Chapter 167 (This is the first chapter of the 167th chapter, which is about uncovering a secret affair in the palace...)

"In the blink of an eye, the Third Princess is almost ready to get married." A gratified voice, old yet familiar.

The sixth prince recognized it; it was his maternal grandmother's voice.

"I wish I could have kept her for a few more years. If it weren't for the terrifying situation a few years ago... why would I have arranged a marriage for Wan'er so early?" This was his mother's voice, filled with regret and reluctance.

The sixth prince felt a sense of relief. It turned out they were discussing his sister's marriage.

Should this kind of thing be discussed in private?

The sixth prince didn't think much of it and was about to step out when he heard his mother say...

"Consort Ye has been restless lately; she seems to have sensed something." The words were cold and low, and he almost didn't realize they came from his mother.

"At this time..." Grandmother's voice grew heavy, tinged with urgency. "How could she have discovered anything? Wasn't it handled quite cleanly back then? Even Consort Xian didn't notice. We absolutely cannot let her affect the Third Princess's marriage!"

"How could I not know? But the people I sent to the Cold Palace to deal with her have all disappeared without a trace. It's because the Emperor... wants to protect her." The Empress gritted her teeth in the main hall, a hint of unease and fear crumbling from her usually composed and dignified demeanor. She gripped her mother's hand tightly.

"I have always considered myself to be diligent in managing the harem for His Majesty, and I have never made a single mistake over the years, except for one or two things that have gone against my conscience... Wan'er is the only princess in the palace, and she is also born of the legitimate wife. She has been deeply loved by the Emperor since childhood and has grown up like a precious jewel. I thought this was her unique favor, but who would have thought that two years ago, there was war on the border and our dynasty was weak, and there were even rumors in the court about a marriage alliance, which almost ruined my Wan'er..."

"Although Wan'er is now engaged, it's at this crucial juncture that things are happening. It's possible that the Emperor has become suspicious of that matter and wants to investigate further through Consort Ye... Besides, the Second Prince should be returning soon..."

He couldn't hear anything the Sixth Prince said after that; his back was cold and he was almost trembling.

From childhood to adulthood, his mother had always been gentle and composed in his eyes. He never imagined that his mother would be involved in such dark and dirty things, or that she would show such a helpless and flustered appearance.

But more importantly, there was a deeper meaning behind those words...

Even though the Sixth Prince was always dull-witted and didn't want to think any further, he couldn't stop himself from realizing something:

Consort Xian gave birth to the eldest princess, who died young. Consort Ye later gave birth to the second princess, who also died young. In the end, only his own sister, the third princess born of the principal wife, remained in the palace, carefully raised and protected.

Two years ago, a witchcraft scandal broke out in the palace. It was said that Consort Ye was jealous of the Second Prince, who was born around the same time as the Second Princess and was healthy, but dared not harm the Third Prince, the son of a favored concubine who was the same age. This caused a great disaster—Consort Ye was immediately demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the Cold Palace.

Before today, the Sixth Prince had always believed this to be the truth. One is one, and two is two.

But judging from what the Empress Dowager said...

Was it because of the unique favor her sister received that she harmed... the eldest princess and the second princess in her early years?

Was it that she still wanted to ruthlessly kill Consort Ye in the Cold Palace and clean up the mess?

Now that my elder sister's wedding is approaching, my father has suddenly protected Consort Ye. Is it because he thinks that Consort Ye was not the real culprit in the witchcraft incident two years ago, or does he really suspect my mother? Does he suspect the cause of death of the eldest and second princesses?

Or perhaps, regardless of the princesses' causes of death, or the fact that the second brother was secretly harmed by witchcraft since childhood, it's all actually...

The sixth prince felt dizzy and utterly absurd, and dared not think any further. His palms were covered in slippery cold sweat, his legs were weak, and he seemed oblivious to the world around him.

But the Sixth Prince remained calm, even surprising himself with his own composure. He managed to quietly bypass the head eunuch and, as playfully as ever, climb over the wall again, without alerting anyone. Only after he landed did he see his personal eunuch rushing towards him in a panic, demanding answers:

"Your Highness?! What's wrong? Your face is so pale—"

The Sixth Prince then sternly ordered, "No one is allowed to say that I was here today. Let's go!"

"But you just finished school... Didn't Your Highness go to greet the Empress?" The personal eunuch forced himself to repeat.

The sixth prince, lost in thought, suddenly stopped.

Yes.

If he didn't greet her as usual today, his mother would notice something was amiss. But his mind was in complete turmoil, a jumbled mess of thoughts, making it impossible for him to face his mother, nor did he want to see her when his expression was too visibly strained... What should he do?

The sixth prince's expression shifted between light and dark for a moment, then he continued walking. His mind raced, and an excuse came to him; he felt his head had never been so clear.

"Go back to the Prince's residence and tell Xiao Qiongzi that I'll come later. Remind him of what I heard in court this morning that made me very unhappy... Father Emperor is currently only looking forward to Second Brother's return, or Seventh Brother's misbehavior; Father Emperor doesn't even care about me anymore..."

In the past, the Sixth Prince was impatient and eager to show off. In the past year or two, he has been following the Empress Dowager and has managed to suppress his temper. He has managed to put on a good act, but in private, he only manages to maintain it by persuading her.

His mother knew his temperament best.

If Xiao Qiongzi said that, the Empress Dowager would know that he had been holding back his temper all day since morning, and hadn't shown it during afternoon classes, which was really not easy. So as soon as school was over, he couldn't hold back anymore, and didn't want others to see his outburst, so he went straight to the prince's residence.

The Empress Dowager will only excuse him from paying his respects later today.

Given a night to think things through, he should be able to recover.

The sixth prince wasn't lying. Even if the Empress Dowager asked, she would know how the Emperor praised the second brother at the morning court session, and how the teacher lauded the seventh brother in class that afternoon...

"..."

The sixth prince, who was able to participate in government affairs at the age of thirteen, had grown into a young man, no longer the childish figure he had been a few years ago. When he gave these instructions, his face was still pale, and he hadn't recovered yet, but the boy's pupils were dark, and all his emotions slowly settled down.

The personal eunuch cautiously agreed, his heart pounding with fear, growing increasingly astonished.

What major incident has occurred?

This made the Sixth Prince seem to have grown up in an instant, which was quite different from his recent appearance of composure that was just a facade.

...

There are undercurrents surging within the palace, and this is certainly not the only place.

The Weiyong Earl's residence outside the palace has also been in turmoil during this period.

"This courtyard belongs to my cousin, so everything must be done according to his preferences. Even the weapons from my training ground should be moved here!" Wang Shuo, hands on his hips, directed his servants around, making sweeping changes to the layout, eagerly awaiting his cousin's return to the capital.

"Are you still being ridiculous?" Old Lady Weiyong was furious. She came over with her cane and was about to twist his ear. "Chengming is no match for you! Don't let him get hurt by your knives and sticks!"

In just two or three years, Wang Shuo has undergone a complete transformation. He used to look like a skinny, dark-skinned monkey, but now he is tall, muscular, and has a mature demeanor. People would believe he is in his early twenties.

"Hehe, it's just that my cousin and I are different, that's why we can kiss each other!" Wang Shuo grinned as he was pinched, but instead of dodging or flinching, he shamelessly showed a big smile, acting as if it were perfectly justified.

He thought to himself, how could his grandmother know how much suffering his cousin had endured in that remote place? He had been wandering around, not eating or sleeping well, and all he could do every day was send messages saying he was safe. He was already so weak in his previous life, and he's gotten a little better in this life thanks to his constant letters of persuasion, but how much better can he get?

He's already endured all that hardship, and his body is still weak. Shouldn't we train together to improve him? Otherwise, he might be bullied or outshone again back in the palace!

Wang Shuo didn't believe the rumors circulating that "the Second Prince is His Majesty's hidden favorite son," and scoffed at the thought. If the Emperor truly loved his cousin so much, would he have allowed him to suffer from childhood to adulthood, only to have him die young in the end?

He felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

My cousin returned earlier this time than last time, and the situation was worse. This clearly shows that His Majesty is wary of my cousin and cannot allow him to continue to grow stronger!

I wonder how much mistreatment my cousin will suffer when he comes back.

Fortunately, thanks to his secret reminder, his cousin found Shou Ge... Now that their family has been reunited, their secret plans can provide some assistance.

Thinking this, Wang Shuo begged his grandmother for forgiveness, and the two of them discussed continuing to adjust the layout of the courtyard. It was one thing to not know his cousin's preferences before, but things were different now.

Even though they all knew that Prince Rui would definitely stay at his residence upon returning to the capital, they still wanted to reserve a courtyard for their cousin...

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Author's Note: I should have written more at the end, but I'm so hungry and my mind is blank, so I'll stop here for this chapter! I'm going to run off and eat at lightning speed.