readytorunbook Chapter 665: Establishing a Crown Prince
Chapter 665: Establishing a Crown Prince
The next day, An Lingrong was listening to Baoque's report on palace affairs when Xiao Linzi delivered a secret letter from the palace.
The letter said that after the emperor withdrew the guards, people arranged by Zhongcui Palace sneaked into Jingren Palace.
The man took advantage of the other palace servants' laziness and took good care of the deposed queen, and when she was off guard, he fed her a manic powder.
He also took advantage of the deposed queen's consciousness to tell her that since she was confined to her room, children had been born one after another in the palace.
The deposed queen, who was irritated by the number of the emperor's children, was gloomy and suspicious all day long, and kept shouting that someone had snatched her eldest prince away.
And that fire was set by that man.
In fear, the deposed queen fell ill again.
The palace maids in Jingren Palace were beaten with sticks and held a grudge against the deposed empress. They blamed each other and no one went to summon the imperial physician.
Cui Jinxi from Zhongcui Palace did come to visit, but she also left it alone.
An Lingrong was just about to ask Baoque to pass the message back when she heard footsteps approaching from a distance.
She winked at Baoque, quickly crumpled the letter in her hand into a ball, and stuffed it into her purse.
"Xiao Dongzi, you came here in such a hurry, but what's the matter?"
Xiao Dongzi replied with a smile.
"Replying to the Imperial Noble Consort, the Sixth Prince did a good job on his studies today. The Emperor is very pleased and has asked you to bring the Eighth Prince and Princess Zhaohua to the Qinzheng Palace for dinner."
"Okay, I know."
An Lingrong smiled kindly.
"I need to clean up, please wait a moment."
"You are too polite, Madam. I will be waiting outside."
Lou Yue Kaiyun lived close to the Qinzheng Hall and could arrive before the meal was served.
Xiao Dongzi snatched the job of delivering messages from Xiao Xiazi, just with the intention of getting some food.
An Lingrong spent about a quarter of an hour packing before setting off with Hongyao and Zhaohua.
"Your son greets you, mother."
"Brother Six!"
Zhaohua trotted forward to say hello, and Hongyao also came over.
An Lingrong helped her son up as he saluted. "Why are you waiting here?"
"Mother, Lord Zhang has something to attend to, so I cannot be present. Let's go to the side hall and talk first."
Zhang Tingyu is the emperor's right-hand man, so his coming here at this time must be a big deal.
Hongzhan gently squeezed An Lingrong's hand, and she responded with a smile.
"Okay, it's up to you."
Hongzhan sent his younger brothers and sisters to the study to practice calligraphy. He approached An Lingrong and spoke in a low voice.
"Mother, I heard Eunuch Su muttering to himself. Today, a court official submitted a petition regarding the appointment of a crown prince."
An Lingrong was shocked, but remained calm on the surface.
Talking to yourself?
Su Peisheng should be informing Hongzhan.
An Lingrong couldn't believe that such a cautious person like him would be so carelessly overheard by Hongzhan.
Hongshi was adopted, Hongli died, and Hongzhou was disliked by the emperor, who never brought him back to the palace.
The Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, and the Eleventh Prince are not even one year old yet, so no one can say for sure whether they will grow up.
Who on earth is causing trouble for her at this time?
After arriving at the garden, the emperor fell ill several times one after another. The person who submitted the memorial almost said that the emperor was not feeling well and that preparations should be made early.
An Lingrong's understanding was correct, and Zhang Tingyu in the Qinzheng Hall also interpreted the memorial in this way.
"Your Majesty, today a court official mentioned the issue of the crown prince, and he was also concerned about the country."
"If I hadn't thought about his good intentions, I would have..."
The emperor did not say the second half of the sentence, but turned to talk about the contents of the memorial.
"He said that the Sixth Prince is young and the Fucha family is powerful, and he is worried that the imperial power will fall into the hands of others in the future. He even wants me to bring the Fifth Prince back from the Lama Temple. This is simply alarmist."
When the emperor mentioned the fifth prince, his tone was full of dissatisfaction and disgust.
The fifth child has been a mischievous and naughty boy since he was young. He is simply here to collect debts.
Back then, he went crazy and made a scene in Prince Yong's mansion, offending the Emperor. He almost had his surname changed because of him.
The emperor still feels a sharp pain in his heart whenever he thinks of that child.
He poured out a pill from the porcelain bottle and put it directly into his mouth.
The alchemy room in the garden has been working day and night. He now has plenty of pills and is in good health.
The emperor felt that although he could not live as long as his father, he would have no problem living for another ten years.
"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince is intelligent and capable, and has inherited your true teachings. But it is true that the Imperial Concubine has the support of the Fucha clan. The Fucha clan, headed by Lord Ma Qi, has produced many talented people, and they have representatives in the court and on the border."
Zhang Tingyu raised his hands and bowed.
"Emperor Taizu suffered this hardship in his time. Your Majesty, you must be on guard."
"Zhang Aiqing, how come even you think so?"
An Lingrong was later given the surname Fucha, and her younger brother Chengle was still young and unable to support the family.
The emperor believed that his favored son would not be so inconsiderate as to take the initiative to get involved with Fucha.
He lowered his hand and said, "Lord Zhang, the imperial physician said that I am in good health. You don't need to worry too much."
"This is a pill made in the pharmacy. You will understand its secret after you try it."
Zhang Tingyu respectfully took the small porcelain bottle given by the emperor and walked out of the door.
It was because of this thing in his hand that he was even more worried about the emperor's condition.
An Lingrong, who was hiding in the corner, saw Zhang Tingyu's sullen face and began to wonder what had just happened in the Qinzheng Hall.
Zhang Tingyu was a staunch royalist and only obeyed the emperor.
It is difficult to approach such people normally, let alone impress them with money.
An Lingrong quietly retreated to the side hall, and not long after, Su Peisheng invited her into the hall.
"Your Majesty, you have been busy all day. Come and have a cup of tea to moisten your throat."
The emperor took the teacup and took a casual look at it. It was the Pu'er tea he usually used when reviewing memorials.
Take a sip, it’s eight minutes hot, just right.
"Rong'er's tea-making skills have improved."
An Lingrong massaged the emperor's stiff shoulders and said, "It's all thanks to your teaching, Your Majesty. I'm good at eating and drinking, but I've failed to live up to your Majesty's care and effort in training me."
"To be honest, my handwriting is not as elegant as Zhaohua's."
The emperor took the hand on his shoulder and said, "At least others can't imitate Rong'er's handwriting. This saves a lot of trouble."
"Your Majesty, you are making fun of me again."
An Lingrong smiled awkwardly.
She did read a lot of books after entering the palace, but her handwriting was extremely mechanical.
She couldn't write well, but that didn't stop her from copying other people's handwriting. The previous punishment of copying had helped Concubine Hua a lot.
The emperor pulled her to the couch beside him and stared at him seriously.
"Someone mentioned the issue of establishing a crown prince today. What do you think?"
When An Lingrong heard this, an angry look immediately appeared on her pretty face.
"Your Majesty, you are in the prime of your life. Who is cursing you? Their intentions are simply despicable!"