Chapter 505: The Thousand-Year-Old (26)
Wen Wan's CPU was about to burn out and she still couldn't figure out what to do. Finally, following Gu Li's advice, Wen Wan directly handed over the thousand elite soldiers to General Chen. Firstly, she and General Chen had some friendship, and secondly, General Chen was a famous loyal minister. Even if the emperor was testing her, entrusting the thousand elite soldiers to General Chen was enough to reassure the emperor. General Chen had been stationed on the frontier for many years and was only temporarily free because of the peace treaty signed between the two countries. He would have to go back later, so he took the thousand elite soldiers with him.
That makes absolutely perfect sense.
Wen Wan immediately went to see General Chen, who was shocked when he learned of her plans.
"Does the Second Prince intend to bring a thousand soldiers under my command?"
Wen Wan nodded. "I'm not good at leading troops, so let General Chen lead them. That way, they'll have a better chance to develop."
“But these are a thousand elite soldiers. The Emperor gave them to you because he trusts you. They are a great asset to you. Why give them up?”
Wen Wan: "I don't need it."
General Chen: "Second Prince really has no ambition at all. Since that's what you say, then I'll take these thousand soldiers with me. Don't regret it, Second Prince."
"Thank you, General Chen."
Wen Wan left with Gu Li.
General Chen asked the strategist beside him, "Don't you think the Second Prince is strange? If any other prince had a thousand elite soldiers, they would never give them up."
Although he was stationed on the frontier for many years, he still heard about the affairs between these princes.
The strategist said, "He's very clever. This is the Emperor's favor, but also a test. Do you really think the Emperor can favor the Second Prince without any reservations? Don't forget who the Second Prince's birth mother is. The Empress is no kind person, not to mention her maternal family. Nine generations of her family were wiped out. How much hatred is that? Even if on the surface the Empress doesn't resent it, and the Second Prince doesn't resent it, who knows the truth? Even the Emperor doesn't know. So no matter what happens, the Second Prince has already lost from the very beginning."
General Chen: "..."
"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. The more the emperor acts this way, the more dangerous it becomes for him. It would be better to decisively give it up, put the emperor at ease, and find a way out for himself."
"You mean he has no chance of getting that position?"
Strategist: "Not necessarily."
"Heavenly secrets must not be revealed."
General Chen: "I know you used to be a Taoist priest, but don't be so mysterious. Anyway, I just think he's better than the other princes. My loyalty will always be to the one who brings good days to the people."
The strategist chuckled, "It's one thing for you to say this to me, but if you said it to the emperor, you'd lose your head."
General Chen: "I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not stupid either. I know what I should and shouldn't do, what I should and shouldn't say."
The strategist smiled.
If it weren't for General Chen's temperament, he wouldn't have stayed by his side to assist him.
...
After leaving General Chen's residence, Wen Wan breathed a sigh of relief and patted Gu Li's arm, "Thanks to your intelligence, otherwise I really wouldn't know how I died."
"Your Highness is overthinking it. You are a lucky person and will always be blessed."
The emperor soon found out but said nothing. The other princes, however, were filled with mixed feelings. Even the ministers who wanted to submit a memorial to say that this was inappropriate were caught off guard by this sudden blow.
Who would have thought that the Second Prince would be so decisive, abandoning a thousand elite soldiers without hesitation?
The ministers who supported her were extremely disappointed in her.
The Empress also found out. Wen Wan originally thought the Empress would oppose her actions, but she didn't.
The Empress had no objection to this.
She sent someone to deliver a message, which contained only one sentence: Think twice before you act.
Whatever you do, you must prioritize yourself. Only by protecting yourself can you do what you want.
Wen Wan was very pleased with this sudden maternal love.
Last time she went to see the Empress, she was assassinated on the way and didn't make it. This time, Wen Wan thought she should go, since the Empress was the original owner's biological mother.
Wen Wan brought Xiao Cui and Gu Li with her this time, along with her bodyguards.
The journey went very smoothly, and probably no one would dare to assassinate her so openly again, otherwise the emperor would definitely not have let her off so easily as last time.
Soon they arrived at the Jingxin Nunnery where the Empress practiced meditation. It belonged to the royal family, since the royal family sometimes needed such a place to accept the various concubines, princesses, and so on who could not be killed or imprisoned.
There were also royal temples where royal personnel who could neither be killed nor imprisoned could be ordained as monks.
The Empress had obviously received her message, and Wen Wan soon met the legendary Empress.
It has to be said that she doesn't resemble her at all, which is normal; her face is her own.
This is a cheat code given by the system.
However, as expected of the Empress, her appearance was naturally excellent. Although she was over thirty years old, she looked like she was in her twenties. Moreover, she had the typical mature and elegant look, and she smelled fragrant, with a scent of incense.
Although dressed simply, she still looked good.
"Your Majesty, I am late. How are you feeling?"
The Empress smiled and said, "Your mother is in good health, Yu'er, you don't need to worry."
The two entered the room, and the Empress asked Wen Wan some questions, which Wen Wan answered cautiously.
The Empress looked at Wen Wan and said, "Yu'er, your mother doesn't want anything anymore. I only hope that you can live a peaceful life. I used to fight for everything. I should have realized this long ago. I should have realized it when the Lin family was destroyed. I was just a pawn. I was a pawn of the Lin family before, and later I was a pawn of the Emperor. What I pursued is not important. If I could do it all over again, I would even regret turning you into a boy. Maybe you wouldn't be in so much danger and could be a happy little princess."
Wen Yan: "..."
Wow, this empress actually came to her senses.
This surprised her greatly, after all, this was a ruthless person who valued power more than children, capable of doing something as simple as switching the prince with a cat.
Perhaps this spiritual practice really is useful.
"Mother, I will take good care of myself, and you should also take good care of yourself. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will definitely bring you out."
The Empress shook her head. "I don't want to go out anymore. I'm quite happy here. The palace is a quagmire. Everyone in it gets caught in the vortex of power and slowly becomes someone they don't even recognize. Everyone fights and struggles, and apart from the Emperor, there are no winners."
Wen Wan: That makes a lot of sense.
"Mother has come to her senses now. Even as Empress, I cannot protect the Lin family, nor can I protect Yu'er. With a single word from the Emperor, the Lin family can be destroyed, I can be deposed, and you can be removed from your position as Crown Prince. I have fought for this position for twenty years, but now I realize it was all meaningless."
Wen Wan: Why did your thinking suddenly become so profound?
"Your mother has escaped the cage of the palace, but my son is still in that cage. Your mother's only wish is to protect you. You are the only child in this world with whom your mother shares blood."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
