"When my flower blooms, all others wither—" Search for the latest chapter!
"Prince Dai married the princess of a fallen kingdom, losing his eligibility for the throne. Yet Prince Xin, at the zenith of his power, has recently concealed his edge, becoming even more enigmatic and unpredictable. Even if Prince Xin truly has no ambition for the imperial throne, for the sake of the future, he ought to support Prince Lie.
Prince Jing, with his illustrious military achievements and command over troops—how can Your Highness be certain he would willingly remain subordinate?
Prince Lie, though lacking in battle merits, has joined the military and mingles with descendants of distinguished families, with Prince Xin as his own brother.
Prince Yan, seemingly new to the court, already shows the momentum of a young eagle spreading its wings."
Yu Sangning voiced all her thoughts: "At this moment, whoever becomes the Master of the Eastern Palace will become the target of all."
Xiao Huayong could firmly hold the Eastern Palace because everyone is waiting to see if the prophecy that the Crown Prince would not live past twenty-four springs and autumns holds true in two years. Once Xiao Huayong remains alive after two years, undercurrents will surely surge.
His Majesty is still in his prime, and the Crown Prince may not live long—why should they fight to the death so early? It would be better to accumulate strength while the storm has yet to brew, so when the great wind rises, they can gather momentum and strive for supremacy.
This is the key to the current balance. By breaking this balance now, Xiao Changmin is merely turning himself into a living target.
Unless Xiao Changmin believes he alone can not only avoid His Majesty’s suspicion but also firmly suppress all his younger brothers.
But can Xiao Changmin achieve this?
The answer, naturally, is no.
"In your opinion, should I, a mere prince, bury this matter in my heart and pretend to know nothing?" Xiao Changmin said.
Yu Sangning breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Though Xiao Changmin appeared expressionless, she could sense he was not angered—neither feeling embarrassed by her words nor dismissing them as nonsense.
This indicated he acknowledged her reasoning. Yu Sangning pondered what kind of answer Xiao Changmin desired. Clearly, he was not acting impulsively, yet he did not wish to let the matter rest unknown. He wanted to stir some commotion to verify whether this speculation held truth.
"This humble girl just suggested having His Majesty bestow a marriage upon Worldly Son Bu," Yu Sangning replied with a faint smile, pursing her lips. "His Majesty likely desires to know more than anyone whether Worldly Son Bu is truly a woman."
Xiao Changmin understood Yu Sangning’s implication: leak this information to His Majesty, preferably without a trace. If it turned out to be a false alarm, His Majesty could not blame him. If it were true, while His Majesty would not reward him, he would avoid becoming the center of controversy and could still enjoy the spectacle.
But how could they make His Majesty suspect Bu Shulin was a woman?
Spreading baseless rumors would not suffice to force Bu Shulin to verify her identity. Otherwise, if Bu Shulin claimed humiliation, escalated the situation, and used it as grounds to return to Shu, wouldn’t His Majesty suffer more loss than gain?
His Majesty would not be swayed by mere words.
Xiao Changmin accepted Yu Sangning’s suggestion and began devising ways to make His Majesty doubt Bu Shulin’s true identity.
Meanwhile, Shen Xihe awaited Xiao Huayong’s return. She stood at the gate of the Eastern Palace, where maple trees had shed their leaves and fine snowflakes danced. Xiao Huayong, draped in a black cloak, approached her unhurriedly, his steps stirring the swirling snow around him."This is the first time Youyou has greeted me here, and my heart is filled with joy." Xiao Huayong held Shen Xihe's hands, breathing warm air onto them before gently rubbing them, "But please don't do this again. The weather is cold, and if you catch a chill, I'll be heartbroken."
Shen Xihe gazed at him, unable to suppress a smile at the corner of her lips. His expression was calm and composed, revealing nothing. She had no choice but to ask, "What was the outcome?"
"Not good."
Those two words wiped the smile from Shen Xihe's lips. She couldn't help but sigh, thinking of Bu Shulin's unexpected pregnancy and the child that could not be kept.
"Since things have come to this, grieving is useless. If you truly wish to help her keep this child, I can think of a way," Xiao Huayong said, unable to bear seeing Shen Xihe so disheartened.
Holding his hand resting on her shoulder, Shen Xihe shook her head gently. "It's not just about the child. I'm thinking of A Lin's fate—when will she ever be free?"
"Youyou, you alone can decide when she gains her freedom," Xiao Huayong said, his lips curving into a relaxed smile. "The moment we seize the throne is the moment she will have someone to protect her and restore her freedom."
Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow. "You're urging me to commit treason."
"Would you?" Xiao Huayong asked.
"No," Shen Xihe replied honestly.
It was true that Bu Shulin was her dearest friend, and she would do everything in her power to help her when she could. But now was not the time to rise in rebellion. Attempting a coup at this moment would offer little chance of success and would implicate the entire Northwest.
Moreover...
Although Shen Yueshan held many grievances against the Youning Emperor, he had never considered becoming a traitor. As long as the Youning Emperor did not strike first, Shen Yueshan would not take the initiative. Shen Xihe disliked such passivity but understood it was an inherent weakness of being a subject.
The Shen family's predecessors had dedicated themselves to loyal service to the nation, and their descendants were bound by ancestral teachings not to become sinners of the clan.
A profound smile flickered in Xiao Huayong's eyes. He had always known that Shen Xihe would never lose her rationality over sentiment. He wrapped his arm around her and led her inside. "Their affairs are not for us to worry about. Zhi He will return tomorrow, and they will know how to handle things appropriately."
Having said this, Xiao Huayong deliberately shifted the conversation to other matters, preventing Shen Xihe from dwelling on Bu Shulin's situation.
However, neither Xiao Huayong nor Shen Xihe knew that plans often fail to keep up with changes.
Cui Jinbai, having concluded his case, rushed back through the night, riding at full speed. But just before entering the capital, he was ambushed. His entire entourage was killed, and he himself was severely wounded. Had he not sent word to Xiao Huayong in time and had Xiao Huayong not dispatched reinforcements swiftly, even he would have struggled to escape death.
Even so, the rescued Cui Jinbai remained unconscious.
"Who would dare ambush a high-ranking court official?" Shen Xihe exclaimed in shock and anger.
Cui Jinbai had been accompanied by imperial guards on official business. They bore the insignia of capital officials, and ordinary bandits or fugitives would not dare act so recklessly. If this was not a targeted assassination, Shen Xihe refused to believe it.
"They fled extremely quickly. By the time our forces arrived at the scene, they had already withdrawn completely," Xiao Huayong said, his brows furrowed and his dark, brilliant eyes veiled in frost. "It's unclear whether they mistakenly believed Zhi He was beyond saving or if there was another reason, but they did not stay to engage with my men."
"How is Cui Shaoqing's condition?" Shen Xihe asked, her heart trembling slightly at the news."Later, Duke Cui will personally come to the Eastern Palace to seek medical help. You should take the opportunity to send Zhenzhu and A Xi to check on him." Xiao Huayong was still unclear about Cui Jinbai's condition; those who rescued him only said the situation was critical.
Yet they couldn't appear overly concerned or eager, having to wait for the Cui residence to send someone seeking help before they could dispatch people to assist with treatment.
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