Chapter 465 Could there be other cards hidden?
The Prime Minister once again truly understood how frustrating and helpless it was to cooperate with someone who wasn't very bright. His face darkened further, and his hands clenched involuntarily. Although Lord Qingshan wasn't particularly clever, he did have some skill in reading people.
Seeing the Prime Minister's increasingly grim expression, he felt a pang of anxiety and cautiously asked, "Prime Minister, perhaps I said something wrong?"
Seeing that he was somewhat perceptive, the Prime Minister suppressed his irritation and said slowly, "Xie Ning'an himself is not important, but his relationship with Jiang Yu and the things he said to Princess Junning are very important."
Uncle Qingshan was taken aback. Recalling Xie Ning'an's words to Zhu Junning, his expression gradually turned serious. If Xie Ning'an's words were true, then the crisis they faced might not yet be hopeless. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then asked, "You mean, Xie Ning'an's words might be false?"
The Prime Minister frowned and remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Xie Ning'an and Jiang Yu are both extremely intelligent people. They should both know how to use each other to maximize their own interests."
"You mean... they might actually be cooperating without any reservations?" Uncle Qingshan pressed.
The Prime Minister fell silent again, then slowly said, "It's not impossible. The Xie family has fallen, and now only Xie Ning'an remains. If he wants the Xie family to have a chance to rise again, looking at the entire court, the only hope is to cooperate with Jiang Yu. And if Jiang Yu wants the reform to proceed smoothly, he also has to make good use of Xie Ning'an as a pawn."
"Then..." Uncle Qingshan pondered, "Just like Princess Junning suggested before, wouldn't it be more suitable for the Xie family to make a comeback if Xie Ning'an fled to the Southern Barbarian Kingdom?"
The Prime Minister glanced at him, his tone impatient: "The Southern Barbarian Kingdom is nothing but a tiny place to Daqian, not worth mentioning. Besides, the court now has extremely powerful firearms. If Xie Ning'an really escapes to the Southern Barbarian Kingdom, Your Majesty only needs to say one word, and the Southern Barbarian Emperor will have to bring him back."
"This..." Qingshan Bo's heart instantly turned into a mess, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He looked at the Prime Minister, his voice tight: "So, what Xie Ning'an said to Princess Junning was most likely a lie? The imperial treasury is currently full, and we have a good stockpile of those powerful firearms?"
The Prime Minister remained silent, but the solemnity on his face weighed heavily on the room, creating an oppressive atmosphere. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Regardless of whether Xie Ning'an's words are true or false, we must prepare for the worst."
"Then what are we waiting for! Let's get started!" The Crown Prince couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted urgently.
The prime minister glanced at him but didn't reply. The word "take action" is easy to say, but putting it into practice is like climbing to the heavens. Right now, they are practically locked in a battle of wits with the emperor, a contest of whose methods are more ruthless and meticulous.
Just then, a voice came from outside: "Prime Minister, the King of Lingnan has sent a messenger with a message."
"Come in."
As soon as the Prime Minister finished speaking, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged servant bowed as he entered, respectfully handing the letter to the Prime Minister with both hands before quietly retreating.
The Prime Minister opened the letter, read it quickly, and paused for a moment before raising his eyebrows, visibly improving his mood. Seeing this, the Earl of Qingshan wanted to ask the Prince of Lingnan what the letter had said. But before he could speak, the Prime Minister closed the letter and looked at him, saying, "Quickly send a message to Consort Su in the palace, instructing her to stay home and not have any further contact with the outside world."
"This..." Uncle Qingshan looked puzzled. "If we're going to take action, how can our plan succeed if Her Majesty doesn't participate?"
The Prime Minister gave him a disdainful look: "If the Empress gets involved, and the matter is exposed, neither you, the Crown Prince, nor your Qingshan Marquis family will be able to save anything."
"Then...then what should we do?" Uncle Qingshan suddenly realized something and asked in a low voice, "The Prime Minister is in the palace, could he be hiding other cards?"
"You don't need to worry about that." The Prime Minister's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. "But rest assured, my ultimate goal is also to have the Crown Prince ascend to that position."
These words relieved Qingshanbo slightly, and he quickly smiled apologetically, "Prime Minister, you are joking. I... I had no doubt about you at all."
The Prime Minister naturally understood his thoughts, but there was no need to argue with him at the moment. He turned to the Crown Prince and said in a slightly more respectful tone, "Your Highness, you might as well spend more time in the Empress Dowager's palace attending to her during this period of illness."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince immediately frowned, his face full of reluctance. The Empress Dowager disliked him and always ignored him whenever she saw him, so he had no intention of trying to win her favor.
The Prime Minister lowered his eyes to conceal his emotions. This indecisive and easily manipulated Crown Prince would be even easier to control once he ascended the throne. He smiled slightly and patiently explained, "Having His Highness the Crown Prince attend to the ailing Emperor serves two purposes. First, it lets outsiders know of your filial piety, paving the way for your future ascension. Second, if anything happens to the Emperor, your presence by the Empress Dowager's side would be the best evidence to clear your name."
The Crown Prince then realized what was happening, but still said with difficulty, "But the Empress Dowager doesn't like me. Every time I arrive at Cining Palace, she kicks me out after only a short while."
“If you wish to stay, His Highness the Crown Prince will naturally have a way.” The Prime Minister’s patience was almost exhausted, so he stopped trying to persuade him and turned to the Earl of Qingshan, saying, “You should stay at home and not have any contact with the outside world.”
"I understand," Uncle Qingshan quickly replied.
The Prime Minister responded with satisfaction, then rose and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now. Unless there are urgent matters in the near future, let's not contact each other privately anymore."
The Earl of Qingshan also stood up, and seeing the Crown Prince still sitting there looking troubled, he gently nudged his arm. The Crown Prince snapped out of his reverie and reluctantly stood up. The Prime Minister ignored their little exchange and strode out.
Inside the room, the Crown Prince plopped down and said to the Earl of Qingshan in a fit of rage, "When the Empress Dowager kicks me out, I can't just stay there and refuse to leave, can I?"
Uncle Qingshan sighed inwardly and tried to soften his tone: "If the Empress Dowager asks you to leave, just say that you don't want to disturb her rest and that you will wait in the outer hall."
"What if I stay in the outer palace and the Empress Dowager is still unhappy?" the Crown Prince asked again.
Uncle Qingshan said in a deep voice, "Then kneel outside the Cining Palace and see what the Empress Dowager can do."
The Crown Prince remained silent with a gloomy face, so the Earl of Qingshan could only softly comfort him: "The Prime Minister asked you to do this for your own good."
"Hmph!" The Crown Prince snorted heavily. "For my own good? Didn't my maternal grandfather ever suspect anything? Besides supporting me, does the Prime Minister also have dealings with my brothers? If not, who exactly does he intend to have make a move this time?"
Lord Qingshan fell silent. Hadn't he thought of that too? But given the current situation, they had no choice but to rely on the Prime Minister and the King of Lingnan.
He sighed deeply and said earnestly, "Regardless of whether he is still in contact with other princes, you are the rightful crown prince. It is the most legitimate and convenient thing for him to help you ascend the throne. Once you are on the throne, what you want to do will be up to you. Even if you want to exterminate the Pei family, it is not impossible."
These words struck a chord with the Crown Prince, who immediately burst into laughter, his previous agitation dissipating considerably.
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