Palace Undercurrent
Li Lin had been on the campaign for several months, leaving Chen Yun at the palace with the children. By this time, the Qiankun Kingdom was bathed in the late spring sunshine.
In the back hall of the palace, Chen Ying was holding the child and educating him, but he felt sad unconsciously.
His eyes drifted unconsciously to an old calligraphy and painting hanging in the hall. It was his father Chen Lu's favorite work. Chen Yin's thoughts were instantly drawn back to the past.
Back then, she was still at the Chen family, innocent and carefree, often at her father's side. On spring afternoons, they would sit together in the dim, yellow mud house, shadows barely filtering through the windows. Her father would teach her how to sharpen and write, patiently correcting her every stroke, muttering to her the principles of life.
"Characters are like people; every stroke must be written correctly, and this is especially true of how we conduct ourselves." His father's gentle yet powerful voice seemed to still echo in his ears. But now, his father had been murdered in the struggle for imperial power. Chen Qian felt a sharp pain in his heart, his eyes slightly reddened, and he was immersed in this deep longing and sadness.
Yangyang ran in and said anxiously, "Princess, this is bad. Concubine Yan's father, General Yan, died in a foreign land, and last night, the entire Yan family was wiped out! Now Concubine Yan is heading towards Concubine Lin's family residence with a sword."
Chen Yun paused, a strange sadness emerging from his eyes. "It's true that when one thing goes wrong, a hundred things come. So why is this related to Concubine Lin?"
"It's a suspicion. Princess, let's go and stop her quickly. We'll talk to you along the way!"
After a while, they arrived at the gate of the palace and saw Wei Ningshuang holding the child and blocking Yan Ruoxi who was holding a sword. She was already in tears.
"Ruoxi, stop!"
Hearing Chen Yan's voice, the two turned around and found that Chen Yan had come to their side.
"Ruoxi, I know everything. I understand how you feel. But I have something to trouble you with first."
Yan Ruoxi calmed down and waited for Chen Yan to speak.
"Were General Yan's two people, Assistant Minister of War Jia Xu and Internal Clerk Mei Feiyang, at odds with each other during his lifetime? If so, we'd like to visit them."
Yan Ruoxi was not pleased to hear from Chen Yun that he was going to visit his enemy. After all, he was the political enemy who had always targeted his father in the officialdom. Therefore, Yan Ruoxi turned around and asked childishly, "Why?"
Chen Yun understood Yan Ruoxi's anger, but considering the future, he knew that impulsive action wouldn't solve the problem. "Ruoxi, it's precisely because they look down on General Yan that you have to go. As children, resolving the problems our parents faced is the greatest blessing and comfort we can give them. We can't rashly alert the enemy to the Yan Mansion's massacre."
Yan Ruoxi asked in a hoarse voice: "But our family was wiped out! You have no idea how tragic the scene I saw was?"
Recalling the day Yan Ruoxi returned home, the gate of the Yan Mansion was wide open, and there was a dead silence inside. No matter how Yan Ruoxi called out, no one responded.
As soon as I stepped inside, the stench of blood hit me. The bodies of servants and maids lay scattered across the courtyard, some decapitated, others pierced by blades. Blood gathered into streams, meandering along the stone path.
Further inside, in the main house, the old lady collapsed beside the table, her clothes stained red with blood; the young masters collapsed in the study and bedroom, surrounded by overturned books and messy clothes. The entire Yan Mansion, from master to servant, young and old, was not spared.
Yan Ruoxi's eyes were fierce and her hair was red. Chen Yan knew Yan Ruoxi's misfortune, but as the wife, Chen Yan had to take many aspects into consideration.
When Huang Jian arrived at the palace and saw the three women, he was stunned for a moment, then bowed to them.
"Princess, the Crown Prince's followers are beginning to suspect the people we have placed in the palace. If we don't deal with them now, I'm afraid the Xuan King's followers will be in danger."
Chen Yun raised his hand, signaling Huang Jian to wait. Then he addressed the two concubines, "My husband has been away from the palace for several months. Besides taking care of the household, we must also constantly maintain good behavior and address the opinions of others. Don't let things cloud your rationality. Also, what I'm asking of you is a three-pronged approach. Trust my husband, trust me. You can't lose."
Wei Ningshuang stepped forward and took Yan Ruoxi's arm. "Sister is a disciple of the Yuan Tian Sect. We also have many people stationed in the palace. I believe it won't be difficult to avenge the Yan family!"
Yan Ruoxi was panting and kept silent, as if trying hard to calm down her sadness and anger.
After calming down for a while, he handed the sword to the servant beside him, and then tried to utter a word: "Ningshuang, accompany me. I'm afraid I can't control myself."
"Then I'll go talk to Mei Feiyang. Yueyue, prepare the sedan chair and go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Godfather, you go back first. Solving Mei Feiyang is solving the problem you mentioned."
After several urgings from Chen Yun, she whipped the carriage and soon arrived at the eunuch's residence, where she met Mei Feiyang alone for tea.
The topic quickly ran out. The conversation between the two parties could only be described as drenched in sweat. Internal Affairs Minister Mei Feiyang refused to give Chen Yun face and showed no respect for General Yan.
Mei Feiyang's arrogant attitude made Chen Yan's heart burn with anger, but she still remained calm and dignified, only the tightly pursed lips and slightly trembling fingertips revealed a hint of barely perceptible indignation.
She thought to herself, "Those guys still don't believe me!"
At this time, Li Jiancheng stepped into the inner room. He first glanced around, and his eyes finally landed on Chen Yun. "I heard that there have been many changes in the palace recently. I heard that the princess has arrived, so I came to visit her."
When Mei Feiyang heard this, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, and he seemed to be quite interested in this sudden visitor. He raised his hand slightly, signaling the eldest prince to sit down.
Chen Yun stood up and saluted, her voice calm but with an undeniable firmness: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am doing fine. However..." looking at Li Jiancheng, "What happened at the Yan Mansion is deeply distressing."
Li Jiancheng nodded gently and changed the subject, "I am also shocked by the events of the Yan family. However, things are unpredictable, and Princess, please accept your condolences."
After he finished speaking, he mentioned, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, "This prince has always admired the princess's talent. If the princess is willing, I am willing to protect the emperor's sister-in-law from the wind and rain and work together for the great cause."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Mei Feiyang, watching the battle from the sidelines, had a playful smile on his face, as if he was pleased to see this power game intensify.
Chen Yan sneered inwardly, but remained expressionless. She slowly walked towards Li Jiancheng, straightened his clothes, then walked over to Mei Feiyang and bent down to straighten his clothes. Mei Feiyang quickly stepped back and bent down to avoid her attention.
Chen Yun's hand also paused in mid-air, and she said lightly, "I appreciate the Crown Prince's kindness. However, as the wife of the Xuan King, I would rather contribute to my husband, my family, and my country in my own way."
At this point, she glanced sharply at Mei Feiyang, then turned to Li Jiancheng, her eyes filled with confidence as she continued, "Furthermore, I know full well that true strength lies not in dependence on others, but in one's ability to stand tall and earn the respect and trust of others. Just as General Yan lived an upright life, and despite his unfortunate death, his spirit lives on, and no conspiracy or scheme can erase it."
When these words were spoken, Mei Feiyang couldn't help but be moved. He had never expected that this seemingly weak princess had such insight and courage, and he couldn't help but feel a bit of respect for her.
Li Jiancheng's face was slightly embarrassed. He obviously didn't expect Chen Yin to refuse so directly and with such sharp words that he was speechless for a moment.
"Hmph, you're standing tall and earning respect. Princess, your words have truly impressed me." Li Jiancheng chuckled dryly, trying to defend Chen Yun's equal treatment of ordinary men. "But my belief in valuing talent has never changed."
After saying that, he picked up Chen Yan and carried him horizontally out of the eunuch's residence.
Li Jiancheng strode out with Chen Ying in his arms. Chen Ying struggled desperately in his arms, beating his chest with her hands, but Li Jiancheng seemed unaware of it. Instead, his arms held her tighter, as if he wanted to embed her into his body.
"Li Jiancheng, you're crazy!" Chen Yun was anxious and angry, his voice trembling. "As the eldest prince, you actually did something so disregarding palace rules and violating ethics. Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world and being punished by your father?"
But Li Jiancheng didn't care at all, because he just wanted to take Chen Yin into his harem, not as a wife, but as a tool.
Li Jiancheng kept walking, a mad smile curling up his lips. "Scorn? Punishment? As long as I can have you, what does all this matter? Chen Yun, don't struggle anymore. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you could only be mine."
At this time, quite a few people had gathered outside the Eunuch's Mansion. Seeing this, they were all stunned, but they did not dare to step forward to stop it.
Li Jiancheng carried Chen Yun straight to the side room of the Eunuch's Mansion and laid her on the bed. Just as Chen Yun was about to struggle to get up again, Li Jiancheng climbed onto the bed and pressed her tightly under him.
"Look at me! I'm a hundred times better than Li Lin. As long as you obey me, I promise to give you endless wealth and glory, and make you the most noble woman in the world."
There was a fiery and crazy light flashing in Li Jiancheng's eyes. He gently stroked Chen Yin's cheek with one hand and rubbed it slowly with his fingers. The action seemed gentle, but it was firm and could not be refused.
Chen Yun turned her head away in disgust, avoiding his touch. She gritted her teeth and said, "Li Jiancheng, I have deep feelings for Li Lin. Don't try to destroy our relationship. Glory and wealth are nothing but passing clouds to me. All I want is a simple life with my husband."
Li Jiancheng looked at Chen Yun's resolute expression, and the anger in his heart suddenly burned even more fiercely, but he couldn't bear to really hurt her.
He pulled Chen Yan up and held her tightly in his arms. His voice was almost a roar, filled with despair and unwillingness: "Why? Why don't you accept me? What exactly makes me inferior to Li Lin?"
Chen Yun struggled hard in his embrace, but seeing he couldn't break free, he had no choice but to slow down his tone and try to persuade him, "Prince, you are of noble status and surrounded by beautiful women. Why are you so obsessed with me? You should put the country first and work for the well-being of the people of Qiankun Kingdom instead of wasting your time on these romantic matters. If you are caught, your position as Crown Prince will be in jeopardy."
At this time, someone outside shouted, "There's a fire! There's a fire!"
The two were alerted. Li Jiancheng slowly lowered his hand, and Chen Yun immediately took a few steps back.
Li Jiancheng stood up, then held Chen Ying's head and kissed her forehead. Immediately, Chen Ying's pupils dilated and she froze.
"I will wait for you."
Then Li Jiancheng left.
As I walked out of the door, I saw Mei Feiyang shouting, "There's a fire! You two, get out of here quickly!"
Li Jiancheng left without saying anything. Mei Feiyang watched Li Jiancheng's departing figure and turned to Chen Yun: "I am late in coming to your rescue. I hope your Highness will forgive me."
"Thank you for saving me. But... you don't hate me anymore?"
Mei Feiyang smiled slightly, then said, "At first, I hated the news related to Yan Buyang. But your sincerity and gaze moved me. I will definitely be loyal to the Xuanwang Mansion in the future!"
Chen Yun smiled slightly, then said, "Do you know why it is so difficult for poor people to rise above poverty? Why do most of the descendants of poor people remain poor?"
Mei Feiyang pondered for a moment, then said, "I am a foolish official. Please tell me clearly, Princess."
"The poor have fewer educational resources, while the rich can hire more powerful teachers. Their social networks are centered around the same people, unable to bring real influence, while the people in the rich's social circles are more powerful. Simply put, the poor focus on survival, not a future, while the rich want it all. Precisely because the poor are so limited, it's difficult for them to turn things around. While it's not impossible, they need the right time, place, and people."
Chen Yun took a step closer. "Mei Feiyang, I know you came from a poor family, but after becoming an official, you look down on the poor, yet you treat those rich people who kill without blinking an eye as your brothers. So, what's the difference between you and the people you hate the most? Mei Feiyang, General Yan's death was not an accident. Palace struggles are not worth promoting. We should eliminate all those who disrupt officialdom. Therefore, I beg you to contribute to General Yan's death. Now, you can think about it. I will go back first."
"No, there is no need to consider this. I am not a coward. I am willing to cooperate with the princess in investigating all the people behind General Yan's death."
"If you truly want the best for the country, you should protect every prince. Now, let's balance everyone's power."
Then the two of them began to plot in a low voice.
Li Jiancheng, who was peeking from afar, hid behind a tree and muttered to himself, "Second brother, others say you have the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, but you can't have that. I am the legitimate successor, and I am the one who should be supported."
Suddenly, a past scene flashed before his eyes. It was Li Jiancheng's failed defense of the city, only for Li Lin to arrive in time and rescue everyone. Afterward, Li Jiancheng was treated coldly by his subordinates, who compared him to Li Lin. He was even scolded by Li Lie'ao.
From then on, Li Lin was unstoppable, while Li Jiancheng was repeatedly defeated. Finally, Li Lie'ao appointed Li Jiancheng as regent to protect him from fighting. Someone in the palace even whispered that the crown prince position was to be passed to Li Lin. From then on, Li Jiancheng was consumed by jealousy.
But Li Jiancheng could not cover up Li Lin's achievements.
Li Ji patted Li Jiancheng from behind. "Royal brother, if you don't take action, then I will! If we can seize such a beauty and then slowly deal with that second brother..."
Li Jiancheng turned and said, "You must remember. We cannot kill King Xuan."
"How can we be at peace if he doesn't die?"
After hearing Li Ji's words, Li Jiancheng turned away in anger, then stopped and said, "He's our brother! How can you treat a relative like this?"
Li Ji was anxious and said quickly, "My mother still despises me and abandons me right after she made a move. I have never been loved since I was a child! Only you, big brother, value me! So I am doing this for your own good!"
After hearing this, Li Jiancheng shook his sleeves and left, leaving only the words "Take care of yourself".
On the other side, on the battlefield, a letter was delivered to the tent.
After Li Lin finished reading, the soldier said, "Also, according to the capital, there were recent rumors that the Crown Prince and the Princess had stayed in the room for a while. This matter was spread everywhere in the palace. Later, His Majesty stopped it."
Chen Feng slammed his fist on the table: "You bastard! You actually took advantage of the lack of men in the Chen Mansion to bully the women and children in the family!"
Li Lin clenched his fists, his domineering yet sharp eyes revealing his determination: "Brother Chen, you must calm down first. That is a plot by the eldest and fourth brothers to disrupt the morale of our army. Sooner or later, I will settle accounts with them."
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