Chapter 213: Go Seize It Yourself!

The news that Noble Consort Jia was pregnant, and very likely carrying a dragon son, could be said to have given the Shunhe Emperor a shot of stimulant and adrenaline.

For several days in a row, his face was beaming with spring breeze, his fighting spirit soaring.

This also let the Imperial Officials in court breathe a sigh of relief, and they couldn't help but feel quite favorably toward the little prince or little princess they had never met, who had only just taken shape.

No matter how you put it, the Xiyue Emperor was indeed overjoyed and in high spirits because of this matter, so they no longer had to live in constant fear and worry.

But not everyone in the Imperial Court was happy.

Take the Crown Prince, for example—he was quite depressed.

Why did Father Emperor bring up again in public the matter of having him lead troops to suppress the rebels?

The Crown Prince raised a hand to cover his head, frowning with a bitter face, looking utterly constipated.

"Father Emperor, please allow me to explain."

Shen Hao first put on a look of great righteousness and dignity, and said a pile of high-sounding, formal words.

"As the Crown Prince, quelling the rebellion, sharing Father Emperor's burdens, and sparing the common people from the suffering of war is all within my duty."

As he spoke, he lowered his head in considerable dejection, coughed twice, put on a thoroughly frail appearance, and said with great regret.

"It's just that I have been unwell lately, and truly have the will but lack the strength."

If this had been any other time, even if the Shunhe Emperor was dissatisfied with his performance, he would not have rebuked him publicly and made him lose face before all the ministers.

After all, he was the Crown Prince, and his only Prince.

He could be displeased with his own son, but the civil and military officials throughout the court absolutely must not harbor the slightest hint of contempt for the heir apparent.

But perhaps he had been stung by the previous rumors—after all, when one only has a single son, one feels that nothing much matters.

But people fear comparison.

Once comparison begins, it's truly a case of one comparison making the other fit only for the trash heap.

"Hmph!"

The Shunhe Emperor gave a cold snort.

"Every time a task is handed to you, your body just happens to be unwell, is that it?"

"Father Emperor?"

The Crown Prince seemed not to have expected him to say this, instinctively widening his eyes in shock, and stood stunned for quite a while.

"No, Father Emperor, I didn't! I truly am unwell!"

The Shunhe Emperor swept him a glance with slightly cold eyes, his tone turning chilly.

"No talent for civil matters, no skill for military ones, and a body this frail—how could a you like this shoulder great responsibilities in the future?!"

Hearing these words, the Crown Prince's face changed drastically, flushing red one moment and paling the next, finally turning an angry iron-blue.

He clenched his fists tightly, but he dared not let others see his true feelings, so he could only glare fiercely at the ground, his back teeth grinding with audible clicks.

Right in front of all the civil and military officials, Father Emperor had not left him a shred of face!

The hall was utterly silent; the ministers exchanged uneasy glances.

What has come over Your Majesty today?

To actually belittle the Crown Prince like this right in front of them?

Could it be that Noble Consort Jia's unborn child is already a sure thing as a prince?

Could Your Majesty be planning to give up on the Crown Prince?

In an instant, ten thousand thoughts surged through everyone's minds.

The Crown Prince gritted his teeth and bowed slightly.

"It is all my fault for disappointing Father Emperor."

The Shunhe Emperor waved his hand impatiently.

"Enough, then I shall send General of Chariots and Cavalry Zheng Pin to lead troops to suppress the rebellion!"

"Court dismissed!"

……

What had happened in Taiji Hall reached the Empress's ears in no time.

"Outrageous!"

The Empress, who had been tending to flowering branches, upon hearing this news flew into such a rage that she took her shears and chopped her favorite Hall crabapple to pieces.

In the end, she drove the shears heavily into the flowerpot.

Hua Ru waved to the palace attendants around her, telling them to withdraw.

"Whether it's a boy or a girl is still uncertain, yet that old thing dares to humiliate Hao'er like this?!"

"If this pregnancy is confirmed as a boy and he is born safely and smoothly, will there even be a place for Hao'er in this court then?!"

Hua Ru stepped forward and gently advised.

"Please calm yourself, Imperial Consort (Gongzhu)."

"Do not lose our footing. For us now, the Emperor's attitude is not all that important."

After her anger had passed, hearing her say this, the Empress's expression eased somewhat.

"Yes, you're right."

"Mother Empress!"

Hearing the Crown Prince's voice, the Empress hurried forward to meet him.

"Hao'er!"

She looked at Shen Hao's expression with worried eyes.

"Mother Empress knows everything that happened in Taiji Hall. If you're feeling upset, talk to Mother Empress about it—whatever grievances you have, please don't keep them bottled up inside."

Mother and son spoke as they walked, slowly entering the main hall.

There were no outsiders around, so the Crown Prince made no attempt to hide the resentment and viciousness in his eyes, grinding his teeth as he spoke hatefully.

"Just now, in front of all the Imperial Officials at court, Father Emperor actually disparaged me as utterly worthless!"

"In all my years growing up, I have never been so humiliated, never lost face like this!"

As he spoke, he clenched his fists and slammed them on the table, making it bang 'bang bang' without stop.

The Empress comforted him with a look of heartache.

"It's all right, don't hurt your body with anger. In your mother empress's heart, Hao'er has always been the most outstanding, the most remarkable."

"Mother Empress!"

The Crown Prince suddenly turned his head, his eyes blood-red, a vicious intent and killing aura in their depths.

"Let's make our move!"

The Empress slowly nodded.

"Good."

She turned her head to look at Hua Ru, who stood guard nearby.

"As for Shi Gui's side…"

The three of them discussed in low voices.

Outside the hall, a faint pink figure quietly departed. Only a petal on the ground, one corner crushed, knew that someone had been there.

……

Just as the Shunhe Emperor was secretly investigating the Empress, and the Empress was also secretly making little moves, news arrived from Dongxun.

"The old Emperor of Dongxun has passed away?"

Looking at the diplomatic letter in his hand, the Shunhe Emperor was slightly surprised.

"How could it be so sudden?"

In a daze, he felt that receiving the news of the old Emperor of Dongxun refusing to Borrow Troops was like something that had happened only yesterday.

The affairs of the world truly are fickle.

After this bout of lamentation, the Shunhe Emperor looked at the contents below, and his anxious, unsettled heart over these past days was finally somewhat at ease.

The young Emperor of Dongxun had Ascended the Throne, with the Regent King handling court affairs, and wished to seek a marriage with a princess of their Da Yin, to forge friendly ties between the two nations. Dongxun was also willing to lend an army of a Hundred Thousand.

With this, added to the troops borrowed from Muyuan, and the Hundred Thousand Army at the foot of Snow Mountain, they would surely be able to quell the rebellion of the Cheng Family Army!

"Hahahaha!"

The Shunhe Emperor threw back his head and laughed three times.

"My unborn imperial son truly is my little lucky star!"

He rose excitedly, turned his head, and instructed Shi Gui.

"Quickly summon the Empress for a visit."

Meanwhile, on this side, the Empress had also received a secret letter from Dongxun.

Only the contents of this letter were far simpler.

It told her to find an opportunity to kill the Shunhe Emperor as soon as possible.

Delivered to her hands at the same time was a bottle of special poison that could, within just a few days, completely destroy a person's five viscera and six bowels, so that even an Imperial Physician with the most superb medical skill would be unable to detect the slightest trace of poisoning.

Looking at the secret letter burned to ash in the bowl, the Empress smiled cruelly.

"It actually suits my intentions perfectly."

Just at this moment, a palace servant outside came to report, saying the Stone Chief Steward had arrived.

The Empress hurriedly handed the poison to Hua Ru, then rose, gracefully mounted the phoenix palanquin, and headed to the Imperial Study.

An hour later, the Empress returned to Fengyi Palace with a terrible headache.

Another marriage alliance?

And the other party was the young Emperor of Dongxun, a seven-year-old child?!

A marriage between two nations, and they're playing it like house!

She rubbed her brow, lost in thought.

In this Imperial Palace, the only princess of suitable age was her Xi'er.

No, absolutely cannot let Xi'er go!

Her Xi'er was still so young, absolutely cannot be married off to that little Emperor to live out her days as a widow!

"Mother Empress, what's there to worry about?"

Hearing her concerns, the Crown Prince pursed his lips, indicating he found it very hard to understand.

"Even if that new Emperor of Dongxun is just a little brat, once she's married over there, she'll still be an Empress of a nation."

If Xi'er could be married off there, that would be for the best.

But seeing his mother empress's expression, he reluctantly offered a suggestion.

"If you don't want Xi'er to go, then just let Seventh Sister go."

Anyway, they were a widow and orphans; Father Emperor couldn't even remember these two people existed. They had no support in the former court or the inner palace, and were the easiest to manipulate.

Right!

The Empress's eyes lit up.

The Seventh Princess was thirteen this year.

They all say a woman three years older brings a gold brick; a woman three years older, brings a gold brick.

Isn't that just two gold bricks?

In her view, the Seventh Princess and that little Emperor were a perfect match!

Moreover, because of the matter of Lady Jia's pregnancy, the Xiyue Emperor was now extremely wary of Hao'er, this Crown Prince.

Surely she also didn't want Xi'er to marry off to Dongxun and become Hao'er's support.

She would definitely agree to let the Seventh Princess go and form a marriage alliance!

Neither mother nor son noticed that the Sixth Princess outside the door had overheard their entire conversation.

Seeing the Empress sit down quietly, Hua Ru stepped forward and offered a cup of tea.

"Imperial Consort, does Your Highness require this servant to go inform the Seventh Princess and Consort Yue?"

Having resolved a troublesome matter, the Empress slowly took a sip of tea and nodded in a pleasant mood.

"Go, and tell them early so that mother and daughter may begin their preparations sooner."

"Her Highness will also go and discuss this matter with the Xiyue Emperor."

Hearing movement from within, the Sixth Princess quickly turned and hid herself.

Only after the Empress and Hua Ru had left did she step out from the corner, staring fixedly at the palace hall not far away, her eyes filled with resentment.

Why?!

Back then, when Father Emperor said he would hand her over to that old emperor of Xiyue, the Empress had cast her aside without a moment's hesitation.

The new emperor of Dongxun was nothing but a child who understood nothing. If she married over there, she could easily fool that little brat, and in time the entire palace—nay, the entire Dongxun—would be hers to command, wouldn't it?

But the Empress and the imperial brother actually preferred the Seventh Sister over her!

They simply didn't want her to have a good life, did they?!

She turned with a cold face and strode outward, flames of jealousy and hatred blazing in her eyes.

Since no one can be relied upon, this Princess will seize it herself!