It was snowing lightly, bringing with it a bone-chilling coldness. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and there were almost no pedestrians. Under the reflection of the snow, one could vaguely see the main gate. In front of the mansion, there were armored soldiers patrolling, flags fluttering in the wind.
Not too far away from King Lu's Palace, several shops were lit up. Looking around, they were selling wonton soup pancakes. Pei Zi Yun chose one of the inns.
As soon as Xie Chengdong arrived at the door, a manservant wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket greeted him, "Sir, do you want some wontons?"
"I'd like some wine to warm up and some dishes. I'd like a bowl of wonton as well. Are there any seats on the second floor?" Xie Chengdong asked.
"Sir, there is a table on the second floor, please." Xie Cheng Dong was seated near the window of King Lu's Palace.
"Sir, we'll be there soon." The waiter turned around and left.
When he opened the window, the wind blew in, bringing with it some snowflakes. However, Xie Cheng Dong did not mind. From afar, everything looked normal. He frowned, "What went wrong?"
The wine was served immediately. It was still scalded. Xie Chengdong poured himself a cup and drank it. He suddenly felt a warm current flowing through his body. His five viscera and six bowels were warmed up. Following that, a few side dishes were served.
Xie Cheng Dong had been busy the whole night, his stomach was empty, but even if he had something on his mind, he still ate everything delicious. Suddenly he heard the sound of horse hooves.
Startled, he looked over and saw a large group of armored soldiers walking over. They were on foot and on horseback, looking very orderly.
"It's the emperor's personal army!" When Xie Cheng Dong saw this, he knew that something was wrong. There were about three hundred of them, and they were all gathered in front of King Lu's Palace. They were in formation, and exuded a dignified aura. Their military discipline was strict, and there wasn't a hint of commotion.
A general dismounted from his horse and looked around. He didn't say a word and waved his hand. The foot soldiers stepped forward and surrounded the walls of King Lu's Palace. There were sentries every three steps and sentries every five steps.
"Why would the Emperor's personal army surround the Wangfu?" Xie Cheng Dong didn't say anything. Suddenly, an ominous premonition rose in his heart and he couldn't help but shiver.
Just then, he heard a conversation from the table next to him, "You don't know, but something big happened last night. The Crown Prince was ambushed, and several of his guards were killed."
"With the curfew in the middle of the night, many people can't go home and have to spend the night in a nearby hotel."
"Looks like these soldiers are here to protect King Lu's palace."
"The Crown Prince was attacked?" Xie Cheng Dong's complexion changed. He knew that something big had happened. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He threw out a silver coin and said, "Keep the change."
With that, he turned around and left. The waiter's eyes were filled with astonishment. He had only taken a few mouthfuls, and he was leaving just like that?
However, the money had already been paid. The waiter mumbled, "What a rich young master."
As he spoke, he picked up a piece of roasted chicken and took a bite. When he looked out the window, he saw that King Lu's Palace was surrounded, and was shocked.
"Not good, there are soldiers surrounding King Lu's palace." Hearing the waiter's exclamation, the people in the building who hadn't been paying attention all squeezed towards the window to look.
"Gasp!" Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Don't talk nonsense. Trouble comes from the mouth." The boss scolded the waiter. "Aren't you going to clean up?"
Crown Prince's Palace
The Crown Prince had already washed up and changed into a new set of clothes. His face was full of joy, but his complexion was still a little pale. Last night, he had personally witnessed the general brazenly killing the imperial bodyguards. He still had lingering fears, but in the end, he had succeeded.
On the right, Pei Zi Yun and the Grand Princess were seated. They were holding onto a porcelain teacup and were drinking ginseng soup. The beast furnace was constantly emitting hot steam, causing the entire room to feel warm and cozy.
Today, Pei Zi Yun was dressed in a white robe with patterns on it. He had a light red belt around his waist, and was drinking the ginseng soup as well.
"This plan is very effective. I wonder how King Lu will be reprimanded by my father." The Crown Prince mumbled to himself, as though he was in a dream.
When the Grand Princess finished drinking, she exhaled deeply and stood up, "Speaking of which, I believe that there will be officials who will come to visit the Crown Prince today."
"The Crown Prince has been attacked by an assassin, and it's impossible for them to ignore it. Perhaps, there will be an imperial physician who will come. We have to come up with an excuse first, and deal with them when the time comes." The Grand Princess was very meticulous, as she explained these small matters clearly.
"Aunt is right. What do you think?" The Crown Prince looked at Pei Zi Yun. His trust in Pei Zi Yun had increased by leaps and bounds.
Hearing the Crown Prince's words, Pei Zi Yun paused for some time before replying, "For something like this to happen, the Emperor might have his suspicions. That's one of the reasons."
"Secondly, most fathers, unless they have no other choice, would always think of protecting their children. Even a vicious tiger wouldn't eat its cubs. There are likes and dislikes, but there's a limit. Whoever crosses the line, would be beaten up."
"Regarding the assassination attempt, although the Crown Prince is the victim, if you continue to push the issue, it would arouse the Emperor's suspicions."
"Especially since the Emperor doesn't have many children. There are only three of them, and it's even more difficult to injure them. Hence, the Crown Prince mustn't throw stones at someone who's down. The Emperor will definitely question me. You can just say that King Lu and I are blood brothers, and that the assassination attempt was a ploy by some vile person. There's no reason to punish me."
"If the Crown Prince says this, then the Emperor will be able to make up his mind to get rid of King Lu's spies in the capital city. If the Crown Prince continues to push the issue, the Emperor will not be pleased. He might even try to protect King Lu.
"Crown Prince, think about it. You're a father. Even if you've chosen a son, don't you wish for your brothers to live in harmony? Don't you wish for your other sons to have some dignity?"
When the Crown Prince heard this, he sighed, "That's indeed the case."
Pei Zi Yun laughed, "You're the Crown Prince, and have the right to do so. There's no need for you to be so ruthless towards King Lu. All you have to do is wipe him out, and prevent him from interfering. As for other matters, when you ascend the throne, all the power under the heavens will be in your hands. What right does King Lu have to fight with you?"
The Crown Prince nodded his head profusely as he sat down. He then stretched out his hand and took a sip of the ginseng soup before saying, "That's the logic, that's the logic."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Liang Yuan Zhi requests an audience." Just as the discussion in the room ended, a eunuch's voice could be heard from outside.
The Crown Prince had just heard Pei Zi Yun's words and was still thinking about it. After some time, he replied, "Alright, I'll be there immediately."
He then stood up and left in a hurry. When the Grand Princess saw that he had left, she frowned and turned around to look at Pei Zi Yun, "Should we put in more effort? If not, I'll feel uneasy."
"There's no need for that. Now that something like this has happened, those who don't like King Lu would definitely make a move!" Pei Zi Yun sighed as he spoke, "The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. Now that he's been assassinated, it would shake the foundations of the country. There are only a few types of people who are able to resist the accusation."
"One of them would be King Lu's men. That goes without saying."
"The second type would be those who don't have the right to submit a report. This is easy to differentiate."
"And then there's those who are overly cautious."
"These people can be listed out one by one. By observing them, it would be easy to see the distribution of power within the court."
The Grand Princess listened attentively, but didn't pay much attention to these points. She hesitated before asking, "Oh, what you said just now, is it true or false?"
Since the Grand Princess was involved in these matters, she had no choice but to be cautious.
"Of course it's true. As long as the Crown Prince acts as though he's protecting my brother, that's enough. The Crown Prince is a merciful and benevolent ruler."
"With the Crown Prince's attitude, the Emperor would most likely close the case quickly. If the Crown Prince were to add insult to injury, King Lu would rebel and the Emperor would be enraged. The Emperor would then investigate the authenticity of the note. When that happens, everything would be exposed."
"Since the Crown Prince isn't around, I'll go in deeper. After this incident, King Lu's vitality would be greatly affected. When the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, dealing with King Lu would be a simple matter. Why kill him now and cause the Emperor to feel hurt and fear?"
"The Emperor is the Emperor after all. If he really wants to remove the Crown Prince, as long as he's willing to pay the price, nobody would be able to stop him. Remember this."
"Indeed, we shouldn't make too many moves. After this incident, the Crown Prince's rule would be stable." The Grand Princess sighed before speaking, "If King Lu were to ascend to the throne, it wouldn't be a good thing for the world."
Pei Zi Yun looked at the Grand Princess and didn't reply. According to the original owner's memories, the Emperor would pass away next year. After this incident, King Lu's vitality would be greatly affected. Dark Altar Sect, on the other hand, wouldn't be able to borrow much strength from him?
Outer Hall
Liang Yuan Zhi allowed the eunuch to lead the way. He saw that there were several servants within the Crown Prince's Palace sweeping the snow. When they saw him, they all turned to the side and allowed him to pass.
Liang Yuan Zhi swept a glance around. Apart from a few strange snowmen, everything else seemed normal. He didn't bother with them and walked past them. He walked along the corridor, past a pond and entered the main hall.
Seeing Liang Yuan Zhi enter, the Crown Prince stood up to welcome him. Seeing that Liang Yuan Zhi was about to bow, he hurriedly held him up and said, "You're the Prime Minister. You've bestowed the Imperial City to me, how can I accept this? Please take a seat. "
He looked at Liang Yuan Zhi's skinny face and spoke, "After the new year, you look much better than before. It's just that your hair has turned white!"
"I'm getting older with each passing year, how can I not be white? The Crown Prince is in his prime. Just looking at him makes me feel at ease and happy. You weren't hurt last night, were you?" Liang Yuan Zhi scrutinized the Crown Prince's features. He looked very much like the Emperor when he was young. Although his face was pale and tired, and there were dark circles under his eyes, his eyebrows were thick, and his eyes were black.
"I'm fine. The assassin didn't get close to me." The Crown Prince laughed, "If you're talking about being frightened, I was a little. This was the first time I've seen someone kill someone within a few feet of me. However, I wasn't hurt at all. After I returned to my residence, I calmed myself down and ate some soup."
He then asked, "The Prime Minister is at Imperial Father's place. Is there any decree?"
"The Emperor was worried about the Crown Prince, and didn't sleep the entire night. Seeing that the sun had risen, he sent this official here to check on you. If the Crown Prince is fine, should we enter the palace to pay our respects to the Emperor?" Liang Yuan Zhi replied.
"Prime Minister, you're right. I wanted to wait for my father to wake up before entering the palace. Since my father hasn't slept yet, we shouldn't keep him waiting. Let's go!" The Crown Prince stood up and replied.
Liang Yuan Zhi couldn't help but nod his head. The Crown Prince was getting better and better.
Although he said he wanted to leave immediately, he still had to change his clothes.
After changing, he changed into the Crown Prince's attire. It was a red robe with a coiled collar and narrow sleeves. There were two golden dragons embroidered on the shoulders, as well as another dragon embroidered on the front and back. He wore a jade belt and a pair of black boots. Only when he was fully dressed did he leave with Liang Yuan Zhi. As soon as the both of them left, the sun started to rise, and the snow had stopped falling. However, a gust of cold wind blew past, piercing into the bones.
"Get in my carriage, there's a hot pot." The Crown Prince said. Liang Yuan Zhi didn't decline and boarded the carriage as it headed towards the Imperial Palace.
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