tkworld Chapter 380 The Struggle for Succession
Chapter 380 The Struggle for Succession
Prince Guo was heartbroken. He held Zhu Shouchun in his arms and said, "It's not your fault, Chun'er. It's not your fault. It's the Empress Dowager. She killed our child and almost caused me to lose you too."
Zhu Shouchun was equally heartbroken.
She had no intention of having a child with Prince Guo, but since she was pregnant, the child was her own flesh and blood. She couldn't remain indifferent to the fact that it had been harmed and lost.
"Your Highness, please don't blame the Empress Dowager. Blame me instead. I am useless. I would rather die than be forgiven."
"How can you blame yourself? It's all the Empress Dowager's fault. If it weren't for her, our child wouldn't be gone. She tormented you like that, and you still defended her? Are you stupid?"
The new year begins in the thirteenth year of Yongxi. If she is not born prematurely, Shen Shixi's due date will be around April 15th.
As March 15th approached, Shen Shixi was in labor, so this year's birthday celebrations were cancelled, and even the court congratulations from ladies of the court and the nobility were waived.
On March 18th, Chaoyu brought over another peach sapling. The family of four, plus the two babies in her belly, planted this peach tree together—the twentieth peach tree.
Upon returning to the palace, Li Yuanke heard that Prince Guo and Zhu Shouchun were requesting an audience, but fearing that Shen Shixi would be too tired, he did not wish to see them.
"Let them in! See how the Princess Consort's injuries are healing?"
Li Defu then summoned Prince Xuan Guo and his wife to an audience.
Zhu Shouchun had become so thin he looked like a stick, unable to fill out his court robes. Shen Shixi was greatly surprised. "How did you become so thin? Are you still feeling unwell?"
Zhu Shouchun said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am fine. I can only take it slow and recover. Apart from being a little thin, the imperial physician said there is nothing seriously wrong."
Shen Shixi said, "That's good! I'm quite heavy-set and it's inconvenient for me to go out. I heard you were sick, so I should come and see you."
Zhu Shouchun said, "I have seen the people sent by Her Majesty the Empress. Without Her Majesty the Empress, I would not be where I am today. I am here today to see Your Majesty for two reasons: first, to thank Her Majesty in person, and second, to seek Your Majesty's guidance."
Shen Shixi knew what she meant and said, "You don't need to thank me. You have this talent; you'll figure things out sooner or later. As for asking for guidance, what are your thoughts?"
Zhu Shouchun looked at Li Yuanyin and said, "If Your Highness wants to cheer up and do something, I've been in the capital for too long and I'd like to go out and travel. If I could find a job, that would be the best thing."
Shen Shixi said, "To be honest, my mother is not well right now. She has her children and grandchildren to take care of her. At this time, even if we are short of people, I dare not assign you any work."
As for your wish to travel around, in my opinion, the most bustling place right now is Quanzhou. You can go there if you want to see something. In the future, Da Zhou also plans to develop in Mingzhou, Huating, and other places. Let's see the examples there first. If you are interested in doing things in the future, it will give you a direction.”
It means: If you want to leave the capital, go out on your own. If you want me to assign you tasks, I definitely won't, for fear of being impeached for being unfilial.
After thanking the Emperor and Empress, the two left the palace directly without going to Cining Palace to see the Empress Dowager. The next day, they left the capital without bidding farewell to the Empress Dowager.
This is an era where "while parents are alive, one should not travel far."
The Empress Dowager fell ill again, this time more severely. Since Shen Shixi could not attend to her, he sent Xu Miaoying and Yuan Zhaoyue to Cining Palace to attend to her.
Yuan Zhaoyue was a concubine, and Xu Miaoying was a beauty. Both of them were low-ranking concubines in the palace, and the emperor could not possibly summon them. They could not serve the emperor and gain merit, let alone rise in rank through their offspring. The only path they could take was to serve the emperor when he was ill.
This was an opportunity for the two to be promoted, and they were naturally overjoyed. They ran to Qian Yuan Palace to express their gratitude. Shen Shixi accepted their greetings and gave them some instructions, telling them to take good care of the sick.
The two of them naturally did their best.
Li Sihe is now a concubine. She and Shen Shixi entered the palace one after another. She was the first to serve the emperor and the first to give birth to a son, the third prince. She also came to ask for the opportunity to serve the emperor when he was ill.
The reason Shen Shixi did not arrange for the head of the palace to attend to the sick was because there were too many people. After attending to the sick, there would definitely be a reward. Who should be sent?
But it's different if you ask to go on your own initiative.
Shen Shixi agreed.
Bai Ping was quite angry. "Your Highness, what does she mean by this? Is a mere Consort not enough for her? Doesn't she even know who she relied on to get to where she is today? Could it be that she now wants to rely on the Empress Dowager and climb the social ladder?"
Li Sihe really thought so. Her father was originally just a clerk in Dunhuang County. After she gave birth to the third prince and was later promoted to the rank of Consort, her father rose through the ranks and is now the Prefect of Minzhou.
Some time ago, my mother sent a letter in, saying that someone from above had hinted that if she could advance further, her father could also be promoted. The person also said that the future looked promising.
Li Sihe knew that the Empress was not the kind of person who was petty or calculating. In other words, she never stopped the women in the harem from vying for the Emperor's favor, never took anyone's life, and never took the initiative to act.
The empress seemed to disdain this, which gave her an opportunity.
Yuan Zhaoyue and Xu Miaoying never expected that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear out of nowhere and try to steal their credit.
The current state of Li Yuanke's harem is quite bizarre. All the concubines are equally unfavored, or more accurately, equally discriminated against by the emperor. Since there are no favored concubines, their rank doesn't really matter much.
Now that there is no favoritism, there is absolute fairness, and everything is based on reason.
Xu Miaoying then asked, "Doesn't Consort Chong need to take care of the Third Prince? Why have you come to Cining Palace? Are you perhaps afraid that we will gain merit and want to steal the credit?"
Li Sihe laughed and said, "What are you saying? Is it wrong to be filial? You and I are both the Emperor's concubines. It is our duty to be filial to the Empress Dowager. Why distinguish between 'you' and 'me'?"
Yuan Zhaoyue said, "That may be true, but we were following the Empress's decree. Lady Li volunteered. Does Lady Li have some ideas?"
"I've heard that in the years since Consort Li entered the palace, your father's official career has flourished. Does this mean that Your Highness and the Third Prince feel they have hope?"
Li Sihe's heart skipped a beat, and she angrily said, "What nonsense are you spouting? Aren't you afraid I'll tell the Empress?"
Yuan Zhaoyue, a rather bold person, laughed upon hearing this, "If you're not afraid, what do I, a woman unworthy of bearing imperial offspring, have to fear?"
Xu Miaoying then said, "Empress Li, when you gave birth to the Third Prince, if it weren't for the Empress's help in bringing in Midwife Fan from Consort Jing's palace, you wouldn't be where you are today. You mustn't forget your roots!"
Li Sihe said, "No need for you two to worry. I have never forgotten the Empress's kindness, and I always remind the Third Prince that he must be loyal to the Crown Prince in the future and must never harbor any rebellious thoughts."
"Why the future?" Yuan Zhaoyue asked. "Shouldn't we be loyal to the Crown Prince now?"
Li Sihe cursed the two men in her heart, thinking they deserved to remain in such low ranks, but on the surface, she remained calm and composed. "Consort Yuan is right. I was wrong just now. The Third Prince must naturally be loyal to the Crown Prince!"
The princes currently residing in Xianfu Palace are still only the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince.
The fifth prince did not want to be separated from his mother. He still did not know that he was not born to Consort Shu. He was very close to Consort Shu. He did not want to move, and neither the emperor nor the empress had given any decree. Consort Shu also did not want to be separated from her son, so she did not move.
If the fifth prince didn't move, the other princes naturally wouldn't move either.
The third and fourth princes were already eight years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning). Royal children are generally quite mature, and as the three dined together, the second prince asked the third prince, "Does your mother want you to compete with the crown prince for the position of heir apparent?"