Mingda worriedly asked, "What if Father Emperor punishes you?"
Though Manbao was also concerned, he smiled and said, "It’s fine, as long as Prince Gong is well, the punishnt won’t be too severe."
Mingda seriously looked at Manbao, nodded after a mont, then turned to look at the two waiting attendants not far away, seeing them sweat-soaked and terrified, she waved, saying, "From now on, follow . I’ll have others serve Third Brother."
The attendants were taken aback, imdiately knelt with a loud thud and kowtowed to Mingda, responding as if surviving a disaster, "Yes."
The two looked up and stole a glance at Zhou Man, then exchanged a glance, bowing their heads even lower.
Mingda led the two away and shortly after, sent two more capable attendants from her side over to Prince Gong.
Manbao was fixing Prince Gong’s lower leg with wooden splints. Because the rope was tight, he felt pain and didn’t notice the attendants had changed.
When he realized, he had already returned to the temporary palace from Baiyun Temple, and the attendants were about to help him change clothes; only then did he discover they’d been replaced.
Many were replaced, and two of them were more capable attendants from his own sister’s side.
Prince Gong used his already broken leg to think, certain it was Zhou Man’s doing.
The anger he had managed to dissipate erupted again suddenly, and he smashed all the cups around him.
The two attendants promptly knelt to plead guilty, though their faces didn’t show much fear.
They were Princess Mingda’s people, temporarily serving by Prince Gong’s side, and would return afterwards.
No matter his anger, Prince Gong wouldn’t punish them. Indeed, after smashing things, he furiously shouted, "Zhou Man!"
Manbao had just applied dicine and splint to his broken leg, and was sitting in the side room eating with Bai Shan, who had co to visit her. Upon hearing Prince Gong’s roar, she looked up at Bai Shan, put down her chopsticks, and went over.
The two attendants were already up cleaning the broken cups; Manbao glanced down, feeling a bit distressed. She’d heard this set of cups cost about twenty taels, made of fine porcelain.
Prince Gong’s chest heaved as he pointed at Zhou Man and cursed, "Zhou Man, what do you an by this, how dare you move my people? You are rely a junior imperial doctor, yet dare intervene with a prince, who gave you the courage, the Eastern Palace?"
He used the greatest malice to speculate Zhou Man’s motives, sneering, "I say, Father Emperor should not have kept you in the Imperial Hospital, civil and military officials all know you’re the Crown Prince’s person, and still he lets you roam the harem..."
Standing outside waiting, Bai Shan frowned tightly, glancing around the courtyard.
Perhaps they knew Prince Gong wouldn’t be in a good mood today, so the palace servants avoided that side of the temporary palace as much as they could.
No matter what, this was a palace teeming with people, Bai Shan didn’t care how Prince Gong’s words would affect him, but Zhou Man would certainly not fare well.
Thinking this, Bai Shan found it hard to remain still, hesitated briefly, then went in, striding quickly into the inner room to see Manbao.
Manbao had already decided to let him vent his anger for two days; otherwise, what if he did sothing rash and broke his leg again?
Seeing Bai Shan co in, she asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Prince Gong also looked at Bai Shan with fire in his eyes, unlike Zhou Man whom he could see regularly; he hadn’t seen Bai Shan often, but he knew they were in cahoots!
Just as he was about to scold, Bai Shan softly said, "Does Your Highness not want to know why the Crown Prince scolded you and himself like that?"
Prince Gong’s anger paused, looking at Bai Shan in confusion.
Bai Shan didn’t answer but moved a few steps forward to stand by his bed, lowering his voice to say, "Does Your Highness believe he has a chance at claiming the throne?"
Prince Gong’s expression froze, glaring at Bai Shan.
Bai Shan chuckled lightly, "Your Highness, you have no chance, isn’t that right? Even if in the end it’s not the Crown Prince, it absolutely won’t be you."
For a mont, many thoughts surged in Prince Gong’s mind; he knew he had no chance. If a year ago he was still struggling, he realized after the Crown Princess gave birth half a year ago that he no longer had any possibility.
Bai Shan’s voice was barely audible, "Your Highness, although there’s no familial bond within the Imperial Family, the Crown Prince is at odds with you, but you’re both born of the sa mother. Look at His Majesty, why does Prince of Yizhou get to keep a son and daughter despite having rebellious intentions? Isn’t it because he and His Majesty share the sa mother?"
Prince Gong’s sprouting thoughts were doused with a bucket of ice water.
After His Majesty’s ascension, several uncles didn’t get along and rebelled under the forr Crown Prince’s na, but when caught, none escaped beheading, including their families.
Their difference from Prince of Yizhou was that they had different mothers; they shared the sa father with His Majesty but not the sa mother.
Seeing he’s wilted, Bai Shan moved closer and said quietly, "Over the past year, Your Highness hasn’t thought about the future?"
Manbao couldn’t help looking at Bai Shan; why was he teaching Prince Gong?
Bai Shan said, "Yes, about the future. Your Highness, the throne is out of the question, but haven’t you considered what will happen after His Majesty passes?"
Prince Gong’s chest heaved, eyes reddened staring at Bai Shan.
"Hasn’t Your Highness been relying on His Majesty’s favor to do as he pleases? What will happen to you, your wife, children, and grandchildren when His Majesty passes and you’ve lost the favor of the reigning emperor and instead gained much disdain?" Bai Shan calmly said, "As the ancients said, ’One who fails to plan for the future will have imdiate worries,’ Your Highness, why not take advantage of the current favorable situation to nd relations with the Crown Prince?"
Impossible!
Prince Gong thought with reddened eyes, he and the Crown Prince have been at it for five or six years, the enmity is deep as the sea; how could things ever be nded?
Bai Shan said, "No matter what, Your Highness and the Crown Prince share the sa blood, moreover His Majesty and the Empress are still there. You’ve had five years of bad relations; then take ten years to nd them. I don’t believe it’s impossible; the Crown Prince already cares for you, sending better dicinal wine."
Upon hearing this, Prince Gong rembered, warily looking at Zhou Man, saying, "You used the Crown Prince’s dicine?"
Seeing his expression, Manbao understood what he was thinking, and with a bit of exasperation said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince wouldn’t harm you over such a matter, nor would I harm you. I’m treating your illness; if anything happens to you, would my little head still remain?"
Prince Gong replied, "Hypocritical, he wants to use to build a good reputation..."
"The Crown Prince wouldn’t use you to gain fa," Manbao interrupted him, "if the Crown Prince cared about maintaining his reputation at all, he wouldn’t have sparred with you."
Prince Gong was enraged, "Is that a spar? That was a beating!"
Bai Shan gave Zhou Man a glance, stopping her from arguing, and nodded to Prince Gong, "Your Highness is correct; so do you think the Crown Prince is seeking fa?"
Prince Gong fell silent.
User Comments
0 comments from readers