The Good Grandson of the Red Chamber

Chapter 4: Entering the Palace to Meet the Emperor

Prince Chung-cheng quickly replied, "That makes sense."

After saying this, he led his family to kneel down to receive the imperial decree.

The Fifth Prince stood facing south and proclaimed:

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Third Prince, Chongde,..."

"I respectfully follow the ancestral precepts, and those members of the imperial clan who disrupt the government and violate the law are subject to severe punishment. Previously, I had already stripped them of their princely titles and imprisoned them in the Prince of Zhongzheng's residence for seven years."

"..."

"By special grace, your title of Prince Zhongzheng is restored, the gates of your residence are opened, your guards are removed, and your ceremonial regalia is returned."

"From this day forward, they shall cleanse their minds and thoughts, strictly adhere to the rules and regulations, and recite the imperial instructions daily to reflect on their past mistakes."

"If he continues to act wickedly and reverts to his old ways, I will report to the ancestral temple to strip him of his title, reduce him to a commoner, permanently remove him from the official register, and show him no further leniency. So be it."

Upon hearing the imperial decree, Prince Zhongzheng couldn't hold back his tears. His voice trembled as he said, "Your subject accepts the decree and expresses his gratitude!"

The fifth prince, who was delivering the imperial decree, rushed forward to help him up and asked with a heavy heart:

"Third Brother, it's been seven years. How come your hair has turned so white?"

Prince Chung-cheng sighed, "Fifth brother, how could you know how I've survived these past seven years? I've lived in constant fear and anxiety, and haven't had a single full night's sleep."

"I thought I would be imprisoned by Father Emperor for life, never to see the light of day again. Who would have thought there would be a day when I would be pardoned?"

"Today is a joyous day, but let's not talk about that. You lot, why don't you come and pay your respects to your loyal and obedient Fifth Imperial Uncle?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Chengzong's face showed a thoughtful expression.

It turns out he was the villain Prince Zhongshun who never appeared in Dream of the Red Chamber.

Now that he's become his royal uncle, and seems to have a good relationship with his adoptive father, then everything's fine.

Next, Xia Chengqian led the five siblings in paying their respects.

"Nephew pays respects to the Fifth Imperial Uncle, Zhongshun."

"..."

"My niece pays her respects to the Fifth Imperial Uncle, Zhongshun."

Prince Zhongshun smiled and offered a gesture of support, saying, "No need for formalities, no need for formalities. Of you five siblings, I've only met Chengqian. The necklace he's wearing was a gift from me!"

"He was just learning to walk back then, and now he's all grown up, and this is the first time you've ever seen him!"

"When you see me in the future, just call me Fifth Uncle. Calling me Fifth Imperial Uncle makes it sound too formal."

Prince Zhongshun spotted Xia Chengzong at a glance and couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

Prince Chungshun's positive emotions +1 +1 +1

Xia Chengzong thought to himself, "This is the charm of a beautiful face."

If it weren't for this supernatural ability, how could Prince Chungshun have been the first among his five siblings to notice him and release positive emotions?

He then pressed his advantage, asking with a smile, "Fifth Uncle, you've already given my eldest brother a gift, what gift are you going to give us?"

Prince Zhongshun saw that these little fellows had been timid and fearful ever since they received the imperial decree.

This little guy, however, was not only born with a fair complexion, but also showed no fear whatsoever.

Now, she even dared to ask him for a gift upon meeting, which surprised him greatly.

He deliberately put on a stern face and asked, "Little one, aren't you afraid of me?"

Xia Chengzong smiled innocently and said, "Fifth Uncle, aren't you my father's closest brother? Would you harm us? Why should I be afraid of you?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Chungshun laughed loudly, "Excellent! What a sharp tongue! This is the demeanor that a member of the royal family should have!"

Prince Zhongzheng hurriedly said, "Zong'er, you must not be disrespectful to your fifth uncle."

Prince Zhongshun laughed and said, "Third Brother, don't scare him. I like this little guy. Isn't it a good thing that he's close to me?"

"I came in a hurry this time to deliver the imperial decree, and I didn't have time to bring you a gift. I will definitely make it up to you next time."

"Now that the Prince's mansion has been unsealed, you little ones should come visit your Fifth Uncle more often."

"My fifth uncle's family employs renowned chefs from Sichuan, Shandong, Huaiyang, and Guangdong, as well as more than a dozen opera troupes."

"Come to Uncle Wu's place for drinks and music, and I guarantee you'll have a wonderful time!"

Prince Zhongzheng, hearing that what he said didn't sound right, quickly put on a stern face and said, "Fifth brother, it's one thing for you to be absurd, but don't lead them astray."

Prince Zhongshun chuckled and said, "Third Brother, don't worry. They're still young. Would I really let them drink alcohol?"

"By the way, Third Brother, your family should quickly pack up and come with me to the palace to meet Father and express our gratitude."

Upon hearing that he was to have an audience with the Emperor, Prince Zhongzheng's face immediately showed fear.

He couldn't help but ask, "Fifth brother, how is Father Emperor in his mood today? Will he scold me?"

Prince Zhongshun said helplessly, "Third brother, the old man is our own father. Why are you so afraid of him? Does he think he can eat you?"

"Don't you know that the more timid and hesitant you are in front of the Emperor, the more displeased he will be, and the more he will reprimand you?"

Upon hearing what Prince Chungshun said, Prince Chungjang became even more frightened.

Prince Zhongshun couldn't help but say, "Enough, enough, you can't count on Third Brother."

"It seems we can only rely on these little ones. Father is getting old and now he loves children the most."

"You lot, if you act cute in front of your royal grandfather, he'll forget about punishing your father."

Upon hearing this, Prince Chung-cheng's eyes lit up, and he quickly looked at his five children.

However, he possessed the dignity of a father and was too embarrassed to ask his children for help.

Xia Chengzong said, "Father, please rest assured. With us siblings here, how could we let you be blamed?"

Xia Caiwei, Xia Chengkun, and Xia Chengzhi, the three siblings, quickly chimed in, "Me too!"

Xia Chengqian clenched his fists, his face resolute, but he didn't say anything.

Prince Chung-jung exclaimed with emotion, "You are all outstanding! Your father's love for you has not been in vain!"

The family quickly packed their things and, without delay, drove straight to the palace.

Upon entering the palace and alighting from the carriage, Prince Zhongzheng's fear deepened.

His legs went weak and he staggered.

Just then, a small hand grasped his hand.

He looked down and saw that it was Xia Chengzong who was holding his hand and nodding heavily to him.

Prince Chungjang's positive emotions +1 +1 +1

Before long, they entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The chief eunuch Dai Quan hurriedly reported this inside, and after a long while, Emperor Yonglong finally summoned them in.

Upon entering the hall, Prince Zhongzheng knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. It has been seven years since we last met, and Your Majesty has aged."

"Your Majesty, I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime! Waaah!"

Towards the end, Prince Chungjang couldn't help but shed tears.

Emperor Yonglong snorted, "I've imprisoned you for seven years, and you look older than me now!"

"In these past seven years, I don't know what you've been reflecting on? Do you even know where you went wrong?"

After being reprimanded by Emperor Yonglong, Prince Zhongzheng immediately became fearful again.

At this moment, Xia Chengzong quietly nudged Xia Chengqian beside him.

Then he said, "Grandson greets His Majesty."

Xia Chengqian and the others hurriedly followed suit, saying, "Grandson greets His Majesty."

Upon hearing the clear, childlike voices, Emperor Yonglong's dislike for Prince Zhongzheng vanished.

He couldn't help but say, "You lot, come quickly to Grandpa's side and let Grandpa take a look at you."

"Yes, Grandfather."