The years I was in the human world

The emperor's action punished the sons of more than a dozen ministers in the court. The third prince was stripped of his military power and was confined to his house for half a month. For a time, everyone in the court was guessing the emperor's thoughts, and those who were smart had already submitted a visiting card to the prince.

The East Palace, which was once deserted, has become a popular place.

"Your Highness has finally come to an end of all hardship." Xie Yang sighed as he came to the East Palace to have tea with Chu Zhaoli, "If it weren't for Your Majesty's refusal to see guests, the threshold of this East Palace would have been trampled down by people, and I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to see him once."

"What General Xie said, can I not let you in?" Chu Zhaoli laughed, took the tea brought by Lu Zhouxue, and put a cup in front of Xie Yang, "Mianmian, stop busying yourself, sit down."

"Okay." Lu Zhouxue responded and sat down quietly in front of Chu Zhaoli. He was afraid of interfering with the cause and effect of others, so he didn't often talk to people other than Chu Zhaoli, who mostly remained silent during discussions or chats.

Xie Yang was thinking about Chu Zhaoli's refusal to accept all outside visitors these days. After thinking for a moment, he spoke cautiously, "Your Highness must have received many visiting cards these days. Have you ever thought about making friends with some ministers in the court and developing your influence?"

"Xie Xiaojiang, you can't say that." Chu Zhaoli helplessly spread his hands, "You only see that my Changle Palace is crowded with people, but you don't know that it is completely dependent on the emperor's favor. If I accidentally anger my father again, I'm afraid I will be doomed."

"That's why I said this. If there were some forces and support behind us, we wouldn't have to live in fear all the time. What do you think, Your Highness?" Xie Yang sighed. He really wanted to make friends with Chu Zhaoli, so he dared to say such bold words.

Chu Zhaoli naturally understood his painstaking efforts, so he did not say anything final, but only said: "Thank you, General, and let me think about it."

"Then Your Highness, please take your time to think about it. I will take my leave." Xie Yang raised his head and drank the tea in the cup in front of him, then bowed and took his leave.

After Xie Yang's figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Lu Zhouxue spoke softly, "Actually, what he said is right. It's always good if you have something to rely on. What is Xiao Li worried about?"

"Ah." Chu Zhaoli sighed, rolled up his sleeves to cool down, and explained, "Compared to the father and son of the royal family in the past, my father can indeed be considered a kind father, but he is still the emperor after all. When it comes to power, his suspicion is no less than any previous king."

"So you don't dare to accept any minister's visit, for fear that he will suspect you?" Lu Zhouxue asked, reaching out to take Chu Zhaoli's hand and rolling up his sleeves. When her eyes touched his thin wrist, she couldn't help but frown, "It's too thin, and it needs to be taken care of."

"Mianmian raised me." Chu Zhaoli held Lu Zhouxue's hand with his backhand, his eyebrows curved, and his smile was like two crescent moons. "Father wanted to reduce the power of the family, but he is old and still has no achievements. So in the past few years, he doesn't like others to share his power, and he doesn't like others to say he is old."

"If I approach the court officials, my father will think that I, his son, think he is too old and useless, and that he is ambitious and intends to undermine his power. He has always been prejudiced against me. What do you think will happen to me?"

"So you still can't fight for anything?" Lu Zhouxue didn't think it that deep. She just felt that the emperor favored Chu Zhaoli now. If he had some power behind him, he should be able to thrive in the harem. However, she never considered the emperor's thoughts.

"Not only can I not argue, I have to get rid of it cleanly." Chu Zhaoli said, "But if I do that, those censors will inevitably make up stories about me being a hopeless case."

"What do they know?" Lu Zhouxue curled her lips and said unhappily, "How could my little Li'er be so useless?"

"They are all fools, let them talk." Chu Zhaoli rested his head on Lu Zhouxue's legs and smiled, "Anyway, fame and power, I don't care about those. If I have the chance, I would like to go out and see the mountains and forests."

The emperor, who came to the palace because of guilt, happened to hear these words. Looking at the young man leaning on the legs of a palace maid with a leisurely look on his face, he was a little surprised.

The prince was always dignified and serious in front of him. He had never been so relaxed before. He lay barefoot on the corridor with his sleeves rolled up high, letting the palace servants fan him. He said that he didn't care about fame and power, and he did have some of the Taoist spirit.

Is it because of this that he endured all the grievances, said nothing, and didn't argue? How could he be so sensible?

Chen Ping uttered a sound, and the two people who were leisurely and contented over there heard the noise and turned their heads. Seeing that it was the emperor, they quickly stood up and saluted:

"His Majesty."

"Father."

Lu Zhouxue avoided the question at Chen Ping's suggestion. The father and son looked at each other in silence. Chu Zhaoli stood barefoot in the corridor, his eyes always glancing at the shoes and socks he had taken off at the bottom of the stairs, looking a little uneasy: "I am rude, please punish me, father."

The emperor probably found it amusing, and laughed. He stepped forward and patted Chu Zhaoli on the shoulder: "It's okay, the prince is much more lively this way."

The emperor paused, thinking of the purpose of his visit today, and then asked: "Why didn't you tell me that your third brother and his friends bullied you?"

"My younger brothers are ignorant. How can I argue with them? Your Majesty is busy with all kinds of affairs and is already busy enough. How can I trouble you with such a small matter?" Chu Zhaoli answered with pretended to be sensible and tolerant. His perfect bitter smile made the emperor feel even more guilty.

"It's not a small matter. If you are wronged in the future, just come and tell me. I will take care of it for you." The emperor looked at the pitiful Chu Zhaoli, and his fatherly love overflowed and he couldn't help but hug him in his arms. Then he suddenly realized that his eldest son was really too thin. "Why is he so thin?"

"Father, are you serious?" Chu Zhaoli asked in disbelief, his voice gradually choking.

The emperor was wearing thin summer clothes, and he could clearly feel a wet spot on his chest. He was at a loss as to what to do with this son whom he cared so little about: "Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?"

Chu Zhaoli finished crying, half-real and half-fake, and then wiped away her tears in an embarrassed manner: "I am sorry to have embarrassed you, Father."

"Nothing." The emperor enjoyed his eldest son's admiration for him. His authority as a king was repeatedly challenged by court officials, but he could feel the absolute authority of a father over his son in front of Chu Zhaoli. The prince's tears were more like a symbol of submission to him, so he naturally would not care.

"Father, I have something to report." Chu Zhaoli said with some distress, "In the past few days, many court officials have sent many visiting cards to the East Palace, and I am really overwhelmed."

"Hasn't the prince had any contact with him?" The emperor's tone was flat, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

Chu Zhaoli's heart skipped a beat. He knew that the emperor was displeased. He did not show it on his face. He just widened his eyes and said in fear: "How can a son like me contact them? The courtiers are my father's courtiers. If a son like me interacts too much with them, wouldn't that be an act of usurpation?"

This sentence made the emperor feel relaxed physically and mentally, and the somewhat cold atmosphere eased. He raised his hand and touched Chu Zhaoli's head, and said casually: "You are a sensible person. Since you are the crown prince, you must have your own power. What do you think of Miss Du?"

"Miss Du?" Chu Zhaoli asked pretending to be ignorant.

"Du Qiao is a clever girl, you will probably like her," said the emperor. "The crown prince's wife is worthy of her family."

……

"The emperor wants you to marry Du Qiao?" Lu Zhouxue asked.

"Hmm." Chu Zhaoli said, frowning, obviously feeling very thorny. "Since the emperor asked me, it must be settled. I just don't know if it's his idea or Prime Minister Du's."

"Why did the emperor suddenly ask you to marry Du Qiao?" Lu Zhouxue asked. He didn't understand the twists and turns of the court, but his intuition told him that there was definitely something fishy going on.

"My father's reason is to let me develop my own power and connections, but I guess the greater possibility is to balance the forces." Chu Zhaoli pinched Lu Zhouxue's face and analyzed it for him.

"The fifth prince fled the city and has not yet been released from the Dali Temple's prison. This scandal is enough to make him unable to turn over. Now my third brother is in his prime. My father asked me to marry Du Qiao. He may have intended to use me to suppress my third brother."

"You don't want to marry her?" Lu Zhouxue joked, "Last time she came, you steamed cakes for her. Xiao Li'er seemed to like her."

"Mianmian, please stop slandering me." Chu Zhaoli said helplessly, "Not to mention that I love you, and I have always treated her as my sister. Moreover, she is a daughter of a noble family, and she can choose any husband she wants. Marrying me, a poor prince with an uncertain future, will truly ruin her life."

"How could that be?" Lu Zhouxue was puzzled. Chu Zhaoli was the crown prince, and now that he had regained the favor of his father and the emperor, it did not necessarily mean that his future was uncertain.

"Mianmian, I told you before that I am the crown prince only to temporarily occupy the position for my third brother." Chu Zhaoli guessed Lu Zhouxue's thoughts and sighed softly, "If my father really wanted to make me the crown prince, he would not ask me to marry Du Qiao."

"The Du family has been sharing the imperial power for too long. My father has been fighting with Prime Minister Du for most of his life. Will he allow his heir to marry a Du family girl and help the Du family rise to a higher level? Obviously not. Moreover, I have no power to rely on. If I ascend the throne and become emperor, then the Chu family will no longer have the final say in this country."

"This is a bait that my father intentionally threw to the Du family. If I marry Du Qiao, Madam Du will definitely be unhappy. On the one hand, it will alienate Prime Minister Du and Madam Du. When the Du family puts all the remaining chips on me, they will ask me to make some mistakes. By then, the Du family will get nothing, and there will be no obstacle for my third brother to ascend to the throne."

"How can he be like this? He doesn't care about your life or death at all. What does he think of you?" Lu Zhouxue frowned upon hearing this. "The Third Prince is his son, but you are not one, right? How can he be so partial to one and mistreat the other?"

"These are all speculations. Besides, even if your father has such a plan, Prime Minister Du may not be fooled. There is always a way to survive." Chu Zhaoli actually comforted Lu Zhouxue. Lu Zhouxue felt more distressed when he saw his numb look which he had long been accustomed to.