The Humble Family's Daughter Has A Spatial Pocket! novel Chapter 1006

Chapter 1006: Chapter 844, Gather Up

Empress Dowager, using illness as an excuse, often summoned Imperial Consorts, Princes, and Princesses to Cining Palace to talk, among whom the most summoned were those Princes who served at the imperial court.

Inside Qianqing Palace, it was heard that the Crown Prince and others had gone to Cining Palace again. The Emperor merely responded with a faint "Hmm," while Xiao Yeyang, who had come to report, silently lowered his head.

After the death of the Princely Heir and Jiang Jinghui, did the Empress Dowager and Duke Cheng’en know that the Jiang Family was no longer able to train another obedient and understanding young Prince, and had turned their gaze onto the adult Princes instead?

The Jiang Family still had plenty of resources in their hands, but it was uncertain whether the Crown Prince and others could withstand the test.

After finishing his report, Xiao Yeyang left the palace. Just as he was approaching the palace gate, he unexpectedly met the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince took the initiative to greet him, "I’m also leaving the palace, shall we go together?"

Xiao Yeyang glanced at the Fourth Prince, nodded in agreement, and as they walked towards the palace gate, casually asked, "I heard you went to Cining Palace with the Crown Prince and others to see the Empress Dowager, how come you left so quickly?"

The Fourth Prince looked at Xiao Yeyang, knowing he had just come from Qianqing Palace, thought to himself, surely Father has noticed their visits to Cining Palace, and replied with a light smile, "The Empress Dowager has never favored me. Every time I visit Cining Palace, I leave as soon as I have paid my respects."

Xiao Yeyang nodded and did not ask further.

The Fourth Prince hesitated briefly, then ventured, "You went to the palace; why didn’t you visit the Empress Dowager?"

Xiao Yeyang raised an eyebrow at the Fourth Prince and laughed, "The whole of Beijing knows the Empress Dowager’s attitude toward me, why would I bother asking for trouble?"

He paused, then laughed meaningfully.

"Besides, since the Empress Dowager is ill, I think it’s better for us to disturb her less as she recuperates."

Hearing this, the Fourth Prince was struck by a thought, saw Xiao Yeyang quicken his pace, seemingly unwilling to speak further, and smiled while changing the subject, "The pastries my sister-in-law sent were much to Daohua’s liking, send my thanks to her when you return."

Xiao Yeyang replied, "It’s just a few pastries, no need for thanks."

The last time they visited Four Seasons Manor, the Fourth Prince and his family were also at a manor in Tangyu Mountain. Daohua had invited them over to the manor, and when they left, gave Daohua plenty of treats to take along.

As they spoke, the two had already exited the palace gate. Xiao Yeyang deftly bid farewell to the Fourth Prince, and then mounted his horse and rode away.

Watching Xiao Yeyang’s retreating figure, the Fourth Prince carefully reflected on the words he had just said, and immediately decided to refrain from joining the Crown Prince and others in visiting Cining Palace in the future.

Although the inquiry into the Lantern Festival fire had concluded that it was caused by a palace servant’s error, he intuitively felt that there was more to it.

He was also vaguely disturbed by the increasingly delicate relationship between the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the Jiang Family.

The Emperor secretly paying attention to their visits to the Empress Dowager showed his concern.

Perhaps... this was a moment to pick sides.

To stand with Father, or with the Jiang Family—he naturally chose the former, even though he had hearing difficulties, lacked a chance at the throne, being valued was still better than being marginalized.

Not long after the Fourth Prince left the palace, the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince also left one after another.

A Prince who does not wish to be Emperor is not a good Prince. Among the adult Princes serving as officials, probably only the Fourth Prince, who suffered from hearing difficulties, did not aspire to the throne.

The Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince also longed for the Empress Dowager’s favor to gain the Jiang Family’s support and thus increase their chances to ascend to the throne, but, the Crown Prince’s father-in-law, and the Fifth Prince’s maternal grandfather had advised both of them, warning them not to become too close with the Jiang Family or the Empress Dowager.

Both felt that the Emperor was perhaps intentionally suppressing the Jiang Family and therefore retracted their ambitions.

...

Pingxi Hall.