At the same time, Duan Ning was meeting with Duan Wang.
“I’ve already passed the message to Zhong Sheng. Knowing his character, he’ll definitely go home and ask his wife. Since his wife could reject her own family once for her husband, I believe she can ask them for help this time as well,” Duan Ning said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Xiao Muchen turned to look at the middle-aged scholar beside him. “Mr. Zhao, what do you think?”
Zhao Mian was someone Xiao Muchen had saved while in Yuxiang City. At first, he thought Zhao was just a poor scholar, but he turned out to be extremely resourceful, so Xiao Muchen kept him close as an advisor.
He was quite seriously injured and had only just recovered after several months of recuperation.
Zhao Mian coughed lightly before finally speaking: “Lord Duan makes a valid point. Censor Zhong is upright and principled, yet he has raised a son who is indifferent and carefree. If you try to force someone like that, it may backfire.”
Qi He, who was standing by, listened with his heart pounding and didn’t dare to say a word.
Mr. Zhao, having reached middle age, was well-informed and naturally capable of some degree of strategy and planning—it wasn’t surprising.
Who would have thought that Wangfei’s second brother could also be so formidable?
Compared to him, Qi He felt like a fool.
At this moment, he heard Wangye speak: “Zhong Yushi’s trip was secretly facilitated by me. The aim is to ensure that Liu Yan reads the situation correctly and does not succumb to pressure from the Eastern Palace. It is essential that the investigation into Qiping Prefecture is conducted fairly and justly.”
“Your Highness is wise,” Zhao Mian said with a smile. “However, if you push too hard, I fear the Eastern Palace might get ruthless and ensure that no witnesses are left alive.”
This time, Qi He found his voice and quickly said, “Mr. Zhao need not worry. Before the situation in Qiping Prefecture was even exposed, His Highness had already sent Chen Xiao to secretly protect Zhang Guangan. He absolutely cannot be allowed to die.”
Duan Ning also looked at Duan Wang with some surprise—it seemed he had already made arrangements.
Xiao Muchen cast a glance at Qi He, who instantly shut his mouth and took a step back.
Xiao Muchen then looked at the two of them and continued, “Zhang Guangan is crucial. Of course, his safety cannot be neglected. But that’s a small matter. What’s more important is seizing this rare opportunity to make Duke Rong change his allegiance.”
Zhao Mian said, “As it stands, Seventh Wangye has several older brothers. Not only is the Crown Prince firmly seated in the Eastern Palace, but even Jin Wang overshadows him. Yu Wang and Kang Wang currently pose no real threat, and then there’s Your Highness. Duke Rong has kept a low profile over the years, but that doesn’t mean he has no other plans. If Qi Wang were dependable, he would have thrown his support behind him long ago.”
As Qi Wang’s maternal uncle, Duke Rong would naturally prefer to support his nephew—but Qi Wang’s temperament was truly frustrating.
Duan Ning lifted his eyes to look at Duan Wang. To choose this moment to draw Duke Rong over—what brilliant timing.
The Crown Prince was trying to leverage Censor Zhong’s influence while simultaneously suppressing Qu You, attempting to alter the truth of Qiping Prefecture.
At a time like this, every decision carried enormous weight.
Censor Zhong’s safety was a bait.
Now it depended on whether Duke Rong was willing to take the hook.
As Duan Ning thought about it, he realized just how skillful Duan Wang was—using this major situation not only to drag the Crown Prince down but also to dig a pit for Duke Rong.
In the current capital, how many people could save Censor Zhong?
If the Crown Prince failed to win over Censor Zhong, he would likely resort to drastic measures against him. In that case, Zhong Sheng would have no choice but to seek help from Duke Rong.
But Duke Rong alone couldn’t afford to step into such murky waters—he would have to leverage outside power.
And whose power could he borrow?
The Crown Prince’s? Impossible.
Duke Rong could never persuade Censor Zhong to side with the Eastern Palace, nor would he ever try.
That left only two others among the princes—Jin Wang or Duan Wang.
But Jin Wang had lost all favor with the emperor after the death of his consort. That left only Duan Wang.
Duan Ning took a slow breath. When it came to political maneuvering, he still had much to learn from Duan Wang.
As expected, events unfolded accordingly: Liu Yunhua returned to the Duke Rong Mansion to seek help.Duchess Rong, distressed for her daughter’s sake, could only plead with her husband.
Duke Rong locked himself in his study all night. When he emerged the next morning, there were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked haggard. He arranged to meet Duan Wang for tea.
Meanwhile, Mingxi received a letter from Kang Wangfei and learned that Fengcheng Marquis had also started working on plans to return to Yuxiang City, hoping to use this situation to fulfill his wishes.
Mingxi sat in front of the chessboard, holding a black piece in her hand, unable to bring herself to place it.
At first, the goal of the Qiping Prefecture case had been simply to drag the Eastern Palace into the mud—but now, the situation had grown even more complicated.
Duke Rong had invited Xiao Muchen for tea. After hearing the connections explained by Xiao Muchen, Mingxi realized that if Qi Wang found out, he would probably jump up in rage. Especially since Qi Wangfei…
Thinking of this, Mingxi finally placed the black piece on the board.
So what if he did?
If Qi Wangfei dared to act against her, she would strike back.
Qi Wangfei wasn’t truly frightening; she didn’t seem particularly clever or resourceful. The real factor to consider was Xingqin Marquis behind her—what would his choice be?
Even though they were related by marriage, it didn’t mean that Xingqin Marquis was fully loyal to Qi Wang.
Otherwise, Qi Wangfei wouldn’t have threatened Qi Wang by returning to her maiden home. It was clear that Xingqin Marquis had tried to manipulate Qi Wang through his daughter—but failed.
Since the young couple had a poor relationship, how could Xingqin Marquis wholeheartedly support Qi Wang?
“Wangfei.”
Mingxi looked up. Fang Momo hurried in and, after a quick bow, said, “Wangfei, word has come from the palace—this year, the Qixi Festival will be celebrated on a grand scale.”
Mingxi frowned. “I don’t recall the palace ever holding a grand Qixi celebration before.”
Qixi wasn’t considered a major festival, at least not inside the palace. It was usually a day for couples or engaged young people to meet—but now the Empress was planning a grand celebration…
“Yes,” Fang Momo said, “in past years, the Empress only held a small Qixi banquet. But this year, word has come from Kunde Palace: they will be selecting a new Wangfei for Jin Wang. Also, the various princes who are already married will choose side consorts to bring into their households.”
So this was their real aim.
Mingxi wasn’t overly concerned, but she focused on the key point: “The emperor has approved Jin Wang’s remarriage?”
No matter how Jin Wangfei had died, she hadn’t been dead long. For the Empress to immediately arrange a new match—it showed the cold-hearted nature of the royal family.
Fang Momo, sensing her mistress’s displeasure, said softly, “Naturally it must have the emperor’s approval. Otherwise, Her Majesty would not have dared to make such a grand move. Perhaps because of the recent string of misfortunes in the palace, with bad luck hanging over everything, Her Majesty wants to use a joyous event to drive away the bad luck.”
Using weddings to drive out misfortune was indeed a common strategy. The emperor might not care much for a Jin Wangfei—but he certainly cared about whether the palace was running smoothly and whether misfortune was being kept at bay.
The Empress had perfectly grasped the Emperor’s intentions, so her request was naturally approved without question.
“If that’s the case, the Qixi Festival will be lively.”
A lively event meant more chances for unexpected incidents. Mingxi couldn’t help but think of Yu Wangfei.
Yu Wangfei was due to give birth before the Crown Princess, and the Empress would naturally prefer that the Emperor’s first grandson be born from the Crown Princess’s womb.
Normally, there would be no opportunity to act, but now—wasn’t this the perfect chance?
Worried that she might be overthinking it, Mingxi asked Fang Momo, “Is Her Majesty requiring all the Wangfeis to attend?”
Fang Momo nodded instinctively. “Since it’s a grand banquet in the palace, naturally everyone must attend.”
Mingxi nodded slightly. Then she would need to make some preparations, just in case.
