Yu Jin’s face remained aloof and cold, but his mind was racing.
Asi was truly capable of keeping her composure. Such a significant event, yet she hadn’t mentioned a word to him on their journey north!
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He no longer had the patience to waste time with these fools.
Yu Jin fixed Prince Qi with an unfriendly stare, making him break out in a cold sweat.
He was the most likely candidate for Crown Prince. If he were to be beaten by Seventh Brother, it would be utterly humiliating. He dared not imagine the consequences. But Seventh Brother had a reckless nature; if he decided to fight, he’d probably think of a reason only after throwing the first punch…
Prince Qi hurriedly explained, “At that time, Imperial Consort Mother was ill. The two of them went to White Cloud Temple to offer incense and pray for her.”
Yu Jin’s expression grew even colder: “Oh, so it was for Noble Consort.”
If the incident with the startled horses during the incense offering was an accident, only a fool would believe it. It must have been some trick orchestrated by Prince Qi’s wife with ill intentions. Unexpectedly, the Noble Consort had also gotten involved.
Regarding the Noble Consort, Yu Jin couldn’t muster even a shred of filial affection. When he thought of her, he felt only coldness.
She gave birth but didn’t raise him, showing only disgust and using him. How could such a person be worthy of the title “mother”?
“So, how is Noble Consort feeling now?”
Prince Qi hadn’t expected Yu Jin to be so calm. On second thought, he realized he was the one feeling guilty. Seventh Brother didn’t know about Li Shi’s attempt to harm the Princess of Yan during the incense offering, so there was no reason for him to be upset.
Thinking this, Prince Qi relaxed and asked with a smile, “Seventh Brother hasn’t visited Imperial Consort Mother since returning?”
Yu Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, ignoring Prince Qi’s idle chatter, and asked again, “Has Noble Consort recovered?”
Prince Qi adopted a worried expression: “She hasn’t fully recovered. She seems fine most of the time, but occasionally suffers from sudden headaches.”
“I see. In that case, I’ll visit Noble Consort in the palace later.”
Prince Qi, taking advantage of the presence of the other princes, was eager to find fault with Yu Jin: “Seventh Brother, calling Imperial Consort Mother ‘Noble Consort’ seems rather distant.”
Yu Jin sneered: “Fourth Brother, don’t overstep your bounds.”
Putting on airs as an elder brother with that ugly face, doesn’t it hurt?
Prince Qi never expected Yu Jin to say such a thing in public. His face alternated between shades of green and white, clearly at a loss.
Seeing this, Prince Xiang chimed in to help: “Seventh Brother, Fourth Brother is still our elder brother after all—”
Yu Jin’s gaze fell lightly on Prince Xiang’s face, his lips curled in a cold smile: “What, are you suggesting the eldest brother is like a father? I don’t recall seeing any of you mourning when the deposed Crown Prince died.”
Everyone’s expressions changed instantly.
Prince Shu coughed and said, “Seventh Brother, it’s getting late. I should head back to my residence.”
This guy had no filter; he always brought up the very topics that shouldn’t be mentioned. If their discussion about the deposed Crown Prince reached Father Emperor’s ears, they’d all be in trouble. Moreover, if they continued talking, a brawl might break out again.
After assessing the situation, Prince Shu decided that leaving was the best option.
As soon as Prince Shu stood up, Prince Qi also rose eagerly, forcing a smile as he said, “I’ll be leaving too. Seventh Brother, think carefully about what I said earlier. You’re a father now; you should understand the hardships a woman endures during ten months of pregnancy.”
Yu Jin barely raised his eyelids.
Think about what?
If he truly cared about a woman’s ten-month pregnancy, why didn’t Prince Qi react when Fifth Brother was disparaging his wife earlier? How cowardly must one be to care so little about the mother of his child?
It’s truly a case of appearing righteous when speaking of others but lacking in personal virtue when it comes to oneself.
Seeing that Prince Qi and the other two had left, Prince Lu reluctantly stood up: “Seventh Brother, I’ll be going too. Let’s get together again when we have time.”
A perfectly good opportunity for a brawl had vanished. Indeed, those who coveted that position were all cowards.
Yu Jin saw the guests out and immediately headed towards Yuhe Palace.
After returning, Jiang Si had changed into casual clothes. Having put Ahuan to bed, she was resting against the bedside screen when she heard hurried footsteps approaching.
The familiar footsteps told her immediately who was coming, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile as she opened her eyes.
Yu Jin strode in, kicking aside a small stool in the middle of the room as he passed, and sat on the edge of the bed.
Jiang Si raised an eyebrow: “Did you get into a fight?”
It seemed unlikely; there had been no signs of it when she left the front hall. But if they wanted to fight, it would only take throwing a teacup. If they wanted to, it could happen quickly.
“No fight. It wasn’t worth it.” Yu Jin gazed steadily at Jiang Si, reaching out to stroke her hair. “Did Prince Qi’s wife invite you to offer incense recently?”
Jiang Si was momentarily stunned, then smiled: “I thought no one would mention that.”
“Tell me about it in detail.”
“There’s not much to say. Prince Qi’s wife tried to make me fall off a cliff, but I avoided it, and she ended up suffering instead. I had thought a viper like her deserved to be smashed to pieces, but unexpectedly, she managed to save her life.”
“She was frightened out of her wits?”
Jiang Si’s smile turned cold: “How could she be frightened out of her wits? It’s just that some people need Prince Qi’s wife to be ‘frightened out of her wits.’ This is good too. Let Prince Qi’s wife live in clarity and see the true face of the person she’s been working so hard for. That’s far more painful than death.”
Death is only a moment of pain; living is a long-term torment.
Yu Jin strongly agreed with Jiang Si’s words: “It seems we need to secretly assign people to protect Prince Qi’s wife well. We can’t let her die easily.”
A princess who is publicly declared to have lost her mind, unable to manage the affairs of the prince’s mansion or handle social interactions, yet still occupying the position of princess – just thinking about it would be enough to torment Prince Qi.
“What about Noble Consort? Was she involved too?” When mentioning Noble Consort, Yu Jin’s tone grew colder.
Prince Qi’s wife was a stranger to him, so her true nature didn’t surprise him. But Noble Consort was blood-related to him, and her involvement in harming Jiang Si undoubtedly made his heart grow colder.
“Without Noble Consort feigning illness, there wouldn’t have been this trip to White Cloud Temple,” Jiang Si said flatly.
Yu Jin slammed his fist against the bedpost.
The entire bed shook.
Jiang Si gave him a reproachful look: “Why are you taking your anger out on the perfectly good bed? Don’t you want to sleep tonight?”
Yu Jin realized she was right and smiled apologetically, silently kicking the small stool even further away.
Apart from the sound of the small stool rolling on the ground, the room fell into silence.
After a while, Yu Jin spoke: “Asi, I’ve changed my mind.”
Seeing his serious tone, Jiang Si sat up straight: “Changed your mind about what?”
She wasn’t sure what Ajin was referring to, or what his original plan had been.
Yu Jin clasped his hands together, rubbing them, with a cold smirk on his lips: “Old Four’s greatest desire is that position, and what Noble Consort wants most is for Old Four to sit in that position. I originally only thought about hindering Old Four, not letting him have his way. But now I realize how ridiculous that idea was. If we take down Old Four and Old Six takes his place, who can guarantee he won’t go mad and cause trouble for us?”
Jiang Si vaguely guessed Yu Jin’s intention and murmured, “Ajin, do you mean to—”
Yu Jin chuckled softly: “I’ll take that position myself. Then we won’t have to worry about anyone causing us trouble.”
And this would be the strongest support he could offer A’Si.