bayedsolid Chapter 109 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (13)
Chapter 109 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (13)
Within a few days, several princes were impeached.
The one who caused the most trouble was the seventh prince, Ji Shulie.
He was impeached for wearing clothes that did not conform to the regulations, and not just one item, but he wore them openly and ostentatiously in public.
The Seventh Prince is the son of Consort Rong, the Emperor's most favored concubine. It is said that the Emperor once considered making her Empress, but ultimately nothing came of it.
It wasn't because of Consort Rong's status, but because the current Empress hadn't been deposed or died; she was simply no longer in the palace.
This is considered a royal secret. Everyone knows what happened, but no one talks about it and never mentions it.
The current Empress, née Lian, is the younger sister of General Changwu. When the barbarians invaded the border, General Changwu led his army to fight them off, sweeping across the land and winning every battle, becoming almost a legendary figure.
The late emperor issued an edict appointing Lady Lian as the Crown Prince's consort to establish the Crown Prince's authority and solidify his position as the current emperor.
However, there was no affection between the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince.
The crown prince at the time preferred gentle and obedient women, but the crown princess came from a military family, so how could she be the kind of person who had no opinions and depended on men?
Not long after their marriage, the late emperor passed away, and the crown prince ascended the throne.
The relationship between the Emperor and Empress gradually deteriorated after the birth of the eldest son, and the problem worsened over time.
The Empress never bowed to the Emperor, and the Emperor also had his own favorite concubines. At that time, the Emperor's most beloved concubine, Consort An, was the kind of woman he liked the most.
Consort An came from a humble family and entered the palace through the imperial concubine selection. She had nothing else on her mind but the emperor's favor, which caused chaos in the harem.
However, because the emperor doted on her, he did not punish her harshly. The empress once advised the emperor on this matter, but unexpectedly, the emperor disliked the empress and became even more ruthless, making it even more impossible to maintain their relationship.
The fact that the Emperor rarely sets foot in the Empress's palace is common knowledge in both the court and the harem, posing a significant challenge to the Empress's imperial dignity.
However, the Empress managed the harem very well, and her father and brothers were all meritorious officials who came from the battlefield, so all her positions were still secure.
Later, General Changwu passed away, and the Lian brothers guarded the frontier, leaving the Empress isolated and helpless in the capital.
But at this very moment, a major incident occurred in the imperial harem.
Consort An suddenly died of a serious illness. The Emperor's favor towards her had not yet faded. Upon hearing from the imperial physician that Consort An had been poisoned before her death, the Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation throughout the palace.
The investigation actually led them to the Empress's palace.
The Emperor didn't even listen to the Empress's explanations and concluded that the Empress had poisoned Consort An because he hadn't heeded her advice, and that the Empress held a grudge.
At that time, the emperor was determined to depose the empress, but fortunately, the late empress dowager and the imperial concubine joined forces to stop him.
It wasn't that the two empresses were protecting the empress, but rather that the empress's character simply didn't seem like that of someone capable of such a despicable act, and besides, the so-called evidence they found...
It's just that the emperor is willing to believe it.
As a result, the Empress was confined to the palace. When the Lian brothers, who were stationed at the border, heard about their sister's accident, they submitted a memorial to the Emperor requesting to return to the capital. However, the Emperor refused their request and, in a fit of anger, gave them a very harsh reply.
To everyone's surprise, the situation took an unexpected turn.
When the concubines in the palace were vying for the emperor's favor, an old story about the Empress and Consort An was brought to light, and the real mastermind behind it all was exposed.
Several years have passed, and the Empress has finally been exonerated.
The Emperor, having recovered from his initial fury at Consort An's death, was forced to acknowledge that the Empress was innocent.
So the Phoenix Seal was returned to the Empress, allowing her to resume managing the harem.
After the Empress was released from confinement, she never cared about anything in the palace.
Knowing he was in the wrong a few years ago, the Emperor made amends to the Empress to save face. Back then, the Empress's eldest son was confined to the palace along with the Empress.
He suffered from severe asthma. Although he was treated and was no different from a normal person on a daily basis, he would have an attack whenever he was tired or exerted. He could not even ride a horse, let alone command a general.
The entire court tacitly agreed that the eldest son of the emperor had no chance of becoming the crown prince.
Strangely enough, the Emperor, despite being in his prime, has few children. In recent years, apart from the Second Prince, he has only had a few princesses.
It is said that the emperor invited a fortune teller to calculate the future, and afterwards he and the empress had a second child, the third prince Ji Shumin.
Indeed, the number of offspring gradually increased afterward, and a total of eight princes have survived to this day.
The third prince, Ji Shumin, was made crown prince from a young age.
When he was a few years old, the Empress requested to leave the palace to become a nun and pray for the Emperor's well-being.
She also brought along the frail eldest prince, supposedly because the practice of meditation would help prolong the prince's lifespan.
After that departure, he never returned to the palace.
Even when Ji Shumin broke his leg and could no longer stand up, the Empress did not come back to see him.
It's as if the Empress doesn't exist in the palace now. However, no one except the Emperor agrees with the Emperor's desire to make Consort Rong the Empress.
The matter had to be put aside, but afterwards, the Emperor favored the seventh prince, born to Consort Rong, even more.
After the crown prince became disabled, many people speculated whether the emperor would appoint the seventh prince as the new crown prince.
There was a lot of undercurrent in the imperial court.
Although the Emperor is still in good health, the princes have all grown up.
Choosing sides is unavoidable.
The former Crown Prince Ji Shumin was impeccable, skilled in both literature and martial arts.
But now... all the remaining princes...
But no one expected that in just a few days, the princes who had chosen sides were impeached from all sides.
Judging from the emperor's gloomy and furious expression, all those with ulterior motives kept their tails between their legs.
Unexpectedly, these princes are so impatient. The emperor has only revealed his intention to depose the crown prince for a few days, and they are already causing so much trouble!
In the Emperor's heart, if they wanted to replace the Crown Prince so much, did they also want to replace him just as eagerly?
Throughout history, no emperor has been without suspicion, especially when his sons have grown up and are no longer simply affectionate children.
The emperor's heart also underwent a change...
The princes noticed that the atmosphere was becoming tense, with a hint of impending conflict.
They secretly suspected each other; who exactly had instigated the impeachment?
The second prince was the most alarmed because... he had indeed spoken out of turn, but not in the restaurant where he was being impeached.
But...it was in his own residence!
Moreover, only his trusted aides were present when he said this!
The person who betrayed him not only knew what he secretly said in the mansion, but could even fabricate the illusion that he was making outrageous remarks in a restaurant!