Cheng Shao received the summons and hurried to the Qianqing Palace.
The emperor sat on the big kang by the window. The early summer morning sunlight shone through the bright glass window onto his face. His face was sallow, tired and haggard.
Cheng Shao was secretly shocked, thinking of some of the fragments he had heard a few days ago.
Is the emperor's health really getting worse
He did not dare to show any strange expression and walked forward respectfully to pay his respects.
The emperor asked someone to collect the memorials on the table and said, "Sit down and talk!"
More than 20 years of monarchy and subjection. Cheng Shao was not polite, took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the other side of the coffee table.
The eunuch bowed slightly, walked in quietly and set up the chessboard.
The emperor did not play chess as usual, but waved his hand to let the servants in the room leave, and asked Cheng Shao: "How are your two great-grandsons?"
Cheng Shao was a little surprised and asked, "Are you asking about Abao and Aren?"
The emperor nodded.
Cheng Shao smiled and said, "Both children have very good character. It is still unclear whether they are good at studying. But compared to before, they are much more lively. Every time I go to Zichuan's house, they play with birds and dogs with Zichuan's eldest son, making a mess."
The emperor laughed as he listened and said, "It seems that the children are very close!"
Cheng Shao said: "There are only a few people from the Cheng family in the capital. It would be more lively if they came together during festivals."
The emperor nodded and said, "That's because you two are so close. Otherwise, the child is the most sensible. He may not know who is good to him and who is bad to him. He may not know how to speak, but he actually has a scale in his heart. Otherwise, the adopted grandson who grew up in a charity would not dare to play with birds and chase dogs with a real man."
Cheng Shao smiled and said "yes", but wisely did not respond - the emperor was most likely thinking of a few princes.
Who knew that the emperor would keep on talking about this topic, saying, "I heard that several gentlemen from the Pengcheng Marquis's Mansion are studying at Chaoyang Gate?"
Cheng Shao smiled and said, "After Zichuan's eldest son was born, my sister-in-law found that the children of several relatives in the capital were about the same age. She thought that it would be a spur for the children to study together, so she invited a retired Hanlin to teach the children at home. Pengcheng Bo saw that our family had six Jinshi in three generations, and he always felt that our family had a knack for studying, so he sent the child to Chaoyang Gate to study with the children of our relatives. You also know that my eldest sister-in-law had a good relationship with Madam Fengsheng, so she didn't look down on the children of the Peng family, so the children squeezed together to study."
The emperor smiled and said, "Their family is wholeheartedly trying to pass down poetry and literature to their family."
Cheng Shao heard the tone of the words and felt that it was quite admiring, so he followed the emperor's words and said, "The children should read more books, learn to read and understand reason, and the brothers in this family will be more friendly with each other."
The emperor sneered upon hearing this and said, "Isn't the master I found for the princes very knowledgeable? How come none of those ambitious men know what brotherly love and respect are?"
Cheng Shao said jokingly: "No matter how much you blame, you can only blame your family for being too wealthy. Even the way of a saint cannot stop you."
The emperor's face brightened as he listened.
Cheng Shao could see that the emperor didn't want to play chess, but was just upset.
"Today's weather is nice." He said casually, "When I came here, I saw that the azaleas in the back hall were all in bloom. Your Majesty, do you want to go to the back hall for a walk? Wait a little longer, the sun will come out."
The flowers wilt.
The Emperor only found out last night that the Fourth Prince's wife had handed over her niece from her mother's side to the Cining Palace.
He was already feeling restless and irritable at the time, and he had managed to hold it in until the morning court session today. However, this anger not only did not dissipate, but instead became more and more intense. He did not want to be angry about these things anymore, so he called Cheng Shao over.
But when he saw Cheng Shao, he couldn't help asking about Cheng Shao's family. He didn't even know what kind of answer he hoped to hear...
So let's put these things aside for now
He is old and always hopes that all his children are well.
The emperor and Cheng Shao went to the back hall, looked at the azalea flowers indifferently, and kept Cheng Shao for lunch.
Cheng Shao always ate his fill, which was one of the reasons why the emperor liked to keep him for dinner.
After dinner, Doctor Cao came to take Ping An's pulse.
Cheng Shao was ready to retreat.
But the emperor kept him to play chess.
When it was time to play chess, the emperor's interest gradually increased. The two talked and laughed. In the evening, Cheng Shao was on duty at the Hanlin Academy. As the empress dowager returned from Daxiangguo Temple, the emperor went to Shenwu Gate early to welcome the empress dowager back to the palace.
Cheng Shao has been paying attention to the movements over there.
Hearing that the emperor had dinner in the Cining Palace, chatted with the empress dowager for a while, and then returned to the palace, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
What Cheng Chi was worried about did not happen, which shows that the Fourth Prince is not that brave.
But if this happens, the Fourth Prince's ambition will not be insatiable, the Crown Prince is young, and the Emperor is getting older. I am afraid that the court will never have peace from now on.
From now on, the Cheng family will have to "be on guard against thieves all day long" and live in fear.
It would be better to just end it this time.
There is a conclusion to life and death!
Cheng Shao smiled bitterly, lay down on the hardwood bed that Huaishan had laid out, and began to read a book he had brought into the palace to kill the long night.
The surroundings were silent and the sound of insects was clearer and louder.
Cheng Shao felt drowsy.
A young eunuch ran in hurriedly and said in a hurry: "Master Cheng, the emperor summons you."
Cheng Shao was stunned and asked, "At this time?"
The young eunuch said, "Yes! The emperor asked you to go over quickly."
Cheng Shao hurriedly put on his clothes and went out.
Next to the young eunuch stood a tall guard who looked very familiar, but Cheng Shao could not remember who he was.
The guard saluted Cheng Shao and said, "The palace has been locked. Although the eunuch has a matching card, it is better for me to escort the two of you to the Qianqing Palace."
The duty room is in front of the Xiuxin Hall, but to go to the Qianqing Palace from the duty room, one needs to enter through the Yuehua Gate.
At this time, Yuehua Gate should have been locked.
The guards said they were escorting, but in fact they were monitoring. This is also the rule in the palace.
Cheng Shao smiled and nodded to the guards, and they went to the Qianqing Palace.
The Qianqing Palace was quiet, with only the lights on in the east warm room.
The chief eunuch Chen Li, along with several of his disciples, were standing respectfully under the veranda of the east warm pavilion. When they saw Cheng Shao coming in, they smiled at him and said, "The emperor is waiting for you! Please come in quickly!" As they spoke, they lifted the curtain themselves.
Cheng Shao walked in.
He saw two people in the room.
One sitting and one standing.
The person sitting is naturally the emperor.
The person standing... was actually the Fourth Prince, who should be hundreds of miles away in military uniform.
Cheng Shao's heart skipped a beat and he stood there with his hands and feet stiff.
Chen Li's voice came from behind, which sounded gentle and polite on weekdays but now made people feel sinister: "Master Cheng, the emperor is waiting for you!"
How did the Fourth Prince get in? How did he persuade Chen Li? Was the Queen Mother's departure from the palace related to the Fourth Prince? Various suspicions came one after another, but Cheng Shao dared not think too much.
He concealed his panic and strode forward to salute the emperor: "Your Highness, I am Cheng Shao, and I come here to pay respect to you. Please give me your orders."
The Emperor's expression was stern, as if he was sitting in the Golden Throne Room as usual, with no trace of sadness or joy. He said, "I didn't ask you to come. It was the Fourth Prince who asked you to come. You should just listen to what he says!"
Cheng Shao lowered his brows and saluted the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince pretended to turn sideways and only accepted half of his greeting. He personally took Cheng Shao to his feet and said gently and humbly: "Sir Cheng, the Emperor feels that the Crown Prince is too young to be the heir to the throne, and wants to pass the throne to me. Please help me write an edict." As he spoke, he pointed to the blank edict placed on the table in front of the Emperor.
Cheng Shao smiled and said without thinking, "Fourth Prince, you are wrong! The crown prince is the foundation of the country. Since ancient times, the eldest son has been the heir. Fourth Prince, you have an elder brother in front and a legitimate nephew in the back. Even if the emperor wants to pass the throne to you, he has to discuss it with the court officials. How can he decide who will inherit the throne in private? Fourth Prince, please forgive me for my ignorance and dare not write a letter!"
The Fourth Prince raised his eyebrows, and his facial features suddenly became as sharp as a knife.
He sneered, "Are you disobeying the order?"
"I dare not disobey your order." Cheng Shao said with a smile, his posture as firm as a pine tree. "The court is not allowed to make friends with the princes. I beg the Fourth Prince to forgive me!"
The fourth prince snorted coldly and glanced at the corner.
Cheng Shao couldn't help but look over there.
Only then did he realize that there was a person lying in the corner of the room.
He is an old acquaintance of his.
Li Yun is the pedestrian on duty today at the Pedestrian Department.
Cheng Shao said nothing.
Chen Li's voice rang out through the door: "Fourth Prince, it's almost time to change guard."
As the Fourth Prince listened, a hint of anger rose on his face.
Chen Li said: "The person on duty in the cabinet today is Lord Yuan. Do you want to call Lord Yuan over?"
The fourth prince thought about it and said, "Okay."
There were footsteps outside.
The emperor suddenly waved to Cheng Shao: "Come, play chess with me."
Cheng Shao straightened his clothes, walked over leisurely, sat cross-legged opposite the emperor, and took out the chessboard and chess pieces from under the kang.
There is something under the chessboard.
Cheng Shao put it in his sleeve without saying a word.
A look of relief flashed in the emperor's eyes.
The two started playing chess.
Soon, Yuan Weichang arrived.
His face suddenly changed and he bowed his head to salute the Emperor and the Fourth Prince.
The Fourth Prince repeated what he had said to Cheng Shao.
Yuan Weichang's face turned pale and blue, and he said, "Fourth Prince, without the emperor's will, I dare not write such an edict."
The fourth prince laughed in anger and said, "I didn't expect that both of you wanted to be loyal subjects. Well, I will grant your wish..."
As he spoke, he drew the sword from his waist.
There was a loud noise outside the door... and Chen Li's frightened voice: "Fourth Prince, Han Ding appeared out of nowhere..."
The Fourth Prince showed a little panic, but soon regained his composure and said, "Stop Han Ding... The Emperor is on our side..."
Before he could finish his words, the window slats broke in pieces, and guards swung in from the roof pulling ropes and surrounded the emperor and Cheng Shao who were playing chess.
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Zhou Shaojin asked Cheng Chi: "What happened next?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "The Emperor had long been aware of the Fourth Prince's actions, but he was his own son after all, so he always hoped that he would have a change of heart. But he did not expect that the Fourth Prince would be even bolder than he imagined. He actually took a risk and wanted to ascend the throne by capturing the king first. He underestimated the Emperor..."
"That's not what I'm asking." Zhou Shaojin said, "I'm asking what Second Uncle took from under the chessboard?"
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Today's update, sisters.
There is one last chapter.
~~~~(>_