Parents are busy farming

When Ye Zifen stepped into the palace, a strong bitter smell of medicine hit her nose.

She looked carefully and saw that the emperor was sitting at the table, holding a bowl of black medicine in his hand.

The pungent smell seemed to permeate every corner of the room, making people feel pity.

The emperor frowned slightly, and his originally majestic face now looked a little haggard.

However, despite the unpleasant smell of the medicine, he raised the bowl without hesitation and drank the thick medicine in one gulp with difficulty.

The swallowing sound from the throat could be clearly heard in the silent hall, as if every drop of medicine required a huge amount of effort to swallow.

After the last drop of medicine went down his throat, the emperor slowly put down the empty bowl, raised his head and looked at Ye Zifen, and said softly: "You are here?"

Although the voice was a little weak, it still revealed a hint of gentleness.

Ye Zifen nodded quickly and replied, "I hope the emperor is well. I came to visit you."

Her gaze always stayed on the retired emperor, her eyes full of concern.

Then, she quietly walked aside and stood with her hands folded in front of her, as quiet and elegant as a quietly blooming flower.

The Emperor smiled slightly and asked, "I heard that you went to study with the Prime Minister recently? Did you gain anything?"

Ye Zifen nodded again and answered sincerely, "Your Majesty, it is true. The Emperor specially ordered me to go and ask the Prime Minister for advice and learn from him. This experience has opened my eyes. I would not have known that the Prime Minister has to deal with so many things every day. The complexity of his affairs and the importance of his responsibilities are beyond the imagination of ordinary people. It is because of this that the Prime Minister has such a high prestige in the court!"

At this point, admiration and emotion unconsciously appeared on her face, and the various scenes she witnessed around the Prime Minister kept flashing through her mind.

After hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly to show his approval and praise. A kind smile appeared on his face, and he encouraged softly: "That's great! Now that you have learned something, you should persevere and study hard. As long as you persevere, in time, you may really achieve a great cause that shakes the world."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zifen was stunned for a moment, then shook her head gently and said slowly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I feel that I am stupid and I am afraid it is difficult for me to reach such a high level. However, I am already satisfied to have the opportunity to learn and improve myself."

As she spoke, a hint of humility flashed in her eyes, as if she had a clear and profound understanding of herself, and was well aware of the huge gap between herself and the powerful prime minister.

Upon seeing this, the retired emperor nodded slightly, but a complex and incomprehensible look flashed across his eyes.

He secretly thought in his heart that if he wanted this clever girl in front of him to become the prime minister, second only to the emperor, it would be almost impossible to achieve unless he took charge of the government again.

Moreover, even the prime minister who is currently in office may be replaced for various reasons in the future.

Thinking of this, the emperor couldn't help but sigh.

For a moment, the whole room fell into a brief silence. Only the gentle breeze blowing slowly from the window brushed past, slightly lifting the thin gauze curtain by the window, making a slight rustling sound.

Ye Zifen did not let the emperor remain in mourning for too long. She opened her red lips and said slowly, "Today, the emperor has canonized several princes as princes. In my opinion, it will not be long before these princes will come to pay their respects to you, old man."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor smiled faintly and responded, "I have already issued an order. Apart from you and Duke Chongguo, no matter who comes to see me, I will not see them! Even those useless and unfilial sons are not allowed to see me."

Hearing the words of the retired emperor, Ye Zifen was slightly startled, and a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful eyes.

In this magnificent, solemn and dignified imperial palace, there has always been an unwritten rule - there is no father and son in the royal family.

Although the retired emperor still had a deep father-son relationship with many of his princes, in the face of endless ambition and desire for power, this affection was eventually worn away and left with little.

Today, the retired emperor has passed the throne to the current emperor. This move undoubtedly shows who he thinks is the most suitable successor.

For the retired emperor, at this moment, the other princes should have submitted to the new emperor wholeheartedly, but this was not the case.

After all, as sons of the retired emperor, these princes each have their own unique skills and think they are extremely talented. How can they be willing to be inferior to others?

So, they began to plan carefully in secret and win over various forces.

Whenever their eyes met, they were filled with shrewd calculations and sinister conspiracies.

And every time they gathered privately, the topic they discussed was all about how to usurp the lofty and incomparable imperial throne.

Deep in their hearts, only endless desires are burning. As for the father-son relationship that was once thicker than blood, it has long been thrown into the clouds.

Ye Zifen knew this very well. She sighed softly and said, "In my opinion, if the emperor doesn't summon these princes anymore, it might be better for his health. In this case, then we might as well not meet again!"

Ye Zifen is in this treacherous palace. With her keen insight and delicate mind, she can deeply feel the undying hearts of the princes.

Whenever there was a court meeting, those pairs of fiery eyes would flicker in the heavy shadows of the court, like stars in the night sky, but the fire of desire contained in them would burn fiercely and last forever.

The thoughts of these princes are like the undercurrents in the deep sea. Although they have not yet caused huge waves, the subtle surging momentum is already frightening.

Although each of them has his own ambitions and aspirations, no one of them alone can currently shake the supreme position of the current emperor.

Take the Sixth Prince for example. On the surface, he looks brave and fearless, and quite heroic. However, it is a pity that he lacks some wisdom and is often impulsive and reckless in doing things. It is difficult for him to accomplish great things with such a temperament.

Looking at the Fourth Prince again, he is very scheming, good at winning people's hearts and getting along with everyone. If given time, he will surely achieve something.

It’s a pity that his power is still weak at the moment, like a fledgling that has just grown wings and is not yet strong enough to fly high.