But before Cao Gang could turn and leave, Ye Feng stood up and said, "There's no need for dinner. Besides, I'm in a hurry and need to go to the First Prince's place."
"It's not too late to go in the afternoon," the Third Prince said.
"I also have something to do this afternoon, I'm really sorry. I'll definitely have a good drink with His Highness another day when I'm free."
The night breeze bowed and turned to leave.
Watching Ye Feng's departing figure, the Third Prince sighed and asked, "Mr. Chen, why won't Mr. Ye support me like you do? Is there something I did wrong?"
He Chenyi shook his head and said, "Your Highness, please don't be impatient. Ye Feng and Luo Mengxuan have only been in the capital for two days. They are not familiar with this place yet, so they will naturally be wary and will not easily make any promises to others. In a while, they will understand how valuable it is that you, Third Prince, treat people with respect and courtesy."
"I hope so," the Third Prince said with a sigh.
After leaving the Third Prince's residence, Ye Feng arrived at the gate of the First Prince's mansion.
However, after Ye Feng explained his purpose, the gatekeeper of the First Prince's residence coldly said, "His Highness refuses to see guests. Please leave."
"I am……"
Ye Feng had only uttered two words when the gatekeeper arrogantly declared, "It doesn't matter who you are, the Crown Prince refuses all visitors."
Night Breeze smiled and said, "Alright, I'll leave now."
After saying this, Ye Feng turned and left without looking back.
As soon as the night breeze subsided, the gatekeeper entered the mansion and ran towards the inner courtyard.
The study in the inner quarters of the First Prince's residence.
A middle-aged man dressed in a golden robe and wearing a golden crown was sitting in the study.
This man is none other than the eldest prince of the Central Plains Dynasty!
After hearing the gatekeeper's report, the eldest prince asked, "Are you sure you didn't see wrong? That person is Night Wind, the Demon-Slaying Sword?"
“It’s definitely him,” the doorman answered without hesitation.
Seeing a hint of hesitation on the Crown Prince's face, the gatekeeper asked, "Ye Feng shouldn't have gone far yet. Should I invite him back?"
The eldest prince struggled internally, and after a moment he took a deep breath and said, "It's better not to see him."
After saying that, the eldest prince waved his hand.
The gatekeeper then bowed respectfully and left the study.
When Ye Feng returned to the inn, he found that Lu Chenguan had already returned.
At this moment, Lu Chenguan, Lu Qingshuang, and Luo Mengxuan were all sitting in the lobby on the first floor of the inn, waiting for him.
Upon seeing Ye Feng enter the hall, Luo Mengxuan immediately stood up from her chair and ran happily towards him.
"You've met all four princes, Junior Brother Ye?" Luo Mengxuan asked curiously.
“I’ve met everyone except the eldest prince,” Ye Feng said.
Luo Mengxuan pulled Ye Feng to sit down on a chair, poured him a cup of tea, and asked, "What's your impression of them? Of the four of them, who do you think is most likely to get entangled with the Chaozhen Clan?"
"It's too early to say," Ye Feng said, shaking his head.
Lu Chenguan and Lu Qingshuang were also looking at Ye Feng expectantly. Ye Feng then took a sip of tea and recounted everything he had seen and heard to Lu Chenguan and Lu Qingshuang in detail.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshuang immediately said, "The Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Seventh Prince have all met with you, Mr. Ye. Why is the First Prince refusing to see you? Does the First Prince have something to hide?"
Lu Chenguan glared at Lu Qingshuang and scolded, "How can you say such things so casually? Be careful not to get into trouble with your words!"
Lu Qingshuang finally shut her mouth and stopped talking nonsense.
Lu Chenguan pondered for a moment, then looked at Ye Feng and asked, "Mr. Ye, what do you think?"
“I’ll sit and watch,” Ye Feng said with a smile.
Lu Chenguan was stunned for a moment.
Ye Feng took another sip of tea and said, "Just kidding... Actually, I don't have any opinion right now. I only met the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Seventh Prince once. How can I see through a person after only one meeting?"
"You know, you can't see into someone's heart. Even friends or spouses who spend every day together may not be able to know each other's true character. I have only met with the three princes once. It is impossible for me to see through their thoughts."
Luo Mengxuan frowned and said, "Junior Brother Ye, you don't have any thoughts at all, do you?"
"To be honest... I think the Third Prince is really too hypocritical," Ye Feng said.
Upon hearing Ye Feng's words, both Lu Chenguan and Lu Qingshuang showed expressions of confusion.
Luo Mengxuan looked at Ye Feng with a completely bewildered expression.
Ye Feng chuckled and said, "All four princes are powerful and influential figures. Do you think they don't have spies in the capital? So, when I went to visit the Seventh Prince, the other three princes must have already received the news and knew that I would visit them one by one."
"The Fourth Prince was alright; he waited for me directly in the study. But the Third Prince was different."
"He knew beforehand that I would be visiting him, but when I arrived at his residence, he pretended that he hadn't had time to put on his shoes, trying to show how much he valued me. This acting seemed clever at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was utterly clumsy!"
"Therefore, the Third Prince is the one I have the worst impression of. I don't believe a single word he says."
"And we can only believe half of what the Seventh Prince says. He says he has no ambition... Heh, if he really had no ambition, he wouldn't have taken advantage of the old emperor's favor to win over the court officials!"
"Therefore, in comparison, of the three princes I have met, the fourth prince is the most trustworthy, while the third and seventh princes are not trustworthy."
Ye Feng's analysis was reasonable and well-founded, giving Luo Mengxuan, Lu Chenguan, and Lu Qingshuang a feeling of seeing the clear sky after the clouds had parted.
"As for the eldest prince... I haven't even seen his face, so I won't comment further," Ye Feng said with a smile, placing his teacup on the table.
After a moment's thought, Lu Chenguan said, "Mr. Ye, have you ever considered why the First Prince is avoiding us?"
“The Crown Prince is not only refusing to see me, but also refusing to see any guests. Currently, the old emperor is suffering from numerous illnesses and is in a coma, and the struggle for the throne is unpredictable. The Crown Prince’s actions are actually not problematic,” Ye Feng said slowly and deliberately.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chenguan slowly nodded.
From this perspective, the Crown Prince's refusal of guests was indeed not wrong.
The old emperor is in a coma and may pass away at any time.
At this critical juncture, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Seventh Prince are all consolidating their power bases and preparing to vie for the throne.
However, the eldest prince, who was also the crown prince of the Central Plains dynasty, cut off all contact with others.
Such a move may seem foolish, but it is actually a truly brilliant one.
"General Lu, what did the Right Chancellor say when you visited him today?" Ye Feng asked.
Lu Chenguan said with a wry smile, "The Right Chancellor did not give me a definite answer. He only said that the old emperor has not yet woken up and cannot appoint me. The matter of me leading the three armies to resist the invasion of the Chaozhen tribe can only be postponed."
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