Chapter 57: Volume 1, Chapter 57: What a Waste of the Crown Prince's Talent

Rong Luoge looked at Han Xinglan in confusion. "A good thing?"

How could something like this be considered a good thing?

It wasn't that Rong Luoge was belittling herself, but rather that this time and space, this dynasty, was simply unfriendly to women who had gone through a divorce.

For someone like her who had been divorced, finding a quality candidate for remarriage was actually very difficult. Originally, she had planned never to marry again in this lifetime.

Once she left the capital and shook off Consort Ming and Prince Qi and their lot, she would form a merchant caravan and travel the length and breadth of the land, sightseeing and earning silver—how carefree that would be.

But right now Consort Ming refused to let her go, making her little plan somewhat difficult to carry out.

Han Xinglan fell silent for a moment under Rong Luoge's gaze, which was as though she were looking at a simpleton, before slowly speaking: "Let me tell you the truth. My imperial father favors Prince Qi, and my position as crown heir has never been very secure. My imperial father has always wanted to find an excuse to abolish me, but because of the rule of appointing the eldest son born of the primary wife, he has never had the opportunity."

Rong Luoge looked at Han Xinglan's serious and somewhat helpless expression and sighed softly. "This sort of thing is very common. Just like how I'm also the eldest daughter of the primary wife at home, but what use is it? If you think about it, the two of us are fellow sufferers."

Han Xinglan smiled. "All these years I've always presented myself before everyone with the image of being frail and sickly, precisely to give my imperial father the impression that I won't live long. So he has always used this as a reason not to select a Crown Princess for me, to avoid creating a check on me."

Rong Luoge thought to herself that the dog emperor and the Protector Duke were truly each more scummy than the last.

"But as you can see, I'm getting older and older. If I don't take a Crown Princess soon, the ministers in the court will submit memorials to admonish me. When that time comes, my imperial father will find it hard to back down, and I fear he will casually pick someone to enter the Dong Gong for me. That is not what I wish to see."

Rong Luoge understood. It was just like how the Protector Duke had married the original owner off to Prince Qi—was that out of some kind of loving fatherly heart?

Pah!

That was to make Rong Luoge pay with her life to hold a place for Rong Dai.

Then by the same logic, if the emperor was pressured by the courtiers into selecting a consort for the Crown Prince, he might well dig a huge pit for him in the choice of candidate, tricking the Crown Prince. And since the Crown Prince did not want to offer his neck to the executioner's blade, he came up with the plan of having her enter the Dong Gong as a Good Lady to stall for time.

Once someone entered the Dong Gong, the emperor could explain things to the courtiers without having to establish a Crown Princess for the Crown Prince. With no Crown Princess, no eldest grandson of the primary line could be born, and the emperor's goal would be achieved.

Moreover, from another angle, Rong Luoge's status had a flaw, and this was also a point of attack. It was equivalent to the Crown Prince voluntarily handing a handle to the emperor, making the emperor feel at ease while believing he could still use Rong Luoge to keep the Crown Prince in check.

This was a scheme of calculation and counter-calculation.

Rong Luoge looked at the Crown Prince with a complicated expression. "Then my entrance certainly won't be glorious. It must be that you had no choice but to welcome me into the Dong Gong, so as to satisfy the emperor's wishes and let us both get what we want."

Han Xinglan's eyes lit up. He knew that with Rong Luoge's intelligence, she would figure it out. So he nodded. "It just means you'll have to suffer a little indignity."

"It's not really indignity. After all, my reputation was already gone after the divorce, so I don't mind losing it one more time." Rong Luoge spoke with little concern. "On the contrary, the pressure on you, Crown Prince, will be tremendous. Be careful of people pointing at your spine and mocking you."

Han Xinglan spoke with utmost earnestness. "Isn't that exactly what my imperial father wants to see, and what I want to show him? It perfectly suits my intentions."

Tsk!

Rong Luoge thought to herself that when it came to shamelessness, she still had to concede defeat.

Seeing that Rong Luoge was tempted but still hadn't made up her mind, Han Xinglan added another line. "The Good Lady is second only to the Crown Princess. In the Dong Gong, as long as there is no Crown Princess for even a single day, you'll be the head of the inner quarters. No one will be able to make you suffer any indignity."

"Then what about entering the Hou Gong to pay respects?" Rong Luoge asked in return.

An ordinary Crown Prince's Good Lady might not have such an honor, but she had already maxed out Consort Ming's hatred. If one added the grievance of the Crown Prince being forced to take her into the Dong Gong, the Empress's hatred toward her would likely soar as well.

In the Dong Gong she was the boss, but once she entered the Hou Gong, she was a minor mob with no rights.

Han Xinglan looked at Rong Luoge. "I will naturally protect you."

What boldness!

Rong Luoge looked at the Crown Prince—able to bend and stretch, able to scheme and calculate, able to rise and fall. If a Crown Prince like this couldn't rise above the rest, that would truly be a bug.

Seeing that Rong Luoge still had a last trace of hesitation, Han Xinglan said decisively, "Entering the Hou Gong with the identity of the Crown Prince's Good Lady, I imagine Consort Ming would be angered enough to lose a few years of her life."

Done!

Rong Luoge thought about how she had been schemed against by Consort Ming several times and couldn't swallow her anger. Before, Consort Ming hid deep in the palace and Rong Luoge couldn't reach her, but from now on, both being official members of the Hou Gong, even though she would be subordinate to the Dong Gong, her opportunities to meet Consort Ming would increase quite a lot.

When it came to making passive-aggressive remarks to infuriate people, Rong Luoge asked herself whether her skill points were fully maxed out.

Moreover, the current His Majesty was addicted to alchemy, his body like the sun setting over the western hills. The day the Crown Prince ascended the throne was not too far off.

Enduring a few years in exchange for a carefree and unfettered latter half of her life—she felt that was a very good deal.

"Alright." Rong Luoge agreed and let out a long breath. "But Your Highness must remember what you promised me. On the day you hold power in your hands, you must set me free."

Han Xinglan fixed his gaze on her, then said, "Agreed."

"Then how do you plan to get me into the Dong Gong?" Rong Luoge asked with great interest.

Han Xinglan met her rather interested gaze and said with a smile, "The day after tomorrow we're going hunting. On the way back, we'll pass by the relay station outside the city. According to the information I've received, Consort Ming's side will try to make a move on me. At that time, you'll play the beauty saving the hero, and the hero, having no way to repay her, can only offer his hand in marriage."

Rong Luoge:...

Not writing storybooks—what a waste of the Crown Prince's talent.

Rong Luoge thought for a moment and said, "An ordinary beauty saving a hero wouldn't require offering a hand in marriage. You must have another plan?"

"Naturally." But Han Xinglan refused to reveal it.

Rong Luoge couldn't help feeling that he was up to no good, but she had no evidence.

However, thinking about it, to reach the point of offering a hand in marriage, the two of them would certainly need to have some physical contact, to the extent that it would have quite an impact on her reputation.

The Crown Prince's public image had always been that of a man of few words but nonetheless honest and kindhearted. So to take responsibility for her reputation, he would bring her back to the Dong Gong and give her the title of Good Lady.

If that was the case, then it wasn't impossible. Putting on an act anyway, there was no need to care too much about the details, as long as the goal was achieved.

The Crown Prince's refusal to go into detail was probably because he was embarrassed.

She understood.

"Then before that, I need to sever my ties with the Zhen Guo Gong Fu. Otherwise, once I enter the Dong Gong, the Protector Duke definitely won't agree to cut ties with me. The day after tomorrow—time is a bit tight. I wonder if things will go smoothly on the Duchess Who Guards the State's end." Rong Luoge frowned slightly.

"Do you need my help?"

Rong Luoge thought about it. "No need. If you make a move, then after I enter the Dong Gong, the people at the Zhen Guo Gong Fu will definitely grow suspicious. I'll do it myself!"