Chapter 369 – Talisman

Chapter 369 - Talisman

Perhaps because she was genuinely ill, the Empress Dowager forbade anyone from attending to her illness.

She was well aware that no one truly cared for her; being tended to would only mean seeing a group of people she disliked. Why bother?

Only He Jinli went to see her. The Empress Dowager always held genuine feelings for him.

Seeing her in such a state, He Jinli also felt distress in his heart.

Yet, both mother and son tacitly agreed not to mention Zhang Tong, for mentioning her would only stir up resentment - what was the point?

The weather had turned chilly, and after Yun Li changed into warmer clothes, she felt the need to pay her respects, if only to maintain propriety. It would be improper not to go, even if they didn't actually meet.

Sure enough, she was politely discouraged at the entrance. Taking this opportunity, Yun Li veered toward the Empress Concubine's quarters.

The Empress Concubine was currently in a feud with the Second Princess.

The Second Princess, mischievous as she was, insisted on going archery, despite having caught a slight cold these past few days.

The Empress Dowager forbade it, and thus the mother-daughter dispute began.

Seeing Yun Li approach, the Second Princess promptly greeted, "Greetings to Empress Wei."

Yun Li chuckled. "Why again? The two of you really do bicker every other day. But honestly, it's a sign of your strong bond."

Their quarrel only lasted about three minutes. Indeed, it was a testament to their affectionate relationship.

"The disobedient child, still not resting properly despite catching a cold. With such strong winds today, you want to go to the training field? I'll see if you can leave the Chaoyang Palace today!" declared the Empress Dowager.

The Second Princess stuck out her tongue. "Fine, I won't go. Hmph."

Yun Li laughed. "Don't go then, but there's no need to lie in bed all day just because of a cold. You seem energetic, so I think you'll be alright. Drink more water and take a little extra rest. Also, don't be too strict with your diet – illness fears three bowls of rice, after all."

"I know, as if she'd ever miss a meal?" The Empress Dowager smiled as she sat down. "Did you visit the Cihuan Palace? They didn't summon you, did they?"

She had also gone there earlier and experienced the same.

"Yes, His Majesty is guarding there. It doesn't matter to me; I wasn't keen on going anyway," said Yun Li.

The Concubine Imperial summoned Second Princess to take a rest and said with a smile, "Empress Dowager was deeply angered by Zhang Tong this time. Her illness is severe. She's not young anymore, and I've never seen her fall ill like this before. It's clear that she was greatly infuriated."

Yun Li nodded indifferently.

"By the way, I overheard something this morning," the Concubine Imperial continued. "It seems that Second Prince is trying to request a posthumous promotion for his mother to First Rank."

Yun Li raised an eyebrow. "Ambitious, isn't he?"

The Concubine Imperial scoffed. "A man with grand aspirations but inadequate abilities. He has quite the nerve. If I were him, I'd keep a low profile instead of seeking attention."

"True backbone would have been to kneel outside the Zhengyang Palace when His Majesty posthumously honored Jin De Concubine. That would have shown consistency in his actions and words. Before the incident, Concubine Zhang was the best mother figure. The moment something happened, it was Concubine Zhang's fault. Now that she's dead, he accepts her honor and seeks the same for his biological mother..." Yun Li shook his head speechlessly.

"Yes, but if Concubine Xuan could be posthumously elevated to First Rank, it would indeed be beneficial for him. Unfortunately, His Majesty would never entertain such a request," the Empress said.

"This really shows the difference between the Third Prince," Yun Li clicked his tongue. "How much backbone did the Third Prince display back then? Yet, after returning years later, His Majesty's attitude towards him hasn't worsened significantly. He doesn't seek the position of Crown Prince; he just lives peacefully. Rumor has it that Princess Consort Fu, the Third Prince's wife, is quite capable, and their relationship is loving."

"Yes, our Second Prince's situation is a mess. They say his concubine is already pregnant. What a tangled web. Speaking of which, did you know that the Empress Dowager once considered marrying Princess Zhang Tong to the Fifth Prince and making Lady Liao his concubine? The Empress Dowager truly has bold ideas. It seems the Fifth Prince himself divulged this information, indicating a complete rift between them," the Empress chuckled.

Yun Li had also heard whispers about this and smiled. "The distinction between insiders and outsiders is crystal clear."

Both shared a tacit smile.

As the weather grew colder, voices within the court advocating for the appointment of a crown prince intensified.

After all, the sooner the decision was made, the sooner peace would be established.

Moreover, many sought to align themselves, and until a successor was named, the struggle for power would persist.

Now that the second prince was essentially incapacitated, outsiders were unaware of the specifics, but they connected it somehow with him and Zhang Tong.

It seemed he had incurred some sort of romantic debt.

And with Jin De Fei's unfortunate end, public opinion had turned against him.

The third prince had long been out of contention.

On the other hand, the fifth prince's upcoming wedding after the new year would offer an insight into his capabilities when he assumes a more official role.

The favorites remained the fifth, sixth, ninth, and tenth princes, along with the eleventh prince, who, despite his young age, still enjoyed royal favor. As for Prince Twelve, Hu Mei Ren's son, he was far too young to attract much attention at present.

Of course, the crown was contested mainly between the Sixth and Ninth Princes.

The Sixth Prince had always been a favorite. Though Empress Shu had not been favored for many years, the Emperor had shown great interest in the prince since he began his studies.

As for the Ninth Prince, there was no need to elaborate.

Thus, many were vying for the throne, with these two princes standing out the most.

Empress Jin De's death did not fulfill Shu Shu Fei's wishes; it was evident that the Emperor had no intention of dethroning the empress.

Both Concubine Xian and Concubine Shu held the rank of First Class Consorts. They were no longer in their youth, and if they were to engage in an unseemly rivalry, it might very well tarnish the reputation of the imperial prince.

Thus, they generally refrained from stirring trouble.

However, while they dared not act, there were others who did not share the same reservations.

In reality, everyone harbored similar thoughts—should they bring down the pandas, they themselves would become national treasures.

Consequently, it was not uncommon for incidents to occur once more.

For instance, on the first day of October, the princes would visit the Cining Palace in a group to pay their respects.

Though the Empress Dowager was still unwell, she would still force herself to meet them upon their arrival.

That's when trouble arose.

When the Sixth Prince stood up, something yellow fell out of his sleeve.

Upon picking it up, he found it to be a triangular package wrapped in yellow paper, with what appeared to be cinnabar marks inside, suggesting it was a talisman.

This was highly inappropriate.

They were princes; how could they be involved with such items?

Moreover, there was no telling whether it was for good or ill; the Empress Dowager's expression immediately turned grim.

The Sixth Prince was utterly shocked; he had no idea how this object had ended up in his sleeve.

Soon, the matter reached He Jincheng's attention.

In the Cihang Palace, everyone had gathered.

Princess Shu's face turned pale. "Someone must be framing him. Yuer would never believe in such things. How could he have this?"

"Your Majesty, this talisman... according to what the Taoist priests outside say, it is... it is..." Meng Chang hesitated to speak.

"Speak." He Jingenli narrowed his brows.

"Yes, they claim it's a curse talisman. If placed on someone, it's meant to curse them to an untimely death," Meng Chang revealed.

Consort Shu's face turned even paler. "His Majesty is standing up for Yu'er; someone must be harming him."

The queen suddenly said, "This matter indeed needs to be investigated. Is someone trying to harm the Sixth Prince, or is the Sixth Prince attempting to harm someone?"

With Yun Li remaining silent, Concubine Jiang said, "Empress Xiaoyan is always insightful. I wonder if she has any opinions on this matter?"

Yun Li looked over. "I don't think Prince Sixth is that foolish. Concubine Shu wouldn't be so either. Someone must be framing them. I'm wondering why they would harm Prince Sixth. Could it be because he was previously proposed as a candidate for the crown prince position in the previous court?"

"Then, if you put it that way, wouldn't Prince Ji also fall into the same category?" Concubine Jiang countered.