Your Majesty has won. Xue Jinqiao, being a married daughter, won't implicate the Xue family. Moreover, Xue Hui lacks capability and will never hold a position of real power in the future, so Your Majesty need not exterminate the Xue family.
If the Eastern Palace wins, Xue Jinqiao serves as a bridge. As long as Xiao Huayong considers Shen Xihe's dignity, he won't make things difficult for Shen Yungan. At most, the Xue family will be demoted, with no risk to their lives.
"Xue Heng probably doesn't have long to live." Xiao Changqing had figured everything out. "The Crown Prince's actions are clearing the path—he intends to support someone else to replace Xue Heng. The Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Justice... making the Six Ministries yield—it's Imperial Censor Tao!"
"He's actually supporting her maternal grandfather!" Xiao Changying was shocked. "Is this to pave the way for her?"
Xiao Changqing chuckled and shook his head: "I think he's genuinely doing it to please Zhaoning County Princess."If that's the case, isn't he afraid of maternal relatives gaining too much power and undermining his imperial authority in the future?" Xiao Changying lowered his eyes and asked.
"Perhaps it's confidence..." Xiao Changqing murmured as if to himself, "Or perhaps he's content with it..."
Confident that he would never be controlled by Shen Xihe, or content even if he were controlled by her.
Something struck Xiao Changying's heart heavily. He tightened his jaw: "Brother, how should we treat the Crown Prince in the future?"
Should we submit or continue to oppose him?
"As we have in the past, so shall we in the future." Xiao Changqing said calmly. "We'll do our things, he'll do his. Neither deliberately scheming against him nor fawning over him."
Their conflicts of interest weren't significant. His goal was to deal with Your Majesty, which to some extent aligned with Xiao Huayong's path.
The Crown Prince doesn't need their submission, and they have their own pride. As for when the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future—if he intends to be a wise ruler, he'll distinguish clearly between gratitude and resentment and won't make things difficult for them brothers. If he can't tolerate them, no matter how much they curry favor now, they ultimately won't escape death.
"Then... the position vacated by Xue Heng..."
"Let them fight over it. We'll watch the show and see how many people dare to snatch food from the Crown Prince's mouth, and what their fate will be?" Xiao Changqing flicked his robe leisurely.
Not only were the Xiao Changqing brothers sharp enough to detect something amiss, but Zhao Wang and the Fourth Prince also sensed impending changes in the court. They all began targeting Xue Heng's position. Thus, after the fourth-day court assembly marking the start of the new year's busy schedule, there were significant transfers among court officials.
"Your Highness, these people are all making moves." Tianyuan presented a name list to Xiao Huayong.
Xiao Huayong glanced at it casually, his moist lips curling into an enigmatic smile: "The spring imperial examination is in one month."
"I understand." Tianyuan responded.
They had long prepared for this spring imperial examination, determined to rectify the atmosphere, replace officials across the board, and present His Majesty with several capable talents.
As for those who don't know their limits, they'll just be drawn into the spring examination affairs.
"Your Highness, what are you doing?" Tianyuan asked softly, watching Xiao Huayong sketching.
"On the Lantern Festival, I made an appointment with Youyou to see the lantern fair. Last year during the New Year, I gave her a lantern. This year, I'll give her another." Xiao Huayong was, of course, busy preparing a Lantern Festival gift for Shen Xihe.
Tianyuan felt he shouldn't have asked. Just as he was about to turn and leave quietly, someone entered and reported: "Your Highness, Eunuch Liu is here."Liu Sanzhi's sudden arrival made Tianyuan and Xiao Huayong exchange glances. Though Xiao Huayong had been spirited moments before, his complexion turned pale upon seeing Liu Sanzhi, his eyes losing some of their vitality and vigor.
"Your Highness, this humble servant comes by His Majesty's command to request Your Highness's presence at the Hall of Bright Governance," Liu Sanzhi bowed as he spoke.
"Cough... cough... Lead the way, Steward Liu." Xiao Huayong showed no hesitation.
Upon arriving at the Hall of Bright Governance, they found the Youning Emperor still entertaining a guest—none other than Munuha, the third prince of the Turks.
When the Emperor saw Xiao Huayong, he immediately waved aside formal greetings: "Qilang, the third prince says you look familiar. He claims to have seen someone with exceptional martial skills, capable of shooting through a willow leaf at a hundred paces, who resembles you."
Xiao Huayong turned to Munuha: "Might I ask when and where the prince saw this person? Cough... cough... Everyone who has seen me praises my peerless appearance. This is the first time I've heard of someone... resembling me in looks. This person must be found..."
The Emperor's gaze shifted from Xiao Huayong as he nodded gravely: "Prince Munuha, you must look carefully. If there truly exists someone in this world who resembles our Crown Prince, such a person cannot be left at large. Should ill-intentioned individuals exploit this resemblance, it would surely lead to catastrophe."
During the grand court assembly on New Year's Day, Munuha had seen Xiao Huayong and been utterly astonished. These past days he had been investigating Xiao Huayong, yet the information he obtained completely failed to match the image of that eagle-like, courageous man from his memory.
However, Xiao Huayong's appearance was indeed peerless as he himself claimed. There was some resemblance between Xiao Huayong and the Youning Emperor, particularly in the forehead, clearly indicating their father-son relationship and leaving no doubt about his lineage. Yet the man from that day had left a deep impression on Munuha.
"I have heard His Majesty's sons possess extraordinary martial skills. Munuha wishes to spar with the Crown Prince," Munuha addressed the Emperor with a Turkish salute.
"Hahaha..." the Emperor laughed upon hearing this, "Qilang is the Crown Prince, the successor to the Celestial Dynasty. He need not practice martial arts—he has martial-adept brothers at his command. If Prince Munuha wishes to spar, shall I dispatch Jiulang, who is two years Qilang's junior, to exchange pointers?"
The Emperor's claim that Xiao Huayong didn't practice martial arts genuinely surprised Munuha. His deep blue eyes scrutinized Xiao Huayong for a long moment before he said: "Then I shall request instruction from Prince Lie."
The Emperor then summoned Xiao Changying. When everyone reached the palace training grounds, all the Xiao sons—who not only esteemed equestrianism and archery but also valued martial prowess—had gathered. Except for Xiao Huayong due to his illness, every prince including the twelfth prince Xiao Changgeng possessed considerable martial skill.
Hearing about the impending match with the Turkish prince, all politically active princes in the capital—from Prince Zhao Xiao Changmin to the twelfth prince Xiao Changgeng—had come, each eager for a chance to compete.
The Emperor instructed both combatants to stop at the appropriate point during their match, taking care not to damage relations between the two nations.
Munuha was the most valiant prince of the Turks. His strength was immense, each fist carrying formidable power, and he possessed not just brute force but also agile reflexes.
Xiao Changying stood among the top martial artists among the princes—in the Emperor's eyes, only Prince Jing Xiao Changyan could rival him.
Xiao Huayong stood to the side, occasionally emitting light coughs as he watched the two exchange moves, progressing from empty-handed combat to wielding weapons.
The sword in Xiao Changying's hand flashed like fleeting shadows in rapid motion, fragmented glints of cold light periodically catching in the eyes of distant spectators.Munuha wielded a scimitar, its sweeping arcs fierce and unrelenting. With a powerful twist of his wrist, the blade seemed to merge with his very hand. Particularly when he raised the scimitar to block Xiao Changying’s longsword, a smaller, scaled-down blade suddenly spun out from beneath.
Like two fan blades, the edges scraped against Xiao Changying’s sword in a twisting motion, sending sparks flying. The overwhelming force knocked the sword right out of Xiao Changying’s grasp!
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