Chapter 492 Open the door for me!

Jiang Yu didn't go through the main gate, but exited through the back door. Dressed in understated black, she rode alone straight to the palace. Upon arrival, she showed her token, and the imperial guards at the gate immediately let her in.

Upon arriving outside the emperor's bedchamber, she saw the fourth, fifth, and seventh princes standing there. Seeing her dressed in black, their expressions turned grave. Jiang Yu was also startled to see them, quickly bowed, and strode inside.

"Duke of Chu." The fourth prince called out to her, and said gently, "Father has already retired for the night and is not seeing anyone."

But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Fuquan strode out from inside, bowed to Jiang Yu, and said, "Duke of Chu, His Majesty invites you in."

Jiang Yu nodded and followed Zhao Fu into the bedchamber. The princes looked extremely grim; they had been waiting there for days but hadn't been able to step inside. Yet, Jiang Yu was ushered in as soon as she arrived.

"Fifth Brother, do you think it was Uncle Wang who let the Duke of Chu in, or Father?" the Seventh Prince asked the Fifth Prince in a low voice.

The Fifth Prince remained silent, his lips pursed, and the other three also fell silent. They all suspected that the Emperor was likely already unconscious. It was Prince Rui who had been preventing them from entering, his purpose being to buy time for the Sixth Prince. Everyone in Daqian knew the relationship between Prince Rui and the Sixth Prince.

Their eyes met for a moment, then they looked away, each lost in their own thoughts.

As Jiang Yu entered the imperial bedchamber, he saw the emperor sitting behind his desk, looking as energetic as ever. Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lifted his robe to kneel on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, I congratulate you on your good health."

Although it was a simple sentence, she spoke with great sincerity. The Emperor was very pleased and said with a smile, "Minister Jiang, please rise."

Jiang Yu stood up, took out the message she had just received, and presented it with both hands. Prince Derui, who was standing next to the Emperor, walked over, took the note, and handed it to the Emperor. The two did not exchange a single word.

The Emperor withdrew his gaze from the two men, took the note, opened it, and his face showed excitement after reading it. He handed the note to Prince Rui, and then looked at Jiang Yu, asking, "Minister Jiang, what do you intend to do?"

Jiang Yu had already devised a plan and said without hesitation, "I believe that the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince will take action soon, while the Prince of Lingnan is likely not to participate and will remain behind the scenes. In that case, it will be impossible to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

The emperor nodded solemnly. "You should already have a plan, right?"

“Yes,” Jiang Yu said, “to make the King of Lingnan believe that Lingnan has fallen, he has no choice but to put all his eggs in one basket on the Crown Prince.”

The Emperor nodded again, and Jiang Yu continued, "I just left through the back door of the mansion, making it appear as if I were acting in secrecy. My father should be in the Dali Temple prison right now. My father learned of the fall of Lingnan and, without any restraint, went to the prison to humiliate Pei Tinglan as revenge. My father is impulsive and lacks cunning, and his words will reveal that Lingnan has fallen. Then, my mother will hurriedly bring my father back."

The emperor couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, but he said, "Minister Jiang, you really make the best use of people!"

Jiang Yu smiled and cupped her hands in greeting. Everyone knew Jiang Chengye's temperament, so there was no need for her to feel awkward. Just then, the Emperor said again, "The Prime Minister and the Prince of Lingnan are both shrewd and calculating men. Your plan is good, but it is possible that they will see through it. If that happens, then there is no need to worry about anything; just take down the Prince of Lingnan."

As an emperor, while dealing with vassal kings required a justifiable cause, expediency was paramount. Even if it meant incurring a reputation for capriciousness, he had to subdue the King of Lingnan. If he missed this opportunity, who knew when the next one would come?

"Yes." Since the Emperor had spoken, Jiang Yu naturally agreed immediately. As long as the Emperor didn't care about those empty titles, things would be much easier to do. Moreover, once the Prince of Lingnan was captured, it wouldn't be difficult for the Emperor to frame him.

Fifteen minutes after Jiang Yu left the mansion, Jiang Chengye led a large entourage to the Dali Temple. Because it was late, the temple gates were tightly closed. Jiang Chengye waved his hand, and his attendants quickly stepped forward to knock on the door. After a while, someone opened the door, and upon seeing Jiang Chengye, he immediately bowed, "Master Jiang, you...you've come!"

Although Jiang Chengye has been demoted from the heir of the Duke of Chu to the rank of Master Jiang, the Duke of Chu's mansion is currently enjoying great influence. Not only does he, a mere yamen runner from the Court of Judicial Review, have to treat him with utmost respect, even fourth- or fifth-rank officials in the imperial court. All this is because he has a capable daughter.

Jiang Chengye naturally wouldn't bother guessing the grumbling of a mere yamen runner. He stepped into the Dali Temple and said, "Sir, I want to see that old hag Pei Tinglan. Lead the way quickly."

The constable's head started spinning. Pei Tinglan was a special prisoner, and his superior had instructed that no one was allowed to contact her, lest it cause trouble.

"Master Jiang." The yamen runner trotted forward, bowed and smiled obsequiously, "Pei Tinglan has a special identity, and I have been ordered not to have any outsiders contact her."

"Hmph!" Jiang Chengye snorted heavily. "Special status? Isn't she just the mother of the Prince of Lingnan and the Prime Minister's younger sister? Do you think I'm afraid of them?"

"Hehe... Of course you're not afraid." The constable said with a fawning smile, "But I must obey your orders, Lord Jiang, please have pity on me."

Jiang Chengye ignored him and walked straight towards the prison. The constable was sweating profusely and quickly sent other constables to the Dali Temple Minister's residence to fetch someone. There was no way a lowly constable could stop someone like Jiang Chengye.

Jiang Chengye, unfazed by the call for help, strode towards the prison, his aura thick with malice. Reaching Pei Tinglan's cell, he looked at her lying on a straw mat like a beggar, and felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Although tonight's actions were largely an act, his hatred for Pei Tinglan was genuine.

Pei Tinglan's methods against the Duke of Chu's mansion were almost all directed at him. Leaving aside the fact that his son was switched and his daughter was abducted, just the matter of framing him for buying a ship to smuggle salt—if Jiang Yu hadn't discovered something amiss in time, he might already be dead. Pei Tinglan truly wanted him dead.

"Clang!"

Jiang Chengye kicked the cell door hard, waking Pei Tinglan from her sleep. She struggled to open her eyes and, through the dry hair obscuring her vision, saw the person standing outside the cell. But her mind was foggy, and she couldn't remember who this person was.

"Open the door," Jiang Chengye said coldly to the jailer who had rushed over.

The jailer wore a pained expression, unsure of what to do. Jiang Chengye, consumed by rage, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the lock, yelling, "Open the door for me!"