The old emperor was indeed a little angry. It was none of a child's business to tell him what he wanted to do. Besides, it was his own idea to let Gou'er live in the palace and help take care of him. What did it have to do with Lu Baichuan and his wife?
Just as he was about to lose his temper, Consort Liu said, "Seventeen, you have misunderstood General Lu and his wife. It was His Majesty who felt a strong connection with Young Master Lu, which is why he allowed Young Master Lu to live in the palace."
Consort Liu explained that she didn't want the Seventeenth Prince to say anything that would anger the Old Emperor, but she didn't expect that her words would only make the Seventeenth Prince feel more resentful.
Is there no affinity between Father Emperor and his own sons and daughters? Why does he ignore them but treat an outsider so well?
He clenched his fists, wanting to say more, but Consort Rou pulled him down to sit properly and sternly reprimanded him, "Enough! How many times have I taught you not to be so rude and disrespectful to your father? Where have you learned all that from the classics!"
To be honest, Consort Rou quite liked her current life. There was no strife in the harem, and the old emperor would visit various palaces when he had free time. He treated her fairly well, and she was very content. She just didn't expect her son to be so jealous, getting so agitated just because he saw the old emperor being nicer to Gou'er.
The seventeenth prince was very dissatisfied, but seeing his mother was angry, he dared not say anything more. He just glared at Gou'er, who acted as if nothing had happened, quietly eating his food as if it had nothing to do with him.
The seventeenth prince was even more unhappy, feeling that Gou'er had stolen his father from him and was pretending to be indifferent, which made him furious.
At this moment, the old emperor calmed down, put down his chopsticks, looked at the seventeenth prince, and said in a serious tone, "If you want to know the reason, then I will tell you."
"First of all, Gou'er's mother saved my life. Otherwise, I would have been lying in the imperial mausoleum long ago. Secondly, Gou'er is very smart, proficient in both literature and martial arts, and a rare talent. Moreover, he is courageous and responsible, which is why I like him. In addition, the reason Gou'er lives in the palace is because his father went to investigate the case of spies in the Eastern Court, and his mother, Lin, took over his father's position to guard the military camp."
"Are you going to ask why Gou'er's mother, a woman, was able to guard the military camp and lead troops in training? It's because among so many officials in the court, there are very few who can actually get things done when trouble arises! If it weren't for Gou'er's parents guarding the camp, you wouldn't even be able to compete for favors here, let alone have a hot bowl of soup!"
"I know I have neglected you all these years. You can complain about me, you can criticize anyone, but you must not direct your anger at Gou'er, understand?"
The old emperor intended to say these words during court tomorrow, but practicing them in advance wouldn't hurt.
The seventeenth prince's displeasure subsided instantly. He was just throwing a tantrum, but he didn't expect his father to speak to him so seriously.
So, is it all thanks to the dog's parents that he can eat here in peace now?
After all, he was just a child, and his skin wasn't thick enough. After being spoken to like that by the old emperor, he lowered his head in shame.
Others were also surprised that the old emperor would say these things to a child who was not yet very sensible. What was even more surprising was that the seventeenth prince actually listened to him.
Not only did Seventeen listen to this, but the other princes and princesses who were also unhappy but dared not speak up also listened.
Suddenly, I didn't feel so much resentment towards the dog anymore.
Taking the opportunity, Consort Rou said, "You offended Young Master Lu with your words just now. Go and apologize to him."
The seventeenth prince paused, not expecting this turn of events. The thought that he, a prince, would have to apologize to Gou'er made him feel somewhat resistant.
But everyone was watching him, leaving him in a dilemma.
Just then, the dog finally spoke up: "No need to apologize. Ignorance is no excuse. Just don't do it again next time!"
Gou'er smiled at the Seventeenth Prince; he could actually understand the Seventeenth Prince's feelings very well.
The Emperor, who is the father of the Seventeenth Prince, has never been so kind to him before, yet he is being so kind to him in front of everyone. It's understandable that the prince is angry.
The seventeenth prince was still stunned, not expecting that Gou'er would let go of such an opportunity to mock him. The old emperor said, "Let's eat. You all have to go back and do your homework later."
In the past, the old emperor wouldn't have cared much about his children's studies, but seeing how outstanding Gou'er was, he suddenly wanted to take notice. He refused to believe that none of his many children could compare to the Lu family's children.
The children aren't stupid, they just aren't trying hard enough.
The seventeenth prince then picked up his rice bowl again, but he had lost his appetite and seemed preoccupied.
A short while later, the old emperor said, "From now on, every night you will come to me from the Imperial Academy together, and I will test your studies."
Several princes: ...
The little princesses dared not speak, fearing that their father would target them. Although they also had to study and learn to read, the requirements were not as high as those for the boys. As long as they could read, that was enough. Therefore, they were usually quite undisciplined, and their literary talent was naturally poor.
But the old emperor was not willing to let them off the hook. After speaking about the princes, he continued, "You all come along too, so that no one will say that I am biased and don't care about you."
Unlike the children, the concubines were very happy. The old emperor was starting to value them. If things could continue like this, their lives would definitely be much better than before.
Then, the children were reluctantly made to express their gratitude by their mother.
The next morning, after sending the children away, the old emperor went to court. As he expected, the day was filled with impeachments against Lu Baichuan and Gou'er.
One by one, the court officials stepped forward to present their reports, but the old emperor acted as if he hadn't heard them, and even yawned in boredom.
It's been so long since I've gotten up this early to attend court; I'm starting to feel a bit out of sorts.
The courtiers talked for a while, but then realized that neither the old emperor nor the crown prince had said anything, and were just listening to them quietly. For a moment, it was a little awkward.
"Your Majesty, although this is just a minor brawl between children, it reveals a larger problem. The Lu family has become lawless because they have risen too quickly. If such young children can hit others, who knows what they will do in the future? I beg Your Majesty to take this seriously!"
"In my humble opinion, it is the father's fault if the son is not properly taught. We should properly advise General Lu that he cannot be so arrogant and complacent, and not take so many of us seriously!"
"We beg Your Majesty to do justice for us!"
...
They became more and more excited as they spoke, and then they knelt down, forming a dense, dark mass of kneeling figures in the main hall.
Those whose children hadn't been bullied also joined in the commotion, arguing that if they didn't teach Lu Ziyu a lesson today, their children would suffer next time.
The old emperor chuckled, looking at the group of people below, and said, "You want to summon Lu Baichuan? Fine, then my beloved ministers should choose one to handle the affairs of the Eastern Court. I will have Lu Baichuan stay in the palace every day to properly teach his son."
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