Prince Lu suppressed the urge to splash tea in Yu Jin’s face, silently consoling himself: I can’t fight with Seventh Brother; fighting with him never ends well.
“What brings Fifth Brother here?” Facing Prince Lu, Yu Jin didn’t bother with pleasantries. He sat down in the master’s chair and asked casually.
“We brothers live so close, can’t I just drop by?”
Yu Jin took a sip from his teacup.
He had just returned from the Imperial Clan Court and hadn’t even had a chance to be intimate with his wife yet. What nonsense about dropping by!
Prince Lu leaned in with a familiar tone: “Seventh Brother, have you heard about that person’s situation?”
Yu Jin raised an eyebrow: “Which person?”
Prince Lu lowered his voice: “Second Brother, he’s Prince Jing now, suddenly on equal footing with us.”
Hehe, it’s truly refreshing.
Second Brother had been re-titled as a prince. Did this mean he could finally fulfill his long-held wish when the opportunity arose?
Prince Lu’s wish was to give the Crown Prince a good thrashing and get away with it.
With Yu Jin setting a good example, his heart was already itching to act.
“I’m not very clear on the details,” Yu Jin said indifferently, holding his teacup.
Fifth Brother and the others had gone to the Heaven Worship Ceremony, witnessing Prince An’s death firsthand. How could secondhand information compare to a firsthand account?
Hearing Yu Jin’s response, Prince Lu immediately began recounting the events at Cuiluo Mountain.
Watching Prince Lu’s animated face, Yu Jin silently wondered: When did he and Fifth Brother become so close?
After three cups of tea, Prince Lu finally reached the conclusion: “Who would have thought that Second Brother, who usually stays in the Eastern Palace, would know a beauty from the Jinshui River, and even get Uncle Prince An killed for it.”
“So, the case was solved by Official Zhen?”
It seemed he needed to pay a visit to the Shuntian Prefecture soon.
Prince Lu nodded: “Yes, thankfully Official Zhen was present. Seventh Brother, you don’t know how amazing Official Zhen is. He noticed at a glance that the sleeve ties of one Imperial Guard were slightly different in color from the others. Later, another Imperial Guard found the clothes that the guard had changed out of, which led to catching the culprit. Oh, and the Imperial Guard who made the discovery seems to be your brother-in-law.”
“Is that so?” Yu Jin was slightly surprised.
He hadn’t had time to clarify such details yet.
“It’s a pity though. Father Emperor is still angry and probably won’t think about your brother-in-law’s meritorious deed.”
Yu Jin smiled faintly: “It doesn’t matter. My brother-in-law doesn’t seek recognition for this; he’s just a dutiful person.”
Unexpectedly having to listen to Yu Jin praise his brother-in-law while gossiping, Prince Lu silently rolled his eyes.
“Seventh Brother, do you think Second Brother is finished this time?”
“I wouldn’t dare guess Father Emperor’s thoughts.”
Prince Lu rubbed his nose: “I’m not trying to guess Father Emperor’s thoughts either. It just feels so sudden. The second Brother is no longer the Crown Prince, just like that. It’s like a dream…”
“So Fifth Brother came to me because—”
Was Fifth Brother so eager to form alliances and covet the position of Crown Prince already?
Prince Lu looked matter-of-fact: “Such a big event, I just needed someone to talk to about it.”
Especially since Seventh Brother had just beaten Second Brother, making him the perfect gossip partner.
Yu Jin was momentarily stunned, his smile becoming more genuine.
If Fifth Brother had no ambitions for the throne, he might be worth befriending.
The shocking news of the Crown Prince’s dethronement immediately revealed many people’s true intentions.
The Crown Prince’s position was crucial for the stability of the realm, and it couldn’t remain vacant for long. Soon, the Emperor would have to choose a new Crown Prince from among the princes.
The mansions of Prince Jin and Prince Qi suddenly became bustling with activity.
Succession traditionally favored the eldest legitimate son.
Among the many princes, the Crown Prince held the “legitimate” title and was effectively Emperor Jingming’s eldest son, making his position as heir apparent justified. Even if he was incompetent, no one had imagined he would be replaced. Now that the Crown Prince had fallen, the succession was uncertain.
The First Prince, Prince Qin, was adopted, so he had no chance.
The Fifth Prince and those after him were too far down the line of succession, leaving the popular choices between the Third Prince, Prince Jin, and the Fourth Prince, Prince Qi.
Excluding Prince Qin and the deposed Crown Prince, Prince Jin was the eldest among the remaining princes, giving him an advantage with the “eldest” status. However, Prince Qi also had a fighting chance.
Prince Jin’s biggest flaw was that his mother was of lowly birth, only slightly better than Prince Xiang’s mother, who was a dancing girl.
The Great Zhou Dynasty placed great importance on the maternal lineage of the heir. Emperor Jingming had emerged victorious among many strong competitors in the previous generation, with his status as the Empress’s adopted son being his greatest asset.
Prince Jin’s mother’s humble origins made some people doubt the “eldest” argument, causing them to place their bets on Prince Qi instead.
Prince Qi’s mother was Noble Consort Xian, from Duke An’s family. She had given birth to two grown princes, establishing a strong foundation.
Prince Qi himself was considerably more outstanding than Prince Jin, having long maintained a reputation for respecting the worthy and humbling himself before others. If he were to ascend to that position, he would surely be as considerate to his ministers and as diligent in governance as the current Emperor.
In Prince Qi’s mansion, Princess Consort Qi gently asked: “Your Highness, many people have sent visiting cards today. Are you still not seeing any of them?”
“No,” Prince Qi replied without hesitation.
Fearing Princess Consort Qi might not understand, Prince Qi patiently explained: “Although Second Brother is useless, his position in Father Emperor’s heart is extraordinary. Now that Second Brother has just been deposed, Father Emperor surely has no intention of appointing a new Crown Prince. If Father Emperor thinks I’m coveting the Crown Prince position at this time, misfortune won’t be far behind.”
Princess Consort Qi looked at Prince Qi with admiration: “Your Highness understands so well. I’m at ease now.”
Prince Qi changed the subject: “However, you can take this opportunity to build a good relationship with Princess Consort Yan.”
Hearing Prince Qi mention Jiang Si, Princess Consort Qi frowned unconsciously: “Your Highness—”
Prince Qi didn’t hide his intentions from his wedded wife: “Whether Father Emperor likes it or not, a new Crown Prince will have to be appointed sooner or later. Third Brother has a chance, and so do I. I can’t compete with Third Brother in terms of being ‘eldest,’ so we need to approach it from other angles. You should frequently pay respects to Mother Consort, and try to win over Fifth Brother and the others as much as possible. I can’t be too obvious about this for now, so it’s up to you to build good relationships with the other princesses.”
Princess Consort Qi looked troubled.
Princess Consort Lu was a jealous woman, whom she had always disliked.
Princess Consort Shu had an air of superiority, whom she had always disliked.
Princess Consort Yan — Princess Consort Yan had always disliked her…
Thinking about these three sisters-in-law, Princess Consort Qi felt a sense of helplessness.
“Princess Consort Lu and Princess Consort Shu are one thing, but Princess Consort Yan seems to have always had a prejudice against me…”
“I was just about to mention that. Seventh Brother has caused trouble several times, but Father Emperor always lets him off lightly in the end. I feel Father Emperor treats Seventh Brother somewhat unusually, so you must build a good relationship with Princess Consort Yan to make Seventh Brother an ally for me.” Prince Qi said, holding Princess Consort Qi’s hand affectionately, “I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Seventh Brother seemed to always have a prejudice against him. Compared to the difficulty of befriending that reckless Seventh Brother himself, approaching Seventh Brother’s wife should be easier.
He had observed coldly that Seventh Brother cared deeply for his wife.
“I’ll do my best.”
Princess Consort Qi quickly sent a visiting card to Prince Yan’s mansion.