met free Chapter 256 Defense
Chapter 256 Defense
A trace of solemnity flashed in the emperor's eyes. He glanced at the unaware Concubine Shu and spoke slowly.
"Hongzhan, when the Emperor is free, he will definitely accompany you to visit the Emperor's grandmother."
"But now the Emperor has something to tell your mother. Can you go and look after your younger brothers and sisters?"
"I will listen to your Majesty and go find my brothers and sisters right away."
Hongzhan had already celebrated his birthday. The five-year-old (in lunar years) realized that the emperor father did have something to say to his mother, so he obediently left the main hall.
Seeing Su Peisheng guarding the door, he walked up to greet him with a smile.
"Eunuch Su, the weather is getting colder. I made some chicken soup in the kitchen today. Please have some later."
"Thank you Sixth Prince for your concern."
Su Peisheng replied gratefully.
Princes born into the royal family are usually precocious and often look down on these castrated slaves.
Only the Sixth Prince greeted him politely every time they met.
When Su Peisheng heard the little guy's childish words, he couldn't help but smile.
He couldn't help but whisper, "Sixth Prince, where are you going? I'll take you there."
"Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Su. I would like to..."
As Hongzhan walked away, his voice gradually weakened.
The emperor nodded secretly in his heart. Hongzhan was more considerate of the palace maids than the previous incompetent princes. This was all the result of Concubine Shu's words and deeds.
"Rong'er, news came from outside the palace that your father, An Bihuai, passed away this morning due to illness."
"Your Majesty, how could this happen? I just received a letter from my mother a few days ago, saying that my father is recuperating at the farm and is doing well."
An Lingrong looked at the emperor with tears in her eyes, as if she could not accept the bad news.
In fact, not long after An Bihuai's death, An Lingrong learned the news from her mother Lin's hint.
The emperor may have initially kept the matter a secret from his family in order to avoid the father's death affecting the twins.
But later, until the twins were one year old, the emperor never mentioned this matter.
As a woman, Lin did not dare to urge the emperor to tell her daughter the news, so everyone could only pretend that they knew nothing.
The emperor coughed dryly. He was busy with his affairs and indeed had not thought about An Bihuai.
The damned slave Su Peisheng didn’t even bother to remind me.
Su Peisheng: The master is busy flirting with Concubine Wan, how dare he speak?
Later, as more things happened, Su Peisheng no longer thought about this matter.
"Rong'er, I'm sorry."
The emperor held the person in his arms with heartache and whispered comfort to him.
"I know the deep love between you two father and daughter, so I will allow you to close your door to visitors for a month to observe mourning for the deceased."
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your grace."
An Lingrong stood up and knelt down respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask for a favor."
"Rong'er, what do you want? Tell me."
The emperor did not agree immediately, leaving himself room for negotiation.
"Your Majesty, my father has passed away, and my younger brother is the only male heir in the family who can support the household. However, my younger brother is young, and my mother, who has worked hard for many years, is not in good health."
"I would like to ask the Emperor to allow me to send someone back to assist my mother in handling my father's affairs..."
The grief-stricken An Lingrong was choked with sobs and unable to continue speaking.
The emperor understood what she meant without her having to finish.
"Rong'er, I promised you. You get up first."
"I will ask Su Peisheng to select a few eunuchs to go out of the palace to help. You can choose someone you trust to accompany you."
The emperor suddenly remembered that An Bihuai's coffin was still on the farm, and he made sure to let Xia Qie pass the message to Madam An as soon as possible.
The kind-hearted Concubine Shu is unaware of the Empress Dowager and Concubine Lan's sinister intentions, but the Emperor, who had once been abandoned by the Empress Dowager in exchange for status, knows it very well.
He was afraid of frightening the weak Concubine Shu, so he could not tell her directly that the Queen Mother had taken a liking to Hongzhan and wanted to adopt him to Concubine Lan.
They could only use the sudden memory of An Bihuai's death to temporarily trap people in Yonghe Palace.
Even if his children cannot be embraced by their mother, he cannot let them follow his old path.
The emperor had had enough of the hardship of being adopted.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will make arrangements later."
An Lingrong, grateful for her kindness, suddenly had an idea and came up with an idea about who to send out of the palace.
"Rong'er, Hongzhan and the others will stay in Yonghe Palace with you. I will speak to the Empress Dowager."
Looking at the emperor who was patiently instructing Hongzhan in the yard, An Lingrong knew in her heart that he was unwilling to give the child to someone else, especially to a concubine of the empress dowager's lineage.
But the emperor's defenses seemed insufficient, and she wanted to add fuel to the fire.
"Bao Que, go call Xiao Linzi over."
An Lingrong decided to let these two steady people leave the palace to assist in An Bihuai's funeral, and by the way, secretly spread a piece of news.
It was already late when the emperor left Yonghe Palace. He was startled by the sudden shrill cry.
"Su Peisheng, why is there such a loud noise in Jingren Palace?"
"Your Majesty, Concubine Li was deeply traumatized by the loss of the dragon fetus. I heard from the palace guards that every night, Concubine Li would mutter about her deceased eldest prince in the courtyard."
The emperor, with an angry face, stopped in his tracks when he heard the word "eldest prince".
"Su Peisheng, go to the Construction Department tomorrow and tell them to renovate...Yongshou Palace."
There were three children living in Yonghe Palace, and the emperor was worried that they would be frightened.
Su Peisheng agreed with a smile. Yongshou Palace was just behind the Yangxin Palace. I'm sure Concubine Shu and the young masters would be satisfied.
The emperor went to Shoukang Palace and then hurried back to Yangxin Palace, asking Xia Qi to get things done as soon as possible.
Then he remembered something.
"Su Peisheng, where is the person my master asked you to send to Shoukang Palace?"
"Your Majesty, the people I sent to clean the palace are unable to obtain reliable information at the moment."
"I am incompetent, please punish me, Your Majesty."
Su Peisheng quickly apologized.
"You...you can go get five boards yourself."
It is really chilling that the Empress Dowager is targeting Hongzhan and ignores Longyue.
But the emperor at this time had not yet realized that something even more heartbreaking was waiting for him.