Drunk Bamboo

Xie Yuzhu still packed up the food and asked Chaoyang to deliver it to the Ministry of Justice.

In the afternoon, they visited several fabric stores and made some clothes as planned.

It seemed that they were unaware of the two major events that happened in the morning and that they had nothing to do with them.

They went on with their days.

That night, the moon and the stars were in the sky, and the emperor was still in Baoping Palace.

At this time of day, he would normally be resting in a hall.

"What are they both doing today?"

After dealing with state affairs for a day, the emperor looked a little tired, and his voice sounded eerie and hollow in the empty hall.

"Prince Wen paid his respects to the Imperial Concubine and then left the palace. He went to Daci Temple as usual, and then to the Ministry of Personnel half an hour later. He did not return to the palace until dark."

Eunuch Dong hunched his back and was very careful, not daring to say a wrong word.

Too many things happened today, and the Sacred Heart cannot withstand any disturbance.

Otherwise he would face the wrath of thunder, which he could not bear.

"Where's the Wind King?"

"The Wind Prince accompanied the Princess for a whole day of shopping."

"Shopping? He didn't tell the Wind King anything?"

The emperor, who was resting with his eyes closed on the dragon throne, moved his eyelids slightly.

Eunuch Dong's heart sank, and he said truthfully: "Master Xiao Zhang learned that the Loushan case prisoner died in prison, so he first went to Prince Feng's mansion and then entered the palace. Prince Feng should know about this."

The emperor nodded after hearing this.

"The prisoner was captured by King Feng, so it was reasonable to tell him. What surprised me was that King Feng didn't come to the palace to make trouble after he found out."

Seeing that the emperor had a good attitude, Eunuch Dong smiled lightly: "Your Majesty, you forgot that you personally ordered yesterday that the case has been closed on the surface, and everything will be handed over to Master Xiao Zhang. Prince Feng is following the emperor's will."

The emperor thought it made sense and did not question it any further.

Eunuch Dong breathed a sigh of relief and continued to report:

"At noon, the prince and princess met Master Xiao Zhang at the Anhe Restaurant. In less than a cup of tea, Master Xiao Zhang went to the Ministry of Justice. He probably didn't even have a meal."

The most unpredictable thing is the emperor's heart.

Standing at the highest position, holding great power, but without anyone you can truly trust.

Being suspicious is a common trait or instinct of every emperor.

Not only the Crown Prince and King Feng, but even King Wen, whom he usually loved and favored the most, was like this. There were people watching them around them.

Their every move could not escape the emperor's eyes.

"It seems that King Wind knows nothing."

"Master Xiao Zhang is loyal. He will not say a word if His Majesty forbids him to. Even if he and Prince Feng had a comradeship, he will not go against His Majesty's will." Eunuch Dong paused and continued, "Besides, given Prince Feng's temper, he will not be so quiet if he knows about the Crown Prince, and he will not accompany the Princess to continue shopping."

These words further dispelled the emperor's doubts.

The Wind King's temper cannot be changed just by saying so.

The tone softened instantly:

"Xinghe is still loyal to me. Feng Wang has made a lot of progress recently and is quite obedient."

Eunuch Dong agreed with a smile: "Emperor Feng is a bit straightforward, but he is still very filial to His Majesty. The prince and princess are very concerned about His Majesty's health and often ask me to take good care of His Majesty. The princess knows that His Majesty likes fresh fruits outside the palace, so she sends them every two days. When His Majesty is not in Zhongdu, the princess always delivers them personally. Seeing that His Majesty is busy, she always asks me not to disturb you."

The emperor opened his eyes and saw fresh fruits on the table. The light fragrance permeated his heart.

"Yuzhu is sensible and if she doesn't let you say it, you really won't say it."

"The princess said it was a trivial matter, but it seemed deliberate to report it to Your Majesty. I know I was wrong, Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Eunuch Dong knew that the emperor was not angry but was pleased. However, he still acted nervous and afraid, and quickly bowed his head to admit his mistake.

The emperor waved his hands, stared at the fruits on the table, and his mood instantly became better.

"They never take credit for their work. The Xie family, a family with a long history of scholarship, is indeed a family of high character. No one in the palace can match their attentiveness. Yuzhu is a filial child with a calm temperament and a kind heart. Feng'er is not as reckless as before now that he has her."

"Among the three of them, Prince Feng is the one I dislike the most. Among the concubines, Yuzhu is the one I like the most."

A look of guilt appeared on his face.

Being an emperor is difficult, and being a father is even more difficult.

He had few children, only three princes and one princess.

Crown Prince Wen Wang had grown up by his side and was taken care of by his biological mother. Although the princess was frightened and unable to speak, he showed the most attention and love to her.

The only exception was King Feng, who lost his mother at the age of thirteen and left Zhongdu to fight on the battlefield.

The child who worried him the most when he was young is now the child he feels most at ease with.

"Your Majesty loves King Feng."

The momentary guilt was immediately covered by the desire for power.

The emperor narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Where is Han Jian? Where did he go after he left the palace?"

"After Lord Han left the palace, he went to pick up Madam Han, and after returning home, he went to the Ministry of Works."

Eunuch Dong was very tactful in his words. He knew what to say, what not to say, and what the emperor should ask.

Hearing something, he asked, "Why did Madam Han go out so early in the morning?"

Eunuch Dong said carefully, "Mrs. Han happened to be burning incense at Daci Temple."

Sure enough, the emperor opened his eyes and asked, "Can Han Jian come in?"

"I went in and stayed in the temple for about a quarter of an hour. I left the Daci Temple one after the other with King Wen."

Having said this, Eunuch Dong glanced at the emperor out of the corner of his eye.

"Maybe it's just... a coincidence."

King Wen came out of Fu'an Palace and went to Daci Temple. Han Jian impeached the prince and also went to Daci Temple.

It happened at almost the same time. I didn’t think it was wrong before and thought it was a coincidence.

But today it seems abrupt.

"How could it be such a coincidence? Han Jian had just impeached the crown prince, and he and King Wen went to the same place one after the other? Did Madam Han need Han Jian to pick her up personally to burn incense? The Ministry of Works and the Han Mansion are not on the same route. I'm afraid that picking up Madam was fake, and meeting King Wen was real."

"The Crown Prince is restless. Why did King Wen choose to learn from the Crown Prince? I trusted him so much."

The emperor was so angry that he sat up and slammed his hand on the desk.

"Your Majesty, calm down. This is all speculation. There is no evidence. Vice Prime Minister Luo and Master Xiao Zhang are investigating. Your Majesty, please wait a little longer."

His eyes gleamed dangerously: "I have long intended to promote Luo Yuan, but what I lacked was an opportunity. I married Luo Yuan's daughter to him to consolidate his position in the court. What else does he want? How else do you want me to favor him?"

He favored the Imperial Concubine and King Wen, not only because the Imperial Concubine had blocked swords for him and found Gao Yin who could save him from the plague, but also because they were obedient and had no one to rely on, so he was willing to be their backer.

He wants everyone to know that he is the emperor, the symbol of power, and those who obey him will prosper while those who resist him will perish!

As the qi and blood rise, my head starts to split.

Eunuch Dong immediately held him up and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, calm down! Your Majesty, your headache has come back! I will call Gao Fengyu here right away."

"No need. Gao Yin came and said the same thing again, asking me to think less and rest more. It was useless except for adding some bitter medicine. But after the massage you gave me a few times ago, my headache was relieved and I felt comfortable for several days."

The emperor closed his eyes, held his forehead with one hand, and looked painful.

"Your Majesty, are you feeling more comfortable?" Eunuch Dong carefully massaged the acupoints.

"The strength is just right." His brows gradually relaxed.

This massage technique is not particularly special, but just a few times of rubbing it will make my entire shoulder and neck area feel a lot more comfortable, and my headache will gradually become less painful.

Eunuch Dong took advantage of the situation and spoke slowly:

"Your Majesty, this massage technique was actually taught to me by Princess Feng."

He suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes gleaming with ferocity: "How did she know that I have a headache?"

His body shuddered, but he didn't dare to stop massaging his hands.

Eunuch Dong did not dare to look into the emperor's eyes, and said nervously, "Princess, you don't know. When the prince and princess accompanied His Majesty in practicing calligraphy, they smelled the calming incense in the hall, and realized that His Majesty was tired from reviewing memorials on weekdays, so they specially found an ancient medical book and copied a method to relieve fatigue for this servant."

The explanation makes sense.

He retracted his fierce gaze, and Eunuch Dong happened to press a new acupuncture point, and he felt a comfortable feeling on his head.

The emperor closed his eyes and relaxed for a moment.

"I heard that the Xie family's Baiyun Academy has a library with as many books as the ocean. Yuzhu brought a lot of books into the palace, right?"

Eunuch Dong had cold sweat on his back, but he looked calm.

"The princess's dowry included three carts of books and three carts of flowers. In addition, there was the betrothal gift from His Majesty. The Xie family did not accept a penny and used all of it as the princess's dowry. For this reason, many people in Zhongdu mocked the princess for being shabby and she was not valued by the Xie family."

"Ignorance. Classical books are priceless treasures. Ten boxes of gold, silver and jewelry may not be worth one of them." The emperor frowned and said casually, "You know it very well. How much benefit did you receive from the Feng Palace?"

His hands trembled, and Eunuch Dong immediately knelt down with a trembling voice.

"I dare not! The King of Feng has never tried to win over me, and the princess has never given me any gifts. She just taught me some massage techniques and some tips on how to maintain my knee meridians. The princess is thoughtful and kind, and she even saw how humble a servant like me was. I was touched. But the princess is ultimately thinking about His Majesty, and hopes that I can serve His Majesty better."

"I am your Majesty's servant, and I will only be loyal to your Majesty for my entire life!"

The emperor narrowed one eye and glanced at Eunuch Dong at his feet.

After being by my side for decades, he is still as timid and useless as he was when he was a child.

"Get up. I don't know you yet. You wouldn't dare to betray me even if I gave you ten guts. If King Feng knew how to bribe you, he wouldn't have suffered in the west for ten years. In the final analysis, it was Yuzhu who was considerate and kind, and even an old fox like you was moved. Just pretend that I didn't know about this matter, and don't tell Yuzhu. In the future, tell you what she wants to give you, and don't hide it from me anymore."

"Yes. I obey your order." Eunuch Dong stood up, bent his back, lowered his eyebrows and smiled slightly, and continued to massage the emperor.