He Jiuniang wasn't quite sure why the old emperor's feelings for her had so quickly shifted from romantic love to the concern of an elder for a younger generation, but the situation was clearly much better than before, so she didn't dwell on it and nodded in agreement.
Consort Liu was not very old, only a few years older than her, so they had a lot to talk about. She was very interested in her makeup and clothing, and their conversation continued in this way, unrelated to the old woman and the young girl next to them, and it was quite harmonious.
In the study of the Eastern Palace, Lu Baichuan recounted the news he had learned at the city gate the previous night, and then said, "During this period, the Eastern Court has sent a large number of people into the capital, so they must have almost finished their plans. I will not go to the military camp for the next few days, but will keep an eye on things in the prison, just in case."
Prince Chen nodded and said, "I was just about to tell you about this. Some time ago, someone reported that many suspicious people had entered the city. I sent people to keep an eye on them, but there has been no movement. So far, we haven't found their stronghold, which is the biggest problem."
If we find their stronghold, we can take the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop, but these people aren't in contact right now, and they haven't done anything suspicious after entering the city, so we can't figure them out.
Lu Baichuan didn't think much of it at first, assuming these people were coming into the city to break into the prison, but after hearing what the Crown Prince said, he immediately became suspicious.
"Is it possible that this is entirely a feint?"
Lu Baichuan had only just realized what was happening; this was highly unusual.
The crown prince was also somewhat bewildered by this reminder, as it seemed that such a possibility did indeed exist!
Lu Baichuan continued, "The people of Dongting can't be that obviously stupid. Although they were disguised, their sheer number would still attract our attention. At this time, although there is no explicit prohibition against exchanges between the countries, there shouldn't be such frequent exchanges, especially using such crude fake documents. This is clearly a deliberate attempt to attract our attention. Your Highness, think about it, haven't you recently sent many brothers out to follow up, but there has been no progress?"
With more people sent out to keep watch, there are fewer people actually on the defensive or doing other things, which allows those people to take advantage of the situation.
The principle is simple, but it's not easy to react to it immediately.
The crown prince then realized he had been tricked and was so angry he gritted his teeth.
"I will have someone reinforce the defenses at the prison soon. No matter what tricks the Dongting people try, we can handle them."
The crown prince looked serious. Fortunately, he realized it wasn't too late, and there was still time to salvage the situation. Otherwise, if he had only found out he'd been tricked after being rescued from the imperial prison, that would have been a real embarrassment.
Previously, they thought there was nothing to worry about for the time being, and asked Lu Baichuan to go to the military camp to train people. Unexpectedly, such a big mistake happened on their side in such a short time. They really can't do without Lu Baichuan at all.
The Crown Prince was somewhat troubled. He wanted to transfer Lu Baichuan back to his side, but as a general assisting the state, Lu Baichuan already had many things to do and could not work solely for him as before. It seemed that he still needed to cultivate a large number of talents.
The two then discussed the matter of training people. Lu Baichuan said that he had discovered several promising talents in the military camp who could be given special attention. The Crown Prince was very satisfied and completely abandoned the idea of ​​transferring him back. He felt that Lu Baichuan was more suitable for the military camp.
The two talked for a while before coming out, only to find that He Jiuniang and Gou'er had been summoned away by the old emperor. Lu Baichuan was just about to go and pick them up when a eunuch came to report that the emperor had summoned them all to have a meal.
It's quite interesting that the old emperor is hosting a dinner tonight. He only invited the Crown Prince's family and Lu Baichuan's family; he didn't even think of inviting his other sons and daughters.
Well, even if he remembered, he wouldn't want to call out. His original intention was only to invite Lu Baichuan's family, and the Crown Prince's family was just a side effect.
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince teased Lu Baichuan, saying, "Anyone who doesn't know better would think that your sister-in-law is Father's daughter. It's been all over the capital lately, with all sorts of rumors circulating. Father knows about it, but he doesn't seem to care at all. He's even secretly pleased. I have no idea what Father is thinking."
Speaking of this, the Crown Prince really felt that the old emperor seemed like a completely different person. Before, when he believed in that sorcerer, he wouldn't listen to anything anyone said and just thought about immortality all day long. Now, however, he listens to everyone's opinions and is much more lenient with his subordinates. It's just that his kindness towards He Jiu Niang is a little out of control. People who don't know the situation might really think that there is some improper relationship between the two of them.
Even with that improper relationship, over the years, the old emperor had taken a liking to many women. Even the concubines who were favored during the height of his reign had never been so unconditionally favored.
Moreover, the old emperor's attitude towards He Jiuniang was exactly like a father's favoritism towards his youngest daughter, which was enviable.
Not to mention the princesses who were genuinely unhappy, even the crown prince was a little jealous. His father had never treated him this well since he was a child!
He even deeply suspected that his rapid and smooth ascension to the position of crown prince was all thanks to He Jiuniang.
Lu Baichuan smiled knowingly and said, "Jiu'er cured the Emperor's illness, and the Emperor was grateful, so he favored Jiu'er a little."
He said this on purpose to dispel the Crown Prince's doubts. Although they had a good relationship, some things could not be left unclear. Once the seeds of doubt were sown, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Haha, that's right. Father has transferred his passion for cultivation to your wife."
The Crown Prince laughed out loud, finding the reason quite reasonable. After all, the old emperor's health had indeed been cured by He Jiu Niang, and his body was much healthier than it had been a few years ago, something everyone could see.
Most importantly, his father really cared about the length of his life. Now that he knew that Taoist priests had no future, he only hoped that He Jiuniang would help him take good care of his health, so he treated He Jiuniang exceptionally well.
The two chatted and laughed as they went to pick up the Crown Princess and the young prince, and then went to the old emperor's place for a meal. At this time, Gou'er had already been tested on a lot of knowledge by the old emperor, and was currently reciting the famous saying of Confucius from the Analects: "A gentleman should be slow to speak but quick to act."
The dog explained, "Confucius said that a gentleman should talk less and do more. If talking is useless, then don't waste your time!"
This wasn't the first time Gou'er had surprised the old emperor. There was indeed some truth to what he was saying, but most students would stick to the textbook explanation, while Gou'er offered his own interpretation.
"Haha, is this your own understanding, or did someone teach you?"
The dog puffed out its chest and replied, "Mr. Kang taught us that time is money. He said that things that can be proven with actions don't need to be wasted on words and time, because time waits for no one."
"Not bad, not bad. And who is this Mr. Kang?"
The old emperor immediately took an interest in Mr. Kang, thinking he must be an interesting person.
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