Chapter 410

The territory of Jin State is now under my control; what does it have to do with Your Majesty?

Xuan Che spoke these words coldly, already not regarding Emperor Qian Yong at all: 'Even if it dies, it is something the Third Prince should worry about in the future.'

Emperor Qian Yong today actually doesn't care about losing face with him, still coldly sneering: 'What about your father's dying wish? You also ignore it?'

He seemed to have grasped the only leverage he could use against Xuan Che, repeating it over and over, like an obsessive, neurotic old man.

You must remember what your father said; you cannot get entangled with the future emperor of Jin State!

Shut up!

Xuan Che suddenly went mad, flinging his sleeve to overturn all the tea cups on the table; the jade porcelain shattered with a clatter, emitting a piercing sound.

It also truly made Emperor Qian Yong shut his mouth, staring blankly at the shards on the ground.

As if looking at his own already damaged imperial dignity.

The palace maids and eunuchs serving in the Imperial Study had already knelt all over the floor.

Xuan Che laughed angrily, his beautiful face full of mockery, yet his phoenix eyes revealed infinite sorrow.

What qualifications do you have to speak for my father? You also know he devoted his life to Jin State, and you also know all his actions were for Jin State's territory.

But wasn't he killed by your imperial edict? Nowadays, what right do you have to still use him to suppress me?

Emperor Qian Yong was choked back, unable to speak his words, and did not continue.

After a moment, his voice grew much weaker, and he sat down trembling.

Your father... his achievements overshadowed the ruler.

But how much truth there is in that, he himself knows well.

In short... you should carefully consider my words; your father wished to see Jin State endure for myriad generations, not be destroyed in your hands.

I will arrange a few concubines to be sent to the Purple Imperial Palace; you must not obstruct them, if Chen'er truly... then later we will make other plans.

Having said that, he waved his hand at the personal eunuch,

'Send him out, I am weary.'

'Yes, Your Majesty.'

Xuan Che also said nothing more, leaving the Imperial Study in silence.

Along the way, his aura was extremely low, his phoenix eyes dim and lifeless, his heart caught in great struggle.

He certainly remembered every word his father said before his death.

He had simply never wanted to delve deeper into it, nor wanted to face it.

Breaking off relations with Jin Chen is absolutely impossible.

Can he stop Emperor Qian Yong from sending concubines to the Purple Imperial Palace?

'Greetings, Superintendent.'

Several flower-like young girls followed the Head Matron to Xuan Che's sedan, not daring to raise their heads, they performed a respectful salute.

Xuan Che propped his head with his fingertips, slowly lifted his gaze, and looked back and forth over the four girls.

'Raise your heads, let me take a look.'

The girls all knew they were to serve at the Purple Imperial Palace today, and they also knew the Superintendent now had that kind of relationship with the Third Prince; although they were afraid, they still forced themselves to raise their heads.

The edict they received was to withstand the Superintendent's pressure and successfully remain in the Purple Imperial Palace to serve the Third Prince.

They were selected to be each beautiful and dignified.

Xuan Che's eyes flickered with mockery and bitterness; when his gaze fell on the last girl's face, his pupils constricted for a moment.

Then came a raging fury.

That emperor thought, if he found a shoddy imitation, would Your Highness like it?

"Yan An, why are you standing there? Hurry up and go."

"Yes."

Yan An greeted his subordinates to lift the sedan, but he himself did not follow.

Although the lord hadn't said it outright, I've been under him for so many years that I naturally understood he wanted these girls properly disciplined and then taken back to the Purple Imperial Palace.

It seems the lord really does have the idea of discarding the mother and keeping the child.

He flicked his whisk, looked at the girl who had just made the lord's expression change, and couldn't help but sigh.

This girl is actually the best-looking of the four; at first glance she resembles the Lord Supervisor by a bit, but on closer look she seems coarse, lacking that exquisite, finely carved noble air.

"From now on, serving in the Purple Imperial Palace is nothing like in the palace where those grannies taught you their seductive tricks—don't use them in front of Your Highness, or you lowly wretches will regret it."

Yan An, in front of the Head Matron, first established his authority over the girls, training them until each showed a fearful look, then he turned to the Head Matron whose face was grim.

"Granny, please go back; we merely thank the Imperial Consort for her kindness on behalf of Your Highness."

The Head Matron could only force a false smile; he was a favorite in front of the Lord Supervisor, so even if he heard something angering, he dared not be neglectful.

Now the rear palace is empty and deserted, only a few former consorts of the previous dynasty remain, not sent away, spending their twilight years there; it was only today, upon hearing the Emperor's decree that the Imperial Consort should enlighten a few girls for the future emperor, that these old bones were let out of the rear palace—who would have thought the people of the former dynasty would already be so unwilling to give them face.

"Do you four have names?"

"In reply, Sir, we await Your Highness to bestow names upon us."

"Waiting for Your Highness to give you names? What a joke—Your Highness handles myriad affairs; where would he find the leisure to name you?"

Yan An looked around; deep autumn had arrived, and even inside the palace there were signs of withering. He said, "From now on you will take 'Autumn' as your surname; as for your given names, just keep your original ones."

"Yes……"

——

Xuan Che returned to the Eastern Depot; as he alighted from the sedan, he was still a bit dazed.

He couldn't believe that if Your Highness really kept those people, how he would fare in the Purple Imperial Palace thereafter.

Before he could calm himself, an Eastern Depot secret guard rushed over to report the news.

"Sir, the Minister's residence is about to make a major move."

Speak.

Xuanche walked into the hall, his expression extremely cold.

After the Minister knew that the Crown Prince had become incurably foolish, he tried to control him to take the throne, turning Jin secretly into the Fi family's realm.

"What a scheme to control," Xuanche laughed angrily, "not to mention that everyone now knows I control the court, and the foolishness of Jin Hua Xuan is known to all officials; openly pushing a fool onto the throne."

This is to openly challenge me.

The secret guard then said: "Now Fi Tian has persuaded several officials who previously supported the Crown Prince; the amount of gift money exchanged is huge, and someone has already discovered it."

Minister Fi is already old; how could he have the energy to do all this?

That's right; after our investigation, the mastermind behind all this is the Minister's son, the Crown Prince's uncle, Fi Tian.

Xuanche lowered his gaze to the jade thumb ring on his thumb, then suddenly laughed.

Your Majesty suddenly received a memorial, saying that the Minister's residence privately hides dragon robes; I, acting on imperial orders, will search the Minister's residence today.

Yan An at his side immediately took out an unused imperial edict from the table and placed the brush and ink beside Xuanche.

Together with the imperial jade seal.

Xuanche rolled up his sleeve, and the characters he wrote were exactly the same as Emperor Qian Yong's.

After a moment, Yan An put away the imperial edict; the factory guards outside were already ready.