From the moment the Ju family allied themselves with the Min family, they attempted to control the Third Princess's marriage, hoping to win over allies by choosing a good son-in-law.
The Jiang and Dou families remain the best targets, but Jiang Chengyuan's fate on the battlefield is uncertain, and Jiang Chengfeng is the only male left who can stand in the court, so he certainly cannot marry a princess.
The male members of the Dou family are only ten years old, so it's even more impossible.
Following this logic, the He family, having both eligible males and a stable, neutral stance, naturally attracted attention.
The Ju family has grown stronger in silence, secretly winning over the Fang, Zhu, and Tao families, and now they have also tied themselves to the Min and He families. They can be said to wield great power in the court with ease.
Even if the Jiang and Dou families joined forces, they might not be able to withstand it.
No wonder the Ju family didn't care about the existence of the Fifth Prince, the legitimate son, and didn't expose him even when he was feigning illness. It turns out they had long been prepared to control half of the country and use their power to oppress others.
"The Crown Prince's ambition is far too obvious." Even Zheng Ruqian, who knew nothing about politics, was shocked. "Then... what should we do next?"
What can we do?
Xu Mo chuckled, "Of course, we'll take them down one by one."
The He family was the first to be affected.
He gestured for Zheng Ruqian to continue working on the lamb leg. The pungent aroma filled the courtyard, but the lamb was tender, sweet, and slightly charred. The fat and lean meat were perfectly balanced, and the oil was forced out by the heat, while also moisturizing the dry parts.
Jiang Sheng was already eating with gusto, her mouth greasy and her belly slightly protruding, like an unripe watermelon.
"How can you still eat..." Zheng Ruqian pouted angrily, feeling irritated by his eldest brother's nonchalant attitude, wishing he could slap a lamb leg on his head.
However, what he actually did was carefully place the lamb leg in front of him and ask obsequiously, "How does it taste, brother? Is it delicious, brother?"
Xu Mo gracefully tore off a piece, chewing it slowly and elegantly, "Not bad."
"Then, brother, I'll open a..." Before he could finish his sentence, the courtyard gate was being frantically pounded on.
The last time something like this happened was when Qi Huai regretted letting his father down.
Zheng Ruqian slowly straightened up, gesturing for Jiang San to go open the door, while simultaneously raising a fire poker as a weapon.
The person outside must have been really anxious. The door bolt had barely been pulled down when they rushed in, their voice low and strained, "Brother Xu, Brother Xu, save me, save me!"
Xu Mo remained unmoved, even having the leisure to flip the lamb leg over and eat the crispiest outer skin.
"Big brother," Jiang Sheng said with great interest, "I want to eat too."
He changed to a new pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece of food, and put it in the girl's mouth. He watched her squint her eyes in satisfaction and chuckled softly.
"Brother Xu..." The man was almost crying. "Please stop eating and help me. Save my life."
Xu Mo then put down his chopsticks and looked at the slightly dark-skinned young man. "So it's Brother He. What a coincidence that my younger brother personally roasted the lamb leg today. Why don't you sit down and have a taste?"
"I'm not in the mood," He Yunyao blurted out, then saw the brother and sister opposite him calm down slowly.
He plopped down next to Xu Mo, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and started gnawing on a leg of lamb.
As I ate, whether it was because the food was too delicious or because I had completely relaxed, I actually nodded in satisfaction.
Xu Mo chuckled softly as he put down his bowl and chopsticks.
That's how it should be. Even when faced with problems, a young master from a prominent family should not be hasty. He should remain calm, composed, and composed, and he should respond to all changes with unwavering composure.
After finishing half a lamb leg, He Yunyao started burping. He then sipped his barley tea and said, "It was wrong of me to refuse you last time. This time, the hardship has befallen me. Yunyao has nothing to guarantee, but I can confidently tell Brother Xu that I will do my best to make what you want happen."
It may be called suffering, but it's not really.
The head of the He family has three sons. The eldest son has already given birth to the eldest grandson, and the second son is engaged but not yet married. Only the youngest son, He Yunyao, who is sixteen years old, is still single. The responsibility of marrying the princess naturally falls on his shoulders.
If one truly has no ambition for the imperial court, being a leisurely and wealthy imperial son-in-law wouldn't be so bad.
"Brother Xu, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in my shoes." He Yunyao got angry when he heard this. "Who doesn't study hard for decades to achieve outstanding political achievements? Do you think I studied poetry and books to please women and become a prince consort?"
Moreover, the He family never wanted to get involved in the succession struggle.
She was able to refuse Xu Mo back then, so naturally she wants to refuse the Third Princess now.
However, the two cannot be compared. He could refuse Xu Mo with two sentences, but he could not fall out with the Third Princess, and he was even less willing to offend the Ju family behind her.
"So you came all this way to see me today, do you want to get involved?" Xu Mo's tone was gentle, but his words were sharp and to the point.
He Yunyao was speechless.
“After I got home, I thought about it. Your suggestion is to get involved in the mess, but it’s not about vying for the throne,” he said carefully. “It’s different with the Third Princess; she’s tied to the First Prince’s boat.”
The He family, however, was unwilling to stand with the eldest prince.
While there was certainly a desire for neutrality and stability involved, the Crown Prince's own abilities were also worrying to those with discerning eyes. Any truly shrewd and insightful family head could see through Zhu Changhong's incompetent nature.
Fang Jia Neng, therefore, chose the second prince as his master.
He Jianeng therefore refused to be tied to the eldest prince.
As for the other devoted families, they probably made their bets because of the favor the Consort received and the fact that the eldest prince was the eldest among the legitimate sons.
To put it bluntly, it's not that the eldest prince is so outstanding, but rather that the chances of the others being outstanding are too low.
If there's nowhere to retreat, you can walk along the riverbank.
When there's nothing left to gamble on, even a corner is a path.
When the Ju family held sway over the entire political landscape, and Consort Ju enjoyed the Emperor's favor for twenty years, and even gave birth to his eldest son, the Emperor's favoritism was already blatant.
Throughout history, no prominent family has ever allowed a concubine to bear children first.
Consort Ju not only gave birth, but also outlived the Empress, and ruthlessly suppressed the other princes without receiving any punishment.
Such overwhelming favor would make anyone tremble.
He Yunyao was in a great hurry, wanting to both decline the marriage and avoid offending Consort Ju and the eldest prince.
Given the He family's capabilities, is it really possible that they can't come up with any solutions?
What he just said was truly his own thought, not the He family's.
Xu Mo took a sip of the fragrant tea, his mind gradually becoming more certain, "It seems that Patriarch He has agreed to my proposal."
He Yunyao was stunned, seemingly not yet having recovered.
The boy placed the teacup back on the table and noticed the lingering mutton fat on his fingers. He slowly and deliberately took the delicate pink handkerchief from his sister's clothes, his movements clean and elegant, gentle and composed.
In a daze, he resembled the ministers who strategized in the imperial court, yet he was much, much younger than them.
He Yunyao finally came to his senses and dropped all pretense. "Brother Xu is insightful. The He family has carefully compared the pros and cons and would rather wade into the muddy waters of the court than be tied to the Ju family's warship."
"The He family is willing to grant your previous proposal, and the He family is also willing to lend a helping hand when Brother Xu encounters difficulties, but only for Brother Xu alone."
This may sound awkward, but the meaning is quite clear.
The He family can cooperate with you to squeeze out the Fang family, replace their position, and even cause discord with the Jiang and Dou families.
But the He family is not on your side, and they will not support your bid for the throne.
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