Chapter 114 Now that I have entered this situation, I must know who is using me.

The rain outside had long stopped, but the library was becoming increasingly stuffy.

Du Heng led Su Ying to the entrance of the library, wanting to take her out for some fresh air. The stone slabs in the courtyard were still damp, and he didn't want her shoes to get wet, yet he also longed for the coolness after the rain. So, they stood, leaning against each other, on the steps, looking across at the pools of water in the courtyard, ripples formed by the lingering raindrops on the trees.

At this time, Qingquan appeared quietly, walked out of the courtyard silently, and closed the upper courtyard door gently.

"Oh!"

Su Ying let out a soft cry, and a drop of cold water from the eaves fell on her hair.

Du Heng looked down at her, a smile in his eyes. He raised his hand to wipe the water droplets from her hair, and gently pulled her into the house.

Unexpectedly, Su Ying sighed softly and said, "Even if the rain stops this heavy, it won't clear up in a moment. There will always be some aftermath. If you're not careful, you'll still get wet."

She paused for a moment, looking at the still-wet ground in the courtyard, and said meaningfully, "I wonder how heavy the rain will get, drenching Xu Chongnian? When will it stop?"

The water droplets from the eaves were still dripping, drip, drip, drip, and the sound became clearer and more audible in the quiet courtyard.

After a while, Su Ying looked up at Du Heng, her eyes shining. She said, "Cousin, how much do you know about the affairs of the court? Why don't we make some inferences and make a guess about the person behind this?"

Her voice was low, but convincingly clear. "We've already prepared for the worst-case scenario. But if we remain silent, people will inevitably think we're too easy to manipulate."

She paused, then added, "Why not just look at the situation in the Qing Dynasty? At least you'll know who got you involved."

Du Heng looked at her, his eyes moving slightly, and after a moment, a smile slowly rose at the corner of his lips. At this moment, Su Ying was calm, determined, and with a hint of stubbornness that refused to admit defeat, which made his heart move. He felt that at this point in his life, there was nothing more he could ask for.

He said softly, "Well, now that I'm in this situation, I have to know who's using me."

He looked back at her, his eyes full of trust and doting. Su Ying then realized that from the moment she met Du Heng, he had never said no to her, never.

"Cousin, do you know who Xu Chongnian is closest to, or who he is furthest from?"

The Great Zhou's imperial examinations required more than simply reading sage books and ignoring external events to secure a place in the imperial examinations. As the top candidate, Du Heng naturally possessed a certain understanding of the current situation. Despite a three-year period of mourning, confined to his home, he had a well-connected senior brother like Xi Xiyue. After the mourning period ended, at the literary competition, Du Heng had a general understanding of the court's dynamics.

Thinking back to the day he met Yuan Song at Xu Chongnian's house, what he had heard before was confirmed, so he said, "Xu Chongnian and Cabinet Grand Secretary Yuan Zhixu have a close personal relationship."

"Yuan Zhixu? Yuan Song's uncle?"

Du Heng patted Su Ying's hand and nodded, "Yes, Yuan Zhixu was the first Grand Secretary appointed to the cabinet by His Majesty after His Majesty ascended the throne. He is truly unrivaled. There has never been any rumor of anyone disagreeing with his political views; on the contrary, he is highly regarded by His Majesty."

Du Heng pondered for a moment and continued, "If there's anyone in the court that we're not happy with, it's the Empress and the Imperial Concubine. Especially in the north, the Empress's brother, General Pei Yuanshan, and the Imperial Concubine's father, Marquis Dingyuan Lu Zhi, are both guarding the border."

"The two factions have been at odds for a long time, yet they jointly guard the northern lands. Naturally, disputes often arise, but they always use the excuse of northern barbarians invading as a cover-up."

Su Ying asked curiously, "There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. Why doesn't Your Majesty choose one?"

Du Heng sighed, "How could His Majesty not know? On one side are the Yue Clan before his rise to power, and on the other side are the Yue Clan who helped him conquer cities and territories. If we withdraw one of them, it would mean that the other has won His Majesty's favor."

"But is this Sacred Heart so easily given?"

When His Majesty was still a prince, the Empress Dowager intended for him to garrison the northern region after the Crown Prince ascended the throne, guarding the frontier for her son. Therefore, at the age of thirteen, His Majesty was sent to serve under Lu Zhi, then the Border Commander-in-Chief, starting as a centurion, where he would be trained and honed. Commander-in-Chief Lu had a son in the capital, but a daughter he had raised with him from childhood. The two were childhood sweethearts, and over time, they naturally fell in love. As the Empress Dowager had planned, His Majesty was to replace Lu Zhi and guard the northern region, so the marriage was naturally granted.

Let's talk about Pei Yuanshan, the son of the Minister of War. He practiced martial arts from a young age and served in the imperial army for many years. One year, disasters plagued the north, and the barbarians, starving for food, launched repeated invasions. Pei Yuanshan volunteered to go north and was appointed deputy general, assisting Lu Zhi and the emperor in resisting the barbarians.

Yet, less than three months after arriving in the North, Pei Yuanshan had already won two consecutive battles, with reports of victory pouring in. For a time, he was unrivaled in the limelight, even threatening to overshadow Lu Zhi. However, Pei Yuanshan seemed reluctant to publicize his achievements, and whenever he reported success, he would simply attribute it to Lu Zhi, who had quelled the rebellion in the North.

I had thought Pei Yuanshan would eventually return to the capital, becoming a general protecting the capital and a close minister to the emperor. However, he unexpectedly settled down in the north, serving alongside Lu Zhi as his deputy, and acting more like a real son than Lu Zhi's dandy son in the capital.

Due to the unrest in the north, the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine, who were originally scheduled to marry, were delayed. Later, the Emperor was summoned back to the capital to report on his duties. Unexpectedly, on his way back, he rescued the Empress, who had accidentally fallen into the water.

To preserve the Empress's innocence, His Majesty requested the Emperor Retired to grant her a marriage. Encouraged by his meritorious service in quelling the rebellion in the north, the Emperor Retired granted His Majesty's request. By some strange coincidence, the Empress preempted the Imperial Concubine's status as legitimate wife.

What happened afterwards was also too legendary.

On the eve of His Majesty's departure from the capital, the Empress Dowager unexpectedly passed away, forcing Him to remain for over a month to assist the grief-stricken Crown Prince with funeral arrangements. Seeing the Crown Prince's deep filial piety, having spent several nights in vigil, the Emperor allowed him to remain in the Eastern Palace for a few days to recuperate.

But who would have thought that when the emperor accompanied the retired emperor to visit the Eastern Palace, he discovered a ready-made dragon robe in the Eastern Palace. The retired emperor was furious and imprisoned the prince.

Later, Yuan Zhixu, then the Chief Censor, submitted a memorial exposing the long-standing corruption of the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince. Because the Empress Dowager had a powerful hand, secretly framing and assassinating numerous officials who threatened to expose the crimes, no one in the Zhou Dynasty dared to speak out. As the retired Emperor listened to Yuan Zhixu kneeling in the court and reciting the evidence he had gathered over the years, he flew into a rage and ordered the Crown Prince to be poisoned, accusing him of this crime and publicly condemning him.

Although the emperor was raised by the empress dowager, he went to the north very early. Therefore, the evil deeds of the empress dowager and the prince did not affect the emperor. Instead, he won the queen's heart because of his military achievements. Finally, he got his wish and ascended to the throne of the palace.

After hearing this, Su Ying sighed deeply, "The evidence Yuan Zhixu reported was so timely and appropriate. No wonder he was appointed to the cabinet at such a young age."

Du Heng nodded. "I've always thought Yuan Zhixu was a member of the emperor's family from a long time ago. Now that Xu Chongnian is in trouble, I'm starting to get suspicious. I think one of the Pei and Lu families must have had a connection with Yuan Zhixu long ago."