Zhou Gu didn’t explain his intentions, he only looked at Ning Yao, certain that she could understand his meaning.
Ning Yao became slightly restless, standing up and glaring intensely at Zhou Gu, "Why would you say that?"
Feeling that he could not just stand as a decoration, Xie Lin decided to get involved. Since he was already in the fray, shouldn’t he stir up some waves? Otherwise, he would be utterly useless. So, he said to Ning Yao, "Are you aware, Crown Prince’s consort, that since your mishap, the Emperor was furious and has already ordered the Imperial Guard to seal the Crown Prince Residence, allowing entry but no exit?"
Ning Yao was unaware but she could imagine that the Crown Prince could not escape and would definitely be punished by the Emperor.
Xie Lin continued, "So, do you truly understand the type of man you’ve married?"
Ning Yao clenched her teeth and remained silent.
Xie Lin hit the mark, "Although you are his Crown Princess Consort, if you make a mistake and implicate him, he is not just the type of person who would abandon you to save himself, but would also lay all blame on you. Given this, think about it, how many deeds has the Crown Prince committed behind closed doors? If all of them are blamed on you, would you still have a life? Even carrying an heir in your womb, you still wouldn’t survive. The Emperor has more than one son, if he wants a grandson, sooner or later, he’ll have one."
Ning Yao turned pale. She was very intelligent and upon hearing these words, she glared at the two men and gritted her teeth, "Are you here to convince me to betray my child’s father? If that’s your plan, I advise you to drop it. I won’t say a word."
"The Crown Princess Consort’s deep affection and loyalty to the Crown Prince should indeed have been seen by the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, he is confined by the Imperial Guard and cannot come out." Xie Lin, without any sympathy for this woman who tried to kill him with a covert attack, answered rudely, "If you won’t speak, then wait for your death!"
Having said that, he turned to Zhou Gu and asked, "Since she won’t talk, shall we go?"
Zhou Gu nodded, and together with Xie Lin, they turned around indifferently as if their visit was merely a formality. They will not force her to talk and started to leave.
Ning Yao thought that they were merely bluffing, but when she realized that they were about to exit the prison door, she lost her composure and called out, "Wait."
Zhou Gu did not turn his head, nor did he stop.
Xie Lin did the same.
Ning Yao finally let her guard down, "I’ll talk."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zhou Gu’s mouth, while Xie Lin wondered to himself – were the Ning siblings spineless, or was it just Ning Yao?
Having said that, they both turned around and returned to the prison cell.
Ning Yao asked them, "What do you want to know? About the Crown Prince?"
Xie Lin didn’t know what else Zhou Gu could ask. After all, Ning Ze had already confessed, and that confession was enough to bring down the Crown Prince. Therefore, he shifted his gaze to Zhou Gu.
However, Zhou Gu responded, "A matter regarding the Second Prince, tell us everything you know, or any handles that you might have."
Ning Yao was taken aback.
Xie Lin, on the other hand, was silently praising Zhou Gu’s brilliance. How had he not thought of it himself? While he had only considered targeting the Crown Prince, they could exploit this situation to bring down the Second Prince as well. Thinking about it, over the years, the person who understood the Second Prince the best might be indeed the Crown Prince. After all, they both relied on the Emperor to suppress the Crown Prince and benefited together, so much so, that they even cooperated this year.
Intelligently, Ning Yao asked, "Your intentions are to, through me, not only assist the Crown Prince in bringing down the First Prince, but also, the Second Prince?"
Zhou Gu nodded, "So, will the Crown Princess Consort speak?"
He casually continued, "The Crown Prince will never protect you at the risk of his life, on the contrary, he will push all the faults onto you. The child in your stomach, although it is his offspring, he is a man, and as long as he gets the opportunity to turn over, he will marry someone else, and keep a few concubines in the residence. Isn’t an heir easy for him to get? As long as he gets away, he still has a world, losing you two won’t matter to him. As for the Second Prince, he is neither your kin nor your friend, nor are the two of you life and death comrades. If you don’t tell us about his affairs, he will not help you, let alone protect you. You know what kind of person Yan Lin is."
Ning Yao clenched her fingers, "If I were to speak, what would be in it for me?"
"I can’t promise you anything but can assure you that no matter what, your brother’s life will be spared," Zhou Gu responded. "Your mother loved her son most, isn’t it? Otherwise, why would you accept being humiliated to become a bait for him?"
Ning Yao admitted that Zhou Gu’s words had hit a nerve. She and her brother were her mother’s lifeblood. Her mother had always been fair to her and her brother, except for one thing -- she’d always told them to support each other. She became the Crown Prince’s consort, and in the future, the queen mother of the world, while her brother, gained the title of the Marquis of Nanping. Now, if because of her, her brother lost his life, she would feel guilty for her mother’s kindness towards her all these years.
She closed her eyes, "Okay, I’ll talk. But I don’t know much. The Second Prince, Yan Lin, is cautious and always likes to hide behind others, taking advantage of others’ achievements. The Crown Prince doesn’t have many handles to apply pressure on him."
Zhou Gu responded, "It’s enough that you’re willing to talk, especially regarding matters he and the Crown Prince collaborated on. Don’t miss anything. You must know, the Crown Prince not only won’t save you, but right now, he probably wishes you were dead."
Xie Lin nodded, "Do you know why my father has not yet dared to send you to the Imperial Court’s dungeon? He’s afraid that as soon as you set foot inside, you and your unborn child would be immediately sent to your graves."
Ning Yao was naturally very clear that the waters of the Imperial Court were very deep. As soon as she was revealed as a criminal, anyone connected to her would desire her death without a decent burial. Let alone relying on the Crown Prince, she could not rely on her own family either. Someone like the Crown Prince, Yan Huisheng, would seize control of his father the moment her crimes were revealed. Moreover, there was Prince Ning Chi. He might be their elder brother, but they had consistently fought overtly and covertly over many years. Not only were they not particularly close, it was more like they were enemies. He wouldn’t save them either.
So, Ning Yao nodded.
Ning Yao’s knowledge of the situation was much clearer and more detailed than Ning Ze’s. Whatever Ning Ze knew in general, Ning Yao could provide the specific people and lists involved, especially when it came to the Second Prince. She knew a lot of things.
Weighing the information provided by Ning Yao, Zhou Gu felt that the Second Prince, Yan Lin, was still very cautious. However, even so, his entanglement with the Crown Prince was enough to strip off a layer of his skin.
Zhou Gu was extremely satisfied. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Xie Lin was very touched.
Who would have thought that just a few months ago, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were high and mighty, full of nobility and grace, with prospects seemingly strong enough to contend with the Crown Prince for the throne. Their power was so substantial that the Crown Prince dare not act rashly. However, in just a few months, the Crown Prince has met his downfall while the Second Prince is also nearly finished.
Once the two princes are completely defeated, the Crown Prince Yan Huisheng would rise with the wind and dominate the world. Perhaps after that, not even the Emperor, would have the opportunity to control him. Yan Huisheng wouldn’t give the First Prince or the Second Prince another chance, nor would he grant one to the Emperor.
His future throne is almost secure now. A certainty indeed.
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