Chapter 143
Su Wan’ning spat a mouthful of blood. This time, after all her scheming and effort, she had ended up with such a disastrous outcome, leaving her utterly drained.
Not only had she lost two generals, but the carefully laid plans in the western territories had also crumbled into a mess.
Fortunately, she hadn’t left any key clues in her puppets there, so all wasn’t lost.
It was said that after Yuwen Min left, Rong Zhengwei launched fierce attacks on the western kingdoms, with a faint inclination to surrender to Great Zhao.
The resentment in Su Wan’ning’s eyes nearly overflowed. She had sold her soul to that person, hoping for a chance to rise and seize control.
Yet, time and again, she lost so miserably.
Angrily, Su Wan’ning shouted, “Someone! Where did everyone go? The lights are out! Are you all blind?”
In the darkness, a faint light filtered through the gauze curtains. The crown prince entered from the courtyard.
He looked at Su Wan’ning and sighed. “Wan’er, you’ve been a bit impatient recently.”
Seeing it was the crown prince, Su Wan’ning immediately changed her expression. “Crown Prince? Why are you here? And… where is the maid? These servants are becoming increasingly lazy—how could you come to light the lamps yourself?”
The crown prince replied, “No matter. Recently, Zhaoyun returned to the princess’s residence, and her mother wished her to stay a few extra days. As for Attendant Lu, he seemed to be unwell, so I allowed him to visit the famous doctors at Xinglin Slope. He stayed at the Lu residence for a few days.”
“Xinglin Slope?” Su Wan’ning’s tone sharply rose. “He… why would he suddenly go to Xinglin Slope?”
The crown prince unconsciously furrowed his brows. “Xinglin Slope is known for medicine. He has been at the crown prince’s residence for over a year without conceiving. He wanted to visit there—it’s nothing improper.”
Su Wan’ning thought for a moment, then smiled. “Indeed, Xinglin Slope is my hometown. If he had said earlier, I could have just checked his pulse myself. Why go so far?”
The crown prince said, “Wan’er, you still have other matters to attend to. Let him handle these small things! It’s just… recently, the crown prince’s residence has been unusually quiet. Zhaoyun has left, Attendant Lu has gone, and now it’s just the two of us.”
Su Wan’ning asked, “Does the crown prince miss them?”
The crown prince smiled. “Not at all. Why would Wan’er care about others? Isn’t it fine that it’s just the two of us? We can enjoy these nights together, leisurely and pleasantly.”
A flicker of disdain passed through Su Wan’ning’s eyes. She blamed her repeated failures on the crown prince.
This man had grown thinner and frailer, leaving her utterly uninterested.
But she couldn’t afford to stop relying on him—she had to prop him up onto the throne.
She could not lose. Absolutely could not lose!
Yuwen Mingji was gone, Yuwen Jing was gone—no matter!
The scheme in the western territories had collapsed—still no matter.
Great Zhao had countless people, and countless neighboring petty states eyeing it covetously. She had plenty of opportunities.
And Lu Hanzhi—no, Lu Hanzhi wasn’t important. In her plotline, he was merely cannon fodder.
But this cannon fodder was a must-die character.
He had been hopping along for so long, yet was still alive and living better than she was.
Even if Su Wan’ning was furious to the point of near collapse, she had no choice but to start over, because the plotline she had painstakingly laid out had completely disintegrated.
Yes, utterly disintegrated.
She had spent years meticulously planning—from returning to this world, to meeting that person, she had been acting under his direction.
She had allowed that person to inhabit her body. From that moment, she had gained a good family background, a beautiful appearance, the admiration of all men, and… the best match in the world.
Yet she had paid too much. Far too much.
Still, Su Wan’ning had to face the crown prince with a smile. She said, “Your Highness, the residence is so quiet. Why don’t we bring Zhaoyun and Cousin Haozhi back? With Prince Qimian here, the house would feel livelier.”
The crown prince replied helplessly, “I’d like to, but the eldest princess sent a letter early this morning, saying she wants Zhaoyun to go north for some relaxation. That will take at least half a year. As for Haozhi… I heard news about his mother, and he needs time for treatment. He won’t return anytime soon. Wan’er, why are you always worrying about others? Isn’t it fine that it’s just the two of us in the residence?”
Su Wan’ning forced a smile. “Yes… yes… very well.”
Right now, she had no idea how to communicate with the crown prince. She didn’t understand how this man had become the crown prince—was the emperor blind?
But there was no choice. He was the legitimate heir. Su Wan’ning couldn’t get angry; she could only continue to play her obedient, gentle role, accompany him, and placate him.
All the while, in her mind, she was plotting the first step of her next move.
Compared to the cold quiet of the crown prince’s residence, Prince An’s and Prince Chu’s residences were brimming with joy.
Prince Chu’s consort had been granted the title of Prince Zhongshen—a rare exception.
But it was not unprecedented.
The consort of the eldest princess, Prince Zhenbei, was technically just a branch of the Rong family, yet he had been granted a marquisate. Lu Xuzhi, as the second son of the Lu family, fell into a similar situation.
Yuwen Jue was also the emperor’s eldest son; his circumstances were similar to the eldest princess’s consort.
Since it was similar, it would be unfair to treat them differently.
Prince Zhenbei had originally been the Great General of Zhenbei, so naturally, the Great General Zhongshen should be made Prince Zhongshen.
Although the titles of these two princes were not equivalent to a true emperor’s son,
it was still an immense honor to hold them.
Moreover, now that Lu Xuzhi and Yuwen Min were in imperial favor, more and more people began to rally to Yuwen Min’s side.
Rumors spread across the capital that the emperor intended to make Prince An the crown prince.
But only Yuwen Min knew that the emperor would never replace the crown prince.
He had been given a perpetual title—didn’t that make the emperor’s stance clear enough?
Giving the sweet dates too quickly only indicated an attempt to placate him.
The crown prince had saved the emperor’s life but had received no reward; instead, he had been punished.
Even so, he felt relieved—the emperor had not abandoned him.
At the start of spring, the emperor’s health had miraculously improved, and he resumed attending court.
The first act upon returning to court was to personally elevate Imperial Concubine Rong to Imperial Noble Concubine.
The Rong family’s favor was extraordinary, practically unprecedented.
Moreover, the emperor visited Imperial Concubine Rong’s Chenxi Pavilion more frequently.
Though the emperor was aging and occasionally frail, he was able to speak sincerely with Imperial Concubine Rong.
Rarely, he said, “The Rong family has always been loyal and honorable. This Imperial Noble Concubine title should have been yours long ago.”
Imperial Concubine Rong maintained her gentle and magnanimous persona, responding, “I do not seek a title. I only wish for my children’s safety—that would satisfy me in this life.”
The emperor added, “It was my mistake before. I shouldn’t have sent your two children to the western territories for trials. Now they have returned safely and accomplished great feats—it is truly the fortune of beloved concubine!”
Imperial Concubine Rong simply thanked him softly, saying no more.
Whenever the emperor visited, he drank two cups of tea and then left.
He did not stay overnight or do anything else.
Naturally, at his age, there was little more he could do.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, he was still weak.
The emperor had many children; last year, the tenth and eleventh imperial sons were born.
The Yuwen family didn’t lack heirs; at least succession wasn’t a worry.
Looking at her two sons, they would soon have three children altogether.
Imperial Concubine Rong was delighted; she had always loved children.
Taking advantage of the emperor’s favor, she requested a special privilege: she could leave the palace three times a month to visit her grandchildren.
In truth, as an Imperial Noble Concubine, she ranked almost on par with the empress. Her privileges and treatment were nearly the same.
The only difference was the empress’s ceremonial title, which Imperial Concubine Rong had no attachment to.
Thus, early the next morning, she had Er Ya prepare a carriage and returned to Prince An’s residence.
She knew that the elder son, whenever he had free time, stayed over with the younger son, since the two residences were opposite each other.
The newly granted houses were side by side.
Although they hadn’t moved in yet, Lu Hanzhi had already discussed with his second sister-in-law about tearing down the walls between the two courtyards, merging the two residences into one.
These two estates had originally belonged to the private residence of the Xiao family, favored ministers of the previous dynasty, but had been destroyed by the emperor. In recent years, they had been rebuilt.
They were not only large but also extremely beautiful.
They included gardens, hills, and lakes—charmingly arranged.
Lu Hanzhi was quite excited. He always felt that life was like leveling up in a game; each new level brought a fresh reward.
This time, the reward was a grand mansion, and Lu Hanzhi wanted to move into his new prize as quickly as possible.
Yuwen Min was rather surprised. He hadn’t expected Lu Hanzhi to be so interested in the new residence.
So he instructed the housekeeper to quickly prepare everything, arranging all the necessary furniture and window screens, and placing flowers and ornaments carefully, ensuring Wang Fei would live comfortably.
The Imperial Noble Concubine watched her two grandsons, her eyes narrowing with delight.
Coincidentally, Madam Lu was also present. The two women, holding the children, exchanged parenting tips.
One praised Ah Chan for being plump and fair, the other praised Ah Min for being strong and dark.
The Imperial Noble Concubine and Madam Lu soon became close friends. Madam Lu, being of official rank, could enter the palace to visit simply by presenting her token.
The Imperial Noble Concubine insisted that she would visit in the palace within a few days.
Lu Hanzhi was speechless, muttering, “You two might as well just chat on WeChat.”
No one understood him, but they were used to it; Lu Hanzhi often said things that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend.
Yuwen Min stayed at the residence today as well. In recent days, family matters took priority over state affairs; after all, the emperor and the crown prince were keeping an eye on everything.
If it weren’t for Great Zhao’s internal and external troubles, Yuwen Min truly would have wanted to be an idle prince like this:
Teasing Ah Chan, holding Ah Min, and feeling Ah Zhu in Hanzhi’s belly.
But the moment he touched Hanzhi’s belly, his mind began to wander.
Lu Hanzhi leaned on the bed, holding a peculiar pen, doodling and sketching.
Outside, darkness had fallen. Imperial Imperial Concubine Rong had just left, and Madam Lu had returned to the Lu residence by carriage.
The second brother and sister-in-law carried Ah Min back to Prince Chu’s residence, and Ah Chan slept with Xiao Liuzi in the adjacent nursery.
Everything was so peaceful and beautiful, you would never guess that the prince’s residence had just witnessed a bloody massacre days before.
Lu Hanzhi frowned slightly, muttering, “Wang Ye, what are you doing? Can you behave a bit?”
Yuwen Min chuckled lowly, moving close to pull Lu Hanzhi into his arms. His strikingly handsome face was full of intent: I have designs on you.
Lu Hanzhi noticed immediately. He raised his arms, wrapping them around Yuwen Min’s neck, and asked, “Wang Ye, tell me—what do you want?”
Yuwen Min was slightly embarrassed. His wife was perfect in every way, except that his temperament was a bit too bold.
He hesitated for a moment, touching Hanzhi’s small belly. “Ah Zhu is three months along, right? Honestly… I’m a bit afraid.”
Lu Hanzhi chuckled softly. “Wang Ye, you just want it. Why don’t you say so?”
Yuwen Min’s face flushed red. “What do I want?”
Lu Hanzhi kissed him lightly. “Just some mouth talk!”
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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