Chapter 1843 - 1841: Taking a Master (Part 3)
Chapter 1843: Chapter 1841: Taking a Master (Part 3)
The Qie family has its own thoughts, likely long dissatisfied with relying on the Wen family. The selection of a concubine by the Crown Prince is Qie family’s opportunity, but it is uncertain whether Mr. Wen has noticed this.
Yu Jiao rolled her eyes, "For the sake of the Imperial Grandson, I think the Qie family girl will be eliminated."
Zhulan tapped her granddaughter on the nose, "Clever."
Yu Jiao’s eyes curved into a smile, "It’s easy to guess, but some are blinded by power and can’t see clearly."
Zhulan said quietly, "If the Wen family assists the Qie family, it will wear away the Emperor’s last leniency towards the Wen family."
Yu Jiao leaned against her grandmother, "Not worthy of sympathy."
The Wen family falls far short of the Ning family. Look at the days of the Ning family, the Emperor trusts them greatly.
Zhulan asked with a smile, "How is everything at the Academy recently?"
"Pretty good, there are some interesting little girls among the children in my class, I quite like them."
Zhulan said, "Recently, more officials’ daughters have applied to be teachers there, and no one has been selected yet. Tell me about it."
Yu Jiao, who teaches at the Academy and helps her sister-in-law part-time, responded, "Hmm."
In the Palace, the Emperor’s face was stern. Mr. Wen fell to his knees with a thud, his knees particularly painful. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he knelt so hard. Because of the pain, his mind was clear; in front of him stood the ruler, the Emperor who controlled the entire Zhang Chao.
Mr. Wen’s voice trembled, "Your majesty, this old minister was foolish."
The Emperor’s face grew even darker, his voice icy, "You are indeed foolish. The Crown Prince is heir; he is ruler, and you are his subject. How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Crown Prince’s household? Who gave you the courage?"
Mr. Wen said, "Your majesty, this old minister was foolish, this old minister was foolish."
Since the Empress’s passing, the Emperor had treated the Wen family generously, repositioning the grandchildren to favorable posts. He could clearly see the Emperor’s affection for his daughter, especially evident in the Emperor’s decision not to appoint a new Empress, which made Mr. Wen smug and less cautious.
The Emperor turned his back, "Heh, since you are foolish, return home and enjoy your twilight years to avoid speaking out of turn."
Mr. Wen felt a pang in his heart, "This old minister still has years left."
"Hmm?"
Mr. Wen was filled with regret, feeling he was not yet old and that he could still serve. But the Emperor was determined to have him retire, and with trembling voice, he said, "Old, this old minister is of advanced age, I respectfully request your majesty’s permission to retire and return home."
The Emperor’s voice remained deep, "Granted."
Mr. Wen collapsed onto the ground. For someone who valued power highly, losing power was more painful than death.
The Emperor did not want to see this old figure any longer; truly ungrateful. His anger persisted in his heart, "Heh, the Qie family."
He had his grandson first seek out a teacher to signal to the ministers that no one’s position could threaten his grandson’s standing. This round of selecting a concubine would not include girls from high-status families. The Qie family persuading the Wen family for help indicated their significant ambition, posing a threat to the grandson’s safety.
The Emperor grew increasingly furious in thought, "Good, good."
The Crown Prince thought to himself that his father had not been this angry in a long time, and he too was furious. Currently, he only had two children, one son and another still in the Crown Princess’s womb. His eldest son occupied his heart entirely; anyone scheming against his eldest son deserved to die.
The following day at the morning court, Mr. Wen publicly retired during the court session, leaving the ministers somewhat stupefied, as everyone knew how much old Wen valued power.
Only Mr. Qie huddled his neck; having already known the events of the previous day, he felt the Emperor’s glance and shrunk his neck further.
Zhou Shuren was not surprised; after hearing his wife mention the Qie family yesterday, he had predicted the outcome. Today, allowing the Wen family to retire publicly was the Emperor giving them their last dignity.
After the court session ended, Zhou Shuren had barely taken two steps before the Third Prince caught up, "Marquis Zhou, I will return to the Ministry of Revenue with you."
Zhou Shuren said, "It’s unexpected for Your Highness to personally fetch the Silver."
The Third Prince said, "I am relatively free lately."
The renovations of the Imperial Garden were nearing their end, so he didn’t need to oversee them, and he couldn’t get involved in the Ministry of Works, so running errands was rather nice.
Zhou Shuren suddenly asked, "When will the Third Prince’s Consort finish writing her story’s conclusion?"
The Third Prince coughed lightly, "I keep urging her to write the conclusion as well."
Zhou Shuren, "My wife is very fond of the Third Prince’s Consort’s stories and eagerly awaits the ending at home every day."
The Third Prince couldn’t help but laugh—a bit overwhelmed by how many people had been urging him for an ending lately. Before getting married, he knew his wife’s stories were popular, and after marriage, he had a firsthand feel. He later felt it was quite good, as the lively buzz of life was extraordinarily tangible.
The two continued their conversation as they walked, not noticing the Second Prince behind them.
The Second Prince felt deeply frustrated by the Imperial Grandson’s acceptance of a teacher. Previously, people he tried to rope in would at least be courteous, but now they directly avoided him!
The Second Prince watched his third brother’s genuine smile with fixed intensity. He felt somewhat bewildered; should he really give up?
Thinking of this, the Second Prince turned back to look at the Palace, his gaze fixed on the government hall. He stared for an unknown duration until all the ministers beside him had left, and only then did he withdraw his gaze!
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