Chapter 206
Initially, Jing Rouyin had always portrayed herself as steadfastly loyal to the Crown Prince outwardly. Despite her betrothed being universally condemned, which led to her being unfairly implicated, she never criticized him in her public statements. Instead, she only expressed self-blame and apologies. With the backing of the royal family and without turning to marry someone else, her behavior was naturally admired and held up as an example by public opinion.
However, now that the truth has come out, Jing Rouyin’s reputation has been completely ruined in an instant. Not only her, but Yuan Ye has also been severely implicated. With the Pei family fanning the flames, there was almost a formal proposal to depose the Crown Prince.
During this period, there were daily rumors circulating, almost like an information warfare. Surprisingly, among them was a theory attempting to shift the blame onto Yuan Ran.
It claimed that back then, Yuan Ye and Jing Rouyin had mutual affection, and it was Yuan Ran who forcibly intervened, snatching his brother’s beloved. Now that Yuan Ran was dead, why couldn’t they rekindle their past relationship?
Although the common people instinctively rejected Yuan Ran, any accusation could be pinned on him. But the idea of a younger brother marrying his brother’s wife was still more difficult to accept. In the eyes of the public, Jing Rouyin should have remained pure and untainted to live up to the previous praise. Otherwise, why shouldn’t she be implicated like the other supporters of the Crown Prince?
So in terms of reputation, this couple couldn’t be salvaged.
Even their grand wedding was hastily arranged, basically just ensuring there were no issues in formality.
On the day of the wedding, Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang attended as study companions to the fourth prince, quietly observing the ceremony. However, as time dragged on, the wait became long and tedious. Nobody could stand quietly anymore. Lin Qingyang listened to the gossip around him and couldn’t help but become curious.
“Why not just kill her outright?” Lin Qingyang asked in confusion. “These days, Empress Cheng seems to be in a rage within the palace. I feel like considering her level of fury, it wouldn’t be too much to send someone to assassinate her.”
“If they really did kill her, it would undoubtedly backfire,” Chu Lishu explained. “It would be said that they killed innocent people in their pursuit of the Crown Prince’s position, and other factions would have grounds for impeachment. The position of the Crown Prince would be out of reach.”
“I wonder… how many people in the world still support this Crown Prince now,” Xu Wenze sighed, seemingly reminded of the late Yuan Ran.
This kind of scene probably triggered many people to think of him.
However, they didn’t know that the person they were thinking of was standing among the crowd, calmly observing everything.
As the waiting time exceeded, news began to circulate.
It was said that onlookers from the common folk, holding rotten vegetable leaves, pelted the wedding carriage. Yuan Ye became furious on the spot and ordered the arrest of the commoners, causing a commotion and delaying the proceedings.
This was scandal upon scandal, embarrassment upon embarrassment.
This was far from a joyful occasion; it was clearly a public humiliation.
After waiting a while longer, they finally saw the carriage entering through the palace gates.
Although it was a simplified version, it still had a grand presence.
However, seeing the grim-faced Yuan Yan rudely pulling Jing Rouyin out of the carriage, it seemed that everything was unfolding just as in the original plot; Yuan Ye had begun to resent Jing Rouyin. His so-called infatuation and love were nothing more than when his interests were not too affected, and although Jing Rouyin had obtained the position of Crown Princess, this time might be even worse than in the original plot.
Clearly, she was a clever woman, yet she inexplicably chose the most difficult path.
After watching the ceremony, they went to the Eastern Palace for the banquet, went through the motions, and this grand wedding was considered over.
From then on, Yuan Ye no longer needed to attend Shiye Hall to continue his studies. Shiye Hall was now left with only the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, and they got along without incident.
After all, the current Third Prince was extremely pleased with himself. With the defeat of the Eldest Prince and Yuan Ye’s scandal, he was the most upright prince now. Recently, he not only received praise from the Emperor frequently but also often received favor from Concubine Pei. There was already a subtle trend toward the restoration of her position as a concubine.
As for the Fourth Prince, he still appeared innocent and ignorant, while Concubine Mei patiently chose to avoid his sharpness, obediently following the instructions of Prime Minister Li.
This allowed the Third Prince and Concubine Pei to become even more arrogant within the palace.
Several times, Pei Jin wanted to step forward to remind the Third Prince about certain behaviors, but each time she ended up being severely scolded instead. There was even one occasion where Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang witnessed the scene directly, leaving Pei Jin extremely embarrassed and infuriated.
Watching Pei Jin leave in embarrassment, Lin Qingyang shook his head with a sigh, while Chu Lishu chuckled and remarked, “It seems that the conflicts within the Pei family are growing. The Third Prince no longer regards Pei Jin highly. Where there’s no external threat, there’s bound to be internal unrest.”
Regarding the current situation of the Pei family, Chu Lishu allowed it to develop as it was. He had been busy lately with the gathering of the Eldest Prince’s private troops outside the city.
Chu Lishu instructed Huo Luo to apply to the Ministry of War to train troops in the military camp. Naturally, the Ministry of War was happy to agree, to avoid any inconvenience caused by Huo Luo staying in the ministry and hindering the actions of Cheng’s officials. This way, Huo Luo had a temporary force of a thousand soldiers at his disposal, ready to act promptly when needed.
At the same time, another purpose was to provide cover for the Eldest Prince’s actions.
It must be said, Chu Lishu had been tirelessly working to ensure the success of the rebellion for the Eldest Prince and his allies.
Gathering thousands of troops under the Wang family’s banner, even with caution, would inevitably attract attention. With the Eldest Prince under house arrest and no other factions in the court to provide cover, discovery was only a matter of time, which would spell disaster for the rebellion plan.
Therefore, having Huo Luo take a group of soldiers outside the city for training, and frequently changing locations, was necessary. It was dubbed as a special training method of the Huo family, but in reality, it was meant to confuse and conceal their activities. This way, it would be difficult for both the Ministry of War and others to discover the movement of private troops outside the city.
As the autumn hunting approached, Prime Minister Li ultimately decided to feign illness for the Fourth Prince, with Concubine Mei staying by his side in the palace to avoid risking her life on the hunting grounds. After all, accidents could happen with weapons, and it was safer for her to remain in the palace. However, Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu could still attend the hunting event to join in the excitement.
Because of this decision, Prime Minister Li frequently summoned Chu Lishu for discussions, and Zhao Cheng also met with Chu Lishu often to strategize. They knew that the Eldest Prince was planning a rebellion, and their goal was to ensure Zhao Cheng was prepared in advance without arousing the Emperor’s suspicion. They needed to ensure Zhao Cheng could demonstrate his merit in front of the Emperor. Prime Minister Li hoped Zhao Cheng could gain as much military power as possible.
However, Zhao Cheng was unaware that while he was being advised and strategized with by Chu Lishu, on the other side, Chu Lishu was also planning with Huo Luo to gain military power.
The Emperor’s most trusted military general was Zhao Cheng. Although Zhao Cheng admired Concubine Mei and followed the Emperor faithfully, he was a conflicted individual. He could pave the way for the Fourth Prince while opposing other princes, but he would never act against the Emperor. Of course, Prime Minister Li would also not act against the Emperor at this time, so their current stance was unified, with no room for division.
Therefore, it was imperative to weaken the military power in Zhao Cheng’s hands. Otherwise, it would be detrimental to Chu Lishu’s overall plan.
So, Chu Lishu’s primary goal in allowing the Eldest Prince to rebel was to gain military power. The plan was for Zhao Cheng to resist the Eldest Prince’s attack once he became aware of everything. To make the performance convincing, it would inevitably be a tough battle. However, at a critical moment, Huo Luo would lead the trained thousand soldiers to come to their aid promptly. In terms of visual effect, they would appear valiant and easily overshadow Zhao Cheng, effortlessly reaping the rewards of others’ hard work. This would impress the Emperor and ensure their success, after which they would humbly downplay their role.
Lin Qingyang felt this method was quite despicable and would surely provoke Zhao Cheng’s resentment. However, Chu Lishu argued that a bit of discontent was normal; the key was to avoid suspicion. After all, Huo Luo’s initial setup was to train nearby and promptly rush to support upon hearing the news, which was quite reasonable.
Moreover, it would leave the best impression on the Emperor, ensuring that they would naturally receive a fair share of military power through recognition and rewards.
As Chu Lishu analyzed the layout of the hunting ground with Huo Luo, the latter listened attentively, understanding some of it. Yue Chen could understand even more. However, Lin Qingyang might as well have been listening to a foreign language. Chu Lishu could excel in battle as well as sabotage one. By guiding Huo Luo to perform well and subtly manipulating Zhao Cheng into making mistakes, he avoided the pitfall of excessive trust in his own people, making Chu Lishu virtually unbeatable in tactical planning.
As for Prime Minister Li and Zhao Cheng, they wouldn’t suspect Chu Lishu. After all, on the surface, Chu Lishu had already put in his best effort, and Huo Luo’s relationship with Chu Lishu was just ordinary. Huo Luo had never taken sides, so there was naturally no ambition to seize military power. They could only blame Zhao Cheng’s inferior skills or their own lack of thorough investigation.
Here, Lin Qingyang should logically ask why they started targeting General Zhao. After all, the attitude Chu Lishu had shown Lin Qingyang had always been in support of the Fourth Prince. This time, it was clearly unreasonable.
Lin Qingyang didn’t ask, and Chu Lishu didn’t make excuses, as if tacitly allowing Lin Qingyang to gradually come into contact with some truths belonging to him.
Soon, the Eldest Prince emerged, not seeing Imperial Concubine Huang, only kneeling at the entrance of the Cold Palace, then promptly getting up and leaving.
Watching that figure shrouded in solemnity, it truly seemed like a state of preferring to be shattered like jade.
On the day of the autumn hunt, the Eldest Prince directly requested leave and didn’t attend. Among the princes, only Yuan Ye and the Third Prince would be present, while among the concubine, naturally, only Concubine Pei held the highest status, able to accompany the Emperor closely.
The Great Zhou Royal Hunting Grounds covered an extremely vast area, with mountains, rivers, and forests, abundant prey, and easy concealment for people. The Emperor would choose a five-day period to lead everyone here to set up camp and focus on hunting. The innermost part of the camp was naturally the safest. Although Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu were not in the innermost position, their location was still good, according to Chu Lishu’s calculations, it was out of reach for the enemy.
Arriving at the allocated tent, Lin Qingyang dropped his bag and smiled, saying, “It’s fortunate it’s just the two of us. If there was one more person, it would be inconvenient for everything.”
Suddenly, laughter came from the entrance, saying, “What does little Qingyang want to do? Why is it inconvenient with one more person?”
Opening the tent door, it was Yue Chen who came in, followed by Xu Wenze. Seeing Xu Wenze’s embarrassed expression and Yue Chen’s teasing posture, Lin Qingyang instantly understood the ambiguity of his previous words.
Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched as he said, “I-I just… I just meant I’m not used to sleeping with others.”
Yue Chen suppressed a laugh. “It’s alright. If you really want to do something, keep your voice down. The soundproofing here is definitely not as good as in a house. Be careful, someone might overhear.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t tell if Yue Chen was intentionally teasing him or reminding him to be cautious about speaking, given that “walls have ears.” He wanted to tease back, especially since he had a playful retort in mind, but he hesitated to speak up. In the end, he conceded defeat in terms of cheekiness to Yue Chen. He decided to save his comeback for another time, perhaps in the form of a playful note to be sent to Huo Luo later.
Chu Lishu didn’t offer any assistance, he raised an eyebrow and then spoke up, “It’s not time for the assembly yet.”
Due to the large number of people, everyone arrived in batches. Yue Chen and Xu Wenze were among the second group, and there were more to come.
“Let’s go check out the excitement. The royal racetrack has brought in many untamed famous horses, and lots of people are watching the taming process,” Xu Wenze finally spoke up.
Lin Qingyang found the idea intriguing and turned to Chu Lishu, asking if he wanted to join.
With nothing else pressing at the moment, Chu Lishu naturally agreed to accompany Lin Qingyang to watch the spectacle.
Soon, they arrived at the temporary enclosure set up for the horses. Apart from the well-tethered horses on the outer perimeter, there were indeed several horses in the central position that appeared noticeably different. Not only were they tall and handsome, but their coats also seemed shinier, and they represented various breeds, all of superior quality.
The area was already crowded with spectators, and surprisingly, both Yuan Ye and the Third Prince were present.
Everyone assumed they would be taming the horses themselves, but in the end, it was the horse trainers who took the stage. It seemed they intended to directly select well-tamed horses to serve as their mounts for the coming days.
“Indeed, a truly exceptional steed cannot be mounted by just anyone,” remarked Xu Wenze.
“Yeah, a good horse only recognizes one master throughout its life,” added Yue Chen. “The others are just ordinary riding horses. If these horses are tamed by the horse trainers and then given to the princes to ride, they’ll probably just be average horses without any spirit.”
Lin Qingyang listened curiously, observing the gradually obedient horses. “Seems like they’ve lost their spirit. But considering these are renowned breeds with reputations, if they lack spirit, what other horses could possess it?”
“Probably been too long in the palace, their temperaments have been worn down,” Xu Wenze added.
“You guys are so naive, haven’t you heard…” Yue Chen’s lips curled into a mischievous grin, immediately prompting curious inquiries from Lin Qingyang and Xu Wenze.
Just as Yue Chen was about to spill the beans, he suddenly noticed Chu Lishu nearby and felt a bit embarrassed.
“Come on, spill the beans! Don’t keep us hanging,” Lin Qingyang urged impatiently, finding Yue Chen’s hesitation more annoying than not knowing at all.
Yue Chen glanced at Lin Qingyang and shifted the blame, saying, “You were the one insisting on hearing it, not me. I’m just relaying the story, not spreading rumors.”
Lin Qingyang was taken aback, just as he was wondering, he heard Yue Chen’s voice, audible only to them, saying, “Once upon a time, there was a legendary horse born in the Imperial Horsefarm, a crossbreed of Red Hare and Ebony Horse. It was raised for many years, yet no horse trainer could tame it. Anyone who dared to mount it would be thrown off, and it would retaliate by kicking fiercely. Many horse trainers ended up with broken bones from its attacks. It was more ferocious than a tiger. I used to think that the horse was smart enough to know it could mooch off the good food in the palace, so it stayed, never intending to find a master.”
At this point, Yue Chen suddenly chuckled, saying, “Back then, when Huo Luo and I were just eleven years old, we sneaked into the horse farm. Huo Luo was determined to tame that spirited horse and become its master. But he was thrown off several times by it. Huo Luo refused to give up and almost tore off a chunk of its mane in frustration. Finally, he provoked the horse so much that it almost trampled him to death under its hooves.”
Lin Qingyang and Xu Wenze listened nervously, but Yue Chen chuckled even more heartily, saying, “We were lucky that day. The former Crown Prince happened to pass by and heard the commotion, so he came just in time.”
Lin Qingyang immediately held his breath.
Xu Wenze was surprised to hear that it was related to the former Crown Prince.
“He leaped onto the horse, grabbed the reins, and forcefully turned it around, saving Huo Luo from danger. Because of his noble status, we were all nervous and afraid that he might get injured. The horse was frantically leaping and galloping like a wild spark, too fast for the eyes to keep up. But gradually, it seemed as if the unruliest stallion in the world had calmed down, panting heavily, shaking its head, until it started pacing in place. It was as if taming the wildest horse was as simple as taming the most ordinary one.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but glance at Chu Lishu, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, his expression inscrutable.
“You can’t imagine that scene. The two of us were sitting there, injured, watching him ride towards us on the same ferocious red horse that was just moments ago, then calmly stopping, asking if we were hurt. Seeing that both Huo Luo and I were injured, he helped us onto the horse and prepared to take us away. At first, the horse was still reluctant, emitting a roar akin to a dragon’s, but with just a pat on its neck and a gentle reprimand, it endured and allowed the three of us to ride together.”
Xu Wenze exclaimed in disbelief, “He… wasn’t he only two years older than you? Even if he’s skilled in martial arts, it’s…” Xu Wenze wanted to say it was impossible, but recalling the feats that person had accomplished before, it seemed like anything was possible.
Yue Chen sighed and smiled, “Even those with superior martial arts skills at the time couldn’t tame that horse. Even if it meant being killed, it wouldn’t easily allow someone to ride it. So much for horses with spirits recognizing their masters.”
Lin Qingyang felt his heart pounding as he seemed to envision the scene, the youthful yet powerful and gentle Yuan Ran. Truly a gallant youth in fresh attire and on a spirited horse.
“What happened afterward?” Lin Qingyang asked excitedly, realizing that the original plot didn’t mention anything about the male lead’s mount.
“After we healed from our injuries, we didn’t hear any rumors about him taming that horse. Perhaps for him, it was just an insignificant matter not worth boasting about. However, there were orders issued not to tame it anymore. Occasionally, when we sneaked in while nobody was around, we’d catch a glimpse of him riding freely. He seemed to ride it when he left the palace for official matters. That horse’s attitude toward him was completely different from its attitude toward others.”
“Did that horse… stay on that battlefield?” Xu Wenze asked cautiously.
“No, it wouldn’t be convenient for marching and fighting if there were too many differences among the horses. Their speeds would vary, and they have their own consciousness. If they’re too spirited, they’re not suitable for following military orders. Besides, at that time, the horse seemed to be still young. I guess His Highness was reluctant to take it out to suffer. He’s quite protective, always keeping what he likes hidden and safe,” Yue Chen said, furrowing his brow suddenly. “If it had been brought to the battlefield back then, maybe…”
Yue Chen didn’t continue, probably meaning to say that if such a horse had been there, perhaps it could have helped its master escape the plots of fate.
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