After learning that Lan Shuang had met with the fifth prince, the Imperial Master once again came to the prayer platform and asked her what she wanted to do.
Lan Shuang said that she was helping him, but the Imperial Master didn't believe her and warned her not to interfere in these matters anymore.
Lan Shuang no longer had the desire to talk to him. For someone who was bent on committing suicide, it was useless to talk about the sky, to say all sorts of things, or to even bring Nuwa back to life and applaud you.
If he wants to hit his head against the wall, let him do it. If he dies, so be it. If he doesn’t die, you’ll regret it.
So the two parted ways unhappily again.
The Imperial Master tried every possible means to find out if the Fifth Prince had made any unusual moves that day, but found nothing.
Lan Shuang didn't care. She had no power here, and nothing she did could be hidden from the Imperial Master, so she didn't intend to hide it from him from the beginning. This was a good opportunity for him to see clearly whether she was doing it for his own good or not.
After the fifth prince fell and was injured, he rested in the mansion for a few days. As soon as he was able to move, he went out and personally visited Lan Shuang at the prayer platform.
Of course he didn't walk here, as limping would be embarrassing. He was carried here and changed into a wheelchair after getting out of the sedan chair.
Lan Shuang and her maids were looking over the list of betrothal gifts sent by Xin Wujiang. The maids were amazed and said, "Did the general empty out the mansion? Why are there so many?"
Lan Shuang was also shocked. Even if they had been generals for generations, the rewards and treasures they had accumulated were only this much.
"Oh, there's another one here. They say it was saved by General Xin himself as a dowry for the Saint."
The maid took out another red booklet. Lan Shuang took it and looked at it. She saw stars in her eyes and all she saw was money.
"This is probably accumulated from his battles."
When generals were fighting or negotiating peace, the defeated side would always send some gifts. The emperor usually didn't want these things, or he would turn a blind eye and let the general keep them. After all, they were always fighting on the verge of death, and this little bit of money was nothing.
But I didn’t expect that all the things Xin Wujiang saved would be used as his dowry.
Lan Shuang couldn't help laughing when she thought of that man who always had a cold face and looked unromantic.
In fact, he is quite caring behind people's backs, but he is just too proud to say it.
She glanced at it for a few seconds, then closed the book and asked the maid to put it away.
All the things were sent to the Imperial Master's Mansion. She would eventually get married from the Imperial Master's Mansion, so these were sent to her just for fun.
"I……"
"Saintess, the Fifth Prince is coming——"
Lan Shuang had just stood up and was about to ask about her dowry when a maid hurried in from outside.
"Fifth Prince?"
"Why is he here?"
Several maids murmured in confusion, but Lan Shuang smiled knowingly and said, "Please let him in."
"yes."
…
The Fifth Prince was ushered in and stopped in the outer room. Lan Shuang sat in the inner room, separated from him by a glazed screen. She said softly, "No one has come to the prayer platform for a long time. Your Highness's sudden arrival has brightened up this humble place."
The words sound better than the songs.
The Fifth Prince smiled faintly, "Will the Saint Lady not come out to see me?"
Lan Shuang smiled and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I am already engaged. To avoid suspicion, it is not convenient for me to meet with Your Highness."
The Fifth Prince was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "You guys go out and wait."
"yes."
The guards and maids all left, and they were the only two left in the room, so they didn't close the door and left it wide open so they wouldn't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping.
"I heard that Your Highness fell off his horse a few days ago. I was quite worried. Is Your Highness feeling better?"
Lan Shuang held the teacup and gently used the lid to remove the foam on top.
The Fifth Prince rubbed his fingers, lowered his eyes and said, "It's okay, just some flesh wounds, no broken bones."
"That's good." Lan Shuang said this and nothing else.
The Fifth Prince originally wanted to let her speak first and then he would respond accordingly, but Lan Shuang was more patient than him. Now that he needed help from her, it would be inappropriate for him to put on airs.
He pursed his lips and asked in a compromising tone, "Last time, the Saint predicted that I would suffer a bloody disaster, and it actually came true. This shows how capable the Saint is."
Lan Shuang nodded to the side of her face. "So, Your Highness, you came here today to join forces with me?"
The Fifth Prince smiled. "The prerequisite for joining forces is mutual honesty. I'm puzzled as to why the Saint Lady would bypass the Imperial Preceptor to join forces with me. With the Saint Lady's abilities, it shouldn't be difficult for her to help the Imperial Preceptor, right?"
"A person's fate is predetermined by heaven. Going against it will not end well. The Imperial Master has been so kind to me in raising me. I cannot bear to see him go astray, but I cannot stop him. I can only borrow your help."
The fifth prince narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"
Lan Shuang looked at him through the screen and could only see a blurry shadow, but she knew that the Fifth Prince was also looking at her.
"I can predict the future and it won't be difficult for you to help His Highness ascend the throne. I hope Your Highness will spare the Imperial Master's life because of my sincerity."
"That's all?"
The fifth prince was surprised.
"That's all." Lan Shuang said firmly, "Your Highness can do whatever you want with the rest of us, as long as the Imperial Preceptor is kept alive."
"Why don't you ask for something for yourself?" The Fifth Prince found it hard to believe that Lan Shuang could be so selfless.
After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Aren't you afraid that I'll destroy your bridges? You're so capable, and you've even married Wujiang. Do you think I won't be wary of you?"
Lan Shuang raised her eyebrows. The fifth prince was indeed the last person to ascend the throne. It was sincere of him to ask this question so frankly.
She stood up and said, "It's the stupidest thing to block people's hearts. If you're afraid of us, you'll still be afraid even if we're not together. If you trust us, then what others say is useless. So, how to do it is up to you, not us."
"Your Highness should know the General's character better than anyone else. As for me..."
Lan Shuang smiled: "I will obey my husband after I get married."
The Fifth Prince was silent for a long time after hearing this, and finally said with relief: "Okay, in that case, I will believe you this time. What should I do next?"
After the alliance was reached, Lan Shuang was in a very good mood and immediately told the Fifth Prince about the next plan. The more the Fifth Prince listened, the more he felt that this person was extraordinary and had thought so thoroughly.
Little did they know that Lan Shuang was the one holding the script.
…
"Your Highness, do you really believe what the Saint said? What if..." The confidant pushed the fifth prince out with some worry.
The Fifth Prince shook his head. "We turned the stables upside down and checked carefully. The horses were not tampered with. Everything is normal. It wasn't planned by her in advance. So we'd rather believe it than not."
The confidant thought the same thing, "Your Highness should keep a hand in reserve, just in case."
The Fifth Prince nodded: "Of course."
After returning home, the Fifth Prince immediately followed the clues given by Lan Shuang to check the Crown Prince's accounts, and indeed found a large number of loopholes. He asked people to sort them out, and using the names of other princes, he contacted the censors and severely reported the Crown Prince.
When the emperor saw this, he was so angry that he almost fainted. He called the prince to his bedroom and scolded him harshly.
Of course, the national teacher would not miss such a good opportunity.
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