novelhk Chapter 410 Wanting a Son Because of His Mother's Status
Chapter 410 Wanting a Son Because of His Mother's Status
The third and fourth princes were dumbfounded. They hadn't expected their coming-of-age ceremony to be so simple. Their father hadn't come to observe the ceremony, and none of their elder relatives had come. Only the Prince of Xun from the imperial clan had come.
During the "Cinnabar Enlightenment Ceremony," Yan Xuegu applied cinnabar to the foreheads of the two princes. However, when it came to the "Gratitude to Parents and Teachers Ceremony," the parents were absent.
The third and fourth princes were almost in tears.
After the ceremony, King Xun questioned the Crown Prince, "Dongjun, was this 'coming-of-age ceremony' your idea or the Empress's? Isn't it a bit too simplistic?"
Princes, look over here.
Yan Xuegu and Lu Shixun also wanted to see how the Crown Prince would respond, so they did not stop the Prince of Xun.
Xihe was furious, but the Crown Prince remained calm. "Prince Xun, in your eyes am I still the Crown Prince? Whether it's me or the Empress Dowager doing something, do you have to interfere?"
Yan Xuegu and Lu Shixun both nodded in agreement. The Crown Prince had the bearing, and at such a young age, his response was also very sharp. No wonder he dared to scold the Wolf King at the enthronement ceremony. He had both the Emperor's composure and the Empress's sharpness.
King Xun was furious. How dare this immature child question him like that? He laughed and said, "Your Highness, I believe that you should act like a sage, showing brotherly love and respect."
"If Your Majesty has neglected the upbringing of your illegitimate sons, we have already reminded you. Since the Crown Prince has promised to secure a coming-of-age ceremony for his elder brothers, he should keep his word."
The prince pointed to the still-present handwashing basin and drum—the former used for washing hands, symbolizing the cleansing of worldly dust and the clearing of the mind, and the latter used for striking, signifying encouragement—and asked, "Wasn't that the 'coming-of-age ceremony' just now?"
Prince Xun said, "Isn't this a bit too simple? Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince didn't mention this to the Emperor and Empress?"
The Third Prince said, "My mother has already consulted the Empress, and she said she would consider it. Tenth Brother, if you don't want your elder brothers to have their coming-of-age ceremony, then they can simply not do it. Why subject them to such humiliation?"
The Crown Prince laughed and said, "Third brother, I don't understand what you mean. If it were you who were to do it, and you said you were not satisfied, why are you not satisfied? Father didn't come, so you think it's meaningless? Is the 'coming-of-age ceremony' just for Father to see?"
"Master and Minister Lu have worked so hard, and you're complaining that they didn't do a good job? Where is it simple?"
Yan Xuegu and Lu Shixun were both taken aback when they were dragged into the situation by the Crown Prince. They found it amusing and were quite willing to speak up for the Crown Prince. This kid is really clever!
Lu Shixun said, "I believe that today's 'coming-of-age ceremony' was in accordance with etiquette and there was nothing wrong with it. If Your Highness the Third Prince is dissatisfied with my actions, please point them out."
The third prince was only a child of about ten years old. When pressed for answers, he immediately felt guilty. He didn't ask for anything else, he just wanted his father to come, but his father didn't come.
The fourth prince is quite clueless. He's just a glutton and he dislikes the crown prince and Xihe. The third prince often tries to win him over with delicious food, so he's hooked up with the third prince. Now that he sees his third brother being targeted by the crown prince, he's chiming in.
"Why isn't Father Emperor coming? Did you tell him not to come?"
The Crown Prince took two steps back, avoiding the Fourth Prince's spittle, and Xihe chimed in to her brother, "Father won't come, he won't come, he just won't come!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanke laughed and cursed, "You little rascal!" His expression was quite smug; the Crown Prince's actions clearly pleased him.
The third prince's eyes reddened with grievance, and he stormed off without saying a word.
Father Emperor is going too far. He only listens to the Crown Prince and Xihe. They told Father Emperor not to come, so he really didn't come.
Back in the palace, Consort Li was heartbroken to see her son like this. She comforted him,
"You should try your best to surpass the Crown Prince in your studies; the Crown Prince is like the Empress, and he probably doesn't like studying either. He might even become illiterate in the future. No matter how much the court officials support him, do they want an illiterate person to be emperor?"
Xihe and the Crown Prince told Shen Shixi about what happened at Chongxian Hall. They talked about it in detail, one after the other. After the two of them took their two younger brothers to play in the small garden, they gave the Crown Prince's eunuch a detailed report.
After the eunuch left, Chaoyu said, "Back when the Crown Prince was less than a year old, he was so frightened by Consort Du's shout that he developed a fever at night. Rumors spread outside, and I've investigated and found out that it was said that a man from Dunhuang bribed some local ruffians to spread the rumors."
They said that the crown prince's "fate was not high and his blessings were not abundant."
Rumors were spread in the restaurant.
The source was not found at the time, but since the matter was related to the struggle for the throne, Chao Yu has been investigating it relentlessly for the past few years.
Li Sihe's maternal family is from Dunhuang; her father was originally a scribe in Dunhuang.
Shen Shixi was not surprised at all. "It is understandable that Consort Li has the ambition to seize the throne. The Third Prince has always been qualified to do so. It is enough to reveal this matter."
Chao Yu didn't understand the weight of those words, so there was no need for him to say much. One day, he stood and talked for a while with one of the head eunuchs in the flower room.
The people in the flower room told him that there were rumors in the palace that the Empress was not allowing the Emperor to attend the coming-of-age ceremonies of the Third and Fourth Princes.
The people in the greenhouse were actually trying to trick Chaoyu into saying that, and Chaoyu laughed and cursed, "What utter nonsense!"
He leaned close to the head eunuch's ear and whispered, "This... he's ambitious. The higher-ups know it all too well. You think the Crown Prince is doing so well? Why would the Emperor..."
He held up three fingers to indicate that it was the Third Prince.
The words weren't explicitly stated, but who among those who could survive and thrive in the harem was a fool?
Consort Li was already a principal consort. When the Empress assigned Consort Yuan and Consort Xu to attend to the Empress Dowager during her illness, she eagerly followed along. Who couldn't see her ambition?
Rumors quickly spread that the Third Prince harbored ambitions to seize the throne, and that Consort Li wanted to become a concubine so that the Third Prince could rise in status through his mother's influence.
On a sunny day, Consort Li and Consort Xu were strolling in the Imperial Garden with their respective entourages. Since they were of equal rank, and the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince could play together, the two of them stayed close to each other.
"Have you heard? That girl at Wangxian Palace is really ambitious; she actually wants the Third Prince to be the Crown Prince. What do you think she's thinking?"
"What can you think? A toad trying to eat swan meat! So ungrateful! If it weren't for the Empress... ah..."
Before the palace maid could finish speaking, she covered her mouth, turned to run away, but was caught by Consort Li's men and dragged before her. Enraged, Li Sihe stepped forward and kicked the palace maid.
"Chew, keep chewing! You see me, why did you stop? Didn't you just want to chew for me to hear? Guards, tear her mouth apart!"
When she shouted that, Li Chongyuan felt as if she had taken a super tonic, and her whole body felt relaxed!
It feels so good to give orders!
As one of the Nine Concubines, an imperial concubine, she lived a slightly better life than the palace maids since entering the palace. She didn't have to do any serving work, but as for power, she never really had the feeling of having great power in her hands.
At that moment, she became even more determined to help her son take the throne.
The Empress is a good person, but she is too selfish; the Emperor has become hers alone.
The emperor must have been disgusted with her, but because she was involved in politics and had won over the officials, the emperor was probably sidelined and dared not even visit the harem anymore.
As for the Empress's kindness to her, she will repay that kindness by sparing the Empress's life and giving her the position of Empress Dowager.
The palace maid was terrified and begged for mercy, but Consort Li glared at her fiercely, eager to express her superiority through destruction.
"Wait!" Consort Shu and Consort Xian arrived, glanced around, and asked, "What happened?"