Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Some families had a much poorer New Year’s Eve than usual, especially the wealthy families.
Everybody suddenly realized something when they saw that Prince Zi’s third day banquet was better than their usual New Year’s Eve feast
Prince Zi didn’t lack any of the rare things that they did.
All the delicacies were in Prince Zi’s residence.
Where did Prince Zi’s food come from?
Even the servants at Prince Zi’s residence were wearing embroidered clothes, when it had to be pointed out that the embroiderers who knew how to make these things were nowhere to be found.
Had they all entered Prince Zi’s residence?
With that in mind, someone remembered that Prince Zi had sent out a call for lowly workers a few months ago. Anyone who could work, no matter the trade, could find support at Prince Zi’s residence.
It was said that they could trade their handiwork for money, and the monthly wage was quite high.
A bunch of tradespeople were taken in.
Since then, there had been a constant stream of people who joined Prince Zi’s residence.
They had thought that Prince Zi’s residence was just playing around. Why else would they take in a bunch of useless people?
From the looks of it… it wasn’t a joke.
The aristocrats felt that something was wrong when they returned after the banquet.
Their days were getting poorer and poorer. In the past, they could eat and sleep. When there was nothing to do, they could listen to songs and find people to have fun with. Now, it seemed that they had nothing else to do but cultivate.
Though they wanted to eat something special, they couldn’t buy it on the streets.
But it wasn’t that they couldn’t buy it on the streets; it was that Prince Zi’s residence had a monopoly on it.
The emperor went to the banquet. Even the empress dowager had wanted to go, but Feng Qingtian was worried something might happen to her if she came out. He was only able to stop her by promising that he would bring the little prince to the palace for a look after the one-month confinement period.
She still sent a message to the emperor. “I heard that Prince Zi’s residence is the only place in Pale Emperor City that has shark’s fin. I haven’t had any in a month. Have Prince Zi send me some.”
The emperor was the ruler of a country, and had everything he wanted. He never thought that he would be reduced to asking for shark’s fin on the empress dowager’s behalf.
When the emperor saw the shark’s fin placed in the middle of the table like it was nothing, his face turned extremely unsightly.
He scolded the second prince on the way back. “Where are the people you promised would be able to stop Prince Zi from taking the throne? Where are they now?”
They had initially been counting on Bai Yunyi from the Bai family, who supposedly had a powerful backer.
In the end, Bai Yunyi was seduced by Princess Zi… and ended up helping her.
The second prince was also confused. “I… I didn’t know that he was so unreliable. He does have a powerful backer, but why is he suddenly unwilling to deal with Prince Zi? I’m also wronged.”
The emperor sighed, looking like he had aged. “This was your choice. I could have still secured you a high position and wealth, but I’m afraid Prince Zi hates me now. In the future… you can only take care of yourself.”
He could tell from the third day banquet that Prince Zi not only controlled the military, but even the food of the common people.
He didn’t care about the commoners, but the nobles were used to wealth and power; it didn’t take much for them to plead for his abdication.
He had to thank the empress dowager who had always told him not to be rash. He couldn’t defeat Prince Zi.
Of course he couldn’t accept it, but he had to.
Ever since Prince Zi was seven years old, he had been oppressing the emperor. Oppressed for so many years, the emperor occasionally dreamed of rebelling.
But now, this dream was completely shattered.
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