bookcurios Chapter 151: Forming a clique for personal gain!
Chapter 151: Forming a clique for personal gain!
As the days passed, the queen's actions were carried out quietly, but the prince was still immersed in his own ideal world.
He read and practiced calligraphy every day, discussed ways of governing the country with the Grand Tutor, and knew nothing about the Queen's secret plans.
The situation in the court became increasingly tense, and Prince Chen seemed to have sensed something strange.
He observed the movements around him calmly, secretly guessing the Queen's intentions.
He was well aware of the Queen's love for the Prince, and also understood his own delicate position in the battle for the throne.
One day, the Prince of Chen held a banquet in his palace and invited several important officials. During the banquet, he mentioned the Crown Prince seemingly unintentionally, and his words were full of praise for the Crown Prince.
Several ministers looked at each other, each with their own thoughts. They understood that the prince's move must have a deeper meaning, perhaps testing their attitude.
On the Queen's side, her efforts to win over the ministers began to show results.
Some ministers began to move closer to the queen and expressed their loyalty to the prince.
The queen felt relieved, but she also understood that this was just the beginning. She had to continue working hard to expand her sphere of influence.
In the harem, the concubines, palace maids and eunuchs who were suppressed by the queen were dissatisfied and began to collude secretly, trying to find an opportunity to fight back.
After the queen learned about this, she became more vigilant and strengthened her control over the harem.
In the magnificent palace, the prince was reviewing memorials in his study as usual. However, an anonymous secret letter quietly broke the tranquility. The letter detailed the queen's various actions of forming cliques and pursuing personal interests in the court, which shocked the prince.
The prince was filled with numerous complex emotions. He could not believe that his mother, who had always been known for her dignity and virtue, would do such a thing. With a heavy heart, he hurriedly walked towards the queen's bedroom.
When the prince entered the queen's bedroom, the queen was sitting on the phoenix throne with a calm expression. The prince's eyes were full of pain and questioning. He stared at the queen closely and said in a trembling voice: "Mother, I heard something about you. Why did you form a clique in the court? Do you know how serious this crime is?"
The queen was slightly startled, and then a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. She stood up, slowly walked to the prince, stretched out her hand to hold the prince's hand, and said earnestly: "My son, you don't know that everything I have done is for you. As the prince, the throne should have been yours. But now the situation in the court is complicated, and the prince is ambitious. I have to plan for your future. Only by forming a clique can we strengthen our power and ensure that you can smoothly inherit the throne."
The prince felt even more distressed after hearing what the queen said. He broke free from the queen's hand, stepped back, and said, "Mother, I don't want such a future. I have always hoped to govern the country with benevolence and wisdom, not by forming cliques and seeking personal gain. What you are doing will only cause me endless pain."
The queen felt very sorry for the prince when she saw him in pain. But she knew that if she did not take action in this cruel court struggle, the prince's future would be full of danger. She said, "My son, I know the pain in your heart. But you must understand that everything I do is for your own good. In this court, the struggle for power never stops. If we do not take the initiative, we will be harmed by others."
The prince remained silent, his heart in deep entanglement. He didn't know whether he should tell his father about the queen's clique and selfishness. If he told his father, the queen would be severely punished, which made him feel reluctant. But if he didn't tell his father, if this improper behavior continued, it would bring great disaster to the country.
The prince paced back and forth in his bedroom, his thoughts in a tangle. He remembered his promise to his father, that he would be an upright and kind prince, and work for the welfare of the country and the people. But now, facing the queen's actions, he felt extremely confused and distressed.
After a long period of thinking, the prince still couldn't make up his mind. He decided not to tell his father about this for the time being, but to try to persuade the queen to stop forming a clique for personal gain. He walked to the queen again, knelt on his knees, and said, "Mother, I beg you to stop forming a clique for personal gain. We can protect the throne through legitimate means instead of using such improper means. I believe that as long as we uphold justice and put the people first, we will definitely be able to win the support of my father and the ministers."
The queen looked at the prince kneeling on the ground, with mixed feelings in her heart. She knew that the prince was kind and upright, but she was also worried about his future. She was silent for a long time, and finally said slowly: "My son, I will consider your advice. But you must also understand that everything I do is for you."
The prince stood up, his eyes still full of worry.
He knew that the fight was far from over, and he would continue to struggle to find the right path in this complex situation.
The queen looked at the prince's worried eyes, her heart softened slightly, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and she said softly: "Don't worry, my son, I will consider your suggestion carefully." After hearing the queen's words, the prince felt a little relieved. He believed that his mother would eventually understand his good intentions and give up her improper practice of forming cliques for personal gain.
However, although the queen verbally agreed to the prince's request, she still couldn't let go of her worries about the prince's future in her heart. In her opinion, the struggle in the palace never stopped, and if the prince was not prepared in advance, he might be in danger at any time. So the queen continued her plan secretly without telling the prince.
The queen began to act more cautiously. She secretly met with the ministers who were close to her to discuss the next plan. In order not to arouse the prince's suspicion, the queen always acted very indifferent in front of the prince, as if she had really given up the pursuit of power. But every time the prince left, the queen's eyes would rekindle the light of determination.
In the harem, the queen did not relax her control over the dissatisfied concubines, maids and eunuchs. She secretly sent her confidants to closely monitor their every move to prevent them from secretly colluding and harming herself and the prince. At the same time, the queen continued to seek new support and expand her influence.
The queen knew that once her behavior was discovered by the prince, it would inevitably cause his dissatisfaction and pain. But she had no choice, for the future of the prince, she had to take this risk.
However, the prince was still immersed in his own ideal world, reading and practicing calligraphy every day, and discussing ways of governing the country with the tutor.
He thought that his mother had listened to his advice and given up forming cliques for personal gain, and his heart was filled with hope.
However, he didn't know that beneath this seemingly calm surface, a more intense battle was quietly brewing.