Chapter 376: Just Missed This Great Opportunity
After leaving the Duke of Chu's residence, the Crown Prince went directly to the place where he used to meet with the Prime Minister in secret. Upon arriving and seeing the Prime Minister and the Earl of Qingshan waiting for him, he angrily threw his riding whip to the ground.
When the Prime Minister and the Earl of Qingshan saw his face contorted with rage, they knew the mission had failed. They exchanged a glance, and the Earl of Qingshan asked, "How did Jiang Yu break the deadlock?"
The crown prince gritted his teeth and sat down opposite the two of them. "She told me that Jiang Ling died suddenly."
The Prime Minister and the Earl of Qingshan both frowned. The Earl of Qingshan then asked, "Isn't there a maidservant too?"
"Jiang Yu killed that maid right in front of me." The Crown Prince, recalling Jiang Yu's ruthlessness and decisiveness, felt both lingering fear and intense hatred. It was Jiang Yu's blatant provocation. But he couldn't do anything about Jiang Yu.
After hearing this, Qingshan Bo frowned and pondered for a moment, then turned to the Prime Minister and asked, "Does the Prime Minister believe that Jiang Yu really killed Jiang Ling?"
The Prime Minister glanced at him and asked, "If you were Jiang Yu, what would you do?"
Uncle Qingshan was stunned for a moment, "...Of course we should kill her, but she's Jiang Yu's own sister?"
The Prime Minister glanced at him indifferently again, "You think Jiang Yu is inferior to you or me?"
Uncle Qingshan opened his mouth, wanting to say that Jiang Yu was, after all, a woman, and women are generally soft-hearted. But when he thought of how Jiang Yu had once slashed his leg with a sword and then carried him to the palace, his heart trembled, and he swallowed back the words he was about to say.
At this moment, the Prime Minister said, "Don't treat Jiang Yu as a woman. In terms of both skill and temperament, she is no less capable than you or me."
Uncle Qingshan nodded, then sighed, "It's just that we missed this good opportunity."
Actually, the affair between the Crown Prince and Jiang Ling wasn't initially something they deliberately orchestrated. It happened after the Crown Prince encountered Jiang Ling by chance, and she repeatedly tried to seduce him with her eyes. After learning Jiang Ling's identity, the Crown Prince told them about it. That's when they conceived their plan to use Jiang Ling.
Their plan was that once Jiang Ling became pregnant, the Crown Prince would openly take her as a concubine. By then, even if Jiang Yu didn't want to be on their side, the Emperor would still believe that Jiang Yu was with them.
Today, after receiving the news of Jiang Ling's pregnancy, the Crown Prince immediately went to the Duke of Chu's residence, intending to catch Jiang Yu off guard. However, he never expected that Jiang Yu would discover it beforehand and act so decisively.
"It must have been that stupid woman Jiang Ling who exposed us," the Crown Prince said through gritted teeth.
The Prime Minister and the Earl of Qingshan shared this view, but it was pointless to discuss it now. The Prime Minister said, "If Jiang Yu could kill that maid in front of you, Your Highness, why couldn't she kill Jiang Ling in front of you?"
The Crown Prince's hand was being gripped so tightly it cracked, which was what annoyed him the most; Jiang Yu didn't take him, the Crown Prince, seriously at all.
"Alright, we haven't gained anything from this matter, but we haven't suffered any losses either." The Prime Minister picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and said, "However, to prevent Jiang Yu from retaliating, Your Highness should keep a low profile for the time being, lest you be caught with something."
"Hmph!" The crown prince snorted heavily upon hearing this.
Upon hearing this, Lord Qingshan glanced at the Prime Minister with concern, fearing that the Prime Minister might abandon the Crown Prince because he disapproved of his temperament. Seeing that the Prime Minister's expression remained unchanged, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, the Prime Minister's voice rang out again. He said to Qingshanbo, "Tomorrow, you should sound out Grand Tutor Yan's opinion."
Uncle Qingshan nodded, but then asked, "What if Grand Tutor Yan disagrees?"
The Prime Minister raised the corners of his lips, making his expression somewhat sinister. "Yan Bingqian is different from Jiang Yu. He is good at assessing the situation and never pushes things to the limit. Even if he doesn't agree on the surface, he will always leave some room for maneuver. Then we can manipulate things a bit, and the matter will be settled."
“However, Grand Tutor Yan is not on our side now. Is it not inappropriate to give such an important position as Crown Princess to his granddaughter?” Uncle Qingshan pondered and said, “Minister of Personnel He Yanqiu mentioned to me a few days ago that he intends to make his eldest daughter the Crown Princess.”
The Prime Minister frowned slightly upon hearing this, then tapped his fingers on the table in thought. The Earl of Qingshan picked up his cup to drink tea, awaiting the Prime Minister's answer. The Crown Prince, however, seemed still consumed by resentment towards Jiang Yu, as if they weren't discussing his marriage at all.
After a while, the tapping of fingers on the table stopped. Uncle Qingshan put down his cup and looked at the Prime Minister. He said, "Now is not the time to reveal that He Yanqiu is one of our people."
"But how do we appease him?" Uncle Qingshan asked.
He Yanqiu, the Minister of Personnel, was secretly supporting them because he wanted to gain the greatest benefit. Becoming the emperor's father-in-law was the greatest benefit for He Yanqiu.
The Prime Minister remained silent for a while before saying, "You can tell He Yanqiu that his eldest daughter is a concubine. The position of Crown Princess is not important; what is important is having offspring."
Then his gaze fell on the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, find an opportunity to get close to He Yanqiu's eldest daughter, be gentle and considerate, and make some promises when appropriate."
"I understand." The Crown Prince's voice was somewhat impatient. The Earl of Qingshan carefully observed the Prime Minister's expression and, seeing that he was not angry, silently breathed a sigh of relief once again.
At the same time, he confirmed once again that the Prime Minister had a high tolerance for the Crown Prince. However, upon closer reflection, such a Crown Prince seemed easier for the Prime Minister to control. Thinking of this, Lord Qingshan couldn't help but feel worried.
The Crown Prince is his own grandson, so naturally he is closer to him. If the Crown Prince is controlled by the Prime Minister in the future, then he will receive less benefit.
Despite his thoughts, he didn't show it on his face, but patiently gave the crown prince a few instructions.
"The Crown Prince should also get to know Grand Tutor Yan's granddaughter," the Prime Minister added. "If Yan Fengxi has feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince, it will be easier for us to deal with Grand Tutor Yan."
"I know," the Crown Prince said impatiently again. "Is there anything else? If not, I'm leaving."
The Prime Minister nodded, then added, "Your Highness, you must be cautious in your actions during this period to avoid retaliation from Jiang Yu."
"Understood." The crown prince waved his hand and strode out of the room.
...
After a turbulent night, Jiang Yu went to work at the government office as usual the next day. On the way, her sedan chair bumped into the Prime Minister's sedan chair. Both of them lifted the curtains of their sedan chairs to look at each other, and then got out of their sedan chairs.
"Did the Duke of Chu rest well last night?" the Prime Minister asked.
Jiang Yu: "Oh no, there's been a new death in the family. My half-sister has died suddenly."
Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister sighed, "Duke of Chu, please accept my condolences."
Jiang Yu looked at him and smiled, "I have been wandering outside for many years. After returning to the Duke of Chu's mansion, I did not spend much time with my siblings, so our relationship is naturally thin."
Therefore, I will not hold back at all when it comes to taking action against them.
The Prime Minister was a clever man, and he naturally understood Jiang Yu's implied meaning, so he smiled and said, "I forgot, the Duke of Chu is a woman who is no less capable than men."
Jiang Yu cupped her hands in greeting, "I wouldn't dare."
Their eyes met for a moment, then they each got into their own sedan chairs.
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