Emperor An was shocked by his own speculation, but the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.
Xie Tianyu was never a fool, nor was he the type to lose his senses over matters of love. Back when Crown Prince Li was at his peak, Xie Tianyu was still the only one among the princes who could "counter" him to some extent. How could he possibly lose his reason over mere beauty?
He sought to marry Rong Yue for the benefits brought by the Rong family. When Rong Yue gave birth, Rong Qian'an was still in the court, and the Rong family was still in a prosperous state.
If there weren’t other interests at stake, if there wasn’t some "dilemma," how could he risk so much to exchange for Rong Yue’s son?
That child carried the blood of the Rong family. With the child in hand, even if Rong Qian'an didn't assist him wholeheartedly, he would still be biased in his favor.
How could Xie Tianyu let that go?
Unless...
The child he received brought him even greater benefits!
Emperor An suddenly stood up, his expression fluctuating. "Feng Lai."
Feng Nei-shi quickly turned around. "Your Majesty."
"Go and summon Xiao Yan to the palace."
"Now?" Feng Nei-shi hesitated for a moment. "Master Xiao just left the palace not long ago. He said he was going to interrogate a few people from the Ministry of War..." Before he could finish, he noticed Emperor An looking at him with a frosty expression, which was particularly terrifying. Feng Nei-shi shuddered and quickly lowered his head. "I will send someone to summon him at once."
When Xiao Yan rushed back into the palace, it was already more than half an hour later. Upon entering the hall, he saw Emperor An barefoot, stepping on the jade stone footrest with a coiled dragon design.
There were no other people in the hall. Emperor An, unlike his usual royal demeanor in the court, had his collar half-open, his wide sleeves rolled up halfway. He seemed restless, his hand playing with a black bead bracelet. His exposed wrist was much thinner than it had been a month ago.
"Your Majesty," Xiao Yan said as he intended to bow.
Emperor An waved his hand. "Get up. You..."
He was about to speak when his eyes fell on Xiao Yan, his brows furrowing. "Why are you covered in blood?"
Xiao Yan glanced at the bloodstains on his clothes. "I just interrogated a few people from the Ministry of War, then went to King Cheng's place. After a short while, I was informed that Your Majesty urgently summoned me. Fearing I might delay Your Majesty's business, I came directly here without having time to clean up. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Emperor An's mood brightened instantly. "You interrogated King Cheng?"
"I did, but he still refuses to speak." Xiao Yan's eyes showed signs of fatigue. "Before, I caught him off guard and extracted information about the Lu family, but for some reason, he suddenly changed his mind and refuses to admit it now."
"After the punishment of Hou Rui and the others, they did admit to colluding with King Cheng, and that the Lu family was involved, but none of them directly pointed to Lu Chongyuan, and their words were vague and hard to verify."
"You know as well as I do that Lu Chongyuan is extremely calculating, and the Lu family has deep roots. If we only rely on this, the Lu family can simply throw someone under the bus to protect the main players. At most, they might give up a title, and Lu Chongyuan will escape unscathed. It won't shake the foundation of the noble families."
Emperor An furrowed his brows. "The Ministry of Justice's methods couldn't extract anything?"
Xiao Yan lowered his voice. "I am incompetent."
Looking at the bloodstains on Xiao Yan's clothes, Emperor An knew what methods he had used.
He was well aware of the methods of the Ministry of Justice. Many tough individuals couldn't last even a night under their interrogation. But Xie Tianyu, a noble and delicate prince, how could he possibly withstand their interrogation?
Emperor An sneered. "It's not that you're incompetent, it's that he didn't dare speak."
Xiao Yan was taken aback. "Your Majesty means...?"
"Have you ever thought about Xie Yin's background?"
Xiao Yan paused for a moment. "King Cheng said that when the late Princess Consort gave birth, the child died shortly after birth. Fearing the loss of the Rong family's support, a woman who had been raising a child outside gave birth, and he took that child to pass off as the late princess's son."
"Do you believe that?"
Emperor An's question confused Xiao Yan. Seeing the puzzled look on his face, Emperor An sneered. "What kind of person is Xie Tianyu? He was once a step away from the throne. Do you really think he is the type to lose his senses over beauty and act recklessly?"
"If he were really that foolish, when Rong Qian'an was forced to leave the court because of Crown Prince Li's scheming, and the Rong family declined, he could have easily taken a concubine and brought the woman into his house. Why pretend to love Rong Yue and deceive the world?"
Xiao Yan was stunned. "But King Cheng said that woman has already passed away..."
"Do you believe his nonsense? If that woman had already died, with Xie Tianyu's ambition, why would he not want to have another child? Doesn't he fear that one day, Xie Yin's true heritage will be exposed, leaving him with nothing to control the Rong family?"
"Unless that woman is not dead, and she has the means to control Xie Tianyu, preventing him from having any children other than Xie Yin."
Emperor An leaned back against the desk, looking at Xiao Yan with a touch of impatience as he spoke. "Think about it carefully. Rong Yue hasn't had any children for many years. There have been rumors that her health was poor, but suddenly, she's pregnant. Clearly, her health isn't an issue. The reason they haven't had children for years is because someone has interfered."
"That woman dared to block Xie Tianyu from having children, and Xie Tianyu endured it. If it wasn't because of deep affection, then it's because she has leverage. If that's the case, why wouldn't she allow Xie Tianyu to openly bring her back to the house?"
Xiao Yan's face changed. "Your Majesty means... that woman's identity cannot be revealed?"
He frowned, unable to help but ask, "But King Cheng is of noble status. What woman could he not marry? And the late emperor was still alive when the princess consort gave birth. If that woman could secretly be with King Cheng, why not simply ask the late emperor to grant them a marriage?"
Emperor An sneered. "If the marriage was granted, how could Xie Tianyu gain any benefits from the Rong family?"
Xiao Yan's brows tightened. "But if he wanted to gain the Rong family's benefits, why take such a risk?"
"What if that woman comes from a noble family?"
"A noble family?" Xiao Yan was shocked.
Emperor An's voice turned cold. "Have you never thought about how King Cheng and the Lu family got involved?"
Seeing the usually sharp Xiao Yan show confusion, then suddenly realizing something, his face filled with astonishment.
Emperor An sneered. "When Crown Prince Li tried to suppress the noble families, Lu Chongyuan was forced to choose me. At that time, I wasn't as outstanding as King Cheng, so it wasn't strange that he secretly supported King Cheng. But after I ascended the throne, Xie Tianyu became half a useless person. Why would the Lu family take the risk to connect him with the Ministry of War?"
"The Lu family has private soldiers. Although they don't openly announce it, you should know their foundations. They hoard weapons, and they always want to push the Fourth Prince to the throne, frequently talking about establishing a new crown prince. Why would they need to involve King Cheng?"
Xiao Yan's eyes widened. "Your Majesty means... that woman is from the Lu family, and Xie Yin is also of Lu family blood?"
"Not too stupid," Emperor An said, glancing at him. "This matter is either the Lu family using King Cheng as a backup plan, thinking that if the Fourth Prince doesn't succeed, they still have Xie Yin's line. Or, it could be that the Lu family has a traitor, someone who even betrayed Lu Chongyuan."
He smiled, full of interest.
"I actually hope it's the latter. That would be much more interesting."
Lu Chongyuan was a shrewd and calculating man who had spent years scheming to put his family's bloodline on the throne. The noble families in the court had been aggressive, treating the palace as their hunting ground. If the Lu family produced a traitor who secretly stabbed Lu Chongyuan in the back, that would be very interesting indeed.
Emperor An seemed to imagine Lu Chongyuan's reaction to the "truth" and suddenly burst into laughter, his expression gradually turning more excited and even manic, his eyes sparkling with a kind of madness as he laughed.
Feng Nei-shi, standing to the side, was taken aback. He opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly met with Xiao Yan's gaze.
"..."
Although no words were exchanged, Feng Nei-shi felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively swallowed his words.
After Xiao Yan looked away, he quietly stood there, watching Emperor An "lose his mind." When the excitement faded from Emperor An's face, Xiao Yan spoke up, "As for the Lu family..."
"Investigate!" Emperor An said eagerly.
Xiao Yan lowered his gaze. "But since King Cheng won't speak, this matter remains speculation. I can't barge into the Lu family's estate and search their women. It's been years, and the people who knew might have already been silenced. Relying on just Xie Yin alone, it's hard to confirm his background..."
Seeing Emperor An looking at him, Xiao Yan paused. "The Lu family is highly cautious of me, and if we act now, we might alert them. It would be better to assign this task to someone else."
"Someone else? Who?" Emperor An asked.
"The Fourth Prince," Xiao Yan said calmly.
Emperor An was taken aback, clearly not expecting Xiao Yan to suggest the Fourth Prince.
Xiao Yan said quietly, "The Lu family's matters are hard to probe, but the Empress and the Fourth Prince must know something. Lu Chongyuan wouldn't be on guard around them."
"The Fourth Prince has excellent character and talents, and the Empress has been with Your Majesty for many years. I believe their loyalty to Your Majesty surpasses their ties to the Lu family."
Seeing Emperor An deep in thought, Xiao Yan continued, "Moreover, there has been increasing talk in the court about establishing a new crown prince. Although Your Majesty is at the peak of your power, many ministers are already looking for another candidate. Your Majesty might take this opportunity to test the hearts of several princes, especially the Fourth Prince. If he supports the Lu family, hides the truth, and deceives the throne, he would be unworthy of the crown."
Emperor An was moved by the idea. He looked up at Xiao Yan. "What if the Fourth Prince takes a righteous stand and cuts ties with his family?"
"Even better," Xiao Yan said slowly. "If the Fourth Prince acts with loyalty, it will be worthy of praise. Your Majesty will be able to put aside old grudges and treat him equally with the other princes."
Emperor An understood Xiao Yan’s meaning and suddenly laughed. "You're a slippery one, full of tricks."
Xiao Yan said, "As for this matter..."
"Do as you suggested. Go find the Fourth Prince, and explain the stakes to him. Let's see what he decides." Emperor An commanded.
"I will obey, Your Majesty."
...
Feng Nei-shi had been standing quietly the whole time, watching Emperor An issue an order for the Fourth Prince to investigate the Lu family. Then, he beckoned Xiao Yan closer and began discussing recent developments in alchemy and cultivation, his face no longer showing the anxiety it had earlier.
Feng Nei-shi couldn't help but shiver.
Xiao Yan's words seemed casual, but they had already sent the Empress and her son into a perilous situation.
If the Fourth Prince investigates the Lu family and succeeds, the Lu family would be ruined, losing all face in the court, and their collusion with King Cheng and the confusion over royal bloodlines would be exposed. This would end the Lu family's influence in the court and sever their support for the Empress and her son.
If it fails, and the Fourth Prince protects the Lu family, his selfishness will cause a rift between the Lu family and him. Knowing Xiao Yan's ruthless tactics, he surely left behind a backup plan. Not only would he create discord between the Empress and the Lu family, but if it could be proven that the Fourth Prince deceived the throne, it would be his and the Empress's downfall.
It seemed that Xiao Yan had set a trap for the Lu family, but in fact, he was pushing the Empress and her son into a dead-end.
They had no idea just how much Xiao Yan despised them.
As Feng Nei-shi stood under the midday sun, the heat of summer beginning to scorch him, he couldn't shake the chill running through him.
When Xiao Yan came out, he noticed that Feng Nei-shi had been standing in the sun for quite a while.
"It's such a hot day, Feng Gonggong, and you're sunbathing? What great interest you have," Xiao Yan said with a smile.
Feng Nei-shi sneered. "The heart of men is inscrutable, which gives one a chill."
He spoke with clear sarcasm.
Xiao Yan simply smiled and didn't take it to heart.
Feng Nei-shi pursed his lips, watching him, clearly annoyed by Xiao Yan's lack of concern. Finally, he couldn't hold back and said directly, "Master Xiao, could we have a word?"
There were still guards and palace servants in the hall.
Feng Nei-shi, wanting to speak privately, led Xiao Yan down a secluded path to a side hall. When they were sure no one else was around, Feng Nei-shi stopped and took out something from his sleeve.
Xiao Yan glanced at it. "What is this, Feng Gonggong?"
Feng Nei-shi said coldly, "Don't tell me you don't know where this came from, Master Xiao. I dare not accept such a generous gift."
Trying to ease the tension, he softened his tone a little. "I appreciate your help with my son's matter earlier, but in the palace, you have used me. Let's call it even for now. But in the future, please don't target me or my master again."
He tried to stuff the things into Xiao Yan's arms, but before he could leave, Xiao Yan spoke up.
Feng Nei-shi froze and looked up. "Is Master Xiao threatening me?"
"Something like that," Xiao Yan said, straightforwardly.
Feng Nei-shi was taken aback. He had thought Xiao Yan would try to downplay the situation or make polite excuses. But instead, Xiao Yan admitted it directly.
Feng Nei-shi was left angry and unsure, his mind full of unease.
He tried to steady himself and said coldly, "Master Xiao, I have never interfered with what you've done in the palace. I have no enmity with you. All I want is to serve the Emperor in peace. Why must you drag me into this mess?"
"I have never meddled in your affairs with the noble families, and I've defended you before in front of the Emperor. Is this how you repay me?"
Xiao Yan tilted his head. "You defended me because the Emperor’s will has always leaned toward me. If the Emperor had favored the noble families, you would have been supporting someone else."
Feng Nei-shi’s face tightened.
========
You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
Comments
Post a Comment