coobybook Chapter 159 Was he born just to be used as a decorative object?
Chapter 159 Was he born just to be used as a decorative object?
Consort Lan could only suppress her sleepiness and keep him company.
On the way back, Yu Chisheng slept soundly in his son's arms the whole way. He had just drunk some tonic soup, and although his complexion had not fully recovered, he was full of energy.
He could sit quietly and review memorials with ease, but for Consort Lan, it was like torture. She had to grind ink, pour tea, and serve Yuchi Sheng snacks and supper. He didn't even have a chance to sit down, let alone close his eyes.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has been busy all night. Would you mind if I served you in her place?" Granny Chen felt sorry for her and couldn't help but step forward to ask.
Yu Chisheng paused in his reading of the memorials, then looked up at her and glared at her. "I haven't slept all night either, how come you don't feel tired?" Then he looked at Consort Lan. "My dear consort, are you sleepy? If you feel sleepy, have someone call Consort Yan over."
Consort Lan was filled with rage.
That vile Consort Yan has already begun to gain prominence in the harem because she is pregnant with the emperor's child. If that vile woman is allowed to fawn over the emperor again, will she still have any say in the harem?
On the surface, she tried her best to show her consideration, "Your Majesty, please don't always send Consort Yan here. She is pregnant. You don't care about her being tired, but I do!"
It has to be said that after being provoked by Yu Chisheng, most of her drowsiness was gone.
Granny Chen dared not speak and quietly retreated outside the door.
Yu Chi Sheng put down the memorial in his hand and said, "My beloved consort, Grand Secretary Zou Lihui is getting on in years and has requested permission from me to retire to his hometown. I intend to appoint Prince Cheng as Grand Secretary. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Lan blurted out, "Your Majesty, Ling'er only knows how to lead troops into battle. How can he possibly be qualified for the position of Grand Secretary?"
Yu Chisheng said irritably, "How could I not be worthy? Zou Lihui was Prince Cheng's mentor. Although Prince Cheng entered the army at a young age, he was a man of great literary talent before joining the army and was highly praised by the court officials. Zou Lihui even praised Prince Cheng as a rare genius!"
"But……"
"Is my beloved consort worried that the Crown Prince might have objections?" Yu Chi Sheng's tone suddenly turned serious. "If he is dissatisfied, I can have him compete with Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng entered the army at the age of ten. If the Crown Prince is not even as good as Prince Cheng in literature, then I will have to consider whether the position of Crown Prince should be changed!"
Consort Lan's heart tightened, and she couldn't utter a single word of her objection that she had been preparing in her heart.
She knew, of course, that Prince Cheng was exceptionally gifted from a young age, and that was why she tried so hard to persuade him to join the army, to prevent him from overshadowing the Crown Prince in terms of academic knowledge...
Although Prince Cheng spent more than ten years in the military camp, no one could guarantee that his knowledge would run dry.
In contrast, the Crown Prince has had a very smooth life for the past ten years, and since he no longer has the Prince Cheng to compare with, he rarely studies books.
If the Crown Prince and Prince Cheng were to compete in literary skills, she really wouldn't have any confidence at all.
Most importantly, if the Crown Prince loses in such a contest, not only will the Emperor be disgusted, but the court officials will also likely have reservations about him as the heir apparent.
Does she dare to bet?
dare not!
“Your Majesty, I did not say that the Crown Prince would object. I just feel that Ling’er is used to military life. If you suddenly ask him to help you handle state affairs, it will not only go against his habits, but also cause dissatisfaction among the court officials. In my opinion, you should send Ling’er to the Ministry of War first, and then entrust him with important responsibilities after he has made some achievements.”
“I said that if anyone is dissatisfied, they can compete with Prince Cheng. I have confidence in Prince Cheng.” Yu Chi Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly asked her, “Do you have so little confidence in your own son?”
"How could I possibly lack faith in Ling'er? I just..."
“I know Ling’er’s talent. With such a son who is both literary and martial, why would I not place high hopes on him and entrust him with important responsibilities? Did I give birth to him just to make him a decoration?” Yu Chi Sheng’s tone became more stern. “Noble Consort, don’t forget that Ling’er is your own son!”
Faced with his sharp, sword-like gaze, Consort Lan felt a sense of panic.
Did the Emperor discover something when he took Prince Cheng to the imperial mausoleum?
She tried hard to remain calm, and after careful analysis, she dismissed her own suspicions. If the Emperor truly possessed any evidence, he would never have been so composed; he would have deposed the Crown Prince immediately. How could he be so patient in discussing the matter of Prince Cheng's appointment with her...
"Your Majesty, I originally didn't want Ling'er to stand out too much. Since you value Ling'er so much, then I will thank Your Majesty on Ling'er's behalf. Rest assured, I will definitely urge Ling'er to share more of the burdens of state affairs for you, and not let you down." Consort Lan forced a smile and curtsied.
"It's dawn. You've been busy all night, so it's time for you to go back to Lanxia Palace to rest." Yu Chisheng's expression softened, and he called in Chen Mama, instructing her, "The Imperial Concubine works hard in the harem and also shares my burdens. She's truly exhausted. Remember to have the Imperial Study prepare more nourishing foods for her."
"Yes," Chen Mama replied respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."
"Your Majesty, this servant takes her leave."
After seeing the master and servant off, Yuchi Sheng summoned Qi Sui in.
Seeing that he was about to draft an imperial edict, Qi Sui cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, aren't you worried that the Crown Prince might become jealous?"
Yu Chi Sheng sneered, "I'm afraid he's not jealous! If they really collude with Hua Ping to attack me at the imperial mausoleum, that's enough to prove they're guilty! I'll depose the Crown Prince sooner or later, so now I'm giving them the chance to be jealous, to let their jealousy drive them mad and expose their true colors!"
Qi Sui understood the situation and said nothing more. He accepted the imperial edict and withdrew.
……
Upon leaving Qianning Palace, Consort Lan was not only wide awake but also felt dizzy and ordered Chen Mama to immediately fetch the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
After scanning around to make sure no one was following them, Chen Mama lowered her voice and said to Consort Lan, "Your Majesty, the Emperor must be suspicious. Please listen to me and do nothing for now, okay?"
It must be said that the word 'suspicion' really struck a nerve with Consort Lan's inner fears. Coupled with Yuchi Sheng's attitude towards Prince Cheng, she felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but shiver violently.
“Your Majesty, we all know that the Emperor went to the Imperial Mausoleum, but he didn’t say anything when he came back, which means that the Emperor did not find anything. You must listen to me this time and treat Prince Cheng better in the future, and don’t show your concern for the Crown Prince so obviously.”
Consort Lan gritted her teeth and nodded, "I understand."
Back at Lanxia Palace, Granny Chen helped her onto the phoenix bed, but she had just fallen asleep when she suddenly sat up again.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
"Granny, personally select a few highly skilled people to go to Jeju."
"Jeju?" Granny Chen was taken aback for a moment, then realized, "Your Highness, you want to send someone..."
Consort Lan's face was gloomy. "The Duke of Wei's family is the Empress's closest relative. I was too confident back then and didn't completely eliminate the Duke's family. I only persuaded the Duke of Wei to return to Jizhou to enjoy his old age. Now it seems that I was too merciful. Prince Cheng has the blood of the Duke of Wei in his veins, so the Duke of Wei's family should not be allowed to live in this world!"
Although Granny Chen had repeatedly tried to dissuade her from calming down, this time she did not try to dissuade her. She nodded with the same gloomy face, "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will definitely arrange for someone to take care of them quietly!"
……
Imperial mausoleum.
Shu and his men kept watch all night. When dawn broke and the sun rose, the poisonous gas in the imperial tomb quickly dissipated.
Yu Chi Ling, Ye Gengxin, and Ye Shiting also returned to the imperial mausoleum.
The guards from both prefectures unleashed their full power as they stormed into the imperial mausoleum, some rescuing people, others killing enemies. Of Hua Ping's hundred or so men, only a few escaped the poisoning; the rest were all paralyzed.
It can be said that they won over all the people without much effort.
However, facing a hundred or so men in black, whether dead, paralyzed, or alive, made things difficult for Ye Shishu and his group.
Because no one has ever seen Hua Ping!