The cruel little princess

After hearing what the emperor said, the Minister of Rites wisely stopped talking.

"Also, the White Dragon Kingdom's envoys will arrive in Beijing tomorrow, so please treat them well." The emperor sat upright behind the dragon table, his face filled with uncontrollable joy.

Previously, because of the plague raging in Tongniu County, he was so worried that he almost issued an edict of apology. But he didn't expect that Lao Jiu and his daughter-in-law would cure the plague together and bring back such great news!

Of course, after receiving the secret letter that Lao Jiu sent back in an urgent manner, the emperor was furious. He immediately sent people from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation. As a result, he found out numerous evidences of the crimes of the Minister of War Zhang Haoyang. The conclusive evidence made Zhang Haoyang's crimes irrefutable.

Ultimately, the Emperor imposed a comprehensive punishment, confiscating the entire family of Zhang Haoyang, the son of the eldest prince's in-laws and Minister of War, and exiling them! Due to his advanced age and frailty, the old tutor was unaware of his son's heinous treasonous actions. The Emperor, mindful of his mentorship during their youth, ordered the tutor to return home to retire, free from the gossip and rumors of the capital.

But the old Taifu, already in his eighties, burst into tears and cried out, "The Emperor's grace is so great, but I, this old minister, feel ashamed of the world! I am unworthy of being the world's teacher! Yet I have taught such a beast, worse than an animal! I, this old minister, am ashamed!"

The next day, the old tutor was found hanged from the beam of his home with a three-foot-long white silk cloth. He left behind a suicide note, saying that he did not want a grand funeral and begged the emperor to burn his body directly, letting the flames wash away his sins!

The emperor, mindful of the old tutor's lifelong integrity, sent for a proper burial and personally inscribed a stele.

County Magistrate Liu and others even beheaded him directly outside the Meridian Gate to serve as a warning to others!

Although there was no direct evidence that the eldest prince was involved, the emperor still dismissed him from his post and sentenced him to three months of house arrest! This was already a heavy punishment for the emperor who always valued family ties.

Moreover, there are so many people involved in this matter that it can only collapse bit by bit without any fuss.

Now that the matter had finally been resolved, the emperor felt a huge weight off his shoulders, and he felt a sense of relief and joy he had never felt before. Furthermore, he decisively ordered the Ministry of Works to quickly find reliable personnel to prepare for the mining of the gold mine.

Meanwhile, the Qinglong Kingdom's envoys had arrived in the capital, and officials from the Ministry of Rites had properly accommodated them at the post station. All that remained was to await the arrival of the White Dragon Kingdom's envoys before peace talks could begin.

It happened to be nearing the end of the year, and after the White Dragon Kingdom's delegation arrived, they would be summoned to the palace to meet the emperor after a short rest.

"I can finally breathe a sigh of relief." The emperor sighed.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Rites immediately knelt down and shouted.

"Hahaha..." The emperor laughed heartily, and his hearty laughter echoed in the palace for a long time.

The emperor waved his hand and said, "If you have no other important matters, please leave!"

The Minister of Rites knelt down and took his leave.

The emperor sat quietly in the imperial study for a while, and summoned his dragon guards from the dark to learn about the latest situation.

After listening to Long Wei's report, he was allowed to leave quietly in the secret passage.

The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests, his gaze deep and sharp. His mind gradually drifted away, and he began to wonder which empress's palace he should visit tonight.

Since the eldest prince was left idle at home, his mother also lost the emperor's favor.

As for the other princes, the emperor had seen through the true colors of many of his sons when the plague broke out in Tongniu County last time. Therefore, he had maintained a lukewarm attitude towards them recently.

However, the situation changed when Lao Jiu returned from Tongniu County and brought the secret of the gold mine, evidence of the eldest prince Yue's family's crimes, and the merit of curing the plague.

The court also ushered in a bloody baptism. The emperor knew that in the next one or two days, he and his wife would become the focus of everyone's attention in the capital.

As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind. The emperor understood that he must avoid overemphasizing the Ninth Prince's status while he was still a mature man. Therefore, he decided to continue the strategy of "distributing rain and dew equally" to maintain the balance of the court.

This is really a case of suppressing one problem but causing another to pop up. He needs to quickly find a prince to divert everyone's attention!

Then let's go with the fifth one! His mother, Concubine Shu, can be considered a relatively attractive woman, and she's also quite good in bed!

Thinking of this, the emperor couldn't help but reveal a smug smile. He didn't even bother to turn over the sign and walked straight towards the concubine's bedroom.

The next morning, Concubine Shu gently tidied the emperor's court robes. The emperor looked at Concubine Shu so close to him, and felt an impulse in his heart. He couldn't help but gently pat her round buttocks.

The Concubine Shu suddenly laughed sweetly and said shyly, "Your Majesty! You are so bad!"

The emperor did not respond to her words, but just laughed and went to court.

In the court, the emperor, contrary to his usual behavior, did not give too much praise to His Royal Highness Prince Jin who had made great contributions and returned to the court. Instead, he emphasized praising the Fifth Prince for becoming much more stable recently.

He said earnestly, "Ever since you got married, my prince, you've become much more dignified and steady. It seems your princess is indeed a good woman, and it must be the Prime Minister's good guidance! Haha!"

"It just so happens that the envoys from the Qinglong Kingdom and the Bailong Kingdom will arrive in the capital soon. Fifth Prince, you go and assist the Ministry of Rites in receiving them. We must demonstrate the style of our great country!" The emperor directly assigned a task to the fifth prince.

"Your son obeys your order!" The fifth prince accepted the order happily!

After receiving the praises from the ministers, His Majesty the Emperor was very pleased. He not only rewarded His Royal Highness Prince Rui and Princess Rui generously, but also gave them generous rewards.

In contrast, His Royal Highness Prince Jin only received some insignificant gold, silver, and jewelry as rewards, which seemed a bit neglected. Seeing that no one objected, the emperor announced the adjournment of the court.

The ministers in the court were quick-witted and quickly realized that the emperor's attitude towards His Royal Highness Prince Jin had changed. So they turned around and congratulated His Royal Highness Prince Rui.

Prince Jin was incredibly intelligent, and he quickly grasped the Emperor's intentions. He secretly sighed, "This old man still has so many thoughts!" Then, he pursed his lips, revealing a barely perceptible smile.

As he walked down the stairs, he saw his father-in-law Shen Duanfang and his elder brother-in-law Shen Zijin saying goodbye to their colleagues below.

He immediately shouted loudly, "Father-in-law, please stay!" His voice was so clear and loud that many ministers in front of him turned around to look.

When everyone saw that it was His Royal Highness Prince Jin who was calling the General Guardian of the Nation, they suddenly realized what was going on. That's right! At the time, His Royal Highness Prince Jin had married Shen Youyou, the Princess of Rui'an County, the General's daughter.

However, the day after their wedding, Prince Jin and his wife were hastily sent to Tongniu County to treat the plague. Princess Jin did not stay in the capital and did not attend any banquets or banquets. So after more than three months, everyone subconsciously almost forgot about it...

I just heard that the Princess of Rui'an fell into the water last year and injured herself, leaving her with a chronic illness. It will be difficult for her to have children in this life, and I wonder how long Princess Jin can sit on the throne! Everyone, each with their own ulterior motives, tacitly laughed and greeted His Royal Highness Prince Jin before leaving.

His Royal Highness Prince Jin hurried over to his father-in-law and brother-in-law.

"Father-in-law, big brother!" His Royal Highness Prince Jin bowed respectfully, his eyes revealing a hint of eagerness and anticipation. Shen Duanfang stood there motionless and accepted His Royal Highness Prince Jin's greeting. He was a general guarding the country, and while his status was not as noble as His Royal Highness Prince Jin's, he was His Royal Highness Prince Jin's father-in-law and could accept his greeting.

"I am honored to meet His Royal Highness Prince Jin!" Although Shen Zijin also wanted to accept the greetings from His Royal Highness Prince Jin in a dignified manner like his father, Shen Zijin did not dare!

The general nodded slightly, a relieved smile on his face: "My Lord, I hope you are well."

His Royal Highness Prince Jin quickly responded, "Everything is fine. Thank you, father-in-law, for your concern." His tone was sincere and genuine, making people feel his respect for the general who guards the country.

Shen Zijin, who was standing beside him, looked at His Royal Highness Prince Jin. A complicated look flashed across his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "Your Highness, it's been a long time since we last met. You look refreshed."

His Royal Highness Prince Jin smiled and responded, "Thank you for the compliment, Big Brother. I can't wait to meet you too."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, General Shen Duanfang couldn't wait to inquire about his daughter Shen Youyou's condition: "Is Youyou... okay?"

His Royal Highness Prince Jin smiled slightly and comforted him, "Youyou is fine, father-in-law, don't worry."

Shen Duanfang breathed a sigh of relief, his worries slightly relieved. He looked at His Royal Highness Prince Jin with gratitude and said, "That's good. Thank you, Your Highness, for taking care of Youyou."

"Father-in-law, what are you talking about? Youyou is my wife, and I should respect her, love her, and take care of her!"

Because he truly loves Shen Youyou, even her family members love her and give her the same respect and honor. They don't even use the usual "This King" and can just call her "I".

But Shen Duanfang still thanked him sincerely.