As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the prince's smiling face froze.
He didn't dare to look at Yunxiu's face. The shame of being caught in the act suddenly surged in his heart. After hearing the content of the words clearly, he couldn't help but grit his teeth. Yinqi, are you reporting me
Why is it so difficult to have a good meal with Yi'er Niang
Also, Lord Cao Xi is bedridden, but the Emperor doesn't even think about caring for his subjects
"Father Emperor." The prince cast a reluctant glance at the braised pork, pretended to be calm, put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and saluted, "I saw that my fifth and fourth brothers were having fun together, so I didn't invite them. I didn't mean to cause your Majesty to worry, it's my fault..."
Recalling Yinqi's tearful eyes, looking like his second brother had abandoned him, Kangxi glanced at his son, unable to deny it, and only uttered a "hmm" from his throat, as if he did not believe his explanation.
Seeing the emperor go and come back, Yun Xiu had a headache. The headache had not yet subsided, and this scene made her rub her temples and said with a smile: "The emperor is busy with all kinds of affairs, and the Cao family members fainted one after another. I have no appetite alone, so I asked the prince to come and talk. Why, the emperor also wants to scold me?"
rebuke
How dare I!
The Empress is not only his ancestor, but also the ancestor of His Majesty.
Liang Jiugong was full of admiration. He accidentally caught a glimpse of the prince's upturned mouth, which showed a look of joy, and thought he had seen it wrong.
He wanted to rub his eyes carefully, but the next moment, the smile disappeared, and the prince suddenly became bitter and resentful. The chief steward could only mutter in his heart, "Maybe my eyes are dazzled."
Hearing the threat in his beloved concubine's words, after a moment of silence, Kangxi changed his attitude instantly and said, "Why would I scold you?"
"Baocheng, please stay here for dinner." Then, he said seriously, "The dishes are so rich, it would be a pity to waste them..."
When this reason came out, not only Yun Xiu, but also the palace servants were silent: "..."
Jing Yi's mother came to the rescue, and the prince felt protected. He felt warm all over, as if he had won a victory.
Before he had warmed up for long, the Emperor's father, who was 'competing for food' with him, sat down on his left. That was fine, but the Emperor's father diligently served the dishes to Yi'er Niang, breaking the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping: "Green vegetables are good for your body, you should eat more."
"It's not advisable to eat too much of this. I asked the imperial physician and he said it would cause morning sickness. Although this child is not fussy and keeps his mother safe, unlike Yinzhen who is so naughty and well-behaved, we can't let our guard down..."
The prince's hands were shaking and his ears were buzzing. He went from being stunned to feeling experienced and finally calm.
He liked meat, and coincidentally, Kangxi also liked meat. The imperial concubine was pregnant and had no appetite for those rich fish and meat. Perhaps because she knew that only the prince would eat, the dishes in the kitchen were exquisitely arranged and the quantity was sufficient, but it was not enough for the father and son.
He could not win the fight, and he could not fight. Filial piety overwhelmed him, and the prince had no choice but to lose to the chopsticks of the emperor, whom he had always admired. He smiled on the surface, but with a sad heart, he left in a not very high spirits.
After leaving the West Garden, the prince touched his half-full belly and asked He Zhuer, "Where is your fifth master?"
He Zhuer swallowed his saliva, and his hair stood on end. Fifth Master? What kind of title is that
"I don't know... uh, I know that in an hour or two, Master Wu will ask Madam to prepare a midnight snack..."
"Midnight snack." The prince criticized mercilessly, "You are too strong to be human, and you have no self-control. Don't let it lead the fourth and sixth brothers astray."
He paused, and said with great righteousness: "Why don't I help him share the burden."
******
There were several officials with the rank of assistant minister in the accompanying team, including Tu Yue and Ma Qi, who were favored by the emperor, as well as the backbone of Mingzhu's party, and there were quite a few of them.
Suo Etu had just been reinstated, and had not had time to promote his demoted confidants, nor had he yet formed a force to compete with Mingzhu. The imperial edict prohibited him from leaving the capital, so he could only sigh in despair at the sight of the south, and his information was not as well-informed as that of an old man.
The only way to guess is through the court bulletins or the instructions issued by the Emperor.
Is the prince okay
Without the help of Hesheli clan, will he be squeezed out by the eldest prince
The speculation in his heart was not stable after all. When he thought that the prince was deceived by Guo Luoluo and they would have enough opportunities to spend time together during the southern tour, Soetu's face darkened. "Fiery" was not enough to describe his emotions.
However, even though he was in a critical situation, he was still out of reach.
This is also the reason why Concubine Hui was worried but not too worried when the eldest prince accompanied him on the southern tour. With Mingzhu sending people to look after him and the servants around him, Yinzhi would definitely come back safely without any loss of a hair.
At this time, Yinzhi, whom Concubine Hui was thinking about, found an opportunity to "accidentally" meet an official from the Ming Party, and a hint of surprise flashed across his face.
"Cao Xi is ill, the banquet is cancelled, Concubine Yi fainted from anger, and later the pulse was found to be slippery, and the lady of honor was not seen..." He lowered his voice, "What is going on?"
But after a short nap, the sky changed.
Cao Xi and Cao Yin are secondary. Thinking about the baby in Concubine Yi's belly, not knowing whether it is the eleventh brother or the sixth sister, Yinzhi became quite annoyed. How come she is pregnant again
Yinreng has provided enough help.
"My dear brother, please be patient. According to the information I have gathered, it was the old lady and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family who planned to send a beautiful woman to His Majesty..." The official himself felt it was absurd, so he sighed and told it to Yinzhi as a joke, "Cao Xi is too confused."
Yinzhi almost didn't show any shock.
"Your Highness, you've done a good job of giving someone a taste of their own medicine!" He praised subconsciously.
Official: “…”
The official was almost led into trouble by the eldest prince. He hurriedly brought up the business, and a gleam of light that only belongs to the Ming Party flashed through his eyes: "Cao Xi is ill, which is a good opportunity. With such a thing happening in the weaving house, will the emperor still favor the emperor as usual? The Lord Zhongtang has long been planning the Jiangnan area-"
Before he finished speaking, Yinzhi was startled and interrupted him: "The Cao and Li families are loyal to the emperor, even a three-year-old child knows this, what is your plan, uncle?"
"That beautiful concubine was given by the Imperial Concubine to Cao Yin. How can the Cao family and the Li family not have complaints?" The official smiled and said in a gentle and persuasive manner, "Of course, they dare not blame the Emperor or the Imperial Concubine, but they also dare not take sides. Why? It is clear to everyone who has a discerning eye who the Crown Prince supports."
Logically speaking, the Cao family is in a good position, and if they don't want to be tabooed, they will most likely become supporters of the prince. The Han people value the legitimate and illegitimate children. The emperor is the master, and the prince is their little master. If they leave the little master aside, they will be scolded.
The Cao family would not be unaware of the emperor's intentions. Their confidants would be the new emperor's team in the future. Now, the position of the crown prince is as stable as it can be. With Mingzhu's support, the eldest prince has a tendency to compete with him, but it is just a small fight.
Countless people are trying their best to join the Yuqing Palace. Who can be an exception
The emperor's wish is their imperial edict. If there had been a child of the right age in three generations of the Cao family, Cao Xi would have wanted to ask for a favor to allow his grandson to become the prince's study companion.
"Seeing that the Crown Prince is close to Concubine Yi, and Concubine Yi has offended the Cao family, will the Crown Prince still use her?" After a detailed analysis for the eldest prince, the official stroked his beard and smiled, "Everyone is greedy, and Cao Xi is most afraid of this. Who doesn't want the family to prosper!"
No one is a fool.
When the old lady and Li went to apologize, the prince's attitude made the old lady, who still had the energy to observe, feel very depressed; afterwards, he went to the West Garden again and again, saying that he was having meals with Yi'er Niang, which made the Cao family feel very uneasy and full of doubts.
This is the same principle as pillow talk. If Concubine Yi spares no effort to instigate the prince, how can they get any good results!
The more the officials spoke, the brighter Yinzhi's eyes became.
"Uncle means..."
"Master Zhongtang said that the daughter of the county magistrate was consigned to slavery. The culprits were the old lady and Cao Yin's wife. The second one, who else but the imperial concubine? It would be strange if she didn't blame them. That woman is beautiful and cunning. If we help her a little, she can cause unrest in the weaving mansion." The official said meaningfully, "She is very useful."
"If you find an opportunity, you don't need to do it deliberately. Just give me some face and plead for Cao Xi." The voice became lower and lower. "The taxes in Jiangnan are so high that even the Lord Zhongtang is jealous..."
Who doesn't like the white silver? The extremely wealthy families are not as good as a finger of Cao and Li. Every time they receive the emperor, every time they build a palace... they spend more, but get more!
"The Imperial Concubine is a woman after all. She simply regards the Cao family as slaves. What good will it do to offend them? The Crown Prince is the same. He is young and hot-tempered. He is young and hot-tempered." The official said, with an unstoppable smile on his face, "... The eldest brother should just wait and see what happens."
******
The next day.
The emperor needed to meet with local officials today, so he got up early in the morning, washed and ate quietly, not wanting to wake up the imperial concubine who was sleeping soundly.
The West Garden was like a temporary palace, with a superior status. Kangxi exempted everyone from paying respects, and no one dared to disturb him. At noon, Yunxiu drank the pregnancy-preserving medicine with candied fruit, then looked at the weather outside and took a sedan chair back to the main courtyard.
"My Lord, are you free? Just tell him that I have something to ask you." After a pause, Yun Xiu added, "Don't bring Xiaowu here. Let him play with his brothers."
Nanny Dong choked and thought, how sad the Fifth Prince would be if he knew what the Queen said!
…
Half an hour later.
The prince held the porcelain bottle and looked at it closely, his eyes unblinking: "This texture... looks like Yuan blue and white porcelain."
His tone was hesitant, with a hint of uncertainty, "If it's not Yuan blue and white porcelain, it's also a treasure among antiques."
The great scholar who taught the prince knew everything about astronomy and geography, loved books, calligraphy and painting, and was good at identifying antiques. The prince was exposed to a lot of things in the study room, and although he was young, he had the ability to identify things, but it was not very proficient.
Yun Xiu nodded slightly and picked up the jade cup on the dining table. "Look at this jade cup."
"The color is so clear that even the official kilns cannot produce such a good color."
"What about this?"
"…" The prince stared at it for a long time and couldn't help but sigh, "The Cao family is really rich."
If Yi'er Niang hadn't said it, he wouldn't have noticed it. These things on display looked inconspicuous on the surface, and were very different from the style in the capital. They were just exquisite at most, so he didn't pay much attention to them.
Who would have thought that none of them are ordinary!
"Isn't it all because of your royal father's spoiling?" Yun Xiu said lightly, and then smiled and said, "If you are out of money in the future, don't worry, these are all yours."
"..." The prince opened his eyes slightly and was completely stunned, "All, all of them belong to me?"
Not leaving a single cent for the Cao family? !