Luo Lingyue's lips curled up slightly, a hint of confidence flashing in her eyes: "Don't worry! This time, the Crown Prince will probably do more than just put him under house arrest!"
Hearing this, the three people in the carriage were stunned and looked puzzled. Xiao Jinghan couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any other ways to deal with the prince?"
Luo Lingyue chuckled, shook her head, and said, "I don't have any other options. Don't forget, I have an aunt who is so stunningly beautiful that she can make the moon blush and the flowers ashamed. Just wait! There will be news at the court tomorrow morning!"
The King of Qin frowned slightly and said in a serious tone, "No matter how hard Mother tries, there's no way Father will depose the Crown Prince! Besides, even if Father wanted to, Li Mingfu and the civil officials wouldn't agree!"
Xiao Jinghan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile: "The Crown Prince cannot be abolished now. After all, we need to keep him to deal with the threats from the Third and Fourth Princes."
Luo Lingyue nodded in agreement, her eyes gleaming with wisdom. "That's right, I don't intend for Your Majesty to depose the Crown Prince immediately. My goal is simply to make Your Majesty hate him. As long as I can achieve that, it will be enough."
She frowned slightly and continued, "Once the Crown Prince becomes known as an impulsive, reckless man in the minds of the ministers, they will be in trouble when choosing sides in the future. This will make it easier for the Third and Fourth Princes to win over the ministers. Once the Third and Fourth Princes make the Crown Prince feel threatened, he will go all out to deal with them. That's when we can conserve our strength!"
A hint of admiration flashed in Xiao Jinghan's eyes, and he chuckled softly, "Yes, your trick is indeed brilliant. Making the Crown Prince lose support first is indeed an effective strategy. However, we cannot be careless, after all, the situation in the palace is complex and volatile."
Luo Lingyue smiled faintly and said confidently, "Don't worry, I understand the risks involved. However, as long as we are cautious and take every step carefully, we will definitely achieve ultimate victory."
Emperor Wen and Imperial Noble Consort An Qinghuan returned to Yihuan Palace together. As soon as they entered, Emperor Wen asked all the palace maids to leave.
An Qinghuan sat in a chair, looking somewhat gloomy. Emperor Wen walked over to sit beside her, sighed, and said, "I know you feel wronged! I feel the same way! Xiaoqi is like my own daughter in my heart, but look, the Prime Minister directly labeled the Crown Prince as being drunk and confused! What can I do?"
An Qinghuan raised her head and looked at Emperor Wen, tears glistening in her eyes. She choked and said, "I understand your majesty's difficulties. Even if I am angry, I dare not show it! I am afraid that the officials will talk about the concubines interfering in government affairs!"
Emperor Wen held An Qinghuan's hand and patted it comfortingly. His eyes flickered, and he suddenly snorted coldly, "If the Queen could be as aware as you, I wouldn't have to worry! Your An and Luo families command large armies, and you are all very cautious, fearing that the civil officials will have opinions about you! But the Queen, she and Li Mingfu secretly win over important officials in the court, and they don't take me seriously at all!"
An Qinghuan frowned slightly after hearing Emperor Wen's words, but still said softly, "Your Majesty, please calm down! I understand what you mean! But the Queen is the mother of a country after all, Your Majesty must handle this matter with caution!"
Emperor Wen nodded, his tone softening slightly. "I will naturally handle this matter! However, this time, I am disappointed with the Queen and Li Mingfu's behavior! They actually dared to openly meddle with my will. This is really too much!"
An Qinghuan forced a wry smile, "I understand your majesty's trust and respect for the Crown Prince, but today's incident has truly embarrassed the Crown Prince. Xiao Qi is innocent, but was implicated because of Cheng Jin. Your Majesty, perhaps we should reflect on whether it's because we've doted on Cheng Jin too much that the Crown Prince has become dissatisfied!"
Emperor Wen's expression grew solemn. He looked at An Qinghuan with deep eyes and said firmly, "This isn't my favor to Cheng Jin, but the reward he deserves! Moreover, I can't entrust the safety of the palace to anyone else. Only Cheng Jin is the one I trust completely!"
An Qinghuan frowned slightly. She knew she couldn't change Emperor Wen's decision, so she could only sigh helplessly: "Your Majesty, you are right. Cheng Jin is indeed capable of protecting the safety of the imperial palace. But this incident has caused an uproar, and we must take measures to calm the public anger. Otherwise, it will not only affect the reputation of the imperial family, but may also cause more trouble!"
Emperor Wen frowned and nodded solemnly, indicating that he agreed with An Qinghuan's statement.
Seeing this, An Qinghuan continued, "If word of this matter reached Nanyi, and the people there learned that their beloved Prince Wu'an and Princess had suffered injustice in the palace, how would they feel? Prince Wu'an has always been a loyal and patriotic minister. He voluntarily handed over military power, only to be bullied and insulted by the Crown Prince! I'm worried that the people of the world will be dissatisfied with the royal family because of this!"
Hearing this, Emperor Wen finally realized that this incident had indeed had extremely serious consequences. His brows furrowed even more tightly, and he fell into deep thought without saying a word.
An Qinghuan saw that his words had attracted enough attention from Emperor Wen, so he stopped talking and knew when to stop.
Emperor Wen pondered silently for a long time before saying to An Qinghuan, "I still have some matters to attend to. My beloved concubine, please go to bed early!"
An Qinghuan lowered her head meekly and replied softly, "Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell!" Then she watched Emperor Wen leave.
Emperor Wen came to the imperial study with a gloomy face. After he sat down, he immediately asked Kong Boda to come over and answer his questions. Kong Boda stood respectfully before Emperor Wen. Emperor Wen asked, "What happened today?"
Kong Boda lowered his head and replied softly, "Your Majesty, the secret guards reported that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince took the initiative to provoke Princess Wu'an. The secret guards didn't dare to get too close, so they didn't hear what they said."
Emperor Wen frowned, his expression becoming increasingly grim. He then asked, "Is the Crown Prince drunk?"
Kong Boda hesitated for a moment, then answered seriously, "No, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince appeared extremely angry the entire time. Moreover, according to the observations and reports of the secret guards, the Crown Prince seemed to have murderous intentions towards Princess Wu'an."
When Emperor Wen heard this, he was shocked and his face showed shock and disappointment.
Emperor Wen gently waved his hand at Kong Boda, signaling him to leave. Kong Boda lowered his head, pursed his lips, his eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly stepped back a few steps respectfully, then turned and left.
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