sjar Chapter 627 All leave the palace to establish their own residences
Chapter 627 All leave the palace to establish their own residences
Now filled with guilt towards his second son and empress, the emperor no longer cares whether his other sons can be cultivated to have the heart of an emperor.
Moreover, he needed to further confirm how much his beloved second son had recovered.
If he fully regains his former senses, he can make urgent arrangements for what follows.
It's already early autumn, and my time is running out.
Arranging the succession for the second son within six months is no easy task.
The various factions within the court need to be reorganized and maneuvered, and he needs to hand over his personnel to his son.
No one can predict what kind of accidents might happen during this process.
After some thought, the emperor decided to bring his right-hand men into the palace.
Minister Wu and Minister Lin were surprised to be summoned to the palace in the middle of the night, which suggests that His Majesty must have something urgent to discuss.
The two men, now dressed in their official robes, had no intention of returning. By the time they finished discussing matters with His Majesty, it would be time to attend court.
That night, no one knew what the emperor and his two confidants discussed; all that was known was that the emperor issued an order at the morning court the following day to build princely residences for his six sons.
From then on, the princes' quarters in the palace were officially disbanded, and the princes were all required to leave the palace and live independently.
There was much discussion about this in the court, since the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince were still a bit too young to leave the palace and establish their own residences.
Could it be that His Majesty issued all the orders at once to save trouble?
Regardless of the speculations of his courtiers, once the imperial decree was issued, it could not be revoked.
Even though Consort Liu and others were waiting outside the Imperial Study, the Emperor simply ignored them.
"What's wrong with Your Majesty? Could Eunuch Wang please tell us?"
Consort Liu's trusted eunuch handed over the heavy purse, but the chief eunuch didn't even lift his eyelids.
With his eyes lowered, he said, "Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for this servant. The Emperor's mind is unfathomable; how could this servant possibly know?"
"Is Eunuch Wang unaware of this, or does he simply not wish to tell me?"
Consort Liu never expected that despite her polite and generous treatment of the eunuch, she would not receive a single truthful word in return.
Wang Gonggong naturally understood the threat in Consort Liu's words, but he remained calm and composed, displaying the imposing manner of a chief eunuch of the emperor.
The bent back and slightly lowered head did not mean that he felt inferior to others.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. This servant truly did not know. This servant is merely a eunuch; how could I possibly fathom Your Majesty's intentions?"
"The sun is so strong, Your Majesty, please don't wait outside the Imperial Study any longer. His Majesty is busy with state affairs and probably won't have time to see you."
Consort Liu was so choked up that her face turned red. This was not a remark that servants dared not guess the emperor's intentions; it was a warning to herself that the women of the inner palace should not interfere in politics.
The affairs of the princes were also matters of politics, which Consort Liu was well aware of. Therefore, even though she was furious, she could not vent her anger in public.
After all, she was someone of high status, not someone who had just entered the palace and knew nothing. Moreover, her father was a first-rank official, the head of all officials.
For the sake of her father's reputation, she couldn't do anything outrageous or tasteless like crying, making a scene, or threatening suicide.
Just then, the door to the imperial study opened, and the emperor walked out with slightly weary steps.
Consort Liu immediately stepped forward and bowed gracefully: "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, why is it that you are suddenly building princely residences for the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince as well? They are still young..."
The emperor interrupted her, his voice authoritative: "I have my own arrangements, my beloved consort need not ask any further questions."
After the emperor finished speaking, he left directly, with Eunuch Wang following closely behind.
Watching the emperor's departing figure, Consort Liu gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resentment.
She knew that once the emperor made a decision, there was no possibility of changing it.
She didn't care how long her son could stay in the palace; what she cared about was the deeper meaning hidden behind the imperial decree.
Judging from His Majesty's previous actions, it's clear he intends to choose a successor from among his younger brothers.
The teachers in the princes' quarters were all experts in their respective fields, and they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to teaching the princes.
Why has the Emperor suddenly stopped personally instructing these youngsters? Does he think they are all incapable of being of any use?
Did they suddenly change their minds? They can't just choose none of the six princes, can they?
Consort Liu always regarded the scheming Fifth Prince as her son's hypothetical enemy, and of course she also paid close attention to the Ninth Prince's maternal family, who had a powerful background and military power.
But now she feels that she may have been wrong, that she may have been guarding against the wrong direction all along.
There are indeed only a few small ones in the palace, but isn't there a large one outside the palace?
The fourth prince had been out of the palace for several years, and his maternal family was the Tong family, whose head was the Minister of Rites.
This person should not be underestimated; how could I have forgotten about him so completely?
Could it be that His Majesty allowed all the princes below to leave the palace and establish their own residences for the sake of the Fourth Prince?
After all, the only one currently traveling outside is the Fourth Prince, Zhao Hongsheng.
Is Your Majesty trying to put all six, no, seven sons on the same starting line, and then select the best from among them?
Consort Liu frowned. Another competitor had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, which was really affecting her mood.
Consort Liu felt she had discovered the truth, and the more she thought about it, the more reasonable her analysis and reasoning seemed.
Sigh, this harem has driven me, who was always so innocent, to such a state.
Back when I was at home, I never imagined that one day I would be as far-sighted as my father.
Just as Consort Liu was filled with worry, the Fifth Prince appeared out of nowhere.
After bowing, she whispered, "Is Your Highness waiting for Father Emperor? It seems Father Emperor has gone to see Second Brother."
"Of course I know, I have already met with His Majesty."
"Oh? Your Highness looks so worried. I thought you were troubled because you couldn't see Father Emperor."
Consort Liu frowned even more deeply. This fifth prince was truly displeasing to the eye no matter how you looked at him.
I used to dislike him because he was one of the biggest obstacles to my son's future. Now, I just don't like him.
This person is like a venomous snake, always waiting for an opportunity to strike, ready to bite anyone he sees.
"Don't you know? All of you princes are going to leave the palace to establish your own residences. I'm reluctant to part with my son, but do you think your mother would be willing to part with you?"
"Oh, I almost forgot, your mother is currently delirious with illness, she probably doesn't know about this yet, does she?"
The Fifth Prince's expression twisted for a moment, but he quickly put on a fake smile again.
"Yes, my mother is indeed unaware of this. I don't want her to worry and aggravate her condition, so I won't disturb Your Highness. I will go to the Imperial Hospital to get medicine for my mother."
The Fifth Prince appeared suddenly and left smoothly.
Consort Liu watched the Fifth Prince's retreating figure thoughtfully. This Fifth Prince seemed even more difficult to deal with than the Fourth Prince.
My attention shouldn't have been diverted from the other party. The Fourth Prince wasn't as gloomy as he seemed; he was straightforward. Sure enough, the person I should be most wary of was the Fifth Prince!
Perhaps this is a woman's intuition; her intuition is always very accurate.