Chapter 777, Telling Tales
The Fourth Prince carried Gu Jian back to the front yard of the temple.
Dongli was shocked when he saw this. Firstly, he thought Gu Jian was sick or injured, and secondly, Gu Jian’s identity could not be exposed.
Dongli quickly stepped forward and took Gu Jian from the Fourth Prince. Seeing that Gu Jian looked normal and there was nothing unusual, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Fourth Prince!"
Daohua bowed to the Fourth Prince and expressed her gratitude.
The Fourth Prince shook his head and prepared to leave without saying anything.
Prince Ping and the eldest prince did not follow them. Halfway through, Prince Ping learned that the abbot had finished meditating, so he immediately went to the abbot's courtyard.
Without Prince Ping, the eldest princes naturally didn't bother to save face and left without caring about the Fourth Prince.
However, the Fourth Prince still insisted on carrying Gu Jian back.
"The Fourth Prince carried me all the way on his back, so he must be tired. Have a cup of medicinal tea before you go." Gu Jian suddenly spoke.
Daohua glanced at her master, smiled and walked forward to pour a cup of medicinal tea for the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince looked at Gu Jian. He was not tired, but he felt a little hot because he carried someone back from the back mountain. Looking at the medicinal tea on the table, he felt a little thirsty, so he sat down calmly, picked up the teacup and took a sip.
The tea has a medicinal taste, but not strong, and a bit bitter, but acceptable.
After tasting it, the Fourth Prince raised his head and drank the tea. After finishing it, he stood up and said goodbye: "My eldest brother and the others must be waiting anxiously over there. This prince will take his leave first."
After saying that, he turned around and left without any greeting.
As a prince, he insisted on carrying the person back because of Prince Ping and Xiao Yeyang. If he was more polite, it would be a bit of a debasement of his status.
After the others had gone far away, Daohua stepped forward and told Gu Jian that the Fourth Prince had an ear disease.
Gu Jian sighed and said nothing.
The palace is where the struggle for power is most intense. People in it, even if they don't fight or compete, will be implicated in various things.
As a prince, fighting is inevitable.
Daohua said with some relief: "Fortunately, Xiao Yeyang didn't live in the capital all his life."
Gu Jian glanced at his apprentice, a smile in his eyes: "Yes, Ye Yang is indeed lucky."
No matter how smart a person is, he needs a suitable environment to help him grow.
If one experiences too much betrayal and scheming as a child, even if he becomes capable when he grows up, there will still be something missing in his heart.
Lack of love and trust.
If such people cannot redeem themselves, they will probably end up living alone for the rest of their lives.
Ye Yang was indeed lucky enough. After leaving the capital, he met his apprentice, made a few good friends, and then met him and his sister. Their company made up for the lack of family affection in his heart.
Afterwards, worried about meeting other people again, Daohua and Gu Jian did not stay in the temple for long. After resting for a while, they left in a carriage.
Before leaving, Daohua left a letter for Prince Ping, inviting him to visit Four Seasons Villa.
After Prince Ping returned from the abbot with a full load, he heard that Daohua and the others had already left. He was immediately unhappy, but after hearing Daohua's special message asking him to visit Four Seasons Villa, his unhappiness disappeared.
"Let's go to Four Seasons Villa!"
"Fruits and vegetables are hard to come by at Four Seasons Fruit and Vegetable Shop. I'm going there to have a good meal today."
Four Seasons Villa.
Daohua heard the head of the village come over to report that Prince Ping had arrived, and immediately smiled at Gu Jian and said, "Master, I will go to greet him."
Gu Jian said "hmm" expressionlessly, and only smiled after his apprentice left.
He had no feelings for the princes, but he felt differently towards Xiaojiu, whom he delivered with his own hands and who was remembered by his sister all her life.
Prince Ping was walking in the Four Seasons Villa. He didn't react much when he saw the thriving crops and vegetables in the fields. But when he saw the flower fields planted with various flowers, he immediately rushed over like an arrow.
Watching Prince Ping fluttering around the flower fields like a bee, and sensing his longing for flowers, Daohua said, "Your Highness, everything in this farm is now under the care of my master."
If you want, go and please my master.
Daohua's expression was almost unconcealed when she said this.
When Prince Ping saw this, the corners of his mouth twitched. He felt that his future daughter-in-law was really short of taste. Thinking of the old man's stern face, he felt a little uneasy for no reason.
However, Prince Ping quickly regained his composure. He was a prince and also Yan's future father-in-law. In order for Yan to have a better life in the palace in the future, the old man should treat him well.
Thinking of this, Prince Ping immediately calmed down.
Daohua looked at Prince Ping, who had become like a proud peacock again, and shook his head slightly, feeling that it would not be long before he would become a defeated rooster.
After taking Prince Ping to Gu Jian's yard and handing him over to her master, Daohua went to the kitchen herself.
Since this was the first time her future father-in-law came to visit, she should treat him well.
That day, Prince Ping left Four Seasons Villa in a bad mood. Even after entering the city, his expression did not improve.
Huai En carefully looked at his master and asked hesitantly, "Master, did the county lady do anything to displease you?"
Prince Ping snorted, "Miss Yan is alright, but her master, that old man, is really tactless. I wanted a few pots of black chrysanthemums, but he ruthlessly refused. It really pissed me off."
Huai En: "How about you talk to the county lord privately?"
Prince Ping's eyes lit up, then he shook his head. "Yan girl is very obedient to her master, I'm afraid she won't agree." As he spoke, he lifted the curtain to look outside, thought for a moment, and said, "Let's go to the palace."
Half an hour later, Prince Ping strode into the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
The Emperor had just finished dealing with state affairs and was practicing calligraphy to relax. When he saw Prince Ping coming over, he glanced at the clock next to him and asked with a smile, "Are you coming to the palace at this time to enjoy my dinner?"
Prince Ping smiled and shook his head. "No, I didn't. I went to Yan's Four Seasons Villa today and had a big meal there. I'm not hungry at all now. My Royal Highness, you can skip dinner."
The Emperor paused writing and looked up at Prince Ping: "You went to Four Seasons Villa?"
Prince Ping smiled and nodded. "What a coincidence! I went to the Royal Temple to look for the abbot today and happened to run into Miss Yan and her master. She invited me to Four Seasons Villa as her guest."
As he spoke, he looked at the emperor.
"Brother, do you know Yan Yatou's master?"
The emperor nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "The old man has treated me before."
When Prince Ping heard that the emperor did know Gu Jian, he immediately became excited: "Royal brother, is that old man also so disrespectful in front of you?"
Hearing Prince Ping calling Gu Jian "old man", the emperor's face darkened: "Speak properly, what's the old man or not? You should call him old man."
Prince Ping looked reluctant and said, "But he was very rude to me." Without waiting for the emperor to ask, he quickly complained about Gu Jian.
Of course, he has always been sensitive to crises, so he wisely replaced the old man with the old man.
"Royal brother, as soon as that old man saw me, he said I was sick!"
"It was even more abominable after that. He even wanted my younger brother to carry him on his back."
"Luckily, Ye Heng and the others arrived in time, and Ye Zhen finally carried him back to the front yard."
"I really love the flowers and plants in Four Seasons Villa, but that old man wouldn't give me a single one. He's so stingy!"
"Royal brother, you didn't see that the old man really didn't take this prince seriously at all."
The emperor looked at his brother who was becoming more and more depressed as he spoke, and thought to himself, even in front of him, the emperor, his uncle can still say whatever he wants.
Thinking of the news Dongli had recently sent back, the emperor thought for a moment and said, "The more capable a person is, the more tempered he is. Can't the old man take care of your health? In that case, you should visit Four Seasons Villa more often in the future."
He is busy with government affairs, and once he leaves the palace he will easily attract other people's attention, so he cannot visit his uncle often. So, let Xiaojiu spend more time with the old man.
Now that my uncle has something to do, he won’t miss my mother anymore.
Prince Ping nodded and said, "The old man's medical skills are indeed good. After receiving a few acupuncture treatments from him, I feel much better."
The emperor continued to smile and said, "Didn't Yan say that the things in the manor belong to the old man? Then you should get along well with the old man. If he is happy, you can take whatever you want."
Prince Ping looked doubtful: "Royal brother, I think the old man is very difficult to talk to."
The Emperor retorted, "Sincerity is the most important thing in relationships. When you go to Four Seasons Villa, don't act like a prince anymore. Treat the old man like your own elder, and he will definitely be impressed."
Prince Ping glared: "Treating him as an elder? Isn't this too much of an honor for him? I am a prince!"
The emperor rolled his eyes. He was still the emperor, so he had to be humble in front of his uncle.
"If you still want flowers, then put down your pride. Old people are very soft-hearted. If you can make them happy, get their health back, and get flowers back, why not do it?"
Prince Ping hesitated for a moment.
What the emperor said makes sense. Thinking of the colorful flowers in Four Seasons Villa, Prince Ping became more and more moved.
The emperor couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth as he watched Prince Ping's expression change.
Xiaojiu loves flowers like her life, and she doesn't believe that he won't take the bait.
Afterwards, the emperor invited Prince Ping to appreciate his newly written large characters. Prince Ping shamelessly asked for an authentic work of calligraphy and then left quickly.
The emperor laughed and shook his head.
Not long after Prince Ping left, Eunuch An came forward to report, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince and his companions have come to pay their respects."
Hearing this, the emperor's smile suddenly faded. Thinking of how they had specially gone to the Royal Temple to pray for the Queen Mother today, his eyes grew even colder: "Let them in."
Immediately, the eldest prince and the second prince entered the hall.
After they had exchanged greetings, the Emperor asked, "Why are you all here together today?"
The eldest prince glanced at his brothers and replied with a smile, "Father, your Majesty, since your grandmother has been ill, your son and I have gone to the Royal Temple to pray for her and have just returned to the palace."
The Emperor glanced at the princes calmly and said something with an ambiguous tone: "You are indeed filial, but it's a pity that the Empress Dowager is suffering from a heart disease."
Hearing this, the eldest princes all lowered their heads, and at the same time they felt a little nervous. Is the emperor really unwilling to tolerate the Jiang family anymore?
The emperor continued to write in large characters and ignored the eldest prince and the others.
The hall was somewhat quiet. Seeing that the eldest prince and his companions seemed to be about to leave, the Third Prince couldn't help but smile and said, "Father, who do you think we saw in the Royal Temple today?"
The emperor looked up at the third prince and asked, "Who did you see?"
The Third Prince: "I saw the Princess of Shengping."
The emperor continued writing without any reaction.
Seeing this, the Third Prince had no choice but to continue, "Normally, outsiders are not allowed to enter or leave this royal temple at will. I wonder how Princess Shengping got in?"
The eldest prince and the second prince looked at the third prince and said nothing.
The Fourth Prince has been acting as an invisible man since he entered the palace, and he won't express his opinion anymore.
The Fifth Prince, however, smiled and replied, "How else could it be? It must be that Xiao Yeyang gave Princess Shengping his name card."
The Third Prince smiled and said casually, "Ye Yang is being too indulgent with Princess Shengping. Although they are engaged, Princess Shengping hasn't married into the royal family yet. Ye Yang is letting her enter the royal temple. Isn't that a bit disregarding royal rules?"
"It would have been fine if Princess Shengping had gone in alone, but she actually brought outsiders with her. It's really..." He said, shaking his head.
The emperor put down his pen and looked at the third prince expressionlessly: "What is it really?"
The Third Prince's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Father, I simply feel that it is somewhat unbecoming of the order for Princess Shengping to bring her master to the imperial temple."
As he spoke, his face showed anger again.
"Father, you don't know how arrogant the Princess Shengping is. Her master had a heat stroke, and she actually asked my fourth brother to carry him on his back. My fourth brother is a prince, after all. I wonder whose influence she relied on?"
Hearing this, the eldest prince and the others looked at the third prince silently.
The third prince did not tell any lies, he just concealed some facts.
For example, the one who asked the prince to carry someone was Prince Ping, and the one who asked the fourth prince to carry someone was the eldest prince.
When the Fourth Prince saw the Third Prince mentioning his name, a hint of coldness flashed across his eyes, but he did not open his mouth to refute.
He had no maternal family to rely on, and his wife's family was not outstanding. The power in his hands was too weak, so he did not have the confidence to offend his third brother directly.
The Emperor looked at the princes silently, until they were all feeling uneasy. Then he turned his gaze to the Fourth Prince and said, "Fourth Prince, is there such a thing?"
The Fourth Prince was silent for a moment, thought about it, and then recounted the entire situation in detail.
The Emperor looked at the eldest prince and said, "Boss, your uncle Prince Ping asked you to carry someone on his back, but not only did you disagree, you even asked Ye Zhen to do it?"
The eldest prince secretly glared at the fourth and third princes and said, "Father, I feel a little unwell today, so I didn't agree to Uncle Ping's request."
The Emperor snorted coldly, then turned his gaze to the Third Prince: "Third Prince, are you deliberately misleading me? Do you want me to punish Princess Shengping, or Ye Yang?"
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince quickly knelt down and said, "I dare not."
The emperor sneered: "I think you are very bold. You dare to show off in front of me in front of your brothers. Do you think I am old and confused?"
The Third Prince kowtowed quickly: "Your Majesty, I see clearly. I would never dare to have such thoughts."
The emperor was silent for a moment and said, "Since you five brothers are so filial, when you return, copy the Filial Piety Sutra for me a hundred times. I will personally inspect it after a while."
Upon hearing this, the princes' faces turned pale.
How much time would it take them to recite the Classic of Filial Piety a hundred times? With that, how would they have time to make friends with the nobles and ministers in the court?
The emperor thought for a moment and said, "The fourth prince doesn't need that." Then he looked at the fourth prince and said, "It's good that you know how to respect the elderly!"
The fourth prince looked surprised. He seldom received attention from his father, and he never expected to be praised for carrying the master of Princess Shengping on his back.
Next, several princes were even more surprised.
"This is the words I just wrote. Take it back, Old Four."
The fourth prince walked out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity with the calligraphy in his hand, looking dazed. The other princes also looked confused.
What did the fourth brother do to deserve the calligraphy of his father?
"Loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness!"
Looking at the four words on the copybook, the eldest prince and the others looked at the fourth prince, feeling very dissatisfied.
The eldest prince said: "Fourth brother, of these four words of our father, which one do you think you can be associated with?"
The Fourth Prince looked at the First Prince and said, "I will do my best to achieve all four characters."
The eldest prince sneered and left with a flick of his sleeves.
The Second Prince and his companions looked at the Fourth Prince and felt very depressed, so they left together.
Finally, the Fourth Prince was left staring blankly at the calligraphy in his hand.
(End of this chapter)
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