Chapter 36

Seven days later, inside the Fragrant Condensation Palace in the imperial harem.

Led by the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun, Mu Qing, Shen Yu, Wei Jiao, Chu Heng, Gao Kuo, Zhong Zhao, Lu Mu, Zhu Gui, He Miao, and Zhou Pu, the ten of them knelt in the hall, their heads hanging low as they endured the endless scolding from Consort Shen.

Like ostriches, none of them dared to raise their heads, obediently enduring the reprimand.

Beside them, the Emperor of the Great Wei, Zhao Yuansi, sipped his soup with great satisfaction, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he watched the group, feeling extremely pleased.

Consort Shen glared at the ten guards and frowned, scolding, "What should I say to you? ... You are all Prince Run's guards, his closest and most trusted men. You should stand together, share in his glory and his misfortune, and you should advise Prince Run... Shen Yu, you have greatly disappointed me."

Shen Yu was speechless, his head hanging low in silence.

He was the oldest among the guards, known for his steadiness and deeply trusted by Consort Shen. However, this time, he and Lu Mu were drunk and left on the street, and it was only through the efforts of the Guard House that they were found. It was a complete loss of face, and they certainly did not look like guards capable of protecting a prince.

"Wei Jiao!" Consort Shen called out.

"Here," Wei Jiao shrank his head.

"And you, what should I say to you? Shouldn't you be by Prince Run's side at all times? Seven of you, and you actually went to a tavern in the city, not even knowing when your prince was in trouble!"

Wei Jiao, Chu Heng, Gao Kuo, Zhong Zhao, Zhu Gui, He Miao, and Zhou Pu, the seven guards, hung their heads, not daring to say a word.

After all, the guards were like the prince's right-hand men, his closest confidants, and his brothers. In a sense, Prince Hongrun's mother, Consort Shen, could also be seen as their adoptive mother. Since she was their adoptive mother, who dared to speak up?

"And you, Mu Qing!"

"..." Mu Qing trembled with fear.

"You are truly capable, mobilizing five hundred imperial guards to break into the Ministry of Justice, turning it upside down. Do you know how many officials have been investigating this matter?"

Mu Qing lowered his head, remaining silent.

At this moment, Zhao Hongrun, who was kneeling at the front, could not help but speak up, "Mother, I was framed this time, it has nothing to do with them."

"You are the most infuriating!" Slapping the table, Consort Shen said angrily, "A prince, and you act so shamelessly, going to brothels to seek pleasure... Is this how I taught you?"

"That's not what I—"

"Do you dare to talk back?!"

"..." Zhao Hongrun sulked and closed his mouth.

Seeing this, the Emperor of the Great Wei felt extremely pleased, pretending to say, "Hongrun, when your mother scolds you, you cannot talk back, do you understand?"

Zhao Hongrun was furious, but seeing Consort Shen's angry face, he did not dare to talk back and could only sulk, pretending not to hear.

Seeing this, the Emperor felt even more satisfied.

Once upon a time, this rebellious Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun was so defiant and arrogant in front of him, coming up with all sorts of "vile and cruel" schemes to make him, the Emperor of the Great Wei, furious and unable to vent. But now, would this rogue dare to talk back?

Taking a deep breath, Consort Shen earnestly said, "Run, you are a prince of the Great Wei, but is what you did befitting a prince?"

"Not at all," the Emperor chimed in.

"Do you know how disappointed your father and I are?"

"Utterly disappointed," the Emperor shook his head and sighed.

"Will you dare to do it again?!"

"Will you dare to do it again?" The Emperor seemed to be enjoying it, taking the opportunity to scold his son.

Zhao Hongrun was furious, but he could see that his father was retaliating for his recent actions. However, seeing Consort Shen's angry face, he did not dare to talk back, especially since her health was not good.

"I will not dare to," Zhao Hongrun obediently said.

Seeing his compliance, Consort Shen's anger gradually subsided, and the Emperor felt as if his soul had been healed, smiling brightly.

After scolding his son, Consort Shen ordered the preparation of a meal. After all, it seemed that the Emperor intended to dine in the Fragrant Condensation Palace, which was a very good thing.

Consort Shen did not think about seeking any favors for herself. She was more focused on improving the relationship between Zhao Hongrun and the Emperor. The recent father-son conflict in the palace had caused her great distress.

On one side was her husband, and on the other side was her son. Even if she did not consider her son's ambitions for the throne, she could not bear the tension between them.

For this reason, after lunch, she used the excuse of fatigue to leave the time to the Emperor and the Eighth Prince.

Unfortunately, Zhao Hongrun could not appreciate her efforts, and as soon as she left, his smile vanished.

Father and son looked at each other.

"A great ruler, setting aside the heavy responsibilities of the state to watch his son being scolded by his mother... Is this really appropriate?"

Faced with his son's slightly mocking words, the Emperor was not offended, smiling and saying, "As you would say, it's also good to adjust one's mood occasionally, isn't it?"

Zhao Hongrun was so angry that his teeth itched, and he said irritably, "What are you laughing about, Father? I was just caught off guard and framed!"

To his surprise, the Emperor's smile grew even wider, "Ah, precisely because you were framed, I am laughing so heartily!"

'How can a father act like this?'

Zhao Hongrun glanced at the Emperor, thinking that no father would say such things, as if hoping his son would suffer.

At this moment, the Emperor slowly put away his smile and said meaningfully, "Even a thousand-mile horse can stumble. ... Hongrun, do you know why you could win against me recently?"

Seeing the Emperor's unusual expression, Zhao Hongrun became solemn and slowly shook his head.

"It's simple," the Emperor, looking at his increasingly favored son, said seriously, "Because you followed the rules, and I followed the rules, so you could win with your intelligence. ... But this time, you faced an opponent who did not follow the rules, so you lost."

"..." Zhao Hongrun was slightly stunned.

"Don't be不服气 (unwilling to accept it). In my view, Luo Wenzhong did a very good job this time, using the power of the Guard House to punish you... and he himself could stay out of it. This skill truly befits a minister of the Great Wei..."

"Wait, wait, wait, Father, your words sound strange. Generally, when a son suffers, the father should stand up for him, right?"

The Emperor looked at his son with amusement and said teasingly, "Why should I stand up for you? It's your own fault, what does it have to do with me? ... On the contrary, I admire Luo Wenzhong. He has courage and strategy, far more capable than you, who only use petty tricks and destroy my beloved treasures!"

Mentioning the valuable items destroyed by his son, the Emperor was particularly distressed, especially the peony he had personally tended.

"Since Father has said so much, I can only rely on myself." Zhao Hongrun bowed and said meaningfully, "The Ministry of Personnel should have more than one Langzhong. If so, Father should choose a few suitable candidates... I will take my leave first."

With that, Zhao Hongrun bowed and left.

Watching the Eighth Prince's departing back, and seeing the Emperor's inscrutable smile, the chief eunuch Tong Xian lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"Tong Xian, prepare the carriage for the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

"Yes..."

Leaving the Fragrant Condensation Palace, the Emperor of the Great Wei went straight to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the three chancellors, including He Xiangxu, had already been informed by the Emperor that he would visit the Fragrant Condensation Palace today, so they were not surprised.

They were just puzzled as to why the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun, who seemed fine, would be punished by the Guard House. However, seeing that both the Emperor and the Guard House were keeping it under wraps, they wisely did not ask.

They only speculated in their hearts.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Personnel has submitted a memorial regarding this year's imperial examination," the left chancellor, Lin Yuyang, presented the memorial to the dragon throne and said respectfully, "The specific arrangements for the imperial examination are almost ready. Sixteen supervising officials have been preliminarily selected, and this is the list..."

The Emperor took the memorial and carefully read the names of the officials from the Ministry of Personnel on the list, saying calmly, "One chief supervisor is still missing?"

"Yes."

"Choose... him!" The Emperor pointed to a name on the list, "The Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel, Luo Wenzhong!"

"Hmm?"

The three chancellors in the Hall of Supreme Harmony looked up at the Emperor, feeling puzzled.

After all, although the imperial examination was a major event for the selection of officials in the Great Wei, it was not necessarily led by the Minister of Personnel, who had to oversee the entire official evaluation system and had heavy responsibilities.

Therefore, the chief supervisor of the imperial examination was usually chosen from the left or right vice-ministers of the Ministry of Personnel. However, this year, the Emperor had personally chosen a Langzhong.

'Is this imperial favor? Does this Luo Wenzhong have outstanding achievements?'

Lin Yuyang and Yu Ziqi exchanged glances, feeling puzzled but not daring to ask.

"Yes, then choose the Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel, Luo Wenzhong, as the chief supervisor of the imperial examination. ... Also, does Your Majesty have any other concerns about this year's imperial examination?"

Under the watchful eye of the chief eunuch Tong Xian, the Emperor's face showed a faint, inscrutable smile.

"For this year's imperial examination, choose one of my sons to serve as a supervisor. After all, my unaccomplished sons will eventually have to deal with these matters..."

'Prince as a supervisor?'

The three chancellors exchanged glances, thinking that this had never happened before.

'What is the Emperor's intention?'

The experienced chancellor He Xiangxu frowned and looked at the Emperor thoughtfully.

At the same time, in a luxurious mansion in the capital, Daliang.

In a room decorated with precious items, a middle-aged man in bright clothing was playing with a jade artifact.

At this moment, a servant entered and reported, "Master, we have found out that the person who took Su Ran is the Eighth Prince Zhao Hongrun. ... According to Xu Shang and the Guard House, the Eighth Prince had a grudge against the son of the Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel, Luo Rong."

"Zhao Hongrun... hehe!" The man in bright clothing stopped playing with the jade, his face showing interest, "Tell Xu Shang to remove Su Ran's sign and not let anyone disturb her."

"Yes."

'PS: I have something to do tonight, so I'm posting this first.'