"Third Young Master Hua, how is your younger sister doing?" the Crown Prince entered the side hall and saw Hua Changkong sitting calmly on a chair. Most of his worries dissipated. It seemed that Hua Liuli wasn't in any serious trouble.
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Changkong stood up and bowed to the Crown Prince, "The imperial physician has already examined her, my younger sister is fine. She just needs a few days of rest."
"Fortunately, Junzhu intercepted the assassin today, or else Benwang might have been in trouble," the Crown Prince looked at the gently swaying curtains in the room, "The palace guards are strict. Anyone who can enter the imperial palace has been thoroughly investigated for several generations."
However, within just a month, two assassination attempts had occurred.
Hua Changkong's expression flickered, but he remained silent.
"There are people in the palace who hold power and collude with outsiders," the Crown Prince glanced towards the inner chamber, "In a few days, there will be a grand ceremony to worship the heavens. Junzhu will stay in the palace for a few more days to recuperate before returning to your estate after the ceremony. What do you think, Third Young Master Hua?"
The bed curtains moved slightly.
Hua Changkong pretended not to notice and bowed to the Crown Prince, "This humble servant will follow Your Royal Highness's wishes."
Perhaps he had held the princes in too high regard. Maybe there indeed was a foolish prince among them who disregarded the country's peace for immediate gains.
Such a person, even if capable of scheming against the world, could never become a wise ruler.
"I heard that Third Young Master is planning to participate in the imperial examination after spring," the Crown Prince didn't want to discuss his disappointing brothers and changed the topic, "In my palace, there are two officials who ranked among the top three in the previous examination. If Third Young Master doesn't mind, you can often come visit."
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness. I..."
"Junzhu, are you awake?" A voice filled with surprise came from inside the room.
Hua Changkong lifted the curtain and walked into the inner chamber, meeting Hua Liuli's gaze.
Hua Liuli silently turned her head away.
Hua Changkong cleared his throat, "Little sister, I'll come to pick you up in a few days."
"Thank you, Third Brother," Hua Liuli reached out and straightened Hua Changkong's clothes, "The weather has gotten colder, don't forget to keep warm, Third Brother," Her fair fingers lightly twisted on Hua Changkong's arm, "You must take care of your own health."
Hua Changkong's smile stiffened, and he whispered, "The Crown Prince is still outside. Give me some face."
Withdrawing her hand, Hua Liuli smiled brightly, "Third Brother, everything is fine for me in the palace. Don't worry about me."
"Jiamin Junzhu, the daughter of Princess Shunan, fancies the Eldest Prince," Hua Liuli whispered softly. "Princess Shunan's family is getting close to Consort Xian."
If they didn't have a close relationship, Jiamin Junzhu wouldn't have known about the Emperor's intention to match her, Hua Liuli, with the Eldest Prince.
"Take care of yourself," Hua Changkong raised his voice, "Don't worry, Third Brother will study hard at home. Maybe next year, you'll have a top-ranking scholar as your older brother."
"Third Brother, you're so confident. I'll write a letter to inform our parents later," Hua Liuli rubbed her belly.
"You're already hungry."
"I'm not hungry."
"Even if you're not hungry, you still need to eat something. Otherwise, how can your body hold up? Be good and listen to me."
"Then..."
"Are you thinking of just having some plain congee? That won't do. Yuan Yi, bring some meat porridge for Junzhu and prepare a few side dishes as well."
Hua Liuli blinked at Hua Changkong: Third Brother, you're my true brother.
Hua Changkong lightly tapped her forehead with his finger, then stood up and went outside to accompany the Crown Prince in conversation.
When Yuan Yi and a palace maid brought the food, Hua Changkong stood up and went to see Hua Liuli.
The Crown Prince took a sip of tea and heard Hua Changkong's voice from the inner chambers, "Why are you only eating so little? Take a few more bites."
"If you finish this bowl of rice, I'll buy you the pearl hairpin that you liked."
"Eating so little every day, how can your body be healthy? And the vegetables, you must eat them. Don't think that just because you are in the palace and I can't see that you can be picky and not eat properly!"
"Third Brother..."
"Pouting won't work. Yuan Yi, from now on, you must keep a close eye on Junzhu during meals. You can't let her have her own way."
"Your Royal Highness, please forgive this humble servant," After sternly coaxing his sister to eat, Hua Changkong walked out and said to the Crown Prince, "My sister is still young and ignorant. Since she was young, she has always been picky about eating and would bother others, There's nothing this humble servant can do about it."
"There are young princesses that are very picky about food. It's normal," the Crown Prince smiled, "Benwang also has many things Benwang doesn't like to eat."
After a while, the palace maid brought out the empty bowl. The Crown Prince glanced at the empty bowl and plate. It seemed that her older brother's coaxing was still effective. The young girl obediently finished all the food.
After the physician finished examining Hua Liuli's pulse and confirmed that she had no problems with eating so much food, the Crown Prince heard Hua Changkong reprimanding Hua Liuli for being picky in the inner chamber. He spoke up, "Third Young Master Hua, Junzhu is still young, there's no need to be so strict. In the next few days, Benwang will personally ensure that Junzhu eats her meals."
"Your Royal Highness is right," Hua Liuli quickly added.
Behind the curtain, the Crown Prince couldn't see Hua Liuli's expression, but he could sense something from her tone.
Indeed, she was still a child who became arrogant once she had someone to rely on.
To avoid panic in the palace, the news of the assassination attempt in the Eastern Palace was blocked and did not spread.
Although the Crown Prince was unharmed, Emperor Changlong was furious. He not only investigated all the palace guards responsible for guarding the palace but also increased the number of guards in the Eastern Palace.
Some officials in charge of palace affairs were also greatly affected by this incident. Although the people in the palace didn't know what had happened, they became much more cautious in their duties.
The only one who was unaffected was probably Hua Liuli. After returning from the Eastern Palace, she started living a leisurely life. It was unknown what the Crown Prince said to Empress Dowager, but since then, the Empress Dowager had developed a new hobby of watching her finish her meals.
"In the past, this Grieving One found it troublesome to see old women coaxing children to eat, but now this Grieving One finds it somewhat interesting," the Empress Dowager said to a nearby court lady, "Liuli is obedient and clever. Even the way she eats is cuter than other girls."
The court lady smiled and replied, "Your Majesty is right."
You haven't experienced the power of mischievous children, so you find it interesting to coax them to eat. If Fushou Junzhu wasn't pretty but cried and threw tantrums...
After finishing her meal, Hua Liuli was once again chased out by the Empress Dowager to take a stroll. It was unclear where she heard the rumor, but Empress Dowager said to her, "If you encounter someone with a bad temper, even if there's a conflict, you won't lose if you have more people with you."
Hua Liuli felt that Empress Dowager's words were implying, "If someone dares to lay a hand on you, and you can't win, let the palace maids fight back."
She thought that the Empress Dowager, having gone through various palace intrigues, would speak in a more tactful and subtle manner, but she turned out to be very straightforward.
"Little girl, have you been chased out for a walk by the Empress Dowager again?" The Crown Prince spotted the slowly walking Hua Liuli from a distance, "How much did you eat for lunch?"
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli looked up at the Crown Prince sitting in the sedan chair, "Have you had your meal?"
"Benwang just had it in the Chenyang Palace," the Crown Prince got off the sedan chair and handed two boxes to Hua Liuli.
"What is this?" Hua Liuli took the boxes and smelled a faint aroma of food.
"There will be a grand ritual to the heavens tomorrow," the Crown Prince whispered, "It will start before dawn and continue until noon."
Hua Liuli turned her head and looked at the eunuchs and palace maids bowing their heads behind her. She whispered, "Your Royal Highness, is it appropriate to eat secretly during the ritual...?"
"What's wrong with that? Children need to nourish their bodies when they're growing up and can't bear hunger," the Crown Prince placed his hands behind his back, sounding confident. "Heavens bless the people and is inclusive of all things. Heavens won't pay attention to such a small matter. Don't worry."
Hua Liuli: "..."
She was just a fifteen-year-old child?
The next morning, before dawn, Hua Liuli was pulled out of bed by Yuan Yi and a few palace maids and put into a sedan chair after helping her get ready.
"Junzhu, the Crown Prince sent you some snacks. They are packed in a brocade pouch," Yuan Yi said.
"En," Hua Liuli nodded drowsily.
"Junzhu is weak, the palace attendants dare not let you tire yourself. However, Nubi heard that it might be inconvenient to change clothes after the ritual starts, so Junzhu should drink less water today."
"Alright," Hua Liuli leaned against the window of the sedan chair and yawned a few times.
The imperial palace was still a long distance from the altar for the ritual, but along the way, Hua Liuli didn't hear any conversation besides the sound of footsteps.
She was awakened by the morning chill, so she lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and glanced outside. The road was adorned with beautiful palace lanterns and the entire path leading to the ritual altar was illuminated as if it were daytime.
Underneath the altar, there was a large open space already filled with people. Hua Liuli carefully observed and found that the court officials and the noblewomen were all present, but they were divided into separate groups on the left and right, not standing together.
The sedan chair silently touched the ground, and a palace maid lifted the curtain, "Junzhu, please disembark."
Hua Liuli stepped out of the sedan chair and saw the Empress Dowager beckoning to her after descending from the phoenix carriage, "Liuli, come, support me."
The several concubines who had been waiting on the side felt somewhat uneasy upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words. In the absence of an heir in the palace, it was considered an honor for the concubines to stand by the Empress Dowager during the ritual. In previous years, the Empress Dowager would choose one of the concubines who had given birth to a prince to accompany her, but unexpectedly this year, an outsider was chosen to accompany her.
The smiles on the concubines' faces remained unchanged. On the contrary, they calmly took a step back, displaying a peculiar sense of calmness.
Perhaps the result of "neither me nor you" was something they could accept.
Hua Liuli held the Empress Dowager's soft hand and walked past the solemn court officials and noblewomen, finally stepping onto the stairs leading to the altar.
The court officials and the noblewomen were secretly curious, as they wondered if the young girl supporting the Empress Dowager was from the Hua family.
Was the imperial family giving face to the Hua family?
No, something was off. The Hua family had just achieved a victory, so the imperial family would definitely bestow them with all possible honors. However, when the time came to suppress the Hua family, it would be done ruthlessly.
Ah, accompanying a monarch was like accompanying a tiger. The imperial family was destined to be so merciless.
After expressing their sentiments in their hearts, the officials couldn't help but cast glances at Hua Liuli.
How come they were not the ones in such a glorious position?
If it were them, they would never suffer the same fate as the Hua family in the future.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Breaking News of this Chapter: The Wicked Crown Prince tutors the adorable little girl on how to secretly eat snacks.
The involved party "Heavens" responds: The Crown Prince's statement does not represent the opinion of Heavens.
"Third Young Master Hua, how is your younger sister doing?" the Crown Prince entered the side hall and saw Hua Changkong sitting calmly on a chair. Most of his worries dissipated. It seemed that Hua Liuli wasn't in any serious trouble.
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Changkong stood up and bowed to the Crown Prince, "The imperial physician has already examined her, my younger sister is fine. She just needs a few days of rest."
"Fortunately, Junzhu intercepted the assassin today, or else Benwang might have been in trouble," the Crown Prince looked at the gently swaying curtains in the room, "The palace guards are strict. Anyone who can enter the imperial palace has been thoroughly investigated for several generations."
However, within just a month, two assassination attempts had occurred.
Hua Changkong's expression flickered, but he remained silent.
"There are people in the palace who hold power and collude with outsiders," the Crown Prince glanced towards the inner chamber, "In a few days, there will be a grand ceremony to worship the heavens. Junzhu will stay in the palace for a few more days to recuperate before returning to your estate after the ceremony. What do you think, Third Young Master Hua?"
The bed curtains moved slightly.
Hua Changkong pretended not to notice and bowed to the Crown Prince, "This humble servant will follow Your Royal Highness's wishes."
Perhaps he had held the princes in too high regard. Maybe there indeed was a foolish prince among them who disregarded the country's peace for immediate gains.
Such a person, even if capable of scheming against the world, could never become a wise ruler.
"I heard that Third Young Master is planning to participate in the imperial examination after spring," the Crown Prince didn't want to discuss his disappointing brothers and changed the topic, "In my palace, there are two officials who ranked among the top three in the previous examination. If Third Young Master doesn't mind, you can often come visit."
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness. I..."
"Junzhu, are you awake?" A voice filled with surprise came from inside the room.
Hua Changkong lifted the curtain and walked into the inner chamber, meeting Hua Liuli's gaze.
Hua Liuli silently turned her head away.
Hua Changkong cleared his throat, "Little sister, I'll come to pick you up in a few days."
"Thank you, Third Brother," Hua Liuli reached out and straightened Hua Changkong's clothes, "The weather has gotten colder, don't forget to keep warm, Third Brother," Her fair fingers lightly twisted on Hua Changkong's arm, "You must take care of your own health."
Hua Changkong's smile stiffened, and he whispered, "The Crown Prince is still outside. Give me some face."
Withdrawing her hand, Hua Liuli smiled brightly, "Third Brother, everything is fine for me in the palace. Don't worry about me."
"Jiamin Junzhu, the daughter of Princess Shunan, fancies the Eldest Prince," Hua Liuli whispered softly. "Princess Shunan's family is getting close to Consort Xian."
If they didn't have a close relationship, Jiamin Junzhu wouldn't have known about the Emperor's intention to match her, Hua Liuli, with the Eldest Prince.
"Take care of yourself," Hua Changkong raised his voice, "Don't worry, Third Brother will study hard at home. Maybe next year, you'll have a top-ranking scholar as your older brother."
"Third Brother, you're so confident. I'll write a letter to inform our parents later," Hua Liuli rubbed her belly.
"You're already hungry."
"I'm not hungry."
"Even if you're not hungry, you still need to eat something. Otherwise, how can your body hold up? Be good and listen to me."
"Then..."
"Are you thinking of just having some plain congee? That won't do. Yuan Yi, bring some meat porridge for Junzhu and prepare a few side dishes as well."
Hua Liuli blinked at Hua Changkong: Third Brother, you're my true brother.
Hua Changkong lightly tapped her forehead with his finger, then stood up and went outside to accompany the Crown Prince in conversation.
When Yuan Yi and a palace maid brought the food, Hua Changkong stood up and went to see Hua Liuli.
The Crown Prince took a sip of tea and heard Hua Changkong's voice from the inner chambers, "Why are you only eating so little? Take a few more bites."
"If you finish this bowl of rice, I'll buy you the pearl hairpin that you liked."
"Eating so little every day, how can your body be healthy? And the vegetables, you must eat them. Don't think that just because you are in the palace and I can't see that you can be picky and not eat properly!"
"Third Brother..."
"Pouting won't work. Yuan Yi, from now on, you must keep a close eye on Junzhu during meals. You can't let her have her own way."
"Your Royal Highness, please forgive this humble servant," After sternly coaxing his sister to eat, Hua Changkong walked out and said to the Crown Prince, "My sister is still young and ignorant. Since she was young, she has always been picky about eating and would bother others, There's nothing this humble servant can do about it."
"There are young princesses that are very picky about food. It's normal," the Crown Prince smiled, "Benwang also has many things Benwang doesn't like to eat."
After a while, the palace maid brought out the empty bowl. The Crown Prince glanced at the empty bowl and plate. It seemed that her older brother's coaxing was still effective. The young girl obediently finished all the food.
After the physician finished examining Hua Liuli's pulse and confirmed that she had no problems with eating so much food, the Crown Prince heard Hua Changkong reprimanding Hua Liuli for being picky in the inner chamber. He spoke up, "Third Young Master Hua, Junzhu is still young, there's no need to be so strict. In the next few days, Benwang will personally ensure that Junzhu eats her meals."
"Your Royal Highness is right," Hua Liuli quickly added.
Behind the curtain, the Crown Prince couldn't see Hua Liuli's expression, but he could sense something from her tone.
Indeed, she was still a child who became arrogant once she had someone to rely on.
To avoid panic in the palace, the news of the assassination attempt in the Eastern Palace was blocked and did not spread.
Although the Crown Prince was unharmed, Emperor Changlong was furious. He not only investigated all the palace guards responsible for guarding the palace but also increased the number of guards in the Eastern Palace.
Some officials in charge of palace affairs were also greatly affected by this incident. Although the people in the palace didn't know what had happened, they became much more cautious in their duties.
The only one who was unaffected was probably Hua Liuli. After returning from the Eastern Palace, she started living a leisurely life. It was unknown what the Crown Prince said to Empress Dowager, but since then, the Empress Dowager had developed a new hobby of watching her finish her meals.
"In the past, this Grieving One found it troublesome to see old women coaxing children to eat, but now this Grieving One finds it somewhat interesting," the Empress Dowager said to a nearby court lady, "Liuli is obedient and clever. Even the way she eats is cuter than other girls."
The court lady smiled and replied, "Your Majesty is right."
You haven't experienced the power of mischievous children, so you find it interesting to coax them to eat. If Fushou Junzhu wasn't pretty but cried and threw tantrums...
After finishing her meal, Hua Liuli was once again chased out by the Empress Dowager to take a stroll. It was unclear where she heard the rumor, but Empress Dowager said to her, "If you encounter someone with a bad temper, even if there's a conflict, you won't lose if you have more people with you."
Hua Liuli felt that Empress Dowager's words were implying, "If someone dares to lay a hand on you, and you can't win, let the palace maids fight back."
She thought that the Empress Dowager, having gone through various palace intrigues, would speak in a more tactful and subtle manner, but she turned out to be very straightforward.
"Little girl, have you been chased out for a walk by the Empress Dowager again?" The Crown Prince spotted the slowly walking Hua Liuli from a distance, "How much did you eat for lunch?"
"Your Royal Highness," Hua Liuli looked up at the Crown Prince sitting in the sedan chair, "Have you had your meal?"
"Benwang just had it in the Chenyang Palace," the Crown Prince got off the sedan chair and handed two boxes to Hua Liuli.
"What is this?" Hua Liuli took the boxes and smelled a faint aroma of food.
"There will be a grand ritual to the heavens tomorrow," the Crown Prince whispered, "It will start before dawn and continue until noon."
Hua Liuli turned her head and looked at the eunuchs and palace maids bowing their heads behind her. She whispered, "Your Royal Highness, is it appropriate to eat secretly during the ritual...?"
"What's wrong with that? Children need to nourish their bodies when they're growing up and can't bear hunger," the Crown Prince placed his hands behind his back, sounding confident. "Heavens bless the people and is inclusive of all things. Heavens won't pay attention to such a small matter. Don't worry."
Hua Liuli: "..."
She was just a fifteen-year-old child?
The next morning, before dawn, Hua Liuli was pulled out of bed by Yuan Yi and a few palace maids and put into a sedan chair after helping her get ready.
"Junzhu, the Crown Prince sent you some snacks. They are packed in a brocade pouch," Yuan Yi said.
"En," Hua Liuli nodded drowsily.
"Junzhu is weak, the palace attendants dare not let you tire yourself. However, Nubi heard that it might be inconvenient to change clothes after the ritual starts, so Junzhu should drink less water today."
"Alright," Hua Liuli leaned against the window of the sedan chair and yawned a few times.
The imperial palace was still a long distance from the altar for the ritual, but along the way, Hua Liuli didn't hear any conversation besides the sound of footsteps.
She was awakened by the morning chill, so she lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and glanced outside. The road was adorned with beautiful palace lanterns and the entire path leading to the ritual altar was illuminated as if it were daytime.
Underneath the altar, there was a large open space already filled with people. Hua Liuli carefully observed and found that the court officials and the noblewomen were all present, but they were divided into separate groups on the left and right, not standing together.
The sedan chair silently touched the ground, and a palace maid lifted the curtain, "Junzhu, please disembark."
Hua Liuli stepped out of the sedan chair and saw the Empress Dowager beckoning to her after descending from the phoenix carriage, "Liuli, come, support me."
The several concubines who had been waiting on the side felt somewhat uneasy upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words. In the absence of an heir in the palace, it was considered an honor for the concubines to stand by the Empress Dowager during the ritual. In previous years, the Empress Dowager would choose one of the concubines who had given birth to a prince to accompany her, but unexpectedly this year, an outsider was chosen to accompany her.
The smiles on the concubines' faces remained unchanged. On the contrary, they calmly took a step back, displaying a peculiar sense of calmness.
Perhaps the result of "neither me nor you" was something they could accept.
Hua Liuli held the Empress Dowager's soft hand and walked past the solemn court officials and noblewomen, finally stepping onto the stairs leading to the altar.
The court officials and the noblewomen were secretly curious, as they wondered if the young girl supporting the Empress Dowager was from the Hua family.
Was the imperial family giving face to the Hua family?
No, something was off. The Hua family had just achieved a victory, so the imperial family would definitely bestow them with all possible honors. However, when the time came to suppress the Hua family, it would be done ruthlessly.
Ah, accompanying a monarch was like accompanying a tiger. The imperial family was destined to be so merciless.
After expressing their sentiments in their hearts, the officials couldn't help but cast glances at Hua Liuli.
How come they were not the ones in such a glorious position?
If it were them, they would never suffer the same fate as the Hua family in the future.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Breaking News of this Chapter: The Wicked Crown Prince tutors the adorable little girl on how to secretly eat snacks.
The involved party "Heavens" responds: The Crown Prince's statement does not represent the opinion of Heavens.
