Chapter 218: Unable to recognize the turmoil and undercurrent
The queen became very angry when she saw these things. She usually hated the prince's playthings, so there were no playthings in the prince's womb.
At this time, all the people serving the prince knelt down, their hearts pounding.
The queen strictly controlled the prince, and she was never lenient to the servants who served him.
"Where did you get this thing?!" The queen's voice was cold, as if the person in front of her was not her biological son, but a criminal and thief.
The prince lowered his head, not daring to look at the queen, and said calmly: "I picked it up when I was wandering in the imperial garden."
He didn't tell the truth, but the queen didn't doubt it.
Because the Royal Garden is adjacent to the Royal Beast Garden, where many ferocious beasts are raised and fed with live animals on weekdays, this rabbit must have come from there.
"How long has it been since you picked it up?" The queen continued to ask, "Who here knows about it?"
"It's only half a month." The prince said quickly, "My sons and ministers have hidden it secretly, and they don't even know."
"Empress, the servants really don't know. If they knew, they wouldn't let the prince stay at all." The eunuchs and maids kowtowed in fear.
"I don't think you have the guts to protect this beast." The queen snorted coldly.
"Mother, I beg you," the prince begged cautiously, "I didn't get bored playing with the thing. After I picked it up, I just played with it quietly for a while before going to bed every night.
I work even harder during the day. Didn’t Xu Shaobao tell you just now? I have been working very hard these days. This is indeed true."
Just as I was talking about this, someone came in and told the Concubine Xian that she had something to come to see the Queen.
The queen then breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Please invite her in."
The queen did not avoid Concubine Xian, so when Concubine Xian came in and looked at the scene, she knew what was going on.
So he laughed and said, "I have something urgent to report to the Queen. I don't want to disturb you and the Crown Prince. Damn it."
"You can tell me what's going on. There's no rush here anyway," the queen said.
"The eldest prince sent people from Yuezhou to the capital with a lot of things. I would like to ask you for instructions on where to put all these things? What other gifts will be given in return?" said Concubine Xian.
"It's rare that he has such filial piety, so let's put it all in Haide Palace for now." The Queen said, "I went back to the Emperor by the way to see what the Emperor has to say.
As for the return gift, they will keep it for a few days before going back, so they are not busy for the time being."
The eldest prince was the son of a deposed queen. Because he was born with a disability and was weak, Queen Yao didn't take much precautions against him.
What's more, he was sent to the fiefdom early, far away from the capital, and thus far away from right and wrong.
"Well, I will go back and deal with this matter first." Concubine Xian agreed and left.
But the queen stopped her and said: "I am here to teach the prince a lesson, you might as well listen. He hid a rabbit in his room, but he still told me that he did not play with it to lose his ambition."
"Your Majesty, please let me tell you something that I don't know." Concubine Xian looked at the expressions of the other three people and said, "Rather than taking this rabbit away, it would be better to use it to encourage Your Highness to make progress."
Concubine Xian's words made the queen soften her expression slightly and asked, "Leave this here? Wouldn't that distract him?"
"The prince is not a person who doesn't know how to control himself," Concubine Xian said with a smile, "I heard a few days ago that the prince is very motivated now, and both Shaobao and Taifu praised him.
Besides, it’s just a little rabbit, how can it confuse your mind?”
As the Concubine Xian spoke, she leaned closer and whispered into the Queen's ear: "The prince is just interested in this little thing now, which is a hundred times better than being seduced by the charming palace maid.
Now that he is slightly restrained by this, he will not look for other pleasures."
The queen thought for a while and said to the prince: "Since there is a virtuous concubine interceding for you, I won't take it away.
But to say it well, you must make progress seriously and not be lazy.
If I find out that you are slacking off, I will beat this beast to death in front of you."
The prince was overjoyed when he heard this and said quickly: "Thank you, Queen Mother! Thank you, Concubine Xian! I understand."
The queen then told the people in front of the prince: "You all have an eye on it. The prince plays with it every day with a stick of incense."
The people below quickly agreed.
The queen then stood up and said, "It's time to go back after a long time here. Chong'er, for lunch today, you can go to the queen's palace."
Then he came out with Concubine Xian.
After the queen left, the prince jumped three feet high.
He took the little rabbit out of the cage, held it in his hand, and said: "Little rabbit, now you can see the light! I was worried that I would always hide you under the cabinet. Over time, you would become blind.
!"
Then he said: "I will accompany you to bask in the sun. You ate up the water chestnut cake I gave you yesterday. It turns out you actually like to eat this.
I'll ask them to feed you half a piece later, so you have to be good!"
The eunuch and maid next to him saw that he loved this rabbit so much, and they couldn't help but pity the prince.
He was at the age where he loved to play and had fun, but the queen never allowed him to play. She must make him study hard and learn the art of the emperor.
Even an adult can't bear the life of an ascetic like this. He wants to indulge occasionally, let alone a boy of thirteen or fourteen.
When the queen went back, she couldn't help but regret it, and asked Liang Jing: "Do you think I was a bit of a woman just now? What if he can't control it?"
"I think it should be fine," Liang Jing said. "The prince already understands everything he needs to know, and there are people supervising him, so nothing will happen that would make the empress worried."
"Let's wait and see!" the queen sighed, "I really don't know the kindness of my parents if I don't raise a son. For him, I don't know how much effort I have spent."
"Your Majesty has worked hard, and the Prince will understand." Liang Jing said, serving a cup of tea, "I will leave the palace in a few days to check things out in Suzhou."
"Is it related to Qingque?" the queen asked hurriedly, not even bothering to drink tea.
What happened at the second prince's house made her more and more convinced that there must be something wrong with Qingque.
"There are some clues, but I can't tell whether they are true or false yet." Liang Jing said, "I have to go there in person, otherwise it will be difficult to be sure."
"Then go ahead. Anyway, the palace is quite peaceful at the moment." The queen said, "By the way, you can call someone later to send some useful things to Fangcongyuan.
No matter what, Chunping and I are sisters."
"Don't worry, Madam, Ma Cairen's servants have been asked to be looked after." Liang Jing replied, "I won't let them be wronged."
"That's good," the queen nodded. "She must still have complaints against me in her heart, but I can't do anything about it. They often say that it's their own fault that makes them miserable. It's because their family has gone too far."
