Take this opportunity to rebel?

Jing Yi was shocked, as if someone had severely knocked his head, and a flash of insight suddenly struck.

He began weighing the pros and cons in his mind!

Taking steps toward a floor candelabra, gazing at the candle enclosed in paper, his eyes narrowed tightly.

Dou Quan stepped forward, continuing, “Right now court ministers still stand on Your Highness’s side, and all areas of the capital are also under Your Highness’s control. With just one command, success is assured.”

Jing Yi: “…”

“Now the Crown Prince position is vacant, and the Emperor’s health declines day by day. When the time comes, if the Grand Secretariat issues a posthumous edict, the throne will fall into Prince Rong’s hands. By then, it will be too late.”

The emperor wasn’t anxious, but the eunuch was.

Jing Yi’s palms were sweaty. After deep contemplation, he shook his head. “No, not yet… Back when the Crown Prince surrounded the palace, if Father Emperor hadn’t become suspicious of this prince, why would he have secretly summoned Jingrong back to the capital? Since he’s suspicious, naturally he’s already prepared. To rebel now would be like throwing eggs at rocks. We must act carefully, scout the path thoroughly, before making this move.”

Rebel!

It was inevitable!

But to rebel without certainty—that wouldn’t be surrounding the palace to kill the sovereign, but rather throwing himself into a trap.

Dou Quan analyzed, “If the Emperor truly had preparations, he wouldn’t so urgently summon Prince Rong back to the capital to oppose Your Highness. Right now, the administrative officials of various ministries, and the several great generals controlling troop movements inside and outside the capital, all await Your Highness’s single command. When that time comes—close the city gates, lead troops into the palace.”

“Surround the palace to kill the sovereign?” Jing Yi glared fiercely at him. “You want this prince to walk the same path the Crown Prince once walked?”

“This subordinate only—”

“Shut up!” Jing Yi scolded. “Surround the palace to kill the sovereign—what if we win? Even if in the future this prince sits on the dragon throne, I can only wear the crown of ‘treasonous son,’ subject to the world’s condemnation. Unless… Father Emperor personally passes the throne to this prince.”

Dou Quan didn’t dare speak further!

Though Jing Yi burned with hostile fire, his heart was unwilling, and he repeatedly turned over Dou Quan’s earlier words in his mind.

His eyes sharp as torches, expression grave, he waved his hand. “You go out first.”

“Your Highness…”

“Out!”

Dou Quan bowed his head. “Yes.”

He withdrew.

That night, Jing Yi thought back and forth, reviewing his current situation’s advantages and disadvantages.

Indeed, his position was very unfavorable. If he didn’t rebel, should Emperor Qizhen die and the Grand Secretariat issue a posthumous edict, then it truly would be too late.

He seemed to… secretly make a decision.

Early the next morning, he received more bad news.

Manor guards hurriedly came to report.

“Your Highness, Jingrong is hosting a banquet today. He’s invited many ministers to his manor—Grand Secretary Zhou from the Grand Council, Grand Academician Zheng from the Inner Court, Assistant Minister Ning—they’ve all gone.”

He rose furiously. “What?”

The guard trembled. “They say Prince Rong earnestly invited them and they couldn’t decline.”

Couldn’t decline?

Bah!

He overturned the table.

Things on the table smashed to the floor with a crash and clatter.

“Your Highness?”

“Leave.”

The guard hastily scurried away.

Dou Quan happened to enter the room, having also heard what the guard just reported.

He saw his own prince clenching both fists, veins bulging, his entire body radiating hostile energy.

“Where is Director Ji now?”

Dou Quan answered, “Ever since Director Ji was dismissed from office, I hear he’s been idle at home. These past few days, he’s gone to Cheng Lake’s edge to fish—leaving early and returning late.”

Fishing?

Someone as proud as Ji Li, after being dismissed from office, still had the mood to fish?

Strange news!

Jing Yi ordered, “Bring paper and brush.”

“Yes.”

They were immediately prepared.

He quickly wrote a memorial, handing it to Dou Quan. “Send someone to deliver this to Minister Xing’s manor. Have him immediately enter the palace for an imperial audience.”

Dou Quan held the memorial, didn’t ask questions, and carried out the order.

Afterward, Jing Yi left the manor.

At this time, at Cheng Lake’s edge.

Ji Li was sitting on a small stool, holding a fishing rod in his hands, expression composed, quietly waiting for big fish to bite.

The lake surface was calm, surrounding tree leaves falling one after another, creating ripples in the water that slowly spread outward…

Occasionally a few grebes landed nearby, their sharp beaks pecking at the water a few times before flying away.

Ji Li maintained an unmoving posture, sitting for a very long time.

Yet stubbornly, not a single fish had bitten.

The accompanying servant boy beside him also maintained the same posture, but without his temperament, breaking out in cold sweat all over his head, beginning to complain. “Young Master, how about we change locations? These past days, we’ve only caught three fish, and they were especially small—not even enough to fill the gaps between teeth.”

Ji Li’s expression was indifferent, eyes fixed straight ahead, staring at the lake surface. “When did I ever say the fish we catch are for filling our bellies?”

“If not to eat them, why catch them?”

He smiled. “Fishing requires patience. If you don’t even have this much temperament, how will you achieve great things in the future?”

The servant boy’s mouth twitched. “Young Master, I’m just an errand runner, not one of those generals in the military camps wielding swords and spears. What kind of achievement am I hoping for?”

“Such an unmotivated thing.”

“What I said isn’t wrong!”

Ji Li glanced at him sideways.

The servant boy patiently fished for a while longer, hands supporting his cheeks, sighing. “Now that Young Master has lost his official position, and Second Young Master has led troops to the frontier, life is quite boring.”

In the end, Ji Li said nothing.

Suddenly—

A rock flew from the distance, landing in the lake with a “thunk.”

With this throw, even if there truly were fish approaching, they’d all be frightened away.

“Who?”

Ji Li became alert, springing to his feet. Turning his head, he saw Jing Yi. Immediately collecting that leisurely appearance, he grew coldly solemn and bowed his head.

“Greetings to Prince Yi.”

The servant boy quickly retreated to the side.

Jing Yi approached, waving his large hand, signaling that servant boy. “This prince has important matters to discuss with Director Ji. You withdraw first.”

“Yes.” The servant boy bowed, not daring to linger, hurrying away.

Standing far off.

Ji Li asked, “I wonder what matter Your Highness seeks me for?”

Though he appeared respectful and deferential on the surface, in his heart there was ultimately resentment. If not for being used by the person before him, leading troops out of the city to intercept Jingrong, he wouldn’t have fallen to the crime of attempting to harm an imperial prince, resulting in dismissal from office, and even causing his own younger brother to be dispatched from the capital—a grand general sent to fight barbarians. What a joke.

Jing Yi glanced at his fishing equipment, smiling. “The Ji Li who was once imposing and authoritative now fishes at Cheng Lake’s edge. If word of this spreads through the capital, wouldn’t it be laughable?”

“Laughable or famous—isn’t it all bestowed by Your Highness?”

Uh!

Jing Yi choked for a moment, but was honest. “Indeed. If not for this prince’s carelessness, you two brothers wouldn’t have ended up with one dismissed from office and one sent by the Emperor to the frontier to fight barbarians, resulting in two tigers trapped, unable to succeed either way. When all is said and done, this prince owes you both.”

“I wouldn’t dare!”

Jing Yi smiled.

Ji Li then turned to sit on his small stool, pulling back the fish hook dangling in the water, and on the empty hook re-baited a small wriggling earthworm.

Once again casting the fishing rod into the water.