diskusbooks Chapter 216 Slapping the Arrogant Crown Prince in the Face 9
Chapter 216 Slapping the Arrogant Crown Prince in the Face 9
"Get ready! I'm going to see the Emperor right now!" Gongsun Jing ordered his servants sternly.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The attendant acknowledged the order and left.
When Gongsun Jing entered the Fengtian Hall, the emperor was sitting at his desk reviewing memorials. Upon seeing Gongsun Jing enter, he put down the memorial in his hand and asked, "What is it that you are in such a hurry to see Father?"
"Father, it concerns the Ascension Platform. The platform has been completed. When would you like to hold the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven?" Gongsun Jing bowed respectfully and replied.
"Let the Imperial Preceptor decide the time for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. Summon the Imperial Preceptor." After the Emperor finished speaking, a eunuch went to convey the Emperor's decree.
Before long, Dongfang Ye entered the main hall. "Your subject greets Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be well!"
"Get up. I asked you to come here to ask about the time of the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. The platform for ascending to Heaven has been built. Calculate when would be a suitable time."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Dongfang Ye calculated in his mind for a moment and said, "Today, a month from now, is the sixth day of the eleventh lunar month, which is an auspicious day."
"Then let's set that day," the emperor said casually. "As for the preparations for the sacrificial hall, let..." The emperor paused. He had originally wanted the crown prince to make the preparations, but thinking of the sixth prince, he suddenly changed his mind.
"Then let the Sixth Prince do it," the Emperor said.
"Father!" Gongsun Jing looked at the emperor in disbelief, "I also want to share your burdens!"
He was the one who oversaw the construction of the Heavenly Ascension Platform, and as the Crown Prince, he should naturally be in charge of overseeing the preparations for the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony.
If the Sixth Prince is involved in this matter, what will the other court officials think of him? Has Father not considered this?
The emperor glanced at it casually, "The sixth prince has just returned; it's time to assign him some tasks."
“But, Father!” Gongsun Jing said, frowning.
"No need for further explanation, it's settled then," the emperor declared.
Gongsun Jing wanted to say something more, but seeing his father's somewhat unfriendly look, he could only bow, shut his mouth, and turn to leave the hall.
Dongfang Ye continued discussing other matters with the emperor until a quarter of an hour later when he left the hall.
Gongsun Jing returned to the East Palace without saying a word. When the servants saw his gloomy face, they all stood there trembling.
After returning to the Eastern Palace, Gongsun Jing did not fly into a rage. Instead, he locked himself in his bedchamber and kept writing the character "忍" (patience) incessantly.
If he does anything outrageous after returning from the Fengtian Hall, it will surely reach the ears of his father, the Emperor. If his father thinks he is dissatisfied with him, it will have unpredictable consequences.
If the Emperor continues to favor the Sixth Prince, then what awaits him may be nothing more than an empty title of Crown Prince, and it's hard to say what will become of him then.
Thinking of this, Gongsun Jing made a crazy decision in his mind.
He pondered for a moment, then met with a guest minister of the Eastern Palace. They talked privately for a long time, and finally the guest minister left the Eastern Palace with a sullen face.
After leaving the palace, Dongfang Ye went to Qingfeng Tower to see Leng Yuexing.
He wanted Leng Yuexing to live in his Imperial Preceptor's residence, but Leng Yuexing refused.
When Dongfang Ye entered Qingfeng Tower, Leng Yuexing was feeding fish by the pond behind the tower.
He wore a bright red brocade robe, with gorgeous patterns embroidered with gold thread, making him exceptionally dazzling.
A gentle breeze swept by, and his robes fluttered lightly in the wind, making him look like an otherworldly immortal who had drifted away with the wind.
The sunlight shone on his snow-white skin, and for a moment he seemed to be glowing.
Dongfang Ye's breath hitched. He stared at Leng Yuexing for a long while, not daring to disturb him, for fear of disturbing this beautiful scene.
Leng Yuexing turned his head and noticed Dongfang Ye. He smiled and waved to Dongfang Ye.
Dongfang Ye stepped forward. "How did you find me?"
“Your gaze is so obvious, how could I not notice?” Leng Yuexing laughed.
"You seem to be in a good mood. Is something about to happen?" Leng Yuexing asked.
"The Emperor has ordered the Sixth Prince to prepare for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven," Dongfang Ye said directly.
Upon hearing this, Leng Yuexing smiled and said, "This is a good thing! It seems that what we did before was not in vain, and the emperor still believes us."
Dongfang Ye nodded, "This is a great thing for the Sixth Prince."
"This is the emperor's announcement that he is entering the competition for the throne, which is naturally a great thing," Leng Yuexing said, watching the goldfish scrambling to eat the fish food.
"How much time does the emperor have left?" Leng Yuexing suddenly asked.
"It will take anywhere from three months to half a year," Dongfang Ye replied.
“This should be enough time. Given Gongsun Jing’s temperament, he might not be able to wait at all,” Leng Yuexing said coldly.
“You mean…” Dongfang Ye said.
"Shh... let's wait and see," Leng Yuexing said mysteriously.
Dongfang Ye smiled and shook his head.
*
A month passed quickly. The Sixth Prince devoted himself to preparing for the sacrificial ceremony, doing everything personally. Finally, before the ceremony, all preparations were completed.
The Ascending Terrace was built on a mountaintop outside the capital. It consisted of a high platform with forty-nine steps leading up to it.
With a solemn bell tolling, the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven officially began!
The emperor, dressed in a bright yellow court robe, walked step by step up to the Ascending Heaven Terrace.
The princes followed behind him, walking solemnly toward the Heavenly Ascension Platform.
Dongfang Ye followed behind, and only after everyone had ascended the Heavenly Ascension Platform did he stand in the center of the platform and loudly recite the sacrificial text.
After the sacrificial text was read, it had to be thrown into the cauldron with flames burning in the center. The emperor took the Xuan paper, walked to the front of the cauldron, and was about to throw the sacrificial text into the cauldron when Leng Yuexing, disguised as a servant, suddenly noticed something.
He leaned close to Dongfang Ye and whispered quickly in his ear, "There's something wrong with the cauldron! Stop the emperor!"
Leng Yuexing naturally didn't care about the emperor's life or death, but if the emperor died in such a situation, then the crown prince Gongsun Jing would immediately ascend the throne, which was very different from what they had expected.
Leng Yuexing glanced at Gongsun Jing without leaving a trace. He hadn't expected Gongsun Jing to come up with such a plan.
After Leng Yuexing finished speaking, Dongfang Ye quickly stepped forward and stopped the emperor from throwing the sacrificial text.
"Your Majesty, there's something wrong with the cauldron; the sacrificial text cannot be thrown in!" Dongfang Ye quickly whispered in the emperor's ear.
"Then what method do you suggest?" Upon hearing this, the emperor's face instantly turned cold, and he then asked Dongfang Ye.
"The sacrificial text still needs to be burned, but it cannot be burned in a cauldron. You can use the tinderbox that I carry with me," Dongfang Ye said quickly.
The emperor nodded, and Dongfang Ye took out a tinderbox from his pocket and handed it to the emperor.
Just as the emperor was about to light the sacrificial text with a tinderbox, Gongsun Jing suddenly stepped forward and said to the emperor, "Father, there is a problem with the cauldron. You cannot throw the sacrificial text into the cauldron!"