"Hehe, it's all because of my son. He keeps nagging me to go to the Northwest, to see a real battlefield..."
"No!" Shang Xiye refused resolutely: "The late emperor's last decree stipulated that the Yuan family, starting with you, Lord Yuan, for the next three generations, may serve in the army but not in battle. Your Yuan family has been known for its loyalty and bravery, and now only Zhisheng remains as the sole heir. Lord Yuan, I cannot agree to this."
In the Empress's palace.
After listening to the Empress's account, Emperor Shang Xiche remained silent for a long time before saying, "I know about this matter. Empress, please rest. I will go see the Empress Dowager."
"Your Majesty..." The Empress could not tell whether Shang Xiche was happy or angry, and she was still uneasy.
When Shang Xiche arrived at Cixi Palace, outside the Empress Dowager's bedroom, he heard laughter and chatter coming from inside.
He didn't have anyone announce his arrival, and his footsteps were light, so the Empress Dowager and other ordinary people in the room didn't know he had come.
Ji Fengyao overheard this and guessed it might be the Emperor. Still feigning innocence and ignorance, she said, "If I had known they would be so arrogant in front of the Empress Dowager, I should have robbed them yesterday. You have no idea, the Duke's mansion's treasury is almost as big as the national treasury, three times the size of our Prince's mansion's private treasury!"
"Yes, yes, there are so many treasures and artifacts inside, it's dazzling to look at them. Their family is so rich," Xique also testified.
"So wealthy, yet they still took two thousand taels of silver from the Empress Dowager. Humph, it's clear they deliberately don't respect our Empress Dowager," Aunt Sun added with great dissatisfaction.
The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth: It wasn't that she couldn't afford the two thousand taels of silver, but the actions of the Duchess of Chen and the Empress were simply too outrageous!
The emperor was already skeptical of the empress's words, but after overhearing the conversation between the empress dowager and Ji Fengyao, he made up his mind.
He was wrong after all.
He should have kept the position of Crown Prince vacant, just like the late emperor; that way, even if the Chen family had an empress, they wouldn't dare to be so arrogant and presumptuous!
He was so focused on guarding against the Ninth Prince that he never imagined that his son, the Crown Prince whom he had personally appointed, along with the Empress's maternal family, the Chen family, had grown into a ferocious beast that could threaten his life at any moment, right under his nose!
If the Ninth Prince were to rebel, he would still have to consider the opinions of the people.
But if his son, the Crown Prince, were to take his life, he could rightfully inherit the throne!
Shang Xiche's eyes narrowed dangerously:
These are all drawbacks of the decentralization of military power, and the fact that he did not have enough military power in his hands.
If there were any way to take back the military power held by the Ninth Prince or the Duke of Chen, even just a portion of it would be good.
Thinking this, the emperor turned and left Cining Palace, but sent Eunuch De to invite Ji Fengyao out from the Empress Dowager.
This bandit family was originally his weapon to deal with the Ninth Prince—he had already planned this when he arranged the marriage. No matter whether this bandit family was good or evil after entering the capital, the Ninth Prince would definitely fall into the hands of this family!
Shang Xiche never expected that his usually cold and shrewd ninth brother would fall for that bandit who was good for nothing except his looks. This was an unexpected surprise.
Now, it's time for that foolish female bandit to do something for him.
Instead of taking Ji Fengyao to the Emperor's Chaoyang Palace, Eunuch De took her to the Wuying Palace, a vacant spot beside the Imperial Garden where the concubines would rest and enjoy themselves.
Wuying Palace is clearly a place for seeking pleasure and romantic encounters. With its light gauze curtains, elegant couches, and exquisitely luxurious decor, it is anything but proper.
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