Chapter 127 Lust for Power "You really don't want her?"
Before the expansion of the Prince's Mansion, Xiawei Pavilion was located in the center of the mansion. Now, after the expansion, it is hidden in a bamboo forest. It is the season when bamboo grows. Taking advantage of the dense bamboo forest for cover, the two entered the study smoothly.
A faint scent of sandalwood lingered in Jiang Yu's study. The aroma, which should have been calming, had no effect. Almost the instant they stepped into the study, the two of them became instinctively alert. Jiang Yu tightly protected Shen Yujiao behind him. The study was completely silent, and in the deep darkness, another voice could be faintly heard.
Upon recognizing the familiarity of the aura, Jiang Yu's pupils dilated sharply for a moment. He grabbed Shen Yujiao, and the two stood motionless. Moonlight slanted in, completely concealing Shen Yujiao's figure behind Jiang Yu. The two stood there quietly, their intertwined shadows only visible through their clasped hands.
In the midst of their entanglement, the number "four" heard in her palm caused Shen Yujiao's hand, which had been struggling for a moment, to freeze instantly. She had been wondering why Jiang Yu had suddenly stopped, and although she had instinctively stopped as well, she hadn't understood his meaning until now—
There was a third person in the study: King Zhao.
Jiang Yu stood there with Shen Yujiao for a long time, until their knees were numb. Only then did he realize that Jiang Jin seemed to be fast asleep. He carefully moved in the opposite direction with Shen Yujiao, step by step. The two of them were on tenterhooks with every step, not daring to make a sound, until they reached the bookshelf, at which point Jiang Yu stopped.
In the darkness, Jiang Yu pressed a button somewhere, and with a click, the bookshelf began to move slowly, revealing a small archway.
If she dared not make a sound just now, then this was the time to seize every second. Shen Yujiao felt something being stuffed into her hand, and then she was pushed into the archway. The door flipped over, and she fell into the secret room in Jiang Yu's study.
Upon re-entering the confined space, Shen Yujiao felt her hair stand on end, but the next moment, as she touched what was in her hand, her tense body instantly relaxed—it was a tinderbox.
As the flames flickered and the secret room was illuminated, she heard the sound of the bookshelves being moved again outside. Shen Yujiao's heart sank: she was isolated and protected by Jiang Yu, but at the same time, she lost her way out.
Inside the secret chamber stood a Buddha statue half the height of the wall. The dim candlelight illuminated the Buddha's face, adding a touch of gentleness to its solemn features. Shen Yujiao was unconsciously drawn to the Buddha statue. She took a few steps forward, her gaze trembling slightly when she met the Buddha's face.
To be precise, this is a statue of Guanyin, and Shen Yujiao actually saw a sense of familiarity in the compassionate and kind face of Guanyin.
"Ah Jiao..."
The bookshelf slowly closed, forming a perfect seal. Jiang Yu sat down behind the desk by the moonlight, guarding the bookshelf behind him, remaining silent as he waited for the other person's reaction in the darkness.
Time passed silently, and there was no sound from the darkness, only the even and steady breathing. Jiang Yu was slightly relieved. He took out another tinderbox and lit the lamp in front of his desk. The moment the candle was lit, he felt the presence surging in the darkness.
Half of the study was lit up. He picked up the candlestick and walked deeper into the room. He saw Jiang Jin sleeping on the recliner where he usually rested. He placed the candlestick aside and sat down on a chair next to the recliner.
Perhaps dazzled by the candlelight, Jiang Jin groggily awoke to find himself in a dream within a dream. Looking at the blurry outline of the person before him, a self-deprecating smile crept across his lips as he murmured, "Dreaming of my brother again..."
"Jiang Jin," the moment Jiang Yu spoke, Jiang Jin instantly snapped back to reality. By the candlelight, he looked at the person in front of him and couldn't help but shudder. Then, he heard the person in front of him speak again: "Are you awake?"
"Brother..."
Seeing him standing there in a daze, Jiang Yu got up from his chair, walked up to him, and looked down at him: "Martial law is in effect in the city, and the city gates are closed. What are you trying to do with all this fanfare?"
Jiang Jin stared blankly at Jiang Yu, but after a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly realized what was happening and his emotions were instantly overwhelmed with excitement: "Brother, you're actually back!"
Jiang Jin, now fully aware of what was happening, seemed to be overjoyed. He stood up and grabbed Jiang Yu's arms, his eyes gleaming with a strange light: "Brother, let me tell you, that venomous woman in Kunyi Palace, while you were away, first made Father Emperor sick with anger, and then she colluded with the Imperial Hospital. Father Emperor passed away last month because he didn't receive timely treatment, but I managed to keep that news from her. Now that Jiang Chen is not in the capital, it's the perfect time for us to take action!"
Contrary to his feigned madness, Jiang Yu simply stared at him coldly: "Operation? What operation?"
“Of course, we should seize this opportunity to ascend the throne!” Jiang Jin’s eyes flashed with a hint of bloodlust. He shook Jiang Yu’s arms, his lips twitching. “Brother, I’ve arranged everything. The Empress is currently being controlled by Consort Shu, the Crown Prince is still in the northern frontier, the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince are no match for us, and the Eastern Palace is now only guarded by a Consort. The Crown Princess is seriously ill and is on her deathbed in Fu Hui Palace. Brother, what can stop us?”
The more agitated he became, the calmer Jiang Yu appeared, even to the point of being indifferent. He simply parted his thin lips and asked calmly, "Was Father's death also arranged by you?"
"What?"
As if all the excitement had been paused, Jiang Jin's grip on Jiang Yu's arm loosened slightly. He instinctively tried to back away, but Jiang Yu grabbed his neck, forcing him to look directly at him: "Tell me, was Father's death also something you orchestrated?"
Cracks appeared in the ice layer in Jiang Yu's eyes. He questioned the person in front of him, word by word. This was his younger brother, the younger brother he had raised and nurtured. He had built his cunning, nurtured his wolfish ambition, and honed him into a sharp blade with a cold gleam. But he had never imagined that one day his younger brother would point a poisoned blade at their father.
"Ah Jin, tell me, Father, did you kill him?"
"No......"
Intuition told Jiang Jin that he absolutely couldn't admit it now, but he could only utter one word before he couldn't continue. He couldn't lie to Jiang Yu, but seeing the growing disappointment in his brother's eyes, a buzzing sound filled his mind—
“Brother, even if Father’s death is related to me, others can’t escape that connection. Do you think I was the only one who did it? Who in the palace isn’t scheming? On the surface, they’re all filial sons, virtuous wives, and loving daughters, but in reality…”
"Smack—"
Jiang Jin was slapped across the face by his older brother without any mercy. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he turned away. He felt the burning pain on his face and was stunned for a long time.
"Do you think I would covet a victory obtained in this way? Jiang Jin, what did I say to you before I went to war? Do you remember a single word?"
Jiang Jin's heart sank with each sentence, causing him to slump back into the recliner. A look of confusion crossed his eyes as he looked up, puzzled. "But isn't this exactly what my brother planned?"
The throne, imperial power, supreme glory—they've schemed for years, all for that dragon throne, haven't they? And now, brother, you don't care anymore? Does how you obtained it really matter?
"You think you've won a great victory? Jiang Jin, wake up! Do you know what the situation is like in the Northern Frontier? Do you know that Jiang Chen's troops have already reached the capital of the Northern Di? If I ascend to that position today, he can lead his troops south to attack the imperial city tomorrow. What makes you think you can withstand the musketeer cavalry battalion?"
The words "musketeer cavalry battalion" were deeply etched in Jiang Jin's heart. He turned to look at Jiang Yu in disbelief, seeing that he still had that extremely disappointed expression: "You said that all families were involved in Father's death, but once it comes to light, the history books will only record that you killed the emperor and murdered your father! You don't care about your future, but don't you care about You'er and Rui'er either?"
Among the princes now, apart from the Prince of Wei, whose wife is pregnant, only Jiang Jin has a son.
Princess Zhao gave birth to twins at the beginning of this year, a boy and a girl. They were the first grandson and granddaughter of the next generation of the royal family to be born, which was a great joy for the royal family. Even though the situation in the northern border was unstable at the time, the emperor was overjoyed and immediately bestowed the names Jiang You and Jiang Rui upon the twins.
Now, Jiang Jin's child is not even a year old, yet he has committed such an unforgivable crime. Even if he manages to escape death, his children's future will not be smooth sailing.
When the child was mentioned, a rare look of struggle appeared in Jiang Jin's eyes. He slowly closed his eyes, and after a long while, he faced Jiang Yu directly and asked, "Brother, are you angry that I am useless, or are you worried about the Crown Princess of the Shen family?"
He slowly rose from the recliner, each word piercing Jiang Yu's heart like a knife: "Brother, no one understands your thoughts better than me. You want the throne, not just for that supreme power, but also for her, because she was born with the destiny of a phoenix, because she can only marry the emperor—not that whoever she marries will become the emperor, but that only whoever becomes the emperor has the right to marry her!"
Jiang Jin's throat was suddenly constricted, and the rising feeling of suffocation made him laugh involuntarily. He looked at Jiang Yu defiantly, forcing out the last words from his throat: "What? Brother... now that I've given you the chance to force her into marriage... you don't want her anymore...?"
"Shut up!"
After a dizzying spin, Jiang Jin was thrown to the ground with tremendous force. He clutched the burning pain in his throat, coughing and laughing, "Brother, her life is now in your hands. Shouldn't you be happy?"
He slowly stood up and walked step by step toward the person opposite him, his hoarse voice carrying a hint of seduction: "Brother, as long as you want, you are the rising sun of Great Xia. Ascend the throne, and Shen will be your empress. Even if the crown prince returns to the capital, so what? Isn't the strength of the musket cavalry the muskets? The Ministry of Works is in the capital, and we can also manufacture musket barrels. No matter how powerful Jiang Chen is, how many people can he kill?"
"I don't believe that he could slaughter all the people in the city, kill all the officials in the court, kill the Empress and Lady Shen, all for the sake of the throne..."
Jiang Jin slowly walked behind Jiang Yu, raised his hand to cover his eyes, and lowered his voice: "Brother, once you sit in that position, everything will be yours."
"Don't you really want her?"
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