Chapter 207

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Liu Cheng did not speak, merely clenching his hands silently within his wide sleeves.

"Far from it..." Looking at her restless elder brother, Rui Huanghou said in a low voice, "The enfeoffment was unexpected, but there was never any explicit statement beforehand that Tianji would inevitably be designated Crown Princess..."

Her voice dropped even lower as she continued, "Now enfeoffed as a Guanzhong Marquis, guarding the Wang Ji region — in the end, she will still have to serve the Great Qian sovereign..."

Rui Ze, however, stated firmly, "Yet who knows whether, in His Majesty's heart, the choice for the future Great Qian sovereign might be someone else."

"That brat has only been back in the capital a short time, yet he acts with utter recklessness, stirring up all these matters — first some auspicious omen title, then escorting the Emperor, disaster relief, seeking water, then capturing Prince Liang... and further using excuses to turn the capital region upside down, who knows how many secrets he has ferreted out and holds in his grasp, stealing the limelight, turning heaven and earth, disturbing everyone so they cannot live in peace!"

Rui Ze paced back and forth, then suddenly raised his hand, pointing toward the direction of Weiyang Palace: "Right now he is even fulfilling filial duty by the Emperor's side while injured, and has not left the palace for six consecutive days!"

His voice also lowered, but each word was bitten out heavily: "When His Majesty woke that day, the name he shouted was Crown Prince Ling's! No one knows what Prince Liang said before he died, nor what that master-disciple pair said to His Majesty — if this continues..."

Rui Hou's face tightened, she shook her head and said, "Replacing the Crown Prince is a great matter that shakes people's hearts; His Majesty would not be so rash. Cheng Er has never committed any major fault..."

"Then what great fault has Crown Prince Ling committed?" Rui Ze spoke in a low voice, uttering shocking words: "Right and wrong lie merely in a single change of that person's mind!"

Thinking of the Ling family's fate, Rui Huanghou's face went pale, yet she still insisted, "Now is not the same as before; Cheng Er and Crown Prince Gu are different, His Majesty would not easily do such a thing..."

"You are always like this, only knowing to make the best of things once they've come! If you had been even a little more vigilant these years, had grasped the Emperor's heart in your hand, why would you need to be so terrified and anxious now?" Rui Ze felt as if magma were boiling in his chest, unable to stop pacing for even a moment.

The towering anxiety had to find an outlet; he thought of those mountain-forest beast-like eyes, and could not help saying: "That day she had an audience with His Majesty alone together with her master; she must have spoken some bewitching words that shook the Emperor's heart..."

He gritted his teeth and muttered: "Originally I thought she was merely a petty witch with no kin or backing, yet unexpectedly she turns out to be that so-called Tianji Incarnation..."

The weight of Wu and Dao is entirely different; Wu serves ghosts and spirits, constantly walking the edge of an abyss, while Daoism is the foundation of governing the state today — the Tianji doctrine left by Baili Youyi has long since sunk deep into people's hearts and cannot be easily shaken.

This was also one of the reasons he dared act so recklessly against that little witch back then; had he known earlier... but where in the world does 'earlier knowledge' come from?

This inner regret was not revealed on the surface by Rui Ze; Liu Cheng, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, looking at his maternal uncle: "At that time it was Maternal Uncle acting obstinately, refusing to listen to dissuasion, insisting on using poison against her."

These words provoked Rui Ze's anger: "Your Highness is blaming me? Who in this world has foresight? I did the same thing ten times, one time something went wrong, and it all becomes my fault — yet for whom did I do all this!"

"Furthermore, did I use poison on her right from the start? I did give her chances; Your Mother, honored as the Mother of the Nation, repeatedly showed her goodwill... but she agreed on the surface yet did as she pleased, wasting a golden opportunity at the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month night banquet!"

Had she not been so intractable, provoking and enraging him, he would not have resorted to his subsequent actions!

Rui Ze was beside himself with rage, unable to tell whether he resented his nephew's accusation more, or his own miscalculation more.

Receiving his mother's look signaling she did not wish to see a quarrel, Liu Cheng suppressed his emotions and only asked: "Maternal Uncle has delayed again and again — exactly when do you intend to hand over the antidote?"

Rui Ze immediately took out a small ceramic bottle from his sleeve, bent over and slapped it onto the desk, his back to his nephew, suppressing his anger as he said: "It is not that I do not want to hand it over; it is that she has delayed and refused to give me the chance to sit down and talk!"

Such arrogance made Rui Ze even more displeased: "Now that she has obtained the Tianji identity, and has the Lu Hou Mansion backing her... she has the audacity to leave me cooling my heels, waiting for me to personally come to her door and present this medicine with both hands."

"No, it is not because she has the Tianji identity and the Lu Hou Mansion backing her..." Rui Huanghou lowered her brows and eyes, saying softly: "From the looks of it now, her previous compromise was probably not because she lacked backing."

"She was trying to save her master, so she was unwilling to make enemies of us head-on..." The Empress muttered somewhat absentmindedly: "Everything she did was to save her master; now that her master has been rescued and returned to her side, she no longer fears or cares about any threats."

This child is different from everyone else — this is something she had said many times, and even now she still had to say it.

Rui Ze closed his eyes and breathed for a moment, yet said: "Saving her master is probably only one of her purposes for entering the capital; lately I have been thinking about one matter..."

Because today he did not receive the edict appointing her Crown Princess, this conjecture gained a few more points of credibility.

"I suspect she had secretly colluded with Liu Qi before entering the capital." Rui Ze's voice turned from anger to icy cold.

"That is why she has been unwilling to help us deal with Liu Qi... including the Nanshan assassination incident — thinking back now, it was most likely also her and Liu Qi plotting together, turning me into a knife for their use."

"On the altar, Liu Qi disregarded life and death to block that arrow... I fear it was also not merely for the sake of protecting the grand sacrificial ceremony or investigating the conspiracy of the heretical Dao and Prince Liang."

"If this is truly the case, then these two have deceived everyone since entering the capital — this is the greatest calamity of the present..."

Put that way, that bowl of poison was indeed very much something that should not have been done.

Using poison to control was entirely superfluous; he clearly should have eliminated her early on... when she first entered the capital she had no foundation whatsoever, he originally had far too many opportunities to erase her.

This is the thing he should regret most.

Rui Ze's gaze was dark as he looked at that mother and son: "If this conjecture holds true, then whether that bowl of poison exists or not, she would inevitably oppose us — merely a difference between open and covert."

Liu Cheng's expression was dazed, lost in thought.

His maternal uncle's words precisely confirmed the intuition he had felt in his heart these past days.

That day on the altar, because he was close enough, he had clearly perceived that Sixth Brother's attitude toward her was unlike his attitude toward anyone else... as if he could not even be bothered with calculation and concealment anymore; for the sake of protecting her, he would do anything.

So, she has actually been Sixth Brother's person all along? A partner, or an even more intimate relationship?

"In this Palace's view, this child's nature is pure and straightforward; she is not someone who would be pushed along by her position..." Rui Hou's eyes flickered with thought, first advising her elder brother: "The most urgent task is that we absolutely must not continue to make enemies and accumulate grievances; otherwise it will only deepen the conflict."

"As for the poisoning matter... let me try to negotiate with her." Rui Hou said in a low voice: "It may not necessarily come to the worst outcome..."

Rui Ze glanced at the antidote, kept a straight face and said nothing, which counted as tacit acceptance of the Empress's proposal.

After all, she is now Tianji; if there is still room for maneuver, he does not want a head-on collision either.

He indirectly voiced compromise: "The Empress is the Mother of a Nation; she should be made to understand that one who accomplishes great things does not fuss over minor knots. Tianji is profound and mysterious, yet she remains a subject of the Son of Heaven — no matter whose person she was before, now that she has relatives by her side, she must think more for the future — His Majesty is gravely ill, the Heir Apparent is here; a wise person naturally knows where to stand is most advantageous and most secure."

Since there is a ready-made broad road to walk, why drag along relatives and risk choosing a rugged, muddy, unknown path?

Listening to his mother and maternal uncle's dialogue, Liu Cheng fell silent as if his soul had left him.

Until a trusted inner attendant approached to relay a message: "Empress, Your Highness, the Middle Attendant has arrived..."

Guo Shi, invited into the hall, wore a faint smile, bringing two verbal edicts from the Emperor; the latter one greatly reassured Rui Ze.

"His Majesty says the Crown Prince's marriage ought to be settled early; let the Empress choose and prepare as soon as possible..."

"There is one more matter..." Guo Shi said in a low voice: "The drought has been resolved; tomorrow His Majesty will issue an edict to reflect and recuperate, sincerely revere the gods, in preparation for the Autumn Hunt Grand Ceremony... during this coming period, the Crown Prince will supervise the state."

Rui Ze's expression did not change, only his eyes brightened with excitement, looking at his stunned nephew.

His Majesty's move clearly intends to settle the Heir Apparent's heart, not wanting them to wildy speculate because Tianji was merely enfeoffed as a Marquis... at the same time it is to stabilize the floating hearts in court.

After a moment of relief, Rui Ze solemnly admonished: "Cheng Er, from now on you must not be the slightest bit careless or make any mistake; you must absolutely not disappoint your Imperial Father's regard!"

Besides soothing people's hearts, this is probably also a trial.

Guo Shi also said: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this is an opportunity the Sovereign Father has given Your Highness, and Your Highness must seize it well."

Liu Cheng reluctantly came back to his senses, nodded, yet his heart was filled with bewilderment and tension.

"Is the Sixth Prince still with His Majesty?" Rui Ze asked in a low voice.

"He is." Guo Shi sighed lightly: "He is playing chess with His Majesty right now; His Majesty is in no hurry to send him away, so I'm afraid he won't be leaving for a short time..."

Beneath Guo Shi's smiling brows and eyes, a trace of hidden worry was concealed.

Logically speaking, with the illness worsening, His Majesty should be even more anxious about seeking the art of longevity... but recently, whenever he mentioned immortal medicines and the like, His Majesty has shown little interest, no longer inquiring further.

To Guo Shi, this is a dangerous signal.

The reason he was able to gain the Son of Heaven's trust back then, besides handling affairs and speaking appropriately, was more because he was among the first batch of people to recommend alchemists into the palace; afterward, through repeated contact, the task of searching for the longevity method fell entirely to him to monitor closely. He knew such matters well, devoted himself wholeheartedly, grasped the progress of information from all sides, causing the Son of Heaven to gradually develop reliance.

And because of this, the Ling Empress and the Ling Taizi came to harbor dissatisfaction toward him. One day, he once heard from behind a screen the Ling Taizi advising the Son of Heaven, saying he was bewitching the monarch and truly could not be kept.

The Emperor laughed it off, but he could not laugh.

Many years later, yesterday he stood behind a screen in the same position as back then, listening to the voices of that father-son pair in the hall, and once again had the feeling of being unable to laugh.

Following the Chiyang affair, King Liang's suicide, and that Daoist Lord surnamed Jiang entering the palace, His Majesty actually grew cold toward the thought of longevity.

The tasks of searching everywhere for immortals and immortal medicines also fell into a semi-stagnant state as a result.

King Liang's death was like a stone, smashing a hole in the ice lake in the Son of Heaven's heart.

And that Sixth Prince, with the attitude of youthful sincere devotion, took the opportunity to occupy the position closest to the Sovereign Father's side, like a filial son lying on ice...

It sounds movingly warm, but inside it is all killing intent sharp as ice shards.

This Sixth Prince is very different from the Ling Taizi; recently he even occasionally reveals a smile toward him...

When this kid left the Imperial Palace back then, facing the mad-dog-like Zhu Zhi, he once directly showed surging, cold killing intent.

Yet now facing him, who is always smiling faintly, he instead returns a harmless smile... how is this not another kind of even more perverse and sinister provocation.

This child with excessively strong vengefulness has always been a knot in his heart.

Therefore, after the Crown Prince position changed hands, he also did not lack hints and incitement toward the Rui Family to remove him... what a pity, this child is too hard to kill, he actually cannot be killed no matter how they try.

Zhu Zhi is even more a mad dog waste; not only did he fail to kill the man, he even paved a road back to the capital for the other party.

And now it has reached a critical juncture...

Guo Shi looked at Crown Prince Cheng, and said again: "Your Highness this time shoulders the heavy task of supervising the state; you must not disappoint His Majesty."

And said to Rui Ze: "Additionally, regarding the matter of selecting the Crown Prince's consort, please allow Guo Shi one more word... in the current situation, we still need to grasp some tangible things in hand, only then can we ensure absolute safety."

Rui Ze understood: "I also have this intention; I will discuss carefully with the Empress."

Previously, most of the time wanting to avoid a Crown Prince consort candidate from a maternal clan that was too powerful, was for fear that afterward it would instead overwhelm their Rui Family.

But now they cannot care about these things; since they haven't grasped the heavenly opportunity, they must grasp more useful assistance, first smoothly pass through the present crisis and then speak.

Liu Cheng quietly listened to these deliberative words that completely did not need to consult his opinion.

Unknown how much time passed, he returned to the Crown Prince Palace, stepping on the newly fallen moonlight, and once again walked to that cluster of cultivated bamboo.

Too many times, his opinion is not important; many things he doesn't even need to ask why.

But this time, there is one matter, he very much wants to muster the courage to ask a sentence of why, wants to demand an understanding, wants to clearly speak the words in his heart.

Beneath the bamboo, a solitary figure, silent and soundless.

At the same moment, inside the Lu Hou Mansion, figures crisscrossed, all voices lively.

The Lu Hou Mansion held a family banquet, to congratulate the brand new Ling Shu Hou.

Jiang Fu was invited to the Lu Hou Mansion early on; Mo Li, acting as guard, also arrived together.

Shaowei received the news, and after going off duty from the Shen Ci, came directly here, and secretly brought Qing Wu out with her.

Upon entering the Hou Mansion, only then did she know there were outsiders at this family banquet — Shaowei, on the Yongdao straight to the dining hall, encountered Yan Xiang father and son.

Yan Chu saw Xiangzhi at a glance, reaction quite surprised and delighted.

Qing Wu had not yet revealed her original identity and origins to him; Shaowei could only perfunctorily claim that she and Xiangzhi hit it off at first sight, very compatible.

Yan Chu laughed and said: "Just as it should be, just as it should be; Xiangzhi is a person of pure nature and spiritual elegance, and Ling Shu Hou also possesses this kind of spiritual nature, inevitably they should be compatible!"

"Today going to the Shen Ci, I didn't dare disturb the Lord Hou's official duties..." Yan Chu's face bloomed with a mysterious smile, leaned closer, and said to Shaowei: "Speaking truly, I should call the Lord Hou 'younger sister'!"

"Yan Chu—" Yan Xiang's majestic voice rang out.

Yan Chu shrank his neck, but still persisted against the wind, secretly raised his eyebrows at Shaowei and gave a hey laugh.

Shaowei also raised her eyebrows, but did not respond to Yan Chu; without Mother giving the word, she would not participate in any instigation or hint for a single day.

And Shaowei has some inexplicable wariness toward Yan Chu; she observed this person being excessively enthusiastic toward A Jie, and couldn't help generating a sense of crisis, as if this person possessed the ability to forcibly separate and tear apart the unbreakable four-person camp of Taoxi Township.

Look, he is again leisurely circling to one side, going to seek A Jie to speak, and it's whispering.

Shaowei was just secretly paying attention to Yan Chu's low words, but heard Yan Xiang's voice sound from the front side.

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