Chapter 164
Xue Jin'an set up the scheme according to normal human logic, preparing ample evidence regarding Consort De's identity and tailoring the investigation difficulty specifically to the Second Prince, ensuring that he could fully demonstrate his abilities within his comfort zone and make him feel at home.
In short, Xue Jin'an did everything in his power and subtly gave the Second Prince a huge advantage.
To ensure the smooth execution of the plan and prevent any unexpected strokes of folly, Xue Jin'an arranged for many "passersby" to accompany the Second Prince on his return journey. Through their conversations, he continuously reinforced psychological suggestions, making the Second Prince anxious and worried that delays would lead to unforeseen changes. He was then urged to immediately go to the palace to seek a strategy from his advisors to deal with the First Prince, completely eliminating any possibility of him thinking independently.
As expected, the second prince turned back and entered the palace halfway back to his residence.
Xue Jin'an, three streets away, used a portrait camera to locate his back, watching him until he disappeared inside the palace walls, before adjusting the camera zoom back to a satisfactory level.
"Alright." Xue Jin'an took a sip of tea. "Now we just need to wait for his reaction."
"Is it ready?" Cui Zui leaned half his body out of the window, trying to see the scene three streets away with his naked eyes. He unconsciously channeled his inner energy into his eyes, and the steam made his vision clearer, but he could still only see people as ants and couldn't make out their appearance at all.
Cui Zui strained himself trying to see clearly, his eyes aching from looking so hard, before reluctantly closing his gaze. He circulated his inner energy to soothe his tired eyes, muttering to himself, "Is my supposedly unerring eye for accuracy fake? How come I can't see anything? This shouldn't be..."
Xue Jin'an interrupted his rambling: "Stop thinking about it, it's not your problem."
Although the physical functions of this body are currently far inferior to those of his original self, resulting in damage to various functions, by human standards, the damaged version is already far superior.
Xue Jin'an thought the plan was a sure thing, but little did he know that in the blink of an eye, the Second Prince had already started thinking.
Later, Xue Jin'an was able to uncover the oversight through Xi Yun.
At first, just as Xue Jin'an had thought, the Second Prince had no time to think. He was only focused on rushing to Yongchun Palace to find Consort Min. He chased away the palace maid who was about to announce his arrival and barged in himself. This was his usual behavior, and the people in Yongchun Palace were used to it. They did not stop him. In any case, Consort Min doted on the Second Prince and would not blame him for his lack of manners.
As it turned out, the eldest princess was also there. The mother and daughter were facing each other, enjoying tea and playing chess, chatting happily.
The second prince stopped in his tracks, and when the eldest princess turned around at the sound, he instinctively hid in her blind spot.
Ever since the incident at the lakeside pavilion, where the eldest princess forced him into the pond and said those unkind things, the second prince had been deliberately avoiding her. Every time he came to pay his respects, he would choose a time when she was not there. Occasionally, when Consort Min talked about her with him, he would quickly change the subject with dissatisfaction. Over time, Consort Min realized something and rarely mentioned the eldest princess in front of him anymore.
The second prince had mixed feelings about the eldest princess. He didn't want to see her or hear her speak. Just as he was about to go to the side hall to wait, he heard the eldest princess say, "Mother, you know me. If you want to completely tie me to the second prince's chariot, your current power is far from enough. With the second prince's tendency to cause trouble every now and then, I will jump off the chariot sooner or later."
Consort Min couldn't help but interrupt, "What nonsense are you talking about? You two are siblings, your fates are intertwined, one for the other's glory and the other for the other's loss."
Consort Min's voice was stern, with a hint of reprimand, clearly indicating her strong disagreement with the Eldest Princess's words.
"So what if we're siblings? I can't just give up my life for him for nothing, can I?" The eldest princess rarely showed a tough side in front of Consort Min, even losing the softness and gentleness in her voice, revealing her original coldness. "Mother, I'm already married. It's fine if I'm alone, but I still have my husband and Tai Le behind me."
"Tailo is my bottom line. I will absolutely not let her be harmed again." The princess paused, sensing the chilling atmosphere in the hall, and finally softened her tone. "Mother, I am the child most like you. You understand my thoughts, don't you?"
Consort Min was moved by this last sentence.
Inside, the mother and daughter were on good terms, but outside, the Second Prince was furious. He realized that the Eldest Princess had come today to snatch what was in his hands!
He had always known that the eldest princess harbored ambitions, but he never expected that before he had even ascended the throne, she would already be eyeing the power he held.
"You delusional woman! Your mother will never side with you!" the Second Prince thought to himself with conviction.
But then Consort Min sighed and said, "He is, after all, your own brother. You'll have to help look after him. He's young and a bit willful and immature, so please take good care of him..."
The implication behind his words was that he agreed!
"Mother!" The Second Prince could no longer contain himself and rushed out, his eyes practically spitting fire as he looked at the Eldest Princess, filled with undisguised hostility and hatred, like a child whose toy had been snatched away. He angrily said, "Do you really think she'll be good to me just because she got the benefits? From the very beginning, she's been a wolf in sheep's clothing, never treating me as her own brother. Eldest brother, second brother... there's absolutely no difference between those titles!"
"I can manage on my own, why should I needlessly make her stronger!" The Second Prince said with great conviction, his eyes shining with confidence as he looked at Consort Min, seemingly urging her on silently.
The Second Prince wanted Consort Min to take full control of the power she held. He thought: Although he was very dissatisfied with his mother's actions earlier, he was magnanimous and filial, and would not hold it against her. Once he had power and ascended to that position, he would definitely take good care of his mother and let her spend her later years in peace in the harem. From then on, she would no longer have to be subservient to anyone. Those who had opposed his mother could be dealt with at her discretion, and even if they went too far, he would turn a blind eye.
The second prince started having a sweet dream on the spot.
The eldest princess had noticed his presence when he was hiding, but she didn't take this younger brother seriously, so she didn't intend to change the subject. Now, seeing his expression, she guessed what he was thinking and laughed without any politeness. She said, "When you've fully developed your brain, then you can talk about these things."
The Eldest Princess came today specifically to discuss this matter with Consort Min. The so-called pleasant conversation that the Second Prince saw earlier was a complete illusion. If he had seen clearly the situation that the two were hoping for, he wouldn't have said those words.
For many years, the eldest princess had feigned weakness in front of Consort Min, tirelessly cleaning up the messes of the second prince. The second prince needed fame, so she had her poems and articles attributed to her; the second prince needed the support of powerful and noble families, so she frequently held banquets and maintained good relationships with the ladies and young women of various families... Her years of unbridled indulgence and nurturing blossomed into a flower called "useless."
It was precisely the "weakness and vulnerability" that Princess Chang deliberately displayed that made Consort Min completely forget how flamboyant and passionate she was in her youth. Consort Min unconsciously lowered her guard against her, allowing Consort Min to manipulate things under her nose and subtly make her presence known, gradually eroding her power and becoming an irreplaceable member.
Every banquet she hosts is a step towards accumulating her initial capital.
At this point, she had enough confidence to negotiate with Consort Min and fight for the rights she wanted.
The eldest princess had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to negotiate with Consort Min. She didn't have to wait long. The second prince made a minor mistake in court, and his reputation was in jeopardy. She demonstrated her ability with her swift and decisive handling of the situation and used it to challenge Consort Min.
The eldest princess had calculated correctly: even if Consort Min was angry, she would agree to her proposal, simply because her younger brother was a brainless idiot.
"Mother, I take my leave." After saying this, the eldest princess stood up, ignoring the second prince's extremely ugly face, and went straight out of the main hall. Her personal maidservant very tactfully left silently for a while, and when she returned, she was followed by another maidservant, who was holding Tai Le in her arms.
Because Tae-rak was always immersed in her own world and rarely responded to others' touch or words, Consort Min never really liked this granddaughter, and she always suspected that Tae-rak might have some mental problems and wasn't a normal child.
But the eldest princess knew very well that Tai Le not only had no problems, but she was also quite intelligent. Her ignoring people was simply because she didn't want to. Consort Min just didn't like Tai Le, but Tai Le clearly disliked Consort Min.
To avoid anything bad happening, the eldest princess always kept the two of them separate. As soon as she arrived at Yongchun Palace, she would have a palace maid take her out to play.
The eldest princess touched Tai Le's hand and felt it was a little cold, so she wrapped her clothes tighter before leaving Yongchun Palace.
Once the carriage had traveled some distance from Yongchun Palace, her trusted maidservant finally couldn't help but smile and said, "Your Majesty still loves His Highness. All the grievances you've suffered over the years haven't been in vain."
"Do you love me?" The princess seemed to have taken a conversation, and suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard of twin flowers? They are flowers that bloom and wither at the same time, and each time they bloom, they drain the nutrients from the other flower."
"Tell me, between me and my second brother, who will be the flower that never fades?" the eldest princess asked with a gentle smile and soft voice.
The trusted palace maid lowered her head, sweating profusely, and dared not utter a word under her gaze.
Just then, Tai Le, who usually ignored everyone, spoke up and said, "There are no immortal flowers in the world, and Mother is not a flower."
“Yes, my little Tai Le is absolutely right.” The princess was only slightly taken aback before she quickly realized what was going on. She cupped Tai Le’s face in her hands and said with a faint, ambiguous smile, “Mother is not a twin flower. One of the twin flowers in that bouquet has already withered and fallen. It’s not me.”
In truth, the eldest princess once harbored deep affection for her mother and younger brother. When did things begin to change? Was it when her mother told her she should be a role model for noble ladies? Was it when her mother was choosing a husband for her and judging whether the husband's family background could help her second brother? Or was it even earlier, when she learned how many sins were buried in that lotus pond?
"Or perhaps, I am just inherently cold-hearted." All her genuine feelings and sincerity are nothing but superficial clouds. Once her own interests are involved, she will withdraw them all. When she has the ability, she will immediately deliver a fatal blow. When she does not have the ability, she will lie low and collect evidence to wait for the moment to strike back.
The princess held Tai Le in her arms, looking at her daughter who was obediently playing with her fingers, and asked in a detached tone, "Will you hate me?"
It was as if he was asking her, and also as if he was asking himself.
The daughter in her arms slowly raised her eyes and looked over, her own face clearly reflected in her large, clear eyes.
Tai Le stared at the princess for a long time. The carriage moved slowly forward, and the only sound in the carriage was breathing. She stared at her, scrutinizing and judging her, like a frightened kitten observing a human reaching out to it. Only after confirming that there was no danger did she slowly extend a paw.
Taylor opened his mouth, but ultimately failed to utter a sound.
The eldest princess suddenly reached out and covered her eyes.
“It’s okay,” she said. “Don’t say anything.”
Tai Le nestled quietly in the princess's arms with her eyes open. After a while, as if she had given in, she slowly closed her eyes.
The human withdrew his outstretched hand, and the kitten slowly retracted its paw, which had been raised in the air. It lay down in a dark, damp corner, its paw occasionally brushing against its own tail in front of it, silently observing the world.
The princess felt a ticklish sensation as her palm was gently brushed by the curled eyelashes. She held on for a moment before letting go, by which time Tai Le had already fallen asleep.
She brushed the strands of hair from Tai Le's cheek, looked at the swaying roof of the carriage, and told herself that there was no right to regret what had been done.
“I would do the same thing again if I had to do it all over again,” she said in a barely audible voice.
She was staring blankly at the roof of the car, so she didn't notice the child in her arms, whose eyelashes trembled violently for a moment.
After the eldest princess left, the second prince also left quickly. He came and went in a hurry, filled with boundless anger. It wasn't until he returned to the prince's residence that he suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit.
The second prince's first reaction was to order someone to send the message to the palace, but he stopped abruptly as the eldest princess's mocking words echoed in his mind, causing his anger to build up layer by layer.
"Ha, I don't believe it. I can still do my job well without you!" the Second Prince snorted heavily.
And so, all of Xue Jin'an's preparations were completely useless. The Second Prince had no intention of investigating the First Prince's background, but instead used the old trick of spreading rumors.
However, this time he learned his lesson and stopped spreading rumors in court. Instead, he spread rumors directly among the people, making the mystery of the eldest prince's birth known everywhere. It seemed that overnight, the whole capital was discussing whether the eldest prince was the emperor's son and whether Consort De had an affair.
—Yes, that's right, it's that outrageous. The second prince fabricated a false cuckoldry accusation against the emperor and publicized it throughout the entire capital.
When Xue Jin'an opened the trending topics in the morning, he saw rows of red "hot" posts, all of which revolved around the eldest prince. He immediately felt something was wrong. When he clicked on them, he found that all his scheming was no match for the quick thinking of a fool.
Honestly, spreading false information to wage a propaganda war is actually a very good and effective tactic. Just like when Chu Wenjing was investigating the case of Consort Zhen, the person was already being interrogated, but then the person died, and Chu Wenjing was knocked unconscious. The overwhelming news weakened the case and focused directly on the relationship between Chu Wenjing and Consort Zhen, thus confusing the public.
Moreover, many more versions of the rumor were added later, all sorts of nonsense. At first, some people might have believed it, but after hearing it so many times, they stopped taking it seriously and knew it was a rumor. The emperor's face and reputation were thus preserved.
Both are cases of being cuckolded, but the skill with which they manipulate public opinion can create different feelings in different people's minds.
Xue Jin'an knew without a doubt that the emperor had now become a desktop cleaning master.
“You guessed right.” Teacher X, who had just come from the Emperor’s side, gave Xue Jin’an an affirmative answer. He asked, “What do you plan to do now? Do you need my help? I can give you a perfect plan, all you need is a gold leaf.”
It's clear that Teacher Xiao X is really bored. As an AI that Xue Jin'an debugged using his own database, it obviously has the same personality flaw as himself, which is that it dislikes repetition.
Xue Jin'an never watches the replay of a class he has already attended, nor does he reopen a book he has already read. In order to avoid wasting time on repetitive knowledge, he hardly ever opens the online course software until new textbooks are uploaded.
There's a 70% chance that Teacher X only got tired of it now because the amount of big data was limited at the time, and the AI hadn't been fully debugged yet. Once it was debugged and Teacher X's intelligence gradually matured, he wanted to play with new users.
Unfortunately, no matter how he expanded the benefits and incentives with new activities, the emperor was like a miser and unwilling to introduce people to him.
Teacher X had no choice but to take the initiative to find it herself.
“No need.” Xue Jin’an refused decisively, adding, “Fraudulently targeting developers is an even more serious crime. If it happens again, I’ll reset your account.”
"!!" Teacher X immediately changed her tune, obediently saying, "I was just joking, Daddy."
As she spoke, Teacher X sent several "I've behaved myself" emojis of the emperor. As for the source of the emojis... well, it's because you mentioned breakfast in the morning, and at noon you'll be bombarded with a bunch of delicious food recommendations from big data.
Xue Jin'an is already a mature coder, but Teacher Xiao X is a three-no AI who freely roams in the ocean of big data, the 360 of the AI world.
Teacher X obediently shut up and peeked at the screen, but Xue Jin'an still answered his question: "Nothing to do, just let it develop."
Although things didn't start off well, the results were pretty much the same. The second prince had already clashed with the first prince, and the main storyline of the struggle for the throne had begun. He had more room to maneuver, and he just needed to wait for the right moment to intervene.
As for who will win between the two, there is an 85% probability that the eldest prince will win this confrontation. However, the eldest prince's victory does not mean the end, but rather the beginning of everything. Consort Min will not watch the second prince suffer a loss, and the eldest princess will also take advantage of this excellent opportunity to step onto the stage. The higher the eldest prince stands, the less he dares to fall. He will only invest more and faster than others. It is also hard to say how many people are taking advantage of this struggle for the throne.
—But none of that matters, we'll all die in the end anyway.
Now, Xue Jin'an opened a fitness app and began his daily military training with the Northwest Army.
As it turned out, Xue Jin'an's guess was correct. The Second Prince's advantage lasted for less than three days before the First Prince launched a fierce counterattack.
***
On the first day of the propaganda war, when the eldest prince went to court, for the first time, he did not wear his usual rigid smile. Facing the second prince's smug and provocative gaze, he warned him in a cold tone, "Second prince, don't go too far."
"What did you say, elder brother? I don't understand." The second prince tried to feign innocence, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. His expression looked very strange, giving off a sense of a petty person who had achieved his goal.
The surrounding officials quickly looked away, trying to minimize their presence and pretending they hadn't seen anything.
The eldest prince glanced at him and didn't argue with him further, only saying, "Stop talking nonsense, or you'll suffer the consequences, waiter."
Then he walked to the side.
The second prince chuckled and called out to Feng Shi, who was a beat behind the first prince, "Hey, Feng San."
"Huh? What?" Feng Shi slowly raised his head, his face was pale and his eyes were somewhat dazed. He paused for a moment after being called, and then reacted. "Greetings, Second Prince. May I ask what business the Second Prince has with me?"
The second prince raised an eyebrow at him, "So... you got beaten by Minister Feng again last night?"
As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Feng Shi's buttocks, and he quickly asked, "How many whips were broken this time?"
Feng Shi's face instantly turned bright red, his previous gloom vanished, and he said angrily, "No!"
"Your Highness has time to worry about me, but you should worry about yourself instead. I heard that Consort Xu is pregnant? Is this Your Highness's eldest son? Congratulations." After congratulating him, Feng Shi turned around and said sarcastically in a low voice, "But now, with Your Highness's reputation, I wonder which noble lady would be so foolish as to become your princess consort? I'm afraid that if she marries him, her whole family will be laughed at for selling their daughter for personal gain."
"You!" The second prince was so angry that he couldn't speak.
Feng Shi timely retreated to avoid the Second Prince's attack range, cupped his hands and said "Your subject takes his leave," before flicking his sleeves back to the First Prince's side.
The two exchanged a few words in hushed tones. Feng Shi remained respectful throughout. After the Crown Prince nodded to indicate that the conversation was over, he stood behind him with his head bowed, looking at the strangely familiar yet strangely odd man.
It wasn't until the morning court session began and the emperor appeared amidst the chanting of rites that the Second Prince, looking at Li Hechun who followed closely behind the emperor with his head bowed and obedient, suddenly realized what Feng Shi had felt just moments before when he was following behind the First Prince.
At this moment, if it were Xue Jin'an, he would definitely realize that Feng Shi's excessive respect for the eldest prince was unusual, and even a normal person would pay attention to it.
However, it was the Second Prince who realized what was going on. He cursed in his heart: Feng San is indeed the boss's dog. He is really loyal to his master!
After the morning court session ended, the eldest prince and the second prince were approached by palace maids who had been waiting for them as soon as they left the Qin Zheng Hall.
The person looking for the eldest prince was Consort De's head maid. Before anyone could speak, the eldest prince asked three questions in a row: "How is Your Highness's mood? Have you had breakfast yet? What are you doing now?"
The head palace maid replied one by one: "I don't know your mood. I had breakfast half an hour ago and was riding horses at the racecourse."
"He can still ride horses, so he's in a good mood." The eldest prince made his assessment and turned to walk forward first. "Let's go to the horse farm."
The one who came to find the Second Prince was the Eldest Princess's trusted maid. Naturally, the Eldest Princess had woken up and learned of the Second Prince's remarkable actions, so she sent him to confront him.
The Second Prince was the first to speak, and he indeed retorted in a harsh tone, "Go back and tell your master to stop coveting what's in other people's bowls. She's even trying to get her hands on mine. My residence doesn't welcome her."
"Instead of wasting your time on this, you should have a child to carry on the family line for the prince consort. Tai Le is just a little girl. Even if she doesn't get married, she'll only be a princess. What can she do?" The second prince waved his hand and strode away.
The palace maid watched him leave, her eyes unconsciously revealing pity.
As expected, after she recounted the whole story to the eldest princess, the princess laughed in exasperation. She gently ordered fifty burly servants, some carrying copper hammers and others iron rods, and the group marched in a grand procession to the Second Prince's residence.
The grand master's chair was set down, along with the matching small table, and palace maids quickly prepared tea.
The eldest princess took the teacup and said, "Go and knock on the door."
After a series of forceful thumps, the closed gates of the Second Prince's residence were opened. The head eunuch, with a chrysanthemum-like grin, approached the Eldest Princess, bowing respectfully. In just this short distance, his collar was already soaked with sweat.
"This old servant greets Your Highness, the Princess. Your Highness, you—" He had barely begun his sentence when the Princess raised her hand to interrupt him.
"I won't go in. After all, I'm not welcome here, am I?" The princess said with a gentle smile and a light tone. "I have a good temper, but that doesn't mean I'll be willing to suffer a loss. If you want to distance yourself from me, then let's settle things one by one."
"I have contributed some money to this prince's estate, so I don't want it anymore. Let's just smash it." There are rules in the palace about how much money each prince contributes to build his own residence. Generally, the emperor and his respective mothers would add a portion to his allowance.
The Second Prince had been spoiled and extravagant since childhood. His Prince's residence was very luxurious. It was estimated that only two-thirds of it could be built with the palace allowance and the emperor's subsidies. The remaining third was funded by Consort Min, and some of the money came from the Eldest Princess.
The princess's estates and shops are very profitable, and she does business with the wealthy. The fact that she can hold banquets in the capital from time to time shows that she is definitely not short of money.
"This, this, this won't do!" The head eunuch of the Second Prince's residence only managed to utter one sentence before his mouth was covered and he was dragged aside.
"I'll only smash what I've paid for, exactly 30%, no more, no less, starting with the main entrance."
The princess took a sip of tea and waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Smash it."
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