Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1106 - 135: The Crown Prince Position Slipped Away

Upon Prince Dai's arrival back in the capital, precisely as all had foreseen, he traded his battle merits from holding off the Xiongnu at the northern frontier to reinstate Marquis Xuanping's title.

All had first assumed that Marquis Xuanping's title restoration would cure Noble Princess Consort Rong's "illness". Shockingly, her "illness" persisted. The harem concubines scoffed in disdain; they never dreamed Noble Princess Consort Rong would keep up her feigned sickness so shamelessly to capture the emperor's compassion.

Several days passed before everyone realized Noble Princess Consort Rong was genuinely sick, not acting. This revelation stunned them. None had anticipated she would truly sicken herself to guarantee Marquis Xuanping's title came back. Noble Princess Consort Rong proved merciless to her own body.

People insisted Noble Princess Consort Rong had willfully fallen ill, yet nothing could be further from truth. Early on, as others mistook her real ailment for a ploy to earn the emperor's pity, she sent no one to defend her. She understood any defense would ring hollow; belief in her true illness was impossible.

Now with everyone convinced of her deliberate self-inflicted illness, explanations seemed even more pointless. Truthfully, defending her genuine sickness held no weight. Let others judge as they would—the emperor's faith alone mattered.

From the onset of her illness, Noble Princess Consort Rong never urged the emperor to recall Prince Dai to the capital, far less to meddle in Marquis Xuanping's title restoration. She remained utterly silent throughout.

When the emperor chose to summon Prince Dai home, she urged him not to for her alone, given Prince Dai's vital role resisting the Xiongnu in the north. The emperor replied the frontier stood secure now, ripe for Prince Dai's return.

Hearing the emperor had approved Prince Dai exchanging his military feats for Marquis Xuanping's title reinstatement, Noble Princess Consort Rong voiced firm opposition. Public scorn held no terror for her; she merely balked at wasting merits her son had bled to earn.

Within Yongxin Palace then, Noble Princess Consort Rong fixed a disappointed glare on her son: "Didn’t I write to you, telling you not to use your achievements in the northern frontier to restore your uncle’s title? Why didn’t you listen..." Her words cut short as fierce coughs wracked her, "Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough..."

"Mother Consort, I can’t just stand by and do nothing for my uncle." Kinship bound them, after all.

Fury reddened Noble Princess Consort Rong’s face as she jabbed a finger at Prince Dai: "Your uncle is alive and well, what are you trying to save him from?"

"Uncle lost his title," to Prince Dai, forfeiting the Marquis Xuanping title struck as a dire blow indeed.

"Your uncle may have lost his title, but no one dares to bully him." Lately, Noble Princess Consort Rong’s health had eased a touch, only for Prince Dai to flare it anew. "Besides, your uncle will eventually regain the title. Even if the emperor refuses to restore it, once you ascend to that position, you can reinstate your uncle’s title. Why rush to restore your uncle’s title now?"

Prince Dai answered, grievance lacing his tone, "Without his title, how can uncle help me?"

His retort enraged Noble Princess Consort Rong near to blackout, "You... you... are going to be the death of me."

Spotting Noble Princess Consort Rong on the verge of anger-fueled collapse, Jin Mei swiftly reached out to soothe her.

Terror seized Prince Dai as he eyed her fretfully, "Mother Consort, are you alright?"

Free of grave illness, Noble Princess Consort Rong would have savored slapping Prince Dai repeatedly.

Jin Mei’s soft coaxing at last restored some calm to Noble Princess Consort Rong.

In bid to mollify her, Prince Dai presented ginseng tea to Noble Princess Consort Rong; tempted though she was to hurl it at him, her view of him as true son forced endurance.

Ginseng tea downed, dizziness faded from Noble Princess Consort Rong. She thrust a finger to poke Prince Dai’s forehead sharply, raging: "You fool, you’ve lost the position of Crown Prince that was within your grasp."

"What?" Prince Dai reeled from Noble Princess Consort Rong’s claim, "What do you mean I’ve lost the Crown Prince position that was within my grasp?"

Noticing that Prince Dai remained clueless, Noble Princess Consort Rong's chest throbbed with fury once more. How could she have brought such a dim son into the world?

"Mother Consort, just say it," as Noble Princess Consort Rong hesitated, Prince Dai pressed urgently, "What's really happening?"

Noble Princess Consort Rong drew a deep breath to compose herself and declared, "This time at the northern frontier, wasn't resisting the Xiongnu a major military triumph?"

Prince Dai couldn't fathom why Noble Princess Consort Rong posed that question. He nodded and replied, "Naturally, it's a major military triumph."

"So, how does it stack up against your earlier feats?" Noble Princess Consort Rong pressed on, "Bigger or smaller?"

Prince Dai grasped military feats perfectly and responded instantly, "Bigger than before." He had crushed many rebels in the past, gaining substantial merit, yet the Xiongnu stood apart as foreign invaders aiming to strike Great Zhou from the south, making the defense against them a far superior accomplishment by far.