Yuwen Yi's life in the capital was not easy. He was caught between two factions. Although he was not framed or forced, he was often ridiculed.
When news of Xiao Ziwu's fall from the cliff reached the capital, he aged ten years overnight, his hair turning white.
Yuwen Yi placed all his bets on the Third Prince, offending Xiao Ziyan both openly and secretly on numerous occasions. Of course, he had no intention of turning to Xiao Ziyan for allegiance.
During this period, I can only keep a low profile!
Take this early morning for example—
On the Xuanzheng Hall.
Xiao Ziyan wore a black satin robe that had been made by more than a hundred embroiderers from the Embroidery and Textile Bureau, who had stayed up for more than a dozen nights in a row.
The hem of the robe was trimmed with gold-thread cloud patterns and embroidered with the image of a four-clawed dragon. The wide sleeves were trimmed with silk tapestry patterns. The waist was cinched in moon white, and the belt was made of gold-hooked faux belt. She wore two jade pendants and her black hair was tied up with a purple-gold jade crown.
Only the crown prince could wear the prescribed attire for court appearances.
With his chin slightly raised, he slowly stepped onto the spotless white jade steps under the astonished and uncertain gazes of the assembled officials, stopping just a few fists' distance from the gilded dragon throne!
Their gazes were filled with undisguised greed and burning desire.
Mu Chengye's expression changed slightly. Standing before the assembled officials, he questioned, "His Majesty is unwell, and the imperial edict establishing the heir has not yet been issued. Yet the Second Prince dares to overstep the bounds of propriety by wearing a robe adorned with a four-clawed dragon. Could it be that he harbors rebellious intentions?!"
Xiao Ziyan stood still for a long time, finally withdrawing his gaze from the dragon throne above, his eyes lowering their determination. He turned around and looked at Mu Chengye, who was full of vigilance, with a disdainful attitude.
"My father is bedridden and delirious, rarely lucid. Fortunately, my mother has been by his side at all times. Last night, she heard my father talking in his sleep. Even in his illness, he was still worried about the succession. Therefore, he issued an edict to establish me as the crown prince!"
Xiao Ziyan casually brushed off non-existent dust from the corner of his robe and smiled modestly.
The ministers looked uneasy; wasn't this blatant lying?
The imperial edict was issued just last night, and today he is already wearing the dragon-patterned court robes?
This satin robe must have taken several weeks to make, right?
It's obvious that the Second Prince had planned this all along!
Everyone in the hall knew the truth, but who dared to say it aloud?
—Left Chancellor Mu Chengye dares!
His long eyes narrowed coldly, and in the deathly silent Xuanzheng Hall, he questioned Xiao Ziyan, who stood before the white jade steps, in a deep voice: "How can the matter of establishing an heir be treated lightly? The Second Prince controls the palace and forbids us from seeing the Emperor. Now he has casually uttered a decree from His Majesty. This old minister firmly believes that this is a trick orchestrated by the Second Prince himself!"
"Is the Left Chancellor slandering me for falsely conveying the imperial edict and persecuting the Emperor?"
Xiao Ziyan stared back defiantly, his eyebrows raised, displaying an assertive demeanor that left no room for retreat.
"Your humble servant would not dare."
Mu Chengye lowered his head slightly, saying he dared not, but his face showed no respect whatsoever. He continued to press on, saying, "However, the Second Prince's one-sided words are simply unconvincing. Your Majesty is loyal to me and I cannot stand by and watch as Your Majesty, afflicted by illness, has your throne usurped by some ambitious people!"
Everyone knows who this is alluding to.
Xiao Ziyan's face turned ashen, and he said with a disgusted expression as if he had swallowed a fly, "Chief Steward Wang has served the emperor for many years. Surely Prime Minister Mu would believe his words? Chief Steward Wang also heard my father's delirious ramblings during his illness. Why not let him confront him in the hall? That would also preserve Prime Minister Mu's reputation for loyally protecting the emperor."
This is even more absurd. Wang Yu had already been bribed by Lin Ruhong, so having him testify was completely unnecessary!
"No need!"
Mu Chengye adopted the imposing manner of the current prime minister and coldly retorted, "The matter of establishing an heir concerns the very foundation of the nation. Without His Majesty's personal edict bearing the imperial seal and seal, otherwise... please forgive this humble subject for not being able to address you as His Highness the Crown Prince!"
He bowed deeply, displaying the demeanor of a loyal minister deeply concerned for his country and its people.
Liao, the councilor, immediately knelt down and loudly seconded the motion: "We request that Your Highness present the edict establishing the heir apparent, so that we may be convinced!"
Then, a group of ministers under Mu Chengye said, "Please, Your Highness, produce the edict establishing the heir apparent!"
Most of the prince and his courtiers knelt down and loudly and in unison reaffirmed their decision.
Beneath the jade crown, Xiao Ziyan's eyes were bloodshot as he angrily pointed at Mu Chengye and roared, "How dare you defy the imperial decree!" His furious tone was tinged with embarrassment.
With the bulging veins on the back of his hand right in front of him, Mu Chengye effortlessly moved the finger away, his yellow eyes showing no fear whatsoever.
He chuckled lightly, "A royal decree is an order issued by His Majesty, and the Second Prince is not yet qualified to do so..."
Yuwen Yi stood aside with his head bowed, taking in the entire confrontation between the two.
Xiao Ziyan was ultimately too naive, and was easily led astray by the old fox Mu Chengye in just a few words.
He was secretly grumbling to himself when he heard Mu Chengye suddenly call out to him, "Minister of Rites, why don't you quickly tell the Second Prince what style His Highness's official robes should be, and make sure there are no discrepancies like today?"
Mu Chengye scoffed lightly, "Tomorrow, Your Highness, please dress appropriately before the court assembly."
The phrase "dressed properly" was emphasized almost imperceptibly.
The courtiers whispered amongst themselves.
"His Majesty is bedridden, but the Second Prince shows no sign of grief; he even took the opportunity to wear the robes of the Crown Prince!"
"That's right... The Third Prince died without a trace, and the Second Prince is the only prince of marriageable age. If you ask me, he doesn't need to be in such a hurry!"
"Thanks to Mu Cheng's loyalty and protection of the emperor, we are but insignificant people with little influence. How dare we disregard His Majesty's words?"
These words were like a leech, causing Xiao Ziyan's face to turn pale and then red. He was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his fur standing on end, wishing he could bite Mu Chengye to death!
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