Hearing this, Old Fang cheerfully stood up and smiled: “What this old man has said, Your Highness should consider. If you think it’s feasible, send someone to instruct this old man… and I’ll arrange and prepare! However, tomorrow the Princess of Zhenguo and County Princess Gaoyi will return to Shuoyang. If Your Highness thinks it’s feasible, you need to make a decision quickly.”
“Good!” The Crown Prince nodded.
After watching Old Fang leave, the Crown Prince turned his head to look at Quan Yu, picking up his teacup with a hint of a smile in his expression: “Quan Yu, your courage is growing!”
“Your Highness, this servant’s courage all comes from you! Your Highness is the most loyal and righteous master Quan Yu has ever seen, which is why I dare to be presumptuous before Your Highness!” Quan Yu said with a smile. “This servant felt that Your Highness has been busy all day without even time to rest and drink tea, truly too exhausting, so I came up with this idea.”
Seeing the Crown Prince slowly blowing on the hot tea in his cup, his mood seeming to ease, Quan Yu then spoke: “Your Highness, just now this servant heard Old Fang’s meaning – he wants to use County Princess Gaoyi! But… the Princess of Zhenguo and County Princess Gaoyi have deep sisterly affection, and the Princess of Zhenguo is utterly loyal to Your Highness! This servant saw Your Highness hesitating just now – are you afraid of chilling the Princess of Zhenguo’s heart?”
The Crown Prince nodded: “That’s right, but what Old Fang said… also makes sense. I still need to think it over carefully.”
Hearing the Crown Prince say this, Quan Yu didn’t dare to persuade further, only nodding and saying he would go arrange dinner for the Crown Prince.
When Quan Yu returned with palace maids walking in file carrying black lacquered gold-decorated food boxes, he saw someone coming out of the Crown Prince’s study, seemingly heading toward Old Fang’s courtyard.
Quan Yu stood under the painted corridor with carved beams, his brow furrowed, worried that if the Crown Prince touched County Princess Gaoyi and the Princess of Zhenguo learned of this, she would become irreconcilably opposed to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince hadn’t even thought this through clearly!
Quan Yu didn’t want to see the Crown Prince lose such a capable minister as the Princess of Zhenguo in the future, nor did he want to see the Princess of Zhenguo heartbroken.
The palace maid following behind Quan Yu, bending over with lowered eyes and obedient demeanor, seeing Quan Yu standing motionless under the swaying six-sided palace lantern for a long while, stepped forward with small steps and softly called: “Eunuch?!”
“Let’s go!” Quan Yu came to his senses and led the palace maids forward.
·
Ren Shijie had just arranged for people to spread word about Prince Liang taking the personal safety lock of the Dong family daughter Dong Tingzhen and entering the palace to request a marriage grant from the Emperor, according to Old Fang’s arrangement, when unexpectedly news came again from Prince Liang’s mansion that shortly after Eunuch Gao left, Prince Liang had gone to the Dong residence.
Upon hearing this, Old Fang narrowed his eyes, guessing that Prince Liang perhaps wanted to personally visit Minister Dong of the Court of Judicial Review.
Ren Shijie said in a low voice: “Prince Liang going to the Dong residence – I wonder if His Majesty… ordered Prince Liang to return the Dong family daughter’s safety lock to the Dong residence, or if Prince Liang wants to plead with Minister Dong again.”
“Regardless of Prince Liang’s intentions in going to the Dong residence, this time… is a good opportunity for us to help the Crown Prince cut off Prince Liang’s possibility of competing for succession!” Old Fang picked up his teacup and said to Ren Shijie and Qin Shangzhi: “Think about it – last time… Prince Liang attempted to frame Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting for collaborating with the enemy, and also interfered with the Nanjiang grain supply matter. Why did His Majesty still spare Prince Liang? It was because Prince Liang is His Majesty’s son, and hadn’t truly touched His Majesty’s reverse scale!”
Old Fang took a sip of tea, set down the cup, and continued: “The Second Prince’s rebellion and forced abdication have always been a hurdle in His Majesty’s heart. His Majesty may indulge his sons in doing anything out of blood kinship, but absolutely cannot tolerate his sons attempting to reach for military power! So… the more Prince Liang is unwilling to give up the Dong family daughter, the heavier His Majesty’s suspicions of Prince Liang become!”
Qin Shangzhi, sitting under the glass lamp, looked up toward Old Fang. Although Old Fang could sometimes infuriate people, it had to be said… Old Fang understood the Emperor very well.
For Qin Shangzhi, as long as he could block Prince Liang’s path to the throne, he was willing to do anything, even if… that Miss Dong was the Princess of Zhenguo Bai Qingyan’s cousin, even if it would harm Miss Dong’s reputation, he couldn’t care about that. Who told Miss Dong to be blind and choose Prince Liang?
Qin Shangzhi lowered his eyes, suppressing the slight unease in his heart. Succession struggles had always been life-or-death affairs – people chose their paths and couldn’t blame others!
“Old Fang, Master Ren, Master Qin!” A young eunuch bowed to the Crown Prince’s three advisors. “His Highness the Crown Prince sent me to relay a message: regarding Prince Liang’s matter, Old Fang may arrange as he sees fit. The unregistered assassins of the Crown Prince’s residence are all at Old Fang’s disposal!”
Qin Shangzhi’s brow tightened as he looked at Old Fang, whose eyes were lighting up. What else was Old Fang… planning to do?
“Thank His Highness the Crown Prince for his trust!” Old Fang stroked his goatee and sent his bodyguard to summon the unregistered assassins from the Crown Prince’s residence.
“Old Fang, what else are you planning to arrange?” Ren Shijie quickly stood up and asked.
While waiting for the assassins to arrive, Old Fang roughly explained his idea of setting up a scheme to have Prince Liang ruin County Princess Gaoyi’s reputation, provoking the Princess of Zhenguo to act against Prince Liang.
“Originally, the Bai residence had guard troops, impregnable as an iron bucket, but now that the Bai family has moved back to Shuoyang and the guard troops have followed them back! The Bai residence is easier to enter now – this matter isn’t difficult to handle!”
Old Fang was triumphant, his expression full of smiles: “Imagine, given how much the Princess of Zhenguo cares for County Princess Gaoyi, if we could break Prince Liang’s legs… that would be the best result. His Majesty would never establish a disabled heir, and this matter couldn’t be connected to our Crown Prince’s residence in any way! With the Princess of Zhenguo’s resolute and decisive personality, she definitely wouldn’t let County Princess Gaoyi marry Prince Liang! The Dong family and Bai residence are related by marriage – if such a thing happened, they naturally wouldn’t marry their daughter to Prince Liang anymore! Killing two birds with one stone!”
“Absolutely not!” Qin Shangzhi’s heart leaped to his throat as he stood up excitedly.
Old Fang looked displeasedly toward Qin Shangzhi.
Qin Shangzhi knew Old Fang liked to put on airs, so he bit his teeth and bowed deeply to Old Fang: “Old Fang, don’t be hasty. Allow me to explain in detail. His Highness the Crown Prince can rarely win over the Princess of Zhenguo. The Princess of Zhenguo is unparalleled in wisdom and courage. If we let the Princess of Zhenguo know that the Crown Prince’s residence schemed for Prince Liang to ruin County Princess Gaoyi’s reputation, the Princess of Zhenguo would become irreconcilably opposed to the Crown Prince’s residence!”
Old Fang lowered his eyes and remained silent. What he wanted… although not for Bai Qingyan and the Crown Prince to be irreconcilably opposed, he did want Bai Qingyan to grow cold toward the Crown Prince. The most important advisor besides the Crown Prince must be him!
But now that Qin Shangzhi had made it clear, he couldn’t save face, and was also afraid Qin Shangzhi would make a fuss to the Crown Prince.
Qin Shangzhi glanced at Old Fang, his attitude even more respectful: “Old Fang has always been excellent at reading people! You deeply understand the Princess of Zhenguo’s resolute and decisive personality. If the Princess of Zhenguo investigates this matter clearly… and turns to Prince Liang, that situation would only be disadvantageous to the Crown Prince!”