Chapter 490 Fleeting World, Fallen Flowers, Gone Before My Eyes

Even a full, silvery moon in autumn carries a chill. Tonight, the Lingnan Prince's Mansion, under the cold moonlight, exudes an indescribable desolation.

There were no servants in the main courtyard, and the occasional chirping of insects made the whole courtyard seem especially quiet.

Inside the study, the Prince of Lingnan slumped in his chair, his face swollen and bruised. Zhu Junning held a tube of ointment, gently applying it to his wounds. Suddenly, the Prince of Lingnan opened his tightly closed eyes, waved Zhu Junning's hand away, and the porcelain bottle containing the ointment fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Zhu Junning was stunned at first, then hurriedly knelt on the ground, head bowed, not daring to speak. The Prince of Lingnan didn't look at her, sweeping the things on the table to the ground. But he still couldn't fully vent his anger; he suddenly stood up, kicking over a vase as tall as a person, then the display shelves, tables, and chairs...

After the room was a complete mess, he stood there panting heavily, his anger somewhat vented, and his mind calmed down. Looking down at Zhu Junning kneeling on the ground, his expression softened. He walked over, bent down, and helped her up, saying, "Tell me, why did Prince Rui come looking for trouble today?"

"Yes." Zhu Junning watched him sit down, then stood there respectfully for a moment, pondering before saying, "I believe the paperweight sent by Prince Rui has worked."

These words pleased the Prince of Lingnan somewhat. Seeing that his mood had improved, Zhu Junning bent down to pick up the porcelain bottle containing the ointment, then stepped forward and gently applied the ointment to his wound, saying:

“Prince Rui was raised by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager and was pampered as he grew up. His affection for them goes without saying. Since the Empress Dowager fell seriously ill, Prince Rui has been by her side almost all the time, which shows that he is a grateful person.”

These words made the Prince of Lingnan's gaze linger on her face for a long while. Zhu Junning smiled bitterly, "Does Father think that at this point, I still have any admiration for him? We are mortal enemies with him."

The Prince of Lingnan was satisfied, grunted in agreement, and closed his eyes. Zhu Junning gently applied ointment to his face again and continued, "That paperweight has been delivered to the Emperor for two days now. Even if the Emperor didn't faint or fall into a coma, he's not in much better shape. The fact that the Lian family was raided, the Prince Rui's mansion was massacred, and Prince Rui came to our mansion to cause trouble is the best proof of that."

The Prince of Lingnan nodded in agreement and said, "Since the Emperor is seriously ill, it is time for the Crown Prince to take the stage."

Zhu Junning frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "We shouldn't rush things. Let my uncle check the news from the palace before making a decision."

The Prince of Lingnan smiled, but the aggravation of his wound made him frown. The anger in his heart surged up again, but he quickly suppressed it and pushed away Zhu Junning's hand that was applying medicine to him, saying, "You're right, let's see how things go. Anyway, the Crown Prince has done nothing wrong, and the Emperor has no reason to depose him."

After saying that, he looked at Zhu Junning and said, "Yesterday your maternal uncle suggested that if the crown prince ascends the throne, you should become the empress."

Zhu Junning's eyes widened in shock, "Crown Prince... the Crown Prince isn't...."

The Prince of Lingnan waved his hand to interrupt her, "I can't be sure if the Crown Prince is my heir. Besides... even if you are siblings, what does it matter? Your reign as Empress is only temporary. What we want is this empire. After this is accomplished, you will be the only female prince in the world."

Zhu Junning lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly. The temptation was immense; she was confident she could easily fool someone like the Crown Prince. After hesitating for a moment, she respectfully bowed to the Prince of Lingnan, saying, "Your daughter will obey your father."

"Hahaha..." The King of Lingnan laughed heartily, as if the kingdom was already his.

.........

The Prime Minister's study was brightly lit late at night. The Prime Minister held a letter in his hand, reading it quickly and then handing it to his eldest son, Pei Hanming. Pei Hanming also read it quickly and then frowned and asked the Prime Minister, "It seems that His Majesty has truly fallen into a trap."

The prime minister tapped his thumb on the armrest of the chair, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "It's hard to say."

Pei Hanming looked puzzled. The Prime Minister glanced at him and explained, "The current situation seems chaotic, but it's actually quite well-organized. The Lian family's property was confiscated, the Prince Rui's residence and Xiande Palace were massacred, and Prince Rui stormed the Lingnan Prince's residence—all of this seems to indicate that His Majesty has truly fallen into a trap, but..."

The Prime Minister paused for a moment and then said, "But Jiang Yu left the palace unharmed and then made no further move. The same thing happened at the Marquis of Chengen's camp outside the capital. I'm afraid that the Emperor's being tricked was just a ruse. Right now, we should be most wary of Jiang Yu and the Marquis of Chengen."

Pei Hanming tensed up upon hearing this, stammering, "If...if the Emperor is alright, can we...can we still accomplish anything?"

The Prime Minister frowned and remained silent. Pei Hanming then said, "Father, there are some things I've wanted to say for a long time."

The prime minister looked at him with disdain in his aged eyes, "Speak."

Pei Hanming knew that his father disliked his lack of ability, so he clenched his fist and mustered his courage to say, "Although the Prince of Lingnan is my aunt's son, we don't need to sacrifice our entire Pei family for him."

Just as you said, the Emperor may not have been poisoned, and although the Marquis of Chengen is not making a move at the moment, he may have secretly tightened control over every exit from the city, and the Duke of Chu may have some conspiracy waiting for us. Father, what do you think our chances of winning are in this situation?”

The Prime Minister remained silent, his brow furrowed. Seeing this, Pei Hanming mustered his courage and continued, "Now that Prince Rui is finished, who will be the next to die for his father, the Prince of Lingnan? Father, what does his grand undertaking of the Prince of Lingnan have to do with our Pei family?"

The Prime Minister slumped back in his chair, remaining silent. Seeing this, Pei Hanming said nothing more. In his father's eyes, he was a good-for-nothing son, and his father would not listen to anything he said.

A dozen candles illuminated the room as bright as day, yet the room was as silent as a tomb. After an unknown amount of time, a crackling sound roused the two from their reverie. The Prime Minister sat up, his body stiff, and looked at Pei Hanming, saying, "Go back and pack your things, take Xiao Liu and Mingqian's son with you, and let's go."

Pei Hanming was taken aback, then asked, "What about you? Aren't you going with your son?"

The prime minister shook his head. "If I go with them, none of us will be able to leave."

He got up and walked to the antique shelf, opened a hidden compartment, took out a letter and handed it to Pei Hanming. "After you leave the city, find a man named Jie Da, give him this letter, and he will take you to Qiongzhou. Once you arrive in Qiongzhou, find the prefect of Qiongzhou, and he will arrange for you to take a boat out to sea. After that, don't think about revenge, and don't think about returning to the capital. Just live in anonymity."

"Father!" Pei Hanming choked back tears as he knelt down. "Father, come with your son."

The Prime Minister waved his hand, "Let's go quickly, don't make a commotion."

Pei Hanming kowtowed three times, then rose and strode away. The Prime Minister stood by the window, gazing at the bright moon in the night sky, his mind flashing back to decades ago when he himself had studied diligently late into the night…

He gave a wry smile, turned around and sat back down, picking up a book to read quietly. People say, "Ten years of hard study go unnoticed, but one success makes you famous throughout the land," and "A three-thousand-word essay on the imperial examination leads to a name on the golden list in the spring."

Back when he was studying diligently by the light of an oil lamp while eating dry bread, he truly believed in these words. He hoped to "pass the imperial examination with flying colors and reach the Phoenix Pool in ten years," hoping that once he passed the examination, he could serve the people and achieve great things, making the inkstone worn through on his desk and the gray hair at his temples worthwhile.

When he rode through the streets after passing the imperial examination, he thought that "a bright future was about to begin," and that he would be able to establish himself in the imperial court and protect his family.

But now...

He wore a self-deprecating expression, realizing that "fame and fortune are all illusions, and worldly affairs are fleeting." The "two words of fame and fortune" he pursued over the years ultimately resulted in nothing more than the destruction of his family and the exile of his children and grandchildren.