Crown Prince's Palace

After receiving his younger brother's letter in the morning, the Crown Prince sent out several groups of people. When he was short of manpower, he even borrowed a few from the Emperor.

It wasn't that the father and son were particularly close, but rather that the Emperor couldn't possibly be unaware of such a major commotion at the Crown Prince's residence.

Only by making certain things clear can he take advantage of the confusion and hide what he wants to conceal.

"Your Highness, the people sent by Prince Kang have already settled in the palace."

Seeing his master's unpleasant expression, Baoqing knew that only news from the Kang Prince's residence could distract him.

This man was a eunuch assigned to the Crown Prince by the Emperor; he had no problems and wasn't one of the Emperor's men. It would be incredibly petty for the Emperor to include his own people in someone who was clearly a confidant of the Crown Prince.

"Really? Sixth Brother really handed the person over to the washroom?"

The Crown Prince's expression was indescribable. He never expected his younger brother to treat the child this way, turning that family's promising son into a eunuch to serve others, thus cutting off their future.

However, he wasn't worried. If the matter were investigated, the men of that family would have trouble even living a normal life, let alone becoming eunuchs.

"Yes, it was Fuquan's son who did it himself, leaving no room for negotiation."

The crown prince turned his head and thought it was understandable. Just like when he saw the message his brother sent him today, he also wanted to kill those who had plotted against him.

"You may leave now. Keep an eye on things in the manor. If the Prince Kang's manor needs your help, feel free to go ahead and do your best."

He waved his hand dismissively, annoyed, signaling Baoqing to leave.

"Yes, this servant takes his leave."

Judging from the Crown Prince's expression, Baoqing knew that things were about to get lively in the capital.

He certainly doesn't want to ruin his reputation in his later years, so it seems those below him who need to keep a close watch on things need to be tightened up.

Before Baoqing could even leave the main courtyard, the eunuch beside him announced that someone from the Prince Kang's residence had arrived.

Remembering the Crown Prince's words, he immediately returned to his own courtyard.

Upon seeing Fuquan, who was wearing a black cloak and a hood, Baoqing's ease vanished. Someone around him was tainted! He immediately became alert.

The two families were in the same boat, so there was no need for formalities. Fuquan took off his cloak and pulled out the daily records given to him by the Imperial Concubine from his pocket, explaining his purpose.

All these kinds of things in the Crown Prince's residence are in Baoqing's hands. He is going to read them to the Crown Prince, and reciting them fluently is no problem for him.

So he flipped through the booklet that Fuquan had brought and discovered quite a few problems. They were things that wouldn't be noticed unless mentioned, but once brought up, clues would appear everywhere.

After studying it for a long time, Fuquan and Baoqing finally figured out what the problem was with Xie Shuli's team.

Good heavens! That has absolutely nothing to do with the Xie family!

The two exchanged a glance and immediately realized that the person behind them wanted more than just control of the Kang Prince's Mansion; if the royal bloodline were confused, it could lead to a complete upheaval.

“Brother! We’ve both been serving our two masters for a long time. We know better than anyone what kind of people they are.”

“Brother, don’t say that. If we old bones can’t guard the back gate, we’ll be sinners for all time.”

Fuquan's eyes immediately reddened. The royal family owed him nothing. His parents never thought he would bring honor to the family when they made him cut that knife.

Those who will support him in his old age will only be his disciples and followers. Now that someone wants to cut off his path to survival, that person is his mortal enemy.

Baoqing shared a similar view: the crown prince had not made any major mistakes, and the emperor was not a foolish ruler, so as long as he behaved himself, he would be rich and noble for the rest of his life.

If the crown prince is brought down, what good will he gain?

The two were speechless for a moment, but the storm that had been brewing in their eyes was something that no outsider could understand.

Xie Shuli, inside the palace, was completely unaware of the earth-shattering changes happening outside. He lay unconscious in the cubicle next to the silkworm rearing room.

The old eunuch who was standing guard came over and coldly checked the person. Finding that no one had a fever and guessing that the person wouldn't wake up the next morning, he went to rest alone.

Far away in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the old emperor sat on his dragon throne, staring intently at the reports on his desk without uttering a word.

The eunuchs nearby dared not utter a sound, lowering their heads to a suitable position, occasionally glancing at the emperor's increasingly pale fingers out of the corner of their eyes.

The man in black below knelt motionless on the ground, and it was impossible to tell that he had been in that position for almost an incense stick's time.

"Your Highness, is there anything over there that I don't know about?"

The old emperor finally spoke, but his first question was a death sentence.

The eunuchs nearby almost shed tears of sympathy for the hidden guard; no matter how he responded, it would be wrong.

"The reports sent from the Crown Prince's side are less detailed than those from His Majesty's side."

The old emperor above laughed. Yes, how could the crown prince he had personally groomed be a fool?

If he's truly arrogant and ignorant, then all his hard work has been wasted.

Thinking about what had been uncovered in the Crown Prince's residence and the Prince Kang's residence in just one day, he was deeply disturbed.

The person behind this is truly ruthless; they've ruined the future of his two sons with a single move.

He only has two legitimate sons, one of whom is incapable of handling affairs. If something happens to the other one, how can the other princes behave themselves, and how can the harem be peaceful!

Over the years, even though he was wary of the Crown Prince, he had carefully protected him. He never expected that the Crown Prince would be plotted against so early in life.

Those people are not doing anything now, they are waiting for the right time to kill the Crown Prince!

However, there was not enough time today, and he could only verify the two matters at hand based on the information from Prince Kang. He dared not imagine how many arrows aimed at the royal family had been planted beneath the quiet court.

The hall was completely silent, and everyone held their breath.

After a few more cups of tea's time, the old emperor took out a black token from his robes, touched it repeatedly, then closed his eyes and threw it in front of the kneeling man in black, saying, "Take this and give it to the Crown Prince. From now on, you are all his people."

After he finished speaking, the eunuch serving beside him knelt down. The emperor had revealed all his secrets, so from now on, the crown prince would truly have everyone at his beck and call.

The kneeling man looked up in surprise. The Black Feather Token of the Great Sheng Dynasty could command the Black Feather Army, and it would only be handed over to the next emperor on the emperor's deathbed.

"Stop looking, go down and serve your master well."

After speaking, the old emperor seemed deflated, sitting there blankly staring at the report on the dragon desk.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave. Long live the Emperor!"

The man in black spoke with great force, as if bidding farewell to his master. From now on, the Black Feather Army of the Great Sheng Dynasty would be under the Crown Prince's command.

After everyone left, the old emperor looked at the eunuch kneeling to one side and said, "Don't cry. You should be happy that I have a successor. Once the crown prince has settled things, have him build a temporary palace for me. I will take the empress with me, and we will go there together to recuperate for a few years."

"yes!"

The eunuch knew that the emperor was truly heartbroken, even abandoning his other beloved concubines. Someone was undermining the foundation of the royal family, and the most suitable crown prince had been harmed. Therefore, the emperor decided to abdicate early.

That night, no one knew that the current emperor had personally placed an imperial edict behind the plaque in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.