12dz Chapter 78 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty 10
Chapter 78 Rebellious Officials of the Former Dynasty 10
But he couldn't ignore his son's hard work, so he continued, "This kind of minor illness can be left to the Imperial Guards, you..."
After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Then I'll go to the Ministry of Revenue."
Xiao Xian's originally gloomy mood suddenly brightened upon hearing these words.
Previously, he worked in the Ministry of Works, but he was powerless and spent his days either building dikes or on his way to build dikes.
Now that he has finally entered a government office with real power, how could he not be happy?
Xiao Xian understood that this was his father’s reward for what he had done in the Ministry of Works, and also a compliment for his recent humility towards the Ninth Prince.
Xiao Xian breathed a sigh of relief, suppressing much of the dissatisfaction he had felt towards Xiao Yao.
He wasn't a foolish old man; he longed for his father's love at all times.
More than his father's favor, he wanted real power, the real chance to climb the ladder to that position.
Whether my elder brother's health can hold out until the end of the year is a question. The real curtain will rise when my elder brother passes away.
At that time, he and his brothers will fight to the death!
The emperor looked at Xiao Xian's posture, a trace of vicissitude flashing in his eyes.
He waved his hand: "Go ahead, go and see your older brother too."
As Xiao Xian kowtowed and left, his voice rang out: "Old Ninth is naive and ignorant; he is no match for you."
These overly blunt words coming from an emperor reveal his helplessness.
Even with all the power in the world, he couldn't control the subsequent infighting among his sons.
The eldest son was his most outstanding son and his chosen successor.
While he was still alive, the other brothers dared not harbor even the slightest delusional thoughts.
But after he lost two sons and his health deteriorated, everything changed.
Those sons who obey the eldest son may not necessarily obey their other brothers.
He also needs to choose an outstanding son from among his remaining sons to entrust the country to.
When he had this thought, his sons were no longer just his sons, but heirs who needed to be weighed on a scale.
He has too many ambitious sons, but only one foolish son.
As a father, one should always consider his son's needs.
Xiao Xian paused, then hurriedly left to visit the Crown Prince.
He sneered inwardly, thinking, "What a loving father's heart!"
They gave it to the eldest brother, to the ninth brother, and to the younger brothers who were not competitive, but they didn't give it to the sons in the middle!
"Big brother!"
In the Eastern Palace, Xiao Yao excitedly walked to the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters and saw the Crown Prince reading while wearing an outer robe.
The crown prince's hair was gray, and his cheeks were so thin and sunken that he looked more like the emperor's elder brother than the emperor's son.
However, even though he was sickly, his demeanor remained refined and gentle.
Seeing her impetuous younger brother, she was filled with tolerance.
"Didn't you go off to explore the world? How come you're back so soon?" He put the book aside and looked at Xiao Yao with a smile.
Xiao Yao blushed slightly, realizing how unrealistic his idea of venturing into the martial world really was.
He touched his nose and said awkwardly, "I missed my older brother, so I came back."
Then, he was met with the gentle gaze of the Crown Prince, whose eyes seemed to see through the ways of the world and were full of teasing.
"Alright, you must know by now." Xiao Yao slumped his shoulders and stopped hiding it.
Father never hides things from his eldest brother, so he must have known about the conflict between him and his third brother at the city gate long ago.
Xiao Yao plopped down next to the Crown Prince, massaging his shoulders as she whispered, "She's really wonderful. You'll like her too if you meet her."
"I have never seen such a good woman. She is like the sun and the moon. She is exactly the kind of woman I like."
"The moment she descended from the sky, she was more handsome than any storybook could describe!"
He talked on and on to the Crown Prince about matters big and small concerning Ling Yi, about her tolerance towards him, and about her gentleness in caring for him despite her coldness.
As he spoke, his face turned red: "Brother, I want to marry her."
The Crown Prince listened to Xiao Yao's words with a smile, his eyes full of kindness as he looked at his younger brother.
Xiao Yao was about the same age as his second son, and the Crown Prince had watched him grow up since he was a child.
He knew the child had no ambition, and he also knew his naivety.
What's remarkable is that his naiveté and innocence did not contain any harshness towards his servants or contempt for the common people.
Such innocent and naive love is extremely rare in the royal family, which is why the Emperor favored the Ninth Prince.
He also liked this kind of child and hoped that his innocence could last a little longer.
Like a father stroking his hair, the crown prince said gently, "If you are sure she loves you too, then marry her."
He believed that even the most naive royal princes wouldn't be unable to distinguish between sincerity and pretense.
There are too many people fawning over them; you can tell at a glance who has a sincere heart.
Xiao Yao's eyes lit up: "She really likes me, no less than I like her!"
Despite being such a cold and aloof person, the way she looked at him was as gentle as water.
On the contrary, looking at Lu'an is no different from looking at the flowers and plants by the roadside!
The Prince Rui, who had been treated so well, wished he could wag his tail and puff it out!
Then, he glanced cautiously at the Crown Prince and whispered, "What if Father Emperor disagrees?"
Judging from the Emperor's attitude today, he probably feels disgusted with Ling Yi.
Xiao Yao was also good at judging the situation and was very smart not to say his proposal to Ling Yi when the emperor was in a bad mood.
Otherwise, he dared not even imagine what the emperor might do in his anger.
The crown prince chuckled and glanced at the boy who couldn't even hide his thoughts, then tapped him on the head: "I'll go tell him."
As for whether that woman might actually be a rebel?
His father still had concubines and princesses from the previous dynasty in his palace, and he still favored them. What's wrong with his son marrying a woman who might not be a complete remnant of the previous dynasty?
In the royal family, basic etiquette is the least important thing.
If you want a group of people who hold the power of life and death over the world to obey some laws and principles, it would be more effective to have Confucius come back to life and persuade them with his fist the size of a clay pot.
"Thank you, brother!" Xiao Yao stood up in surprise and paced back and forth by the bedside.
The crown prince reluctantly put on his outer robe. The deed was done, and he wasn't even offered a shoulder massage. That kid…
"Ninth Brother, why are you making a scene here? Don't you know that your elder brother is still ill?" The voice that suddenly came from the doorway made the Crown Prince's smile fade a little.
Even though he was dying, he couldn't stand seeing his stupid younger brothers jumping around in front of him, looking like they were hoping for his death and coveting the spot under his butt.
He waved away the eunuchs behind Xiao Xian and said with a light smile, "You just got back, why don't you go home to see your princess instead of coming here to scold the ninth prince?"