The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 8 Being on the same side

Dai Quan walked into the study room holding the food box.

Emperor Yongchang was reviewing memorials with his hands waving constantly.

Then he placed the approved memorial on the pile of approved memorials on the imperial desk.

Dai Quan carefully placed the food box at the foot of the imperial table, opened the lid, took out a porcelain cup from the food box, opened the lid, and walked to Emperor Yongchang: "Your Majesty, it's the end of the Si hour, you should rest."

Emperor Yongchang: "Oh? So fast!"

Dai Quan: "The bird's nest and lotus seed soup was made by the Queen herself."

Emperor Yongchang was stunned for a moment, then took the bowl with both hands, put half a spoonful of soup into his mouth, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"I heard that the gifts Li Hu gave to the Crown Prince were more than those from all the other princes combined. The Empress was so happy that she personally made a pot of bird's nest and lotus seed soup." Dai Quan said as he sorted out the memorials on the imperial desk.

Emperor Yongchang: "How do others react?"

Dai Quan: "The Third Prince and the Fourth Prince went to Yuqing Palace, and several ladies also went to Kunning Palace to pay their respects and talk."

With a humph, Emperor Yongchang asked: "Where is the second prince?"

Dai Quan looked embarrassed.

Emperor Yongchang: "Speak."

Dai Quan: "The Second Prince seems a little unhappy."

"That's all? Don't I know what kind of person he is? Tell me." Emperor Yongchang still refused to give in.

Dai Quan secretly complained and could only reply: "The Second Prince threw all the gifts Li Hu sent him and cursed him, calling him a 'villain'."

Emperor Yongchang stopped talking and drank the soup in silence.

Dai Quan stopped talking and carefully cleaned up the imperial desk.

Emperor Yongchang put down the bowl, and Dai Quan quickly wrung out a face towel from the copper basin.

Emperor Yongchang raised his hand and asked, "Do you think the prince's illness can be cured?"

Dai Quan dared not give a direct answer, so he could only say: "The prince is a man of good fortune. As long as he takes good care of himself and rests well, his illness will improve. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yongchang looked at him for a long time, then asked, "How about I depose the crown prince and appoint another prince as the new crown prince?"

Dai Quan fell to his knees with a plop, and just knelt there without saying a word.

Emperor Yongchang sighed: "I know, I know I shouldn't ask you something that I myself find difficult to decide. What can you say? Get up."

Dai Quan seemed to understand something and immediately said, "I beg your Majesty to issue an order to recruit famous doctors from all over the world to treat His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Emperor Yongchang looked at him, as if trying to see how much sincerity there was in his words.

At this moment, Dai Quan demonstrated an extremely rare skill in cultivating his Qi, and his face was full of sincerity as he met the emperor's gaze.

Emperor Yongchang no longer looked at him, put his hand on the imperial desk, stood up, and walked back and forth quickly.

Dai Quan's heart suddenly rose, he held his breath, and his eyes quietly followed the footsteps of Emperor Yongchang.

Emperor Yongchang stopped and said, "Tell the cabinet to draft an edict: recruit famous doctors from all over the world to treat the prince."

At this time, Dai Quan slowly let out the breath he had been holding for a long time.

"The second prince is under house arrest for half a year." Emperor Yongchang added.

Dai Quan: "As you wish." He stood up, bowed and walked out.

Emperor Yongchang walked around the upper study room with his hands behind his back. He stopped at the palace door and shouted, "Come on!"

A eunuch in red came in response.

Emperor Yongchang: "Tell the Crown Prince to give Li Hu something as a reward."

After seeing off the eunuch in charge of Yuqing Palace, Li Hu returned to the living room. The table was piled with silks and satins of various patterns, as well as brocade gift boxes.

Li Hu looked at it for a while and sighed. There are no human rights in an imperial society!
One stick of incense before, he was still looking around the Guangqumen area, directing the soldiers of the South Camp to tidy up the chaotic market.

When he learned that the prince had sent someone to bring him a reward, he was completely stunned.

This gift is not so easy to receive, especially since it is sent by imperial order.

Whether Li Hu was willing or not, he was labeled as a member of the Prince's Party, and it was officially recognized by the emperor.

The most infuriating thing is that this prince is at low health and could die at any time. Once the prince dies, will he, a former princeling, be accepted by the next prince?

Thinking of this, Li Hu cursed Dai Quan in his heart. Where is the "warrior" that was promised? Is this the treatment for a warrior? All the money and property wasted.

Li Hu walked to the main seat and sat down, picked up the tea and took a sip, then opened a gift box.

The box is filled with specially cast gold ingots, each of which has a seal-script character "Fu" printed on it.

He opened another box lid and found a century-old ginseng.

Suddenly remembering the words of Zhao Tong, the eunuch in charge of Yuqing Palace, Li Hu closed the gift box irritably. This time, he not only offended the villain Prince Zhongshun, but also the lunatic Second Prince. One is the emperor's brother and the other is the emperor's son. He is really unlucky!

Li Hu sighed deeply, hoping that the crown prince could stay in office for a long time, so that he would have enough time to climb up and gain enough power so that the other princes, and even the emperor, would have to look up to him and give him some courtesy.

Just then, Zhang Cheng and Wang Daniu hurried in.

Looking at the mountains of gifts, the two were slightly stunned.

Li Hu raised his head and asked, "What's the matter?"

Zhang Cheng and Wang Daniu looked at each other. Zhang Cheng said, "Sir, is the rumor true?"

Li Hu frowned: "What's true or false?"

Wang Daniu immediately said, "It's spread all over the government office, saying that the master has surrendered to the prince."

Li Hu stood up suddenly and looked at him: "Who said that?"

Wang Daniu turned his gaze to Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng replied, "Your Excellency, I asked and found out that they were soldiers who followed General Sun back to the Infantry Commander's Office."

Li Hu: "Oh? What is he doing at the Infantry Commander's Office?"

Zhang Cheng: "It is said that the Infantry Commander's Office sent someone to report."

Li Hu's face darkened.

Wang Daniu: "Sir, he concealed such a big thing. That Sun guy doesn't take you seriously at all!" At this point, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Since he is shameless even when given the chance, then kill him and make an example of him to scare the monkeys!" As he said that, he made a gesture of wiping his neck with his hand.

Zhang Cheng glared at him and looked at Li Hu: "Sir."

Li Hu also glared at Wang Daniu and then told him what happened.

Wang Daniu was delighted: "With the support of the prince, we don't have to endure this humiliation anymore!" Then he chopped his hand downwards, "Today I will definitely squeeze the shit out of that Sun!"

Li Hu picked up the gift box containing the century-old mountain ginseng and said, "Give this to Uncle San."

".Ah? Oh." Wang Daniu took the gift box and walked out.

Li Hu shook his head and asked Zhang Cheng, "What do you think?"

Zhang Cheng pondered for a while and said, "You are only a guerrilla general. Why did His Majesty let you become a prince's party member?"

Li Hu looked at him.

Zhang Cheng: "I think the emperor wants to use you."

"How to say?"

"Everyone in the court knows how poor the prince's health is, and they know that there is no future in relying on him."

"."

"If you surrender to the Crown Prince, you will be rejected by other forces, especially the three princes. The Crown Prince is unreliable, so your only hope is the Emperor!"

Li Hu's eyes widened: "Damn it, this turn is too big!"

Zhang Cheng laughed: "This is called the Emperor's Mindset."

Li Hu raised his eyebrows: "You know a lot!"

Zhang Cheng opened his mouth and finally lowered his eyes.

After a moment of silence, Li Hu spoke first: "Since we are already trapped in the chess game, let's find a way to go from being a chess piece to a chess player!"

Hearing what he said, Zhang Cheng was stunned.

At this time, Wang Daniu rushed in angrily, "Our people were beaten badly on Qianmen Street!"

(End of this chapter)