Good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. Wang Ren, the commander of the Southern Pacification Division, was beaten and bedridden for molesting the concubine of the Duke of Lu. This matter immediately spread in the capital and became the topic of conversation among the people of the capital.

When something goes wrong, it must be resolved. The prince wants to save face, and the queen has no choice but to “clean up” the prince’s mess again.

After seeing off the eunuch in charge of Kunning Palace, Aunt Xue returned to the front hall. Aunt Xue’s face was rosy today, and it was obvious that she was in a very good mood.

The table in the front hall was piled with silks and satins of various colors and patterns.

In the two open jewelry boxes, various jadeite, gold and jade jewelry are sparkling.

There were also two boxes on the ground, filled with sable and fox skins. The fur was shiny and fine, obviously top-quality goods.

Xue Baochai sat at the table, staring at the phoenix hairpin in her hand. It was the same hairpin that Li Hu had plucked from her hair yesterday.

Aunt Xue was slightly startled, then she walked forward and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Xue Baochai came back to her senses and held the phoenix hairpin in her palm. Then she stood up and helped Aunt Xue sit down, saying, “Wang Ren is the commander of the Southern Pacification Division, and your brother’s immediate superior. He will definitely not swallow this humiliation and will find a chance to take revenge on your brother.”

“He dares!” Aunt Xue stood up in shock.

Xue Baochai: “He even dared to harm the little opera singer prepared by Rongguo Mansion for the Empress. What else can he not dare to do? Besides, he is my brother’s superior. He has a legitimate reason to assign some dangerous tasks to my brother.”

Aunt Xue’s expression suddenly changed, and then she grasped Xue Baochai’s hand and said, “You must save your brother!”

Xue Baochai paused, forced a smile, and said, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll go back after I have breakfast with you. I’ll ask Miss Lin to help tell the Second Master to transfer my brother out of the Southern Pacification Office.”

Aunt Xue: “That’s good, that’s good, why don’t you just go and ask him?”

Xue Baochai smiled bitterly: “What qualifications do I have?”

Aunt Xue: “This, this has already been made clear. Even the Queen has sent a reward.”

Xue Baochai didn’t want to get entangled with Aunt Xue any longer, so she said directly, “If I go and ask Second Master for help directly, I won’t be able to live a peaceful life in the Li family in the future.”

Aunt Xue also reacted and opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.

At this moment, Xue Pan, wearing the uniform of a fifth-rank deputy commander, came in excitedly. He turned in front of Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai and asked with a smile, “Mother and sister, what do you think?”

Aunt Xue took a closer look and said with a smile, “Good. You look more energetic in this official uniform.”

Xue Pan chuckled: “I also think it looks much better than the general flag uniform, and is more comfortable. Oh, by the way, I won’t eat at home, I’ll go to Xia’s house.”

Aunt Xue smiled and nodded.

Xue Baochai looked at them with a complicated expression.

As they were talking, a woman from the Xue family hurried in and said to Xue Pan, “Master, Qi Guan’s servant is here and says that Qi Guan was captured by the soldiers of the Military Affairs Department.”

Before he finished speaking, Xue Pan ran out like the wind.

Aunt Xue sighed, “Why can’t this child change this bad habit?” She shook her head and picked up a phoenix hairpin from the jewelry box and looked at it, saying, “I thought the palace would reward you with an imperial decree, but I was so happy for nothing.”

Xue Baochai smiled bitterly. Imperial titles can only be bestowed on legitimate wives. Concubines are not eligible to receive them unless the emperor grants them favors. But Li Hu’s legitimate wife is Lin Daiyu, the only legitimate daughter of Lin Ruhai, the first-class earl and governor of Shandong and Henan. The marriage was granted by Emperor Yongchang, which meant that the succeeding emperor could not bestow her with an imperial title.

Side Hall of Yuqing Palace

The prince slammed the desk and said loudly, “It’s fine to reward that big fool of the Xue family, but why did you promote Kong Qingxiang to the third rank of the Southern Pacification Division? Is it to check and balance Wang Ren? Or do you not trust me?!”

Zhao Tong panicked and knelt down: “Prince! Prince! Be careful with your words. If this gets out…”

“So what?!” The prince’s eyes were red as he approached Zhao Tong. Zhao Tong shuddered, then made up his mind and said loudly: “Prince, all the Queen did was for you! That Wang Ren is a waste! He can’t bear the burden of the Southern Pacification Division. Kong Qingxiang is not only on good terms with Duke Lu, but he also comes from the Yansheng Mansion and has good abilities. He is the most suitable candidate!”

The prince was stunned, his chest rising and falling. After a long while, he evened out his breathing and said unwillingly, “It’s because he is Li Hu’s man.”

Zhao Tong smiled bitterly and said, “In the previous dynasty, they were all ministers of the crown prince. No one else’s people. Duke Lu is also loyal to the crown prince.”

“Loyal to me?”

The prince snorted, “Then why didn’t he help me that night?”

Zhao Tong sighed silently. It was indeed because of what happened that night. It was not that Li Hu did not speak for the prince, but that the people in the Zhanshi Mansion were not up to the task. If they were allowed to become the chief and deputy chief officials of the six ministries and nine ministers, who knows what chaos would happen to the court.

Thinking of this, he felt secretly happy in his heart. Fortunately, Dashun was not the Jurchen Tartars, and it was not decided by the emperor. If the prince had allowed the people of the Zhanshi Mansion to enter the six ministries and nine government offices that night, the consequences would be unimaginable!

At this moment, the clock in the corner rang.

Zhao Tong glanced at him and said, “Prince, it’s time to go to Wenhua Palace.”

After a few days of observation, it was determined that the emperor would not wake up in a short time, so the cabinet began to prepare for the crown prince to ascend the throne. In the past few days, the crown prince had to go to the Wenhua Hall to learn various etiquette norms.

The sedan chair stopped in front of Wenhua Hall.

The officials who had been waiting at the stone steps came forward and bowed to the prince.

The prince smiled and nodded, and was about to walk towards the palace door.

Zhao Tong suddenly grabbed the prince’s arm and stared blankly at the Concord Gate.

The prince was startled by his sudden action, and when he followed his gaze, he was also stunned.

It’s Li Hu!
At this time, all the officials, eunuchs and palace maids saw Li Hu walking towards Xiehe Gate.

Li Hu also saw the prince surrounded by the crowd and stopped.

From a distance, the two looked at each other, motionless.

Zhao Tong, all the officials, eunuchs and palace maids held their breath, and there was a deathly silence in front of the Wenhua Palace for a moment.

After a long time, the prince turned and entered the Wenhua Palace.

Officials, eunuchs and palace maids swarmed in.

Zhao Tong sighed and followed him in.

Looking at the palace door slowly closing, Li Hu snorted coldly and walked straight to the cabinet.

The news soon spread to Kunning Palace.

The queen closed her eyes. She understood that Li Hu and the prince could not go back.

Her fingers rubbed the beads vigorously one by one.

Wang Ren is such a loser, why doesn’t he just die? He’s still thinking about women at his funeral!

Thinking of this, she became more and more displeased with Xue Baochai. If it weren’t for her, Li Hu and Wang Ren wouldn’t have clashed, and the prince and Li Hu wouldn’t have come to this point. Beauty is a disaster! Fortunately, the throne will eventually fall to the crown prince, otherwise she wouldn’t know how to deal with Li Hu. Too strong, not a good thing! (End of this chapter)