Chapter 120
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A question made the current atmosphere extremely awkward.
However, Chief Steward Ning suddenly smiled and said, “Good question; this is the most important one.”
Then, Chief Steward Ning pointed in the direction of the Crescent Moon Gate and continued, “This is the East Palace where the former Crown Prince used to reside.”
The former Crown Prince, East Palace.
Having it stated so openly, everyone was instantly shocked.
The person who asked the question wished they could bury themselves on the spot.
“A place filled with sins,” Chief Steward Ning sneered and said slowly, “This is not something I said; it’s calculated by the Qintian Observatory. So, after the former Crown Prince’s incident, all the palace maids who lived here were executed inside. A total of one hundred and twenty people died due to the former Crown Prince here. The vengeful spirits in this place are more numerous than in any other Cold Palace in the imperial palace. For everyone’s safety, it’s better not to enter casually. Avoid being entangled by resentment and disturbed by lingering spirits; otherwise, it could be fatal.”
Fear was evident on everyone’s faces as they stepped back, eager to keep a safe distance from the terrifying Crescent Moon Gate.
Everyone knew that strange occurrences were not as frightening as the fact that this place had likely become a forbidden area in the hearts of all palace residents. It wasn’t about being charged with a crime for entering; it was about being labeled with a connection to Yuan Ran. This was more terrifying than any substantial accusation, and what followed was an uncertain death.
Many people here were terrified and disgusted by Yuan Ran to an incomprehensible extent, as if they had been brainwashed. Avoiding Yuan Ran was akin to avoiding a plague.
Lin Qingyang’s expression was equally unpleasant, but his mindset was entirely opposite. He was infuriated, feeling his limbs go cold. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and held back his anger. Clearly, it was this group of people who, after Yuan Ran’s incident, vented their anger on the palace residents, causing the deaths of one hundred and twenty people. Yet, they were now blaming it on the Crown Prince. It was utterly unreasonable!
Suddenly, his hand was touched, and Lin Qingyang was startled. He felt a slender hand wrapping around his wrist, passing through his palm, opening it, and intertwining fingers with him, as if soothing his emotions.
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu in a daze, finding comfort in his eyes.
Right, he had once lied to Chu Lishu, claiming he admired Yuan Ran. Now, in his moment of anger, Chu Lishu naturally stepped forward to console him.
The victim was taking the initiative to comfort others, leaving Lin Qingyang truly speechless. He initially thought that entering the palace would bring the most emotional turmoil to Chu Lishu. After all, the original plot described this part, depicting the male lead’s fluctuating emotions when entering the palace. However, Lin Qingyang couldn’t see much of a reaction from Chu Lishu. Instead, it was himself, the onlooker, who couldn’t hold back his emotions.
Lin Qingyang felt somewhat defiant and couldn’t help but tighten his grip on Chu Lishu’s hand. He deluded himself into thinking that he was giving strength to Chu Lishu and comforting him. In the end, he had gripped his own hand so tightly that it hurt. He quickly moved his fingers, signaling Chu Lishu to let go.
Chu Lishu loosened his grip but didn’t completely release it. Instead, he continued to hold Lin Qingyang’s hand lightly. The wide sleeves of his robe covered their intertwined hands, and it seemed like the two cousins were standing close to each other.
Maintaining this hand-in-hand posture, they unknowingly strolled through the entire palace.
When it was time to disperse, Lin Qingyang only realized that their hands had loosened at some point. Surprisingly, they hadn’t felt awkward during the entire journey. Perhaps their emotions were stirred by everything that happened three years ago.
“Let’s go. We’ll head to the Chui Xue Palace,” Xu Wenze called out to them. As someone who often visited the palace, Xu Wenze was more familiar with the layout inside, allowing him to quickly find shortcuts to the Chui Xue Palace.
Due to the incident involving the Fourth Prince last time, Consort Mei, who had received sympathy from the Emperor, was now promoted to Concubine Mei. For a while, she enjoyed the Emperor’s exclusive favor. Currently, almost all the concubines and consorts in the palace had to avoid her sharpness. However, she understood the principle of not being arrogant due to favor, and she conducted herself with discipline. Even the Empress Dowager was quite satisfied with her now.
The three entered as the official summoned, but upon reaching the main hall, they found two beautiful concubines seated on the upper seats.
The one leaning against the Fourth Prince was undoubtedly Concubine Mei. Her appearance was somewhat familiar to Lin Qingyang, his initial reaction was due to her being the birth mother of the Fourth Prince. Although she was genuinely beautiful, her gentle and serene surface couldn’t conceal the cunning in her eyes. Perhaps, in her eyes, there was no need to hide her cunning when facing the three of them; she was openly scrutinizing them.
On the other side, the younger concubine had a gentle appearance, her eyes radiating warmth and joy. She seemed truly open-hearted, especially when looking at Xu Wenze, where her eyes softened with a smile. Presumably, she was Concubine Xu, Xu Guiren, Xu Wenze’s sister.
The three bowed and paid their respects, and Concubine Mei immediately had them rise. She spoke with concern, inquiring about their experiences since entering the palace, and soon bestowed rewards upon them.
When Concubine Xu saw that Concubine Mei had covered the main points, she stood up and said, “Sister, my younger brother and I would like to catch up…”
“Of course, it’s been a long time since you siblings met. You can take Young Master Xu back to the palace. The Fourth Prince doesn’t have lessons this afternoon, so there’s no need to accompany him.” Concubine Mei replied.
Concubine Xu happily led Xu Wenze out. Her demeanor was that of a simple young girl, quite different from her sister.
Lin Qingyang thought they could leave, but they were asked to stay for tea. Even the Fourth Prince was given an excuse to leave.
“I heard… that there was a conflict among the three princes in the Shiye Hall just now. Did you witness it?” Concubine Mei’s tone seemed to have changed, no longer as gentle as before.
In her words, there was a quick reveal of her control over information from the outside world.
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu and signaled him to speak. Chu Lishu then began recounting the recent situation in detail.
Concubine Mei smiled ambiguously, “Both of you are rare talents. Accompanying the Fourth Prince in the palace, would it be a bit of a disservice to you? If you accompany the other three princes, I believe you will soon be able to achieve success and enter the court. Accompanying the Fourth Prince, it may take some time to idle away.”
Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched. Why didn’t they mention this when they were initially assigned? Now, it was clear that Concubine Mei was testing them.
As Lin Qingyang was about to comment, a prompt sounded in his mind.
【Main Mission 2, Mission 1: Help the male lead join the party of the Fourth Prince.】
This mission… Lin Qingyang was momentarily stunned. He didn’t know how to interpret the completion criteria. It couldn’t be as simple as verbally declaring allegiance and considering it done.
However, according to the male lead’s plan, they indeed needed to feign allegiance to the Fourth Prince’s faction, using the yet-to-mature Fourth Prince’s faction to weaken their enemies first and then turn against the Fourth Prince’s party. However, by that time, the male lead had already become a trusted confidant of the Fourth Prince’s faction, making the operation much more convenient.
The Fourth Prince, being young, naturally liked them. General Zhao, due to the events of the previous incident, held a considerable appreciation for Chu Lishu. So, to put it this way, the targets for infiltrating the Fourth Prince’s faction became Concubine Mei and Prime Minister Li.
The cunning of this father and daughter was far from ordinary, as evidenced by their orchestration of a feigned distress plan.
To successfully infiltrate them, a simple act of sacrificing oneself to save the master wouldn’t suffice. In the original plot, the male lead had set two objectives: to protect the master and to demonstrate strategic prowess. Both were indispensable. Merely protecting the master without demonstrating strategic acumen would label him as a loyal servant. Only when both aspects were present could he become an adviser to the Fourth Prince’s faction.
Facing Concubine Mei’s probing, Lin Qingyang naturally deferred to the male lead. Unexpectedly, Chu Lishu spoke up directly: “Reporting to Niangniang, my brother and I haven’t considered entering the court for the time being, and we have no interest in the imperial examination. Accompanying the Fourth Prince in studying is just right for us.”
Lin Qingyang: ??? Where is the commitment to join? What does this statement mean?
Concubine Mei was also momentarily stunned. She probably thought that their elaborate efforts to meet the Fourth Prince outside the palace were aimed at joining his faction. In this moment, she was essentially giving them a chance to declare their intentions. Regardless of whether she would immediately believe them, they needed to make their stance clear.
Unexpectedly, they straightforwardly expressed their intention to accompany the Fourth Prince and spend their days studying. This situation might complicate matters.
Lin Qingyang could almost see Concubine Mei’s expression freezing for a moment. All he could do was offer an awkward smile.
This time Concubine Mei was unwilling to give up, “As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses its tree to perch. Intelligent individuals will select a wise master. You are currently at the age most suitable for establishing achievements. Don’t you want to do something meaningful?”
This statement was already quite suggestive. Concubine Mei was practically saying, “Hurry up and acknowledge allegiance to the old lady, so that I can verify whether investing in you two is worthwhile.”
Chu Lishu remained respectful and tactful, “What Niangniang says is true.”
Lin Qingyang thought there might be more to come and wondered, “And then?”
Concubine Mei probably expected more, but after waiting for a while, there was nothing more to say?!
Concubine Mei’s expression was truly contorted. “Young Master Chu is indeed quite interesting.”
“Your praise is too kind, Niangniang.”
“I have to trouble Young Master Chu to find the Fourth Prince and bring him back. Young Master Lin, please stay behind and chat with me for a while.”
Lin Qingyang was taken aback and instinctively looked at Chu Lishu, but Chu Lishu had already stood up and left on his own.
After the others left, Concubine Mei spoke, “Just now, Young Master Chu has been talking, and Young Master Lin has not yet expressed his thoughts on the conversation. I wonder what Young Master Lin thinks about the discussion.”
His thought was that the situation was like walking on thin ice. How was he supposed to respond?
Lin Qingyang could only take a deep breath and said, “I think my cousin is absolutely right, perfectly capturing my sentiments, which is why I haven’t spoken until now.”
“But you… are the legitimate son of Marquis An Nan,” Concubine Mei said, probably about to burst into laughter.
“Father instructed me to be cautious and accompany the Fourth Prince in studying diligently after entering the palace,” Lin Qingyang could only vaguely respond, trying not to deviate from the framework set by the male lead.
Concubine Mei’s expression had turned cold, and she said slowly, “The Fourth Prince is still young, and having children like you devoted to studying by his side is indeed just right.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but shudder, giving an awkward smile.
Soon after, Chu Lishu returned with the Fourth Prince. Concubine Mei didn’t keep them and allowed them to return to the Wenbo Pavilion to rest. The Fourth Prince wanted to go and play, but Concubine Mei insisted on keeping him, likely quite infuriated.
After leaving the main hall, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but speak, “Cousin, just now…”
“Shh, Cousin, we can talk about it later,” Chu Lishu cautioned.
Once the two returned to Chu Lishu’s courtyard in the Wenbo Pavilion, Chu Lishu finally spoke, “Someone was watching us closely in the Chui Xue Palace just now. Anything we say might be reported to Concubine Mei.”
Lin Qingyang was amazed; indeed, walls have ears.
“What… What do you mean? I thought you wanted to align with the Fourth Prince.” Lin Qingyang anxiously hoped Chu Lishu wouldn’t change his mind suddenly; otherwise, the subsequent missions would be in jeopardy, and he would be in big trouble.
“I do intend to align with the Fourth Prince,” Chu Lishu said, pouring tea for both of them. He handed a cup to Lin Qingyang, who was indeed thirsty after being in a tense state for so long. After taking a gulp, Lin Qingyang pressed for more information.
Chu Lishu explained, “Originally, we were on our own, and we caught the Fourth Prince’s attention through Xu Wenze. However, the incident at Duke Wei Guo’s residence significantly damaged Xu Wenze’s credibility with Concubine Mei. So, Concubine Mei and Prime Minister Li may not trust us completely. Even if they have some trust, they won’t consider us as their own for now. It requires time to build that trust.”
“Shouldn’t that make it even more crucial to declare our position? Your words just now seemed like you didn’t want to align with them or contribute in any way,” Lin Qingyang questioned.
“Think about Yue Chen and Huo Luo’s situation,” Chu Lishu responded.
Lin Qingyang was momentarily puzzled, feeling like he grasped something but couldn’t quite put it together.
Chu Lishu smiled and explained, “Marquis An Nan’s residence never intended to align with anyone, which is why we chose the young Fourth Prince. As long as we act like Yue Chen and Huo Luo—showing disinterest in joining any faction, staying out of power struggles, and merely pursuing the honor of studying together—it’s easier to capture the hearts of Prime Minister Li and Concubine Mei. Those who actively align themselves will be cautiously tested and observed by them. The initiative lies in their hands, not ours. Trying to earn their trust by actively aligning ourselves would be a waste of time. Instead, if they discover that we genuinely treat the Fourth Prince well, possess some talent, bravery, and strategy, but choose not to engage in power struggles, what do you think they’ll do?”
Lin Qingyang was startled and instantly understood. It was probably similar to how others treated Yue Chen and Huo Luo—everyone would actively try to recruit them, offering the utmost respect. Concubine Mei and Prime Minister Li, instead of waiting for their allegiance, would be practically begging for it. The effect would be completely different because what one obtains through effort is often the best.
They would swiftly enter the center of power within the Fourth Prince’s faction, crucial for the male lead since he didn’t have much time to wait for the Fourth Prince’s faction to test them thoroughly. He needed to quickly seize their power to initiate the conflict.
This kind of psychological design was actually more effective against individuals like Concubine Mei and Prime Minister Li. It disrupted their preconceived notions, thus confusing their judgment.
But Lin Qingyang clearly remembered that in the original plot, the male lead did not use this tactic. Instead, he planned several extremely damaging incidents, taking risks to quickly capture the hearts of Concubine Mei and Prime Minister Li, showcasing his loyalty and wisdom.
Why the sudden change?
Nevertheless, on this point, Lin Qingyang preferred his current approach. Although the situation became uncertain, it wouldn’t be as brutal, sparing the lives of so many people.
“You’re still impressive. You should have told me in advance. Fortunately, I didn’t blurt out anything to Concubine Mei.”
Chu Lishu smiled and said, “I knew how you would respond. Saying it in advance wouldn’t have had any effect.”
Lin Qingyang exclaimed, “How could you guess how I would respond?”
Chu Lishu replied seriously, “Didn’t you once say that you would choose whoever I choose, always standing on the same front with me?”
Lin Qingyang nodded.
Chu Lishu laughed, “So, I knew you would follow my words. Just a bit of confusion in your response would make Concubine Mei think that even in unfamiliar situations, you would still go along with my suggestions. Later on, Concubine Mei will understand that the dominance lies with me, and she won’t individually trouble or test you.”
Lin Qingyang was impressed by Chu Lishu’s decisive and calculated approach, but he couldn’t resist making a sarcastic comment, “So, when we left the main hall, I almost exposed you, right?”
Chu Lishu was taken aback, “You mean when we were under surveillance?”
Lin Qingyang nodded discontentedly. He almost asked why they didn’t declare allegiance to the Fourth Prince.
Chu Lishu, however, burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Li visited Concubine Mei after the morning court session.
Concubine Mei was in distress, “Father, those two individuals didn’t come to pledge allegiance to us at all.”
“How so? They went to great lengths to enter the palace, just for the title of a study companion? Are they devoid of ambition? Could it be that we have misjudged them, and they are truly just two insignificant individuals who are of no great use?”
“I initially thought so too, but I had someone keep an eye on them, to see if they would discuss anything privately. The result was that I overheard…”
Prime Minister Li furrowed his brows slightly, “At the very least, it proves one thing: that Chu Lishu is cunning and cautious. He’s aware of the need to be vigilant against prying ears, as evidenced by his alertness upon entering the palace. That’s commendable, and it sets him apart from other study companions. Perhaps they don’t want to get involved in the power struggle, but if he indeed possesses such talent, how can we afford to miss out? We shouldn’t let others seize the initiative.”
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