Cheng Yujin was speechless. As expected, she shouldn't give her child too much pressure when he was young. Otherwise, he would really become a pervert when he grew up.
Cheng Yujin felt disgusted, but she still had to take the initiative to lean towards Li Seung-kyung.
Li Seung-kyung's neck was white and slender. Cheng Yujin looked at it closely and suddenly had a bad idea. She stretched out her fingers and scratched his collar, "Like this?"
Li Seung-kyung was unmoved. He glanced at her and said, "Bluffing. Do you think I don't know you?
You only have this much courage. "
Cheng Yujin could listen to anything, but she couldn't listen to anyone questioning her.
She, Miss Cheng, always acted at the peak. When had she ever been looked down upon?
Cheng Yujin really loosened his collar. Her fingers scratched inside and faintly drew circles on his chest.
Li Seung-kyung nodded. His expression was like a master who had seen through his disciple, "You're worth teaching."
Cheng Yujin was annoyed. She pinched him lightly. Li Seung-kyung grabbed her hand through his clothes. He raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Do you want to pinch somewhere else?"
Cheng Yujin's face turned red, "Pervert!"
"What did I say to make you call me pervert?"
Cheng Yujin angrily pulled back her hand. Her ears were red.
Li Seung-kyung silently sighed. After marrying a wife, he really relieved his pressure. Before he could finish his sigh, he heard Cheng Yujin say, "Your Highness, Prince Shou has been hanging around in front of the Emperor every day. Not only did he give you trouble, but he also lifted Empress Yang's confinement.
Don't you want to do something to beat him up? "
Li Seung-kyung clicked his tongue and said, "Can you be any more obvious when you change the topic?"
Cheng Yujin refused to admit defeat. Li Seung-kyung sighed and tapped Cheng Yujin's forehead, "You don't understand romance."
Cheng Yujin glared at him. "I'm talking business with you. Don't interrupt me."
This was really a grievance. Li Chengjing had actually become the person who interrupted.
Li Seung-kyung had no choice but to accept his fate. In such a charming atmosphere, he explained to the Crown Princess, who was concerned about national affairs, "A person's heart may be biased, but the people in the world won't be.
Prince Shou was simply too immature. He had been protected too well by the Yang Family and Empress Yang. To put it bluntly, he was still very naive.
When I was his age, I was already a Jinshi and went to another place to become an official. But he still thinks he's smart and plays tricks that can be seen through at a glance.
I know that he slandered me in front of the Emperor, and the others also know, so there is nothing to be afraid of. "
Without real power, without the support of the people, without fame, and with just a glib tongue, what was there to fear?
Li Chengjun wasn't a threat to Li Seung-kyung at all. Li Seung-kyung was naturally happy to be a magnanimous elder brother and let him do whatever he wanted.
When Cheng Yujin heard this, she sighed and said, "His Majesty is too biased.
He didn't think about how he would be able to recuperate in peace without you. How would he be able to enjoy family bliss with the Second Prince? "
"It's not that he's biased, it's that he doesn't care about me at all."
Li Seung-kyung said calmly. "I didn't stay by his side for long. The next time I saw him was during the 19th Year of Jianwu's Court Examination.
To him, I'm just a symbolic person. A ruler is more important than a minister, and the Crown Prince is more important than a son.
To put it bluntly, I'm just a stranger who participated in the Court Examination and was put in an important position by the Emperor. "
"Your Highness …" "I'm fine."
Li Seung-kyung held Cheng Yujin's hand and smiled. "I thought I cared, but after we talked about it that day, I realized that I didn't treat him as a father.
In terms of feelings, he can't even compare to Marquis Cheng.
To me, he's just a symbol. "
As Li Seung-kyung said these words, he realized that the knot in his heart was slowly unraveling.
In reality, he didn't stay by the Emperor's side for long. Although the Emperor raised him personally and didn't rely on anyone else, that was before he was five years old.
How long could a five-year-old remember the memories of a five-year-old?
After being separated at five, Li Seung-kyung didn't see the Emperor again until he was sixteen.
Between five and sixteen was enough time for a person to be reborn and become a completely different person.
In reality, Li Seung-kyung didn't even remember what the Emperor looked like before the Court Examination.
During the Court Examination, he looked from afar and realized that the Emperor was completely different from what he had imagined.
He thought that when he finally saw his father, he would be excited, filled with admiration, and depressed. However, when the time came, he felt nothing. He only felt a sense of relief from completing his mission.
Presumably, the Emperor felt the same way about him.
Estrangement, unfamiliarity, and probing, not closeness.
Although they were father and son, they weren't as close as ordinary subjects. How could they compare to the Second Prince, who had grown up as a son?
The Emperor favored the Second Prince and pitied Empress Yang, who had accompanied him for many years. Li Seung-kyung could understand all of this.
However, understanding didn't mean that he could accept it.
The Zhong Clan could give up their hatred for Empress Zhong and live happily, but Li Seung-kyung couldn't.
He couldn't get past himself.
Li Seung-kyung silently gripped Cheng Yujin's hand.
It was just a matter of who could outlast who, who was right and who was wrong, who won and who lost. All he had to do was wait.
Cheng Yujin was silent. Li Seung-kyung and the Emperor's father-son relationship had always been fragile. After so many ups and downs, the Yang Family had fallen, and the father and son had turned against each other.
Any words were incomparably weak. Cheng Yujin silently hugged Li Seung-kyung. The two snuggled for a while. Li Seung-kyung carried Cheng Yujin and walked inside.
Cheng Yujin didn't struggle.
No one was impenetrable. No matter how strong Li Seung-kyung was, there would be times when he was weak.
At this moment, he must need comfort.
The Emperor had finally taken down Yang Fucheng and Empress Dowager Yang, these two mountains. In his twenty-five years on the throne, this was the first time he felt what an Emperor should be like.
He held great power and was about to show off his strength, but his head disease acted up from time to time and tied down a lot of the Emperor's energy.
Naturally, he didn't have time to put his grand ideas into practice.
The Emperor was very angry about his head disease, but the thing on his head, even the best imperial doctors couldn't do anything about it.
The Emperor had tried acupuncture, drinking medicine, and massaging, but the effect was limited. When the headache came, it couldn't be relieved at all. He could only rely on himself to get through it.
The Emperor gradually stopped believing in the imperial doctors and put his hopes on some Buddha's skills.
He wanted to be healthy, but he also wanted to live forever.
The Second Prince listened to the advice of his aides and introduced some strange people to the Emperor.
Among them, there was a Taoist priest who looked like an immortal. He was thin and lean, and his Taoist name was Chong Xu Sanren. He said that after saving a white deer in Mount Zhongnan, he was rewarded by the Deer God and was given immortality medicine. He went into the mountain to search for the white deer's traces. After finding nothing, he lived in seclusion in Mount Zhongnan for two hundred years. Now, he finally found the Tao.
Chong Xu Sanren looked like an immortal, and he did look like a secluded expert. He did look like he lived in seclusion.
The Emperor was immediately attracted by the other party's bizarre experience.
The Emperor asked Chong Xu Sanren for a long time and listened to his experience in cultivation. Soon, he was convinced and made Chong Xu Sanren an honored guest.
Since then, Chong Xu Sanren frequently went in and out of the palace and taught the Emperor the Tao to prolong his life.
No one knew what he gave the Emperor, but after the Emperor took it, he felt that his headache was greatly reduced, and even his body became lighter.
The Emperor was more convinced by Chong Xu Sanren because of this. He opened the Hall of Illustrious Persons in the northwest corner of the Forbidden City, and specially worshipped the immortals to seek the Tao.
The Hall of Illustrious Persons was filled with smoke, and the chanting of sutras was endless. The Emperor stayed in the Hall of Illustrious Persons every day, and he didn't want others to disturb him when he was cultivating.
Because Chong Xu Sanren was recommended by the Second Prince, and the Second Prince was very obedient to the Emperor, the Second Prince became one of the few people who could enter and leave the Hall of Illustrious Persons at will.
The Emperor went to cultivate, and the ministers were very upset. It might be true that Chong Xu Sanren saved the deer, but they didn't believe that he had lived for two hundred years.
But who asked the Emperor to believe him? Even if the ministers were anxious, they could only endure it.
The strictly guarded palace suddenly became foul because of the frequent visits of alchemists.
Li Seung-kyung didn't believe a word of those Taoist priests, but because of the Emperor, he couldn't say anything.
The Emperor had placed his hopes on the Buddha because he couldn't cure his headache for a long time and was disappointed in medical skills.
If Li Seung-kyung stopped the Emperor from cultivating, it would seem that he had ulterior motives.
Li Seung-kyung thought that he had been very patient, but those Taoist priests didn't think that plundering gold, silver, and jewelry was enough. They even slowly turned their attention to the power of the imperial court.
People were like that. It was impossible to be content with what one had. When one had wealth, one would want power.
Chong Xu Sanren knew that the Crown Prince had a very high prestige. Whether it was among the people or in the imperial court, he had a very deep reputation.
He didn't dare to go against the Crown Prince openly, and only said that he wanted to build a White Deer Terrace.
According to him, when Kua Fu created the world, the clear Qi went up, which was the sky, and the turbid Qi went down, which was the earth. Cultivating in the place closest to the sky could get twice the result with half the effort.
And Chong Xu Sanren's cultivation achievement was all because of the guidance of the white deer. Therefore, he wanted to build a White Deer Terrace that towered into the clouds. Maybe in this way, it could attract the Divine Deer back and give the Emperor the Elixir of Immortality again.
The Emperor was immediately persuaded and immediately ordered the construction of the White Deer Terrace.
Because Chong Xu Sanren had the final say on what the Divine Deer looked like and how to attract the Divine Deer back, it was all up to him to decide how to build the White Deer Terrace.
The people of the Six Ministries were already dissatisfied with such a big project suddenly. And this group of Taoist priests still criticized them. Today, they said something was wrong, and tomorrow, they would criticize that person for slacking off. They were very arrogant.
The officials of the Six Ministries were all elites who came from orthodox Jinshi backgrounds. Those who were able to stand here were the best of the best among the scholars.
As for the Daoist priest, he was a mediocre sorcerer. Usually, the Daoist priest did not even have the qualifications to meet them. Now, this group of ruffians and hooligans were stepping on their heads and criticizing them. How could the civil officials tolerate it?
People kept coming to Li Seung-kyung to complain. At first, Li Seung-kyung could bear it, but when he saw that the Emperor planned to use all the national resources to build the terrace, he finally couldn't bear it and told the Emperor that this was ridiculous.
Last year, there was a flood and a plague. At this time, they should be recuperating and reducing taxes. However, the Emperor wanted to build a useless White Deer Terrace. This was extremely ridiculous.
However, how could the Emperor listen to such words now? Especially when Chong Xu Sanren had unintentionally whispered to the Emperor several times these days, saying that the Crown Prince wanted to stop the White Deer Terrace because he didn't want the Emperor to ask for the Elixir of Immortality.
The Crown Prince's intention was very subtle.
The Emperor already had his suspicions. After hearing Li Seung-kyung's admonition, he was furious. He increasingly felt that Chong Xu Sanren's words were true. Li Seung-kyung really did have bad intentions.
The Emperor angrily rebuked Li Seung-kyung, stopped the Crown Prince's right to assist in politics, grounded him in the Eastern Palace, and handed over the administrative affairs to the Second Prince.
In addition, the Second Prince was filial and loyal. He was fully responsible for the construction of the White Deer Terrace.
Kunning Palace.
Empress Yang heard the palace maid's report and quickly came out to greet: "Jun 'er."
"Mother."
The Second Prince quickly walked forward and bowed to Empress Yang. He was stopped by Empress Yang: "Jun 'er, come in and talk."
After Empress Yang pulled the Second Prince into Kunning Palace, she immediately dismissed everyone, leaving the mother and son alone to talk.
Empress Yang asked: "Jun 'er, how is the Emperor these days?"
"Father Emperor took Chong Xu sanren's pill and felt that it was very beneficial to his body, so he was very happy.
Chong Xu sanren promised that after ten days, he would refine the pill again and refine the Longevity Pill for Father Emperor. "
"Longevity Pill?"
Empress Yang frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Can it really make one live forever?"
The Second Prince shook his head and said: "I don't know.
But after Father Emperor took it, he said that his head disease didn't act up as often as before. I think it really is useful. "
Empress Yang didn't really understand, but she felt that maybe she really met a living immortal.
Empress Yang thought for a while and whispered to the Second Prince: "Jun 'er, this sanren is really a deity. You can't offend him, but you also can't get too close. If the sanren wants to take you to cultivate, you absolutely can't agree, understand?"
These otherworldly experts all had strange tempers. Empress Yang was especially afraid that the other party would suddenly take the Second Prince to travel the world. If they lived in seclusion for another hundred or eighty years, Empress Yang would have nowhere to cry.
"I know."
The Second Prince nodded and said, "I definitely won't abandon Mother.
I just need to do the job that Father Emperor gave me. If I get too close to the Daoist priest, I'm afraid Father Emperor will be suspicious. "
Empress Yang suddenly thought of something and whispered: "Then what about the Crown Prince?"
Mother and son looked at each other, understanding each other's meaning.
Speaking of suspicions, the Emperor was most suspicious of the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was strong, and in these years, he was more and more suspected of overshadowing the Emperor. The seeds of the Emperor's suspicion had been buried for a long time. Recently, because of the Longevity Pill, it completely exploded.
Of course, a ruler would like a knife that was always successful. But if the knife was too sharp, it would even cut the owner's hand and then it would be broken.
If Li Seung-kyung wanted to blame someone, he could only blame himself for showing off too much.
After all, he was only a crown prince, a reserved ruler. How could he suppress the real one?
The Second Prince whispered back: "Because the Crown Prince repeatedly dissuaded Father Emperor, he completely angered Father Emperor.
These days, he has been grounded in the Eastern Palace. His right to participate in politics has also been removed, and full power has been transferred to I. "
When Empress Yang heard this, she took in a long breath. When Empress Dowager Yang and Yang Shoufu were here, they had tried their best to achieve their goal, but they still couldn't. Unexpectedly, they had achieved it just like that.
Empress Yang's heart couldn't help but tighten. She increasingly felt that riches and honor were found in danger. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Empress Yang hurriedly told her son: "It's not easy to obtain the power to assist in politics. You must guard it well.
Although the Emperor is angry now, he is still the heir that has been cultivated for many years. Maybe in a few days, your Father Emperor's anger will dissipate and he will still favor the Crown Prince.
If power can be given to you, then it can also be taken away. You must take advantage of this time to perform well and let the Emperor see your ability. "
"I understand."
After the Second Prince finished speaking, he suddenly showed some hesitation, "Mother, I won't hide it from you. These days, Chong Xu Sanren has faintly revealed that he is willing to support I as the Lord.
I can't make up my mind, and I don't dare to get too close to the Daoist priest, which will arouse Father Emperor's suspicion, so I haven't replied.
Chong Xu Sanren also said that if I agree to his proposal, he will spare no effort to speak for me in front of Father Emperor. He will also give me the credit of presenting the Longevity Pill.
After the matter is done, I will confer him the title of State Preceptor. "
Empress Yang was also in a difficult position. Empress Yang was actually not good at these circles, especially when it came to political matters. She didn't understand at all.
If Empress Dowager Yang or Yang Shoufu were here at this moment, it would be good.
Empress Dowager Yang and Yang Shoufu had risen and fallen in the vanity market for many years, so their political sense was extremely keen.
Empress Yang only listened to her father and aunt. For many years, she had enjoyed a comfortable life in the harem and had never worried about the matters of the imperial court.
In her opinion, the matters of the imperial court had nothing to do with her. This was something that her father and aunt should worry about.
Now that the umbrella was suddenly gone, Empress Yang was suddenly pushed to the front of the stage. She felt that everything was troublesome.
She couldn't even distinguish the names of those officials, so how could she understand the interests between the various parties?
Although the Second Prince was better than Empress Yang, he wasn't that much better.
The Second Prince was regarded as the hope of the whole family by Empress Dowager Yang and Yang Shoufu. He grew up under impenetrable protection.
In the past seventeen years, he only immersed himself in his studies and fulfilled his filial piety in front of the elders. The path to the position of crown prince was naturally arranged by Yang Shoufu.
This caused the Second Prince to live a life of luxury. Along the way, the golden light was smooth, but in fact, his temperament did not keep up.
Everything that he had today was not something that he had walked out of himself.
When there was no Yang Fucheng in front of him to protect him, the Second Prince had to face the old foxes in the Cabinet and the Minister of Justice alone. His childish temperament could be seen at a glance.
Just like now, when Chong Xu Sanren expressed goodwill to him, the Second Prince didn't know whether to accept it or not.
If Empress Dowager Yang and Yang Shoufu were here at this time, they would immediately be able to see Chong Xu Sanren's scheme behind the scenes.
But there were no ifs. The Second Prince couldn't make up his mind, so he had to come and ask Empress Yang.
However, Empress Yang also didn't have her own opinion. She thought for a long time and felt that since the Emperor trusted Chong Xu Sanren so much, there was no harm in having one more person put in a good word for the Second Prince. There was no need to stop him.
Empress Yang said, "Since he has the heart, there's no harm in you accepting it for the time being.
In any case, when you become the Emperor in the future, whether you confer the title of Imperial Tutor or not, isn't it just a matter of a word from you?
The Emperor is deeply troubled by his head disease. When the Longevity Pill is refined, he will definitely be very happy. If you are the one who offers it, all the credit will fall to you.
It will also remind the Emperor that his eldest son, who he has high hopes for, has wild ambitions. On the contrary, you, who have always been forgotten, are the truly filial person. "
After hearing this, the Second Prince understood. He stood up and cupped his hands, "Mother is right. I will remember this.
I will take my leave. Mother, take good care of your health.
We have plenty of time in the future. "
Empress Yang could not help but tear up when she heard this. She used her handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes and said, "You also have to be careful.
Even though Dou Xiyin has done something wrong, she is sincere to you after all. Now that she has been stripped of her title of Princess Consort, she can only stay in Prince Shou's Mansion without any status. She might have to suffer a lot of grievances.
After all, she is your cousin. When you go back, you should take care of her as much as you can. "
"I understand.
It's getting late. I have to leave the palace.
I will take my leave. "
During this period of time, other places in the capital were also not peaceful.
In the front hall of the Palace of Compassion and Celebration, the subordinates of the Eastern Palace were arguing fiercely.
One of the aides said, "Currently, His Majesty is close to treacherous officials and superstitious alchemists. He even listened to the words of despicable people and suspected Your Highness. This is really a disaster for our dynasty.
Your Highness, now that His Majesty has handed over your authority to Prince Shou, he has been going in and out of the Hall of Illustrious Persons all day long and has close contact with Void Pierce Stage experts.
Your Highness, you have to take precautions early. "
These words were undoubtedly the thoughts in everyone's mind. Everyone present agreed with him.
One of the aides stood up and cupped his fists at Li Seung-kyung. "Your Highness, I have a plan but I don't know if I should say it."
Li Seung-kyung nodded indifferently. "Just say it."
"In my opinion, preparedness leads to success and unpreparedness leads to failure.
Even though His Majesty has always been wise and magnanimous, he has been deceived by treacherous officials this time. It is hard to guarantee that he will be even more suspicious of Your Highness in the future.
Your Highness should make plans early to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. "
"What is your plan?"
"Your Highness's harem is currently empty. Why don't you take in a concubine and consolidate the power of the Eastern Palace?
Coincidentally, Great General Dong, the commander of the five military camps, has an only daughter who he treats like a pearl.
I heard that Young Lady Dong admires Your Highness very much. She was touched by Your Highness's deep affection for the Crown Princess and is willing to lower herself to be a concubine to serve Your Highness.
Your Highness, why don't you take Young Lady Dong as your concubine? In this way, the forces of the five military camps will all fall into Your Highness's hands.
Moreover, Young Lady Dong doesn't ask for a status. She envies Your Highness and the Crown Princess for being an immortal couple. She is willing to serve Your Highness and the Crown Princess as a concubine. I don't think it will make things difficult for the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess has always been a person who understands righteousness. She will certainly understand the intention behind this. Your Highness, why don't you consider it? "
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