In Cining Palace, Queen Mother Sun was sitting on the couch, looking coldly at the seemingly respectful Huai En opposite her, but felt hesitant in her heart.
Of course she didn't want Zhu Jianshen to leave with him, but although Wynn's words were a threat, she had to say that they made some sense.
For more than a year, she has been running around and working hard every day on Zhu Qizhen's affairs, and she has a little grasp of the imperial court's legal procedures and the general situation in the DPRK.
Since this imperial edict has been countersigned by the cabinet and the Sixth Section, it means that it has officially become Jun Wuxiyan's sacred mandate.
As the saying goes, if the king wants his minister to die, he must die. No matter how noble the prince is, he is still a minister in front of the emperor.
Wynn's words were not just a threat, but more like a statement of facts.
Strictly speaking, refusing to accept this decree means disobeying it!
Of course, the prince is young, and everyone in the court understands that this kind of decision cannot be made by the prince, and can only be made by her, the Queen Mother.
The emperor could deal with the prince, but he could not deal with her, so she just tried to prevent Zhu Jianshen from accepting the order.
If she, the Queen Mother, prevents the order from being accepted before it is accepted, it is her responsibility. But if she accepts the order but fails to act in accordance with it, then it is the prince's responsibility.
Therefore, what really made Empress Dowager Sun feel hesitant were Wynn's last few words. The procedures of the cabinet and the Sixth Section, on the one hand, symbolized the authority of the court, and on the other hand, it also meant that the news had been spread.
In the court, if you want something to be kept secret, the fewer people who handle it, the better. However, an imperial edict is drafted by the cabinet, passed to the Shangbao Department, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, and then signed by the Sixth Section. The Secretary announced the decree.
It passed through several yamen and the hands of at least a dozen officials. It was completely impossible not to leak the information.
As Wynn said, now, the ministers in the capital may have already rushed outside Nangong, waiting for the prince to come to pay his respects.
If the prince does not appear for a long time, then he must be labeled as unfaithful and unfilial. That is the real trouble!
After pondering for a moment, Queen Mother Sun finally made a concession and said.
"It's okay to ask the prince to go to Nangong with you, but it's not necessary to greet him every day. The prince is young and works hard every day, so I might be inappropriate."
"What's more, the Supreme Emperor already said when he returned to the capital that the Crown Prince does not have to worry about the morning and evening. Please tell the Emperor of Aijia's words."
It should be said that this is already a step down for myself.
Of course Empress Dowager Sun knew about Zhu Qizhen's edict, but the palace was heavily guarded. For a moment, she didn't know what Zhu Qizhen meant.
However, she believed that Zhu Qizhen's original intention was not to involve the prince.
Based on this, in Empress Dowager Sun's view, Zhu Qiyu's imperial edict was regarded as his response to Zhu Qizhen.
The Supreme Emperor asked him to go to Nangong to pay his respects. In order to show off his face as the emperor, he started to torment the prince. It was nothing more than a trick to embarrass Nangong.
Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the prince really succeeded in determining the morning and dusk. As long as the prince followed the order and went to Nangong today, then the Supreme Emperor would lose all face.
It's okay if his son doesn't fulfill his filial piety, and instead of obeying his own wishes, he listens to his uncle's words. This is undoubtedly a slap in his face.
However, now that the matter has come to this, Empress Dowager Sun has no other choice, because the emperor has done enough. In fact, before Huaien came to Cining Palace, there was no choice in this matter.
Therefore, all Empress Dowager Sun can do now is to preserve Zhu Jianshen as much as possible.
However, she obviously forgot that her attitude towards Wynn just now was so bad.
Although Eunuch Huai was a 'servant', he was not a 'gentleman' like Cheng Jing. He bowed slightly and placed the imperial edict in his hand on the case in front of the prince, saying.
"Don't worry, Holy Mother, your words will be reported back to Your Majesty exactly as they are."
"However, when the minister came, His Majesty also asked the minister to tell the Holy Mother a few words..."
As he spoke, Wynn straightened up, looked at Queen Mother Sun without hesitation, and said.
"Your Majesty said that when you are in your position, you should plan your affairs. The prince is in the reserve position and shoulders the hope of the people of the country. He has his own responsibilities. In the heavenly family, brothers, friends, and brothers are respectful and filial piety is in place. Then the kings and ministers in the world will be orderly, and the world will be safe. This is the title of Crown Prince."
"What the Holy Mother just said, the Supreme Emperor exempted His Royal Highness the Crown Prince from the morning and evening. This was originally a licking of sentiments. However, the minister wanted to remind the Holy Mother that what the Supreme Emperor exempted was the etiquette of His Highness as the son of man. But What cannot be avoided is His Royal Highness’s responsibility as the Crown Prince.”
After saying these words, Queen Mother Sun's face had already turned livid.
Wynn smiled, and before the other party got angry, he cupped his hands and said.
"The minister is silent. Please forgive me, the Holy Mother. The prince's chariot has been prepared. The minister is outside the palace, waiting for His Royal Highness."
After that, regardless of Queen Mother Sun's reaction, she bowed, took two steps back, and exited the Cining Palace.
As the group of people brought by Huai En filed out, only a few confidants brought by the Empress Dowager Sun were left in the Nuan Pavilion of Cining Palace.
At the same time, Wan Zhen'er and others who were originally kneeling also stood up. Tan Chang and Liang Fang tacitly led several palace servants to start cleaning up the mess in the Nuan Pavilion, while Niu Yu and Wan Zhen'er moved forward. After taking two steps, he came to the side of Queen Mother Sun.
However, before they could speak, Queen Mother Sun sighed, her hesitant expression gradually calmed down, and she gave instructions.
"Zhen'er, go down and get ready. Starting from tomorrow, every morning, let the prince go to Nangong to pay his respects, and then review his studies after returning to the palace."
Wan Zhen'er blinked her eyes, looking embarrassed, and refused to move. She wanted to say something, but she knew her identity better.
After all, she was just an ordinary palace maid, so she had no qualifications to speak on such an important matter. However, her long-term companionship made her look at Zhu Jianshen with deep worry after hearing these words. and distressed.
Niu Yu, on the other hand, because of his deep qualifications, was originally selected by the Empress Dowager Sun to escort the East Palace, so he pondered for a moment and said boldly.
"Holy Mother, would you like to think about this matter again? It is clear that the Qianqing Palace is dissatisfied with the Supreme Emperor and is deliberately trying to vent his anger on His Highness. I believe that the ministers in the government and the public will not fail to see this. What's more, there is also the Supreme Emperor. My intention is that since Your Highness is young, you might as well..."
While talking, Niu Yu observed the expression of Queen Mother Sun. Seeing that the other party's face was getting darker and darker, she lowered her voice knowingly.
There was silence in the Nuan Pavilion, and the atmosphere was depressing and sticky.
After a moment, a slight sigh sounded, and Queen Mother Sun held her forehead and said.
"You don't have to say it. Although that Wynn has bad intentions, he has a good saying. As a prince, there are some things that you can't escape..."
As she spoke, Queen Mother Sun seemed to think of something, and a mocking look appeared on her face. She didn't know if she was talking to Niu Yu or herself.
"Those ministers in the outer dynasty, can they see it? So what?"
With another sigh, Queen Mother Sun turned to the ignorant little baby beside her and called out.
"Brother Shen!"
Although Zhu Jianshen had usually seen Queen Mother Sun's stern look when he did not do well in his studies, this was the first time he saw such a solemn look.
The little man subconsciously felt a little uneasy and said timidly.
"Royal Grandmother..."
Queen Mother Sun smiled and wanted to put her hand on Zhu Jianshen's head. She reached halfway and realized that although the person in front of her was a small person, he was already wearing a crown.
Then, her hand paused and fell on the latter's shoulder, her voice was gentle but firm.
"From now on, you must always remember that you are the prince of the Ming Dynasty and the crown prince of the imperial court. You bear the hopes of all the people in the world, as well as the expectations of the Ai family and your father. This road is not easy to walk. , but you have to go well, understand?"
Zhu Jianshen seemed a little frightened. He looked at his imperial grandmother without blinking, then turned his head and looked at Niu Yu and others and Sister Wan who had been accompanying him.
However, this time no one gave him any reminder or help.
Confused, he hesitated for a moment under the solemn gaze of Queen Mother Sun, then knelt down on the ground and said.
"My grandson will obey the teachings of the emperor's grandmother."
"Okay, let's go..."
So, Queen Mother Sun nodded, signaled Zhu Jianshen to get up, and then watched him walk out of the palace door.
The sky is getting brighter, and the warm sunshine of early spring shines through the windows in Cining Palace.
As Zhu Jianshen left, more than half of the people in Nuan Pavilion were reduced. There was a burst of noise outside, and the loud words "Prince sets off" could be vaguely heard.
Queen Mother Sun sat on the couch and said nothing for a long time. After a long time, a helpless sigh sounded in the slightly empty palace, which echoed for a long time...
The fastest way to get from Cining Palace to Nangong Palace is to cross Fengtian Palace and go out of Donghua Gate to Nangong Palace.
However, on the one hand, out of the intention of stabilizing the government and the opposition, and on the other hand, out of rules, the prince's ceremonial carriage this time left from Xihua Gate, then detoured eastward, passed Chengtianmen Square, and then passed Go through the Donghua Gate to the outside of the Nangong Palace.
Strictly speaking, this is the first time that the prince has used the ceremonial chariot in such a big way since he was canonized. Naturally, it attracted everyone's attention. Especially, next to the prince, there was also the recently famous Supervisor of Ceremonies, Da Huai'en.
Those who knew the inside story would certainly be able to see the back-and-forth between overt and covert fights, but the middle- and low-level officials who were unaware could not help but lament the harmony of the heavenly family and how happy they were.
In the Qianqing Palace, there was no need to go to court early today, so Zhu Qiyu's time was relatively relaxed. He had just had breakfast when the small side door outside was pushed open silently. Immediately, Shu Liang, the admiral of the Dongchang in python, came in and said respectfully. He came to the imperial court, knelt on the ground and said.
"Your Majesty, my servant has completed your order. Eunuch Huai'en has also received His Highness the Crown Prince and is now on his way to Nangong."
Zhu Qiyu was leaning on the couch and sipping tea. Hearing this, he put down the teacup in his hand with a complicated expression.
After a while, he waved his hand to signal Shu Liang to get up. Then, Zhu Qiyu also got up, walked slowly to the door of the palace, and finally stood in the corridor. In the faint morning light, his eyes seemed to see through the thick curtains. The imperial city fell in the Nangong Palace.
If nothing else happens, the prince should have arrived by now...
"What's the reaction outside?"
It should be said that Shu Liang has been with the emperor for a while. As the eunuch of Dongchang, Shu Liang is best at observing words and expressions.
Therefore, from the moment he entered the palace, he was keenly aware that the emperor was in a bad mood.
Although I don’t know why, sometimes intuition is often the most accurate.
With caution in mind, Shu Liang followed cautiously. Hearing the emperor's question, he did not dare to hesitate too much. He only organized his words slightly before speaking cautiously.
"Going back to your Majesty, Eunuch Huai'en went to the cabinet yesterday to draw up an edict. He didn't deliberately ask anyone to keep it secret. Today he prepared a ceremony and drove to Cining Palace without avoiding anyone, so the news spread quickly."
"It is said that when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left the Xihua Gate, many ministers were already waiting outside. They praised His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for serving his father with filial piety and serving the emperor with loyalty. He is a model for all people."
At this point, Shu Liang stopped, but these words obviously did not satisfy Zhu Qiyu. He frowned and continued to ask.
"anything else?"
Shu Liang's eyes flashed, and various thoughts were swirling in his mind, but he did not dare to neglect it and said thoughtfully.
"As the emperor's decree is known to the outside world, the emperor's decree last night has also been spread. Now everyone is talking about the harmony of the heavenly family, the deep brotherhood between the emperor and the emperor, and that the prince takes the initiative to share your worries. , at such a young age, he already has the responsibility of being the heir apparent."
"The crown prince is responsible?"
Zhu Qiyu stood with his hands behind his hands, looking in the direction of Nangong, and repeated these four words softly.
Although the voice was soft, Shu Liang felt keenly that the emperor's mood was not right. His intuition told him that he had to be careful at this time, so he subconsciously held his breath and did not even dare to make a sound.
Zhu Qiyu was indeed in a bad mood because today's events reminded him of Zhu Jianji in his previous life.
To be honest, if he wasn't forced to do anything, he wouldn't be willing to mess with this little kid Zhu Jianshen.
However, as Huaien said in Cining Palace, the prince has the responsibilities of the prince. Since Zhu Jianshen has been pushed into this position, there are many things that he cannot avoid.
Zhu Jianshen was like this in his previous life, and so is Zhu Jianshen in this life.
As a prince, it is destined that he will be involved in the court situation sooner or later, and it is also destined that he will be unable to control himself for the rest of his life.
Even if it's not now, it will be the same when he leaves the cabinet and prepares the palace in a few days.
The prince of the East Palace, every word, every action, every move is an example for the world!
Zhu Qiyu just stood there, looking in the direction of Nangong without moving at all. Shu Liang stood behind and did not dare to say a word.
I don't know how long it took before Shu Liang heard the emperor speak again, his voice calm and without any waves, he said.
"Let Zhu Yi do things more quickly. Since he has made up his mind, stop delaying it. If this continues, it will not be a good thing for anyone."
"According to the decree..."
Shu Liang nodded, silently took two steps back, and hurriedly went to do things.
However, until he left, he still couldn't help but look back at the Emperor.
At this moment, the sky breaks and the sun rises. A red sun passes through the clouds with difficulty, casting out wisps of golden light, which looks warm and welcoming.
However, even under such a beautiful sunrise, Shu Liang could still feel the faint sadness that permeated the emperor...
Subtle, but real!
