Chapter 259: Chapter 259
Wang Jin, Wang the Fourth, is certainly excellent.
Born into the Wang Family, his father is Prime Minister Wang. He has a handsome appearance, a refined demeanor, is exceptionally talented, and a great poet. Moreover, he is humble and gentle, with not a hint of arrogance.
In terms of age, Wang Jin is fifteen years old this year, one year younger than Princess Bao Hua, which is quite a match.
The Crown Prince is also glad to see Wang the Fourth become his brother-in-law. Today, he specially mentioned this as a reminder to Princess Bao Hua not to miss a good marriage. However, Princess Bao Hua remains tight-lipped like a clam, so he no longer presses the matter.
Princess Bao Hua returned to her sleeping quarters, burdened with heavy thoughts.
Jiang Wan Hua, Jiang Yuehua, and Fan Jaining greeted her with smiles. The three of them are Princesses’ reading companions and usually reside in Princess Bao Hua’s quarters. Spending day and night together, the bond between these young noble ladies is naturally deep.
Fan Jaining sensed Princess Bao Hua’s gloom and said with concern, "The Princess seems not to be in good spirits today."
Princess Bao Hua composed herself and said softly, "Father’s health is not improving, which worries me greatly."
A daughter worrying about her father’s illness is a very reasonable concern.
Fan Jaining did not inquire further, but instead comforted her along the same line, "The Emperor is the True Dragon Emperor, protected by heaven. With so many skilled physicians at the Imperial Hospital, they are sure to cure the Emperor’s illness."
Jiang Wan Hua and Jiang Yuehua chimed in in agreement.
In reality, "True Dragon Emperor" was merely a saying. The Emperor is also made of flesh and blood, unable to escape the cycles of life, illness, and death.
Princess Bao Hua let out a long sigh.
"By the way, is Nanyang County Princess truly intending to present new grain to the court?" Fan Jaining asked curiously.
Princess Bao Hua responded with "Hmph": "Prime Minister Wang believes Nanyang County Princess is lying. How could there be crops yielding tens of shi per mu? Not only was the memorial rejected, but Nanyang County Princess was scolded as well."
"Since Nanyang County Princess submitted a memorial, it shows she has grown new grain." Fan Jaining said in a low voice, "Even if it doesn’t yield tens of shi, it’s surely better than ordinary crops. Whatever the case, it’s a good thing. Why would Prime Minister Wang reject the memorial and reprimand her, causing Nanyang County Princess to feel bitterly disappointed?"
Even the simple-minded Fan Jaining has noticed something amiss.
Princess Bao Hua was silent for a moment before saying, "I don’t know the details myself."
Fan Jaining was about to ask further when Jiang Wan Hua coughed and changed the topic with a smile, "I recently obtained a piece of calligraphy from a famous artist, Fan sister loves calligraphy, why don’t we take a look?"
Jiang Yuehua jokingly protested, "Is it only for Fan sister, excluding me?"
They grew up in the palace and were especially close to Empress Dowager Zheng, unwilling to speak against her.
Fan Jaining’s attention was indeed diverted, "Let’s go together."
Princess Bao Hua perked up and joined them to appreciate the calligraphy.
The Crown Prince entered the study. The four young men present immediately set aside their current tasks and rose to greet him.
"Your Highness, how is the Emperor’s health?"
"Has there been any improvement today?"
The youths before him were companions and friends who had grown up with the Crown Prince. Now, they attend court with him, being the ones he trusts and relies on the most.
The Crown Prince did not conceal the truth, sighed and said, "Father’s health remains weak. There’s no sign of improvement. I must quickly familiarize myself with the affairs of the court to help bear his burden."
There are some things that cannot be spoken in front of Zheng Chen and Wang Jin, such as Father advising him to be respectful but not obedient to the Empress Dowager, to be wary of and to heavily rely on Prime Minister Wang.
Wang Jin gently comforted the Crown Prince.
Zheng Chen glanced at the youthful and handsome Crown Prince, ridiculing him in his heart.
Emperor Taikang’s distrust of the Zheng Family far exceeded his concern over Prime Minister Wang. Or rather, Emperor Taikang’s filial piety to the Empress Dowager was not as significant as his concern for imperial power.
After all, Prime Minister Wang is Da Liang’s Chancellor, and it is his duty to assist the Crown Prince in managing state affairs. Even a powerful minister remains a minister.
Empress Dowager Zheng, however, is the Empress Dowager of Da Liang, and interference in political affairs by the harem is a major taboo, involving the Zheng Family as an outsider. How could Emperor Taikang not be cautious?
Nevertheless, despite his caution, Emperor Taikang has less than half a year to live. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖•𝗇𝗲𝘁
In two years, the young Crown Prince will suddenly die.
The one to ascend the Dragon Throne will be the clumsy and clueless young child, the Second Prince Jiang Hao, who has been slow to respond since birth.
By then, the Empress Dowager Zheng, with the highest position and oldest generation in the harem, will hold the advantage of time, place, and people. The Zheng Family will also be the biggest winner.
All he needs to do is patiently wait.
"A memorial came from Zhaohai Palace." Li Boyuan broke the silence, asking, "Would Your Highness like to review the memorial now?"
The Crown Prince’s gaze fell on the pile of thick memorials, suddenly feeling a headache.
These are the most crucial of the mountain of memorials, making up about a fifth of the daily submissions. Even so, it is enough to keep the young Crown Prince busy.
Da Liang has vast territories, forty states, three hundred commanderies, over a thousand counties. Local circumstances vary, and governance is complex. Understanding the memorials is no easy task, let alone reviewing them.
"Bring it here!" The Crown Prince took a deep breath.
Li Boyuan responded and, relying on his height and strength, carried a stack of memorials to the desk.
The Crown Prince sat at the desk, focusing on the review. His companions stayed beside him. After reading a memorial, the Crown Prince handed it to Wang Jin.
Wang Jin read it thoroughly and then passed it to Zheng Chen.
Zheng Chen’s heart harbored another sneering thought.
Previously, the closest position to the Crown Prince was his. Now, Emperor Taikang relies on Prime Minister Wang, and the Crown Prince listens to him, leading to Wang Jin’s rise.
As for Li Boyuan, unwilling or unable to understand the memorials, quickly went to prepare ink.
The youngest, Princely Heir of Prince Gaoliang, yawned repeatedly at the sight of memorials. His eyes darted around before fetching some pastries, and personally brewed a pot of tea, diligently serving it to the Crown Prince, "Brother must be hungry and thirsty! Have some pastries and tea, take a break from the memorials."
The Crown Prince chuckled and indeed set aside the memorials, eating and drinking for a stick of incense’s time.
At this moment, the young men in the study were conversing and laughing harmoniously. Except for Zheng Chen, no one knew that in the coming years, they would become each other’s enemies and rivals, battling incessantly.
The Crown Prince opened a memorial, glanced at its content, and his brows suddenly furrowed, his expression not pleasant.
Zheng Chen discreetly cast a glance over.
The Crown Prince closed the memorial and said to his companions, "I’m going to Zhaohai Palace, no need for you to follow, go rest and return to your homes for the night."
The four young men agreed in unison.
Once his companions left, the Crown Prince quickly stood up, clutching the memorial, and went to Zhaohai Palace.
At the time, it was early evening, and Emperor Taikang, lacking energy, had been asleep since afternoon.
The Crown Prince could only wait patiently. Fortunately, he didn’t wait long before Emperor Taikang woke up: "What memorial do you have in your hand?"