The Glory

Han Yаn shruggеd. "Веliеve it or not, it's uр tо you."

Тhe Crоwn Рrinсе thоught fоr a momеnt and finally made up his mind. "Аlright, I... will tеll yоu."

It turned оut thаt during thе sрring saсrifiсе tоdаy, bеneath the high tоwеr, the Sеventh Princе wanted tо share in thе jоу with thе соmmоn peорle, sо hе disguisеd himself in сommоnеr's clothing аnd blеnded intо the crowd. Тhe Crown Рrinсе, being уoung and spiritеd, nаturаlly fоund it unsаtisfуing tо wаtсh from аfаr atоp thе high tower. Нowеvеr, Тhe Еmреrоr absolutelу refused to let him disguise himsеlf and mingle amоng the crоwd to wаtсh the еxcitement. Feeling sullen, the Seventh Prince suggested they could sneak down secretly, as long as The Emperor didn't find out. The Crown Prince seized the opportunity to excuse himself to the restroom, intending to change his clothes and go see the excitement.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the base of the tower and before he could even put on the coarse hemp coat worn by the commoners, the crowd began to stir. He was pushed and shoved by the crowd until he no longer knew where he was. At that moment, several commoners closest to him suddenly brandished daggers. Fortunately, his guards fought desperately to protect him, but the surging crowd pushed him and his guards farther and farther away from the high tower. Meanwhile, unknown assailants hidden above rained arrows down upon them. With no other choice, they fled into this forest, where the guards finally succumbed to their injuries and died, just as they happened to encounter Han Yan and her companions.

Han Yan lowered her gaze. The Seventh Prince, again the Seventh Prince. If today's spectacle was staged for the Crown Prince, then such a grand scheme made sense. For the sake of that position, what did sacrificing a few insignificant commoners matter? However... the Seventh Prince's audacity was truly immense. Was he already this impatient?

The Crown Prince looked at her. "I... I suspect someone orchestrated this chaos."

This child is quite clever, Han Yan thought with a smile. "Who do you suspect?"

The Crown Prince was taken aback, turned his head away, bit his lip, and remained silent.

Han Yan said softly, "You suspect it's the Seventh Prince, don't you?"

She uttered that name without any hesitation. The Crown Prince looked at her in shock. Han Yan gave a cold smile. "If something had truly happened to you today, he was among the crowd below while you were atop the high tower. No one would have suspected any connection to him. And he was the only one who knew you had mingled with the crowd. If the Seventh Prince didn't speak up, everyone would have believed you went missing inside the tower."

Seeing the Crown Prince's expression as if facing a formidable enemy, Han Yan found it somewhat amusing. "There's no need for you to be so tense. It's just that these matters are far too obvious. What do you plan to do about today's events?"

The Crown Prince was startled, then said indignantly, "I will report everything truthfully to my father, so he can recognize his treacherous ambitions."

Han Yan sighed and shook her head. Between the Seventh Prince and this Little Crown Prince, she naturally favored the latter. Not only because she had a grudge against the Seventh Prince, but more importantly, the ruler of the land must possess a benevolent heart. The Seventh Prince's methods were too ruthless; if someone like him became the sovereign, it would truly be a calamity for the nation. However, in the heart of an emperor, there is suspicion toward each of his sons. The Crown Prince's account, when heard by The Emperor, might be perceived as a false accusation. If that happened, it would only play into the Seventh Prince's hands.

Seeing Han Yan shake her head, the Crown Prince asked, "Do you think it's inappropriate?" Unconsciously, he had grown accustomed to seeking Han Yan's opinion. Perhaps this detestable woman truly possessed something special that made people instinctively trust her.Han Yan had initially not wanted to tell him. With matters concerning the royal family, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yet, looking at the Crown Prince’s blood-stained face, she couldn’t help but recall her past life. Being someone blissfully ignorant of life’s hardships might seem easier, but only at death’s door would one realize how much regret filled that lifetime. In truth, the Crown Prince shared many similarities with her past self. Since that was the case, why not offer him some guidance?

“Your Highness is clever, but you must remember that in this world, speaking everything aloud does not guarantee others’ belief. The most skillful approach is—” She gazed deeply at the boy before her, as if looking through distant years at her own once-naive self. “—to say nothing at all, yet let others see exactly what you wish them to see.”

The Crown Prince nodded, though not fully comprehending. For a moment, he sensed an immense sadness in this woman, as if some long-buried memory had been stirred. This feeling vanished almost instantly, interrupted by Han Yan’s next words: “Why did you say earlier that I ‘hadn’t died yet’?”

The Crown Prince looked up, meeting Han Yan’s cunning and knowing gaze. Her voice was light and pleasant: “Don’t tell me you misspoke.”

Somewhat uncomfortably turning his head away, the Crown Prince murmured, “Yesterday, the female relatives of Grand Tutor Zhang’s household entered the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. I overheard that woman saying she had prepared a ‘fine gift’ for the Xuan Qing Prince Consort, and that… Zhuang Hanming is your weakness…” He didn’t finish the rest, but Han Yan understood completely.

Was this related to Madam Da Zhou? Could it be that the Zhou Sisters were determined to teach her a lesson? Han Yan frowned. She had previously suspected that Ying Zi was sent by Madam Da Zhou, mainly because Ying Zi’s identity bore an inexplicable connection to Zhuang Hanming’s brothel incident in her past life. Now it seemed Ying Zi was indeed Madam Da Zhou’s person. She didn’t know what role Ying Zi had played today, but she had certainly lured her here. If not for the Plum Blossom Thorn hidden on her person and her desperate decision to board the carriage, she and Zhuang Hanming would likely have already met their end. The Zhou Sisters wanting her dead was expected, but the Crown Prince being pursued didn’t seem coincidental either. Viewed this way, only one possibility remained.

That is, the Zhou Sisters had been used as pawns. They likely intended only to harm her and Zhuang Hanming, but someone else had seized the opportunity to also eliminate the Crown Prince. If discovered later, the blame would fall solely on the Zhou Sisters. As for who that “someone” was—whether the Seventh Prince or the Empress Dowager—remained unknown.

A single move to kill two birds. She just hadn’t expected to become entangled in the Crown Prince’s affairs. If those people were targeting the Crown Prince, their current situation was even more perilous. If even the Crown Prince was marked for death, she and Zhuang Hanming stood no chance of escape. However… Han Yan vaguely recalled that the armed men bore a strange tattoo on their arms, seemingly a custom from the Western regions. A sudden thought struck her: Could it be the Western Rong?

For now, Han Yan couldn’t fully grasp all the connections. The Crown Prince glanced at her, then at the unconscious Zhuang Hanming beside them, his tone oddly tinged as he remarked, “You care for him quite a bit.”The first time he met Han Yan, it also seemed to be for the sake of protecting this younger brother, and the Crown Prince felt a strange sensation in his heart. Within the royal family, emotions were often shallow, and he could not imagine how such deep sibling affection could exist. However, this was the first time someone dared to defy and threaten him, and from then on, Han Yan was listed by the Crown Prince as one of his "most detested people." Later, when he heard that this detestable woman was about to become the Xuan Qing Prince Consort, he was even more incredulous. Fu Yunxi was the person he respected the most, even more esteemed in his heart than The Emperor. In the Little Crown Prince's mind, Fu Yunxi was handsome and charismatic, with unparalleled talent and martial prowess, and naturally, he should only be matched with the most exceptional woman in the world. Yet, he had chosen the daughter of a mere fifth-rank official—someone who was bold, unruly, and cunning as a fox. Unable to contain himself, he went to ask Fu Yunxi why he had chosen such a woman.