Yu'er shook her head and replied, "the Eunuch who came to inform us just now didn't elaborate."
"I see." Princess Princess Ankang looked thoughtful, but then smiled, "Anyway, not having to go is a good thing."
At the monthly gathering of Imperial Princes and Princesses, Princess Princess Ankang always sat alone in a corner, passing the entire day.
For her, it was just a lot of effort to change places to doze off.
The monthly Imperial Garden gathering was the biggest event for Princess Ankang.
But she still preferred to stay in Jingyang Palace; she still found sunbathing here more comfortable.
Even if the Imperial Garden had better scenery and was lively, none of that belonged to her.
Li Xuan, who was lying in Princess Princess Ankang's arms, felt strange, his eyes darting around non-stop.
In the past, these Imperial Princes and Princesses looked forward to this monthly gathering.
This time, it was canceled for some unknown reason.
Their comparisons at these gatherings were not just for fun.
Leaving aside the younger Imperial Princes and Princesses, those who were nearing adulthood all had their own agendas.
Although Li Xuan always accompanied Princess Princess Ankang, shrinking into a corner to sleep, he actually paid close attention to the goings-on at the gathering.
Several times, the competitions between these Imperial Princes and Princesses became so heated that they almost spiraled out of control.
They all knew this was one of their few remaining opportunities to showcase themselves to their Imperial Father.
The current emperor of the Daxing Dynasty holds the regnal title "Yongyuan."
It is rumored that Emperor Yongyuan is a diligent ruler with the demeanor of an enlightened monarch.
However, he is somewhat indifferent to family ties, not particularly concerned about these Imperial Princes and Princesses, and fully devoted to state affairs.
Among their group of Imperial Princes and Princesses, those who could see their Imperial Father two or three times a month were already considered extremely favored.
Even if they wanted to proactively pay their respects, they had to request permission several days in advance, but most were refused.
Others resorted to cunning, trying to orchestrate chance encounters to gain presence in front of their Imperial Father.
Without exception, these attempts backfired, not only earning disfavor but also severe punishment.
After a few such incidents, the Imperial Princes and Princesses no longer dared to play tricks; they could only exert themselves to perform well at the monthly gathering.
Because they all believed that their Imperial Father would certainly pay attention to this gathering.
As for the actual truth, no one could say for sure.
But this was always better than doing nothing, otherwise, this group of Imperial Princes and Princesses would probably lose sleep every day.
They were not like Princess Princess Ankang; they still had a great future to strive for.
If they made one wrong move later, they might face an irreversible predicament, with a final outcome several times more miserable than Princess Ankang's.
While enjoying the glory, the Imperial Princes and Princesses, from the moment of their birth, were forced onto the gambling table of a high-stakes gamble.
A lifetime of wealth, honor, and their very lives, whether they liked it or not, had already become chips that had to be wagered.
From this perspective, it's not hard to see how important the monthly gatherings were to them.
This sudden cancellation likely has a complex reason behind it.
Their Jingyang Palace had limited access to news, so Li Xuan planned to digest what he heard and then go out to inquire later.
Whenever something piqued his curiosity, his heart couldn't help but itch.
...
After lunch, Li Xuan went out to wander around the entire back palace.
He walked through most of the back palace but couldn't get any definite news.
Although palace maids and eunuchs occasionally discussed the matter, they didn't know more than Li Xuan; they only mentioned that the gathering was canceled, but no one could explain the specific reason.
"It seems I'll have to go further afield."
Li Xuan looked up towards the other side of the West Palace, a direction exactly opposite to Jingyang Palace.
He usually didn't like going there, firstly because it was far, and secondly because there were too many people there.
Especially the nobles.
"Never mind, it won't hurt to take an occasional look."
Jingyang Palace is located in the northwest corner of the West Palace, adjacent to the Imperial City Wall and the Forbidden Garden.
It could be said to be the most remote of remote corners, otherwise, it wouldn't have become the location of the Cold Palace.
What Li Xuan was going to now was the southeast corner of the West Palace, where many favored Consorts resided, not far from the Empress's residence.
In the southeast corner of this West Palace, there were several palaces, collectively known as Caiyun Palace.
Besides the Consorts, their underage children also lived in Caiyun Palace, usually arranged in their own small villas, and only moved out to live independently after they came of age.
After Li Xuan arrived at Caiyun Palace, he didn't look at the dazzling and prosperous palaces; he plunged deep into them, specifically listening to the gossip and rumors that people avoided discussing openly.
Caiyun Palace was indeed different; it wasn't long before he heard the news he wanted.
Hadn't there been widespread rumors about a haunting in the palace a while ago?
As the cat involved in the incident, Li Xuan naturally knew about it.
But at that time, not only was there unrest in the rear palace, but the court was also not much better.
Li Xuan learned from the conversation of a few nobles that almost simultaneously, there was controversy in the court regarding the topic of establishing an heir.
"The East Palace is vacant, leading to ill omens from heaven..."
"The hearts of the people in the rear palace are restless; we hope Your Majesty will establish an heir soon..."
"..."
Topics such as these were unparalleled for a time.
In and out of the words, it was all about urging Emperor Yongyuan to decide on a Crown Prince soon.
Li Xuan didn't hear the specific details.
He only heard the outcome.
In the end, Emperor Yongyuan won, silencing all the admonishing officials.
And the most outspoken officials among them were naturally severely punished.
Liang Chuchu's Grand Secretary father was the unluckiest one.
"No wonder such a high-ranking official just disappeared," Li Xuan couldn't help but sigh.
Moreover, after this incident, Emperor Yongyuan issued a severe warning, causing everyone to feel insecure recently; it was truly a period of extreme tension.
These Imperial Princes and Princesses were afraid that their Imperial Father would overthink and connect it to them, so they all requested leave from this month's gathering, resulting in ninety-nine percent of them being unwilling to attend.
This is why the gathering was canceled.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Li Xuan left Caiyun Palace and headed towards Jingyang Palace.
However, along the way, he couldn't help but ponder many things.
Li Xuan didn't believe that the haunting in the back palace had nothing to do with the push for establishing an heir.
How could there be such a coincidence in this world?
Li Xuan was just thinking about what role Deng Weixians Godfather played in this.
Had his scheme succeeded or failed?
It now seemed that the faction pushing for establishing an heir had failed, and at a heavy price.
But who knew whose side Deng Weixians Godfather was on?
The more Li Xuan thought about it, the more his head ached, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"The hearts of those who play power games are too dirty!"
He also couldn't help but feel a little scared for himself and Deng Weixian.
They were both caught in the game, yet they were bewildered and ignorant, allowing themselves to be used as pawns.
Only after everything had settled, and even several days after the outcome, could they vaguely grasp a corner of the situation at the time.
If they continued to be so slow to realize things, they might one day die in someone else's schemes without even knowing why.
"My information is too limited. Is there a good way to compensate for this weakness?"