Prince Ning had not been back in Beijing for long, but what happened to him made him complain bitterly. There were a lot of bad things left by the Qujiang Banquet. He had been busy these days, personally asking about the funeral of Feng's son. Finally, he had some free time in the past two days. He also learned that Pei Xiaoyuan seemed to have offended the emperor and was thrown into a secret prison. He didn't know whether it was true or not. He was worried again. He went to the palace to ask for an audience several times, but was blocked. He went to find Yuan Zhi to inquire about the truth. The eunuch seemed respectful on the surface, but he knew nothing when asked. He denied it completely, and Prince Ning had no way to deal with him.
In fact, he and Pei Ji had an old friendship, and now he believed that Pei Xiaoyuan was his grandson's master. Compared with others, he naturally felt closer to him. He was very anxious and was discussing with Cui Daosi whether to report this matter to Dongdu to inform Pei Ji. Suddenly, he received news this morning that Pei's son had returned to the government office. Except for a wound on his forehead from unknown sources, he was safe and sound. Not only that, it was said that the emperor also equipped Pei's house with slaves, and even the eunuch Yang Zaien was sent there to take charge of the renovation of the house.
The day before, this Pei family member was still being rumored to be in trouble, perhaps suffering from imprisonment, but after one night, his fortune doubled.
Before Prince Ning could figure out what was going on, he learned that the emperor had summoned him, so he quickly changed his clothes and responded. He hurried to Ziyun Palace and saw from afar an old eunuch leading two palace supervisors standing outside the palace gate, as if waiting for him. When he got closer and saw who they were, he was surprised to find that they were the eunuch Zhao Zhongfang who had been driven out of the palace by the emperor.
Zhao Zhongfang had a rich career. He lost one leg in a turmoil in his early years, but luckily returned home. But the good times didn't last long. For some reason, he was expelled from the palace by the emperor. Prince Ning also knew where he went, but he didn't expect that he would return now.
I haven't seen him for more than ten years. Zhao Zhongfang looked extremely old, but he seemed to be in good spirits. He walked slowly towards me with a smile on his face to greet me.
It was not appropriate to talk here. The coming and going of eunuchs also involved the emperor's secrets. How could King Ning dare to ask more questions? He did not ask Zhao Zhongfang to bow, but went up to him and asked him to stay. After a few words of greeting, he learned that the emperor was waiting for him, and hurried in. As soon as he entered the palace, he was surprised again.
Three years ago, after the war in Western Tibet ended, the emperor gradually stopped holding court meetings due to his old illness. He summoned many ministers to this hall, which was always dimly lit, and a huge candle was lit during the day. However, at this moment, Prince Ning saw that the heavy curtains that used to block the light were all drawn up, and the room was brightly lit, with a breeze blowing through the hall. The emperor was leaning on the bed alone, with his eyes closed, as if taking a nap.
He became more and more surprised and looked around, stunned for a moment, until the emperor opened his eyes, slowly turned over and sat up straight, then he came to his senses and hurried up to pay his respects. He found that the emperor's expression was unusually peaceful, and he even smiled. He asked him to sit closer and talk.
Prince Ning suppressed his doubts and sat on a couch beside the emperor. He first asked about the emperor's recent living conditions, saying that he was very worried about him and had requested an audience with the emperor two days ago. He was very happy to be able to see the emperor today.
The emperor nodded and said that he had wanted to summon him to talk alone for a long time, but today was the only time he had time. Then he asked about his grandchildren.
Prince Ning hurriedly half stood up and bowed, saying, "Hui'er is fine. He has been studying at home these days. Although my granddaughter was frightened that day, she is not seriously injured. She has recovered after a few days of rest. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern."