Li Youran suppressed a laugh, then pointed to Liu Zhiyuan's bowing gesture.
"I heard that you are engaged to Feng Yu, the eldest son of the Emperor's brother-in-law. Is this true?"
Liu Zhiyuan did not answer Li Youran's question; instead, he asked impatiently.
Ever since he learned about this, he had been restless and, after much thought, still wanted to find Li Youran and ask her for an explanation.
However, he knew that something had happened in the palace, and he was a retainer of the Minister's residence. If he rashly went to visit the Second Prince's residence, he might cause unnecessary trouble.
So he went to Li Youran's jewelry shop to wait. He knew that Li Youran had put a lot of effort into the jewelry shop, and no matter what happened, she would come to the jewelry shop.
As the saying goes, perseverance pays off. After waiting for three incense sticks to burn, Liu Zhiyuan finally saw Li Youran.
"That is indeed true."
Li Youran nodded and smiled as she spoke to Liu Zhiyuan.
Upon hearing Li Youran's words, Liu Zhiyuan forced a smile, nodded, and said to Li Youran.
“Feng Yu is a handsome man who has risen to an important position at a young age. He is a good man.”
As Liu Zhiyuan spoke, he clenched his fist tightly inside his sleeve. No one could tell how much grief he was experiencing when he uttered those words.
If it were anyone else, he could have competed for it, but it was such an outstanding person, and the marriage was bestowed by the emperor, that he didn't even have the right to compete.
After Liu Zhiyuan finished speaking, he turned to leave, looking completely lost and dejected.
Li Youran didn't know what to do. If she could say something comforting at this moment, it would definitely make Liu Zhiyuan feel better.
But for him, this became a nightmare, haunting his mind.
Thinking that a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one, Li Youran ultimately did nothing and watched Liu Zhiyuan leave.
Although there was no romantic spark between them, after spending so much time together, Li Youran genuinely considered Liu Zhiyuan a good friend and brother. Seeing him so heartbroken and sad, Li Youran also felt uncomfortable.
That evening, word spread from the palace that the princes' filial piety was evident, and the emperor's injuries had turned from critical to stable; he was now out of danger.
This undoubtedly confirmed the Second Prince's previous suspicion that the Emperor had been safe and sound from the beginning, and that it was all just an act.
The emperor's brother-in-law thought to himself that the emperor was considering establishing a crown prince, and that he might just be doing some tests in the coming days to prepare the second prince.
The Second Prince was surprised that the Imperial Uncle would be so kind, considering they usually had no contact with each other.
The unexpected kindness of the Imperial Uncle made the Second Prince ponder whether there was some other conspiracy behind it.
"Father knew that Second Brother had a way to turn coarse salt into fine salt, but not only did he not investigate further, he also tacitly allowed him to continue doing so. Could it be that Father intends to cultivate Second Brother?"
The Third Prince looked at the Prime Minister with a puzzled expression. Hu Youcai then clasped his hands in front of his chest and bowed to the Third Prince.
“Your Highness, I believe the Emperor did this entirely as a test for the Second Prince.”
"test?"
The Second Prince asked with a puzzled look, "Such a good test, I'd like to have it too..."
"The emperor did this to see where the Second Prince would spend the money from selling salt."
The prime minister continued speaking as he went.
"If His Highness the Second Prince is secretly cultivating his own power, the whereabouts of this money would be excellent evidence, and we might be able to take him down in one fell swoop."
After hearing the prime minister's words, the third prince's eyes widened, and he looked gloating.
"No wonder Father was so generous; it turns out he was just playing the long game."
Having thought this through, the Third Prince no longer envied the Second Prince for having such a way to make money.
"Your Highness, what we need to do now is to clear our names as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."
Although the prime minister's words and actions revealed his respect and obedience to the Third Prince, he was privately disgusted with the Third Prince and blamed him for being a stupid donkey, otherwise he wouldn't have squandered such a good hand.
Now, not only has the emperor lost favor, but he has also blindly believed the words of the Duke of Huguo's mansion, making the situation even more unmanageable.
If it weren't for his cleverness and resourcefulness in persuading the Third Prince to stop in time, he probably would have lost his head long ago.
"But how should we proceed? Under the pretext of supervising our copying of Buddhist scriptures, Father has planted many spies inside and outside the palace. The slightest disturbance will expose our actions."
The Third Prince frowned as he spoke, clearly indicating that acting under these circumstances would be unwise.
"If Your Highness trusts this old minister, then entrust this matter to this old minister."
If the prime minister weren't acting in his own self-interest, he probably wouldn't have bothered with the Third Prince long ago; he's an utterly stupid donkey.
"Go ahead!"
The Third Prince waved his hand impatiently at the Prime Minister, which was taken as an agreement to the matter.
While the princes were busy with their own affairs, a nationwide plague suddenly broke out.
“The name is the foundation of the nation. This plague is an ominous sign. I am not feeling well, so I will send you brothers to make this trip on my behalf. You must quell the plague.”
"My son, obey my command."
Several princes knelt on the ground, and the emperor, who was lying on the bed, bowed in greeting.
"Eunuch Su, is my kingdom truly doomed?"
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