Chapter 547: Buying Time

Chapter 547: Delaying Time

He was used to wearing loose, comfortable silk clothes day to day, so wearing such formal court robes now felt completely alien to him.

A palace maid brought over a golden hairpin to fix his hair, intending to style it, but Yuan Chao was currently bald, leaving her at a loss.

Yuan Chao said, "Just bring me a fur hat."

"Yes, Young Master." The palace maid acknowledged the order and went to fetch him a fur hat.

He had barely finished dressing when Nanny An walked in from outside.

She knew Yuan Chao's true identity, and seeing him now in the crown prince's formal robes, radiating nobility, she immediately stepped forward to praise him.

"The Crown Prince is truly stunningly handsome with an otherworldly bearing. The Empress Dowager has great taste—this outfit fits you perfectly."

Yuan Chao kept his face blank. Having lived outside the palace his whole life, he wasn't used to this kind of fawning.

The more she praised and buttered him up, the more uncomfortable he got.

He cut straight to the chase: "Nanny, what brings you here?"

Nanny An then remembered why she had come. She smiled and said, "The installation ceremony is about to start. All the ministers want to see you. The Empress Dowager has instructed me to invite the Crown Prince over."

Even though he wasn't the crown prince yet, Nanny An had already changed how she addressed him. Yuan Chao frowned slightly but said nothing.

He followed Nanny An to Chenggong Palace, where people had already packed the hall.

A eunuch's shrill voice rang out, "Young Master Yuan Chao has arrived!"

Almost instantly, every eye locked onto Yuan Chao. His heart hammered like a drum, and a chill swept through him from head to toe.

Everyone present was a top court minister, each with years of experience navigating officialdom and dealing with all kinds of people, so they naturally carried an intimidating presence.

One look from them was enough to scare anyone half to death.

Having never left home before, Yuan Chao had never been around so many strangers. It would be a lie to say he wasn't scared stiff.

He could tell they were sizing him up like goods on a shelf.

Their eyes held disdain, mockery, and envy—only a few showed any hint of approval.

It was like they were all whispering in his ear, "A sickly weakling like him can be emperor?"

At that moment, a powerful urge to run away surged up inside Yuan Chao.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Empress Dowager Yuan caught it precisely.

She stood up and called out, "Chao'er, come over here now! All these ministers are waiting for you!"

Yuan Chao's body went rigid, his feet feeling like lead, unable to take a single step.

He couldn't imagine—if every day from now on was like today, having to face so many scheming people—what meaning would his life even have?

Suddenly, someone shot him a kind look.

Yuan Chao turned and saw it was an ordinary-looking guard in black, with a long sword at his hip.

The look in the man's eyes was too familiar. Yuan Chao felt like he'd seen him somewhere before.

After a moment, he realized the man reminded him of the big brother who had given him a lollipop when they met at his house last time.

But the guard's face and the big brother's face were completely different. Yuan Chao felt a bit confused.

Xie Liuzheng saw Yuan Chao standing there, looking both scared and hesitant, and felt a pang of sympathy.

This kid had been shoved out by the Old Witch after all!

To use her own flesh and blood as a pawn—the Old Witch was truly out of her mind.

Just as Xie Liuzheng thought Yuan Chao would back down, the boy unexpectedly mustered his courage and started walking forward.

Empress Dowager Yuan's face lit up with joy. She barely held herself back from rushing over to meet him.

When Yuan Chao stepped up and stood beside her, Empress Dowager Yuan moved to his side.

She introduced him to the crowd, "This is my nephew Yuan Chao. The National Diviner calculated his fate long ago—he has the mandate of heaven, a destiny seen only once in a century. If he becomes emperor, within two years he will greatly prosper Western Shu."

"Chao'er lost both his parents shortly after birth due to tragic circumstances. He's been cared for by my father's people all these years. Because of his health, he hasn't gone out much, but he's never slacked off in his studies. So you don't need to worry about his abilities, my dear ministers."

One minister plucked up his courage and asked, "Empress Dowager, forgive this humble official for speaking out of turn, but I notice Young Master Yuan has a pale face, purple lips, and a frail build—I'm afraid he might have heart problems."

"Even if he has the mandate of heaven, an emperor has to handle endless affairs and heavy administrative duties. Given his current health, is he really fit to be made Crown Prince?"

Empress Dowager Yuan smiled and said, "Whatever concerns Minister Xu has, I've naturally already considered them."

"I've already invited Doctor Yun to stay in the palace to regulate Chao'er's health. Doctor Yun's medical skills are remarkable—with just two acupuncture sessions, she's already cured about seventy or eighty percent of my seventeen-year chronic headaches. I'm confident that with her skills, curing Chao'er's illness will be well within her reach."

Ji Yuntang: "..."

She wanted to ask—did the Old Witch have no shame?

She and the National Diviner had just been trashing her medical skills, saying she exaggerated her abilities, and now the Old Witch was boldly telling all these ministers that she could cure Yuan Chao?

Yeah, she could cure Yuan Chao, but with the way the Old Witch and the National Diviner treated people, Yuan Chao might not even live long enough to get to her operating table.

After hearing Empress Dowager Yuan's words, the ministers all went quiet.

Empress Dowager Yuan glanced at them and said, "Since none of you have any objections, let the installation ceremony begin!"

"Hold on—I have an objection." At that moment, a voice rang out as Yuan Jiuan rose to his feet.

He hadn't spoken up earlier, but he'd been watching Empress Dowager Yuan and the National Diviner the whole time. In less than fifteen minutes, their eyes had met at least a hundred times.

That clearly showed something was going on between them.

Empress Dowager Yuan frowned, annoyed that Yuan Jiuan had stopped the ceremony.

"I've already brought Chao'er out for you to see. What other objections does Prince Chengxuan have?"

Yuan Jiuan stood tall and straight, his magnetic voice as warm as a spring breeze.

"Making a crown prince is no small matter. By rights, you should get Emperor Chu's consent in advance and obtain his abdication edict, so Young Master Yuan can legitimately take the throne."

"In my humble opinion, the Empress Dowager should also invite Emperor Chu out. Even if you don't have an abdication edict, having him nod in public would make the ceremony more proper and shut down the gossip outside."

"Does the Empress Dowager think I'm right about this?"

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