Besides lying down, I also know a little about power struggles

Chapter 25 The dog that bites doesn't bark
"The prince is doing very well," Chao En said, "I went to see you after your majesty went to sleep, and the doctor said that you are fine."

He smiled and said, "When I went there, I met several princes and princesses. They were all there to visit the crown prince."

The emperor turned the jade ring on his finger and asked, "Prince Ping is here too?"

Chao En paused for a moment and said, "I didn't see Prince Ping."

The emperor snorted: "With his magnanimity, he doesn't even want to pretend."

Chao En said, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Prince Ping was frightened in the enclosure, so he must be a little upset. He is still young, so he can calm down slowly."

"He's still young?" The emperor smiled. "He's 25 years old, but he's still so reckless. The words of the assassins have disturbed his mind. When I was his age, I had already experienced life and death several times. I can tell who has done what and who has not done what at a glance."

"Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor. Even if we count back five hundred years, no one can compare to him," Chao En said with a smile, "Your Majesty loves Prince Ping deeply and blames him severely."

"You only know how to say nice things," the emperor snorted. "I have accomplished both civil and military success in my life. I only hope that my children can live in harmony and not be like the royal family of the previous dynasty, where brothers quarreled and the people suffered. If I don't take care of Prince Ping anymore, with his temper, he will cause trouble sooner or later."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Even if the younger ones are troublesome, the Crown Prince is reliable." Chao En advised, "He is the child raised by Your Majesty, and he will never let Your Majesty down."

The emperor was silent for a long while, then sighed: "The prince is a good person, but sometimes he is too soft-hearted and too affectionate."

"Your Majesty, please do not blame me for being too talkative," Chao En said softly, "In terms of the depth of love, there are few people in the world who can compare to your Majesty. In my opinion, the deep love between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess is also thanks to your Majesty's help."

The emperor smiled and said, "You have always been like this. You can even make a dead person look alive."

"I am only stating the truth," Chao En bowed behind the screen, "It is getting late, Your Majesty should go to bed early."

The emperor pulled up the quilt and suddenly asked, "In your opinion, what happened to Twelve in danger?"

Chao En pondered, "This incident happened on the same day as Prince Ping's assassination. It's a bit of a coincidence. Fortunately, the twelfth prince escaped unharmed and no one was killed."

"I have read the testimony of the coroner's autopsy. Although the two people who attacked Twelve were not guards from Prince Ping's Palace, their characteristics are very similar to those of retired soldiers." said the emperor.

Chao En hesitated and said, "In the past few years, our dynasty had several large-scale conscriptions to quell foreign invasions. Later, when the border was pacified, many people were released. Those people learned a lot of skills in the army, and some of them became brave and aggressive after returning and did not follow the right path."

The emperor snorted, "They can easily get the uniforms of the guards of Prince Ping's palace, and they can also get bows and arrows. The thirty lashes Lin Tiande received are still too little."

He lay back on the bed and said slowly, "Sui Yongdao is getting old, and the people he trained are worse than the last one."

Chao En lowered his head and listened, smiling slightly, "I heard that Beihe's spring gift has been delivered to the capital, and it contains the crispy persimmon cakes that your majesty loves to eat."

The emperor closed his eyes, turned inward, and smiled: "I am old too. I may not be able to eat the food I loved when I was young. I only hope that they will stay quiet for a few more years and stop causing trouble for me."

After saying this, there was no more sound behind the screen.

Chao En listened carefully for a while and heard the emperor's soft snoring. Then he went to the corner of the tent to turn off the light and rested on the small couch outside as usual.

Nothing happened that night until dawn, when the heavy rain finally stopped.

The imperial guards who were exploring the way reported that the road was muddy and muddy, and they had to wait a while before they could set off. Ping Wang Feng Wuqiong stood in front of his tent and spat on the ground: "This is such a horrible weather. We are almost in the capital, but I am trapped here."

The accompanying staff advised: "Your Highness, don't be anxious. I see the sky will clear up in the afternoon. This place is only thirty miles away from the capital, and we will arrive in two or three hours."

Feng Wuqiong opened his arms and stretched his muscles: "Uncle sent Guo Yin here, I wonder what he will nag about next."

The staff laughed and said, "General Sui must have heard that Your Highness was frightened and felt sorry for Your Highness, so he asked Deputy General Guo to come and visit."

Feng Wuqiong glanced at him and said, "I think he was upset about Lin Tiande getting beaten."

The staff member coughed lightly and said, "Your Highness, it's windy here, why don't we go inside the tent and talk?"

"What are you afraid of?" Feng Wuqiong laughed coldly twice and looked towards the prince's tent proudly. "My uncle is also nosy. I am already this old, why do I need his help?"

In the prince's tent, Feng Yunxi's right arm was wrapped with a cloth and hung in front of his chest. He took the file handed to him by Chao En with his left hand, placed it on the desk and read it carefully.

Chao En held a whisk in his hand and stood quietly by the side.

Feng Yunxi finished reading the file and his expression froze slightly.

"My father asked you to send the coroner's autopsy results to me. I guess he has something to say?" He closed the file and looked up at Chao En.

Chao En smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise. Your Majesty has kept this file in his hands. No one else has seen it except the coroner who performed the autopsy."

"I wonder what instructions my father has?" Feng Yunxi asked.

Chao En bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty said that the Crown Prince has been assisting the government for some time. After reading this file, I believe he has a plan in mind. Your Majesty would like to ask the Crown Prince, how should this case be judged?"

Feng Yunxi stared at the cover of the file. The pale yellow cover was blank with no words on it. From the outside, no one would know that it contained a record of a major case involving an attack on a prince.

Feng Yunxi gently stroked the cover with his hand: "Please tell my father, I can't say anything profound, but the law is not the law of one person, it is the law of the world, this is the foundation of the long-term prosperity of Da Zhao. As I was involved in the assassination of Prince Ping, I would like to recuse myself. As for the assassination of Prince Twelve, please report it to your Majesty and punish him according to the law."

Chao En smiled softly: "Is this the Crown Prince's reply?"

"Yes." Feng Yunxi handed the file back to Chao En, "Please tell me exactly what you said."

After hearing Chao En's report, the emperor's eyes showed a few fine lines.

"No wonder people say that only when you become a father can you be considered an adult. I think Yunxi has become more obedient."

He stood on a high slope, looking at the endless tents below, and pointed: "These children of mine, they enjoy fine clothes and delicious food every day, and have wealth that others cannot spend in their lifetime, but they are unwilling to let me worry less like the children of ordinary people."

Chao En bowed his body, holding the file in both hands, and said softly: "The Crown Prince asked me to return the file to Your Majesty. In my opinion, the Crown Prince still wants to save some face for the royal family."

The emperor laughed and looked towards the capital. "I raised the prince by myself. I know his strengths and weaknesses. I am afraid that someone will not let this go so easily."

(End of this chapter)