Chapter 98 When Jiang is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders.

Chengji Palace

Having suffered many losses since childhood, Ah Zhu, who believed that "there's no such thing as a free lunch," was already a noble concubine in the harem, second only to the emperor. She enjoyed wealth and honor and had both a son and a daughter. Therefore, she rarely paid attention to the so-called "system" that had tormented her for decades.

But when faced with natural disasters or man-made calamities beyond human control, Ah Zhu, desperate and grasping at straws, naturally rushes around "burning incense" everywhere.

"System...? Deity? I beg you, please show yourself..."

Ah Zhu knelt alone in the back hall, her palms clasped together as she prayed and made a vow.

"If this flood can be quelled and my two children found safely, I will build a shrine for you and offer it to you for generations to come. Or whatever else you need, I will do my utmost to help you..."

"Beep—!"

[“Strong emotional fluctuations detected in the host. Verification in progress. Please wait.”]

"We're sorry, but this system helps those with great potential who face obstacles to become winners in life, recording their shining moments. It cannot be a 'wishing machine.'"

"To receive the reward, please strive to achieve a 'highlight' moment."

"Highlight...memorable scene?"

Ah Zhu murmured the same thing several times, her anxious pleading expression somewhat bewildered. She instinctively pressed for details, asking, "What exactly do you need me to do? I'll go right now..."

"I apologize, but according to the relevant basic treaties, the system's code of conduct clearly stipulates that you must not engage in any of the following violations: instigating, provoking, inducing, or otherwise guiding your actions. Please explore on your own."

"Also, a friendly reminder: natural disasters are uncontrollable factors. The energy supply in this world is low, and related modifications and auxiliary functions can only affect the host; the system cannot directly interfere with other factors."

"......."

People tend to keep their distance from things that are beyond their understanding and control.

Ah Zhu was clearly no exception.

Moreover, since she became a concubine, this so-called system has never disturbed A-Zhu with its noisy "sizzling" sounds again, and the two of them lived in strange peace.

But now, since this invisible and intangible thing can't help, no matter how much A-Zhu begs, it's to no avail.

After kneeling there for a long time, A-Zhu wiped away her tears, staggered to her feet, and went to the small study. Emperor Xuanpei did not take the map from the small study.

......

Minxiu Garden

Prince An, dressed in a simple and plain gray-blue robe, was sitting in his study.

His eyes resembled those of Emperor Xuanpei, and when he lowered his gaze, they both carried a similar air of coldness. However, he had a round face, light eyebrows, and a gentle, almost honest demeanor, making him a "good-natured" person. Over the years, he had gained considerable popularity in the court.

"Royal brother."

Without waiting for the servants to report, Prince Qi's voice could be heard from afar, and Prince An got up and left the study to go to the front hall.

"Mingmao, why are you here so early?"

The palace servants served the tea and quickly withdrew. Prince Qi sat down in his chair, not bothering to say anything, and simply picked up the tea and took two sips.

Prince An shook his head and smiled, then sat down next to Prince Qi.

Prince Qi gulped down half a cup of tea before finally putting down his cup.

"I just came from Yuheyuan..."

Prince Qi was clearly very close to Prince An, saying repeatedly, "Brother, you don't know, as soon as I mentioned that person who lives in Chengji Palace, before I even said anything, Mother gave me a long lecture."

Prince An was not talkative in public, but he rarely spoke much to Prince Qi, and his smile made him appear even more approachable.

"In recent years, no new concubines have been seen in the Emperor's palace during the several major elections. For several years, Consort Jiang has been "in the Emperor's favor." Even when she came to this palace, she lived with the Emperor in the same palace... No wonder Your Majesty is so careful."

"Brother, as you know, I originally planned to return from the palace and head straight to my fiefdom, but then this happened..."

Prince Qi paused for a moment, then looked at Prince An with a more serious expression.

"We brothers have shared joys and sorrows, advanced and retreated together for so many years, I won't utter those deceptive and hypocritical words with you, my royal brother—"

"The floods are raging now, and the situation is dire. Father Emperor has taken the Crown Prince to the Two Rivers region. If Heaven protects us and everything goes safely, that would be best. But what if something unexpected happens? Brother Emperor, have you considered...?"

At this moment, there was no one else in the hall except for Prince Qi and Prince An.

Hearing Prince Qi's words, Prince An's gaze darkened slightly. After pondering for a long time, he finally looked up at Prince Qi.

“Mingmao, you and I have been very close since childhood.”

"Your elder brother is a few years older than you, yet you are the one who makes all the decisions."

"I've been following you for almost twenty years... Don't laugh at me, following you has almost become a habit."

“Mingmao, whatever you decide, your brother will follow your lead.”

Seeing the serious expression on Prince An's face, Prince Qi slowly smiled.

Seeing Prince Qi pick up his teacup, Prince An also smiled and picked up his teacup. The two toasted each other with tea instead of wine, tacitly agreeing to do so.

*

Yanqing Garden

Prince Rui paced back and forth in the hall, making even the King of Ying feel dizzy.

He sighed inwardly, "Fifth brother, there's no point in rushing this..."

Prince Rui, however, looked somewhat irritable.

“Over the years, Father has often relied on my elder brother, either as regent or ‘inspecting on behalf of Heaven.’ My elder brother has been diligent and conscientious, never slacking off, and Father has praised him several times.”

“But now, at this critical juncture, Father Emperor is taking my elder brother with him and leaving the capital…” Prince Rui’s gaze was somewhat gloomy.

"They're being wary of the Crown Prince..."

"Mingzhen!"

The King of England suddenly stood up and quickly looked out the window for a moment.

Seeing that no one was around, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The King of England restrained himself from turning around and glaring at the Prince of Rui.

"You've known the saying 'walls have ears' for so many years, especially now..."

"Since you've already done it, why are you afraid of others finding out?!"

In recent years, Prince Rui's temperament has become increasingly solitary.

When the Guanju Palace was flooded, Emperor Xuanpei, after thoroughly investigating the Imperial Household Department, secretly found an imperial physician to examine Prince Rui and give him proper care... Prince Rui always complained, and even resented Empress Wang for suppressing his "illness" for the sake of the Crown Prince, but this did not mean that Prince Rui wanted others to know about it.

The "congenital" chronic illness brought from the mother's womb is difficult to cure, not to mention that Prince Rui deliberately kept it a secret for so many years.

The illness was not cured, and Prince Rui's temperament became increasingly gloomy. He even felt that Emperor Xuanpei or that Imperial Physician Sun looked at him with pity or mockery.

Even in his dreams, Prince Rui wished he could get rid of those who knew the truth.

If it weren't for Empress Wang's decision to close the palace and even threaten suicide, Prince Rui would have patiently listened to the Crown Prince's words, and he would have definitely caused some trouble over the years.

But now that Emperor Xuanpei and the Crown Prince are both away, there is no one to restrain Prince Rui.

"I have long said that I would get rid of those two evil scourges as soon as possible so that Father Emperor would give up, but the Crown Prince is obsessed with 'benevolence' and 'goodness' and has confused himself!"

The King of England was taken aback, then his expression turned serious: "You were planning to make a move against Ninth Brother before?"

Seeing that Prince Rui showed no sign of denying it, the King of England exclaimed in surprise, "Are you crazy?!"

"I'm not crazy! You're the ones who are crazy!"

Prince Rui crossed his arms and gritted his teeth, saying, "If the Crown Prince had listened to me, he would have eliminated this scourge long ago. Why would Father have to take him to such danger?!"

"That wicked concubine is determined to bewitch Father Emperor, and by nurturing that scourge, she has developed delusions and fantasies. Isn't she just trying to take this opportunity to get rid of my brother?"

"Yin Mingzhen, do you know what you're saying?!"

"I know!"

"I understand every single word clearly!"

Prince Rui looked at Prince Ying and gave a cold laugh.

"Don't tell me you're a stupid, foolish idiot who can't see even a fraction of Father's thoughts!"

“From the very beginning, he went to great lengths to give Jiang some ridiculous reputation for loyalty and righteousness. And look at the companions he chose for Yin Mingchen... He was wary of his elder brother, so wouldn't this 'youngest son' be more to his liking?”

Prince Rui was sarcastic and seemed a bit eccentric, but his words were so direct and poignant that they resonated with the King of England.

The King of England wanted to refute the King of Rui's words, but his throat tightened, preventing him from uttering a single word.

Consort Zhao has been in Kunning Palace for years. In the end, no one can be said to be clean about the things that happen in the palace. If Empress Wang is the chief culprit, then Consort Zhao is an accomplice.

There is never a way to enjoy benefits without paying any price in this world, so the King of England never had any intention of getting rid of the Crown Prince.

After a long pause, the King of England lowered his eyes, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Mingzhen, you, you, what exactly are you trying to do by saying all this?"

This time it was Prince Rui's turn to be silent. He unconsciously clenched his fist, then relaxed and clenched it again, repeating this several times before finally saying in a deep voice, "It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost."

"Father is getting old, and it is already difficult for him to travel day and night."

"If the Ninth Prince were to unfortunately perish in a disaster, causing Consort Jiang to grieve excessively and succumb to the wrath of all medicine..."

"Mingzhen".

Even though he knew that what Prince Rui said made sense, when it came to "treasonous" matters, the King of Ying's expression was still disapproving. He stared straight at Prince Rui and said, "Some things, once done, have no turning back."

Prince Rui narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Prince Ying's expression before speaking again, but suddenly took a step back: "If Your Majesty feels hesitant, then leave this matter to fate."

"Leave it to fate?"

"If Father's men find Mingchen first and return to the capital safely, then all will be well."

"If Mingchen were to pass away, Father would surely be heartbroken and lose all reason. To prevent a repeat of the late Emperor's affair with Consort Feng, we should make preparations as soon as possible."

The King of England slowly nodded.

"......good."

Seeing that the King of England had agreed, the Prince Rui went to his study and wrote a letter.

He stamped the letter himself and had the King of England stamp it as well. Then, under the pretext of waiting until it got dark so that his confidant could deliver the letter, he left the letter behind for the time being.

After seeing the King of England off, the Prince of Rui took out the letter, added a few more strokes, and then resealed it with satisfaction. He then sent someone to deliver it by fast horse.

......