Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 232 It's Too Late
From childhood to adulthood, although he had always had an older brother who was always above him, the second prince had never suffered any hardship. Although the queen mother preferred the older brother, he was her biological son after all, so she naturally held him in the palm of her hand. Therefore, he had never experienced such things as being punished to kneel for making mistakes. Even if he did something wrong, the queen mother would at most say a few words to him lightly.
However, at this moment, he was kneeling on the freezing cold ground in the cold winter, wearing only a thin cloth - after all, there was a warm charcoal stove in the carriage, and the carriage was covered with thick fences, so it was not cold at all. If the guards had not covered him with a thick cloak and stood around him to block the wind, he doubted whether he would be frozen to death.
Kneeling on the ground, the coldness spread up along the thin skin bit by bit, and soon spread all over the body, so that the whole person trembled, and the lips seemed to have lost all feeling. The second prince didn't know where he got the willpower to kneel there. He didn't know how long he had to kneel before his father was willing to see him. He only knew that he had to endure it.
Whether it was because his mother couldn't bear to see him suffer like this and came to plead for mercy, or because the empress dowager felt pity for her grandson and sent someone to say a few words, or because his father finally softened his heart - even though he knew that the hope of these was not great, he could only gamble on those possibilities!
He didn't know how long he had been waiting. Just when he was about to freeze and become numb, he finally heard Liu Feng's familiar voice: "The Emperor has ordered that the Second Prince be brought in."
The anger that had been lingering in his heart finally came out, and the second prince thought he would collapse to the ground, but in the end, he could not move at all. He only knew that his arms were grabbed by someone, and then he was carried inside. When he entered the Qianqing Palace, the warmth that came over him suddenly enveloped his whole body, and a bowl of hot ginger soup was poured into his mouth. Only then did he feel alive again.
"From childhood to adulthood, you have always been half-hearted and gave up halfway in everything you did. This is actually the most persevering time you have ever had. Tell me, what is the important matter that is so urgent and beneficial to the country and the people that you came to see me for?"
The second prince shuddered suddenly when his father's voice suddenly rang in his ears, and then he suddenly woke up. He raised his still numb head and stared at the figure of the emperor in casual clothes in front of him. After a long while, he whispered: "Father, I know that I did something wrong before and committed a serious crime. I don't expect you to forgive me, but..."
His tongue seemed to be frozen, and he finally spoke more fluently. He quickly pushed away Liu Feng who was serving him, stood up shakily, staggered two steps and knelt on the ground again. He had no need to pretend, he was already in tears.
"Although I did something wrong, when I went to investigate Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu's weaving and dyeing workshop, I thought that if I found out that they had made something good without telling anyone, I would snatch it away and present it to my father!"
He suddenly shouted in a voice that was almost a roar: "All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people are his subjects. This world and its people all belong to the emperor, so the best things should also belong to the emperor! But I don't know how my eldest brother got that new spinning machine, and instead of presenting it to the emperor, he took it to the wealthy merchants in Jiangnan... What is he trying to do!"
The emperor did not speak, but his expression became much more serious. The second prince saw his expression and felt more confident.
"I don't believe that my father is such a perceptive person, but he didn't see that my elder brother has been making friends with those prominent families in Jiangnan and local wealthy merchants these days. I can imagine how many ordinary people will suffer if the new textile machines are controlled by these people. How could my father not think of it? But no matter why my father didn't stop my elder brother, I have to make suggestions."
"Even though I have a million faults and a bad temper, I am still better than my elder brother who looks righteous but actually loves money like his life! At least I am an honest person, not as hypocritical as my elder brother!"
The emperor stared at the passionate second prince for a long time, then suddenly smiled and said, "So what do you think we should do?"
The second prince was not afraid of the emperor's questioning, but was afraid that the emperor would ignore him. Moreover, the question the emperor asked was a question he had thought about over and over again after Zhang Shou reminded him that time, so his answer was naturally fast and timely.
"Father, I feel that the drawings of the new textile machine should be made public so that all the people in the world who make a living from textiles can enjoy this highly efficient tool..." The second prince said as he presented facts and reasoned with them, describing the consequences of the wealthy families and businessmen monopolizing the new machines in an extremely serious manner. He felt more confident when he saw the emperor nod slightly.
"What's more, Jiangnan has always been a prosperous land, and has been engaged in maritime trade for many years, with huge revenues. We should restrict them properly..."
When the second prince even pointed out that it was necessary to prevent the merchants in Jiangnan, Fujian and Guangdong from colluding with the descendants of those who disappeared in Taizu's fleet, the emperor's smile deepened. However, the excited second prince didn't know that it was not a smile of approval, but a smile of mockery.
"I didn't expect you to have improved." The emperor said calmly. Seeing the second prince's immediate delight, he suddenly changed his tone and said, "I certainly did not fail to see your elder brother's actions, but I also did not fail to see your little actions!"
"If you had not sent your assassins to kill your elder brother after you had sacrificed several lives to find out that he had bought a spinning machine that was several times more efficient than before, but had immediately come to report to me, then I would not be unable to commend you for being dedicated to the public interest in what you said."
"But, after you suffered setbacks one after another and lost several lives, you came to me to denounce your elder brother. Think about it yourself, what right do you have to accuse your elder brother and those Jiangnan clans? It's too late now!"
"Father!" The second prince turned pale instantly. When he wanted to say something else, he trembled under the emperor's stern gaze.
The emperor then sneered, "You two have been fighting since you were little, one is only good at superficial work, and the other is only ruthless and treacherous. If you could really be like your mother hoped, brothers working together, maybe you could really be able to break iron with strength. It's a pity that neither of you will submit to the other, and would rather undermine each other than cooperate. But it doesn't matter, there are many people who have the same mother but turned against each other."
At this point, the emperor couldn't help but feel a little bored. He sighed softly, and then said calmly: "Today you came with a sincere heart, and made suggestions that benefited the country and the people. Although it was mostly acting, at least you chose the only right path. If you hadn't come today, I would have to give you a house in the capital in the future, and let you reflect on yourself behind closed doors for the rest of your life."
The second prince was a bit self-pitying after his father exposed his painstaking play. But when he heard the emperor's words, he was instantly shocked and couldn't help but feel lucky. If he hadn't met Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying on the way today, and Zhang Shou hadn't said such unpleasant words, he wouldn't have made such a decision.
Even if the result was not as good as initially expected, it was at least not worse. More importantly, he had exposed the true face of the eldest prince and at least achieved his goal of !
However, his grandmother, the Queen Mother, had never shown up before, and let him kneel in front of the Qianqing Gate for so long. That was fine, after all, he had never been a favored prince in front of the Queen Mother, but his biological mother, the Queen, had also avoided him in Kunning Palace, which really broke his heart! If it was the eldest prince, would she not come?
The second prince knelt in front of the Qianqing Gate for at least half an hour before the emperor called for an audience. Because so many people saw this scene, it spread throughout the palace in no time. The queen, who had been so determined not to rush to the Qianqing Gate, was naturally relieved, but she waited and waited in the Kunning Palace, but what she got was the news that the second prince had left the palace.
As someone who knew her second son's temper best, she knew that the second prince might very well resent her as his mother because she did not show up!
Whether the empress could understand it or not, no one else had the time to pay attention. After the emperor summoned the second prince and let him leave the palace, he reprimanded the second prince for crimes such as indiscriminate killing and disturbing the people. He ordered him to compensate the slaves and maids he had killed without authorization and the people he had disturbed. He fined him three years' salary, and then deprived him of his crown and clothes as a prince, suspended court for a year, and recorded the forty strokes of the cane for killing slaves and maids in the account, and would beat him again after the New Year.
To others, this was the most obvious omen. After all, when the two older princes, the first and second princes, were selecting their concubines, the second prince was suddenly punished for causing a series of incidents, while the remaining third and fourth princes were still too young to be competitive. Doesn't this mean that the East Palace will soon have a master?
Just as the eldest prince heard the news and was celebrating with his followers in the other courtyard, a message suddenly came from outside that Chu Kuan, the secretary of the Imperial Household Department, had arrived. For a moment, the music and the banquet stopped, and the eldest prince on the chair was just slightly stunned , and then he said with a smile: "Everyone, take a break, I'll go see Chu Kuan and come back!"
The eldest prince hurried to the door of the study and calmed himself down. His calm expression in front of others immediately became more reserved, and he became attentive but not losing his dignity. He pushed open the door and immediately said with a smile, "Eunuch Chu, why are you interested in coming to my place?"
"No one comes to visit you for no reason..." Chu Kuan said with a long tone, as if smiling, and then said seriously, "I am following the emperor's order to ask the eldest prince a question."
The eldest prince's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile and said, "Please feel free to ask, Eunuch Chu. I have nothing to hide from others, and even more so, I have nothing to hide from my father."
"That's good." Chu Kuan nodded as if he was relieved, but the first sentence he said was as sharp as a knife.
"The Emperor asked the eldest prince, the second prince said that you got a new spinning machine that can increase the spinning efficiency several times more than before. Is this true?"
Hearing that the second prince failed to spy on the blueprints and machines and actually reported the matter directly to his father, the eldest prince was immediately filled with hatred. But no matter how much he hated it, he knew that it would be useless , so he could only bite the bullet and say, "Yes, but your son..."
Before the eldest prince could finish his words, Chu Kuan interrupted him and said, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince should know that such a good thing is beneficial to the country and the people, so why not offer it immediately and promote it to the world?"
When he was interrupted just now, the eldest prince realized that things were not going well. At this moment, he felt cold sweat on his back and could only force a smile: "I am trying to find out whether the spinning machine is really that effective, otherwise I am afraid that presenting it will backfire..."
This time, the eldest prince still couldn't finish his words, and Chu Kuan asked expressionlessly: "The emperor asked, I don't know if it will work, so you went to discuss cooperation with those prominent families and merchants in Jiangnan? The world is bustling, all for profit, the world is bustling, all for profit. This is true, but as the eldest prince, you only care about petty profits. Isn't it time to reflect on yourself?"
As soon as these words came out, the eldest prince knew that something was wrong. He had thought that the second prince would bring the matter to the emperor's attention, but he always thought that this was just a small dispute between the two of them, just like the previous fights, and his father would not care at all, and his mother would at most just persuade him. But he never expected that his father would suddenly intervene from such a high level.
"Eunuch Chu, I want to see my father and explain to him face to face... That's not the case. The court has set up weaving and dyeing bureaus in Jiangnan, but those weaving and dyeing bureaus also requisition local craftsmen and use local raw materials. I was thinking that if I could use these textile machines, I could attract those wealthy families in Jiangnan to better obey the court..."
The eldest prince racked his brains to come up with a good excuse for himself, but halfway through, Chu Kuan just laughed at him and said, "As for the second prince, the emperor has directly revoked his palace status. Within three years, he must first submit a petition to enter the palace. But it's different for you, the eldest prince. You can naturally go to the palace to ask for an audience with the emperor at any time. However, who in the world would not offer his treasures to his father?"
Hearing such an obvious hint, the eldest prince felt bitter in his heart.
Although Chu Kuan's words were theoretically sound, he had spent a lot of money and had finally bought the item. If he handed it over like this, wouldn't he be losing both his wife and his army? Moreover, he had already negotiated cooperation with many people. If he suddenly changed his mind, wouldn't his reputation as the eldest prince be ruined in an instant?
Seeing that the eldest prince had a gloomy face and was unable to make a decision, and even planned to make a last-ditch struggle, Chu Kuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The emperor is the father, the emperor is the father first, then the father. The emperor has always been not too harsh on his sons, but the eldest prince actually misunderstood!
Even Zhang Shou, the real inventor of the new textile machine, knew to stop as soon as he made a profit and even offered the blueprints and promotion plans. However, the eldest prince is still obsessed with it.
Did he have to tell the eldest prince openly that Lu Chan had gone to Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu's weaving and dyeing workshop to ask for a spinning machine?
After all, this was just a cover. The emperor taught his two sons a lesson one after another, but he wanted to protect Zhang Shou who presented the textile machine drawings intact. Otherwise, why bother with all the superficial work like he is doing now? He could just directly announce that Zhang Shou had presented the textile machine drawings!
Alas, Zhang Shou clearly stated in the secret memorial to the emperor that he made that money not only to allow Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu to support their families in the future, but also to marry a wife for himself, but what about the eldest and second princes? These princes were very selfish, but they didn't dare to say it!
