Something happened. This is not going to be bloody.

The eldest prince did not know who had revealed to him the news that there was an imperial edict behind the plaque in the Taiji Hall, but the Emperor Gao Zhao knew it, because he was the one who placed the imperial edict and it was he who had someone deliver the news to the eldest prince.

Of course, the emperor also sent the message to his good brother, Prince Sheng.

In order to trick the other party into taking the bait, the emperor even went to Concubine Shu's palace, trying to find an opportunity to leave the palace.

Facts have proven that beauty is the root of trouble. The public only sees what the superiors want them to see. Just like the emperor wants everyone to think that Concubine Shu is the most favored concubine in the harem.

****

Ever since Zhou Leng passed the news to Lou Yue and heard that the emperor had dismissed several censors in the court, she knew that the next step would be to sit back and watch the fight between the two tigers.

At this time, what Zhou Leng needs to do is to lie low and reap the benefits. As for the Lou family, she naturally doesn't need to say much. As long as she shows her desire to fight for it, even if she doesn't want to fight for it in the end, the Lou family will force her to fight for it.

The matter of seizing the throne is like a drawn hunting bow; once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back.

There are only a few princes in the palace, and sooner or later it will be Gao Ze's turn to be the crown prince.

The Emperor, the eldest prince, and even Prince Sheng were all able to keep their composure, and the atmosphere at the moment felt as if a storm was about to break out.

Two months passed and the season entered the hot summer.

The concubines in the palace had already changed into gauze and silk, but they still felt extremely hot.

The palace maids stayed in the palace every day and took turns fanning Concubine Shu. Ice was also supplied in the palace in a timely manner, but these could not resist the heat.

One day, the emperor went to the palace of Concubine Shu to have a meal. Seeing that Concubine Shu was flushed with heat and her clothes were soaked with sweat, he said with great concern:

"Normally, there are maids in the palace who bring ice cubes to cool you down, and you can also use fans to keep cool. But if you go to the small kitchen to cook, you will definitely sweat a lot, and I really can't bear it. Seeing that it is particularly hot these days, I am thinking of taking you to another courtyard to escape the heat."

Zhou Leng looked at the other party's rare attentiveness. She knew that he was definitely not so kind. This old man was very bad. She said with great complacency:

"Is the emperor only bringing his concubine? Are there other concubines coming with him?"

Gao Zhao smiled and replied, "Of course it's just you."

No matter how old a man is, he seems to enjoy having women compete for him to show off his charm.

Zhou Leng naturally acted ecstatic, and said proudly:

"In that case, after His Majesty has dealt with government affairs, we will set off for the other courtyard. I have never been there alone with His Majesty, and I am afraid that the sisters in the palace will be annoyed by my old vinegar again."

Gao Zhao looked at the woman's smug look and laughed out loud.

Three days later, news came from the palace that the Emperor, feeling sorry for Concubine Lou's suffering during the summer, took her to the royal villa for a short stay.

The emperor ordered the eldest prince Gao Jing to be regent.

In addition to feeling sad about Concubine Shu's favor, everyone was also somewhat confused about the eldest prince's status.

Now many ministers do not understand what the emperor is going to do. He had just reprimanded the eldest prince's party a few days ago, and now he is letting the eldest prince govern the country. However, no one thinks this is a trap. After all, the emperor has been relying on the eldest prince in recent years. Everyone would not think that the father and son are afraid of each other just because of a reprimand.

The eldest prince even thought that his father treated him as the crown prince.

****

The name of the Royal Villa makes people think that it is not far away, but in fact the journey is very long. It takes half a month to go back and forth. After all, if you are close, the temperature is almost the same, so how can you escape the summer heat?

The Royal Villa is surrounded by running water both inside and outside, so it will be much cooler to live inside.

There are many green plants and flowers in the courtyard, and fresh meat and vegetables are delivered every day. There is also a strange animal garden in the garden, which is similar to a small zoo. So even if you don't go out, you won't be bored in the garden.

Although the emperor did not come here often, he would come here every two years on average to escape the summer heat, so the people serving him were considered elderly, and the buildings and flowers were all carefully cared for.

Zhou Leng walked in the garden of the other courtyard, with someone leading the way in front and someone following behind. Not far behind him, there were also several eunuchs carrying a sedan chair, so that the Concubine Shu could sit on it and rest when she was tired.

Zhou Leng saw a pavilion not far away, and she said, "Caiyue, go to the pavilion in front and rest for a while. Ask someone to bring a pot of hot tea."

"promise"

When Zhou Leng arrived at the pavilion, Caiyue had already laid out a mat on the stone bench and a clean cotton cloth on the stone table. She sat on the stone bench and looked at the flowers blooming in the distance.

After a while.

A maidservant in the other courtyard came up to the pavilion with fruits and snacks, bowed and said:

"Greetings, Madam Shufei. This is specially prepared by the kitchen today. Please enjoy it, Madam Shufei."

Zhou Leng saw the jade pendant she was wearing around her waist. The jade was mixed, but the style was unique. She smiled and said, "Let her in."

The maid placed the crystal tray on the table, then bowed and left.

Zhou Leng raised his hand and said:

"Cai Ling, go find a zither player. I want to listen to some music. You all should go down and find a cool place to rest. Only Cai Yue and the others can stay in the pavilion."

"Yes, thank you for your consideration."

Many palace maids and eunuchs retreated away.

After Caiyue tested the poison, Zhou Leng picked up a cake, broke it open and began to eat it silently.

Before a quarter of an hour had passed, the pianist arrived outside the pavilion and began to play.

Zhou Leng ate all the snacks and finally found a note. She thought it was a good thing it was hers, otherwise it would have been so suspicious if she had to tear open each snack one by one to read it.

There were only five words on the note: "Bachelor is ready."

Zhou Leng clenched the note tightly and swallowed it directly. She closed her eyes slightly, and the pleasant sound of the piano and the sound of the wind were in her ears. It was a very pleasant day.

Zhou Leng stayed with the old emperor in the villa for a month. Every day, express horses would deliver the latest news from the imperial city to Gao Zhao, but Zhou Leng didn't know the specific content, and of course she didn't want to know.

The palace maids and eunuchs in the other courtyards all knew that Concubine Shu ate in different ways every day, or fed the Emperor in different ways.

Eating more is beneficial to Zhou Leng's strength. After all, all conspiracies and tricks will kneel down and call daddy in front of powerful force.

More than a month.

The Royal Courtyard was calm and peaceful, but the court in the Imperial City was full of changes. It turned out that the emperor, the sixth son, had really placed his own edict of succession behind the plaque of the Taiji Hall, and he placed more than one.

After careful consideration, the eldest prince finally ordered people to get the imperial edict behind the plaque of Taiji Hall. When he saw the edict that said the throne would be passed to Prince Sheng, his face turned green. He even thought that this edict was fake. Was his father crazy? Why didn't he pass the throne to his own son but passed it to his younger brother?