A servant from Ning Qin Wang’s household had been keeping an eye on the Ministry of War. Upon receiving the latest news, he ran straight to the residence.
The Father and son listened to the servant’s report, their expressions varying.
Xiao Lin exhaled slightly in relief, but Ning Qin Wang’s expression was far more complex. He turned to his son. “Are you sure about this?”
Xiao Lin nodded. “Father, if I remain in the capital, I’ll only continue to be mediocre. Leaving the capital is the only way to carve out a new path. I don’t want to spend my life as a useless figure.”
Hearing this, Ning Qin Wang appeared wearied. After a moment of silence, he said, “I understand.”
Watching his Father’s retreating figure, Xiao Lin felt an inexplicable pang of sadness.
He knew his Father found it difficult too, but the stage had already been set, and the play had to go on.
Ning Qin Wangfei, having heard the news, came over from the rear courtyard. Seeing only her son, she asked, “Your Father went to the palace?”
Xiao Lin helped his mother to a seat and replied, “Yes, Mother. Am I being selfish?”
“Don’t say such things!” Ning Qin Wangfei immediately countered. Her expression grew solemn as she looked at her son. “Who wants to be a waste? Besides, you’ve been sharp from a young age, but you’ve had to stifle yourself and pretend to be incompetent. I know how unfair that is to you. So does your Father. Before, there was no choice, no opportunity. Now that the chance has come, even if it’s a double-edged sword, you must seize it. Do what you must, and leave the rest to your Father.”
Xiao Lin’s eyes reddened slightly. He took a deep breath and said, “Things have already gone beyond what I and Duan Wang initially expected. Eldest Miss Duan instructed Duan Yu to escalate the situation. Now that Father is also adding fuel to the fire, the Empress and the Crown Prince surely won’t sit idly by.”
“Then it will depend on the Emperor’s will.” Ning Qin Wangfei sneered. “Last time, the Emperor turned a blind eye to protect the Crown Prince. If he does it again this time, with so many eyes in the Ministry of War watching, hmph!”
***
At the Eastern Palace
“What did you say?” The Crown Prince glared at Chen Chang.
Chen Chang, drenched in cold sweat, bowed and reported, “Your Highness, who would’ve thought that Duan Yu not only saw through the scheme but also dared to escalate it to the Ministry of War? This situation will not be easy to resolve now.”
The plan had simply been to trip Duan Yu up, saddle him with dereliction charges, and strip him of his position—forcing Duan Mingxi and Duan Wang to swallow the bitter pill.
While Duan Yu was somewhat shrewd, he had always lacked backbone. How could he dare do this?
This completely defied expectations and made the situation perilous.
“Where’s Liang Xun?” asked the Crown Prince coldly.
“He’s already gone to the Ministry of War to see if there’s any room to maneuver,” Chen Chang replied. “Your Majesty, you were too merciful before. We should have acted decisively and left Duan Yu with no way out.”
The Crown Prince grew irritable. He hadn’t anticipated that the usually pliable Duan Yu would cause such trouble. During the planning, Duan Yu hadn’t even been considered a significant variable.
Who would’ve thought the plan would falter here?
“Old habits die hard. Duan Yu couldn’t have suddenly become so resolute and daring. Investigate everyone he’s met today,” the Crown Prince ordered. Perhaps Duan Wang had orchestrated something.
Chen Chang left immediately to trace Duan Yu’s activities.
As Duan Yu worked at the Military Selection Bureau, his movements were simple to track. The investigation soon yielded results.
“Duan Mingxi?” The Crown Prince sneered. “Her again!”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Palace guards found that Duan Yu left the Military Selection Bureau for about half an hour and boarded a carriage belonging to Dingyuan Marquis’s eldest daughter, Duan Mingxi.”
Chen Chang hesitated before continuing. “Your Majesty, this eldest miss, Duan Mingxi, seems to be quite unusual. It’s said that her brother Duan Yu got his current position partly because of her. Shall we dig deeper into her affairs?”
The Crown Prince shot Chen Chang a cold glance. “What do you think?”
Chen Chang hesitated. Investigating was easy, but it might reveal unintended truths. Though the Crown Prince was the heir apparent, the Emperor still held the reins of power. If His Majesty caught wind of such investigations, it might sow doubt about the Crown Prince’s intentions.
At that moment, Liang Xun rushed back, bowing hastily before reporting, “Your Majesty, bad news—Ning Qin Wang has entered the palace to lodge a complaint!”
“Good, excellent!” The Crown Prince was furious. “So they were prepared for this all along!”
“Your Highness, now more than ever, you must remain composed. Even if His Majesty intervenes in the Military Selection Bureau and the Ministry of War, it won’t immediately implicate the Eastern Palace,” Liang Xun urged.
“Exactly, Your Majesty. Even if His Majesty questions the Eastern Palace, you must feign ignorance. At most, it’ll appear as a lack of oversight. You must not admit to anything,” Chen Chang advised.
Liang Xun’s face darkened as he added, “I fear we’ve been ensnared from the start.” He glanced at the Crown Prince. “Your Majesty, with Ning Qin Wang involved, this must be connected to the poisoning of County Princess Muhua.”
“Duan Wang had always been cautious and prudent, never acting recklessly. No one could have imagined that this time he dared to drag Ning Qin Wang into the water with him. Ning Qin Wang, who had always kept his distance from the other princes, surprisingly agreed to join forces despite the risk of arousing the emperor’s suspicion,” said Chen Chang.
Liang Xun felt a hint of dissatisfaction toward the Empress. If not for protecting that young lady from the Li family, how would His Highness the Crown Prince have ended up in this mire?
“Your Highness, the Emperor has summoned you to an audience,” reported Zeng Tuo, the Crown Prince’s personal attendant, as he rushed in hastily.
Chen Chang and Liang Xun exchanged a solemn glance, their expressions heavy with concern.
“Your Majesty, you must remember—deny all knowledge of this matter and place the blame entirely on me,” Liang Xun said firmly.
The Crown Prince looked at Liang Xun in astonishment. “Teacher Liang, why would you say such a thing? I have always relied on you.”
Liang Xun let out a faint laugh. “As long as Your Highness protects me, even if I fall today, there will come a day when I can still serve you. But Your Highness must not be implicated. I am responsible for this matter, and it is only fitting that I bring it to an end.”
Chen Chang frowned. “Liang Xun, if Ning Qin Wang and Duan Wang pursue this matter relentlessly, your life may be in danger.”
“To serve His Highness with loyalty is my duty,” Liang Xun said with a smile, raising his head.
The Crown Prince gazed at Liang Xun with determination. “Rest assured, I will ensure your safety!”
With that, the Crown Prince turned and strode away.
Outside Chongzheng Hall, over a dozen people knelt, one of them lying on the ground covered in blood, their condition unknown.
The Crown Prince paused briefly as his gaze swept over the scene, then quickly averted his eyes and stepped into the hall.
“Your son greets Royal Father,” he said, bowing.
The Emperor’s face was ashen with anger. He grabbed a memorial from the table and hurled it at the Crown Prince. “Look at what you’ve done!”
The Crown Prince immediately knelt. “Royal Father, please quell your anger. I am unaware of any wrongdoing on my part.”
“See for yourself!” the Emperor roared.
The Crown Prince sensed Ning Qin Wang’s gaze fixed upon him. Apart from Ning Qin Wang, there was no one else in the hall.
Duan Wang was conspicuously absent.
A heavy feeling settled in the Crown Prince’s heart as he tightened his grip on the memorial.
When his eyes fell upon the name “Liang Xun” in the memorial, it felt as though a string in his heart had snapped.
