Chapter 107 Returning to the Capital
"Where would you like to hold the investiture ceremony and the wedding, Qingqing?"
Cen Yan asked.
Zhuang Dongqing: "Huh?"
I was stunned.
Caught off guard.
Cen Yan repeated it again.
Zhuang Dongqing carefully observed his expression. It didn't seem like a whim; he seemed quite serious. After a moment of silence, he hesitated before asking, "Now, are you already considering these things?"
Cen Yan was in a good mood and said with a faint smile, "We can start considering it now."
This statement was bound to make Zhuang Dongqing think twice.
Five days after he met Li Yang, Li Yang visited the Prince's residence again during the day today. This time, he came in person, and Cen Yan also met with him. The two chatted for an afternoon, and Cen Yan even invited Li Yang to stay for dinner.
The atmosphere at dinner was unchanged. Having worked together for two years, they still had opportunities to eat together, but mostly in the outer room, which was rather simple. Zhuang Dongqing even thought back and realized that this was the first time they had been formally invited to dine at the mansion.
If we have to count, Li Yang also attended An An's full moon celebration, but there were far too many people invited that time.
In short, Zhuang Dongqing didn't notice anything unusual about the interactions at the dinner table.
But if Cen Yan asked that question again that evening, Zhuang Dongqing would inevitably have other thoughts if she didn't think about it more.
"You...have reached an agreement?"
After asking the question, he quickly added, "I'm just a little curious."
His expression was docile, with a hint of apprehension, but he didn't repeat the question about whether he knew the answer.
It was Cen Yan's guidance during his political inquiries over the past three years that gave him confidence.
Cen Yan's answer was completely unexpected by Zhuang Dongqing.
Cen Yan: "There's nothing to discuss or not discuss; it's just a matter of each getting what they need."
Zhuang Dongqing was confused. "What do you mean? The Prince's Mansion... doesn't support him?"
Cen Yan smiled and said, "That depends on his ability."
Zhuang Dongqing didn't understand, which was evident from her expression, but she felt that her perspective was difficult to discern. It seemed that neither the Prince's Mansion nor Li Yang's perspective was right, and she hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to ask further.
Cen Yan noticed that he still wanted to ask more questions, so he took the initiative to continue the conversation and explained, "Have you thought about what it would be like if you went back to the capital?"
Zhuang Dongqing really hadn't thought of this.
Lately, he's been preoccupied with the upcoming plump hairy crabs, and he and An'an are constantly guessing whether the crabs will contain any roe.
cough.
Bringing his thoughts back, Zhuang Dongqing pondered carefully.
"Well, there are probably only three possibilities," Zhuang Dongqing thought.
"First, the Fourth Prince won; he struck first and ascended the throne."
"Secondly, the Eighth Prince is superior and will ascend to the throne."
"The last possibility is the most complicated. It's that His Majesty woke up halfway through, but... didn't he take so many elixirs before? Even if he woke up, his physical condition wouldn't be very optimistic, would it?"
Cen Yan eliminated Li Zhuo and framed Li Ren, all in an attempt to provoke Emperor Shengwu.
This move was very well executed; Emperor Shengwu was indeed so provoked that he vomited blood.
But the real problem isn't this time. At most, this action was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Emperor Shengwu's body had long been failing, and he was only kept going by medicine. If he didn't use elixirs to forcibly overdraw his body and create a false impression of strength, Zhuang Dongqing guessed that Emperor Shengwu actually didn't have many years left to live.
After all, in the original novel, Emperor Shengwu never woke up after he collapsed, and what followed was just a chaotic power struggle among the princes.
Things are a little better now, but it's really hard to say how much better.
After all, they had already consumed the second type of elixir.
Cen Yan smiled and reached out his hand to him. Zhuang Dongqing looked at it, then grasped it back and was pulled onto Cen Yan's lap.
Cen Yan looked up at him and smiled, "Isn't our Qingqing very clear about this?"
Zhuang Dongqing felt that in their daily mutual compliments, both of them seemed to have improved in how they complimented others. She scratched her cheek, feeling a little embarrassed, but still responded.
Being praised always makes me feel better.
Cen Yan seemed to sense his hesitation, his smile widened, and he spoke of the important matter, affirming, "Yes, even if he wakes up, he still has to give up the throne."
Long live the Emperor! Nobody lives that long.
If you just say it casually for fun, but actually believe it, then you're just getting senile.
"But who goes up there is still a lot to consider."
Zhuang Dongqing looked at Cen Yan, eager to hear the details.
Cen Yan put his arm around Zhuang Dongqing's waist and helped him steady himself before explaining, "If it is the Eighth Prince, then the Dingxi Prince's Mansion is naturally on the same side as Li Yang, so there's no need to overthink it."
“He keeps a private army, and he will not let me, Eunuch Feng, and Li Yang, who are investigating this matter, go. Under such circumstances, the Prince’s Mansion is naturally on the same boat as Li Yang.”
Cen Yan didn't say much, but it still held a significant place in his heart.
It even transcended their respective positions, the core reason being—
It's selfishness.
The Eighth Prince sent his private soldiers to kidnap Cen An, and in the end, Zhuang Dongqing was accidentally injured. He could not let this person off easily. Regardless of other reasons, he could not watch the Eighth Prince ascend to the throne for this one thing alone.
But bringing up this excuse would seem vindictive, so he wouldn't mention it in front of Zhuang Dongqing.
Cen Yan: "But if it's the Fourth Prince, the situation is different. If he goes up, it won't conflict with the Prince's Mansion."
Zhuang Dongqing thought of something and said worriedly, "But... wasn't Li Zhuo's matter framed on him?"
Cen Yan just smiled and said, "He doesn't know."
"..."
That makes a lot of sense.
Cen Yan: "When he came, the situation in Hangzhou was confusing. How could the Eighth Prince raise a private army here without some confidants? And among these confidants, there might be assassins. So, killing the Third Prince and framing him would be a two-birds-with-one-stone plan, wouldn't it?"
"Leaving aside the Eighth Prince, Li Yang is still here. If it was Li Yang who set up the scheme, it would make sense. Moreover, he was poisoned at the time, which naturally removed a layer of suspicion. In this case, the more unlikely it seems based on the evidence, the more likely it is."
"Then there are the vendettas. Which prince in the capital doesn't know two or three of the sins Li Zhuo has committed? Even His Majesty dislikes Li Zhuo for some reason. He looks down on his behavior and acts so aggressively. It's not impossible that someone would seek revenge against him."
"Finally, after thinking it over, it might come down to me, but I guess he won't go that way."
The suspicions surrounding the Eighth Prince and Li Yang were so strong that Zhuang Dongqing almost believed them.
Zhuang Dongqing: "Why?"
"To outsiders, there is no motive, and besides, they wouldn't believe I would kill a prince."
"..."
That makes a lot of sense.
Zhuang Dongqing went through her own thoughts, "You've disliked Li Zhuo for a long time, so there's no reason for you to make a move now, when there's no obvious conflict between you; if you were to make a move, others shouldn't see any obvious benefit, so there's still a lack of motive; finally, I think the most important thing is..."
"What?"
Zhuang Dongqing explained it to himself, "Compared to you, he should be more inclined to believe that Li Yang or the Eighth Prince did it and framed him. After all, His Majesty has already taken the second elixir, so it would be plausible that it was either of them."
Cen Yan: "You're amazing, Qingqing. Your analysis is so insightful."
Zhuang Dongqing thought for a moment and muttered, "You're still the one who doesn't play by the rules."
In other words, this move was actually extremely brilliant.
Cen Yan brought the conversation back to the original topic, "So firstly, he wouldn't think of me. Secondly, he's incompetent. After he ascends the throne, the stability of Dian will inevitably depend on the Prince's Mansion. Even if he suddenly has a flash of inspiration and guesses this possibility, he definitely won't dare to touch me. Besides, he has always disliked the Third Prince, and might even thank me for creating this opportunity for him."
"..."
It sounds strange, but the logic is extremely convincing.
Zhuang Dongqing thought one step further, "What if... he finds out in the future and wants to attack the Prince's Mansion?"
Cen Yan said calmly, "Then he is taking a great risk. Yunnan is a vast country with a climate that is very different from that of the Central Plains. If I do not comply, he will rebel and declare himself king. Wouldn't that be a loss for him?"
"You should know that before my father, Yunnan was always independent of the Central Plains and governed itself."
Zhuang Dongqing's eyes widened.
This prompted Cen Yan to laugh and say, "Qingqing, haven't you considered this possibility?"
Zhuang Dongqing sighed, "...I really don't have much of a political mind."
Based on the pros and cons, he's not suitable.
Cen Yan just hugged him and smiled.
After laughing, she looked up at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners, her light pupils reflecting Zhuang Dongqing's image, and asked him, "So, regardless of all this spoilsport, where do you want to hold this?"
Zhuang Dongqing said honestly, "I hadn't thought about it."
She tugged at Cen Yan's hand and asked him, "What do you think?"
As expected, Cen Yan had already thought it through: "If possible, it would be best to hold one in the capital and one in the fiefdom."
"But actually, the people who go to the capital have nothing to do with us now."
"From now on, I'll be living in my fiefdom. I still want to focus all my energy on it and make it a big event."
Zhuang Dongqing sensed the key point in the question and tentatively asked, "You...you haven't already thought through the entire process, have you?"
The answer received was: "The process is fixed; the key is the people you hire, the scale of the event, and the expenses."
"..."
Zhuang Dongqing didn't speak, so Cen Yan squeezed his hand. "Don't you like it?"
"No, neither, nor is it."
After a moment's thought, Zhuang Dongqing asked with difficulty, "Does it really have to be a grand affair?"
Cen Yan did not answer, but instead lowered his eyes and said, "I think so."
"Nobody knew when we were together..."
"No one will celebrate the birth of An'an even though you've already had her..."
"In the blink of an eye, An'an has grown up. Apart from the investiture ceremony and the wedding banquet, everything else can only be missed. There will be no second child."
This is determined by the physical constitution of Zhuang Dongqing's clan.
They can have children, but only one at a time. After giving birth, they are no different from normal men.
Zhuang Dongqing: "..."
The detailed counting made Zhuang Dongqing a little embarrassed, because he had been covering himself up very well from beginning to end.
But he could tell that Cen Yan was willing to reveal their relationship, and... very willing.
Cen Yan looked up, his gaze making Zhuang Dongqing unable to meet his eyes, and said, "You didn't even have your coming-of-age ceremony..."
"Do it!" Zhuang Dongqing gritted her teeth, stopping Cen Yan from saying anything more. "You do it!"
Sooner or later, this was bound to happen. So, we'll do it. Before, we've always followed his wishes. To outsiders, he's a retainer of the Prince's mansion. But once the relationship is official, we'll definitely have to follow Cen Yan's lead this time and make him happy.
After he finished speaking, he saw Cen Yan beam with joy and hug him, saying, "Qingqing is so good."
"..."
That's how people are corrupted by sweet words.
But it really sounds so nice.
Zhuang Dongqing thought for a moment, and with the thought of not being at a disadvantage, she asked, "Praise me a couple more times."
Cen Yan smiled and whispered a few more words in his ear.
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuang Dongqing glared at him, "Don't do this!"
Who would praise someone to the point of bedtime?!
Cen Yan was overjoyed.
Zhuang Dongqing belatedly realized that the other party had done it on purpose.
Zhuang Dongqing got angry and wanted to leave, but Cen Yan wouldn't let her, and after some pulling and tugging... they ended up on the bed.
*
Li Yang has indeed started to exert his efforts.
After several days of discussion with Cen Yan, he revealed the news about the private army.
The Fourth Prince immediately seized upon this information, claiming that it was a private army raised by the Eighth Prince, and then linked Emperor Shengwu's coma to the elixir, turning the pretext of rebellion into a legitimate act of purging the court of corrupt officials.
Hangzhou appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, Feng Gonggong was being secretly put on a pedestal.
Given the Eighth Prince Li De's personality, the matter of his private army is already difficult to let go of, and now that the news has leaked, it seems that Eunuch Feng is no longer able to get on Li De's side.
Eunuch Feng was anxious but helpless. On the surface, he tried not to offend anyone, but in private, he probed Cen Yan's intentions twice.
Cen Yan simply said, "Let's see," without uttering another word.
Ten days later, the Fourth Prince's troops arrived around the capital, and war was imminent.
In less than half a month, the battle was fought back and forth, with both wins and losses.
However, the number of refugees around the capital increased. It is said that due to the war, many wealthy people either fled to the capital or moved their entire families to other places to find relatives.
A month later, the fourth prince's troops reached the city gates.
Amidst this chaos, Cen Yan finally obtained the elixir he had long coveted.
It came from the palace.
This was the second type of food that Emperor Shengwu consumed.
It wasn't easy; you could never have gotten it if you hadn't taken advantage of the chaos.
He then gave the pill to Uncle Zhao.
The knowledge of heavy metal poisoning should be unknown to anyone in this era. With this in mind, Zhuang Dongqing took the initiative to join the research.
Regarding Uncle Zhao's role in managing the medicinal herbs, Zhuang Dongqing used the reactions he remembered to check for heavy metals.
After working for more than a week, a prescription for an antidote was finally written. If the medicine is taken according to the prescription and combined with acupuncture, Emperor Shengwu should be able to wake up.
After finishing his work, the situation outside changed again, and the Fourth Prince was now at a disadvantage.
Two days later, after receiving intelligence, Cen Yan read the report and said, "Li Ren is going to lose."
"It seems that even the heavens are on Li Yang's side."
Zhuang Dongqing didn't say anything upon hearing this, but in her heart she thought, "Isn't that right? The male lead is destined for greatness."
Three days later, news came from the capital that the fourth prince, Li Ren, had been captured alive.
Without even thinking, Cen Yan replied, "I'll definitely kill them."
He then invited Li Yang to his residence. It's unclear what the two talked about, but judging from Zhuang Dongqing's feelings, they reached an agreement in just a few words. After that, Hao San and Xu Si began to drill their personal guards every day, and Cen Yan spent most of his day in the barracks.
Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, Zhuang Dongqing comforted Cen An'an, suggesting that they wouldn't be staying in Hangzhou for long.
Sure enough, news of Li Ren's death and the Eighth Prince's appointment as Crown Prince arrived at the same time.
At that time, it was already the golden autumn season.
Having just tasted the hairy crabs brimming with roe, the household began packing, preparing for their departure.
"What's your title?"
Zhuang Dongqing asked.
Cen Yan, who was wiping his sword, said, "Didn't Li Ren already explain it very thoroughly?"
"Keeping private soldiers, controlling the government, and poisoning His Majesty—all of these are outrageous."
Zhuang Dongqing: "..."
I never expected Li Ren to be of this use.
Indeed, excuses are readily available.
Cen Yan put down the handkerchief: "As for the reason for sending troops, isn't it the same as when I came to the capital?"
The longsword was sheathed, its cold gleam concealed.
Cen Yan said in a loud voice:
"Purge the court of corrupt officials and remove those who are favored by the emperor."
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