As usual, Prince Zhao's name was on the list of personnel accompanying the Emperor to the summer retreat.
Originally, Hua Zhaorong was also on the list, but because the Seventh Prince was still young and had recently been suffering from diarrhea, she couldn't bear to leave him. She politely declined the Emperor's kind offer and decided to remain in the palace to care for her son.
Surprisingly, Prince Dongyang, who had been in the spotlight recently, was not on the list.
At first, everyone assumed the Emperor had accidentally omitted him, until an imperial edict announced that Prince Dongyang would serve as regent during the Emperor's absence from Shangjing.
Only then did everyone realize that the Emperor intended to use this opportunity to hone Prince Dongyang's skills in handling state affairs.
It was clear the Emperor was intentionally grooming Prince Dongyang as a candidate for Crown Prince.
When Xianfei learned of this, she grew increasingly uneasy.
