In the past, Emperor Taizong of Tang had few sons, and his only son, Zhao Wang, was also the son of Empress Shen. In order to secure his own throne, he had no choice but to win over those from humble origins and promote those from non-noble families who were not in power. However, in the past, which emperor with many sons did not divide their power among them and let their princes participate in the court's balance of power? Although there would inevitably be new conflicts in the future, as an emperor, one still needs to use people, and it is better to use one's own flesh and blood rather than using those from the Chu family or those from humble origins.

  Tuoba Hong's face gradually showed a look of approval. He waved his big hand, and the name of the fifth prince was decided. Tuoba Zhen, En, not bad!

  Now that he has a son, Tuoba Hong is feeling refreshed and invigorated. Alas, not having a son in the past was truly suffocating...

  In a few days, the whole imperial palace was filled with joyful atmosphere. The fifth prince did not have a royal title, but everyone could see that the emperor valued this child highly, and no one dared to underestimate him.

  As for the harem, this newborn prince will inevitably stir up another storm.

  The birth mother of the fifth prince, Ye Shi, was promoted to Guizi. According to the ancestral teachings, her rank could not raise the imperial son.

  The fifth prince was temporarily handed over to Empress Dowager of Chang Le Palace for care. Meanwhile, Tuoba Hong was racking his brains to find a foster mother for him.

  The matter of selecting a foster mother was taken care of by Jingfei in the Huayang Palace, where she handed over to the other consorts. Due to Ye Shi's smooth delivery, Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei greatly praised and commended Jingfei, saying that she "handled matters appropriately" and was "diligent and strong". Such praise was unprecedented, as many empresses were deposed with just one sentence: "Failed to manage the palace properly". With the emperor's recognition, Jingfei's confidence grew, and her grip on palace power became even firmer, with no one daring to disobey her.

  Now it's time to find a foster mother for the fifth prince, Jing Fei first smiled and said to the other consorts: "This palace is not a very capable person, taking over the palace power can only be considered mediocre, and needs Zhao Shuyuan and Tian Pin to assist from time to time. This heavy responsibility of the fifth prince, this palace has the heart but not the strength." At that time, Tuoba Hong was also present, because it concerned the fifth prince, he was very concerned.

  Tuoba Hong listened to Jing Fei's words, a look of satisfaction and appreciation appeared on his face. Compared to Xiao Huanghou, Jing Fei always put him first, followed his heart, and only gave him the part he liked, it was simply impossible to find fault with her.

  Thinking of Empress Xiaozhuang being locked in Changxin Palace, Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei felt a pang in his heart. Xiao Yueyi...

  Would she really want to kill the Empress Dowager? It's not impossible! In these years, the Empress Dowager has been holding down and suppressing Xiao Shi with the new consorts, when I was busy with the previous dynasty and couldn't take care of the harem. Xiao Shi resents the Empress Dowager and wants to get rid of her so that she can dominate the harem in the future and do evil things, it's also reasonable for her to commit murder!

  Tuoba Hong couldn't believe this matter no matter what. Xiao Yu Yi wasn't virtuous, but she was noble and proud, with her own principles. She shouldn't have killed the empress dowager...

  Xiao Yueyi always knew how to prioritize the bigger picture. She understood that during times of imperial instability, if the Empress Dowager were to be harmed, it would inevitably lead to turmoil throughout the court and the country, and those with ulterior motives would seize the opportunity to take action. Therefore, she would not lay a hand on the Empress Dowager.

  But what he found in the Long Letter Palace made him have to believe - it was an envelope containing many paper notes, which recorded his mother's physical condition and living habits, very detailed from head to toe.

  The last piece of paper recorded even more frightening words - the Empress Dowager had inflammation in her lungs, and the willow catkins on spring days could trigger asthma; the Empress Dowager's pulse was blocked, and if butter was mixed into her daily meals, it would worsen her condition; the Empress Dowager liked to drink fresh jasmine tea water every morning, with jasmine petals picked from the back hall of the Changle Palace, but beforehand, alum could be mixed into the jasmine, and drinking it on an empty stomach in the morning might cause suffocation...

  Tuoba Hong was so angry when he saw these things that his fingers were trembling with rage.

  He and the Empress Dowager lived in fear of being harmed or assassinated all their lives, resulting in the heavily guarded Jianzhang Palace and Changle Palace. Their true preferences were not known to outsiders except for those closest to them. The Empress Dowager's body was always taken care of by Dr. Liang, a tight-lipped and cautious person who would never leak anything out.

  The Empress Dowager's discomfort in her lungs and heart, this is a top secret within the palace, how can it be let out for people to know and grasp the Empress Dowager's weakness? And the Empress Dowager's habit of drinking jasmine water every morning, only Wang Shu Rong knows about it, even Concubine Li doesn't know.

  Who is Wang Shurong? The daughter of Wang Ling, the commander of the Bingsha General, King Wang was killed in battle by the then-crown prince during the coup many years ago. Taizong was able to ascend to the throne, and the Xiao family was the greatest contributor, while the Wang family was a family with little power but made the greatest contribution of loyalty.

  Although Wang Shurong was not attractive and did not arouse the slightest interest in Emperor Xiaoming, she was the most trusted and relied upon person by Empress Dowager. After her father's death, those uncles of hers who were equally untalented as her became officials under the grace of the empress dowager. Anyone might have had ulterior motives, but Wang Shurong could not possibly have any - she was still hoping that the empress dowager would live for a few more years to give her family even greater protection.

  Moreover, she has served the empress dowager for so many years. If she really had ulterior motives, she would have had thousands of opportunities to take action and could have done it easily without leaving any evidence. How could she still go to such great lengths to record these messy things?

  But in the queen's bedroom, however, such a thing was found.

  Why is this?

  Xiao Yueyi said that someone was framing her. Tuoba Hong did not believe it, because in this harem, no concubine had the ability to reach into the bedroom of the Chang Le Palace - except for Xiao, she had this skill.

  But he still hasn't found any new evidence. So there's no way to convict Xiao Shi.

  The matter of Empress Xiao was dragged on like this. Moreover, it's not just a matter of one person, Xiao Yueyi - Emperor Tuoba Hong cannot forgive the person who laid hands on the empress dowager, so he put Xiao Shi under house arrest to deal with her, but this move thoroughly enraged the Xiao family. Currently, Emperor Tuoba Hong's power is insufficient, and it's not the best time to make a move against the Xiao family, but Emperor Tuoba Hong couldn't bear it and took action anyway.

  This has led to the current Left Chancellor grasping this matter on the court and refusing to let go, making him anxious and flustered.

  Fortunately, with the arrival of the fifth prince, Tuoba Hong's mood turned from gloomy to sunny, and he was not suffocated by Empress Xiao.

  Jing Fei smiled brightly at the consorts and turned to the Emperor, saying: "It's still up to Your Majesty to decide. Among the sisters in the palace, there are many suitable candidates, as well as those of high status who can match the identity of the Fifth Prince."

  "This matter will be discussed slowly." Emperor Taizong of Wei said with a faint smile: "The Empress Dowager likes Xiang'er very much and wants to keep him for a few more days. Jing Fei, you also pay attention, see which one is suitable, and I'll discuss it with you later."

  The last time with Zhao Wang, he ultimately chose Xu Shi. But unlike Zhao Wang, the fifth prince was a son he had high hopes for, even preparing him for that position. He still can't be sure if Lin Yuan's child is a boy or girl, let alone whether the child will be healthy... The current fifth prince is now his greatest hope.

  The foster mother of the fifth prince cannot be casually fooled. This person, cannot be like Wen Gui Pin, whose maternal family has no real power, nor can she come from a too prominent and powerful background.

  He needs to accumulate some capital for the child, so that he can grow up safely and won't be easily taken advantage of halfway; but also cannot raise a tiger as a pet, even if it's his own son, there are many cases where sons force their fathers to step down. After thinking about it, choosing a foster mother is quite troublesome.

  Jing Fei smiled and nodded in response to the Emperor's words. Tuoba Hong then stood up and returned to Jian Zhang Palace, as he still had official business to attend to today.

  ***

  In the Jianzhang Palace, there was only one minister present. He was in his mid-forties to fifties, but still had a slender figure. He sat upright on the side of the dragon chair, with his legs naturally apart and his posture straight and dignified.

  When he saw the Emperor arriving, he hastily knelt down to greet him. Tuoba Hong waved his hand and said: "Chu Ai Chen, dispense with the formalities. It was you who just sent someone to deliver a message to me, saying that the Left Chancellor had gone to Chang Le Palace to request an audience with the Empress Dowager, is this true?"

  "Absolutely true. Your Majesty, although the Left Chancellor has not mentioned anything about the Empress these past few days, I'm sure he won't let it go easily! The Left Chancellor's visit to Chang Le Palace must be related to this matter."

  The queen's affair originated from the Chang Le Palace, but Emperor Taizong of Northern Wei did not expect that Xiao Yu would directly go to request an audience with Empress Dowager. Ten years ago when he seized the throne, Xiao Yu often came to visit the Eastern Palace and saw his mother many times, calling each other relatives and being very close. However, after he ascended to the throne, their relationship cooled down.

  Now he went to see his mother again...

  Xiao Yu is an intelligent person who just wants to solve things.

  Tuoba Hong, after hearing the news, did not directly go to Chang Le Palace to see what was going on. Instead, he chose to summon Chu Da Kai first - he did this to let Xiao Yu know that he didn't have such a strong guard against Xiao Yu and wouldn't be so diligent in dealing with him.

  The prime minister goes where the emperor follows, isn't that ridiculous!

  Tuoba Hong's fingers tapped heavily on the case. After a while, he suddenly raised his head and asked Chudao Kai: "Chu Ai Chen, what did you say to the Prime Minister when he wanted to 'die to remonstrate' that day?"

  Chu Da Kai was taken aback for a moment, then smiled humbly and said: "At that time, I just wanted to persuade the Prime Minister to avoid chaos in the imperial court... I told the Prime Minister two sentences. The first sentence is 'Mr. Xiao's approach may have the intention of coercing the Emperor, if it angers the Emperor, Mr. Xiao should be careful.' The second sentence..."

  Chu Da Kai said, his tone still respectful: "The second thing I want to report to the Prime Minister is that recently there have been remnants of Mu Wu Wang stirring up trouble in the capital. I have already withdrawn 300,000 troops from Huguang to return to the capital."

  Tuoba Hong's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened, then slowly smiled. He stood up with his hands behind his back and turned to face Chu Da, chuckling: "You've scared him that much?"

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