When Zhende revealed these words, Bai Dong wasn’t stupid either. He turned around and truthfully told Elder Du everything. At the end, looking at his teacher, he narrowed his eyes and stated his speculation without reservation: “Is His Highness the Crown Prince trying to draw His Highness Prince Gong into moving against the Song family? That truly is some deep scheming. Prince Gong hasn’t even entered the capital yet, and he’s already found an enemy for Prince Gong in advance.”
Elder Du was Prince Gong’s teacher, and Bai Dong also addressed Elder Du as teacher. Although the degrees of intimacy and importance between these relationships were different, there was still a connection. Compared to his brother-in-law who clung tightly to the Crown Prince’s coattails, Bai Dong, who belonged to Elder Du’s faction, undoubtedly felt Prince Gong was far more reliable than the Crown Prince—others might not know, but how could people on their side not know the Crown Prince’s temperament and nature? He excessively favored his concubines, was insatiably greedy yet his health was extremely poor. He simply didn’t have the constitution for longevity. To put it bluntly, he didn’t have the fate to become the sovereign. As for the sons under him, the Grand Prince was indeed quite accomplished, but unfortunately he wasn’t liked by him. Not only was he not liked, but he was constantly guarded against and suppressed. With the Eastern Palace in such chaos, Bai Dong would be a fool to bet his stakes on the Crown Prince.
Elder Du also smiled. While smiling, he carefully placed the letter in a bamboo tube and called someone in, having them send the letter out. Only then did he leisurely sit down: “The Crown Prince has always regarded His Highness as a thorn in his eye and flesh. He also extremely dislikes the Grand Prince. Now seeing the Grand Prince about to marry that old fox from the Song family’s granddaughter, the little fox, naturally he can’t stand it. Wanting to sow discord in between is inevitable.”
Bai Dong knew his teacher had the situation under control. Since both he and his teacher could see through it, there was no reason Prince Gong would be deceived, so he felt at ease: “It’s just that His Highness the Crown Prince put in quite some effort, specifically having my brother-in-law leak the news to me, then having me leak it to you, and then you tell Prince Gong. Since he’s willing to go through such trouble, does he have some basis for confidence, believing His Highness will definitely be deceived?”
Elder Du reached out and stroked the desk, on which lay a letter not yet burned. He sighed deeply, shook his head without speaking. After a long while, he finally held the letter over the candle flame and burned it. He also instructed Bai Dong not to reveal anything to Zhende before dismissing him.
Prince Gong, who was on the road about to arrive in the capital, knew where the Crown Prince’s basis for confidence came from. Even though Elder Du had repeatedly advised and discouraged him in the letter, the anger in his heart still rose layer upon layer—this rage was not directed toward the Crown Princess and Grand Prince Zhou Weizhao as the Crown Prince had anticipated. This rage came more from the Crown Prince’s insane malice.
The treasure he had once cherished dearly in the palm of his hand was worthless in the Crown Prince’s eyes. The Crown Prince had seized her yet refused to treat her well. After all these years had passed, the struggle between men still wanted to squeeze out her last bit of usefulness. Even the son she depended on for survival, the Crown Prince wanted to eliminate through his own hands.
How ironic. Prince Gong twitched his lips, feeling the fire in his chest had nowhere to vent, blocking his heart and making him unable to sit or stand in peace. The Crown Prince himself was a suspicious and dark person, so he assumed others were just like him.
He felt somewhat melancholy and aggrieved on behalf of Lu Caiwei. When these three characters emerged from his heart, his expression froze for a moment. After a long while, he finally let out a scoff. The Chief Clerk had been standing behind him for a long time. After waiting for him to finish this scoff, he stepped forward and called out “Your Highness.”
Prince Gong then completely came back to his senses. Leading him forward a few steps, they sat on the stone bench in the courtyard: “Wanting to incite me and the Song family to fight like snipe and clam so he can be the fisherman who profits—after all these years, his thinking hasn’t changed much.”
With such an elder brother, if one truly sat peacefully doing nothing waiting for him to ascend the throne, wouldn’t that be counting down to one’s own death? The Chief Clerk shook his head and began analyzing the Crown Prince’s intentions with Prince Gong: “You’re quite right, and the Elder is also deeply concerned. His Highness the Crown Prince wants to sow discord between you and the Song and Cui families, while simultaneously eliminating those he detests…” He looked at Prince Gong’s changing expression, paused, then sighed but didn’t change his words: “While simultaneously eliminating the Crown Princess and Grand Prince whom he detests, paving the way for Prince Dongping. But if you’re not provoked, he also can’t possibly just give up.”
Prince Gong shifted his gaze toward him, his tone unexpectedly calm: “You mean that if I am provoked, naturally that would be good—he wouldn’t have to take action himself. But if I’m not provoked…”
The Chief Clerk quickly picked up the thread: “If you’re not provoked by him and refuse to take action, he also has ways to make the Song and Cui families believe you did take action.”
This Crown Prince—you had to speculate about him with the greatest malice. It was truly because he was several degrees more sinister than Prince Duan. Such an obsessive person was capable of anything.
Without hesitation, Prince Gong’s face showed disgust and impatience, while a trace of sorrow flickered faintly in his eyes. This sorrow vanished instantly, leaving only disgust and disdain deeply imprinted at the corners of his mouth, sketching a mocking arc: “He thinks I’m like him with a mind narrower than a needle point.” After saying this sentence, he wasted no more words and immediately ordered the Chief Clerk: “Send someone to rush to the capital with a letter, saying this Prince agrees and will do as Teacher instructed.”
There was no need at all to offend the Song and Cui families. Even misunderstandings were best avoided. After Prince Gong said this, seeing the Chief Clerk bow and answer affirmatively, he added: “No, tell Teacher not to send a message to the Song family. Tell Zhou Weizhao directly.”
The Chief Clerk was shocked. He knew too well the weight Crown Princess Lu held in Prince Gong’s heart, and understood too clearly what kind of thorn this was embedded in Prince Gong’s heart. After hesitating for a long while, he finally spoke up to dissuade: “Why must Your Highness intervene in this? Wouldn’t it be the same to have the Song family deal with and guard against the Crown Prince? Then even if this marriage alliance goes through smoothly, a thorn will still be planted in the Song family’s and Sixth Miss Song’s hearts. They’ll never be able to grow close to the Crown Prince anyway.”
“No.” Prince Gong Zhou Hong’s expression was indifferent, his tone calm: “I want him to open his eyes wide and see clearly what kind of person his father is.”
Speaking of this Crown Prince elder brother of his, there was one thing he had figured out about his thoughts—he naturally would never harbor any ill intentions toward Lu Caiwei, but toward Zhou Weizhao whose veins flowed with the Crown Prince’s blood, he couldn’t generate any goodwill no matter what. Moreover, in the future, he was destined to be irreconcilable with the Eastern Palace. Having this detestable father and son pair kill each other—thinking about it carefully, it might not be a bad thing after all. He hadn’t even entered the capital yet, and his Crown Prince elder brother was already so impatient to make trouble for him. Then he would go along with the plan and also give him a taste of his own medicine, showing him whether or not he was fish meat to be slaughtered at will.
Since he had made up his mind, the Chief Clerk couldn’t advise further and went to instruct people to rush to the capital with the report.