Unplanned events

Li Yunheng was in high spirits when he left the Crown Prince's residence. This was not only because Li Yunrui had been humiliated by him, but more importantly because Li Yunrui and Li Yunye had finally broken up. He could simply sit back and reap the benefits.

Waiting for him at the entrance of the Crown Prince's residence was Xu Chang'an, who immediately bowed upon seeing Li Yunheng, "Your Highness Prince Cheng! Is everything going smoothly?"

"Everything went perfectly," Li Yunheng smiled as he got into the sedan chair. He then lifted the curtain and said to Xu Chang'an, "You come in too!" Once Xu Chang'an was inside, Li Yunheng said, "Today's success has certainly made all my efforts these past few days worthwhile."

"Your Highness is wise. You bribed the guards beforehand and took good care of Consort Xiao. Otherwise, how could His Highness the Jade Prince have turned against the Crown Prince?"

"Bribing the guards beforehand is nothing; what's truly remarkable is Consort Xiao's vanity and her devoted son's eagerness to save his mother." Li Yunheng looked out the window at the plaque of the Crown Prince's residence. "Tell me... when will this plaque be delivered and hung at my door?"

Xu Chang'an smiled and said, "Soon. Once His Majesty returns, Your Highness can report everything at once."

"No, no, no, if we report them all at once, wouldn't that ruin the show? Li Yunrui trusts the third brother so much, let the third brother send him away!" Li Yunheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then asked, "I heard that Consort Xiao has gone mad?" "Hard to say, sometimes lucid, sometimes insane. She can't distinguish between reality and dreams, and all she talks about is her son inheriting the throne."

Upon hearing Xu Chang'an's words, a cold glint flashed in Li Yunheng's eyes. He said in a cold voice, "If things really don't work out, we should get rid of Xiao Wan'er!" Xu Chang'an looked at Li Yunheng, somewhat surprised. "Your Highness, isn't this a bit too fast? After all... without Xiao Wan'er, how can we still restrain the Jade Prince?"

"When Father Emperor returns, given Li Yunrui's personality, he will definitely report this to him. Father Emperor hates nothing more than those who covet the throne and harbor rebellious intentions. What do you think will be the consequences for Consort Xiao's interference in politics?"

"The consequences... being banished to the cold palace, never to see them again? So what?"

"What's wrong? With Father's declaration of 'never seeing each other again,' do you think Li Yunye will ever see his mother again? It's not that I want to be ruthless, it's just that Xiao Wan'er never listens to a word. We've had so many people whispering in her ear; what if one day we do something wrong, and Father wants to overturn the case? One move from her, and we'll have no chance of survival." Li Yunheng smiled. "Once Father gives the order, find a peaceful day and send Consort Xiao on her way. Remember to do it cleanly."

Xu Chang'an nodded in agreement, then seemed to remember something and said, "Your Highness, I forgot to tell you, when I came here just now I saw Shen Qinghang taking the two guards who were watching over Consort Xiao back. It's likely the Crown Prince wants to take them back for questioning. But please rest assured, Your Highness, I've already made arrangements beforehand. The poison has already been given to them, and I've also sent people to secretly follow their families."

Li Yunheng sneered and waved his hand, "Give their families some money! Give them a lot, consider it a pension. Make sure the story sounds nice, so they don't spread rumors."

"They dare not..."

As the two were chatting, they returned to the Prince Cheng's residence. Li Yunheng had just gotten out of the carriage and hadn't even settled down when he saw the steward standing at the gate. He asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Your Highness, Prince Yu has come to the residence, saying he has something to discuss with you." The steward was an elderly gentleman, handpicked by Consort Rong from among her servants. Knowing Li Yunheng's intentions, he had already guessed most of what was going on when he saw Li Yunye arrive, and had been waiting for Li Yunheng at the door since early morning.

Upon hearing that Li Yunye had arrived, Li Yunheng didn't rush inside. Instead, he waved to the old steward, signaling him to leave, then turned to Xu Chang'an and asked, "What do you think?"

"I believe His Highness Prince Yu has most likely met with the Crown Prince. If you go over now and have a long chat, it might increase His Highness's trust in you. In the struggle for the throne, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Besides, Consort Xiao isn't entirely useless; you can still use her current situation to put more pressure on His Highness." Li Yunheng looked at Xu Chang'an, thought for a moment, and then said, "I think the first part makes some sense, but the second part… I need to think about it again. Third Brother isn't a reckless man; if I push too hard, he'll see through me. He already leans more towards the Crown Prince; if I push too far now, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. Moreover, in both the court and the harem, Third Brother has never managed his own future, to the point that he has no supporters… In this state, I feel that besides being able to bring down Li Yunrui, he has no other value whatsoever."

Xu Chang'an shook his head and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Li Yunheng. "Your Highness, one should consider things from multiple perspectives. Sometimes, what seems useless is actually the most useful. Why don't you go and see His Highness the Jade Prince first to see what he thinks? This matter is not something I should discuss further, so I will take my leave now."

Li Yunheng glanced at Xu Chang'an, waved, took a deep breath, and entered the Prince's residence. "Third Brother! Long time no see, you've lost quite a bit of weight."

"You seem quite busy; I've been waiting here for ages and you still haven't come," Li Yunye said without even looking up as Li Yunheng entered, popping nuts into his mouth one by one.

"I'm going to see the Crown Prince," Li Yunheng said. Li Yunye's body trembled slightly upon hearing this. Seeing the satisfied reaction, Li Yunheng's lips curled into a smile. He continued, "I criticized the Crown Prince for not seeing Consort Xiao sooner, causing her to be in such a sorry state and bringing his relationship with you to a freezing point."

"What did he say?" In truth, Li Yunye had never given up on any opportunity to exonerate Li Yunrui. Although Li Yunye was furious that Li Yunrui had locked Xiao Wan'er up, he still wanted to believe that his elder brother, who had raised him since childhood, wouldn't harm him. As long as Li Yunrui gave him a reasonable explanation or released Xiao Wan'er, he wouldn't make things difficult for him anymore. "What did he say? Hmm... this... I'm not sure how to say it, Third Brother. To be honest, you know me, Fourth Brother. I don't want to make enemies unless absolutely necessary, but these days you and Eldest Brother have been at odds... It's really difficult for me to be caught in the middle."

"Speak freely, I have no power or influence, what can I possibly threaten you with?" Seeing Li Yunye speak, Li Yunheng rolled his eyes, then said with difficulty, "Big brother is still the same as always, saying that he had already spoken with the guards not to make things difficult for Lady Xiao, but you've seen it for yourself, Third Brother, Lady Xiao has been tormented to the point of madness. And... I heard that Big Brother took the guards away and gave them a large sum of money to retire to their hometown. Third Brother... anyone with eyes can see that this is to silence them!"

"Nonsense! Even if Li Yunrui is incompetent, he wouldn't...wouldn't do something like this, backstabbing others!" Li Yunye turned to leave in anger, but Li Yunheng grabbed him. "Third brother, think about it carefully! If he really wanted to help you, why didn't he go see Consort Xiao? Why did he only rush over after I questioned him, taking the guards with him? The path to the throne is incredibly difficult and lonely. Where would brotherhood come from? Even if there was any, it was destroyed when Consort Xiao gossiped about usurping the throne! Third brother! Stop running away!"

Li Yunye was stunned. He couldn't believe that his respected elder brother would one day frame him and his mother. Li Yunye stared into Li Yunheng's eyes for a long time before slowly saying, "Yunheng, I want to seize the throne, not only for my mother, but also for myself."

Li Yunheng was stunned by Li Yunye's words and remained silent for a long time. In his memory, Li Yunye would never fight for the throne for his own benefit; at most, Xiao Wan'er would just flatter him. Therefore, Li Yunye's words were not in his plans at all. But who was Li Yunheng? After quickly weighing the pros and cons, he said, "Third Brother is right. If Third Brother intends to fight for the throne, I will naturally help you. Don't rush to ask me why. To be honest, I'm tired of fighting with Eldest Brother these past few years. Besides, you know how suspicious Father is. It's really exhausting to be hiding things all day long. Since Eldest Brother took office, I've also seen how difficult it is, so... I... I hope Third Brother won't find it offensive." Li Yunheng spoke sincerely, which actually made Li Yunye trust him a little. But how could Li Yunheng give up the throne? He just believed that overthrowing Li Yunrui was not easy. Li Yunrui had many ministers behind him, and there were quite a few who supported him. Two against one would at least give him a better chance of winning. Moreover, he had observed Emperor Yun's attitude ever since Li Yunrui became Crown Prince. If it weren't for the ministers' remonstrances, the Crown Prince wouldn't have been appointed so early. Furthermore, Emperor Yun was inherently suspicious, and the position of Crown Prince was now like a hot potato. In any case, he had plenty of time; the longer he dragged things out, the greater his chances of winning would be.

Ever since returning from Xiao Wan'er's place, Li Yunrui had been harboring resentment. Li Yunheng's mockery, Xiao Wan'er's curses, and Li Yunye's threats all pierced his heart. Now, he was eager to rush back to the manor to interrogate the two guards. Upon entering, Li Yunrui didn't, as usual, inquire about Lin Xiaomei waiting outside. Instead, he went straight to his study and then had the steward summon Shen Qinghang.

"Old Steward, what's wrong?" Lin Xiaomei noticed Li Yunrui's pale face and quickly pulled him aside as the steward came out, asking, "The Crown Prince was perfectly fine when he went out today, why is he so angry when he comes back?" "This old servant doesn't know either, the Crown Prince is in a bad mood, please don't get involved. Go back to your room and rest!" Just then, Shen Qinghang arrived uninvited, glanced at the steward, and asked softly, "Has the Crown Prince returned?"

"You're back. His Highness is waiting for you in the room. He doesn't look well today..." Before the steward could finish speaking, Shen Qinghang rushed in. "Your Highness... Something terrible has happened! Those two guards committed suicide in the cell!"

"What?" Li Yunrui jumped up and stood up, saying, "Suicide? Are you sure he wasn't murdered?"

"Yes, and there's also a letter of apology, stating that he embezzled the gifts from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue intended for Consort Xiao because of greed. He claims it has nothing to do with anyone else." Li Yunrui's expression grew increasingly serious upon hearing this. If word got out, others would think he was trying to silence Li Yunye, and he would be unable to clear his name no matter what. "Find the maid who came to my residence that rainy night to report to me! Find her and interrogate her!"