Chapter 6 The family listened to Xia Miaoyuan complaining about the villain's conspiracy
"Where is Miao'er? I just finished reviewing the memorials and came to see you right away!" Xia Zhengqi's deep voice came.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"
"Your father, I pay my respects!"
The Queen and the Crown Prince bowed to Xia Zhengqi at the same time.
"No need to be polite!"
Xia Zhengqi took a few steps forward, supported the Queen, and then curled his lips towards the Crown Prince: "Chengwan, I guessed that after you left Yu's study, you must have stayed with your mother to see your sister."
"Ruoyu, ask the small kitchen to prepare a few more dishes that Chengwan likes. I will have dinner with you tonight." Xia Zhengqi turned to the Queen and said.
The Queen responded while instructing the palace maids.
Xia Zhengqi took the little princess from the prince's arms, and said with a smile: "Let father see if my baby has gained weight again!"
"Father, you don't seem to have washed your hands. You should wash your hands before holding your sister."
The prince: Humph, you're trying to grab her right after you come. My lovely sister, I haven't held her enough yet.
"I washed my hands in Yu's study." Xia Zhengqi muttered.
[Although Da Guoguo and father have similar eyebrows and eyes, Da Guoguo has a bit more heroic spirit, while father is more elegant.]
Xia Zhengqi: Tell me, do you like your big brother or your father more?
The prince: Yeah, my sister praised me! My sister said I have a heroic spirit.
The father and son carried the little princess into the main hall, entertaining the child while chatting about interesting things outside the palace.
In the main hall of Cining Palace, a sumptuous family banquet was set up. The empress, the emperor, and the crown prince sat around the table, and the nanny stood beside them holding Xia Miaoyuan.
On the table, sweet and sour pork tenderloin and steamed sea bass were steaming and emitting bursts of fragrance. Several plates of fried seasonal vegetables were bright in color, and a large bowl of bamboo fungus pigeon soup was milky white and tempting.
Xia Zhengqi was the first to pick up his chopsticks, and the family chatted while eating.
[Woo woo... I smell the sweet and sour pork tenderloin, so fragrant, and the smell of steamed fish and pigeon soup. Help... Even the white rice is so fragrant, woo woo... It's drilling into my nose...]
Xia Miaoyuan kicked her little feet desperately, babbling, expressing her dissatisfaction.
[Why do you guys get to eat so much but I can only drink milk? I don't want to drink milk! I want to eat delicious rice and meat. Rice and sweet and sour pork tenderloin are a perfect match...]
As a qualified foodie, Xia Miaoyuan felt aggrieved when she thought that she couldn't eat these delicious meals for at least a year.
Xia Zhengqi, the queen and the prince all tried hard to hold back their laughter.
The queen raised her eyes to look at Xia Miaoyuan and said softly: "Miao'er, do you want to eat with your father and mother? You are still too young and you don't even have teeth. How can you eat?"
Xia Miaoyuan stopped kicking angrily, tears of unwillingness filling his eyes.
[Humph, why? It's too torturous to look at a table full of delicious food but not be able to eat. 】
"Our Miao'er is so smart. She can understand what adults say at such a young age." Xia Zhengqi's eyes were full of doting. "
Yes, my sister is as beautiful as a jade doll, and she is so smart. She is so lovable." The prince echoed.
[When I grow teeth, I will eat them all. Sweet and sour pork tenderloin, braised chicken legs, steamed fish... eat them all. 】
Xia Miaoyuan clenched her two small fists tightly and muttered viciously in her heart.
The emperor, the empress, and the prince pretended to be indifferent and ate silently.
"Your Majesty, it's bad! The 800-yuan express document just arrived!" Eunuch Debao looked panicked, trotting into the main hall, and handed the express document to Xia Zhengqi.
Xia Zhengqi put down his bowl and chopsticks, took the document and opened it to read.
His face suddenly darkened, and he clenched his right fist and slammed it hard on the edge of the table.
Upon seeing this, the empress and the prince also put down their bowls and chopsticks and looked at Xia Zhengqi with solemn expressions.
Xia Zhengqi was a gentle person and he seldom expressed his emotions so intensely.
"What's wrong, father?"
"There was a flood in the Qianjiang River, and most of the province downstream was flooded..." Xia Zhengqi gritted his teeth.
Xia Miaoyuan had just finished having a tantrum and was lying in the arms of his wet nurse. He was about to fall asleep, but when he heard the words "Qianjiang flood", he was startled and woke up again.
[Qianjiang flood? Yes, it was this time that the prince was framed and lost power in the court. From then on, he fell into decline. 】
Xia Zhengqi, the empress, and the prince all tensed up.
"Your Majesty, please calm down and don't worry about your health." The empress tried to cover up her expression and comforted the emperor. While she was talking, she was paying attention to her daughter's thoughts.
【I remember that after the Qianjiang River flooded, the emperor father called a meeting of ministers to discuss disaster relief. Jiang Taishi's cronies deliberately recommended the prince to go and be the general person in charge of disaster relief. 】
【As the crown prince, the prince should be trained. If this job is done well, it will be a great achievement. The emperor father naturally agreed happily. But he didn't know that Jiang Taishi had already set a trap, waiting for the prince to jump into the pot. 】
【The prince was working diligently in the disaster area, wholeheartedly for the people. But the inspector and governor of Jiangxia Province were all the people of Grand Tutor Jiang. They cooperated with the prince on the surface, but secretly embezzled most of the disaster relief funds. 】
Hearing this, Xia Zhengqi, the queen, and the prince were all so angry that they gritted their teeth.
【The victims of the disaster could not get help and had no food to eat, so naturally there was resentment. Several hundred healthy victims gathered together and kept making trouble. Later, the matter spread to the capital, and the emperor conducted a thorough investigation, but found evidence that the prince had embezzled money. The whole court was in uproar, and the emperor was furious. 】
Xia Zhengqi and the empress heard this and cursed in their hearts: Master Jiang, you old man are really bad!
【Alas, the prince cried out for injustice, but the evidence was solid and there was no excuse.】
Xia Miaoyuan sighed and continued to recall.
【At that time, the empress mother had passed away, and her maternal grandfather's family was far away in the northern border. The harem was controlled by Empress Dowager Jiang, and the court was controlled by Master Jiang. Except for my third uncle who was the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple and the prince's teacher Yan Wenjing, no one pleaded for him.】
【Although the emperor father was reluctant to abolish his position as the prince, he only punished him by not being allowed to attend court for a year and to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. But since then, his status has plummeted, and the voices supporting him in the court have disappeared. 】
When Xia Zhengqi, the Queen, and the Crown Prince heard this, they felt as if something was stuck in their throats and were so angry that they could hardly speak.
[Strange, why don't the three of them talk or eat? If they don't eat, the food will get cold and not taste good. What a waste.]
Xia Miaoyuan's mind returned to dinner.
"Cheng Wan, ask someone to find the records of Qianjiang's floods over the years and the flood control and disaster relief, and bring them to your house for reading." Xia Zhengqi calmed down and looked at the prince. Prince
: No way? Has the emperor decided to send me to provide disaster relief and flood control? Don't you even need the recommendation of Master Jiang's people?
"Yes, father." Although he was stunned in his heart, the prince still forced a calm expression and answered loudly.