Chapter 267 - The Emperor’s Demand

When Gu Shao reached the Palace of Xuanming, it happened that a few palace maids crowded round a gorgeous woman in green with accessories on her thick and beautiful hair and came out. Seeing that a eunuch led an old man dressed in an official uniform, a dark red robe with a high hat and uncommon imposing manner, the woman knew that he must be a high official at the imperial court. She turned the fan which covered her face and looked at him, as if lost in thought. Then she got into a small carriage under the stairs with the support of the maids and went away.

“Is that Beautiful Lady Nuan?” Gu Shao didn’t want to pry into the emperor’s concubines, but he met one by accident, so he inevitably caught a glimpse of the passing beauty. After the glimpse, he frowned involuntarily. “Perhaps there is only one woman with such a beautiful face which can cause the downfall of cities even in the imperial palace, so it must be her.”

At his age, although he couldn’t say that when he saw a great beauty, he would think it was like a stone and wouldn’t feel excited at all, his position made him alert instead of admiring as his first reaction at the sight of this beauty. After all, Beautiful Lady Nuan was extremely beautiful indeed and followed Empress Su. She was favored by the emperor, and how would it be a good thing for the crown prince?

However, Gu Shao reconsidered. “His Majesty has a good rest to recuperate all the time since the beginning of this year, and maybe Beautiful Lady Nuan often accompanies him, but he still supports the crown prince, so it can be seen that he is a wise emperor. This is just a woman, and I don’t need to care about her.”

At this thought, he was relieved.

After a moment, a eunuch came out and sent a message that Emperor Xianjia told Gu Shao to enter the palace. Perhaps the trouble that Grand Princess Daiguo had caused at the summer resort tired the emperor, and his recuperation for half a year cast to the winds. Although Emperor Xianjia was not lying on the bed, when he sat at the head of the table, it appeared that he tried his best to look good.

He feebly told Gu Shao not to bow and then asked with his pale face, “Is the first grandson of the Su Family disabled?”

“Your Majesty, yes.” Gu Shao was not surprised as Emperor Xianjia had known this thing. After all, the father was clear that the crown prince had the right to act as regent yet didn’t have the ability, so he kept his eyes on the young man.

This was the reason why Emperor Xianjia had recuperated for more than half a year till now but didn’t improve his health obviously. After all, he would never ignore everything and concentrate on recuperating. No matter how skilled the imperial doctors were, wouldn’t the result be influenced?

“Is Zhao Wu your follower?” Emperor Xianjia also knew that his health couldn’t sustain a long talk, so he didn’t say anything useless and asked straightforwardly, “Why is he so bold?”

Gu Shao was scared to hear that and replied in a hurry, “Your Majesty, please observe clearly. Zhao Wu has nothing to do with me. However, after he put Su Bofeng in prison, when he told somebody to the imperial capital to send the impeachment of Duke of Ji, he wanted to visit the crown prince, but the crown prince ignored him.”

Hearing that, Emperor Xianjia sighed. “So, the child from the Su Family is out of luck?”

“I think so.” Gu Shao pondered for a moment and then added, “After all, logically, even if Zhao Wu is narrow-minded, he doesn’t dare to hurt Su Bofeng.”

Even though Zhao Wu’s son caused Su Bofeng’s disability, it was Zhao Wu who allowed his son to humiliate Su Bofeng in the prison. Logically, since Zhao Wu did that, he must have told his son about the cross line and he was confident that his son would listen to him. Otherwise, even if he spoilt his son, he wouldn’t have let his son enter the prison.

After all, even if he didn’t think much of Prince of Zhao, why was he so confident that he didn’t take the empress’ legitimate grandnephew seriously? Emperor Xianjia was still alive, and Empress Su was his wife who controlled the imperial harem system. Even the crown prince respected his mother in name.

As a result, all people had thought that Su Bofeng would suffer from injustice at most, but he was disabled. They could only say that his fate was miserable, and he met somebody who was brainless on impulse and harmed his father.

“Duke of Ji deserved well of the country, and he and I supported each other in the early years.” After Emperor Xianjia said so few words, an unusual blush rose to his pale face, so he quickened. “His first grandson suffered so much, and I feel sad… As for this case, we need to uphold justice for the Su Family.”

Gu Shao had many thoughts in his brain. “Your Majesty, please make it clear.”

“I support the crown prince, yet I don’t want the Su Family to suffer a lot.” Emperor Xianjia gasped for breaths and continued powerlessly, “Please consider what you should do.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Gu Shao replied directly. However, after he said goodbye and left, he smiled bitterly. If the emperor supported the crown prince, he needed to be alert to the Su Family. He didn’t want the Su Family to suffer from injustice, but if that family got back at Zhao Wu this time easily, wouldn’t it make Prince of Zhao more powerful?

However, this job was difficult to do, while Gu Shao felt relieved. After all, Emperor Xianjia tried so hard to be partial to the crown prince, yet he didn’t forget to take care of the Su Family. Obviously, although this emperor was cruel to his half-siblings, he still cared about the meritorious statesmen.

The emperor specially summoned Gu Shao and advised him, which meant that he intentionally told Gu Shao, yet the emperor did that and showed his attitude. Gu Shao wouldn’t stop being on alert because of this, but he worried less that the emperor would kick him out after his services were no longer needed.

Nevertheless, after the crown prince heard this oral instruction, he felt that it was difficult to handle. “Father told us not to make the Su Family suffer, so we must punish Zhao Wu and his son according to their wish. It is fine if we just take actions against the father and son. However, if the Su Family doesn’t give up…”

What should they do if the Su Family made the fire burn others, especially the crown prince, with Zhao Wu and his son as the firelighter?

“Your Highness, although His Majesty tries to protect the Su Family, he cares about you most.” Gu Shao reminded, “Otherwise, why did he mention you before the Su Family? Moreover, His Majesty told me those words after he summoned me instead of telling somebody else to send the message. Can’t it show which side he supports?”

Emperor Xianjia was concerned about the Su Family indeed, yet his concern about that family wouldn’t be more than that about the Eastern Palace. At this thought, the crown prince rested assured and nodded. “After all people are brought to the imperial capital, please give me instructions then, Prime Minister Gu.”

This matter was settled in this way. Because of Emperor Xianjia’s words, the crown prince’s followers confirmed that Zhao Wu sincerely wanted to rely on the Eastern Palace’s protection to escape from this disaster, but they didn’t dare to accept him. In the final analysis, the crown prince’s biggest backup was the emperor. If he lost the emperor’s support after winning over a governor, he would be too stupid.

However, before Zhao Wu and the others were sent to the imperial capital under escort, many people in the capital whispered about and suspected that in order to fight for the throne, the Eastern Palace incited Zhao Wu and his son to harm the first grandson of the Su Family.

“The grandson of the Su Family is twelve or thirteen years old, and he still doesn’t have a brother. Perhaps the family can only expect him to inherit the title of nobility in the future.”

“He is a good boy as the first grandson and Master Shaoge’s legitimate nephew. Who knows if he will be another gifted scholar? Now not to mention becoming the number one scholar, he doesn’t need to consider being an official.”

“Duke of Ji is aged. It’s said that since he came back from Wuhuan last year, he was injured mentally and then quitted his job. He just concentrates on recuperating. It can be seen that the old general is in poor health. After he gets angry this time, who knows if he can stay alive?”

“If he can’t, after the Su Family loses this pillar, how would they fight against the Eastern Palace then? The empress is just a woman anyway, and no matter how learned Master Shaoge is, he is young and inexperienced.”

Hearing that, the crown prince looked terrible. “Su Shaoxin has been married for more than ten years, but he has only one son so far, Su Bofeng. It’s fine to say that he has few descendants. The second young master of this family Su Shaoge is endowed with civil and martial virtues, and he is always in good health. Because my younger female cousin observes mourning for her parent, he hasn’t got married yet. Who dares to say that he will have no son in the future? Duke of Ji is sad indeed because Su Bofeng is disabled, but how would something bad happen to him after there is something wrong with his grandson? The gossips on the street are ridiculous.”

“Your Highness, since you know that they are ridiculous, why do you bother about them?” Gu Shao stroked his beard and advised, “Moreover, these words can’t be from the Su Family.”

It was because “His Majesty just said that he would uphold justice for the Su Family, and then the family doesn’t need to make trouble now. They will take actions only after the members of the Zhao Family are sent to the capital. Now if they spread the rumors, it means that they force His Majesty to defend you. What profit can they get?”

The crown prince wasn’t as angry as before and asked with a frown, “It’s not the Su Family… Is it Aunt Daiguo?”

At the mention of this youngest paternal aunt, the crown prince couldn’t help but show his annoyance obviously, even though he had been raised as the heir to the throne since childhood and knew that it was a taboo for a leader to reveal his joy or anger on his face.

“Now the top priority of Prince of Zhao and Prince of Wei is to cope with you, Your Highness. Zhao Wu is not Grand Princess Daiguo’s follower. Even if he is, how can he be compared with the followers of Prince of Zhao? Grand Princess Daiguo would never offend the main force of the followers of Prince of Zhao, the Su Family, because of Zhao Wu.” Gu Shao heard that and shook his head. “It can’t be Grand Princess Daiguo.”

“Then who is it?” The crown prince noticed the depression in Gu Shao’s tone, so he was surprised in secret and had a bad feeling.

Gu Shao sighed. “I haven’t found it yet, but I fear that it is the Empress Dowager!”

“Grandma?” The crown prince turned pale. “Grandma said personally that we should hear this case. Has she changed her mind in just a few days?”

If these rumors were spread by the Empress Dowager behind the scenes, the trend would be clear. She would say that it was the Eastern Palace’s plan that Zhao Wu’s son caused Su Bofeng’s disability, and then she would demand another prince to be the heir to the throne because the crown prince was cruel and heartless.

Even though Emperor Xianjia was still partial to the crown prince for now, he would choose his son instead of his sister, like the Empress Dowager chose her daughter, not her grandson. However, what chance was there of anybody choosing his son over his mother?

Anyway, Emperor Xianjia had more than one son but only one mother.

It was just a choice according to his feelings. By reason, the crown prince was the heir to the throne since he was a child. In the past more than ten years, Emperor Xianjia had made great efforts to cultivate him and worried about him till now, while the crown prince even made his grandma give him up. Even though he was implicated by his biological mother Consort Cui, it meant that his ability and blessing were not enough.

How would Emperor Xianjia rest assured after leaving the country to him, a prince with no enough ability and blessing?

The crown prince finally realized why Gu Shao attached so much importance to the Empress Dowager’s attitude in the past. It was because once his grandma changed her mind, it would be more terrifying even than the threat from Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao.

She would directly influence the choice of Emperor Xianjia, the crown prince’s biggest backup.

Although the crown prince was scared, he calmed down and said in a deep voice, “Grandma wanted to be partial to the Su Family lately, but she is still hesitant. After all, I am her eldest grandson and she watched me grow up. If these rumors are really spread by her, I am afraid that something has happened in the Qingxi Hall these days and made her resolute.”

He admitted his mistake. “It’s my fault. Prime Minister Gu, you have reminded me many times to care about Grandma, yet I neglected it.”

The crown prince finally showed that Emperor Xianjia’s instructions for more than ten years weren’t in vain. After he pondered quickly, he decided, “Now I am going to send some people to inquire first if the rumors were from Grandma and if she plans to depose me. If not, it would be the best. If it is true, I will try to explain to her.”

If he couldn’t explain it clearly, or the Empress Dowager didn’t want to listen to his explanation…

The crown prince narrowed his eyes and didn’t say what he would do. He just ordered, “Anyway, just check the source of the rumors first.”

Gu Shao didn’t ask and bowed calmly. “Yes, Your Highness.”

After Gu Shao left, the crown prince gave a flick of his sleeve and got up. “Let’s go to the Xifu Palace.”