Chapter 139: Volume 1, Chapter 139: Broken Leg

While things went smoothly for Rong Luoge and Han Xinglan, Consort Ming's side was indeed not going smoothly. Feeling uneasy in her heart, she summoned her son into the palace to discuss matters.

Han Yifeng had been running in and out of the palace these days, and his originally clear and handsome features were now covered with a layer of gloom. Especially when he entered the palace and both mother and son received the same piece of news at once: Ming Zan's leg was broken!

At this critical juncture, his uncle's leg ended up broken!

Han Yifeng looked at his mother with a dark expression, "This matter is absolutely no coincidence. Someone must be pulling strings in secret."

Consort Ming had a terrible headache, and her usually bright and charming face was now dark and heavy. Hearing her son's words, she said directly, "I told you all long ago, you cannot underestimate Han Xinglan. Now look what happened—one has a broken leg, and the other couldn't even get on board with the military exercise."

Because the military exercise was something Xiao Shen had proactively proposed, His Majesty naturally handed the matter over to Xiao Shen to handle. In this way, Xiao Shen used the pretext that Prince Qi was already the Vice Commander of the Imperial Dragon Guard to have Prince Qi manage the Imperial Dragon Guard's affairs, while the Three Great Camps were now beyond Prince Qi's reach.

"This cannot go on," Consort Ming said immediately, looking up at her son. "Do you now understand what Xiao Shen is really planning?"

Han Yifeng shook his head. He had devoted too much energy to affairs in his own residence lately, so it was inevitable that he had grown somewhat negligent in these matters. Who could have known that so many changes would occur in such a short time?

Looking at her son's state, Consort Ming grew even more furious. "I told you long ago, you only need to coax Rong Dai along, but between Yun Shizhuang and her, you cannot slap Yun Shizhuang's face for her sake. If you do, wouldn't Rong Dai turn your backyard upside down? If Yun Shizhuang had a soft and yielding temperament, that would be one thing, but what happened? Chancellor Yun is dissatisfied with you, and now you haven't even been able to get a clear picture of the situation with the Imperial Dragon Guard. Tell me, what have you actually been doing?"

Consort Ming truly regretted it—back then she should have found an excuse to get rid of Rong Dai, and now things had ended up like this.

Han Yifeng himself could not say whether it was regret or what, but his mood was genuinely bad. He looked at his mother and said, "What do we do now?"

"What to do? What else can we do? You go to your uncle first and take over the duties in his hands before anything else. In short, at a juncture like this, we absolutely cannot afford any more mistakes," Consort Ming said in a deep voice, her chest pounding with anger.

"Then I will go now." Han Yifeng stood up, but as he lifted his foot he suddenly remembered something and looked at his mother, asking, "Cousin Yuhua—have you not asked her again?"

Mentioning Ming Yuhua made Consort Ming even angrier. "I don't know what medicine she took wrong, but now that she's married, married to Xiao Shen, she doesn't even put me in her eyes. Last time I had her enter the palace to ask about Xiao Shen's matters, and she actually talked back to me. Her wings have truly grown hard."

Han Yifeng: ……

Really?

In his memory, this cousin had always been very good to them, especially to his mother—practically obedient to her every word. Hearing his mother's complaints was like listening to heavenly script.

"Could there be some misunderstanding?" Han Yifeng asked with a frown.

Consort Ming said angrily, "What misunderstanding could there be? It's all because of the Liu Yuniang matter."

Han Yifeng fell silent. When his mother made that decision back then, he was still young. Later, even when he realized something was not quite right, the deed was already done.

Even when the matter was discovered later, he had not paid it much mind, because his own backyard had also caught fire. Who could have known it would blow up like this now?

Han Yifeng sat back down. Now that he calmed down to think about it, without realizing it, his path seemed to have grown narrower and narrower.

Consort Ming looked at her son and said with a frown, "Don't worry about other matters for now. The military exercise is the most important thing. I can see that Xiao Shen cannot be relied upon. We must make other plans."

"Uncle has a broken leg now and cannot move about freely. It seems I must personally step in," Han Yifeng said.

Consort Ming fell silent for a moment before saying, "Your father has already loosened up and agreed to write you an edict, but you know your father only says it with his mouth—you still need to get it in your hands for it to count. Today I will go see your father once more. The matters outside, you discuss more with your uncle. The affairs of your residence, do not concern yourself with them now. Since you have your own Princess Consort, your Princess Consort should be the one making decisions."

Han Yifeng opened his mouth, but in the end closed it again. He truly did need Chancellor Yun's help now, so he could only nod.

Consort Ming then nodded with satisfaction, "Go ahead."

Han Yifeng walked out of Guanju Palace, his steps growing heavier and heavier. He subconsciously looked toward the direction of the Dong Gong, but from here nothing could be seen.

The tall halls of the Hou Gong blocked the Dong Gong. Nowadays the Dong Gong not only had Han Xinglan, but also Rong Luoge……

Thinking of Rong Luoge, Han Yifeng's mood grew even worse. He did not want to think anymore and went straight out of the palace to the General's residence.

General Ming's leg was wrapped in thick plaster, and he lay in bed, his expression uglier than ever. When he saw Prince Qi, he said, "Your uncle has been ambushed. Your Highness must be careful too."

Han Yifeng had not expected his uncle to be injured this badly. He asked with concern, "What did the Imperial Physician say? Will Uncle's leg be all right?"

Ming Zan sighed, "Injuries to muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal. He won't be able to move for two or three months. But as long as he rests well and the bones knit properly, he'll recover as before."

Han Yifeng breathed a small sigh of relief. "That's good. Uncle, what plans do you have regarding the military exercise?"

Ming Zan looked at Prince Qi, his expression carrying worry. "It's not just the military exercise. Has Your Highness forgotten about my border inspection duty? Now that my leg is broken, I certainly cannot go inspect the borders anymore, so that duty will fall on someone else. But then our plans will have to change."

Han Yifeng pressed his hand to his forehead. He was truly getting more and more muddled—he had actually forgotten about this matter. "Does Uncle have anyone to recommend? If possible, could we speak to Father and have your recommended person go?"

"This kind of matter cannot be entrusted to just anyone with peace of mind, after all it's……" Ming Zan hesitated.

Han Yifeng understood—it was, after all, collusion with Qingxuan Nation. If this kind of matter got out, it was a capital crime punishable by beheading.

Even if he was a prince, he would not fare well.

"Are we really going to hand this matter over to someone else?" Han Yifeng certainly could not agree—this was related to his great plans for the future. "Uncle, recommend someone first. I will think of a way for the rest. As long as Father agrees, that will do."

Ming Zan nodded. "It's worth a try. What if it works?" He spoke a name—his own deputy.

Han Yifeng committed it to memory, then rose and said, "Uncle, rest well and recover. I will take my leave first."

Ming Zan shifted his body and said, "Your Highness, remember that the more critical the juncture, the more you cannot let your guard down. You must be careful. And do not worry too much about the military exercise—I still have some connections in the Three Great Camps."

Han Yifeng turned his head to look at his uncle. "For this military exercise, is Uncle confident he can make the Imperial Dragon Guard fail?"