CHAPTER 891: CHAPTER 889: AFFAIRS OF STATE AND THE SON

Hu Jing clapped his hands and laughed, "Your Highness is indeed sharp, there’s definitely news."

Jinrong became interested, sitting up a bit: "Is that so? Tell me more."

"After court was dismissed today, Sixth Master and the Crown Prince walked ahead, and just as Prince Fu exited the main hall, he was summoned to the Imperial Study Room by a eunuch. The situation is quite tense now, and we didn’t dare to inquire about how His Majesty handled it. But when Prince Fu left the palace, he looked utterly defeated and didn’t go to the Ministry of Works but returned straight to Prince Fu’s Mansion. There were many people coming and going at the mansion today, all with grim expressions."

Jinrong pondered and said, "At court today, Imperial Father’s complexion seemed healthy. I estimate that Imperial Father is unaware of the number of iron mines Prince Fu has secretly hidden and the quantity of refined iron materials. According to the information we have, if Prince Fu reports truthfully, Imperial Father would likely be furious."

Hu Jing chuckled a few times and said, "His Majesty surely wouldn’t want this matter to be publicly known, so it seems Prince Fu will have to lie low in his mansion for several years. During these years, Sixth Master can accomplish many things and gather enough strength to ensure he won’t be able to rise again."

Jinrong nodded, exchanging a glance with Hu Jing, and said, "If it’s kept quiet, Prince Fu will have to feign illness."

...

The next day in court, the Cabinet presented a petition from Prince Fu claiming illness. He cited exhaustion from years of toil and a sudden illness yesterday, with a severe onset. An imperial physician had already examined him and stated that Prince Fu needed to rest quietly.

Aside from a few key figures associated with Prince Fu like Liu Chengzhi and Wang Xian, all the court officials were secretly shocked. Prince Fu was perfectly fine at court yesterday, and is at the prime of his life, how could he exhaust himself to illness?

Looking at the emperor, there was no expression on his face, he surprisingly didn’t ask much, responding calmly.

Afterward, the emperor gave a dry commendation of Prince Fu’s dedication to state affairs over the years, approved the petition, and instructed Prince Fu to rest assuredly in his mansion.

Initially clueless about the situation, the officials understood from those words of the emperor. Prince Fu must have committed some grave mistake; how serious could it be to require feigning illness and withdrawing from court?

The officials’ gazes swept intentionally or unintentionally over the Crown Prince and Prince Yu. Before anything could really unfold, a contender for the position of Crown Prince had already fallen. At least for now, Prince Fu does not have the qualification to compete in court.

The court officials aligned with Prince Fu were especially unsure of their future. The emperor hadn’t mentioned the duration of Prince Fu’s rest.

The attention of the court officials was fixed on the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, and His Majesty also turned his cold gaze to the two.

Amidst such a tense atmosphere, Jinrong had already lowered his head pretending to be invisible.

The Crown Prince still glanced left and right at the emperor, guessing endlessly what significant event could have transpired between the emperor and Prince Fu without his knowledge, leading to Prince Fu’s direct dismissal from court.

With such an opportunity, shouldn’t he send people to investigate the cause, escalate the situation to clarity, and completely crush this annoying Seventh Royal Brother?

So when the emperor looked over, he directly met the Crown Prince’s eyes brimming with thought and undisguised schadenfreude.

Seeing such a Crown Prince, the emperor’s heart turned cold. He believed that compared to past emperors, he was a sovereign who valued familial ties between brothers and sons. But this son of his, how heartless in nature, while his own brother was already in trouble yet still thinking of stepping on him, even wishing him dead.

Another glance at Jinrong, head lowered, staring at the ground, his expression unclear; coupled with memories of their recent conduct. The emperor couldn’t help but become angry.

"Crown Prince, I see you’ve been quite busy these days, neglecting court affairs, may I know what you’re so busy with?" The emperor began by addressing the Crown Prince.

Even though the Crown Prince was indifferent to state affairs and his father’s attitude, he could sense the emperor’s displeasure from his tone.

This... How should he respond to this?

He couldn’t very well say he discovered a few captivating concubines in his mansion, sparking his interest to no end, could he?

The Crown Prince stepped forward and replied, "Reporting to Imperial Father, I have been wholly focused on state affairs. I have inquired about the Ministry of Revenue’s matters and learned that everything is normal. I thought that if I hovered over them too often, it might hinder their work, so I refrained from interrupting."

The emperor nearly threw a pile of memorials at the Crown Prince’s head, "The Ministry of Revenue’s operations are normal? How could I be unaware? How could I have heard of several places suffering from severe drought? So this means that even though I reside in the palace, all I hear are rumors."

Although the emperor’s tone was calm, the Crown Prince could hear the anger beneath his extreme calmness. Fortunately, he had stretched out his hand to demand provisions from the Ministry of Revenue yesterday, consequently hearing Yu Shiqing’s complaints. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to answer today.

He hastily bowed again and replied, "Imperial Father, I am aware that Yuanzhou and its neighboring prefectures and counties are experiencing drought. I have already ordered Yu Shiqing to regulate the ministry’s finances and provisions, preparing to respond to emergencies."

Fully involved in state governance and preparing for potential disasters in advance? Does the emperor not know what kind of person the Crown Prince is?

The emperor looked at Yu Shiqing.

Yu Shiqing quickly stepped forward to cover for the Crown Prince: "Reporting to Your Majesty, your humble servant has followed the Crown Prince’s instructions and is already making preparations."

What else could he say? He couldn’t exactly reveal that the Crown Prince never gave such instructions, and even after learning about potential disasters, he continued to demand eight thousand taels of silver from Yu Shiqing for his private use.

Seeing Yu Shiqing’s slightly evasive gaze, the emperor felt both furious and helpless. Prince Fu had controlled the Ministry of Works, hiding so much iron materials. With Yu Shiqing and the others’ assistance, the Crown Prince had turned the Ministry of Revenue into his private treasury.

In his displeasure, the emperor didn’t plan to spare the Crown Prince any dignity. With a cold snort, he said, "I heard that the Crown Prince’s Mansion was filled with music starting from noon yesterday, lasting until the night, even through the night. It’s rare for the Crown Prince to have such energy and still come to court with vigor today."

This... The Crown Prince bowed, his head lowered, not daring to respond further.

He had the servant check before he left today. The servant, shrinking away, mentioned that there were dark circles under his eyes. How could he be so spirited? It was the emperor’s anger towards him, speaking ironically in front of all the court officials.

After reprimanding the Crown Prince, the emperor turned his icy gaze to Jinrong: "Prince Yu, hurrying around every day, may I know what you’re so busy with?"

Jinrong had been examining the two green bricks at his feet for ages, and only now did he hear the emperor directing his attention towards him. He quickly pulled himself together, stepping forward to respond: "Reporting to Imperial Father, my duties at the Ministry of Personnel are going well, and as for my remaining time... I have gone to the suburbs to take a look."

Speaking respectfully, but inwardly criticizing the emperor’s way of questioning. If you’re going to ask, couldn’t you start with something more innovative? As if you have an all-seeing eye to claim I’m always hurrying around.

The emperor frowned at Jinrong; this boy dared to throw out ’this’ and ’that’ when addressing matters in court. These two, one after the other, seemed intent on infuriating him, their father.

"Suburbs? You mean that Creekview Garden! With court affairs being so complex and numerous places experiencing poor conditions, yet you have the mind for such nonsense. Is this something a governing imperial son should be doing?!"