Chapter 279 The Tension is Growing

"Royal brother."

Yan Ci naturally recognized him, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, smiling distantly, "I hope you are well."

The man glanced at him and smiled, then dismounted and slowly walked to the emperor, bowing and greeting him. "Father, the emperor has returned from his expedition, and I have come to greet you."

The emperor looked down at him, his face unusually cold. "Yan Sheng, how come I didn't know you were back in Beijing?"

"My twenty-year confinement period has expired. I'm homesick, and I recently heard that my father was ill and had been confined to Changqing Palace for a long time. I was worried about him, so I rushed out as soon as the deadline arrived." Yan Sheng raised his head and smiled modestly. "Now that I see that my father is in good health, my worries are finally put to rest."

Hearing this, the emperor's expression softened a bit, and he said in a deep voice, "It's hard for you to miss me. You must be tired from the journey. Let's go back."

"Yes." Yan Sheng slowly stood up, his eyes like a deep pool of water. "My son has specially arranged a welcoming banquet. I invite you to return to the palace to rest for a while."

The emperor nodded, and curled his lips, a rare gesture. "That's thoughtful of you."

After he finished speaking, the emperor mounted his horse and left, followed closely by Dou Mingwei. Only a few young men were left at the city gate.

Yan Sheng looked at Yan Ci who was sizing him up, and smiled, "It's been years since we last met. Second brother has changed a lot. He's not as timid and fearful as he was when he was little."

"People always have to grow up." Yan Ci smiled at him and looked at the girl standing beside him, "Is this the emperor's confidante?"

Yan Sheng chuckled and spoke slowly, "Qingqing, come meet my two younger brothers."

"I, the commoner Lu Qingqing, greet the Second and Third Princes."

The woman smiled sweetly, knelt down and saluted with perfect courtesy, like the daughter of a wealthy family. However, I have never heard of any wealthy family with the surname Lu.

"Qingqing and I met by chance. She once saved my life in Ganzhou. She is my benefactor, and I have always kept her by my side."

Yan Sheng's tone was normal, but Yan Ci felt that the smile on his face looked weird no matter how he looked at it.

"I didn't expect you two to get along so well." Yan Sheng raised an eyebrow, his eyes wandering between his two younger brothers. He chuckled deeply, "I've heard a lot about your glorious deeds since returning to the capital. I never thought you could defeat Huo Beiting and save the capital at such a young age. I'm truly impressed by you, my brother."

The air was filled with gunpowder. Based on his words, he obviously put Yan Mu on Yan Ci's side, and the look he gave the two of them was quite meaningful.

"If it weren't for the fact that our eldest brother was imprisoned, the three of us brothers would have been very close." Seeing his second brother's momentum being suppressed, Yan Mu spoke calmly with a gentle smile, "That year, our eldest brother's mother's family committed a crime. I'm afraid no one in the court will forget it."

Fifteen years ago, the eldest prince's mother's family attempted to seize the throne and force the emperor to abdicate. After failing, all nine generations of their family were implicated. Even the prince Yan Sheng was demoted to Ganzhou and confined to the palace.

Fifteen years later, Yan Sheng made a comeback, most likely because he still had some remnants in the capital.

Hearing his third brother's words, Yan Sheng's expression instantly turned grim. He glanced at him sideways, then curled his lips and smiled after a while, "Third brother has really changed. Now he's sharp-tongued and eloquent, and much bolder than before. Do you think you have someone backing you up?"

Yan Sheng didn't hide his hostility at all. He sneered, "I won't make the same mistake again. We have a long time to go. We'll see what happens."

"Qingqing, let's go." After saying this, Yan Sheng turned and left.

Lu Qingqing looked at Yan Ci deeply, and glanced inadvertently at Xie Suzhou who was striding towards her. The corners of her lips rose slightly, and she turned around and left with the man.

The carriage stopped at the back, and just as the curtain was lifted a corner, Sun Po came up and said, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

Su Cheng stuck half of his head out and looked forward. "What happened up ahead? Why aren't you moving?"

Sun Po replied truthfully, "The eldest prince has returned to the capital, and the masters are talking in front, so we are delayed for a while. We will leave soon."

"The eldest prince?" Su Cheng frowned slightly and asked softly, "But Yan Sheng?"

"I dare not address you directly by your name." Sun Po shook his head and sighed, looking around cautiously. Seeing that no one was around, he boldly said, "The eldest prince's mother's family once attempted rebellion and was sentenced to death. The eldest prince was confined for many years. He finally returned with great difficulty. I'm sure he won't let it go."

Su Cheng frowned and looked around, but didn't see Xie Suzhou. "Have you seen Suzhou?"

"Thank you, Doctor, for leaving early. Don't worry, my sister-in-law. There won't be any conflict in public." Sun Po patiently comforted her. He stepped forward and instructed Cai Lian, the driver, "Follow me. I will escort my sister-in-law back to the Zhao family."

Cai Lian nodded slightly and whispered, "Yes."

Despite Sun Po's comfort, Su Cheng's heart was still in turmoil, and her anxiety intensified. She opened the car curtain again and shouted to Sun Po, "Let's go to Tinggu Lane first. I have something to do."

-

Zhaoyuan Palace

"A fallen tiger is bullied by a dog. I never thought that today, even that coward Yan Mu would dare to bare his teeth to me." Yan Sheng played with the iron walnut in his hand, a fierce gleam in his eyes. "I endured for fifteen years before fighting my way back to the capital from Ganzhou, but he exposed my past in public. I am so embarrassed!"

"I can't sleep at night until I get my revenge."

"Your Highness, why bother with a lapdog?" Lu Qingqing sat across from him and spoke lazily, "I can see clearly that the real boss is the Second Prince. He's the one you should be targeting."

"That's easy to say, but really wanting to bring Yan Ci down is no easy task."

Yan Sheng closed his eyes, a flicker of fatigue crossing his face. "The spies in the capital have already sent a letter. Yan Ci saved my father and performed a great deed. Now the court is full of his supporters. The officials who used to favor me have changed their tune. He is in the limelight, and the followers around him are more powerful than the last..."

"If you want to target Yan Ci, you must take a long-term approach."

"Your Highness, don't worry. With me here, all problems can be easily solved." Lu Qingqing raised a strange smile and opened her pink lips. "I know that the Second Prince has a counselor named Xie Suzhou. If Your Highness can persuade him to rebel, things will definitely turn around."

"Xie Suzhou...Xie Suzhou..." Yan Sheng repeated the name over and over, his eyes gradually deepening. "I've heard of this person too. He comes from a humble background and doesn't have any big family backing him. Ordinary means won't hold him hostage."

Lu Qingqing raised the corners of her lips, like a simple and harmless little white flower, but the fierce light in her eyes could not be hidden no matter what. "The three sons of the Xie family each have their own expertise. If Your Highness does not have the confidence to control Xie Suzhou, why not start with his two younger brothers?"

After finishing the tea in the cup, Yan Sheng looked excited and went out of the palace excitedly.

Lu Qingqing looked at his back, the corners of her lips curled up strangely, and she slowly put down the teacup in her hand, "Three male protagonists? Interesting..."