The number one rebel of the Great Wu

The Imperial Palace.

At this moment, tables of food and wine had been set out in front of the main hall, and civil and military officials took their seats in turn, soon filling the hall to capacity.

Inside the main hall sat the sixteen princes of the Great Wu Kingdom and officials of the first and second ranks or above in the imperial court.

To celebrate the emperor's birthday, all the elderly ministers of the Great Wu Dynasty who had previously been retired and were now at home were invited to come.

The purpose was to allow the emperor to receive the blessings of longevity and to wish him a long and healthy life.

As for Chen Changgeng and his servants, they could only enter through a side door and surround the civil and military officials.

Only the crown prince, adult princes with titles, and extremely powerful individuals are allowed to enter the palace with one servant.

And the one that Crown Prince Xiao Lie brought was naturally Chen Changgeng.

Once the princes are ready, their wives and concubines may enter.

The women who could enter the main hall were naturally the emperor's wives who had been recognized by him. For example, Xiao Lie could only bring Shen Qingci with him.

At this time, the Great Wu Dynasty only had nine princes who had come of age, six of whom had wives, and they were all present.

Although Chen Changgeng kept his head down, his eyes were secretly scanning the princes, trying to compare their appearances with those in the rumors.

Although the current crown prince is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, he is not the eldest son; he is the perpetual second son.

The emperor's eldest son, Xiao Heng, was four years older than Xiao Lie. Born to a concubine, he was frail and sickly from childhood. He had a grandson who had died young, and now he only had a thirteen-year-old daughter in his household, whom he also kept by his side.

Chen Changgeng looked to his left and a tall, thin figure with a pale face came into view; this was Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng was well-read and upright, which made him a favorite of the old emperor. However, he was unwilling to get involved in the political struggles of the country. Many civil officials in the court had also benefited from his kindness, but he never thought of forming a faction. He was very honest and incorruptible.

Then there was the Third Prince, Xiao Ce. Chen Changgeng had met him once before in front of the Imperial Study. His sanctimonious appearance made Chen Changgeng immediately think that this person must be the sixth prince.

Now that Ziyuan has been taken into Chen Changgeng's possession, he naturally knows that it was the Third Prince Xiao Ce who wanted to kill him.

To avoid being exposed, Chen Changgeng did not look at Xiao Ce. Instead, Xiao Ce kept glancing at Chen Changgeng from the side.

Chen Changgeng turned his gaze and saw the Fourth Prince Xiao Ran opposite him. This man was dressed in a purple and gold robe, with a tall and imposing appearance and a cheerful demeanor.

Rumor has it that this person is eager for quick success and instant benefits, likes to associate with extraordinary people, and although he has some political acumen, he lacks shrewdness and will ultimately find it difficult to achieve great things.

Of the four eldest princes, Xiao Lie and Xiao Ran stood out like little clowns, constantly gesturing and talking as soon as they took their seats, greeting each other across the hall in a show of brotherly affection.

A little further away was the Fifth Prince, Xiao Li. He looked like a boy of seventeen or eighteen, and although he was the last to take his seat, he was still wearing his general's armor. His travel-worn appearance made it easy to tell that he had just come from the army.

Xiao Li was born with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and his figure was tall and handsome. He was said to be the second most capable and skilled prince in the Great Wu Dynasty. His personality was most similar to that of the young Emperor Xiao Jingtian, and he had always been deeply favored by the emperor.

However, Xiao Li has been serving in the army and rarely returns to the capital each year, so he has not yet revealed any ambition.

As for who is the most capable and skilled prince in the Great Wu Dynasty, it is naturally Xiao Lie.

Whether he truly lived up to his reputation is unknown, but he once led 800 men to defeat 5,000 enemy soldiers, captured the deputy general alive, and beheaded the commander.

Back then, he was a dashing young man, full of youthful vigor, wielding a sword and daring to curse the heavens.

The sixth prince, Xiao Zheng, was born into a very high social class. His mother was the current second empress, Jiang, and his uncle was the prime minister, Jiang Yan. Going back a few generations, there were seven women from the Jiang family who married into the imperial harem, the lowest of whom was a concubine.

Nearly one-third of the high-ranking officials of the imperial court, who were of the fourth rank or above, were related to the Jiang family by blood.

Therefore, the Jiang family is the most powerful family in the Great Wu Dynasty, which can truly be described as having immense power and influence.

Unfortunately, the Jiang family had no one in the army, and the sixth prince, Xiao Zheng, seemed to have some intellectual disabilities from birth; otherwise, it would have been difficult for the throne to fall securely into Xiao Lie's hands in the future.

However, Xiao Zheng's close relationship with the Third Prince Xiao Ce, seemingly indicating his intention to subtly support Xiao Ce, made Crown Prince Xiao Lie very uneasy.

The remaining princes, the seventh prince Xiao Yun, the eighth prince Xiao Qian, and the ninth prince Xiao Chen, are only fourteen or fifteen years old. Although they are adults, they have not yet been granted palaces or residences and are still living in the palace. Therefore, they do not have any factions.

However, these three individuals have some connection with the Third Prince Xiao Ce and the Fourth Prince Xiao Ran, and if they leave the palace in the future, they will surely become their right-hand men and helpers.

"It seems that only our Crown Prince Xiao Lie is truly alone!"

"The Crown Prince's birth mother, the first Empress, died before the Emperor ascended the throne."

"Although Xiao Jingtian made Xiao Lie the crown prince before his death, so that she could die in peace, it also caused Xiao Lie to be in a state of being unable to support the family alone."

"His birth mother was of low status and had no support in the court, and he lacked maternal love from childhood."

"No wonder Xiao Lie developed this kind of personality!"

Chen Changgeng withdrew his gaze and looked at Crown Prince Xiao Lie in front of him, his eyes filled with pity.

After all, if Xiao Lie hadn't been so assertive, it would be questionable whether he would have survived to this day.

"Congratulations on His Majesty's birthday! May His Majesty enjoy boundless blessings, boundless happiness, and longevity! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

As the princes and high-ranking officials inside the hall, along with the civil and military officials outside, all stood up and raised their cups in celebration, Chen Changgeng suddenly looked up.

Finally, they got to see the true face of the current emperor, Xiao Jingtian.

Xiao Jingtian, dressed in a dragon robe, strode in with the imposing presence of a dragon and the powerful stride of a tiger, surrounded by the Empress and two concubines.

At the age of fifty, he already had graying temples, and his resolute face showed signs of fatigue.

It is said that Xiao Jingtian did not succeed to the throne as crown prince; he seized the throne through a coup.

In his early years, he planned extensively and possessed both literary and military skills, which took a heavy toll on his health.

Looking at it now, it does indeed have a somewhat aged appearance.

Xiao Jingtian chuckled.

"My esteemed subjects, please rise!"

Seeing Xiao Jingtian's gaze sweep down, Chen Changgeng took a slight step back.

There happened to be a pillar next to Crown Prince Xiao Lie, and Chen Changgeng didn't want to be exposed in front of Xiao Jingtian, so he simply hid behind it.

By the time Xiao Jingtian looked over, Chen Changgeng had already hidden most of his body behind a pillar.

Xiao Jingtian's gaze lingered briefly on Crown Prince Xiao Lie before quickly shifting to Chen Changgeng.

Xiao Jingtian recognized the attendants behind the princes.

The person behind Crown Prince Xiao Lie was mostly obscured by a pillar, and his face was hidden by his head. Xiao Jingtian became curious about him.

Normally, on occasions like this, Xiao Lie would be accompanied by Steward Lin from the Crown Prince's residence, whom Xiao Jingtian recognized.

Why is it a different person today?

"emperor."

Seeing Xiao Jingtian slightly turn his head, the chief eunuch, Eunuch Sun, immediately came closer.

"Oh, that one? That's a newly recruited eunuch in the Crown Prince's residence, who accompanies the Crown Prince in his studies."

"It is said that this person is quite talented in literature and is deeply favored by the Crown Prince."

Seeing Xiao Jingtian's gaze, Eunuch Sun immediately understood and explained.

A glint flashed in Xiao Jingtian's eyes as he thought of the Crown Prince's recent changes and suddenly understood.

After all, he knew better than anyone the quality of the teachers in the Crown Prince's residence.

Xiao Lie didn't like studying, so Xiao Jingtian naturally didn't send him the best teacher.

"To have such a gentleman as my assistant, it seems that I, the good daughter-in-law of the Shen family, am in charge."

"I didn't misjudge him!"

Xiao Jingtian looked at Shen Qingci and smiled with satisfaction, then stopped worrying about it.

"...All nations have come to pay tribute; please, envoys of all nations, ascend the throne to offer your congratulations!"

With a wave of his hand, Eunuch Sun immediately shouted a loud proclamation.

One by one, foreign envoys, carrying their congratulatory gifts, strode forward.