sjar Chapter 362 The Mad Dog in Pursuit
Chapter 362 The Mad Dog in Pursuit
In the wing room of Yunyin Pavilion, the eldest prince pushed the door open and walked in. The man in the room slowly raised his head and gave him a bright smile.
"Big Brother, you're here!"
The eldest prince's lips curled slightly, and his tone was also warm as he responded, "Fourth brother, I never thought you still remember me, your eldest brother. I am truly comforted."
The Fourth Prince seemed not to notice his sarcasm and invited him to take a seat with a chuckle.
"Big Brother, you are safe and sound this time. How can I not celebrate for you?"
The eldest prince choked when he heard this and was filled with anger.
Soon, the waiter brought in delicious dishes, breaking the silence in the house.
The Fourth Prince poured him a glass of wine and raised his glass, saying, "Brother, I toast you!"
The eldest prince raised his glass expressionlessly and drank the wine in it. Although the two brothers were almost the same age, perhaps because the royal family was indifferent, the five brothers rarely interacted with each other on weekdays. Only in front of Emperor Meiji would they show brotherly love and respect to each other.
The Fourth Prince was not uncomfortable with his cold face. He talked about the interesting things that had happened in Jingzhao recently and poured wine for him.
After three rounds of drinking, both of them were tipsy, and the eldest prince no longer had the aloofness he had when he first arrived. The two of them leaned against each other, shoulder to shoulder, head to head, and whispered to each other.
"Big Brother, I just realized how strict Father was with you. You've worked so hard these past few years. I was ignorant before, so I'll drink a cup as punishment. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."
After saying that, he raised his head and drank the wine in one gulp, complaining bitterly.
"Brother! You have no idea how miserable I've been these days. Father couldn't stand my idleness, so he not only had people keeping an eye on me, but he also cut most of my salary. Now I even have to think twice before going to the pleasure boat. It's so hard for me!"
The eldest prince lowered his eyes and said calmly, "Fourth brother! Father has always been tolerant of you. He hasn't paid much attention to you all these years. Why is he suddenly so strict?"
"It's because when Lord Liang and I entered the palace last time, my father was mad at me and that's why he deprived me of my freedom."
The eldest prince looked at him with interest and said in a teasing tone, "Oh? Tell me in detail."
The Fourth Prince paused, his eyes slightly dodging, and finally, as if he had made up his mind, he spoke: "Brother, this matter actually concerns you."
"Oh? How do you say this?"
"The Marquis's wife insisted that I was the murderer who harmed my eldest brother. Lord Liang refused to explain and took me to see my father and forced me to confess..."
At this point, the Fourth Prince wiped away a bitter tear. "But fortunately, my father was wise and ultimately proved my innocence. However, it was also because of this incident that my father got angry at me for being so foolish and nearly falling for someone else's trick, so he started to discipline me."
The eldest prince couldn't help but think of the second prince who was later put under house arrest because it was discovered that he was the one who actually murdered him.
He said thoughtfully: "Why did the Marquis suspect you? We are brothers."
"That's right! Later, my second brother was also called in. What do you think the Dali Temple is for? It turns out that the murderers are all family members?"
The Fourth Prince grew increasingly angry as he spoke. "It's clear that the real culprits were those vicious demons. Fortunately, they were executed on the spot. Otherwise, who knows what kind of chaos would have broken out in the city!"
The eldest prince scoffed at his words, as he had already chosen someone in his heart.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Your Highness, what you requested is ready."
The Fourth Prince smiled apologetically at the First Prince, "Big Brother, do you mind if I let someone in?"
"random!"
He smiled gratefully and went to open the door himself to have the things brought in.
They were two huge wooden boxes, very heavy.
"This is?"
The eldest prince couldn't resist his curiosity and asked.
The fourth prince opened the wooden box, revealing a box full of medicinal herbs.
He took out a few of the herbs and looked at them. He smelled the strong medicinal fragrance and nodded with satisfaction. "These are for Second Brother. He's not in good health. Doctor Zhao may not be a good doctor, but his medical skills are beyond reproach. He once said that these herbs are good for Second Brother's health. Long-term nourishment will make him well."
"Well?"
The eldest prince was slightly stunned, and blurted out in confusion: "Is there any possibility that the second prince's body can recover?"
"Of course, in the past few years that Doctor Zhao has been nourishing my second brother, his health has been getting better and better. It is not a problem to cure him." The Fourth Prince spoke with certainty, his eyes full of joy that the Second Prince would soon have a healthy body.
A sinister look flashed across the eldest prince's eyes. He couldn't help but think that Doctor Zhao secretly drugged him, but tried his best to help the second prince with his recovery. Was it just because he was the queen's legitimate son?
The murderous urge could not be controlled and overflowed again. He was his father's eldest son, and that position would definitely be his in the future.
"Come on, come on, big brother, let's continue drinking."
But this time the eldest prince did not respond. Instead, he stood up and said goodbye, "Fourth brother, I suddenly remembered that I have some things to deal with. Let's meet again next time."
Watching him walk away without looking back, the Fourth Prince took a sip of the wine in his glass, the corners of his mouth raised in a chuckle, "Big Brother, after going through so much, why are you still so impatient?"
In the days that followed, the eldest prince went crazy and relentlessly pursued the second prince and the queen's lineage. He reported the ministers to them in the court and spoke in a sarcastic manner to their faces in the palace, with an attitude of giving up everything.
Countless porcelain pieces were broken in the Qiankun Palace, and the empress was so angry that she fainted several times. She complained to the emperor in anger, but the emperor was completely indifferent. Instead, he harshly rebuked her for having no awareness of being a mother and was not fit to be the mother of a country.
The situation at this moment is extremely serious. The emperor's attitude is the attitude of everyone. The court and the harem are speculating whether the emperor is tired of the queen and is ready to give up the second prince completely.
But come to think of it, how could the prince be a sickly person?
However, because the eldest prince targeted the second prince like this, his situation became delicate. Except for the children of the queen's mother's family who remained the same, one-third of the other recruited ministers were actually poached by the eldest prince. It was heard that the second prince's palace had increased the number of times it had invited imperial physicians in recent days.
As the relationship between the two sides became increasingly tense, at this moment in the eldest prince's mansion, the eldest prince was drinking leisurely and in a good mood.
The butler came forward flatteringly, presented the jar of wine in his arms, and asked softly, "Your Highness, this is the thirty-year-old wine sent by Lord Wang."
The eldest prince immediately thought of Lord Wang's appearance. He used to be a member of the second prince's party, but under his extraordinary charm, he turned from evil to good and was a sensible person.
He had a nonchalant smile on his lips and tapped the table with two fingers, "Put it down!"
"Yes."
The butler immediately filled the glass and said casually, "Your Highness, the Queen quietly left the palace today. It is said that she first went to the Second Prince's residence, and then went to the Prince's uncle's residence. I'm afraid..."
The eldest prince scoffed nonchalantly, "So what? Father has already despised them, mother and son. It's only a matter of time before he's deposed."
The butler's face was full of panic. He wanted to say a few more words of advice, but the eldest prince gave him a solemn look and he could only retreat in disappointment.
He walked down the corridor, cursing in his heart: What a confused idiot!