Consort Ning looked into Liu Yan's eyes and asked earnestly, "Yan'er, what do you think is the Crown Prince's weakness?"
Liu Yan, who was drinking tea, was taken aback when he heard this. After a long pause, he hesitated and said, "He has no ability? The Cheng'en Duke's Mansion is not very reliable either."
Hearing her son's words, Consort Ning sighed. She knew that Liu Yan had not yet seen things clearly.
"In what way do you think you are better than the Crown Prince?"
Liu Yan felt uneasy as he listened to his mother's words. He knew that nothing his mother said was unfounded.
“I am smarter and more capable than my elder brother, and I am more favored by the Emperor. My mother is also more capable than the Empress.”
At the end, Liu Yan even gave a small compliment to Consort Ning. After finishing, he looked at his mother with a puzzled expression.
“You’re wrong. Your mother is no more capable than the Empress. On the contrary, the Empress will always be the Empress. As long as she’s alive, I will always have to bow down to her. The same goes for you. No matter how smart or capable you are than your elder brother, as long as he’s alive, you will always have to bow down to him.”
Consort Ning smiled slightly and said to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan had never heard Consort Ning speak so directly before, and he was filled with resentment. Liu Yan couldn't understand why, after all their hard work to get to this point, his mother would boost the morale of others and diminish their own.
“Mother, one day I will make sure you never have to bow your head to anyone. I will never bow my head to my elder brother. He is not worthy of the position of Crown Prince!”
Liu Yan uttered his words with force and conviction, but Consort Ning seemed not to hear them, staring blankly out the window.
After a long while, Consort Ning looked at Liu Yan, who was full of resentment, and said, "Yan'er, you have disappointed me too much. You always think you are smart, but in fact you are the most foolish of all."
"Mother!"
Consort Ning's words made Liu Yan very unhappy. He began to think back, wondering if he had done anything recently to upset her.
"What, you're not convinced?"
Ning Fei glanced at Liu Yan, who was clearly unconvinced, and continued talking to herself.
"Whether it's what you say or what you think, do you think you can get everything just because you want it? A mountain is a mountain, it won't turn into water just because you, Liu Yan. If you don't realize that you will inevitably fail, the position of Crown Prince will not be held by Liu Kang, nor will it be yours."
Liu Yan didn't understand Consort Ning's meaning, nor did he know why she was telling him this. However, he had a premonition that this was a very important moment, and everything his mother said was meaningful.
Why should we be prepared to fail? Isn't the point of effort to succeed?
"It's for success. But what you're about to do is the most dangerous thing in the world. Do you think you're better than your father? Even your father faced several close calls when he was vying for the throne. Have you forgotten the assassination attempt on him in Chenliu? Without being prepared to face failure, how can you possibly reach the top?"
Consort Ning rubbed her forehead wearily; the progress was much faster than she had anticipated. According to her original plan, Liu Yan would have at least ten more years to grow and prepare before finally defeating Liu Kang and seizing power. After all, patience and biding his time were her wisdom.
But the situation is far from what she thought. If they don't change their plans now, they'll never have the chance to implement them. She has to take action now, removing the Third Prince and Lady Lin from their path while they are still relatively powerless.
If she continues to endure, their power will gradually grow, and the Third Prince will become even more important in Liu Heng's heart. When Liu Kang falls, the Third Prince Liu Yang will take over, and there will be no chance for Liu Yan.
Although she loved her son dearly, Consort Ning was always pragmatic. She felt that Liu Yan's talent was actually inferior to Liu Yang's. What outsiders didn't know was that everyone said Liu Yan was a prodigy from a young age, but in reality, Liu Yan's efforts were all done in secret, so there was only glory without seeing the sweat.
Consort Ning had been secretly observing Liu Yang, and she was aware of his performance and growth. In Consort Ning's eyes, the Imperial Concubine was not particularly capable and had not put much effort into teaching Liu Yang. Liu Yang's current success was entirely due to his own talent and self-discipline.
For a five- or six-year-old child, such temperament and talent are absolutely one in a million. If Liu Yang continues to grow, he will become increasingly conspicuous, and in the future, Liu Heng will no longer be able to tolerate Liu Yan.
Under these circumstances, Liu Yan could no longer remain oblivious; he had to prepare himself, especially mentally. Only when Liu Yan made up his mind would he be able to demonstrate any ability.
“Yan’er, the Crown Prince’s only weakness is that he is not ruthless enough. He has been the eldest son since childhood. He was the heir apparent when he was a prince and the Crown Prince after entering the palace. In his opinion, everything he has obtained should be his. Just like the Empress, she believes that everyone in the inner court should bow down to her as a matter of course.”
"He wasn't ruthless enough, so he got a concubine pregnant before the Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace. Although the concubine's child was aborted, His Majesty is very particular about rules and regulations, so he was bound to be displeased. The Crown Prince wasn't ruthless enough, so he didn't use any methods against you. He wasn't ruthless enough, so the officials in the Eastern Palace were a mixed bag, full of loopholes, which is why he was able to risk being reprimanded by your father, the Emperor, to plead for the King and the Prince."
Consort Ning mentioned that she was a little thirsty, and Liu Yan cleverly handed her a cup of hot tea. Consort Ning smiled; Liu Yan was indeed quite perceptive in reading people's expressions, a testament to the years of hard work she had put into training him.
"The Crown Prince isn't ruthless enough, but you must harden your heart. Since you're preparing to compete for the throne, you must be prepared. Think about the consequences of failure, whether you can bear them, and which hurdle is most likely to fail. You must think about these things in advance and be prepared. You must learn this from your father: never fight a battle you can't win."
After finishing her tea, Consort Ning continued speaking, and Liu Yan nodded to indicate that he had learned something.
"You have failed. The worst outcome is that everyone in the Donghai Duke's Mansion will be buried with you, including my mother. Are you prepared for that?"
Liu Yan was startled by the determination and murderous intent in Consort Ning's eyes. He swallowed hard and nodded firmly.
He was fed up with the feeling of working hard in silence but never being the main character. First Liu Feng, then Liu Kang, there was always someone standing in his way. What they obtained effortlessly, he had to fight hard with sweat and tears for.
What's so great about Liu Feng or Liu Kang? In terms of intelligence, effort, and wit, they're inferior to him in every way. They're just born as the legitimate son. Even the Empress is not as good as his mother, yet he always tries to suppress her. Liu Yan finds their arrogant attitude disgusting.
From a young age, he secretly vowed that one day he would rise above his circumstances, defeat Liu Kang, and ensure that no one could take anything away from him. He would make his mother able to look down on the Empress and be proud of him.
"Good, it's good that you've come to your senses. Your mother has also come to her senses. Now, it's time to take action."
Consort Ning did not discuss her next actions with Liu Yanxiang. She had already considered the worst-case scenario and was determined not to implicate him.
After Lin Yuqiao and the others paid their respects at Kunning Palace in the morning, they dispersed. Watching them walk away, the Empress could no longer suppress her anger.
"I knew Consort Ning was no good, she's got a wicked heart. Just look at her fawning and sycophantic manner. For a consort to be so shameless, it makes me feel disgusted."
The Empress's cheeks trembled with anger, and Granny Zhou quickly tried to soothe her.
It's no wonder she's angry. In the past, Consort Ning was always silent and low-key, obeying whatever the Empress said, and always arriving first to pay her respects in the morning. But now, ever since Wang Hejun was executed, Consort Ning no longer respects her, and always goes to pay her respects in the morning with Lin Yuqiao.
Lin Yuqiao always arrived at the last minute. She had already given up. No matter how early she arrived, the Empress would not give up her hostility towards her, so there was no need for her to fawn over her.
As a favored concubine, the Empress had long been prepared for her to be arrogant and domineering, so she wasn't too surprised. However, Consort Ning's sudden change was seen by the Empress as a blatant underestimation of her.
Because her family members were dealt with by His Majesty, Consort Ning felt that she had no influence anymore and went to curry favor with Lin Yuqiao. How could this be right? The more the Empress thought about it, the angrier she became.
That's not all. This morning at Kunning Palace, Consort Ning had been subtly flattering Lin Yuqiao, which infuriated the Empress even more. The Empress felt a chill run down her spine at the thought of the two only concubines in the palace, both with sons, joining forces.
“That’s right, Consort Ning looks terrible like this. But Your Highness, it’s all over the palace now that people are saying the Third Prince is a child prodigy who can remember everything he reads. Even His Majesty favors him… Rumor has it that His Majesty gave the Third Prince a seal at the previous banquet for the top scholar, which is proof of that. And the characters that appeared in Consort Lü’s palace a few years ago have been dug up again, which they say is the will of Heaven.”
Granny Zhou was also very attentive to gathering information, and she knew all the rumors circulating in the palace. Because the rumors were too audacious, she had never dared to report them to the Empress. Now, taking advantage of the Empress's anger, she hesitated and then spoke to the Empress, half-concealing the truth.
The actual rumors were even more exaggerated than that. Granny Zhou tried her best to tell only a fraction of the truth, not daring to provoke the Empress too much.
And so, the Queen was about to lose her temper.
"What is this Lin woman trying to do! The Third Prince is only so young, and her true colors are already showing! Now that her brother has become a Grand Secretary, does she no longer respect me and the Crown Prince?"
Lin Yuqiao's exclusive favor was already a blow to the Empress's heart, but Liu Heng kept refusing to participate in the imperial concubine selection, and she had no chance to persuade Liu Heng again due to various reasons.
Now that her second brother has been executed, the Empress is not only grieving but also feels she has lost face. She fears that others in the harem, especially Lin Yuqiao, might take the opportunity to look down on her.
As expected, her premonition came true; the Lin family acted so quickly. By promoting the Third Prince, hailed as a child prodigy and bestowing upon him an official seal, they were clearly demonstrating their intention to challenge the Crown Prince.
"No wonder the Consort's ambitions are growing. The four members of the Lin family are all highly valued by His Majesty. Grand Secretary Lin was able to enter the cabinet at a young age. They are colluding with each other, which is why His Majesty is being deceived. Now His Majesty's eyes and heart are all on the Consort. It's not surprising that Consort Ning is so fond of flattering the powerful and belittling the weak."
Granny Zhou was also indignant, because the rumors in the palace were all about the four outstanding members of the Lin family. The Third Prince had four maternal uncles as his backers, his mother was favored, and he himself was intelligent. Sooner or later, the position of Crown Prince would be his. Although no one dared to say it directly in front of others, many people thought so in private.
Furthermore, people in the palace, whether it was the Imperial Household Department, the Sewing Room, or the Imperial Kitchen, were all scrambling to curry favor with Consort Lin. Any good things were sent to Yanqing Palace first. Such obvious activity was known to the people in Kunning Palace.
"Hmph, that bitch Lin, she only flaunts her power by seducing the emperor. If it weren't for her brothers, would she dare to be so arrogant!"
Thinking of Lin Yuqiao's four older brothers, and then of her own, the Empress felt even more bitter. If her brothers were as capable as her, would she and the Crown Prince be living such a tiring life? Would Lin Shi still dare to so openly defy her?
However, despite her anger, the Empress was powerless to do anything about it. Neither Consort Ning's obsequious flattery nor Lin Yuqiao's audacious behavior could quell their anger.
"Go and make the arrangements. If anyone in the palace spreads such baseless rumors again, have their tongue cut out! I want to see if they'll still be willing to risk losing their tongues to fawn over the Lin family!"
"If she can't deal with those two, can't she handle the other eunuchs and palace maids?" the Empress said angrily to Granny Zhou.
"I respectfully agree."
After Zhou Mama left to carry out her orders, the Empress remained seated at the table, feeling increasingly suffocated. Lin Shi's words had struck a nerve, leaving her with a lump in her throat.
If only I could get rid of all of Lin's brothers at once. Then, let's see what right she has to be so arrogant.
Thinking this through, the Empress suddenly had a flash of inspiration and came up with an idea.
Although it's only a temporary solution, if Lin Yucheng were to leave as Grand Secretary and return to his hometown, someone would inevitably take his place. Even if he were to return, the nine-member cabinet would be full. Unless Liu Heng removes another Grand Secretary, he would definitely not be able to become Grand Secretary again.
Furthermore, at that time, the nine elders would inevitably continue to target Lin Yucheng to avoid being ousted. His individual strength was limited, and being attacked and annihilated by so many people would surely make his life difficult for quite some time.
Having made up her mind, the Empress smiled.
Meanwhile, in Jinghe Palace, Consort Ning instructed Liu Yan to keep a close eye on the movements at Chen Liangzi's residence outside the palace. As she anticipated, the Empress was about to become restless.
Lin Yuqiao was naturally aware of the rumors circulating in the palace, and Consort Ning's actions these days were giving her a real headache.
"She did it on purpose, as if she was afraid the Empress wouldn't hate me. It's harmful to others and doesn't benefit herself!"
Since she couldn't explain to everyone individually, Lin Yuqiao was quite open-minded about the rumors. Although she was a little uneasy, she wasn't particularly concerned. Ning Fei's sudden attack, which was so forcefully trying to make her the target of hatred, made her feel even more uncomfortable.
"Your Majesty, those rumors are absolutely vicious; they're trying to ruin the Third Prince!"
After hearing Mangxia talk about the rumors, Granny Jiang became very worried.
"It's alright, the key isn't others. I'll explain to the Emperor. The real question is who did it."
In the palace, she was basically public enemy number one, and Lin Yuqiao didn't know who had spread the rumors. The Empress and Consort Ning were both possibilities.
However, Lin Yuqiao believed that Liu Heng knew her character and would definitely not think she did it. Besides, Mengmeng was still young; why would she need to do it?
After Liu Heng came over that evening, Lin Yuqiao washed up and hid in her tent, where she told him about the rumors.
"I don't know who did it, their intentions were so malicious."
Lin Yuqiao leaned on Liu Heng's shoulder and commented. Under the blanket, her feet were rubbing against Liu Heng's calves.
"Don't worry, I'll find out who did it."
Liu Heng turned over and hugged her, kissing her forehead as he spoke.
Liu Heng had also heard the rampant rumors, and his control over the harem was growing stronger. However, because the rumors spread so widely, a thorough investigation would reveal that most of the palace maids and eunuchs had been involved to varying degrees. Finding the source of the rumors would be very difficult.
"Yes, I know."
Lin Yuqiao smiled sweetly. The person next to her didn't have very broad shoulders, but he was like a guardian angel, firmly supporting a peaceful sky for her and her child.
"Ziping, you're so handsome I can't breathe!"
Before Liu Heng could even ask what "handsome" meant, Lin Yuqiao wrapped her arms around his neck, silencing his doubts. After that, the question didn't matter anymore; Liu Heng had already sensed her emotions from her passionate actions.
From within the curtained bed, broken moans and gasps could be heard. Occasionally, glimpses of spring could be seen beneath the brocade quilt, revealing the passionate lovers on the bed, locked in a fierce embrace.
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