Chapter 97

Having seen him today, Lu Zhen had full confidence in Gao Yang.

Meanwhile.

The Prince of Rong's Mansion.

Inside the main hall, antique vases were everywhere, exuding opulence.

Yet, a middle-aged man with a resolute face, dressed in a python robe, was filled with fury.

Bang!

The Prince of Rong, Wu Long, slammed a heavy palm onto the table.

The slap made his hand ache.

But he acted as if he didn't feel it, his face twisted with monstrous rage.

Today had been a massive loss of face.

Having feigned illness in his mansion for dozens of days, his first time attending court, he had originally intended to pull off something grand, only to end up making a mess of things.

He had wanted to give the Empress a show of force and strike first.

To his utter shock, it turned out the whole thing was a trap set by the Empress.

She had intentionally spoken of mixing sand into the grain, just waiting for him to jump out and oppose her.

Then, she had proceeded to slap his face repeatedly.

This wave of events was essentially using his head as a stepping stone to establish her authority.

A fine tactic!

"I underestimated Her Majesty after all. I suffered a great loss today, and my prestige is gone," the Prince of Rong gritted his teeth, his expression icy.

Beside him, a middle-aged scholar in a green robe spoke up, "Though the Empress possesses great talent and strategy, such a vicious scheme could not have been conceived by her. It must have been devised by the grandson of the Duke of the State, the Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, Gao Yang!"

"This boy is no simple character!"

The Prince of Rong's gaze was cold. "This brat hides quite deep. I truly underestimated him."

As he spoke, he looked toward the middle-aged scholar. "Do you have a plan to help me eliminate that old thing, Gao Tianlong?"

The middle-aged scholar smiled indifferently. "Your Highness, rest assured, your subject has his own brilliant plan."

"However, we must wait a few more days. During this time, Your Highness should instruct the Heir to avoid leaving the mansion as much as possible. Even if he must go out, he should bring more men. The Duke of the State's grandson, Gao Yang, is extraordinary."

"If he leaves the mansion now, I fear that Gao Yang might make a move against the Heir."

The Prince of Rong furrowed his brows, his voice suddenly rising three degrees: "Does this Gao Yang dare to make a move against imperial kin?"

The middle-aged scholar nodded, his gaze solemn. "The Duke of the State's mansion has deep foundations, especially since the Duke is still alive. All of Changancheng knows that the Empress's edict to seek talent was a trap set by the Heir for Gao Yang, so this retaliation is inevitable."

"It is better to be cautious."

Just then, Wu Cheng walked in.

He hurried to the Prince of Rong. "Father, I heard that Her Majesty reprimanded you during the morning court?"

Wu Long nodded. "I was careless, but it was only a momentary setback. It is of no consequence."

"Do not leave the mansion for the next few days, so as not to be targeted by that boy from the Duke of the State's mansion."

Upon hearing this, Wu Cheng immediately snorted. "The Duke of the State has one foot in the grave. Do they have the guts of a bear and the heart of a leopard to dare make a move against this Heir?"

"Furthermore, whenever I go out, it is always in broad daylight, and I stay at the Rouge Pavilion at night; I never walk the night roads."

Hearing this, Wu Long nodded, feeling relieved.

Seeing this, the middle-aged scholar also nodded.

Judging by this, he was indeed being very cautious. Would that Gao Yang dare to make a move against the Heir of Da Qian in public? ===== CHAPTER 99 =====