Chapter 127 "The new book from Langhuan Pavilion is good..."

"That blockhead of a boss, if he hadn't been born two years earlier than me, what would he be?"

"The third son has been glib and lazy since he was a child. All he does is say nice things to please Father. What makes him qualified to preside over the sacrificial rites with me?"

When Emperor Qingxi issued his edict, both Prince Heng and Prince Yu were very dissatisfied. They each gathered their confidants and retainers in their respective palaces to discuss how to remove the other from the list of candidates for the sacrificial ceremony.

The very next day, Emperor Qingxi received a whole basket of memorials impeaching Prince Yu and Prince Heng.

He wasn't angry; he divided the memorials into two piles with great interest.

"The third prince is quite good at winning people's hearts," Emperor Qingxi commented, pointing to the tall stack of memorials impeaching Prince Heng. "I suspect there are some of Xiao Sheng's men among them."

Xiao Sheng, also known as Prince An, has been demoted to a commoner and is still imprisoned in the imperial prison by Emperor Qingxi.

Once Prince An fell from power, some low- to mid-level officials who had been attached to him but hadn't done anything wrong naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to find a new powerful patron.

"It's all just factional strife."

Princess Tong'an casually picked up a book impeaching Prince Yu for his extravagant lifestyle, and then picked up another book impeaching Prince Heng for his neglect of his duties and allowing his daughter to commit violence. She calmly said, "These are just minor, insignificant problems. My eldest brother and third brother are princes, not saints."

Emperor Qingxi ordered Chief Eunuch Huang to categorize and collect these memorials, keeping them all in the palace without issuing any further notice.

He turned his head to examine Princess Tong'an's expression, his voice softening slightly, "A-Ying, you are my eldest daughter. In your opinion, which of your elder brothers is more suitable?"

"This matter concerns the succession to the throne, and I dare not speak rashly. Everything is up to Father Emperor to decide."

Princess Tong'an calmly said, "I only hope that Father Emperor will recover soon. As long as you are here, I can continue to live such a good life."

Emperor Qingxi smiled with satisfaction.

He knew, of course, that the phrase "May you live a thousand years" was nothing but flattery from his subjects. Look, he had only injured his leg, and his sons were already plotting against each other.

Since the eldest and third brothers are so eager to perform the sacrificial ceremony for him, then they should go together.

As long as he doesn't budge, it's just a ritual and doesn't mean anything.

As usual, Princess Tong'an watched as Emperor Qingxi drank his medicine on time, escorted him to his bedchamber to rest, nodded to Consort Gao who had come to take over her care of her father, and left without any lingering attachment.

Instead of leaving the palace immediately, she went to the southeast corner of the imperial city, to the Imperial Observatory.

"Yao Jianzheng".

Princess Tong'an dismissed her attendants and smiled at him, saying, "Now is the time for you to repay my favor."

...

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were no pushovers when it came to finding and tracking people; they pinpointed the maid's whereabouts in just two days.

Furthermore, he had previously gone with Lu Xilou to arrest Prince An's men, and upon identification, the young woman living in the house was indeed Wang Hairuo.

"Could it have been Prince An who sent someone to do it? Weren't he and Wang Hairuo former lovers?"

Shen Lingyue immediately denied it after she finished speaking, "No, no, he's locked up in the Heavenly Prison himself, how could he have the mind to care about others?"

That very night, Lu Xilou delivered some shocking news to them.

"The one who kept Wang Hairuo as a mistress was Prince Heng?!"

"I never expected that even after His Majesty broke his leg and suspended court, Prince Heng would still have the mind to go out and find a woman, and this one at that—"

Lu Xilou was also surprised, but the people he sent to keep watch saw Prince Heng sneaking into Wang Hairuo's courtyard. His practiced manner clearly indicated that this was not the first time.

He stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Just how charming is this Wang Hairuo? Why would she give up a perfectly good position as a palace concubine, first with Prince An, and now with Prince Heng?"

Yan Yi seemed to realize something, and her expression darkened slightly.

After Lu Xilou left, she explained to Shen Lingyue, "Wang Hairuo's eyes are seven or eight parts similar to those of Consort Gao."

Shen Lingyue suddenly realized and blurted out, "He's using Wang Hairuo as a substitute?"

In the storyline of the palace coup of Prince Heng, they already knew that Prince Heng had always harbored ulterior motives towards Consort Gao, and that the first thing he did after leading his troops into the palace was to abduct and imprison Consort Gao.

This time, because they exposed Prince An's conspiracy in advance, Wang Hairuo was unable to enter the palace and become Consort Wang, and she also did not die in childbirth after giving birth to the Eighth Prince.

The entire Wang family was exiled to Liaodong. After meeting Wang Hairuo, Prince Heng had designs on her and bribed the soldiers escorting her to secretly rescue her from the exile procession and make her his concubine.

Yan Yi nodded: "His Majesty already has Consort Gao, so Wang Hairuo is dispensable to him. But perhaps Prince Heng feels that he cannot have Consort Gao, so having a substitute is not bad."

Shen Lingyue showed a disgusted expression, "This is too disgusting!"

I hate stand-in literature the most.

Wang Hairuo was also quite unlucky; she narrowly escaped death, but still ended up as someone else's plaything.

She whispered to Yan Yi, "What do you think about us finding a way to bring this to the old emperor's attention? If we can make him realize that Prince Heng has lustful thoughts towards Consort Gao, no man could tolerate that!"

Get rid of Prince Heng, this source of trouble, as soon as possible, and let's see where he can launch a palace coup then.

Yan Yi asked her if she had thought of a good idea.

"Tell Princess Heng that Prince Heng is having an affair, and let her come and make a scene?"

After Shen Lingyue finished speaking, she shook her head, "No, no, the two of them are a community of interests. Even if Princess Heng knows that Prince Heng is coveting the Imperial Concubine, so what? She would not betray her own family for the greater good."

We still need to find someone else, someone who desperately wants to crush Prince Heng completely...

Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Prince Yu?"

...

"You guys... you really are my lucky stars."

After hearing the whole story, Princess Tong'an's expression became subtle. "The Wang family has been exiled for half a year. My elder brother hid Wang Hairuo so well, yet you still managed to find him."

Shen Lingyue scratched her head sheepishly, "Yan Yan and I just went out for a stroll, and we didn't expect to find such a good spot, hahaha..."

Yan Yi had just told Princess Tong'an everything she hadn't finished saying last time, including the forced marriage between Qi Xiuyuan and Princess Rongcheng, and the fate of Prince Heng after his palace coup.

Princess Tong'an's eyes turned cold: "My elder brother is a very good disguise. It seems we've all been fooled by him."

They even targeted the young princes and princesses in the harem. How innocent were they?

“I understand your plan.” Princess Tong’an smiled slightly. “It just so happens that Third Sister-in-law has been very active in the affairs of Min’en Temple lately, and she wishes she could stay in the government office all day long.”

As long as Prince Yu and his wife learn of Prince Heng's feelings for Consort Gao, they will surely find a way to report it to the Emperor, so there's no need for them to lift a finger.

"Besides that, you also have to do one more thing for me."

Princess Tong'an suddenly asked a completely unrelated question: "My dear cousin, how has your story writing been going lately?"

...

"Sister-in-law, is there something you need from me?"

Dong Lanyi had just finished revising the latest volume of "Jade Hall Hairpin" and was preparing to take a few days off to rest when she was invited to Danyue Pavilion.

"No rush, not everyone has arrived yet. Why don't you have some tea and rest for a bit?"

Shen Lingyue warmly entertained her, setting out a table full of various snacks.

Soon, Xiao Suzhen also arrived from Xingzi Lane, equally bewildered. "What happened? Is there a problem at Langhuan Pavilion?"

"No, no, everything is fine at Langhuan Pavilion."

Shen Lingyue cleared her throat. "It is my sister-in-law and I who would like to ask you two to write a storybook as quickly as possible."

Yan Yi handed the two of them a few pages of manuscript, which contained the story outline that she and Xiao Yueliang had discussed.

"You can build upon this foundation freely."

Dong Lanyi finished reading quickly, and subconsciously looked up to ask, "Why does the favored concubine in this story seem so tall..."

"Shh." Shen Lingyue made a gesture at her, smiling mysteriously, "Using the past to satirize the present, seeing through it but not saying it out loud."

Dong Lanyi nodded in agreement, still somewhat confused, and then discussed the specific details with Xiao Suzhen.

Both of them were now seasoned writers, and with a ready-made story outline, they quickly drafted their ideas and sat down at the table to write furiously.

Upon receiving the manuscript, Shen Lingyue immediately went to Lian Shu and asked him to work overtime to print sample copies overnight.

"Is this a new book that Langhuan Pavilion is going to release?" Lian Shu flipped through a few pages and immediately recognized the familiar handwriting. "Miss Dong just submitted a new manuscript, and she's already written another one?"

His gaze towards Shen Lingyue carried a hidden accusation, as if she were some kind of heartless capitalist.

"Ah, this is not for sale." Shen Lingyue coughed twice. "Don't ask anymore. Anyway, I need it urgently. Send someone to pick it up tomorrow morning."

...

Inside the palace.

Although Emperor Qingxi has stopped attending court recently, he still goes to the Wenhua Hall in his wheelchair every day to review memorials and discuss matters.

This way, during the day, Consort Gao could relax a bit and wouldn't have to take care of him every single moment of the day.

"Your Majesty, these are the new storybooks published by Langhuan Pavilion. 'Jade Hall Hairpin' and 'The Story of Qilan' have already been published, and there are a few others as well."

A palace maid returned from outside carrying a small cloth package, opened it, and placed the contents in front of Consort Gao.

"The Lament of the Imperial Concubine?" Imperial Concubine Gao picked up a new book she hadn't read before and smiled at the palace maid, "I want to see what's wrong with this Imperial Concubine."

She took the storybook to the low couch by the window, and her expression changed slightly after turning only a few pages.

How come the imperial concubine in the story is so similar to her in terms of background and habits?

The emperor is old, while the imperial concubine is young and beautiful. She is favored but has no children, yet she is coveted by the eldest prince, who harbors treacherous intentions...

A repulsive figure immediately flashed into Consort Gao's mind.

She wasn't stupid; she had noticed years ago that the way Prince Heng looked at her was strange.

From then on, she would try to avoid any occasions where he was, and she was even more unwilling to have any interaction with Consort Lin, Princess Heng, and others.

However, there are always unavoidable situations, and she could only try her best to ignore that sticky, stalking gaze that was like a maggot clinging to a bone. She also deliberately acted humble and subservient in front of Emperor Qingxi to show that the two had a deep affection for each other, so that Prince Heng would quickly give up his rebellious thoughts.

However, the next part of the story terrified her even more—the eldest prince launched a palace coup while his father was seriously ill, wantonly slaughtering the young imperial heirs and kidnapping and imprisoning the imperial concubine.

The Imperial Concubine, unable to bear the humiliation, chose to commit suicide. However, later historical records branded her as a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country, claiming that the eldest prince's rebellion was caused by her, leading to the death of his father. They also alleged that she had long harbored feelings for the eldest prince, maneuvering between father and son with ambitious intentions…

"...What kind of nonsense is this?!"

Consort Gao was so angry that she threw the storybook far away, her chest heaving slightly, her beautiful face covered with frost.

As she gradually calmed down, a chill slowly crept into her heart.

If Prince Heng were to actually ascend to the throne in the future, would he be able to let himself off the hook?

Her nails, painted with henna, dug into her palms. Consort Gao bit her lower lip, her face filled with resentment.

Beauty was her ladder to heaven, but she was never satisfied with that.

Is it her fault that she's beautiful? Why should she be treated like a trophy, snatched away by men? All that talk about "fighting for a beauty" is just an excuse for men to cloak their ambitions.

That's disgusting.

She would rather die than submit to Prince Heng and live a wretched life.

But then again, why couldn't she strike first?

It's still uncertain who will ultimately die.

A palace maid outside the door announced, "His Majesty has sent someone to invite the Empress to dine together."

Consort Gao quickly composed herself and went to the front as if nothing had happened.

They met Princess Tong'an at the entrance and exchanged polite greetings.

Princess Tong'an casually tossed out a remark as she passed by.

"Is the new book from Langhuan Pavilion any good?"

...

Min'en Temple Government Office.

Princess Yu has been living in her element since arriving here. She has been very proactive, making friends with the women of various families, which has greatly improved Prince Yu's image.

Tired from doing the accounting, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, she stretched and decided to go outside for some fresh air.

As I passed a side room, I vaguely heard people talking inside, and it seemed like they were mentioning Prince Heng.

Princess Yu immediately stopped and furtively pressed her hand against the window paper to eavesdrop.

"You really can't judge a book by its cover. Prince Heng is actually secretly keeping a woman outside?"

"Sigh, what man doesn't stray? Don't be fooled by how affectionate Prince Heng and Princess Heng appear in public; it's all an act for His Majesty. After all, Prince Yu is notoriously promiscuous, with a harem of wives and concubines. Prince Heng's act of respecting his principal wife only serves to highlight his true nature."

Princess Yu clenched her fists in anger upon hearing this.

She said it herself: the eldest son and his wife are both outwardly loyal but inwardly treacherous!

Especially Princess Heng, who would always look at her with pity and offer insincere comfort whenever she saw her, even advising her that women should be magnanimous. Then, she would immediately change the subject and start boasting about how good Prince Heng was to her, how his household was always spotless, and how he never gave her any trouble…

Hmph, she doesn't need to worry about it, because he's already keeping a mistress out there!

Princess Yu pressed herself against the window, completely disregarding her image, wanting to hear more.

"Oh? Prince Heng's mistress lives in Yangliu Hutong?"

“It’s absolutely true. Last time I went there to buy spices, I saw Prince Heng get off his carriage and sneak into the house. I even asked the neighbors, and they all said that a young and beautiful girl lives there…”

Princess Yu dared not delay, and even stopped her work at Min'en Temple. She immediately returned to the palace and shared information with Prince Yu.

Prince Yu listened with little interest, "It's just keeping a woman outside, what's the big deal? Why did you come all the way back to tell me?"

“…I did all this for you!” Princess Yu pinched his ear angrily. “The sacrificial ceremony at the Temple of Agriculture is coming soon, and Father is still ill. He’s going out to find women. This is clearly unfilial. If you make a big fuss about this, let’s see how he can pretend to be an honest man in front of Father in the future.”

Prince Yu cried out and quickly salvaged his ear. He seemed to be deep in thought. "That's a good idea. I arranged for so many people to submit memorials impeaching the eldest son, but Father didn't say anything. I really don't know what he's thinking."

Without hesitation, Prince Yu immediately dispatched his trusted men to Yangliu Hutong, where they found Wang Hairuo without much effort.

With a bang, the gate was forced open, and a group of fierce-looking burly men rushed in, followed by the leisurely Prince Yu.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

Wang Hairuo and her maid huddled together, trembling with fear.

"You're the one my elder brother keeps on the side?" Prince Yu casually glanced at her.

She is indeed a beauty, but why does she look somewhat familiar?

"Your Highness, we found many paintings in the room."

One of his men ran out of the house, carrying several scrolls in his arms.

Prince Yu casually opened a painting, and after seeing the woman in palace attire depicted on it, his eyes widened in surprise.

He looked down at the painting, then looked up at Wang Hairuo, and after comparing them several times, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Haha, I see!"

Boss, you're finished!

...

The night before the sacrifice.

The Ministry of Rites has already sent over the altered imperial robes, which are the same old clothes that Emperor Qingxi wore when he offered sacrifices to Heaven last year, symbolizing that he is offering sacrifices on behalf of the emperor.

Prince Heng stroked the exquisite twelve-symbol embroidery on his robe, trembling slightly with excitement.

It was as if by simply putting on this outfit, he would be one step closer to that position.

He stood in front of the bronze mirror, which was as tall as a person, and kept turning around, unable to get enough of looking at it.

Until someone from the palace came and summoned him to the palace to meet the emperor immediately.

Prince Heng entered the palace excitedly, and as soon as he entered, he said, "Father, is there anything else you want to tell me? Don't worry, I will definitely do my best tomorrow..."

Snap!

A teacup smashed solidly onto his head, followed by Emperor Qingxi's roar.

"You unfilial son, kneel down!"

A sharp pain shot through my forehead, and a warm liquid slowly flowed down. My vision blurred, and everything I saw was tinged with blood.

Prince Heng's knees buckled as if by reflex. Just as he was about to ask Emperor Qingxi what mistake he had made, he turned his head and saw Wang Hairuo kneeling beside him, trembling.

His heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over him, and he immediately banged his head on the ground.

"Father, I am guilty. I should not have been lustful and secretly harbored the wives of exiled officials... I will never dare to do it again!"

He kowtowed repeatedly, and his forehead quickly became bruised and swollen, mixed with the blood flowing down his head, making him look quite disheveled.

However, this tragic scene did not move Emperor Qingxi in the slightest. His imperial wrath was overwhelming, and he spoke in a deep voice: "Elder brother, is this all the mistake you made?"

Prince Heng's heart skipped a beat, his teeth chattered, and his body almost pressed against the ground.

"Your subject, your subject does not understand..."

He thought he had concealed his thoughts well and that his father should not have noticed.

The next second, a scroll was suddenly thrown in front of him.

Prince Heng picked it up with trembling hands, untied the knot, and saw the lifelike and beautiful woman in the painting. His breath caught in his throat.

Who painted this? They captured her likeness so perfectly…

By the time Prince Heng realized he had revealed a flaw, it was too late.

Seeing his momentary daze, Emperor Qingxi understood immediately and let out a cold laugh.

"Boss, you've got guts! Hanging portraits of the Imperial Concubine all over Wang's room, are you trying to reminisce over them, or just look at them to quench your thirst?"

Prince Heng suddenly raised his head. "Father, I have no such portraits. I have never seen them. Someone is framing me!"

He turned and glared angrily at Prince Yu: "Third brother, you are despicable! You actually used such underhanded means to slander me!"

"I'm slandering you?"

Prince Yu strode to Wang Hairuo's side, forcibly pulled her up, raised his hand to cover the lower half of her face, and sneered: "Brother, do you dare say you didn't hide her because of these eyes? This is clearly what the Imperial Concubine looked like when she entered the palace! You dare to covet Father's concubines, you are the despicable one!"

"I didn't, I didn't..."

Prince Heng shook his head desperately, but any explanation seemed so pale and powerless.

"You disloyal, unfilial, and utterly immoral beast!"

Emperor Qingxi pointed at him and cursed him, he was so angry that he grabbed something from the table and started smashing it down.

"You dare to covet the Imperial Concubine today, are you going to poison your father to death tomorrow?"

"Issue the imperial decree: Prince Heng harbors wolfish ambitions and has disobeyed his sovereign. Immediately imprison him in the imperial prison to await further judgment!"

Prince Heng was dragged away, howling and screaming.

Prince Yu immediately lowered his head and tightly pursed his lips, otherwise he was afraid he would burst out laughing.

Emperor Qingxi vented his anger and rubbed his temples wearily.

"Third son, you will go to the sacrificial ceremony alone tomorrow. Make sure it is done beautifully and don't disappoint me."

Prince Yu immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Please take care of your health, Your Majesty. I will certainly share your burdens."

After he left, Emperor Qingxi coldly said to Wang Hairuo, who was trembling like a leaf below, "Raise your head."

Wang Hairuo raised her head shakily, tears welling up uncontrollably.

Emperor Qingxi frowned and said to Chief Huang beside him, "Give them poisoned wine."

Wang Hairuo fainted on the spot from fright.

Chief Steward Huang accepted the order and left, but before he had taken more than a few steps, he bumped into Consort Gao.

"...Your Majesty, please rescind your order!"

Consort Gao knelt before him with red eyes, clutching the hem of Emperor Qingxi's robe. "She bears some resemblance to me, and it can be considered a tragic fate. I beg you to spare her life and send her far away."

Emperor Qingxi sighed and helped Consort Gao up. "You are a kind and magnanimous person. Aren't you afraid that someone will take advantage of her and harbor those filthy thoughts towards you again?"

Consort Gao smiled sadly: "Human hearts are hard to guard against. I can't possibly kill all the women in the world who resemble me, can I? Wouldn't that make me a wicked concubine who brings disaster to the country and is condemned by all?"

After a moment of silence, Emperor Qingxi said, "I am handing her over to you. Whether to kill her or spare her is up to you."

...

The following day, Prince Yu, dressed in formal attire and full of vigor, boarded his carriage, ready to depart for the Temple of Agriculture to offer sacrifices.

The grand procession displayed the majesty of the imperial family.

As he sat atop the high carriage, looking out, it seemed as if everyone was bowing down to him; this wonderful feeling was simply intoxicating.

Prince Yu shifted his position, comfortably leaning against the armrest, enjoying this moment of supreme glory that belonged only to him.

Just as the procession passed a small hill, a white-feathered arrow suddenly shot out from the side, embedding itself firmly in the left side of the carriage, only inches from Prince Yu's body.

He screamed in pain, his body arched backward uncontrollably, and in his panic, he tumbled off the car.

"An assassin!"

"Protect Prince Yu!"

The honor guard instantly descended into chaos, with guards on both sides drawing their swords in defense and cautiously looking around.

On the opposite mountain.

Having succeeded in his attack, Wei Shao didn't hesitate to drop his bow and arrows, and skillfully slipped into the nearby woods, disappearing without a trace moments later.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Tong'an: If you won't let me go, then nobody can go! [shrug]

The Prince Consort: Quietly living off his wife, then stunning everyone [sunglasses]