Chapter 368 Dejection

Seeing that Li Xuan was pretending to be just like the real thing, Zhao Feng didn't bother to argue with the kitten.

He turned around and said to Princess Ankang with a smile:

"Your Highness, I don't know the exact budget yet."

"But when the craftsman comes, you just have to make your request. If it cannot be completed, the craftsman will remind you."

"After His Highness and the craftsmen decide on the repair plan, you may need to stay in Xingqing Palace for a few days. After the repairs are completed, you can return to Jingyang Palace."

Zhao Feng informed Princess Ankang of the next arrangements and asked them to prepare in advance.

"Do you want to stay at Xingqing Palace for a few days?"

The three little ones looked at each other, but they all looked happy.

It would be a good thing to have the opportunity to play outside the palace for a few more days.

Furthermore, they were not able to have fun the last time. This time they had a few more days of opportunities, so the three little ones were naturally happy.

Moreover, there were some people they cared about outside the palace, and they just took this opportunity to visit them.

"Can you leave the palace again?"

Li Xuan also thought happily.

The last time they participated in the competition, Li Xuan was not able to move freely.

If they were the only ones to stay for a few days this time, Li Xuan would be able to take some time to move around freely and explore every corner of the capital.

Zhao Feng only gave a rough outline of the next arrangements. Specific repair matters still need to be handled by specialized craftsmen.

At that time, the three little ones only need to put forward their own needs, and then go to Xingqing Palace to live for a while until the Jingyang Palace is repaired.

From this point of view, the renovation of Jingyang Palace has a lot of benefits.

Li Xuan also felt extremely dissatisfied at the beginning, but gradually became able to accept it.

"As for this kind of prize, it can only be said that it is not bad."

"But I always feel that there is a lot less sincerity than before."

Li Xuan lamented Emperor Yongyuan's increasing stinginess, but didn't think much about it other than that.

Zhao Feng conveyed the matter of repairing Jingyang Palace, then said goodbye and left, waiting for the next visit with the craftsmen to decide on the specific repair matters.

…

Less than a day later, the news spread quietly in the palace.

Qingshu Hall.

The three brothers and sisters of the eldest prince gathered in the courtyard of the fourth prince, chatting leisurely over fruits and snacks.

"Big brother, fourth brother."

"Although we didn't get any good results this time, my mother-in-law did not criticize us harshly."

"Although it is a good thing, I always feel uncomfortable in my heart..."

The six princesses were used to being scolded, but suddenly this time their mother-in-law stopped scolding them, and instead felt awkward.

"And I heard that the prize for the first place this time is just to repair the palace. I don't think my mother will be jealous of such a prize."

As the Sixth Princess talked, she found a reason for herself, but she was relieved again as she was minding her own business.

After she finished speaking, she stuffed a peeled lychee into her full red lips, squinted her eyes, and carefully tasted the sweet taste.

The eldest prince and the fourth prince heard their sister's words and just looked at each other silently, then smiled bitterly.

"Sixth sister, if only it were as simple as you say."

The fourth prince couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"What's wrong?" The Sixth Princess still had a lychee in her mouth, her words were unclear, but she asked unconvincedly: "Why is it not that simple?"

"I've seen their Jingyang Palace. It's going to collapse if it's not repaired."

"We are repairing it for them because we are afraid that the house will collapse, so we have to force them out."

"Things like this even accounted for a prize spot in a competition."

"I see that Ankang is holding her cat and crying non-stop."

At this point, the Sixth Princess just swallowed the lychee in her mouth, with a proud smile on her pretty face.

"You!"

The eldest prince reluctantly stretched out two fingers and tapped his sister's forehead.

"Well..." The sixth princess slapped the eldest prince's hand away angrily, then frowned and asked, "Am I wrong?"

At this time, the fourth prince said quietly from the side:

"No matter how dilapidated the cold palace is, does it need to be repaired?"

"The renovated Cold Palace, is it still a Cold Palace?"

Although the Sixth Princess reacted slowly, she was not completely stupid. After being awakened by the Fourth Prince, she immediately realized the problem.

"Fourth brother, what do you mean..."

The Sixth Princess unconsciously widened her beautiful eyes, her red lips were slightly opened, and she was so shocked that she couldn't close them for a moment.

The eldest prince silently stretched out his hand, lifted his sister's porcelain-like chin, and closed her mouth.

"Don't be surprised by any changes, and your face won't change."

The eldest prince taught his sister his experience of facial paralysis.

As a result, the sixth princess looked bitter and simply placed her chin on the eldest prince's palm.

"I'm not as smart as my two brothers."

"It's always an afterthought..."

The Sixth Princess looked very discouraged.

Although she didn't say it on weekdays, she already knew how big the gap was between herself and her two brothers.

They all have the same parents, but she is the only one who seems so stupid. The Sixth Princess actually feels very inferior in her heart.

Apart from inheriting the good looks of her mother and concubine, she seems to have nothing compared to her other brothers and sisters.

It is precisely because of this that the Sixth Princess shows her presence everywhere.

She is not like her two brothers, who will get attention from others just by standing there.

This attention should be taken for granted, but the Sixth Princess needs her own efforts to obtain it.

But the Sixth Princess is not so full of herself, and showing herself everywhere will easily expose her shortcomings to others.

But the more this happens, the more she needs to cover up.

Therefore, the Sixth Princess has a slightly flamboyant personality.

"Who said that the Sixth Sister is not smart?"

The Fourth Prince also reached out his hand and touched the Sixth Princess's head.

It is obvious that the two brothers dote on the Sixth Princess, their only sister.

"Sixth sister, you just lack experience."

"It's all our fault as brothers. After all, when there is something, mother always orders us first, and she is reluctant to let you, the younger sister, work hard."

"When you get enough experience, you will definitely do better than us!"

After being coaxed by the fourth prince, the sixth princess couldn't help but ask:

"Really?"

The eldest prince rubbed his sister's chin and said, "Of course it's true!"

The three siblings naturally started to play and had long forgotten the previous topic.

When they were tired, the eldest prince and the fourth prince sent the sixth princess to rest.

On the way back, the two of them dismissed their attendants and found a secluded place to watch the scenery in the courtyard.

Now that autumn is getting deeper, it is the time when autumn chrysanthemums are in full bloom.

The two brothers admired the yellow landscape in the courtyard and talked about business.

"Mother went to Wuning Palace to meet the Queen this morning and has not returned yet."

The Fourth Prince said, squatting down to take a chrysanthemum petal and twisting it between his fingers to play with it.

"Ah--"

The First Prince sighed first, then continued: "It's not too sudden."

"Ankang lives in the cold palace, which is not right."

"Now that there is such an opportunity, it can be said that the emperor has been partial to him."

The Fourth Prince sneered immediately: "Brother, how favored Concubine Xiao was back then, you won't forget it, right?"

"Although we were still young at that time, we were already old enough to remember things."

"Anyway, I remember it all."

After the Fourth Prince finished speaking, his face was complicated.

The eldest prince did not answer this question, but just shook his head:

"So what?"

"Beiliang has long disappeared in the endless wind and snow."

"Ankang has no support in the court, he is just a shield pushed out by the emperor."

"Father's move must have other deep meanings, but it also makes his attitude clear."

"Even if he spends time on Ankang, he is unwilling to look at us more."

The eldest prince smiled dejectedly and said the thoughts that had been buried in his heart for a long time:

"Fourth brother, this throne has never been mine."

"I know, you know."

"Mother knows it too."

The eldest prince will leave the palace next year. It is already autumn now, and he only has a few months left.

Some words have been hidden in his heart for too long. If he doesn't say them now, he may not have the chance to say them again in the future.

The eldest prince smiled with a hint of relief, and continued:

"Why has the queen been keeping a low profile in recent years? It's because she is sure of victory."

"No one can stop the second brother."

"The competitions in the past few months are nothing but monkey shows."

The fourth prince fell silent. Even he could not refute the eldest prince's words.

"Fourth brother, if I am gone."

"You must take good care of mother and sixth sister..."

"Big brother!"

Seeing that the eldest prince was getting more and more discouraged, the fourth prince could not help but shout.

"My father also went through many hardships and overcame many difficulties before he ascended to the throne."

"Brother, if you were put in my father's position, do you think you would win?"

"Even the crown prince was deposed, not to mention that the crown prince has not been appointed yet?"

"The situation in the court is so treacherous, who dares to say victory or defeat lightly?"

"As long as you are not dead, it is not over!"

"Even if you have to lose, you must do your best to win for me, my sixth sister, and my mother, and then lose after you have earned enough chips!!!"

At some point, the fourth prince had already grasped the first prince's collar tightly, and his face was close enough to splash spit on the first prince's face.

After the fourth prince said the last word, he pushed the first prince and loosened his grip on the collar.

The first prince staggered and almost lost his balance after being pushed.

But after being treated so rudely by the fourth prince, the first prince actually laughed.

"Okay, then I will struggle a little more."

The first prince looked at the fourth prince with interest.

It was quite rare for the Fourth Prince to be so emotional.

But it seemed that the First Prince was expecting such a reaction, because at this moment his face was full of satisfied smiles.

"If you were so motivated on weekdays, how much easier would I be?"

"Even if it was the throne, with your help, I would dare to fight for it."

The Fourth Prince bowed his head and remained silent.

He knew better than anyone that they could not fight for the throne.

From the beginning, the Fourth Prince only wanted one thing, that is, the safety of his family.

But for such a simple thing, the Fourth Prince found that he needed to work hard and go all out.

This was still insufficient.

Although he and the eldest prince were still young at the time, they witnessed how Empress Wu ascended to the throne and how Concubine Xiao was banished to the cold palace.

With Empress Wu's means, she would do anything to ensure that the throne belonged to her child and to clear the way for her child.

Even the fourth prince thought that at that time, it was natural for Empress Wu to do anything.

And the fourth prince's idea has always been simple. He just wants to ensure the safety of his family and doesn't care about anything else.

But now the undercurrent is surging in the court, and everyone has reached a critical moment of decision.

The fourth prince still doesn't know how to make a choice, so he can only find ways to make more chips in his hand, hoping to be able to pay for the "life-buying money" for his family in the future.

Seeing that the fourth prince was silent, the eldest prince hit his shoulder.

"You kid."

"You've been the most cunning one since you were little, but one day, you'll have to stand up."

"We're not happy just because you hide in the dark and do things for us."

"We want you to be happy, too."

The eldest prince looked at his younger brother distressed, his eyes reddened unconsciously.

Perhaps he didn't know how lucky he was?

Anyway, since he was old enough to understand, the eldest prince never felt how happy it was to be born in the royal family.

He even occasionally wished that his younger brother and sister had never been born.

In that case, he wouldn't have to be so scared.

"You just said some depressing words today, don't lose your composure in front of your sixth sister in the future!"

The fourth prince warned, then turned around and left.

The eldest prince watched the fourth prince's back slowly disappear from his sight, and finally sighed and exhaled a foul breath.

"Then try your best one last time."

...

After a few days.

Zhao Feng brought the craftsmen to visit.

And in these few days, the three little ones had already listed a long list of needs.

At Li Xuan's request, no matter whether it is useful or not, just fill it in as long as you can think of it.

At that time, after some bargaining, you can estimate how much the budget for the renovation of Jingyang Palace is.

But Zhao Feng, the old man, did not play by the rules. After taking the list of needs of the three children, he waved his hand and asked the three children to leave the palace and send them to Xingqing Palace.

He also said that the renovation work would definitely satisfy them, and did not say which needs could be met and which could not be met.

But Zhao Feng had already arranged all the affairs at this time, and the three children could only obey.

Before leaving, after asking Zhao Feng to take care of the golden pig for the next few days, the three children went to Xingqing Palace.

When they arrived here, they found that Shang Zongguan was waiting here, saying that he would take care of their daily life in the next few days.

Moreover, Li Xuan found that many eunuchs in flowery clothes were arranged to guard inside and outside Xingqing Palace, which was more strictly guarded than when the princes and princesses came out to investigate the case before.

Li Xuan's eyes turned immediately, and he had a premonition that things were not simple.

"Shang Zongguan brought so many eunuchs in fancy clothes. What on earth is going on?"