The Fourth Prince had failed to crush Xie Huizhou and see him suffer, and returned to the Prince’s Residence in disappointment. With the emperor now paralyzed, he felt this was an excellent opportunity.
He was plotting with his subordinates to force the emperor's abdication and seize the succession when he saw the Spring Palace Paintings they presented.
After presenting the pictures, his advisers looked at him as though they had something to say but hesitated, frantically hinting that he should take a look.
The Fourth Prince frowned in confusion. They had been discussing their plans to seize the succession perfectly well, so why were they asking him to look at Spring Palace Paintings?
"You want me to look at this at a time like this? What does it have to do with our grand plan? Do not let trivial matters interfere with our plans."
Judging by the picture on the cover, the artist lusted after the Imperial Preceptor's body and had brazenly drawn him on it. The artist certainly had nerve.
Whenever the Fourth Prince thought of Imperial Preceptor Zhang Lanhe's terrifying, demonlike figure, he lost all interest.
Once he successfully seized power, he would find a way to kill the Imperial Preceptor and have the historians blacken his name!
Seeing that the Fourth Prince had no intention of touching it, an adviser could not help reminding him, "Your Highness, you really should take a look. This concerns you and the Fifth Prince. Everyone outside is already in an uproar. If this continues, your reputation will be ruined."
The advisers had thought it would be enough to devise strategies against political enemies for the lord they served.
They had never imagined that one day they would also have to agonize over their lord's reputation.
A few Spring Palace Paintings could