Chapter 130: What Are You Trying to Do?

"Steward Zhao!"

"You're finally here."

The moment the aroma reached him, Yi Jiang hopped down from his chair and bolted straight for the dining table.

"Quick, quick, quick! What's good to eat today? Little Master is starving!"

Steward Zhao sighed helplessly inside, but could only set the bowls and plates out on the table one by one.

Yi Jiang cupped his bowl and gulped down nearly half a bowl of chicken soup.

"Ha! Delicious!"

He had just picked up his chopsticks when a sudden wave of sorrow welled up in him, and he sighed wistfully.

"I really envy Yu'an — he gets to play with the tigers up on the Mountain every day."

Steward Zhao curled his lip.

You only see other people playing, do you?

How about mentioning how the Cheng family's little Young Master has the Hundred Family Surnames and the Three Character Classic memorized backward and forward?

How come you never notice how he can toss off famous lines off the top of his head?

Speaking of which, when you went visiting, if he didn't play with you, was he supposed to drag you along to study and catch up on homework?

Oh, my little Young Master, please use your head a little!

Watching Yi Jiang wrestle with the roast goose, his mouth slick with oil, Steward Zhao's eyes rolled thoughtfully.

He walked to the bookshelf, took down a book, and returned to the table.

"Ahem!"

He cleared his throat.

"Heaven and Earth…"

The sound drilled into his ears, and in an instant Yi Jiang felt the goose leg in his hand had lost all its flavor.

"Steward Zhao, what are you doing?"

Steward Zhao answered him with perfect seriousness.

"The Master gave orders: from now on, whenever you dine, have someone read beside you."

Yi Jiang declared he didn't understand it, and refused to respect it!

"But Grandfather said you can't do two things with one mind!"

Steward Zhao closed the book and looked at him with a solemn face.

"So it's not asking you to read while you eat — aren't we reading it for you?"

So infuriating!

Yi Jiang drew in a deep breath, both hands gripping the edge of the dining table, and with all his might…

"Huff!"

Too heavy — he couldn't flip it!

Yi Jiang crossed his arms over his chest, panting with rage.

"But this knowledge won't just go down with the food and get digested along with it!"

Steward Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

As they say, no one knows a son better than his father.

Everything the little Young Master just said, the Master had already mentioned — and even gave him the standard answer.

"Don't worry, little Young Master. As the saying goes, geese leave a sound as they pass, the wind leaves a trace — hearing it a few times will at least leave some impression, won't it?"

Yi Jiang: "……"

Steward Zhao continued reading. With his protest having no effect, Yi Jiang could only turn his grief and indignation into appetite.

"…Clouds Rise to Bring Rain, dew congeals…"

Yi Jiang gnawed the goose leg with a crunching sound, as if what was in his mouth wasn't fragrant roast goose but those wretched books!

Not listening, not listening…

As he read, Steward Zhao couldn't help a secret thrill of delight.

Excellent — the first step is taken, a fine start has been made!

……

In the Study in the front courtyard of the City Lord's Manor.

"Shang Xiaomin says, have you bring the Cheng Family's womenfolk under control as quickly as possible, then hand them over to him according to the plan."

Chen Ying took the letter from Gu Shang's hand.

"So, he succeeded in Forcing the Palace?"

Gu Shang gave a slight nod.

"You could say that. Shang Xiao Hui's Forcing the Palace failed, and he's been thrown into the Heavenly Prison — so Shang Xiaomin is the only option left."

"Bang!"

Chen Delin slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"Hmph!"

"Want to control the Cheng Family people?!"

"He can dream on!"

Furious, he paced back and forth a few times in the Study, then looked at Chen Ying.

"What are you planning?"

Chen Ying tossed the letter onto the table.

"First, do as Shang Xiaomin said…"

"What did you say?!"

Chen Delin cut him off in a sharp voice.

"The Cheng Family saved Yi Jiang, and yet you still want to harm them? Do you have any conscience left at all?!"

"Father!"

Chen Ying wore a helpless expression.

"Don't be so hasty, I haven't finished speaking yet."

He looked toward Gu Shang.

"Write him a reply for me. Say that I still have some reservations, and to show his sincerity, he must appear in person. We'll meet once and talk face to face."

Gu Shang nodded.

"Alright."

Chen Ying also prepared to write a letter to Cheng Old Madam, explaining his plan.

He had just turned to leave when his own father grabbed him.

"Wait a moment."

"You want to lure Shang Xiaomin out — what for?"

A flash of cold intent passed through Chen Ying's eyes.

"Haven't you already guessed?"

Having said that, he returned to his desk and began writing furiously.

Chen Delin, however, had his brows tightly knit.

A man as scheming and unscrupulous as Shang Xiaomin — how could he possibly agree?

Even if he agreed, he would surely have heavy troops lying in ambush beforehand.

Better send word to Ke as quickly as possible.

……

That very evening, Cheng Old Madam received Chen Ying's letter. After reading it, she handed it to the younger generation.

Meng Shi gave it a hasty glance, then tightly furrowed her brow.

"Pomo, I'm afraid Shang Xiaomin won't agree to Chen Ying so easily. Even if he does agree to his demands, he'll certainly make Chen Ying bring us along, then set a heavy ambush in advance to wipe us all out at once."

Wang Shi nodded in agreement, then sighed with a worried look.

"He's capable of poisoning his own birth father and elder brother — is there anything he wouldn't do?"

"Serving by the side of such a ruthless and vicious man, I wonder how Shengxuan is doing now?"

Cheng Qiuyun offered a word of comfort.

"Don't worry, Shumu. Before Shengxuan left, didn't Yu'an give him Elixirs to detoxify and save his life? And with Shengxuan's intelligence and resourcefulness, he'll surely be able to protect himself."

The sisters Cheng Qiuruo and Cheng Qiuluo also hugged their own mother, softly comforting her.

"Don't worry, Mother. Second Brother will definitely be back very soon."

A flicker of light passed through Cheng Old Madam's eyes.

"Qiuruo, what's the range of your Gunther gun?"

Cheng Qiuruo rubbed her chin.

"A hundred and fifty paces, definitely."

Cheng Old Madam immediately asked further.

"Can it kill in one shot?"

"Uh…"

Cheng Qiuruo was stumped by the question. She scratched the back of her head.

"Not yet, but I'll definitely make time to practice."

Cheng Old Madam shook her head.

"Put the gun practice aside for now and hand it over to Qiuluo and the others. In the next few days, can you make one more?"

Cheng Qiuruo nodded.

"The materials are all ready to hand. We can make two more."

"Good, hurry up."

"Alright!"

……

On the Muyuan Kingdom side, five days had already passed since the letter was sent out.

"Imperial Prince…"

Qingmu wore a troubled expression.

Just from that look, Shang Xiaomin guessed it. He immediately set down the brush in his hand and wiped his hands with a damp cloth.

"Father Emperor still refuses to write the Edict of Succession?"

"Yes."

Shang Xiaomin gave a light laugh, utterly unconcerned.

"Let him be."

He doesn't have many days left to live anyway.

Speaking of which, Father Emperor is still a little lucky.

Earlier Feng Dongnian said the Golden Needle Acupoint Piercing Method could extend life by at most five days.

Yet over these past days, with a small mountain's worth of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare and precious medicinal ingredients consumed, it had actually managed to keep Father Emperor alive a few days longer.

Even Feng Dongnian had declared outright that it was a miracle.

"But Imperial Prince, the National Lord keeps refusing to write the Edict of Succession, and refuses to attend court as well. Those who know will say it is because he is overcome with grief over the Second Prince's suicide, but those who don't know may well spread rumors that you have imprisoned the National Lord and are plotting treason!"

"When you inherit the great throne in the future, these rumors and slanders will ultimately damage your reputation!"

Hearing this, Shang Xiaomin let out a cold laugh.

"Those muddle-headed people who speak without thinking are of no use alive!"

Looking at the paper on the desk covered in writing, the smile at Shang Xiaomin's lips deepened.

"Come and take a look."

He pointed at the paper, then pointed at a Memorial beside it.

"Do the handwriting on these two still look alike?"

Qingmu leaned in for a look, eyes widening slightly.

Isn't that the National Lord's Imperial Vermilion Endorsement on that Memorial?

What is the Imperial Prince about to do?!