Chapter 80

The second prince's words caused a huge uproar. The first thing everyone thought of was that the emperor had been cuckolded, and they subconsciously looked up at the top of his head.

However, everyone quickly dismissed this speculation. After all, relations between the Great Qi and the Rongdi had broken down since the reign of the late emperor, and the border situation had become increasingly tense. With the current emperor's ascension to the throne, the Rongdi were even more restless, and battle reports came from the border every year. This year, the city was almost captured.

Because of this, it became much more difficult for people with unusual appearances to enter the capital, let alone sneak into the palace.

Furthermore, it was common knowledge that Consort De loved riding and raising horses. She often mingled in the Imperial Beast Garden, and her whereabouts were not secretive. Moreover, everything she did and who she came into contact with each day was done in public, leaving no room for her to have an affair.

Consort De and everyone in Qing'an Palace were known for their aversion to socializing. However, His Majesty would always take her on hunting trips. Countless people had seen her riding horses and hunting, so it's safe to assume she wasn't lying about these things.

After realizing that it was highly unlikely that Consort De would cuckold the emperor, many people breathed a sigh of relief, especially the military officers.

Although the emperor never publicly stated it, those who needed to know knew that the horse farm he had granted to Consort De was for raising top-quality warhorses. Warhorses were extremely precious and rare strategic resources, as even those who hadn't read military books understood. Even the most clueless fools would never be willing to part with those good horses—after all, in ancient times, a good horse was equivalent to a luxury car, and how many men wouldn't love a luxury car?

Therefore, most people are unwilling to see Consort De make mistakes, and even if she does make a mistake, they will plead for leniency so that her punishment can be reduced and she can continue to raise horses.

But then they realized that since the emperor wasn't being cuckolded, it was very likely that Consort De's background was problematic! That's right! How could Consort De, a woman from the Jiangnan water towns, have such nomadic tastes and skills? Could it be?!

Their eyes widened suddenly. They dared not look at Consort De and could only begin to search for Consort De's father, Lin Ruofu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, in the crowd.

Xue Jin'an hadn't expected that a casual trick would uncover the secret of the eldest prince's origins.

He immediately realized that the reason he couldn't recognize the lip movements of the eldest prince and the consort last time was because they weren't speaking the Daqi language at all. He had used the wrong voice pack, which explained why he couldn't recognize them.

Xue Jin'an retrieved the lip-reading text he had identified from his memory. Since he hadn't heard the two people talking and had been using the Great Enlightenment Language to identify the text, the string of words was a transliteration.

He put it into the language database and started matching and comparing it—although the input method only defaults to Chinese and English, and you have to load and install the corresponding patch if you want to type other languages, in fact, the core data of each mobile phone has the languages ​​of other countries imported into it.

The text displayed on the system will reflect the country/region you select on your phone. Even changing your IP address can affect what your various apps can access.

Of course, Xue Jin'an also knew that it would be difficult to match languages ​​successfully just by relying on pronunciation, since there are many countries with similar languages. However, the origin and changes of languages ​​are inseparable from geographical environment, so he could still use this to narrow down the range.

While using the lip-reading database to match the sounds, Xue Jin'an glanced at the Second Prince with some suspicion, wondering if the man was being driven to desperation or was playing along.

If this is a case of turning the tables on someone, then this person is quite cunning. But to get so easily provoked is quite different from the reputation of the flawless prince.

At present, the two possibilities are fifty-fifty. After all, no matter which one it is, the Second Prince will appear to have been forced to slip up. Xue Jin'an can't see through it yet, but he is not discouraged. The truth will eventually come out, and the falsehood will eventually become true. As long as it is acting, there will always be flaws. He is not in a hurry and can observe slowly.

Just then, the emperor's rebuke rang out: "Waiter, stop talking nonsense!"

The emperor looked at the second prince with extreme annoyance, his eyes filled with all sorts of emotions except for shock. The second prince immediately lowered his head and admitted his mistake, but was severely reprimanded by the emperor and dared not speak again.

Those who instinctively glanced at the emperor's expression felt a sudden jolt of fear. They knew that the claim of the Crown Prince's unusual bloodline was likely not unfounded and must have some basis. One of the more outspoken censors immediately wanted to rush out and demand an explanation, but his colleagues quickly stopped him, signaling with their eyes: "This is a serious matter; please detain him for further discussion."

However, they wanted to postpone the matter until the Empress Dowager agreed.

Would the Empress Dowager agree? Of course not!

Everyone could see that the emperor's expression was strange, so how could the Empress Dowager, who had practically raised the emperor, not notice?

Upon hearing the news of the confusion of the imperial bloodline, the Empress Dowager's expression went blank for a moment, followed by unprecedented anger, so much so that the hand on Su Mama's arm trembled with force.

When a person is extremely angry, their expression becomes calm, and the voice that comes out is somewhat suppressed and hoarse. She did not ask the emperor directly, or rather, she knew that even if she asked the emperor, she would not get an answer. She directly pointed out the other two parties involved.

Her gaze fell upon Consort De, but she pointed to another person's name: "Where is Lin Ruofu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?"

Xue Jin'an saw a gaunt old man emerge from the crowd, dressed in a red official robe and sporting a goatee. Years of frowning had left deep lines between his brows, even when he was expressionless, giving him an imposing presence.

He knelt down at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, saying, "Your humble servant Lin Ruofu pays his respects to Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years, may Your Majesty live a thousand years, may Your Majesty live a thousand years."

His voice was surprisingly loud; no wonder he was once an envoy to other countries and made a living with his words.

After Lin Ruofu finished bowing, he didn't get up. He just knelt there upright, looking like another stubborn person.

If one did not know that he was the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, one would have thought he was an Imperial Censor of the Censorate.

Lin Ruofu spoke up and gave a time, which was the time when he was on a mission during the late emperor's reign: "This is the birth time of Consort De. She was indeed not born in the Great Qi Dynasty."

"You, Lin Ruofu, you actually committed adultery with the Rong and Di people!" someone immediately shouted.

Xue Jin'an immediately spotted Lin Ruofu's linguistic trap. Lin Ruofu only said that Consort De was not born in Daqi, which meant that Consort De's birth mother was not Lin Ruofu's legal wife, but a woman he met during his mission. Back then, when Lin Ruofu went on a mission to the powerful Russian Empire in the north, the situation was not clear, and he risked his life. Moreover, he was gone for many years. Of course, he would not take his wives, concubines, and children to suffer.

Lin Ruofu brought Consort De back to Daqi and registered her under the name of the principal wife, which suggests that Consort De's birth mother had died and that her birth must not have been glorious.

Lin Ruofu, that old scoundrel, only said that Consort De was not born in Daqi, but never mentioned the issue of Consort De's bloodline. He was obviously deliberately digging a pit for people to fall into. In the current situation, regardless of whether the Second Prince's move was sincere or not, he has already made the first move. Those on his side must follow suit and will inevitably crush the First Prince's identity. Therefore, those who jump out to criticize Lin Ruofu at this time are most likely the Second Prince's people.

Of course, he could also be an unlucky idiot, but it's no wonder that someone who doesn't understand the situation and randomly shows up gets screwed over.

Even if Consort De did have foreign blood, it was impossible for her to be a Rongdi person. Xue Jin'an carefully compared and analyzed her appearance. She had a very pure Daqi appearance. In fact, when the concubines were placed together, Consort Xian's overly bright and arrogant face looked more like a mixed-race person than Consort De.

He was completely different from Cui Zui, who clearly had alien blood.

Although heredity is random, the probability of someone inheriting no traits from either parent is quite small. Xue Jin'an then realized that there was a 52% chance that Consort De's birth mother was from the Great Qi Dynasty.

Sure enough, Lin Ruofu said, "The birth mother of Consort De was a Han Chinese female slave whom this old minister bought when he was on a diplomatic mission to Tsarist Russia. She was originally from Qizhou, but unfortunately she was captured by the Rong and Di tribes and sold to Tsarist Russia..."

The national conditions and systems of Tsarist Russia and Daqi were different. Daqi was a feudal dynasty. Although wealthy families had household slaves, slaves still had certain human rights. Killing someone without cause would be a crime.

Tsarist Russia, on the other hand, was a pure slave system. Internally, it was like the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty. Local princes made their own laws and taxes and could directly rule as local emperors in their own territories. The slaves there were treated like pigs, sheep, and dogs, and were not treated as human beings at all.

"I pitied her tragic past, which is why I wanted to buy her... Later, by chance, she came into being. Every word I have said is true, and all those who accompanied me on my mission back then can testify to it." Lin Ruofu swore to the heavens, his tone full of sincerity.

Consort De and the eldest prince also knelt down on the ground.

Just then, the eldest prince launched his counterattack.

"I have known since I was a child that my mother had a tragic past, but I kept it a secret because I didn't want her to be bullied." He said, a hint of disappointment on his face, and slowly said to the Second Prince, "Second Prince, you really underestimate your elder brother."

“If I, your elder brother, truly have impure blood and bear the blood of the Rong and Di people, then I would have known long ago that no matter how hard I tried, I would never have been able to gain Father’s favor.” He vaguely mentioned “favor,” but everyone knew he was referring to the struggle for the throne. The eldest prince concluded, “In that case, I have even less reason to harm the third sister.”

The First Prince's words implied that the person who attacked the Third Prince was someone who would stop at nothing to seize the throne. Currently, there are only three princes of similar age: himself, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince. The Third Prince is the victim. By exonerating himself, the First Prince effectively eliminated any potential culprits.

The second prince, however, possessed some quick wit, responding to the attack with, "If the only goal was to prevent our third brother from entering the court, crippling his leg would have sufficed. Why inflict such severe injuries? This assailant's actions seem more like an act of venting hatred towards our third brother. We have no past grudges or recent conflicts, and have always kept to ourselves. How could I possibly disregard our brotherly bond and resort to such cruelty!"

“This,” the Second Prince’s henchman in the crowd immediately hesitated, “I’ve heard that the First Prince and the Third Prince are not on good terms, and the First Prince was even beaten up before…”

They recounted how the eldest prince had a conflict with the third prince years ago, and in a fit of resentment, he struck the third prince first. The next day, Qian Dezhong came to his door and beat him up, leaving him in a miserable state.

Although the eldest prince had already guessed that the second prince would bring up this matter again, whether there was a grudge or not, he was still caught off guard when the topic was suddenly brought up. He couldn't help but clench his fist, and his expression immediately turned somber.

The eldest prince gave a helpless, bitter smile and said, "These are all things from so long ago that I don't care about them at all. Besides, even if I did remember them, I couldn't just kill the mistress because of these old stories. If I did, I would be too petty."

"Father, even if there are some grudges between me and the mistress, it is by no means to warrant such actions. Moreover, I dare not hide it from you, Father, but I have already dealt with the mistress and settled this matter." The eldest prince did not hesitate to expose his own shortcomings and directly presented a witness, "My study companion Feng Shi also knows about this matter. Father, you may summon him for questioning!"

The eldest prince spoke with such righteous indignation that most of the people present completely believed him.

Feng Yinshou's eyelids had been twitching ever since the eldest prince was implicated in this matter. He had a feeling that things were about to get out of hand, and then his own son was dragged out to be used as a scapegoat.

Minister Feng was inevitably angry, but at the same time he was also glad that he hadn't brought his youngest son with him today. Otherwise, with his son's foolish way of being sold out and still counting the money for the seller, he probably wouldn't have been able to resist jumping out to confront the Seventh Prince as soon as the First Prince was implicated.

The Seventh Prince is unlike any other prince. He is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and is not bound by morality or worldly conventions. He can do whatever he wants, and the emperor clearly intends to indulge his temperament... Whether this is good or bad is another matter, but if Feng Shi falls into his hands, he will be severely injured, if not killed.

Feng Yinshou never expected that even though he had stopped his son from actively seeking death, trouble would still find him.

Feng Yinshou sighed inwardly. This time, speaking up meant that the Feng family would be tied to the Crown Prince from now on. But he couldn't stay silent either, as his son had been implicated.

No one knows how much Feng Yinshou was internally resentful, but he still stepped forward with a calm expression to corroborate the Crown Prince's statement.

He then added, "In my opinion, the culprit is still unknown. I'm afraid the two princes are just a cover. We need to investigate further and obtain sufficient evidence before we can draw a conclusion."

Everyone nodded in agreement, clearly agreeing with Feng Yinshou's words.

It wasn't that they trusted the eldest and second princes' character so much, or that they thought they were truly innocent; it was just that this was a royal scandal and shouldn't be brought to the forefront, so it was better to suppress it.

A significant number of people felt that this was the proper way, wanting to gloss over the truth, and even secretly resented the Seventh Prince and the Empress Dowager for being too ruthless and not knowing when to be forgiving.

It's fortunate that Xue Jin'an didn't know what they were thinking, otherwise he would have said: "No wonder they are a bunch of trash ministers who support the trash emperor's rule."

Fortunately, Xue Jin'an was unaware of this, so they were still standing there unscathed, not beaten to a pulp, and had retained some dignity.

The Second Prince, who rarely stood on Xue Jin'an's side, didn't want things to be glossed over so easily. Seeing that the situation was not right, he was about to say something when the First Prince suddenly said something familiar to him, "Second Prince, you really underestimate your elder brother."

This was the second time the eldest prince had said this. The first time, he not only refuted the second prince's accusations but also turned the tables on him.

Xue Jin'an felt that this sentence was like a fixed phrase for activating a skill. He thought that he could release a card for the First Prince in the board game. Hmm, Lin Ruofu is not bad either. The Third Prince has good combat skills. The Fifth Prince is a terrible actor but has a decent brain. He could be added to that list.

As for the Second Prince card... let's think about it some more. Currently, the Second Prince seems rather weak; there's nothing worth exploring about him. Xue Jin'an offered his assessment.

If Xue Jin'an described it as a powerful line, then what followed was indeed a powerful move that completely stunned everyone present.

All that could be heard was the eldest prince saying to the emperor, "Father, I am the eldest brother. I was not far from here when the mistress was murdered, but I failed to stop it in time. This is my fault, and I should learn from it."

The eldest prince said a lot of things expressing his remorse, and then surprisingly proposed to leave the palace and establish his own residence, temporarily retiring from the court and not getting involved in politics.

The Crown Prince's method of cutting off his arm to save his life surprised many people, including Xue Jin'an. However, he quickly figured it out.

The Second Prince revealed the secret of his birth, and despite his numerous explanations, some people still doubted him. No one had ever seen Consort De's mother; Lin Ruofu's claim that Consort De's birth mother was from Qizhou was simply not credible. Furthermore, an investigation would reveal that the border regions had been plagued by war for years, resulting in the loss of countless household registrations.

Furthermore, Lin Ruofu, that cunning old fox, brought up this person on his own initiative. Whether it's true or false, he must have already dealt with it properly and wouldn't leave any flaws that would be easily exposed.

He decided to use a strategic retreat to advance, which not only clearly distinguished him from the Second Prince, but also allowed him to gain favor with the court officials and demonstrate his integrity and innocence.

His profound sense of righteousness and willingness to compromise made the Second Prince, who was attacking his elder brother, appear even more despicable.

But then the eldest prince frowned and said to him, "Little Er, you're still too impatient. You've lost your usual composure and wit, it's like you've become a different person."

He was like a truly good older brother, not caring at all that his younger brother had stabbed him in the back, and even teaching them whether their strength was sufficient.

The second prince shut his mouth with a grim expression, but little did he know that this was not the end of it. The first prince suddenly turned back, picked up the bowl of obviously problematic rice wine, drank it all in one gulp, and said solemnly to the seventh prince, "Seventh Prince, your elder brother has a clear conscience and is not afraid of any test."

Xue Jin'an didn't believe him at all. It was precisely the eldest prince's behavior that made Xue Jin'an realize that he must have been involved in the third prince's affairs.

Without sufficient evidence, Xue Jin'an understood the situation and ignored him, turning her gaze directly to the Second Prince.

The Second Prince had completely lost his way. Logically, he should now pick up the bowl of rice wine and follow the First Prince's lead, downing it in one gulp to show his support. However, he hesitated to gamble even after reaching out twice.

Seeing that he wanted to drink but didn't dare, Xue Jin'an decided to do a good deed and help him out.

When the second prince saw him pick up the bowl, he immediately leaned back to avoid it, his lips tightly pressed together and his face full of resistance.

Since Xue Jin'an was already planning to help him, how could he let him escape successfully? He punched him in the stomach directly.

The second prince suddenly struggled, clutching his stomach and letting out a cry of pain. Then, his neck was grabbed, and before he could react, a bowl of wine was stuffed into his mouth and forced down his throat without explanation.

"Ugh, cough cough—" The second prince was no longer willing to drink most of it. He coughed with red eyes and tried to vomit by sticking his hand down his throat.

A palace maid grabbed his wrist and pulled him up forcefully, seemingly to help him up but actually to yank him. The maid asked, "Your Highness, are you alright? Did you choke too much and your throat hurts? It's alright, just drink some water and you'll feel better."

When the second prince realized that this was a palace maid from the eldest princess's side, his expression did not improve; instead, it became even uglier. However, he eventually calmed down and did not do anything further.

Unexpectedly, the palace maid suddenly turned her head and, from an angle no one else could see, cursed in a voice only he could hear, "Fool."

Although the words were spoken by a palace maid, the tone was that of the eldest princess. How could the second prince not understand? This was a message that the eldest princess had specially sent to him, which showed that she was very dissatisfied with his actions.

The second prince didn't say what he was thinking; he just kept a pale face and didn't speak.

Xue Jin'an saw the palace maid's movements, but her voice was too low and she didn't let him see her lip movements, so he really didn't hear what she said.

However, the eldest princess also came out soon after, but she did not come alone; Prince An was with her.

—The two of them disappeared one after the other as the Third Prince and the Prince of An were carried away for treatment.

As expected, after the eldest princess paid her respects to the emperor and the empress dowager, she immediately reported on the condition of the two patients: "The heir of Prince An has woken up, but after saying a few words to relax, he fell asleep again."

To put it nicely, he had simply fainted. Xue Jin'an thought the Eldest Princess was quite eloquent; with just one glance, she had diverted much of the attention from the Second Prince.

"It's so good that the young master is alright. Waiter, we should go and see them and apologize to them properly." The eldest prince's words drew attention back to the prince.

The two exchanged a glance. The eldest prince appeared mild-mannered and polite, behaving like a good elder brother, while the eldest princess was gentle and dignified, her unhurried words filled with subtle barbs.

Xue Jin'an took a small step back, tactfully giving them the stage, and watched the spectacle with great interest. Of course, he wasn't just watching the spectacle; he was also subtly observing Prince An's reaction.

Prince An remained silent, seemingly still immersed in the grief of his son being harmed to the point of being unable to get out of bed.

The eldest princess said slowly, "Second brother is still young and has not encountered anything. He suddenly lost his composure and acted rashly and spoke inappropriately. Please do not take it to heart, seventh brother."

Then, he slowly began to dispel suspicions about the Second Prince, starting from the fact that he had no direct conflict with the Third Prince, and arguing that the Third Prince's existence was beneficial and harmless to him.

She spoke slowly and gently, with an inexplicable power that made people believe her. In the end, she naturally said that there was no evidence for the matter and that we should not make arbitrary judgments so as not to wrong an innocent person.

Xue Jin'an felt that when the two siblings were put together, the Second Prince was more deserving of his reputation than he was, while the Eldest Princess was more in line with the rumored title of a prince who was both scholarly and martial, and flawless.

Suddenly, he remembered the First Prince's words, which seemed to be deliberately blocking the Second Prince, saying that his performance today was poor and that he was like a completely different person.

Perhaps it wasn't just a casual remark; perhaps the Second Prince's name was stolen from the Eldest Princess?

As mentioned in the original novel's side stories, the eldest princess was raised as a prince in her early years. Countless teachers praised her intelligence, lamenting that she was a girl, and even saying that if she were a prince, the position of crown prince would undoubtedly belong to her.

As for the Second Prince, although he had a great reputation, Xue Jin'an had also taken online classes at the Imperial Study and had seen all the princes' assignments. His performance was mediocre and there was nothing noteworthy about him.

He had only glanced at the assignment a few times while reading the textbook and hadn't particularly remembered who the names on the assignment were, but he figured it didn't matter. Whether the Second Prince was on it or not didn't affect Xue Jin'an's very bad impression of him.

— You can prepare the Princess Card. If you collect all nine who are interested in the throne, you can directly create a new series of board games called "I Want to Be the Emperor: The Nine Dragons' Struggle for the Throne".

The princes and princesses each form their own faction, and their goal is to eliminate the emperor and their rivals. The person who draws the emperor card is responsible for securing their throne. Hmm... the emperor is a bit too weak, so it will be difficult for the person using this card to win.

Alright, let's do this: we can set up a scenario where the emperor can choose a prince or princess, appoint them as crown prince, and form an alliance. Their victory condition is to survive to the final round and successfully hand over the throne.

So here's the question: he's now a prince, and his bid for the throne is inevitable. Should we add his card as well? If we don't, he'll feel something's missing, but if we do, we'll have to appropriately weaken his stats to balance the game mechanics...

Xue Jin'an quickly constructed the cards and rules of the new board game in his mind, and then he saw the eldest princess turn to him after she finished speaking, and ask, "Seventh brother, do you think what I said is right?"

The eldest princess's main point was that a case needs evidence, and conclusions cannot be drawn based on the other party's reaction. Even if a conclusion is reached, procedures must be followed to bring the person to justice. In fact, she hardly made any excuses for the second prince. She even subtly criticized him, calling him stupid.

Unfortunately, it was unclear whether the second prince was restrained by the palace maids or simply didn't understand what they were saying. He kept his head down and didn't speak, and his expression was unreadable.

Xue Jin'an wasn't very interested in the Second Prince. He glanced at him and then looked away, nodding honestly.

There's nothing inherently wrong with what I said, but it might sound quite harsh to some people.

Xue Jin'an and the eldest princess turned to look at Prince An, who had remained silent until now.

Xue Jin'an had been observing him silently for a while, but he noticed that no matter what he heard, his expression remained deep and unchanged, as if he had emptied his mind and was completely immersed in his own emotions, unable to hear the sounds of the outside world.

However, how could Prince An, who had been scheming to join forces with the concubines and princes to retaliate against the emperor and even the entire Daqi royal family, really be such a dull, slow-witted person?

Yes, that's right, retaliation. Xue Jin'an overturned his previous idea. The Prince of An had united so many people to do so many things, it didn't seem like a rebellion. To be more precise, it didn't seem like a simple rebellion. He was instigating turmoil among the concubines and princes.

If you ask him what benefits he gained from this, he certainly did, but it was clearly disproportionate to what he gave. He had clearly gathered enough people to launch a coup, but he did nothing. Every step he took only stirred up conflict and strife.

The assassination attempt in the Imperial Study instigated a conflict between the Fifth and Sixth Princes, dragging even Consort Shu, who had remained uninvolved, into the fray.

The riot at the horse farm instigated conflict between Consort De and Consort Xian, prompting Chu Wenwan to target Xiao Shu, which in turn provoked a conflict between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. After that, it was likely that he would be the next target. However, he did not expect that Xue Jin'an, who was considered the next target, would directly kill Chu Wenwan, thus prematurely ending this round.

The fact that the palace banquet poisoned the Third Prince again was even more obvious. This was an attempt to drive the Third Prince and Consort Xian insane. These two were already known in the palace for their "tyranny," especially the Third Prince. The servants in his courtyard changed faster than his clothes. The Third Prince's fighting ability should not be underestimated. If he "went crazy," he would definitely bite anyone he could get his hands on.

However, Xue Jin'an was slightly surprised. The Third Prince seriously injured the Prince of An's heir. Was this a ruse by the Prince of An, or an arrangement set up in advance by the Eldest Princess?

If it's the former, then Prince An is indeed a ruthless person, willing to sacrifice his only son. You must know that the Third Prince used real force when he struck. Xue Jin'an only glanced at him briefly, but he could still tell how serious Prince An's injuries were.

If it is the latter, it is even more interesting. The fact that the eldest princess intervened undoubtedly means that Consort Min behind her was also aware of the situation. In this case, as the ruler of the capital, and holding the Imperial Guard, a spy organization, could the emperor really be completely unaware of everything?

Assuming he is truly blind and deaf to this extent, there is only one possibility: he is extremely unpopular, and the entire harem is united in their determination to sideline him. There are also spies in the upper echelons of the Imperial Wardrobe who have deliberately suppressed some important information, waiting for the right moment to take his life.

—So why did the emperor in the original story live so long? He even outlived several of his sons.

He had already suffered enough from the pain of betrayal, separation from family, and loss of loved ones. Moreover, the emperor would not reflect on his mistakes. He would only think that the concubines in the harem were a bunch of poisonous women, the princes were all incompetent fools, and that he, being wise and powerful, was lonely at the top and was destined to become a lonely figure.

Prince An still hadn't made a move by this point, and Xue Jin'an couldn't figure out the answer no matter how she tried to use logical reasoning. In the end, she could only rely on her experience from novels.

This kind of situation is quite common in novels; it usually happens when someone suddenly loses their mind because they're blinded by love.

In conclusion, the final conclusion of this storyline is that Prince An is an incurable, hopelessly love-struck fool.

Xue Jin'an felt somewhat insulted. He refused to accept the answer and quickly turned the page, calculating what the conclusion would be if the emperor knew.

If the emperor knew, what kind of mentality would he have as he watched his sons die one by one? Even if Prince An did not do it himself and there was no evidence against him, it was clear that the emperor could have easily used the pretext and abused his imperial power to kill Prince An.

Why didn't he do that? Let's exclude the disgusting possibility that the emperor fell in love with Prince An. Let's analyze the emperor's personality first. He may appear very weak in politics, but this is usually only when his own interests are not affected. For example, when Xiao Shu pointed her finger at him and cursed him, he immediately ordered her to be dragged away and beaten until she was barely alive.

When someone likes to emphasize and fake a certain characteristic, it's often because they don't actually possess that characteristic. The emperor feigned deep affection, withholding the selection of a new empress for three years for Empress Xiaojingyi, sealing off Weiyang Palace and refusing to appoint another empress, and making an exception for Zhou Yuting, who had no children, by bestowing upon her the title of concubine and then, after three years, elevating her to the rank of imperial consort… These are all poison wrapped in honey.

The emperor is cold and ruthless; if he truly loves anyone, then he only loves himself.

Therefore, the reason why the emperor did not take any action against Prince An must be because there was something about Prince An that the emperor feared and dared not reveal to the public.

What could it be?

...Perhaps he really should go and take a look at that abandoned palace. Xue Jin'an pondered this when he heard the Eldest Princess ask Prince An, "What does Imperial Uncle think?"

Prince An was remarkably composed; even at this point, he remained calm and agreed with the Princess's words.

Although Prince An, the "victim's family member," generously expressed his understanding, the emperor could not simply let the matter drop. He ordered that both the eldest and second princes be placed under house arrest in the Princes' Palace and forbidden from leaving. The second prince's attendance at court this year was also postponed.

The matter seemed to have ended there, but in reality, it was only just beginning. Xue Jin'an, having already guessed that both the First Prince and the Second Prince had tampered with the affair, did not act immediately as usual, because he knew that this matter would not end there.

The eldest and second princes have completely broken off relations and can no longer maintain the facade of brotherly affection. Since they have become enemies, it will be difficult for them to control their actions when they turn against each other. It can be said that they are like dogs fighting each other.

Not to mention the Third Prince, who has also suffered a great calamity and will surely be eyeing the opportunity to strike.

The savvy people in the room had already sensed that a storm was brewing.

Prince An seemed unconcerned about these matters, his mind solely focused on his seriously injured son. He gave the emperor a perfunctory reply and hurriedly left.

With the palace banquet turned into such a mess, the ministers naturally couldn't stay any longer. They all bowed and took their leave, but as they left, their eyes couldn't help but sweep over the seventh prince.

Cui Zui originally wanted to say a few more words to his master before leaving, but seeing the expressions on the faces of the emperor, the empress dowager and the others, he knew that this was probably not a good time to say goodbye. He suppressed his emotions and left with his grandfather.

But to my surprise, I overheard people whispering in front of me as I came out.

"The Seventh Prince is truly wicked."

"Yes, she caused the death of her own mother two years ago, and last time she directly caused the deaths of Consort Rong and Consort Zhen. This time she was confined for several months, perhaps because she couldn't vent her emotions, which led to her going berserk and causing trouble for three princes. Tsk tsk tsk..."

Cui Zui couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed the collar of the person who was talking nonsense. "Hey, what nonsense are you talking about? Oh, it's you, so-and-so from the Ministry of Rites."

This person was the same Ministry of Rites official who had previously accused Xue Jin'an of attacking the Ninth Prince.

He hadn't expected to be arrested so easily, and his expression immediately turned ugly. He said with a fierce but weak voice, "Does a mere scholar like you dare to assault an official of the imperial court? Release me at once!"

"Why would I hit you? I came here to kindly remind you." Cui Zui let go of his hand, patted the wrinkles in his collar, and grinned, "This is the palace, there are ears and eyes everywhere. If you're so eager to ruin the Seventh Prince's reputation and curry favor with your master, be careful that you don't end up losing more than you gain and begging me to beat you up."

"Sir, your clothes are ready. Take care, sir." Cui Zui grinned as he watched the pale-faced men walk away. Only then did his expression fall, and he said with great displeasure, "These corrupt officials are really annoying."

Cui Zui could tell that someone was deliberately trying to shift the blame for today's events onto his master, but even though he could see it and knew that his master could handle it, he was still unhappy.

Cui Pengfei lightly patted him on the shoulder. "Who are you cursing? Your cousin is about to become a corrupt official. It's not good for him to hear this."

"Okay, okay, we'll just secretly curse him after he reports for duty at the Hanlin Academy every day, making sure he doesn't hear us," Cui Zui said, half-covering his lips.

“I’ve heard you.” Cui Zhuo’s lips twitched, then he couldn’t help but laugh.

Every year, those who pass the imperial examination with the highest rank are appointed to the Hanlin Academy, while those who pass with the second or third rank can only take the examination for probationary officials a year later. They are implying that he will definitely pass with the highest rank next year.

*

Xue Jin'an already knew that someone would definitely arrange to use him as a target when the Fifth Prince asked him what kind of attacks he would face after participating in this matter.

However, as some people know perfectly well, he is a person who is not bound by moral rules. He stayed in Zhaoyang Palace under house arrest because he wanted to, which can be considered as him fulfilling his filial duty on behalf of the original owner.

Even if someone deliberately extends his sentence, wanting to trap him to death in Zhaoyang Palace, it all depends on whether he is willing or not.

Therefore, Xue Jin'an didn't care what others said. After watching the excitement, he greeted the Empress Dowager and went straight to Zhaoyang Palace.

At the entrance of Qianyuan Palace, they unexpectedly encountered the Eldest Princess, who was carrying her daughter onto a carriage. Suddenly, the Eldest Princess smiled at Xue Jin'an and said, "It's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

Xue Jin'an raised an eyebrow and immediately understood what was going on. Turning her head, she saw the eldest prince standing at the palace gate, his brows furrowed, his former gentle demeanor gone.

Xue Jin'an doesn't mind being misunderstood, but he doesn't like being taken advantage of.

Xue Jin'an looked at the carriage, carefully examining all the joints, then picked up a few pebbles from the ground and asked sincerely, "Sister, are your legs alright?"

"What?" The princess was stunned for a moment. Seeing Xue Jin'an's fingers flicking, she realized something and instinctively jumped off the carriage. She staggered two or three steps with her daughter in her arms before regaining her balance.

Then came the whooshing sound of pebbles whistling through the air as they struck the wedges at bizarre angles, deflecting them off the carriage's joints.

With a creak, amidst the princess's shocked expression and Xiao Taile's exclamation, the carriage shattered into pieces, and the bewildered prince consort suddenly fell into a pile of ruins.