Chapter 381 The Prince's Handle
If Lu Xueyin becomes the emperor, then Dagan will also become better and better, right? The people all think so.
In the dark, Ji Ping and Wei Dong looked at the prince in disarray and were almost bumped into.
Ji Ping was shocked and was about to go out when he was stopped by Wei Dong.
"It's okay. You won't die from a collision. There's no need to be so fragile." Wei Dong said coldly.
Lu Xueyin sent the two of them to protect the prince, which shows that she really takes the prince's safety very seriously.
Ji Ping glanced at him and felt that the tone of his words was full of regret, as if he felt very sorry that the prince was fine.
Wei Dong couldn't help but say, "Your Excellency is too kindhearted. I have so many things to do, and yet you still let us come and protect the prince in person. What's so important about him?" It would be better if he died. He is now Your Excellency's biggest obstacle.
Ji Ping said, "My Lord, you don't want to win by this means."
Wei Dong nodded: "Your Excellency is still too lenient and kind." After a pause, he said: "Let him see how Your Excellency wins the hearts of the people, and let him see the gap between himself and Your Excellency."
Ji Ping glanced at him and lowered his voice: "The Lord has the Prince with him, but you still asked us to come. Doesn't that mean that you don't really trust the Prince? But why do I hear that they are about to get married?"
Wang liked Yan Xing very much. Every day when she made delicious food for Lu Xueyin, she would bring a portion for Yan Xing.
Yan Xing’s strategy for conquering his mother-in-law is very good.
Wei Dong said calmly, "I dare not say more about your private affairs."
Ji Ping: "..."
The two of them followed slowly, watching the prince's face grow increasingly gloomy as he walked.
This is when he clearly saw the gap between himself and Lu Xueyin.
Lu Xueyin wanted the prince to give up. As she said before, she didn't want to fall out with the prince and didn't want Da Gan to be involved in internal strife again.
However, Lu Xueyin also knew that the prince would not give up so easily.
After all, that was the throne, the supreme power, how could he give it up so easily? Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, the prince wanted to try again.
Lu Xueyin took a deep breath.
Then we have to take another drastic measure.
Lu Xueyin plans to celebrate the New Year in Lin'an Prefecture.
One reason is that there are many things to deal with in Lin'an Prefecture. Although Wei Dong is in charge of most of the affairs now, the Yilin Army has been here for several years after all, so Lu Xueyin has to take charge and sort out everything.
Secondly, because the weather was cold, Lu Xueyin was reluctant to let her soldiers travel a long distance, so she let them stay here to recuperate.
They have been running around for too long and want to have a good rest.
Lu Xueyin also had another plan, which she would discuss after the Lunar New Year. But she had to start planning it slowly from now on.
Lu Xueyin planned to cut some of the troops. Of course, the first group to be cut was not the Lu family army, but the Yilin army.
This army joined later, so its loyalty is naturally not as good as Lu's army, and its combat capability is also not as good. The Yilin army is composed of civilians, so it is most appropriate to disband the Yilin army first.
If the Yilin Army is cut, there will be no worries. Most of the people should return home and be resettled by local officials. The Yilin Army is said to have a million troops, and the resettlement of so many people is a huge problem. It may take two or three years to complete.
Lu Xueyin thought about it and decided to leave this troublesome matter to Wei Dong and let Dou Ye assist him.
Lu Xueyin called the two of them over and told them her plan.
Dou also strongly supported Lu Xueyin's decision: "Your Excellency is wise. They are all ordinary people and should return to their hometown to live a good life."
Dou also didn't think Lu Xueyin was taking advantage of the situation to weaken the Yilin Army's military power. This was the power of reputation. Every decision Lu Xueyin made made people feel that she was doing it for the good of the people, and no one would ever suspect she had any ulterior motives.
Lu Xueyin nodded slightly. An obedient and submissive child makes people want to love him more.
Lu Xueyin said, "After the New Year, I will petition His Majesty to confer official titles upon you. They won't be high, so don't feel wronged. I will reward you generously in the future." She looked at Dou Ye in particular, "This is true for all my subordinates. General Dou, please don't overthink it."
Dou Ye understood Lu Xueyin's intentions instantly. Right now, Lu Xueyin was only the Minister of the Chancellery. Even if she wanted to be promoted, her status would be limited. Current official positions were temporary, not just for him but for everyone else as well. If Lu Xueyin truly ascended to the throne, she would certainly treat them well.
Lu Xueyin explained this to him alone because she was worried that he would be suspicious. After all, he came to her later, and Lu Xueyin was worried that he would have some thoughts.
Dou had no idea at all. He said sincerely, "Sir, although I have been loyal to you wholeheartedly, I have not done anything for you. Even if you reward me, I would be ashamed to accept it and would never dare to express any dissatisfaction."
Weidong couldn't help but look at him. This guy... is quite capable.
Lu Xueyin curled her lips and said, "Alright, I know you're loyal. You'll be busy during this period, so please bear with me for now. Next year, I want all the soldiers in the army to return home and live a peaceful life."
Weidong and Dou also responded in unison.
The two of them really became busy, especially Dou Ye, who had never experienced such high-intensity work. He was in a trance every day and had to endure the affection shows of his colleague and his wife.
Because they worked together, they worked in the same room. Zhao Xi loved her husband and would bring him some nourishing soup every day. Because Dou also worked for Lu Xueyin, Zhao Xi liked him very much, so she would also bring him a bowl.
Wei Dong felt a little jealous, and he couldn't help but say, "Dou Jiangjun is physically strong, unlike me, who works for the adults all day and is weak and needs to replenish his body. He doesn't need it."
Dou Ye's eyes widened in shock. Yesterday, he had told him that they would swear allegiance to the Lord until death together, but today he was no longer familiar with him? There really was no one in this world who could be trusted!
Zhao Xi said, "My husband, you have worked hard. I made this pancake especially for you." She whispered, "There is more meat in it than over there."
Dou Ye: "..." Miss, can you please be quieter when you whisper? The room is so small, it would be difficult for him to pretend not to hear.
Weidong was immediately coaxed into giving a cheap smile.
The prince was depressed for several days. He did not go out all day and locked himself in his room.
Lu Chenyang was very worried, but he was under Wang's close supervision and there was no way to get close to him. Lu Chenyang was so worried that he couldn't eat or sleep well, and he lost a lot of weight in just a few days.
Wang saw this and felt very disappointed. She thought her son was not ambitious enough to make himself like this for a man - even if he did it for a woman!
Wang was also in a bad mood because of this. She developed several blisters in her mouth, which hurt whenever she ate. So she stopped eating. Zhao Xi felt very sorry for her and made her some anti-inflammatory tea every day.
Wang was deeply moved and pulled Zhaoxi's hand, saying, "My Zhaoxi is still the most lovable one. You are better than both of them. What's the point of having children?"
Lu Xueyin: "...Mom, it's my brother who makes you worry. I am still very filial."
"They are all troublesome!" Wang attacked indiscriminately.
Lu Xueyin felt innocent, and then became angry, thinking that she was implicated and that it was all the prince's fault.
Lu Xueyin thought about it, and then she went to the prince's room to meet him.
The Crown Prince saw Lu Xueyin and said coldly, "Master Lu, are you impatient and trying to force me to abdicate?"
Lu Xueyin said, "Since the Crown Prince already knows my purpose, I will not say any more. Please cooperate with me, Your Highness."
"If I don't cooperate, what will you do?" the prince asked. "Without my cooperation, how can you be a loyal minister? And claiming loyalty to the emperor and patriotism is simply a huge joke!"
Lu Xueyin took out a piece of paper and placed it in front of the prince. The prince picked it up and looked at it, his face changed.
When the Fourth Prince was captured and Lu Xueyin had someone escort him to the capital, she was assassinated. The assassin was one of the Fourth Prince's guards, who claimed to be seeking revenge for the Fourth Prince. Weidong had been stabbed in the chest in an attempt to save her.
After Tan Feng caught the assassin, these guards insisted that the Fourth Prince had no hope of survival, so he wanted to drag Lu Xueyin to die with him.
The prince said coldly, "It's just the nonsense of a group of assassins. Lord Lu believes it?"
Lu Xueyin ignored him and continued, "I have a maid who is proficient in medicine and likes to research some strange medicines. She is especially loyal to me and is devoted to me. After learning that I was almost stabbed, she was furious and determined to catch the mastermind behind the incident. So..." She looked at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and said, "So, she specially developed a 'Truth Pill' for me. As the name suggests, anyone who takes this pill will become confused and even the most determined person will speak their true thoughts."
The prince's face suddenly turned pale.
Lu Xueyin looked at him and said, "Your Highness, do you know what will happen to you if this testimony is made public?"
The prince slowly folded his five fingers together, his lips trembling slightly.
Lu Xueyin didn't expect him to answer, and continued, "The Fourth Prince abandoned the city and fled, resulting in the massacre of Huai'an. His crime is unforgivable. And His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ignored the wishes of the people and protected him and spared his life. He even sent people to assassinate a minister who had made great contributions to the country afterwards..." She looked into his eyes, her eyes calm, "What's more, this minister recaptured Yanhui Pass, defeated the Tatars, and signed a peace treaty. How do you think the world will evaluate you when the time comes?"
The prince's heart was beating like a drum, and for the first time he felt helpless.
Lu Xueyin continued, "If my brother knew that you sent someone to assassinate me, how would he deal with it? How would he face the relationship between you two? At that time..."
"That's enough!" the prince shouted angrily, "Stop talking."
Lu Xueyin added, "And Yan Xing, if he knew about this, would he still support you?"
Once this matter is exposed, there is no need to say much about the attitude of the world. The original prestige of the royal family will be completely destroyed. In this way, the world will only despise the royal family.
Now Lu Xueyin's reputation is at its peak, and the people are grateful to her, and their love for her is at its peak.
What's more, there is Lu Chenyang. Even if the prince doesn't care about the opinions of the people, he can't ignore Lu Chenyang.
At the time, Lu Chenyang was still in the Prince's Mansion. He could tolerate the two men's struggle for power, but he couldn't tolerate it. He wanted to kill Lu Xueyin. Because in Lu Chenyang's heart, Lu Xueyin's current situation was all because of him. And he was the culprit behind all this.
If Lu Chenyang knew that he had sent someone to assassinate Lu Xueyin and even almost took Lu Xueyin's life, Lu Chenyang would never forgive him.
The prince was completely depressed, exuding a dead and hopeless feeling.
"What do you want?" the prince asked in a hoarse voice.
As soon as the question was asked, the prince knew that he had lost.
Lu Xueyin said in a deep voice: "For my brother's sake, I will not kill you. When His Majesty passes away, Your Highness will abdicate. I will treat you well."
This 'you' is a bit mysterious. The prince's eyes flashed: "You don't object to us being together?"
Lu Xueyin was silent for a moment, then said, "Someone told me that some things are beyond one's control. He also wanted to take a smoother path and be with someone who would be blessed by the world. But with some people and some things, even if you know the whole world disagrees, you still want to try."
The prince knew that Lu Xueyin was referring to Yan Xing. Yan Xing had initially misunderstood Lu Xueyin as a man, believing himself to be gay, and had gone through a period of painful struggle. That was how he had thought at the time.
Lu Xueyin said, "You two haven't betrayed anyone. You just love each other. Mutual love is worthy of blessing, regardless of identity or gender."
From the beginning, they were firmly committed to each other, unyielding to conventional notions. The prince didn't remarry out of necessity. Their relationship involved no third party, and no one was hurt... well, perhaps the only one hurt was Wang. But Wang simply couldn't accept such a relationship; it was a matter of opinion.
The prince twitched the corners of his lips and whispered, "No matter if you did it to make me more willing or for some other reason, thank you anyway."
The prince took a deep breath.
Lu Xueyin said, "Don't go out these few days."
The prince looked at her, somewhat puzzled.
Lu Xueyin said, "You must have a reason for changing your mind. Just shut yourself up and be depressed."
The prince wasn't particularly stupid; he understood immediately. He was so unhappy, who would worry? It was the people who cared about him who were worried. Lu Chenyang would definitely be worried.
Lu Chenyang would definitely come to persuade him, and then he would take the opportunity to express his willingness to withdraw. Then Lu Chenyang would definitely feel sorry for him, be grateful to him, and feel guilty towards him.
If he was willing to give up competing with Lu Xueyin, the Wang family would be less prejudiced against him. In fact, this was actually beneficial to him.
The prince looked at Lu Xueyin with a complicated expression.
"You would actually go to such lengths for me?" His Royal Highness the Crown Prince couldn't help but ask.
Lu Xueyin said: "He is my brother, and I also hope that he can get what he wants."
The prince was stunned for a moment, but couldn't help but feel a little grateful to Lu Xueyin: "Thank you."
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