I Rely On The Collapse Of The Character Setting To Survive In The Hands Of The Male Lead Chapter 244

Chapter 244

Due to Yuan Ye’s preemptive actions, Chu Lishu had to adjust his own plans. Since Yuan Ye seemed so eager to suppress the Cheng family, Chu Lishu decided to take the opportunity to provide him with more evidence against the Cheng family, especially concerning their relationship with the Ministry of War. Let them fight among themselves, weakening each other first.

To the Cheng family, the current tension in the court was just Yuan Ye’s rebellious phase, an attempt to break free from their control.

But when key figures of the Cheng family in the capital started to be assassinated one after another, their mindset changed, especially for the Minister of War, Minister Cheng, who discovered someone investigating their private hoarding of military equipment. If this was uncovered, it would be a capital offense.

They thought Yuan Ye had gone mad. What benefit could he possibly gain by destroying their ties with the Ministry of War? This continued until Yuan Ye tried to appoint his own East Palace officials to the Ministry of War, refusing to communicate with them.

They finally realized that Yuan Ye wasn’t just playing around; he was aiming for the Cheng family’s foundation, seeking their lives. It turned out he wasn’t just spreading his wings; he wanted to fly solo.

After finally outlasting the Wang and Pei families, they should have been the dominant force, but now they were being restrained by the prince they had supported.

The Cheng family naturally didn’t want to risk everything. After all, Empress Cheng’s pregnancy was still uncertain, and they couldn’t block all retreat routes now; it would benefit no one. They hoped they could still negotiate with Yuan Ye and ease the tension. They also speculated whether Yuan Ye knew about Empress Cheng’s pregnancy, which might explain his aggressive behavior. In fact, the Cheng family didn’t intend to abandon Yuan Ye; they just wanted to secure their own power. If Yuan Ye successfully ascended to the throne, they wouldn’t need to trouble themselves.

So, they planned to test the waters. Coincidentally, during the New Year palace banquet, the Cheng patriarch personally went to the palace to have a detailed discussion with his grandson. Little did he know, his grandson had prepared quite a spectacle for him.

At the time of the palace banquet, Yuan Ye naturally went to fetch Empress Cheng first.

This was the first time Yuan Ye stepped into the Ziwei Hall since discovering the truth. Upon entering the palace, he saw Empress Cheng holding her forehead, her expression filled with anger. When she finally saw Yuan Ye, she couldn’t help but say in a displeased tone, “I thought my son had forgotten about me. It’s been so difficult to see you these days.”

“I’ve been too busy, Mother. Besides, didn’t you often refuse to see me when I wanted to pay my respects to you before?”

Empress Cheng ignored the rest of his words and questioned directly, “Busy? Busy doing what? Busy dealing with your maternal family?”

These days, Empress Cheng had been plagued by the turmoil caused by the Cheng family’s people, leaving her with a headache, so she could only ask what he was up to.

Yuan Ye no longer held the same respect for his mother as before; there was only endless sarcasm in his eyes.

“What’s wrong with me? I’m just building my own power. Does Mother want me to rely on the Cheng family for the rest of my life?”

Empress Cheng, taken aback by the questioning, furrowed her brows. “The Cheng family is your maternal family. They’re the ones you can rely on for life.”

Yuan Ye smirked, “Is that so?”

Empress Cheng’s brows finally furrowed as she instinctively touched her abdomen. “What’s with your attitude? Why am I finding it harder to understand you? Do you have some grievances against the Cheng family? You haven’t ascended to the throne yet; you still need the support of the Cheng family.”

Yuan Ye chuckled, “Mother, rather than relying on others’ support, it’s better to develop one’s own power. Perhaps I should have realized this long ago. After all, I don’t want to follow the same path as Yuan Ran. Back then, the Cheng family supported Yuan Ran too. In the end, didn’t they push him off the cliff?”

The topic of Yuan Ran had always been a taboo between mother and son. Empress Cheng never expected Yuan Ye to suddenly bring it up, and her expression immediately distorted. “Shut up. Who gave you permission to mention him?”

Yuan Ye seemed to see through everything as he sneered, “I wonder, if Mother and the Cheng family could be so ruthless towards Yuan Ran back then, would they also be able to abandon me like a discarded pawn when the time comes?”

Empress Cheng suddenly panicked. “You… what are you saying? You are the child I raised with my own hands. How could you think of me like that?”

Empress Cheng’s guilty conscience was evident. In truth, she knew that if Yuan Ye couldn’t ascend to the throne smoothly, everything he had done over the past few years was to pave the way for her unborn child. If Yuan Ye were to rebel, they might still suppress him. Although it was somewhat unfair, the situation dictated it, and there was no other way. Moreover, as a mother, she couldn’t help but favor the weaker one, and by now Empress Cheng was already biased towards her own unborn child.

Yuan Ye didn’t reveal anything, only saying, “Mother, it’s about time. Let’s go.”

Empress Cheng felt uneasy, but she remembered that her father would come to persuade Yuan Ye. For now, she could only hold off.

At the palace banquet, Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu were accompanying the Fourth Prince. Lin Qingyang clearly sensed that Chu Lishu’s demeanor was off today, as if he were waiting for something to happen.

Because the plot had changed, Lin Qingyang didn’t know when Yuan Ye would make his move. But judging from Chu Lishu’s behavior today, he might already know something.

Soon, the royal family arrived, and the palace banquet began. Observing the harmonious atmosphere and seeing no one casting strange glances at Empress Cheng, it was evident that the secret regarding Empress Cheng was well concealed.

After three rounds of drinks, Yuan Ye was nowhere to be seen.

“What are you looking for?” Chu Lishu asked Lin Qingyang as he glanced around.

“Yuan Ye is missing,” Lin Qingyang replied.

“He was taken away by the Cheng patriarch just now,” Chu Lishu pointed out, referring to Yuan Ran and Yuan Ye’s maternal grandfather.

“Is he seeking reconciliation?” Lin Qingyang asked.

Chu Lishu nodded. “They’re not fools. Now, to avoid a situation where both sides suffer like the Pei family, the Cheng patriarch will try to prevent internal conflict. If they realize that Yuan Ye is targeting the Cheng family for the sake of that child, they might decide to tell Yuan Ye the truth about his parentage.”

Lin Qingyang blinked. He couldn’t quite recall when Yuan Ye learned the truth in the original plot, but one thing piqued his curiosity. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why didn’t they tell Yuan Ye the truth earlier? After all, his biological father ascended to the throne. Informing him of the truth, letting him know that his position as heir was not as precarious as he might have thought, perhaps the Cheng family and the Emperor could have saved themselves a lot of trouble.”

“Back then, the Emperor and the Cheng family didn’t have a completely trusting relationship. They were wary of each other. The Cheng family needed the prince they supported to have absolute faith in them. In such a situation, keeping the truth hidden would make Yuan Ye remain constantly wary of and hostile towards the Emperor. And the Emperor never liked Yuan Ye to begin with, nor did he appreciate being overly constrained by the Cheng family’s influence. So, whether to disclose the truth or not was irrelevant to him. He probably wanted to change heirs long ago.”

“It’s really a case of everyone having their own agenda, completely using Yuan Ye to their advantage,” Lin Qingyang sighed. “But what about now? Should they reveal the truth?”

“The Cheng family is also at a loss. They all thought Yuan Ye had dealt them a heavy blow and wanted to temporarily appease him, making him believe that the Emperor would definitely pass the throne to him as long as he continued to accept the Cheng family’s support. In short, they want to stabilize him before he does anything more extreme, maintain harmony within the Cheng family, and present a united front externally.”

Lin Qingyang recalled that it seemed like all these arrangements were made by Chu Lishu. Yuan Ye probably just wanted to give the Cheng family a warning, but he hadn’t anticipated things escalating to this extent. With truth and lies mixed together, they were unable to distinguish between them anymore.

Chu Lishu suddenly sneered, “Hmm, guess what? If they told Yuan Ye the truth about his parentage, would he stop targeting them?”

Lin Qingyang pondered for a moment before replying, “He probably would. Yuan Ye’s reason for targeting them is the fear that they might support another prince more worthy of their support than him. But if his parentage were exposed, Yuan Ye would realize he’s just like the child in Empress Cheng’s womb. Then, targeting an unborn child or one who might never grow up would seem pointless. It would be better to concentrate his efforts on dealing with Concubine Mei and her faction.”

Perhaps the Cheng family’s intervention came just in time, and tonight, nothing might actually happen.

“You’re mistaken about one thing,” Chu Lishu interjected coldly. “Even if they share the same blood, in name, Yuan Ye and the Emperor will always be uncle and nephew. So Yuan Ye won’t trust…” Chu Lishu’s gaze swept over the spot where Yuan Ye had been sitting. “Yuan Ye is particularly wary of this aspect. Even if it’s his own flesh and blood, he won’t easily let it go.”

After Yuan Ran’s apparent death, the once deep brotherly bond between him and Yuan Ye disappeared abruptly. How could he be lenient towards an unborn child, especially considering his aversion to this matter?

He might even become more disgusted.

The Cheng patriarch earnestly tried to persuade Yuan Ye, probing skillfully. However, an old fox is still an old fox, and soon he discovered that Yuan Ye did indeed know about Empress Cheng’s pregnancy. So he simply had an open and honest conversation, analyzing the interests at stake. He assured Yuan Ye that as long as he didn’t target the child and the Cheng family, they would continue to support him without reservation.

They believed that once Yuan Ye knew he was also the Emperor’s child, it would naturally soften his hostility towards the other child.

But they were wrong. After they finished speaking, Yuan Ye couldn’t hear anything else. He felt immensely nauseous, unable to believe his ears. It was as if ants were crawling through his veins.

He was the illegitimate child born from the affair between his mother and his uncle, the Emperor.

This was a stain on his esteemed royal bloodline. He had always believed that his succession to the throne was rightful and legitimate, and if the Emperor didn’t pass the throne to him, it would be a usurpation. Because he was the legitimate heir by blood. But now, could he still think like that? How would others view him as an illegitimate heir?

In other aspects, he might not have been as good as Yuan Ran, but at least without Yuan Ran, there was no one more qualified than him to inherit the throne. But now, he had lost even his bloodline, let alone his legitimacy. This realization was something Yuan Ye couldn’t accept.

When he was young, although the late Emperor didn’t show as much attention to him as he did to Yuan Ran, he was still very loving, that was the Emperor in his memory.

But now, the person on the throne was not his uncle, but his true father, and this person had never cared for him. How could Yuan Ye accept this? They had always been enemies!

The Cheng patriarch kept talking, essentially hoping that Yuan Ye would protect Empress Cheng and the child in her womb because they would be his allies in the future.

Yuan Ye suddenly realized that the child was actually his true sibling. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he hardly hesitated before smiling, “Is that so? Does my maternal grandfather really think I’m a naive child to be easily deceived? Are these words of yours really beneficial to me?”

The Cheng patriarch was taken aback, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Don’t my words make sense? What benefit is there in continuing to fight against us? Besides, that’s your own younger brother.”

Yuan Ye chuckled dismissively. “Under the rule of the throne, aren’t all deaths of kin inevitable? In the past, you supported Yuan Ran, who got out of control. After abandoning him, you turned to me. And now, if I become uncontrollable, can’t you just find someone else to replace me in the future?”

The Cheng patriarch hadn’t expected Yuan Ye to think so extreme. Their dealing with Yuan Ran wasn’t because he was uncontrollable, but because he threatened to destroy the clan. And then there was the prophecy…

“Your Highness, you misunderstand,” the Cheng patriarch said stiffly.

“Whether I misunderstand or not is not important. If you want to end this feud, it’s simple: just take away your choices,” Yuan Ye sneered coldly.

The Cheng patriarch immediately felt uneasy. Just as he was about to continue persuading, noise erupted from the palace banquet. His expression changed drastically, and he rushed over to see Empress Cheng slumped in her chair, curled up and clutching her stomach. Blood was already flowing down the chair, staining the floor beneath.

The Cheng patriarch couldn’t believe that Yuan Ye had actually resorted to such ruthless measures. He turned around to see Yuan Ye smiling at him and saying, “Well… there’s only one choice now. If you ever want to have more options in the future, don’t blame me for not showing any familial mercy.”

Watching the scene unfold before him, Lin Qingyang frowned uncomfortably. He turned to look at Chu Lishu, only to find him staring at Empress Cheng with deep, cold eyes, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. Lin Qingyang couldn’t discern Chu Lishu’s mood at that moment, so he couldn’t help but reach out and tug at Chu Lishu’s sleeve.

Chu Lishu tightened his grip on Lin Qingyang’s hand, still watching Empress Cheng. He watched as she was carried away, seeming to revel in the joy of revenge.

Lin Qingyang could only look into the distance. Yuan Ye had long since pretended to be a dutiful son and followed Empress Cheng as she left. Only the Cheng patriarch remained standing there, looking as if he had suffered a significant blow. “It seems he really knew the truth and still acted.”

“I said he wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by. Tonight isn’t just about dealing with his enemies; there’s another purpose. This subtle approach doesn’t seem like something he’d come up with on his own. Maybe he has a new strategist,” Chu Lishu said slowly.

Lin Qingyang looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Chu Lishu’s gaze swept towards the seemingly composed Emperor as he explained slowly…

The palace banquet ended prematurely due to Empress Cheng’s sudden abdominal pain. The imperial physicians who came to check her pulse dared not say a word. Who would dare to mention that Empress Cheng had a miscarriage? So they only mentioned an emergency and treated her directly, with only the Empress Dowager staying by her side.

Soon, news spread that Empress Cheng had collapsed in tears inside the palace and subsequently remained bedridden.

With the sudden onset of bleeding from a woman’s lower body, people’s minds naturally began to speculate. Empress Cheng’s behavior only fueled their thoughts in a certain direction.

“Empress Cheng miscarried,” “Empress Cheng is pregnant with the present Emperor’s child from an illicit affair with her brother-in-law,” “The Emperor is acting against moral principles,” “The Crown Prince is pitiable,” and similar rumors began to spread among the people. These rumors directly formed a trend of disdain towards the Emperor and Empress Cheng’s behavior, and sympathy towards Yuan Ye.

If the Emperor were to depose the Crown Prince at this time, it would be akin to exposing his face to the public and waiting to be condemned.

At that moment, Lin Qingyang was still pondering why Yuan Ye insisted on publicly hosting the palace banquet to harm the person. The true purpose was revealed here: to expose his own mother and the Emperor’s scandal, garnering sympathy from the people, thereby damaging the Emperor’s reputation. This would make it difficult for the Emperor to choose the Fourth Prince as the Crown Prince, even if he wanted to. It was truly a two-pronged approach.

Moreover, this incident also implicated one person, bringing great benefits to Chu Lishu: Chief Steward Sheng.

Empress Cheng’s food was spiked with abortifacient, and the one responsible for the palace banquet was Chief Steward Sheng. He was also in charge of inspecting the main dishes for the royal family. However, despite these precautions, Empress Cheng still got poisoned, casting suspicion on Chief Steward Sheng.

It’s surprising that even without the trap set by Chu Lishu before, Chief Steward Sheng was implicated by Yuan Ye’s plan. Though he didn’t deserve death, he was demoted to the position where Ning Ziheng previously served.

This resulted in Chief Steward Hai becoming the most trusted person by the Emperor, and Chief Steward Hai also supported his own disciples, one by one, rising to higher positions. As a result, apart from the Imperial Guards and the personal guards around the Emperor, all other palace guards and attendants were essentially under Chu Lishu’s control.

Everything progressed too quickly and smoothly, with the plot advancing ahead of schedule, making Lin Qingyang feel like the climax was approaching.

On the other hand, someone came to the Eastern Palace with a message, asking Yuan Ye to visit the Ziwei Hall. However, Yuan Ye simply brushed it off and refused to go.

Jing Rouyin came to deliver some snacks. In recent days, she had gained Yuan Ye’s favor, all because she had helped him.

The plan for the palace banquet was her risky gamble for Yuan Ye. She had also poisoned the food while paying her respects. She felt incredibly pleased because she had avenged her own child.

Yuan Ye was in a good mood. Thinking that he had won over his biological parents, he felt an indescribable sense of triumph. He looked more favorably upon Jing Rouyin, the one who had offered advice. He hugged her and took her to bed, teasing, “If you can come up with more good ideas, the position of Empress in the future will surely be yours.”

Though Jing Rouyin cooperated physically, she couldn’t help but sneer in secret where Yuan Ye couldn’t see. She told herself to endure the nausea and try to conceive again before Yuan Ye’s demise, so that her future would be secure.

The idea of the palace banquet wasn’t hers at all; she merely followed the suggestions of others. Originally, she intended to subtly let Yuan Ye know the truth, so that mother and son would fight each other while she watched from the sidelines. However, someone provided her with a different plan.

Jing Rouyin remembered how that person firmly told her she had the aura of a phoenix destined for greatness, and she couldn’t help but be moved. Yes, once the Emperor and Yuan Ye were both gone, her child would easily inherit the throne as a matter of course. Then, the Cheng family would have no choice but to support her.

For this reason, she obediently offered advice to please Yuan Ye and gain his trust, all while planning to conceive another child. Only then could she fulfill her phoenix destiny. As long as she obediently followed that person’s instructions, everything would come true.

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