Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 571: Survive or Die
The specific ceremony of enthroning the crown prince was still being debated between the emperor and his ministers, but the first day of October had already been set. The emperor was notorious for not liking such things, so in the past, it was said to be the first day, but it was delayed to the tenth, and then to the twentieth, and even to November. It was all uncertain.
But this time, because the Jingyan was said to be responsible for selecting a teacher for the future crown prince - of course, the date for the crown prince's enthronement had already been set for October 15, and the word "future" could be removed very soon - so even the emperor, who had always been maverick, did not make a fuss and push the date back.
The addition of two imperial concubines to the palace was not a big deal for most people. Even if the emperor suddenly went against his original statement and appointed a queen, it was still insignificant compared to the appointment of a crown prince, not to mention an imperial concubine. However, when the news reached the Second Prince's villa, the Second Prince, who had already fallen into a frenzy, was completely furious.
"That bitch Concubine Yu is nothing. She just took advantage of the situation to win the favor of the emperor... Concubine He is even more of a cowardly and incompetent woman. Now she is claiming to be a noble mother because of her son. Why?!"
Normally, his roar would scare everyone in the house into silence, but now most of the servants in the Second Prince's mansion had been dismissed, and only a few dogs and cats were left. There was no one standing in front of him at the moment. So, he was shouting in vain and got no response at all.
And he had learned something when he tried to force his way out a few days ago but was stopped. Those soldiers of the Sharp Cavalry Battalion who were guarding outside the villa had all learned a skill, which was to skillfully cover their ears when he made all kinds of noises!
Venting alone is not a good way to relieve depression, so the second prince cursed the heavens and the earth, and finally stopped talking in dejection. He didn't even know whether his father told him to give up or someone else wanted to use him to do something. If he had hoped for a turnaround at first, he was now completely desperate.
"On October 16, I will leave for Tianjin, and then take a boat to Qiongzhou Prefecture to plant trees... and the palace is conferring titles on imperial concubines and crown princes. Father, you have a cruel heart. You treat us mother and son so harshly!"
At this moment, after shouting and yelling but no one paid attention, the second prince howled in pain, then squatted down with his head in his hands. At this moment of utter despair, he had realized that even if he had been unable to win the competition with the first prince in the past, it was better than being completely eliminated now. When his wings, which were already few in number, were clipped, apart from the title of prince, what was left for him?
"My eldest brother and I have been competing for so many years, and now I have finally defeated him thoroughly... He has lost his clan membership and can no longer be considered a member of the royal family. At least I still have a chance, but is this really a chance?"
The second prince couldn't help crying and laughing while mumbling to himself, but even so, no one responded to him, and the eldest prince, who had long been imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple, was completely unable to respond to him. He just pounded the ground like a madman, completely ignoring the dust on the ground, until he heard a very strange sound.
"Second Prince, do you know that the Imperial Lecture will begin in three days? The princes and princesses in Beijing, and the sons of officials of the fifth rank and above, can take turns to attend the lecture. Since you are unwilling to do so, why don't you write a letter to fight for it? This is the family law of our ancestors. Even the Queen Mother or the Emperor cannot stop you. If you have anything to say, wouldn't it be much better to say it then than to complain here?"
"Who?" The second prince's face suddenly changed, but as soon as he said the word "who", his voice immediately became low again. The situation was stronger than the person, even if he was ignorant in the past, he knew that he had no capital to act arrogantly now.
So he quickly lowered his voice and asked, "Who are you? How are you going to help me?"
"The Second Prince is wrong. I have no ability, let alone help you. I am only pointing out the only clear path you can take. The ceremony of enthroning the Third Prince as the Crown Prince has been passed back and forth between the Emperor and the Ministry of Rites many times. From the cabinet ministers to the nobles and ordinary scholars, everyone in the court is talking about it with great relish. Who would care about a stray dog like you?"
Being called a lost dog, the Second Prince almost exploded with anger. But he had been down and out after all, and after being a bully a few times, all his servants left him, and he was almost alone. Now, even if the person who was instructing him might not have good intentions, he could only grasp this only life-saving straw.
After enduring it for a long time, he finally said angrily, "What do you want from me?"
"I don't want to do anything to you. I just want to tell the Second Prince that the Imperial Lecture is your only chance. Because of the Third Prince's insistence, Zhang Shou has been selected by the Emperor to give lectures in the Eastern Palace. Although this matter has caused an uproar, the Third Prince insists on standing on Zhang Shou's side. On the first day of the Imperial Lecture, it is very likely that Zhang Shou will be the first to give a lecture. If Zhang Shou is the target of public criticism, the Third Prince will still support him..."
In the past, the Second Prince would have certainly sneered at the "teacher-student relationship" between the Third Prince and Zhang Shou, but now he did not say anything. Even when the other party paused deliberately, he did not speak rashly. In his mind, he quickly calculated how much chance he would have if he were there.
It goes without saying that the Third Prince would side with Zhang Shou - because if Zhang Shou hadn't taught that originally cowardly and timid little fellow to become bold and ruthless, how could anyone take advantage of the conflict between him and the First Prince and then reap the benefits?
He took a deep breath and then said in a low voice, "I will submit a petition as soon as I get back, but even if it is the family law of our ancestors, since my father is so cruel, he might still put my request on hold... This kind of occasion should not be without my eldest brother, after all, it will be more lively with more people. If we want to have our two brothers attend together, we need someone in the court to support us."
With the two brothers having completely lost the possibility of competing for the East Palace, and even their biological mother being deposed as the Queen, the Second Prince no longer expected anyone to support his petition. In this case, who else could he rely on except this guy of unknown origin?
"Second Prince, just submit your petition. You don't have to worry about the rest."
"What do you mean?" The second prince asked instinctively, but found that there was no sound outside. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart and rushed out quickly. When he got out of the courtyard, he saw that the area under the wall was empty. There was no human figure, not even a ghost. He couldn't help but curse angrily.
"You want me to be your pawn? Dream on!" Even so, the second prince still couldn't figure it out. The third prince couldn't possibly betray himself. The fourth prince and the third prince were so close that they probably didn't have such a plan. The eldest prince was removed from the clan and would never be able to turn things around. He was powerless. There were only four princes, so those side branches of the clan would have no chance at all!
Could it be... the pregnant Concubine Yu? Yes, that woman is the emperor's favorite concubine, and Princess Yongping is also the most favored princess by the emperor. Now Concubine Yu has been promoted to a noble concubine. If she gives birth to a son, won't she become ambitious?
Besides, the life stories of Princess Yongping, Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying are problematic in the first place. Who knows if there will be some bizarre possibility. What if Zhang Shou is delusional that he is also the emperor's son and stabs the third prince at the critical moment?
The Second Prince suddenly wrote a letter, earnestly expressing his wish to attend the last imperial lecture. Naturally, Zhang Shou was the first to hear about it. He didn't need to inquire about the news now, because among his many students, although some were oblivious to the world outside and only focused on studying mathematics, more people were very concerned about current political events, especially the recent turmoil. Everyone wished they could have the ability to see and hear from afar.
So when he learned that after the second prince, even the eldest prince had written a letter in blood, begging to be able to attend the imperial lectures and listen to lectures from wise men from all sides, if he still didn't realize that there must be someone secretly colluding among them, he would be a fool.
Although the Third Prince had not yet become the Crown Prince, he was no longer allowed to attend classes at Jiuzhang Hall. Therefore, under the emperor's arbitrary decision, Zhang Shou, the lecturer, and the attendants at Jiuzhang Hall had all begun to take their positions in advance.
The class was supposed to be held in the Wenhua Hall, but because it was the venue for imperial lectures and was affiliated with the Eastern Palace, the emperor had a sudden idea to let Zhang Shou give lectures to the third prince in front of him in the Qianqing Palace. However, Zhang Shou and the third prince's teachers and students jointly persuaded him to go back. In the end, the chosen place was changed to a place that also made Zhang Shou and the third prince extremely conflicted.
That is... the now vacant Kunning Palace!
But no matter how disgusting and unlucky this place is, it is better than the Qianqing Palace or Qingning Palace. And because Ah Liu was also listed in the Ruiqi Battalion, he successfully followed into the palace, so Zhang Shou at least didn't have to worry about the problem of walls having ears. As for whether there were copper pipes and other eavesdropping equipment installed in Kunning Palace... I think so many emperors and empresses in this dynasty would not like to play this kind of tune, right?
At this time, the lecture came to an end. Zhang Shou was thinking about this strange thing and was just saying that he would take a break when the third prince suddenly asked, "Teacher, have you heard about the eldest and second brothers writing to request to participate in the imperial lecture?"
Zhang Shou was slightly stunned, then nodded with a smile, but the Third Prince's face became extremely tangled: "I heard that there are people who oppose and those who support it. Among those who support it the most is Dean Hong Shan of Yuzhang Academy. What should I do about this matter? Can you give me some advice, teacher?"
None of the real tutors dared to say anything at this time - they didn't even have the energy to marvel. The Third Prince was about to become the Crown Prince, why was he still so unrestrained? How could such a thing be brought up for consultation with others?
But their surprise had just begun, because the next moment, the real companion, the Fourth Prince, shouted directly: "Third brother, why do you think so much? How did the eldest and second brothers treat us in the past? Why do you still sympathize with them? If you are polite, just keep silent. If you are not polite, just tell father not to let them come!"
"They'll cause trouble even if they come!"
Such a straightforward statement immediately turned several unranked tutors into quails. Qi Liang, who had just returned to the capital two days ago and found himself suddenly given an important task, and because of Lu Sanlang's strong recommendation, he was able to join the ranks of the seventh-rank tutor (on a rotating basis), could not help but whispered a reminder: "Fourth Prince, please be careful with your words, or people will say that you don't understand filial piety!"
"Shouldn't filial piety mean that parents love their children, and children obey their parents; and that older brothers and sisters love their younger brothers and sisters respect their older brothers and sisters?" The fourth prince raised his head confidently, and then said seriously, "My eldest and second brothers never treated us as their younger brothers before, so why do they want us to respect them now?"
"That's right." Zhang Shou nodded with a smile. Seeing that the Fourth Prince was immediately pleased with himself, he said slowly, "It's a pity that people in this world may understand you, but they may not sympathize with you, because filial piety and brotherhood have been strongly advocated since ancient times. So, Fourth Prince, whether you keep silent or oppose it with all your might, it's not smart."
Seeing the Third Prince touching his philtrum thoughtfully, Zhang Shou further enlightened him, "Third Prince, instead of wasting time thinking about whether you support or oppose, you might as well think carefully about what the First and Second Princes really want in their petition, what they want to gain by attending the Imperial Lecture, what actions they will take, and what impact they will have on you and other court officials..."
"That is to say, make a response plan first to see if you can handle it, and then consider whether to support or oppose. In order to show others the image of a wise and filial brother, you can support it; but in order to show others the image of a tough and sharp prince, you can also oppose it."
"In order to create an image of being open-minded and receptive to advice, you can support it; but if you feel that the old grudges are hard to let go and you are still resentful, you can also oppose it. If you think that the first and second princes are having their last moments, why not see what they want to do, you can support it; but if you think that they want to take advantage of the opportunity of the imperial lecture to make a desperate attempt, you can also oppose it."
"For many things, there is no fixed choice. As long as you have enough reasons to convince yourself when making a choice and have enough confidence in dealing with it, that's enough."
Compared to the bewildered Fourth Prince, the Third Prince nodded his head in sudden enlightenment, then smiled and said, "Teacher, let's continue the lesson. I just happened to think of a question..."
The conversation in Kunning Palace was soon transmitted to the emperor's ears without missing a word. It was not that there was anyone among the East Palace tutors who was able to report the news, but that the third prince himself was the one who transmitted the message. After he relayed Zhang Shou's teachings, he lowered his head slightly, and without looking at his father's slightly strange expression, he said word by word: "I hope that you can approve the petition of my elder and second brothers."
When he found that he had not received a response from the emperor, the Third Prince would have felt extremely terrified if he had been one before. But this time, he said without even raising his head, "If they are brave enough to learn from the teachings of the wise men, then they should be allowed to come. If they have other purposes and the emperor forbids them, they will think of other ways, and they should also be allowed to come."
"They are all my father's sons. My father wants to enthrone me as the crown prince, but he is so harsh on them. It hurts my father's reputation. Most importantly, some people may become even more clamorous." Just when he said this, the third prince heard the emperor mutter. Isn't this just inviting thieves? He immediately raised his head, with a calm expression on his face. "My eldest brother and second brother are also my father's sons. I have to give them a chance!" No matter if it is a chance to survive or die!
