little princess's white skirt. "How's your leg? Would it be best if you could rest for a couple of days?"
Qingyang: “…”
The little princess turned back and stood in front of the boy, who was much taller than her. She raised her head so that she could meet his eyes, which always seemed to be downcast. Then she asked angrily, "Are you laughing at me for not being able to stand up yesterday?"
Zhang Su immediately knelt on one knee: "I dare not, I am just worried about your highness's young age..."
"Since you're worried, then carry me over!"
The little princess, who had a stern face just now, suddenly smiled, and in a blink of an eye she went around behind Zhang Su and pounced on him, putting her arms around his neck.
Zhang Su quickly supported himself with his left hand and steadied himself. He glanced at the hem of Jie Yu's clothes a few steps away and said helplessly, "I'll accompany Your Highness to the lake. Carrying Your Highness all the way there would cause gossip. Your Highness should walk on your own or take the sedan chair."
Qingyang rested his head on his shoulder: "What gossip, you said it yourself, I am still young, and my legs are still sore, so I want you to carry me."
The two little arms hugged tighter and tighter.
Zhang Su's persuasion was useless, so he had to stand up with the little princess on his back.
There is a stone road from Xijingmen to the lake. On both sides of the stone road are flat and wide grasslands, and a few wild flowers occasionally bloom in the green grass.
Qingyang admired the scenery for a while, then looked at Zhang Su's face. Thinking of how his face had almost turned purple after going down the mountain yesterday, Qingyang asked, "It must be tiring carrying me on your back on such a high mountain, right?"
Zhang Su: "Not bad."
Qingyang: "Actually, you could have woken me up and put me down. It's not like I can't walk at all."
Zhang Su did not respond.
He was indeed very tired, but the little princess was sleeping so soundly that he didn't have the heart to call her.
【Author’s words】
[Three-color cat head][Three-color cat head][Three-color cat head]
100 little red envelopes, see you in the evening~
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