The Ninth Prince was so infuriated by Zhao Yao that he choked a little, then fiercely glared at him twice before turning his head, his eyes shining as he looked at the Emperor, "Father, I want to go to war like my brother." Although the Ninth Prince was a little smarter than Zhao Yao in academics, he didn't like studying either. "I want to be a great hero like my brother."
Upon hearing what the Ninth Prince said, the Seventh Prince immediately began to mock him, "Ninth Brother, do you think war is a child's play? You still want to be a hero? Once you step onto the battlefield, you'll definitely turn into a coward."
This remark made the Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Sixth Prince burst into laughter.
Furious at the Seventh Prince's insult, the Ninth Prince's little face flushed red. He glared viciously at the Seventh Prince, "Zhao Jing, you are the coward, no, you're not even as good as a coward." Lifting his chin, he displayed a smug look, "My brother is good at war, and as his brother, I'm definitely good at war too, unlike you who can't even shoot straight. Even Zhao Yao, that fool, is better than you at archery. Aren't you ashamed? If I were you, I wouldn't have the face to show myself."
Usually, besides studying in Wende Hall, the princes also had to go to the training grounds to learn riding and archery. In academics, the Seventh Prince was much smarter than the Ninth Prince, but in riding and archery, the Seventh Prince was much worse.
Every time they practiced archery, the Seventh Prince seldom hit the bullseye, and sometimes he even missed the target. The Ninth Prince, like his brother, was extremely skilled in riding and archery, almost always hitting the bullseye. The Ninth Prince often used this to mock the Seventh Prince.
Riding and archery was the only weakness of the Seventh Prince, not only worse than the Ninth Prince but even Zhao Yao, making him the worst among all the princes in these skills.
The Seventh Prince was so angered by the Ninth Prince that his face turned livid, retorting, "I'm not going to the battlefield to fight."
"Zhao Jing, how can you have the face to say such a thing?" The Ninth Prince showed undisguised contempt for the Seventh Prince, his tone filled with sarcasm, "The world is not at peace now, with the rebels of the previous dynasty harming the people. We, as the sons of Father, should share his worries and go to the battlefield to quell the rebels. Yet you say you won't go to the battlefield, you're really not worthy of being Father's son!"
The Seventh Prince was just about to shoot back when the Ninth Prince didn't give him the chance to speak.
"Father, I also want to quell the rebels like my brother and share your worries."
"Well said, Little Nine." The Noble Princess Consort Rong said with a full smile, "As the Emperor's sons, we should indeed share his worries, that's what makes us good sons of the Emperor. However, it's understandable that the Seventh Prince is timid and dare not go to battle, you shouldn't blame him, Your Majesty."
Empress Xie frowned and said coldly, "Noble Princess Consort Rong..."
The Noble Princess Consort Rong interrupted Empress Xie, smiling as she raised her wine cup to the Emperor's lips, "Your Majesty, allow me to offer you another cup of wine." She deliberately offered the lip-marked spot of the cup to the Emperor's mouth.
The Emperor chuckled, leaning down as he drank the wine from the lip-marked spot left by the Noble Princess Consort Rong on the cup.
Seeing this scene, Empress Xie couldn't control her expression, her usually composed and dignified face showing a touch of jealousy and anger.
The Noble Princess Consort Rong poured another cup of wine and drank from the spot the Emperor had just drunk from.
Watching this, Princess Consort De and others also showed strong jealousy and disdain in their eyes.
The Noble Princess Consort Rong, that vile woman, really doesn't know how to behave properly even in public.
"Little Nine, your desire to join the battlefield like your brother and quell the rebels is commendable, Mother supports you," before she could finish, she heard the Ninth Prince excitedly say, "Really, Mother?"
"You're too young now, when you turn twelve, I'll agree to let you enter the military camp."
The Ninth Prince still had a few years until twelve, and he couldn't wait to enter the military camp, to fight alongside his brother.
"Alright, then I'll wait a few more years." He then asked, "Father, Mother, when will my brother return?"
The Noble Princess Consort Rong looked at the Emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, when will Prince Dai return?"
"Your second brother is already on his way back and should arrive in the capital in half a month."
"Father, may I leave the palace to welcome my brother then?"
"Thank you, Father." The Ninth Prince said, casting a provocative glance at the Seventh Prince.
"Oh dear, I deserve to die." The Noble Princess Consort Rong looked apologetically at Empress Xie, "I accidentally interrupted your speech earlier, Empress, what were you about to say?" Though she said she deserved to die, she showed no intent of rising to apologize.
Empress Xie just began to speak when she was interrupted again by the Noble Princess Consort Rong, "Your Majesty, how are things in Yangzhou? I recall the Empress's brother went to Yangzhou to quell the rebels?" She continued, "Oh, and the Noble Princess Consort Liang's brother was successful in quelling the rebels in Jingzhou, wasn't he?"
The mention of the rebels in Yangzhou and Jingzhou made the Emperor's face instantly turn somewhat grim.
Empress Xie and Princess Consort Liang naturally noticed the Emperor's expression, and their hearts sank abruptly.
"I remember that the Noble Princess Consort Liang's brother went to Jingzhou earlier than Prince Dai," the Princess Consort De mused, "about eight months ago, right? Yet until now, there seems to be no news of a great victory in Jingzhou."
"The rebels in Jingzhou don't seem to be as numerous as those in Liangzhou, and the warfare isn't as intense as over there," Princess Consort Shu chimed in after Princess Consort De, "Now that there's already a great victory in Liangzhou, but Jingzhou hasn't had any good news yet, is Jingzhou's situation more dangerous than Liangzhou's?"
Among the three consorts, only Princess Consort Liang's family was a military family and had military power.
Aside from the Noble Princess Consort Rong, Princess Consort De and Princess Consort Shu always saw Princess Consort Liang as their biggest enemy. Whenever there was a chance, the two would unknowingly join forces to deal with her.
"Your Majesty, I recall that the situation in Yangzhou wasn't very serious initially, so why hasn't the Empress's brother quelled the rebels there after more than half a year?" As the Noble Princess Consort Rong spoke, a look of realization appeared on her face, "Could it be that the warfare in Yangzhou is more severe than in Liangzhou, which is why the Empress's brother hasn't settled the rebels yet."
Inside, Empress Xie cursed her brother, calling him a waste.
Several months ago, rebels of the previous dynasty appeared simultaneously in Yangzhou and Liangzhou, but Liangzhou, due to its complicated and dangerous terrain, had a more severe situation than Yangzhou. At that time, both the Empress's brother and Prince Dai volunteered to quell the rebels, and the Emperor sent Prince Dai to Liangzhou and the Empress's brother to Yangzhou.
The warfare in Yangzhou was lighter compared to Liangzhou. Logically, the Empress's brother should have quelled the rebels faster than Prince Dai. However, it was Prince Dai who first succeeded in Liangzhou, while the Empress's brother still hadn't finished in Yangzhou.
The Empress's brother was her full-blood sibling. This time in handling the rebels in Yangzhou, Empress Xie held high expectations for him. If her brother succeeded in subduing the rebels, he would not only gain some military power from the Xie family but also earn some say within the family.
Most of the Xie Family supported the Crown Prince and not Empress Xie's son, the Seventh Prince. For Empress Xie and the Seventh Prince to secure that position, they needed the Xie Family's support.
Empress Xie and her brother had been covertly trying to garner support from some within the family, but those individuals didn't wield much influence in the Xie Family. Empress Xie thought if her brother had significant say in the Xie Family, then more would support the Seventh Prince.
She had planned well, but unfortunately, her brother hadn't managed to quell the rebels in Yangzhou as she wished.
"Your Majesty, perhaps Prince Dai should delay his return to the capital and go to Yangzhou to quell the rebels first," the Noble Princess Consort Rong suggested considerately.
To Empress Xie, these words were nothing short of an insult.
"There's no need for the Noble Princess Consort Rong to worry about the warfare in Yangzhou, my brother will handle the rebels."
"Empress, as his sister, naturally you believe your brother can quell the rebels in Yangzhou. However, given the current situation, it seems your brother can't manage it, so let Prince Dai go help, so that the uprising in Yangzhou can end sooner, and His Majesty can have peace of mind earlier."
The Emperor interjected, "I have it in mind."
This ambiguous statement gave Empress Xie a sense of foreboding, leading her to fear that the Emperor might actually send Prince Dai to Yangzhou to assist in quelling the rebellion.
If Prince Dai did go to Yangzhou to help, it wouldn't only embarrass Empress Xie but also be a harsh blow to the Xie Family.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yao quietly ate, mentally marveling: tonight's drama truly is a spectacle to watch.