vstars Chapter 313 Such Ambitions, Too Big to Be Fit in One Pot
Chapter 313 Such Ambitions, Too Big to Be Fit in One Pot
Kyoto, the residence of the Minister of Rites—
"Father, let's think of another way. The Fourth Prince has been under house arrest for more than half a year. If this continues, where will the Tong family have a place in the court in the future?!"
Please have your mother go to the palace to plead with Consort Shu. After all, Sheng'er is a prince raised under her name.
Besides, she's Sheng'er's aunt. We're all in the same boat; we can't just stand by and watch him die!
A few words of advice from him to His Majesty the Emperor are more effective than us running ourselves ragged!
At this time, you must show your fatherly authority. Even if she is a noble concubine, she must not forget her roots, right?
Besides, without a prince by her side, who knows what tragic fate awaits her!
Tong Zide lingered in his father's study, acting as if he wouldn't give up until Minister Tong agreed to let Consort Shu plead for him.
"Alright, that's enough! That's your own sister, and she's also the Consort Shu, personally appointed by His Majesty. How dare you interfere!"
The Fourth Prince is under house arrest, and you're not the only one who's worried. How do you know that Consort Shu hasn't done her best?
You don't need to worry about this matter. The Fourth Prince really went too far this time. It's good for him to learn his lesson.
Moreover, although they were under house arrest, their supplies within the prescribed limits had never been lacking, and His Majesty had not imposed any other punishments, which was already showing the Tong family some leniency.
"That's not how it works. Father, the First Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Prince are all taking advantage of this situation to kick someone when they're down."
Many court officials who were on good terms with our Tong family have been won over and divided up by these three. What will happen when the Fourth Prince is released from confinement?
Aside from our Tong family, the Fourth Prince will be all alone by then. How will he compete with others?
Minister of Rites Tong Qingyun frowned, looking at his anxious and restless eldest son, feeling utterly exhausted.
After all these years of building connections in the court and sending two daughters, one legitimate and one illegitimate, into the palace, was it really the right thing to do?
Fifteen years ago, his most beloved youngest daughter died after giving birth to a prince in the palace. Was it all really worth it?
Over the years, his wife's resentment towards him has not lessened at all, and his eldest daughter, who remained in the palace, is not close to her family.
He only had these two daughters, who could have been his darlings, but one died young and the other became a caged bird, losing her freedom for life.
Just for the glory of the Tong family, and for this selfish and self-serving elder brother in front of him?
"Alright, don't concern yourself with this matter anymore, and don't wander around aimlessly, lest you go to the wrong person and end up making things worse instead of accomplishing your task!"
Tong Zide didn't understand the meaning behind his father's words, only thinking that his father was probably confident in his plans, which was why he didn't want him to get involved.
Hmph~ You should have said so earlier~ You made me waste so much breath: "Then I'll trouble you, Father. But he's your own grandson, so it's only right that you trouble yourself, isn't it?"
Tong Zide's appearance caused Minister Tong's temples to throb again, and he could only wave his hand helplessly, out of sight, out of mind.
"Alright, alright, then I won't disturb your rest any longer. You must keep an eye on the Fourth Prince's affairs!"
Minister Tong once again put his hand to his forehead, not wanting to look at his eldest son any longer.
After seeing off the eldest son of the Tong family, the steward Tong Lin tiptoed back to Minister Tong's study.
"Master, the items are ready. When would be the best time to send them over? Please decide."
"Have everything been prepared for the Lin and Wu families?"
"Yes, as you instructed, we also prepared gifts for the Liu family. Here is the gift list; please take a look and see if any adjustments are needed."
Butler Tong handed over three gift lists, each of which was quite long.
Minister Tong took the gift list and examined it carefully. He nodded slightly and said, "No need to adjust it. Your gifts are very appropriate. Send someone to deliver them to each household today."
Leaving aside the Lin and Wu families for the time being, the Liu family, though a newly rich family, is a force to be reckoned with and has enormous potential for the future.
It's always better to be on good terms than to be enemies. By the way, isn't Consort Liu's ninth prince ten years old now?
"Yes, he just turned ten after the New Year and has been studying for seven years. The princes' tutors all say that this child is intelligent and has the same demeanor as His Majesty when he was young."
"Okay, I understand. Add another set of writing implements to the Liu family's gift list. Take my treasured items, not those that you just bought casually."
"Yes, sir, I'll take care of it right away!" Steward Tong replied and then withdrew to arrange the delivery of gifts to the various residences.
Minister Tong gazed out the window, silently calculating in his mind. He knew his son was short-sighted, only seeing the Fourth Prince's current predicament but failing to see the complex situation behind it.
While the eldest prince and others appear to be suppressing the fourth prince, in reality, various forces are checking and balancing each other and vying for resources.
If the Tong family were to act rashly at this time, they would only be drawn into the center of the vortex and become victims of the struggle between various parties.
At this point, jumping around and making a fuss will not only fail to soften His Majesty's heart and release him, but will also make His Majesty even more displeased.
With Minister Wu and Minister Lin constantly trying to sow discord between His Majesty and the Fourth Prince, it's impossible for him to turn things around in the short term.
Unless there is a suitable opportunity, making a fuss now would just be setting yourself up as a sitting duck.
The Tong family cannot be the target; not only can they not be the target, but they must also set up a new target for these people.
Only when attention is diverted can the Fourth Prince be temporarily safe. Being confined to his quarters is sometimes a form of protection.
It's just a matter of whether we can make good use of it. We can't count on that child for the time being. He only sees the surface and not the essence. He will eventually stumble.
We should try our best to win over the Wu and Lin families. Even if we can't win them over, we shouldn't push them to the opposite side of the Tong family.
While trying to win over the Liu family, we must also be wary of them. After all, the Ninth Prince is not particularly young anymore. In just a few years, he will be able to stand on the same level as his brothers.
They are all princes, but none of them are born of the principal wife. Since they are all born of concubines, how can we say who is more legitimate?
Relationships that need to be severed should be severed, but one shouldn't wander aimlessly like a headless fly, or at least not seek help haphazardly like someone in a desperate situation.
The Cheng'en Earl's Mansion is not a good place to ask for favors. Although the Empress is the Empress Consort, she has not been involved in affairs for many years.
Moreover, the relationship between the Empress and the Marquis of Chengen's family is not as harmonious as it appears on the surface.
As for Consort Shu, he knew his daughter's methods well; she would not sit idly by and wait for her fate, nor would she act rashly.
Having spent over a decade navigating the intrigues of the imperial harem, Yuan'er had gained a clearer understanding of many things than others. This was not the time for her to whisper sweet nothings in the ear.
Only his good-for-nothing eldest son would come up with such a foolish idea at this time.
The struggle for the throne was far more complicated than he had imagined.
The journey is fraught with peril, each step a test of flesh and blood, a tempering of bones and muscles.
How can one be qualified to sit on the highest throne without having traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood?!