kvmb Chapter 538 Insurmountable Prejudice
Chapter 538 Insurmountable Prejudice
Prince Yu disapproved of the Third Prince's behavior and naturally disapproved of the congratulatory gift he presented. In accordance with his usual style, he simply ignored the Third Prince and left on his own.
When Prince Yu saw the palace servants brought by the Third Prince, he discovered that two of them were eunuchs on duty in the Taiji Hall.
He pondered for a moment, then accepted the brocade box offered by the Third Prince.
Prince Yu said in a detached tone, "Third Imperial Brother is very thoughtful."
Upon hearing Prince Yu's indifferent tone, the Third Prince's eyes widened instantly, and he asked nervously, "Is Your Majesty unhappy?"
He seemed afraid that Prince Yu would be displeased by his sudden gift-giving, so he hurriedly explained, "I originally planned to give you the gift after you and my sister-in-law got married, when I took her to the palace to pay my respects to Father. But I didn't know when you would get married. Father wants to test my knowledge himself, and I... I still have a lot of knowledge to learn. I'm afraid I won't have any free time for the next two weeks, so I'm giving it to you in advance."
Prince Yu looked down at the Third Prince, who was a head shorter than him. The Third Prince seemed timid and hesitant, but he spoke a lot, and each word he spoke contained hidden thoughts.
This is not cowardice.
A truly timid person should be like Princess Guangning, stuttering when they speak. Not only that, but they should also think through every word they say to him several times, for fear of saying the wrong thing and offending him.
"Whether you send it early or late makes no difference; the sentiment is what matters." Prince Yu patiently said, "Go and review your studies."
After saying this, Prince Yu prepared to leave.
The Third Prince whispered to Prince Yu's retreating figure, "Brother, this is a fox pelt that Father Emperor rewarded me with during the winter hunt two years ago. It has no blemishes whatsoever. I have never received such a precious item before, and I have always treasured it carefully, intending to give it to the most important person in my life. I heard that you like foxes very much, so I am giving it to you as a congratulatory gift."
Prince Yu left without lingering.
Prince Yu didn't take the Third Prince's tricks seriously, because he had already learned them all before.
Hui Chun, who had chased after the prince with her bundle, turned red with anger upon hearing his words.
The Third Prince's words clearly demonstrated Emperor Jing'an's high regard and favor towards him.
Everyone in and outside the court knew that Prince Yu had won first place in the winter hunt two years ago. However, because Prince Rui and Prince Yu were mortal enemies, Prince Rui couldn't stand seeing Prince Yu in the limelight, so he instigated Emperor Jing'an to give the reward that should have been given to Prince Yu to the Third Prince instead.
Now, the Third Prince has actually given away the reward that originally belonged to Prince Yu as a wedding gift to Prince Yu.
Isn't this a blow to King Yu's heart?
Not to mention, everyone knows that Prince Yu was unwilling to marry Princess Guangning. Because if Prince Yu married Princess Guangning, it would mean that he would have no chance of the throne.
The Third Prince deliberately chose the first day after Prince Yu returned to the capital to welcome his bride, and couldn't wait to deliver the gifts to Prince Yu. Anyone with eyes could see what his intentions were, but the Third Prince pretended to be very sincere.
Huichun couldn't swallow this insult and turned back to Yanxiang Palace.
The Third Prince, who remained where he was, watched Prince Yu's figure recede into the distance until it disappeared from his sight.
At the same time, the timidity in his eyes gradually faded.
Although Emperor Jing'an was the legitimate son of the Empress, he was not favored by the late Emperor and was sent to Northern Qi as a hostage in his early years along with Princess Yizhen. The brother and sister suffered greatly at the hands of the powerful and wealthy in Northern Qi, and their lives were even more difficult than those of ordinary people.
Although Emperor Jing'an returned safely to the Great Zhou, Princess Yizhen became a plaything for the Northern Qi nobles, who wantonly trampled and humiliated her, and she eventually died at their hands.
Therefore, Emperor Jing'an deeply resented the powerful and influential who abused their power to oppress others.
It just so happens that Prince Yu used his power to persecute the people, which undoubtedly violated Emperor Jing'an's greatest taboo.
In Emperor Jing'an's eyes, Prince Yu was no different from the powerful figures who had bullied him and his sister in Northern Qi.
How could Prince Yu easily resolve such deep-seated prejudice?
"Let's go back," the Third Prince said to the eunuchs accompanying him. "I'm sorry to trouble you to come with me on this trip."
The eunuch was flattered and quickly said, "Your Highness is too kind to this servant. This is my duty."
The third prince smiled subtly and left with his eunuch.
Given Consort Ling's temperament, once Prince Yu gains power, she will definitely eliminate any future troubles for him and leave him no way out.
As an unfavored prince without the protection of his maternal clan, he had no choice but to fight for survival in the ruthless and cutthroat palace.
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Inside the Taiji Hall, Emperor Jing'an listened to his secret guards report on the affairs of Yanxiang Palace while looking at the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. When he heard Consort Ling and Prince Yu talking about mundane matters, he couldn't help but frown.
He handed the auspicious date for the wedding to Eunuch Cao, who was standing nearby, and said, "Have someone deliver it to Prince Yu's residence."
Eunuch Cao accepted the memorial regarding the selection of an auspicious day: "This servant will make the arrangements immediately."
Emperor Jing'an looked at the remaining memorials regarding the auspicious date for the investiture of the Crown Prince, selected by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. The date was ten days after Prince Yu welcomed his Princess into his residence. Before that, he planned to have Prince Yu take his Princess back to his fiefdom.
Once the plan was finalized, Emperor Jing'an summoned the Minister of Rites to the palace to prepare for the investiture ceremony.