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When Eunuch Qin heard Empress Dowager Zhuang’s words, he felt a jolt in his heart. He said, "Your Majesty, you couldn't possibly be thinking..."
The words "to delegate your power" surged to the tip of his tongue but remained unspoken.
Empress Dowager Zhuang knew what he wanted to say. She had actually given serious thought to this matter. Back when she held full control over the imperial court, it was unclear whether it was for her own protection, for the Zhuang Family, or for the stability of the nation. Of course, it could also be just for the little bit of money in the treasury.
After all, an Empress Dowager with real power was much more profitable than one without it.
But now——
It seemed she no longer needed to protect herself, nor did she have to safeguard the Zhuang Family. As for the nation's stability and the little profits...
Well.
It was hard to part with money.
There was nothing she could do about it! She had many children to support!
Eunuch Qin didn't realize that Empress Dowager's thoughts had already gone astray. He sighed and said, "Alas, Your Majesty had already warned the Zhuang Family earlier, but their ambitions grew too large and uncontrollable."
If Imperial Consort Zhuang was the only one to plant such inappropriate ideas in Ning Wang’s head, how could it have led him to stray so far from the right path? It was likely that Grand Preceptor Zhuang also played a significant role in this matter.
Now, they had sent this child's future straight to the executioner's block.
"How is His Majesty going to deal with Ning Wang?" Empress Dowager Zhuang asked.
Eunuch Qin replied, "This servant heard that he will be stripped of his status as an imperial prince, be demoted to a commoner, and banished from the capital... exiled to a harsh, cold land."
This punishment was already heavy-handed for the Emperor's most beloved eldest son. The Emperor must have made this decision while enduring a tormenting pain, akin to tearing out his own heart.
He didn't inquire about Empress Dowager Zhuang's opinion.
It wasn't that he didn't respect Empress Dowager Zhuang. Rather, it was precisely because he respected her too much that he didn't want her to also suffer the pain of punishing Ning Wang.
Once the imperial decree was issued, the father and son bond would be severed, and they would never see each other again in this lifetime.
It was almost no different from an elderly person sending off the younger one first.
Let him bear the burden of everything, and in the countless midnights to come, where he would regret the heartless decision he made in the past while yearning for his son, it would be his own anguish alone
"Ning Wang... Did he not try to defend himself?" Empress Dowager Zhuang asked.
"He did, but it’s a feeble defense." Eunuch Qin sighed.
In his view, Ning Wang's defense wasn’t much different from Imperial Consort Zhuang's angry words. It had only provoked the Emperor without addressing the core issue. The only real way to absolve himself was to place the blame squarely on the Crown Princess.
Ning Wang could have claimed that she had seduced him, and that be it Xiao Heng or Wen Yang’s incident, it was all her idea; he had simply been ensnared by her. When necessary, Ning Wang could even claim that he had been drugged by her.
Regardless of the truth, they were real brothers, and the Crown Princess remained an outsider. The Emperor would likely be lenient with Ning Wang.
But Ning Wang...
Alas, never mind, he was a real man, alright.
News of the Emperor's decision to depose Ning Wang quickly reached the East Palace.
The Crown Princess had been confined to her room for the past two days, and Empress Xiao hadn't come to interrogate her or pass judgment. However, the more this continued, the more uneasy she felt.
Moreover, hearing that Ning Wang was to be deposed made her even more anxious.
Ning Wang was the Emperor's own son, and if this was happening to him, what fate awaited her?
Though she wasn't the mastermind, the Emperor would undoubtedly hold her accountable for the discord between the brothers due to her relationship with Ning Wang.
She opened the door to her room but was stopped by the palace maids stationed at the entrance.
She pleaded, "Please, let me see the Crown Prince!"
One of the palace maids, with an expressionless face, replied, "Her Majesty the Empress has ordered that the Crown Princess cannot leave."
……
Gu Jiao hadn't been in the imperial palace for the past two days. She was unaware that the entire palace had been in turmoil. There had been a brawl at a gambling den in the capital, injuring dozens and leaving eight seriously wounded, all of whom were brought to Miraculous Hands Hall.
Gu Jiao, along with Physician Song and others, had been busy with their work and had just finished suturing all the wounds by evening.
She remembered that Princess Xinyang should have used up her medicine, so she had to make a trip to Zhuque Street.
Little Jing Kong was playing in her small courtyard when he heard about Gu Jiao's trip. He innocently asked, his small hands behind his back, "JiaoJiao, can I come too? I want to go find Long Yi."
He had made a new friend named Long Yi.
Gu Jiao had no objections.
As long as Little Jing Kong was with Long Yi, he wouldn't pester her, which was perfect.
Gu Jiao took Little Jing Kong to Zhuque Street, with Little San driving the carriage.
"Long Yi!"
As soon as Little Jing Kong jumped out of the carriage, he couldn't wait to find Long Yi in the yard.
Gu Jiao went to check on Princess Xinyang. The weather was nice today, and Princess Xinyang was sitting by the window, where she was able to see the yard clearly, including the little bean with a buzz cut.
The little bean also saw her and stopped, politely greeting her, "Princess Xinyang."
Princess Xinyang nodded slightly.
The little bean didn't move, as if waiting for something.
Princess Xinyang looked at him in confusion.
The little bean, with his hands behind his back, tilted his little head and looked at Princess Xinyang earnestly, saying, "You haven't greeted me yet."
Princess Xinyang was stupefied. She then said, "Jing Kong."
Little Jing Kong happily swayed his little head and went to find Long Yi.
Long Yi didn't make Little Jing Kong wait too long. He jumped down from the roof.
The two of them went to frolic in Princess Xinyang's garden.
Princess Xinyang: "..."
The two of them had caused trouble together last time, and this time, they were quite experienced. Gu Jiao didn't know they were repeat offenders, thinking it was their first time.
Such behavior had to be stopped the first time it occurred.
Gu Jiao said to Little Jing Kong through the window sill, "Jing Kong, you can't damage other people's flowers."
Little Jing Kong was an obedient and well-behaved little boy in front of JiaoJiao. If JiaoJiao said something, he would never make her uncomfortable.
Little Jing Kong immediately stopped what he was doing and said, "Okay, JiaoJiao!"
Other people's troublemaker had been restrained. Princess Xinyang felt that her own troublemaker also needed to be restrained, or else it would make her lose face.
Princess Xinyang said to Long Yi, "You too, don't pick any more flowers."
Long Yi did stop picking the flowers.
He just uprooted them directly!
Princess Xinyang: "..."
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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