Chapter 55

Among the many princes in the imperial court of the Great Wei Dynasty, the entangled relationship between Crown Prince Hongli and Prince Yong, Hongyu, was the most legendary.

Once, their mothers, Consort Wang and Consort Shi, were said to have been summoned to the palace at the same time. It was even rumored that in the past, Consort Wang and Consort Shi were very close sworn sisters who united to resist the oppression from other concubines, supporting each other until they rose from insignificant beauties to the ranks of concubines.

During this period, the Great Wei Emperor's favor for both of them was equally strong.

More coincidentally, both of them became pregnant around the same time and, after ten months, gave birth to Crown Prince Hongli and Prince Yong, Hongyu, on the same day, month, and year, though at different times.

According to rumors, the interval between their births was no more than half an hour.

But this insignificant half-hour difference led to a significant disparity in their status. Hongli, born a few moments earlier, became the Crown Prince, and his mother, Consort Wang, was subsequently elevated to the position of Empress, reigning over the empire. Hongyu, however, lost the honor of being the Crown Prince and the eldest prince due to being born a few moments later.

During that period, for some reason, Consort Wang and Consort Shi, the sisters, turned against each other, and this enmity extended to Crown Prince Hongli and Prince Yong, Hongyu, making them seem like lifelong enemies from the moment they were born.

Even after twenty-five years, the situation remained the same, and the conflict only intensified.

To be honest, Zhao Hongrun did not want to be involved in their disputes, but it seemed that sometimes, even if you did not seek trouble, trouble would find you.

Indeed, just by encountering Prince Yong, Hongyu, in the palace corridor and having a few words with him, he ran into Crown Prince Hongli, which was truly unbelievable.

However, given the circumstances, Zhao Hongrun did not want to delve deeper into the matter. After all, Prince Yong had already apologized to him, and further pursuit would only make Zhao Hongrun look bad.

"Does Second Brother want to be the Emperor?"

"Ah."

This simple exchange made the guards following Zhao Hongrun, including Shen Yu, instinctively shrink their heads.

They were shocked that Prince Yong, Hongyu, would openly express his enthusiasm for the throne within the palace. In contrast, the ten guards behind Prince Yong remained calm, their faces expressionless throughout.

'He... just admitted it?'

Not only were Shen Yu and the others shocked, but Zhao Hongrun's face also showed a hint of surprise.

Although many princes were passionate about the throne, Zhao Hongrun had never heard of anyone daring to openly admit it in the palace.

"Seems you are quite surprised, Hongrun?" Prince Yong stopped and looked at Zhao Hongrun, smiling. "Don't you think I am more suitable to be the ruler of the Great Wei than he is?"

'Oh... calling the Crown Prince 'he' now?'

Zhao Hongrun inwardly sighed but did not show it on his face. He asked with a half-smile, "Second Brother seems very confident."

"Not confident, but composed," Prince Yong corrected, a complex look flashing in his eyes. "I know him too well... perhaps he knows me well too, but not as thoroughly as I know him."

"That's good," Zhao Hongrun said dismissively.

Prince Yong did not mind Zhao Hongrun's dismissive attitude.

Suddenly, he turned and asked, "Hongrun, have you heard of Cai Huan?"

"Who is he?"

Prince Yong smiled mysteriously. "The Director of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department, one of the seventeen examiners you implicated. ... The Crown Prince has been trying to win him over, but he is my man."

"..." Zhao Hongrun instinctively stopped, his expression uncertain as he looked at Prince Yong.

As if guessing his thoughts, Prince Yong smiled and said, "Don't worry, I am not like the Crown Prince. I know what is important and what is not. I will do my best to save Cai Huan, but he has followed Fan Su in many illegal acts. I can't guarantee that I can get him out of the prison and restore his position... but even so, I won't blame you because I know what is important."

Zhao Hongrun looked deeply at Prince Yong. "Is Second Brother trying to win me over?"

"Ah, yes. ... Since the incident in the Wende Hall, I have been paying attention to you. I believe you are not as incompetent as you appear, otherwise, the Emperor and my sixth brother would not have treated you differently."

"Ha." Zhao Hongrun smiled faintly. "Thank you for your kind words, Second Brother, but I am not interested in the struggles among the princes."

"Oh? I thought you would help me."

"Why do you think so?" Zhao Hongrun laughed at the determined expression on Prince Yong's face.

Prince Yong looked at Zhao Hongrun seriously and said, "Because I am more suitable to be the Emperor of the Great Wei, and I have the confidence to make the Great Wei stronger."

"What does that have to do with me?"

Prince Yong smiled and then narrowed his eyes, whispering, "The stronger the Great Wei becomes, the more stable your position as a leisurely prince in a prosperous era will be, won't it?"

Zhao Hongrun was slightly startled by this and looked up at Prince Yong.

"From the incident with the Ministry of Personnel's examination, it is clear that the Crown Prince is not the best choice for treating his brothers well... in this regard, I am much more reliable." Saying this, Prince Yong patted Zhao Hongrun's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Think about it, we don't have much time left."

With that, Prince Yong nodded to Shen Yu and the other guards and left with his ten guards.

Zhao Hongrun stood alone in the corridor, frowning in thought.

"Your Highness..." Shen Yu and the other guards gathered around.

Zhao Hongrun waved them off, standing alone in the corridor, looking at the scenery in the courtyard and thinking.

After a while, he said softly, "Shen Yu, investigate Second Brother's background."

'Second Brother's background... not Prince Yong?'

Shen Yu was taken aback but quickly realized that his master had been somewhat swayed.

Indeed, Zhao Hongrun had been swayed, at least partially.

After all, it was a promise from Prince Yong, even if it was just a verbal one, and it was a very tempting promise, at least for Zhao Hongrun.

Of course, this did not mean that Zhao Hongrun would side with Prince Yong, but he wanted to investigate Second Brother's background to see how he conducted himself and whether he had done anything for personal gain, to judge his character.

But regardless, Zhao Hongrun had slightly leaned towards Prince Yong over Crown Prince Hongli.

"Will this make Prince Yong unhappy?"

Mou Qing hesitated and asked.

Zhao Hongrun shook his head. "Go ahead, investigate openly. ... Second Brother will not stop you; he will even cooperate unless he is not as he claims."

"Yes!"

Shen Yu left with a few guards, while Zhao Hongrun led Mou Qing and Lu Mu to the Chui Gong Hall.

When he arrived at the Chui Gong Hall, the other princes were already there, and they all performed the grand bow to the Emperor.

Throughout the year, this was the only time when the Emperor treated all the princes equally, without favoritism, and he said a few encouraging words to each prince.

However, Zhao Hongrun always felt that when the Emperor encouraged him, it seemed to be filled with malice.

For example, phrases like "keep up the good work" and "don't be discouraged by setbacks" seemed to be a veiled reference to his current record of one win and two losses, making Zhao Hongrun clench his teeth in anger.

After that, the princes dispersed, each going to visit their mothers in the harem. Zhao Hongrun and his younger brother, Hongxuan, left the Chui Gong Hall and headed to the Ning Xiang Palace.

At this time, Consort Shen had already finished dressing and was waiting for her two sons.

It must be said that in the past, due to her lack of favor, Consort Shen's life was quite difficult and frugal. She could not afford to have new clothes made by the Imperial Tailors and saved the money to give to her two sons. Now, with her status in the Emperor's heart gradually improving, she no longer needed to spend extra money, as the Emperor would have the Imperial Tailors make new clothes for her. After all, the number of clothes in Consort Shen's palace was indeed very limited, far fewer than those of other concubines.

Wearing a new dress and applying some rouge to her slightly pale cheeks, she looked much more spirited and added a touch of charm.

After giving a few instructions to the palace maids in the Ning Xiang Palace, Consort Shen, accompanied by her personal maid, Xiao Tao, and her two sons, Hongrun and Hongxuan, headed to the Wende Hall.

The Dragon Boat Festival imperial banquet was traditionally held in the front hall of the Wende Hall, starting at the hour of Wei, but the princes and concubines usually arrived a bit earlier, around the hour of Wu, to avoid being late and being accused of disrespecting the etiquette.

Speaking of the Dragon Boat Festival imperial banquet, not all concubines were qualified or willing to attend. Some less favored concubines, like Consort Chen, were not even notified by the Inner Court, as she was almost like a forgotten concubine.

Some other concubines, who had not given birth to any children for the Emperor, wisely chose not to attend to avoid feeling inferior.

Therefore, in simple terms, the Dragon Boat Festival imperial banquet was purely a gathering of the Emperor's children and their mothers. While it was not strictly forbidden for childless concubines to attend, they often used illness as an excuse to avoid the embarrassment of seeing others' children.

Since it was a family banquet, the seating arrangement was different from a regular banquet.

First, the Emperor's seat was placed in a central position, facing the entrance of the hall. Next to it was the Empress Wang's seat. Behind the Emperor's seat, in a fan shape, were the seats for the concubines.

Facing the Emperor's seat, in a semicircle, were nine tables, one for each prince. The central table was for the Crown Prince, and the other princes were seated in order to his left and right.

Behind these nine tables, in a fan shape, were the seats for the princes' guards, attendants, and confidants, with each prince having about three to four seats, which could be occupied by the head of the guards, attendants, or trusted advisors, depending on each prince's choice.

The princesses' seats were on the sides, next to the concubines' seats, clearly showing their lower status compared to the princes.

Behind the princes' seats, on both sides, were several more tables for the invited scholars, officials, and tutors from the palace school, the imperial clan school, and the Crown Prince's attendants, as the Dragon Boat Festival banquet was not just a meal but also an opportunity for the Emperor to test his children's talents.

Therefore, for those princes who either wanted to please the Emperor or had ambitions for the throne, the Dragon Boat Festival banquet was essentially a battle.

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