296 Stay away from Lóng Wei
Mingquan was reading a scroll when his personal attendant, Eunuch Qi Yili, came inside and bowed. “Your Highness, your mother is here. She is waiting for His Highness in the private chamber,” he informed Mingquan. He put the scroll on the table before him and rose to his feet.
Mingquan greeted his mother, who asked her to take a seat. He sat in front of her on the broad mahogany chair and asked his mother why she suddenly paid him a visit.
“Are you helping Prince Lóng Wei?” Ruoxi asked him.
“What does Mother mean by this?” Mingquan was slightly confused to hear such words from her mother.
“I have seen Prince Mingquan taking the side of Prince Lóng Wei. I didn’t say anything to him when he decided to follow Prince Lóng Wei and his wife to Xinshui. However, for the past few days, I realized that I must tell my son to stay away from Prince Lóng Wei,” Ruoxi told her son.
“Mother, why should I stay away from Brother Lóng Wei?” Mingquan was unable to understand her point.
“Because the Queen, and the Noble Consort, do not like it. You cannot fall down in their eyes,” Ruoxi stated.
“Mother, the Crown Prince also supports Brother Lóng Wei. Does Her Majesty not get angry then? About the Second Mother, I have no words to say. She has always been odd to all of us except her son and the Crown Prince.” Mingquan told her mother that he would not stay away from Lóng Wei.
“Prince Lóng Wei uses people, Prince Mingquan. He will use you too and then throw you away,” Ruoxi worriedly said.
.....
“Who told this to Mother that Brother Lóng Wei uses people?” Mingquan questioned her. “If Mother has to say this to me, then she should leave. I do not want to hear anything related to Brother Lóng Wei.” He stood up to leave when Rouxi stopped him.
“What has happened to you? You never did it earlier. Suddenly, you are supporting Lóng Wei. You were punished for the first time because of Prince Lóng Wei. I still stayed quiet.” Ruoxi rose to her feet too, and her voice was full of rage.
“Mother,” Mingquan approached her and held her both hands. “Whatever the Royal Mother and the Second Mother ttellyou, do not believe it. Brother Lóng Wei’s ways are indeed sometimes violent, but he is not harmful to us. Do not see him as the person who once killed his mother. He might have his reasons for doing it, and we don’t know about it. You and I both know how he spent his childhood and teenage days.”
Mingquan made her mother understand in his gentle voice. He was more dubious of the Noble Consort Xiuying than the Queen. She was closer to his mother and might have filled her ears.
“What could be the reason? Concubine Jun only wanted him to be on the right path, and he never listened to her. He was a disobedient son. If my son loves me, then he will stay away from Prince Lóng Wei,” Ruoxi commented. She wasn’t ready to understand what Mingquan said to her.
Mingquan lowered his hands. “I cannot do that. I want us brothers to come close to each other and live in peace. I don’t want this royal family to end up like the time when our father had to acquire the throne. Bloodshed happened among brothers solely for the throne,” he said with a dejected tone.
He must not be saying such words against his father, but he used to think that his father should not have killed his brothers merely for the throne. He didn’t want any bloodshed to happen among any of his brothers.
“Mingquan, that was supposed to happen. Also, don’t say such a thing in front of others. That was all in the past. His Majesty was the legal heir to the throne, but his younger brothers were plotting against him, so he had to do that,” Ruoxi advised him and told him not to ever speak about the past.
“I only want to say that I do not want bloodshed to happen among us brothers,” Mingquan affirmed. “Indeed, the Royal Father had no option left at that time,” he agreed with his mother’s previous words.
“Now, Prince Lóng Wei has become Governor. He will abuse his power and may try to dominate over the princes.” Ruoxi’s words reminded her of Noble Consort Xiuying. Because Lóng Wei spoke up against her, that’s why Xiuying filled the ears of his mother.
“Mother, I have some work left. I will talk to you later,” Mingquan ended the conversation. Ruoxi nodded and asked Mingquan to take care of herself. She left while Mingquan wondered what kind of conspiracy Xiuying was brewing in her head against Lóng Wei.
Eunuch Qi Yili came in and asked Mingquan if he should clean the desk in the study room.
“Yes,” Mingquan said, allowing him to do so.”Eunuch Yili, I am going out to meet Xu Zifan. I will come in the evening. You can take a rest by then,” he stated.
“Shall I arrange the carriage for His Highness?” Qi Yili inquired.
“No need. I will go on a horse,” Mingquan said, and left the chamber.
Soon, he arrived at the residence that was given to Xu Zifan. The guards bowed their heads as he walked into the residence. Hardly anyone could be seen in the residence, and it made him wonder if the servants were resting too at this hour.
“Who are you, gentleman?” A middle-aged man asked, and Mingquan turned his left to see.
“I am Qiu Mingquan.”
The middle-aged man apologized for his behavior and immediately bowed to him. “Forgive me, I didn’t recognize the Prince. I never saw the Prince before and failed to recognize him. I am Zhi Ma, the servant of this residence.”
Mingquan smiled and asked him if he could meet Xu Zifan.
“Yes, Your Highness. Please come with me,” Zhi Ma took Mingquan inside with him to a guest room and asked him to wait for a few minutes.
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