Chapter 928: Chapter 926: What Was Taken from the Crown Prince’s Mansion
The words had already reached this point, and Jinrong naturally understood that the emperor was telling him: I’ve already figured out the whole story.
The problem is, this kind of conversation doesn’t seem suitable for confessing everything; it would be too abrupt and embarrassing.
Jinrong looked at the emperor with some conflict: "Imperial Father, if you have anything to say, just instruct me directly. Your son really can’t grasp your intention." If you want your son to confess, then at least give him a dignified way to do so.
Without any signal, if he, a dignified prince, confessed everything out of fear, it would be too humiliating. It would seem as if he had no backbone.
Damn it! This boy, when he’s slippery, he’s extremely slippery; even when direct, he’s still slippery, and at this moment, he’s still plotting in his mind.
The emperor cursed inwardly, yet his words were stern as he said, "Is Jiang Yifan courting death? As a court official, he serves you, a prince, more diligently than he serves me. What is he trying to do?"
So, this emperor indeed is quite something, implying that Jiang Yifan is inciting a prince to rebel? This is indeed dangerous.
Jinrong murmured to himself, quickly getting up from the chair that no one had yet sat on today, and knelt on the ground: "Forgive me, Imperial Father. I thought that if this were handled through normal channels, it would be difficult to obtain the ledgers. Moreover, if the ledgers fell into your hands silently, the Crown Prince would not be alerted. This was all my idea, and I am willing to accept the court’s punishment. Jiang Yifan has no other intentions; he is merely my close friend, nothing more."
"Nothing more?" the emperor retorted, full of emotion and a sense of loss, "You have all grown up, each with your own thoughts. Jinkun was wise in his youth, yet he became more indulgent as he grew older. Your seventh brother has been ambitious since childhood, and I originally thought you were someone with a tranquil mind... My judgment as a father, in assessing my sons, is indeed flawed."
The emperor’s tone was full of melancholy, and his expression was deep, seeming to reminisce about something.
Jinrong remained respectfully kneeling in front, but in the emperor’s eyes, it was particularly glaring.
In the past, in this Imperial Study Room, he would summon a small circle of court officials, and the atmosphere was most harmonious; there were rarely scenes where people knelt at the slightest provocation.
However, since the beginning of this year, the court officials and his several sons have had fewer opportunities to stand here, instead speaking while kneeling more often. Even Jinrong, who usually acted casually, now took the initiative to kneel down.
This scene could be seen as respecting the emperor’s majesty. Yet the emperor would prefer not to enjoy such majesty.
"Rise and speak," the emperor’s tone was indifferent.
Jinrong rose and felt the hardness of the two ledgers in his arms, guessing in his mind that his father was probably going to ask about what happened at the Crown Prince’s Mansion yesterday.
The emperor spoke: "Last night, two groups of thieves attempted to enter the Crown Prince’s Mansion with the intention of stealing." The emperor looked at Jinrong, truly too lazy to probe and inquire further, "After the incident at the Ministry of Revenue today, the Crown Prince hurried home and then came here to admit his guilt. What did you take from the Crown Prince’s Mansion?"
Jinrong glanced at the emperor, surprised not only by the fact the emperor would ask about yesterday’s events at the Crown Prince’s Mansion but also by how directly he posed the question.
Having already planned ahead, Jinrong did not hesitate, taking the ledgers from his arms and presenting them, "These are the records of financial transactions from the Crown Prince’s Mansion."
The previous account ledgers from the Ministry of Revenue had already given the emperor enough impact; he was in no hurry to check the contents, simply placing the ledgers aside, asking indifferently, "When did you become interested in the throne?"
Another heavy blow!
Jinrong raised his head to look at the emperor, his face showing surprise. This question from the emperor, yet again, caught him off guard.
At this moment, shouldn’t the emperor first blame him for such sinister intentions? Since he had grasped the Crown Prince’s unlawful acts, he should have reported to the emperor in a timely manner to stop the Crown Prince and Ministry of Revenue from stealing from the State Treasury, saving some losses for the court. Instead, he had schemed carefully to corner the Crown Prince.
And besides, he had come today intending to speak frankly with the emperor. They are all princes; everyone covets this position; it wouldn’t be wrong to have such thoughts.
Lao Qi, with his ambitious face, hadn’t lasted nearly ten years in the Imperial Court? If it hadn’t been for hiding iron mines and being forced to retreat, perhaps he would still be posturing tirelessly, competing with the Crown Prince.
So, Jinrong truly had no intention to hide and even wanted to argue his case. At least, as it seems now, among the emperor’s sons, including those who indeed have no desire nor ability to participate, from any angle, he could make the empire flourish more than others.
This should be the emperor’s greatest wish.
But with the emperor’s question, how should he answer? Telling the truth might seem like accusing the emperor.
Back then, he was young and ignorant, with no big mistake, only because the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, his Royal Mother lost favor. It has been more than twenty years; all these years, his Royal Mother only meets the emperor in public occasions due to her rank. As for staying overnight, that’s simply impossible.
In such circumstances, to live peacefully in the harem, his Royal Mother had to act with extreme caution, carefully dealing with various people and factions in the harem.
It was only after he grew older and was able to show his face before the emperor that his Royal Mother gained some semblance of dignity in the harem.
But how short-lived was that dignity? Even if he did not contest for the throne, whether the Crown Prince or Prince Fu ascended, he, as a brother with great financial power, would probably make the emperor restless, wishing to eliminate him swiftly.
"Imperial Father still remembers, doesn’t he? In my youth, my Royal Mother was quite favored," Jinrong said.
The emperor was stunned for a moment, then vaguely remembered that Consort Liang was deeply favored even before she gave birth to a prince, rather than gaining rank by relying on her child afterward.
Back then, Consort Liang...seemed very young and beautiful, with a fresh temperament...
"What are you trying to say?" The emperor asked, somewhat surprised. This was more than twenty years ago; why would Jinrong bring it up now? The imperial palace is inherently a place of power transitions, and the shifting of favor in the harem even more frequent; isn’t this common?
"Does Imperial Father remember why my Royal Mother fell from favor?" Jinrong looked at the emperor and then smiled self-deprecatingly, "It’s been so many years, Imperial Father probably doesn’t remember."
As a woman who deeply loved her father, how sad it is for his Royal Mother. Even after all these years, she still remembers every bit of her time with the emperor twenty or even thirty years ago.
And the emperor, had he not brought this up today, might not remember any past events with his Royal Mother, perhaps not even recalling any pleasant times they once shared.
Indeed, the emperor did not remember. Replacing old with new, not to mention in the palace, even in ordinary wealthy families, it’s also common.
"My Royal Mother did not lose favor due to new women entering the palace but because I collided with the Crown Prince, leading to her being confined for three months. Back then, I was young, and because my Royal Mother was favored, I didn’t pay much heed to court rules..." Three months without seeing each other was enough to cast my Royal Mother from the emperor’s mind.