The Crown Prince suddenly appeared and threw out such a remark, making the atmosphere in the hall even more awkward because his words greatly undermined the dignity of Royal Princess Leyang and her daughter.
Although Royal Princess Leyang felt resentful, she noticed a crucial point. Despite the presence of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, the Crown Prince still had the freedom to come and go without even having to report. It was evident that the Emperor favored his son to such an extent.
She glanced at her daughter, who had an unpleasant expression, and smiled as she spoke, "The Crown Prince is right. Our Yao Yao doesn't mean that Fushou Junzhu is not good, she is only concerned about her health. That's why she couldn't help but say a few more words."
The Crown Prince stopped in his tracks and silently looked at Royal Princess Leyang and her daughter. Just when everyone thought he would say something, he expressionlessly with an "Oh".
Oh?
What's next?
And then?
Royal Princess Leyang felt a wave of anger from being ignored.
Hua Liuli had just prepared to bow to the Crown Prince when he walked up to her and gently smiled, "With our friendship, why bother with such formalities?"
After saying that, he naturally sat down in the empty seat next to Hua Liuli, as if two good friends playing together. They didn't care about what the adults were doing; they just sat together first.
But they were no longer five or six-year-old children!
Emperor Changlong's mood was complicated. He wanted Wei Mingyue to let the Crown Prince experience the hardships of the world, but he also feared that Wei Mingyue would really give his son a hard time. He sneakily glanced at Wei Mingyue and saw her smiling as she whispered to the Empress Dowager. His previously raised guard was eased a bit.
Regardless of what his anxious old father thought, the Crown Prince lowered his head and asked Hua Liuli in a low voice, "Did they give you a hard time?"
Hua Liuli extended a finger from her sleeve and gently shook it, "His Majesty didn't blame me. He even forbade my mother from criticizing me."
The Crown Prince immediately smiled. This little girl probably didn't know that the Emperor secretly regarded her as his future daughter-in-law. He turned to Emperor Changlong and bowed, "Father Emperor, Erchen was present during yesterday's incident. It was Erchen's idea to escort that little eunuch to the Prefect of Jingzhao for punishment."
This matter had already been resolved, but unexpectedly, when the Crown Prince arrived, he brought it up again. The smile on Royal Princess Leyang's face could no longer be maintained.
She stood up, elegantly made her apology, and then once again mentioned her deceased eldest daughter, crying bitterly while hugging her youngest daughter, Xie Yao.
The Empress Dowager felt a headache upon hearing the sobbing cries. She rubbed her temples, held the hand of her closest palace attendant, and stood up. She then turned to Emperor Changlong, "Imperial Son, this Grieving One is feeling a bit tired. This Grieving One will go to the sleeping palace and rest for a while."
After speaking, she didn't forget to bring the two younger ones with her, "Crown Prince, Liuli, both follow this Grieving One. There are some matters this Grieving One wants to discuss with you both."
It's not good for young children to always hear others crying and wailing, especially when Liuli's health is not good. What if it affects her vitality and spirit?
Emperor Changlong watched as his mother leave with the two younger ones and felt like he was a stone thrown out to face the quacking ducks in a miserable state.
"Your Majesty, as an outsider, I shouldn't disturb your reunion with Royal Princess Leyang," Wei Mingyue stood up and bowed to Emperor Changlong.
Emperor Changlong: "..."
General Wei, when Zhen was almost deposed as Crown Prince, you were there to support Zhen. When the Jinpo Kingdom invaded Great Jin on a large scale, you were able to block their thousands of soldiers and horses for Great Jin. So why are you now unwilling to do this small task?
Don't you understand the way to please an emperor?
Seeing the complaint in Emperor Changlong's eyes, Wei Mingyue spoke again, "Your Majesty, there is something this subordinate's husband needs to report, but Shoukang Palace is adjacent to the harem, and it would be inappropriate for this subordinate's husband to visit here. So he had been waiting for Your Majesty at the Chenyang Palace."
"Zhen's most beloved and loyal subordinate, General Hua. How can Zhen let him wait for long?" Emperor Changlong quickly stood up and said to Royal Princess Leyang and her weeping daughter, "Imperial Sister, you have just arrived in the capital. Go back to your estate and rest well. Zhen has some state affairs to attend to, so Zhen won't accompany you."
After speaking, without waiting for Royal Princess Leyang to respond, he quickly left the main hall.
With the Empress Dowager and the Emperor gone, most of the palace attendants in the main hall also left. Xie Yao looked at the empty hall and felt a sense of coldness for no apparent reason.
She shivered and whispered to Royal Princess Leyang, "Mother, the Emperor has left."
Royal Princess Leyang wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, slowly stood up, and walked outside the hall. She looked up at the gloomy sky and turned to Xie Yao beside her, "Look."
Xie Yao followed her mother's gaze and saw the towering city walls and the palace standing in the strong wind.
"This is the imperial palace. I hope you can enter the Fengqi Palace and rule the inner palace," Royal Princess Leyang said. Then she turned to look at Xie Yao with sharp eyes, "Be it a Royal Princess or a Wangfei, it is still inferior to the esteemed position of an Empress."
Facing her mother's determined gaze, Xie Yao felt a bit intimidated, "But the Crown Prince doesn't like me at all."
"If he doesn't like you, then find a way to make him like you," Royal Princess Leyang whispered in Xie Yao's ear. "If he likes someone, then destroy that person. Do you understand?"
Xie Yao trembled.
"Why fear?" Royal Princess Leyang sneered. She gently caressed the stone railing of the steps and descended step by step, "In this imperial palace, whose hands are clean among the women?"
"Without being ruthless, one's position won't be stable," Royal Princess Leyang bent down and plucked a bud from a tea flower in a flower bed, "If you want something, you have to take it for yourself."
"Princess!" A eunuch hurriedly ran over, looking at the bud in her hand with a troubled expression, "This is the Empress Dowager's favorite tea flower. Please... have mercy and place it back."
Royal Princess Leyang: "..."
After the eunuch left, Royal Princess Leyang turned to Xie Yao and said, "Do you see? If you can't become the most esteemed woman, even plucking a flower will have someone coming to tell you that you can't do such things."
Xie Yao nodded silently.
Princess Shunan's Estate.
"What? That wretched woman, Leyang, has returned to the capital again?" Princess Shunan's face turned dark as she heard her personal maidservant mention Royal Princess Leyang, "Didn't she say that her eldest daughter passed away and she didn't want to set foot in this place of sorrow?"
It had only been a year, she had forgotten her grief completely?
"Mother, what place of sorrow?" Yao Jiamin entered the room with a cheerful smile, sat next to Princess Shunan, and happily said, "Mother, there's something your daughter wants to tell you that will surely make you happy."
"What is it?" Princess Shunan said, "Just so you know, don't make up stories to swindle money from me."
"What are you saying? Your daughter hasn't been spending money recklessly lately," Since Hua Liuli's return to the capital, she had even reduced the number of times she goes out and had no place to spend money.
Yao Jiamin recounted the incident of Hua Liuli's servants taking the Chief Eunuch of Royal Princess Leyang's Estate to the Prefect of Jingzhou, "If I had known such a good show would happen, I wouldn't have left early with Second Princess yesterday. I should have stayed and watched shamelessly."
"Are you saying that when the incident happened, the Crown Prince was also present?" Princess Shunan was somewhat surprised. Leyang has been trying to win over the Crown Prince and even wanted to marry her daughter to him as the Crown Princess. The Emperor treated Leyang better than her, so why didn't the Crown Prince intervene when the Chief Eunuch of Royal Princess Leyang's Estate was taken away by Hua Liuli's servants?
If there was a list of the most disliked people in Princess Shunan's heart, Royal Princess Leyang's name would undoubtedly be at the top, written with a bold and thick stroke.
A large part of the reason she threw insults at the Crown Prince was because of Leyang.
She and Leyang had never gotten along since they were young. Leyang was cunning and treacherous. She not only schemed against her at every turn but also interfered when she was choosing her husband.
Later, when she gave birth to Yao Jiamin, she almost lost her life. Her husband didn't want her to suffer, so he decided not to have any more children. Every time Leyang returned to the capital, she would always mention children in front of her, especially sons, which irritated her.
In Princess Shunan's mind, despicable people fell into two categories. There were those who made her angry and helpless. They even had some qualities that made her admire them -- like Wei Mingyue. And then there were those who disgusted her to the point that she couldn't eat, and she wished she could slap them -- Leyang was the epitome of this category.
They were both despicable people, but Wei Mingyue's likability surpassed Leyang's by a hundred and ninety-nine streets.
"The Crown Prince and Hua Liuli... are good friends, so naturally, the Crown Prince leans towards the Hua family," Yao Jiamin dared not mention the possibility of the Crown Prince being fond of the late Xie Junzhu. Now, Hua Luli was the substitute for Xie Junzhu, so she found an excuse, "Although the Crown Prince is not easy to get along with, he also can't stand nobles bullying the common people. It's also possible that he favors the Hua family."
"With the Crown Prince's temperament, it doesn't seem surprising that he would do such a thing," Princess Shunan recalled a few years ago some corrupt officials were involved in the forced eviction of peasants and encroaching of their lands. When the Crown Prince found out, he didn't give them any face. Within a short month, these officials were demoted and eventually sent to serve in harsh and cold places.
Since then, the trend of encroachment of lands in Great Jin has diminished significantly, and it dared not resurge. Of course, rumors about the Crown Prince's violent temper have also been increasing.
Whatever the reason, the Crown Prince made Leyang, that wretched woman, lose face. For a moment, Princess Shunan felt that the Crown Prince wasn't so detestable anymore.
Three days later, Royal Princess Leyang submitted a memorial, requesting the establishment of her second daughter, Xie Yao, as a Junzhu.
The Crown Prince looked over the memorial and handed it to Zhao Sancai. Zhao Sancai dared not read the contents of the memorial and respectfully presented it to Emperor Changlong.
After reading the memorial, Emperor Changlong asked the Crown Prince, "Yuansu, what do you think of this matter?"
"Late Xie Junzhu passed away only last year, however, Royal Princess Leyang is already in a hurry to establish another Junzhu. It seems rather heartless," the Crown Prince lightly tapped the table with his index finger and smiled, "Erchen thinks it is inappropriate."
"Her eldest daughter had not married and had no offspring before she passed away. If she doesn't even have the title of a Junzhu, how can she enjoy the incense?" Emperor Changlong returned the memorial to the Crown Prince, "You can respond to it."
"Erchen believes Father Emperor will preserve the title for her eldest daughter," the Crown Prince picked up a vermilion brush and wrote two lines on the memorial.
The eldest daughter of your family passed away less than a year ago, this matter will be discussed in the future.
"After all, she is an outsider. Zhen has to consider my son's and future daughter-in-law's feelings," Emperor Changlong said, "You brat, since Zhen is doing this unpleasant thing for you, you better behave and help Zhen handle state affairs properly. Don't run around before the Hundred Nations Banquet is over."
Emperor Changlong knew very well what rumors would afloat if he immediately granted a favor to Royal Princess Leyang right after the servants of the Hua family took Royal Princess Leyang's Chief Eunuch to the Prefect of Jingzhao. In the eyes of outsiders, it would appear as though the Emperor was dissatisfied with the actions of the Hua family, but was temporarily restraining himself.
He was well aware of who was right and who was wrong, Leyang's flamboyant behavior couldn't be indulged.
Moreover, no matter what, he had to take care of his future in-laws. If there were problems between in-laws, it would affect the relationship between his son and daughter-in-law.
As a father, he had to consider more for his son who had a bad temper.
The Crown Prince put Royal Princess Leyang's memorial aside and picked up another memorial. It was a greeting memorial, he casually marked a tick on it before tossing it aside, "Father Emperor, there are so many talented young men in the capital. If Father Emperor kept confining Erchen to the study every day, what to do if Father Emperor's future daughter-in-law is seduced by someone else?"
Emperor Changlong frowned and looked at his extremely handsome son, "Don't worry, besides your noble status, you also have an additional advantage."
The Crown Prince looked up at his father.
"You're good-looking," Emperor Changlong said, "Other young men can't compare to you."
The Crown Prince sighed, "Father Emperor, relying on looks to win someone's favor can only last for so long. Erchen thinks it's better for Father Emperor to let Erchen go out."
Emperor Changlong was astonished. His son could say shameless things just to leave the palace?
"Alright, alright," Emperor Changlong waved his hand, "You can leave the palace once every three days, and if you lack anything, you can get it from Zhen's private treasury."
"Father Emperor, not only are you a rare good emperor in a millennium, but you're also a rare good father in ten thousand years."
"Yes," Emperor Changlong said expressionlessly with a cold smile, "Zhen is this rare good father in ten thousand years, but Zhen doesn't have a rare good son in at least a single day."
The Crown Prince bowed his head silently and continued to help Emperor Changlong with the memorials.
This memorial was submitted by Lin Zhou, the Minister of Works. He proposed conducting some experimental fields on the outskirts of the capital to improve agricultural productivity.
The Crown Prince handed the memorial to Emperor Changlong.
"What do you think?" Emperor Changlong asked the Crown Prince.
"Agriculture is the foundation of the people. Erchen thinks it's feasible," the Crown Prince said, "Not only that, but we should also select officials from the Ministry of Works who are skilled in agriculture to be in charge of this matter."
"Do you think Lin Zhou cannot handle this?"
"Erchen just thinks that he alone cannot handle this matter," the Crown Prince took a list of officials from the Ministry of Works and marked several names, "What does Father Emperor think of these people?"
These people included descendants of the imperial family, aristocratic families, as well as descendants of military commanders and scholars.
"Good," Emperor Changlong smiled with satisfaction, "Do as you suggest."
After finishing the memorials, Emperor Changlong suddenly said, "Yuansu, Zhen intends to hand over the capital's Imperial Guards to Hua Yingting."
The Crown Prince looked at Emperor Changlong in surprise.
"We are of the same age. Since Zhen is diligently reviewing the memorials every day, how can he be idle at home?" Emperor Changlong smiled, "We have to find something for him to do."
The Crown Prince's expression changed several times, "This is a major matter, it can only be decided by Father Emperor."
The Crown Prince suddenly appeared and threw out such a remark, making the atmosphere in the hall even more awkward because his words greatly undermined the dignity of Royal Princess Leyang and her daughter.
Although Royal Princess Leyang felt resentful, she noticed a crucial point. Despite the presence of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, the Crown Prince still had the freedom to come and go without even having to report. It was evident that the Emperor favored his son to such an extent.
She glanced at her daughter, who had an unpleasant expression, and smiled as she spoke, "The Crown Prince is right. Our Yao Yao doesn't mean that Fushou Junzhu is not good, she is only concerned about her health. That's why she couldn't help but say a few more words."
The Crown Prince stopped in his tracks and silently looked at Royal Princess Leyang and her daughter. Just when everyone thought he would say something, he expressionlessly with an "Oh".
Oh?
What's next?
And then?
Royal Princess Leyang felt a wave of anger from being ignored.
Hua Liuli had just prepared to bow to the Crown Prince when he walked up to her and gently smiled, "With our friendship, why bother with such formalities?"
After saying that, he naturally sat down in the empty seat next to Hua Liuli, as if two good friends playing together. They didn't care about what the adults were doing; they just sat together first.
But they were no longer five or six-year-old children!
Emperor Changlong's mood was complicated. He wanted Wei Mingyue to let the Crown Prince experience the hardships of the world, but he also feared that Wei Mingyue would really give his son a hard time. He sneakily glanced at Wei Mingyue and saw her smiling as she whispered to the Empress Dowager. His previously raised guard was eased a bit.
Regardless of what his anxious old father thought, the Crown Prince lowered his head and asked Hua Liuli in a low voice, "Did they give you a hard time?"
Hua Liuli extended a finger from her sleeve and gently shook it, "His Majesty didn't blame me. He even forbade my mother from criticizing me."
The Crown Prince immediately smiled. This little girl probably didn't know that the Emperor secretly regarded her as his future daughter-in-law. He turned to Emperor Changlong and bowed, "Father Emperor, Erchen was present during yesterday's incident. It was Erchen's idea to escort that little eunuch to the Prefect of Jingzhao for punishment."
This matter had already been resolved, but unexpectedly, when the Crown Prince arrived, he brought it up again. The smile on Royal Princess Leyang's face could no longer be maintained.
She stood up, elegantly made her apology, and then once again mentioned her deceased eldest daughter, crying bitterly while hugging her youngest daughter, Xie Yao.
The Empress Dowager felt a headache upon hearing the sobbing cries. She rubbed her temples, held the hand of her closest palace attendant, and stood up. She then turned to Emperor Changlong, "Imperial Son, this Grieving One is feeling a bit tired. This Grieving One will go to the sleeping palace and rest for a while."
After speaking, she didn't forget to bring the two younger ones with her, "Crown Prince, Liuli, both follow this Grieving One. There are some matters this Grieving One wants to discuss with you both."
It's not good for young children to always hear others crying and wailing, especially when Liuli's health is not good. What if it affects her vitality and spirit?
Emperor Changlong watched as his mother leave with the two younger ones and felt like he was a stone thrown out to face the quacking ducks in a miserable state.
"Your Majesty, as an outsider, I shouldn't disturb your reunion with Royal Princess Leyang," Wei Mingyue stood up and bowed to Emperor Changlong.
Emperor Changlong: "..."
General Wei, when Zhen was almost deposed as Crown Prince, you were there to support Zhen. When the Jinpo Kingdom invaded Great Jin on a large scale, you were able to block their thousands of soldiers and horses for Great Jin. So why are you now unwilling to do this small task?
Don't you understand the way to please an emperor?
Seeing the complaint in Emperor Changlong's eyes, Wei Mingyue spoke again, "Your Majesty, there is something this subordinate's husband needs to report, but Shoukang Palace is adjacent to the harem, and it would be inappropriate for this subordinate's husband to visit here. So he had been waiting for Your Majesty at the Chenyang Palace."
"Zhen's most beloved and loyal subordinate, General Hua. How can Zhen let him wait for long?" Emperor Changlong quickly stood up and said to Royal Princess Leyang and her weeping daughter, "Imperial Sister, you have just arrived in the capital. Go back to your estate and rest well. Zhen has some state affairs to attend to, so Zhen won't accompany you."
After speaking, without waiting for Royal Princess Leyang to respond, he quickly left the main hall.
With the Empress Dowager and the Emperor gone, most of the palace attendants in the main hall also left. Xie Yao looked at the empty hall and felt a sense of coldness for no apparent reason.
She shivered and whispered to Royal Princess Leyang, "Mother, the Emperor has left."
Royal Princess Leyang wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, slowly stood up, and walked outside the hall. She looked up at the gloomy sky and turned to Xie Yao beside her, "Look."
Xie Yao followed her mother's gaze and saw the towering city walls and the palace standing in the strong wind.
"This is the imperial palace. I hope you can enter the Fengqi Palace and rule the inner palace," Royal Princess Leyang said. Then she turned to look at Xie Yao with sharp eyes, "Be it a Royal Princess or a Wangfei, it is still inferior to the esteemed position of an Empress."
Facing her mother's determined gaze, Xie Yao felt a bit intimidated, "But the Crown Prince doesn't like me at all."
"If he doesn't like you, then find a way to make him like you," Royal Princess Leyang whispered in Xie Yao's ear. "If he likes someone, then destroy that person. Do you understand?"
Xie Yao trembled.
"Why fear?" Royal Princess Leyang sneered. She gently caressed the stone railing of the steps and descended step by step, "In this imperial palace, whose hands are clean among the women?"
"Without being ruthless, one's position won't be stable," Royal Princess Leyang bent down and plucked a bud from a tea flower in a flower bed, "If you want something, you have to take it for yourself."
"Princess!" A eunuch hurriedly ran over, looking at the bud in her hand with a troubled expression, "This is the Empress Dowager's favorite tea flower. Please... have mercy and place it back."
Royal Princess Leyang: "..."
After the eunuch left, Royal Princess Leyang turned to Xie Yao and said, "Do you see? If you can't become the most esteemed woman, even plucking a flower will have someone coming to tell you that you can't do such things."
Xie Yao nodded silently.
Princess Shunan's Estate.
"What? That wretched woman, Leyang, has returned to the capital again?" Princess Shunan's face turned dark as she heard her personal maidservant mention Royal Princess Leyang, "Didn't she say that her eldest daughter passed away and she didn't want to set foot in this place of sorrow?"
It had only been a year, she had forgotten her grief completely?
"Mother, what place of sorrow?" Yao Jiamin entered the room with a cheerful smile, sat next to Princess Shunan, and happily said, "Mother, there's something your daughter wants to tell you that will surely make you happy."
"What is it?" Princess Shunan said, "Just so you know, don't make up stories to swindle money from me."
"What are you saying? Your daughter hasn't been spending money recklessly lately," Since Hua Liuli's return to the capital, she had even reduced the number of times she goes out and had no place to spend money.
Yao Jiamin recounted the incident of Hua Liuli's servants taking the Chief Eunuch of Royal Princess Leyang's Estate to the Prefect of Jingzhou, "If I had known such a good show would happen, I wouldn't have left early with Second Princess yesterday. I should have stayed and watched shamelessly."
"Are you saying that when the incident happened, the Crown Prince was also present?" Princess Shunan was somewhat surprised. Leyang has been trying to win over the Crown Prince and even wanted to marry her daughter to him as the Crown Princess. The Emperor treated Leyang better than her, so why didn't the Crown Prince intervene when the Chief Eunuch of Royal Princess Leyang's Estate was taken away by Hua Liuli's servants?
If there was a list of the most disliked people in Princess Shunan's heart, Royal Princess Leyang's name would undoubtedly be at the top, written with a bold and thick stroke.
A large part of the reason she threw insults at the Crown Prince was because of Leyang.
She and Leyang had never gotten along since they were young. Leyang was cunning and treacherous. She not only schemed against her at every turn but also interfered when she was choosing her husband.
Later, when she gave birth to Yao Jiamin, she almost lost her life. Her husband didn't want her to suffer, so he decided not to have any more children. Every time Leyang returned to the capital, she would always mention children in front of her, especially sons, which irritated her.
In Princess Shunan's mind, despicable people fell into two categories. There were those who made her angry and helpless. They even had some qualities that made her admire them -- like Wei Mingyue. And then there were those who disgusted her to the point that she couldn't eat, and she wished she could slap them -- Leyang was the epitome of this category.
They were both despicable people, but Wei Mingyue's likability surpassed Leyang's by a hundred and ninety-nine streets.
"The Crown Prince and Hua Liuli... are good friends, so naturally, the Crown Prince leans towards the Hua family," Yao Jiamin dared not mention the possibility of the Crown Prince being fond of the late Xie Junzhu. Now, Hua Luli was the substitute for Xie Junzhu, so she found an excuse, "Although the Crown Prince is not easy to get along with, he also can't stand nobles bullying the common people. It's also possible that he favors the Hua family."
"With the Crown Prince's temperament, it doesn't seem surprising that he would do such a thing," Princess Shunan recalled a few years ago some corrupt officials were involved in the forced eviction of peasants and encroaching of their lands. When the Crown Prince found out, he didn't give them any face. Within a short month, these officials were demoted and eventually sent to serve in harsh and cold places.
Since then, the trend of encroachment of lands in Great Jin has diminished significantly, and it dared not resurge. Of course, rumors about the Crown Prince's violent temper have also been increasing.
Whatever the reason, the Crown Prince made Leyang, that wretched woman, lose face. For a moment, Princess Shunan felt that the Crown Prince wasn't so detestable anymore.
Three days later, Royal Princess Leyang submitted a memorial, requesting the establishment of her second daughter, Xie Yao, as a Junzhu.
The Crown Prince looked over the memorial and handed it to Zhao Sancai. Zhao Sancai dared not read the contents of the memorial and respectfully presented it to Emperor Changlong.
After reading the memorial, Emperor Changlong asked the Crown Prince, "Yuansu, what do you think of this matter?"
"Late Xie Junzhu passed away only last year, however, Royal Princess Leyang is already in a hurry to establish another Junzhu. It seems rather heartless," the Crown Prince lightly tapped the table with his index finger and smiled, "Erchen thinks it is inappropriate."
"Her eldest daughter had not married and had no offspring before she passed away. If she doesn't even have the title of a Junzhu, how can she enjoy the incense?" Emperor Changlong returned the memorial to the Crown Prince, "You can respond to it."
"Erchen believes Father Emperor will preserve the title for her eldest daughter," the Crown Prince picked up a vermilion brush and wrote two lines on the memorial.
The eldest daughter of your family passed away less than a year ago, this matter will be discussed in the future.
"After all, she is an outsider. Zhen has to consider my son's and future daughter-in-law's feelings," Emperor Changlong said, "You brat, since Zhen is doing this unpleasant thing for you, you better behave and help Zhen handle state affairs properly. Don't run around before the Hundred Nations Banquet is over."
Emperor Changlong knew very well what rumors would afloat if he immediately granted a favor to Royal Princess Leyang right after the servants of the Hua family took Royal Princess Leyang's Chief Eunuch to the Prefect of Jingzhao. In the eyes of outsiders, it would appear as though the Emperor was dissatisfied with the actions of the Hua family, but was temporarily restraining himself.
He was well aware of who was right and who was wrong, Leyang's flamboyant behavior couldn't be indulged.
Moreover, no matter what, he had to take care of his future in-laws. If there were problems between in-laws, it would affect the relationship between his son and daughter-in-law.
As a father, he had to consider more for his son who had a bad temper.
The Crown Prince put Royal Princess Leyang's memorial aside and picked up another memorial. It was a greeting memorial, he casually marked a tick on it before tossing it aside, "Father Emperor, there are so many talented young men in the capital. If Father Emperor kept confining Erchen to the study every day, what to do if Father Emperor's future daughter-in-law is seduced by someone else?"
Emperor Changlong frowned and looked at his extremely handsome son, "Don't worry, besides your noble status, you also have an additional advantage."
The Crown Prince looked up at his father.
"You're good-looking," Emperor Changlong said, "Other young men can't compare to you."
The Crown Prince sighed, "Father Emperor, relying on looks to win someone's favor can only last for so long. Erchen thinks it's better for Father Emperor to let Erchen go out."
Emperor Changlong was astonished. His son could say shameless things just to leave the palace?
"Alright, alright," Emperor Changlong waved his hand, "You can leave the palace once every three days, and if you lack anything, you can get it from Zhen's private treasury."
"Father Emperor, not only are you a rare good emperor in a millennium, but you're also a rare good father in ten thousand years."
"Yes," Emperor Changlong said expressionlessly with a cold smile, "Zhen is this rare good father in ten thousand years, but Zhen doesn't have a rare good son in at least a single day."
The Crown Prince bowed his head silently and continued to help Emperor Changlong with the memorials.
This memorial was submitted by Lin Zhou, the Minister of Works. He proposed conducting some experimental fields on the outskirts of the capital to improve agricultural productivity.
The Crown Prince handed the memorial to Emperor Changlong.
"What do you think?" Emperor Changlong asked the Crown Prince.
"Agriculture is the foundation of the people. Erchen thinks it's feasible," the Crown Prince said, "Not only that, but we should also select officials from the Ministry of Works who are skilled in agriculture to be in charge of this matter."
"Do you think Lin Zhou cannot handle this?"
"Erchen just thinks that he alone cannot handle this matter," the Crown Prince took a list of officials from the Ministry of Works and marked several names, "What does Father Emperor think of these people?"
These people included descendants of the imperial family, aristocratic families, as well as descendants of military commanders and scholars.
"Good," Emperor Changlong smiled with satisfaction, "Do as you suggest."
After finishing the memorials, Emperor Changlong suddenly said, "Yuansu, Zhen intends to hand over the capital's Imperial Guards to Hua Yingting."
The Crown Prince looked at Emperor Changlong in surprise.
"We are of the same age. Since Zhen is diligently reviewing the memorials every day, how can he be idle at home?" Emperor Changlong smiled, "We have to find something for him to do."
The Crown Prince's expression changed several times, "This is a major matter, it can only be decided by Father Emperor."
