novelaction Chapter 1005 Cutting flesh with a dull knife
Chapter 1005 Cutting flesh with a dull knife
Cui Rong did not linger in the East Palace. After saying these words, she calmly reprimanded the palace servants serving her, then gracefully took the hand of a maid and left, returning to her own palace.
As he passed by Xiaoyuer, he paused for a moment and gave the person a cryptic look from head to toe.
The faint smile at the corner of his mouth looked anything but malicious.
However, the two had known each other for a very long time, and Xiaoyuer was not as young as Zhou Ding. He had an extremely strong mentality, so he was never bothered by such tricks and was not affected at all.
When Cui Rong looked over, his expression remained neither humble nor arrogant.
After Cui Rong and her entourage had gone far away, the young crown prince Zhou Ding finally relaxed, slumped his shoulders, and gave a bitter laugh: "Hehe, I've really been a pathetic crown prince!"
Looking at the listlessness emanating from him and his tightly clenched fists, Xiaoyuer knew that Cui Rong's daily method of sending sweet soup and intimidating him like cutting flesh with a dull knife had worked on Zhou Ding.
No matter how mature Zhou Ding was, he was still only a little over ten years old. Limited by his age, coupled with the death of the late empress, he had neither real power nor anyone to rely on. In this deep palace, he inevitably felt lost at times and his mind was not firm enough.
"Your Highness, please don't be anxious. You are currently one of His Majesty's only two bloodlines and the Crown Prince. Consort Cui is just a consort after all. The inner palace is not allowed to interfere in politics. Her actions now are just taking advantage of your youth. She can only show off her power in trivial matters such as food, clothing, and housing. She doesn't have the guts to do anything else."
Despite Xiaoyuer's words of comfort, Zhou Ding's mood did not improve much. He understood many things, but he was powerless to do anything about them.
“Zhang Shidu, have you ever seen a bird startled by the twang of a bow? When a bird is startled, it can faint from fright at the sound of a hunter’s bowstring. I am just like that bird now.”
Hearing this, Xiaoyuer felt sorry for him, but still encouraged him in a deep voice:
“Your Highness, you are exceptionally intelligent and understand the current situation better than many others. That is why I believe you cannot sit idly by and wait for your doom. Consort Qian is my cousin, but I recommended her to you not because of our kinship, but more because she comes from the Qian family and has the powerful Qian family to rely on.”
If Consort Qian could ascend to the position of Empress and stand on the same side as Your Highness, not only would it curb Consort Cui's arrogance, but Your Highness would also gain the Qian family's support when you enter court—a win-win situation! There's really no need to hesitate.”
“Yes, I cannot sit idly by and wait to die!” Zhou Ding repeated.
She put on a serious face again, as if she had made a decision in her heart.
Seeing his expression, Xiaoyuer knew that her cousin's matter was almost certain. The rest depended on her father and the Qian family's efforts in court.
Nowadays, His Majesty is only concerned with indulging in a life of pleasure and debauchery, and many state affairs have to be handled by ministers. Regarding the matter of establishing an empress, if my cousin can gain the support of most court officials, His Majesty will surely have to carefully consider the matter when making a decision.
When they came out of the East Palace, it was already dusk. They encountered many colleagues at the palace gate, including their own father.
The two decided to share a carriage. In the carriage, Xiaoyuer gave a brief account of what happened at the Eastern Palace that day, especially focusing on the matter of his cousin from the Qian family.