Chapter 168: Fanghua Garden (Part 1)
That's true.
A sharp blade is easily broken.
If Sima Jun understood the meaning of harmony, his previous life would not have ended like that.
"I understand." Sun Wei nodded, "After this matter is settled, I will persuade the prince."
"That's great." The prince said with relief.
"But there is one more thing," Sun Wei said, "I would like to accompany Your Majesty to Kuaiji, but I am afraid that the Queen Mother will not allow it."
"This isn't difficult," the prince said confidently, "all it takes is one person to persuade the Queen Mother."
"who?"
"Princess Wanshou."
Sun Wei thought for a moment and said, "Although the princess can have a say in front of the Queen Mother, she is definitely not a good person. I wonder how Your Highness can persuade Princess Wanshou to come forward?"
"Isn't the princess worried that Wang Zhi's incompetence will ruin the war between Jiangzhou and Wujun? And isn't the princess also worried that Wang Zhi will damage the Wang family's reputation?" the prince said. "If the princess is willing to guarantee her assistance and help Wang Zhi win the battle of Wujun, the princess will definitely find a way to get the princess to accompany me."
Sun Wei was very surprised.
She didn't know whether Sima Jun really regarded her as a military advisor, but the prince in front of her obviously thought she was omnipotent.
I think, in the eyes of the Crown Prince, Princess Wanshou more or less thinks the same.
In a previous life, the war in Wu County was so brutal that it was often mentioned. In order to get close to Sima Jun, Sun Wei also learned a lot about the details. If he wanted to help, perhaps he could.
But why should she help Wang Zhi?
If Wang Zhi won the battle, wouldn't it prove to the Queen Mother that he had the ability to lead troops?
"Your Highness, please forgive me for my inability to help you." Sun Wei said decisively, "I cannot help Wang."
"I understand your concerns," the Crown Prince said slowly. "But commanding the army isn't something that can be accomplished simply by a mere imperial appointment. The entire Jiangzhou army was personally led by Prince Yuzhang and the Crown Prince. Even if Wang Zhi won a battle, he wouldn't be able to command a single soldier. On the contrary, helping the Wang family and befriending them wouldn't be entirely without benefits for you, Princess."
The prince said, looking at Sun Wei.
"Doesn't the princess want to return to the capital? It was the Queen Mother and the Princess who forced the princess to leave Jiankang. Now, only they can make the princess come back. Especially the Princess. Wang Zhi is her son. She will understand that the princess is showing goodwill to her."
Sun Wei remained silent.
The Crown Prince continued, "As long as the Princess returns to the capital, there will be no shortage of opportunities to deal with Wang. But if the Princess remains in Xunyang, then she'll have all her strength but nowhere to display it, right?"
Sun Wei calculated rapidly in his mind.
At least the prince hit the nail on the head.
She really wanted to go back to Jiankang.
Otherwise, she could do nothing. Sima Jun was under house arrest for more than half a month, and she was kept in the dark about it, which was a clear proof.
What the prince said is a way to break the deadlock.
"Your Highness is absolutely right," Sun Wei said, "but if I help Wang Zhi and the Princess turns her back on me, what can I do?"
"Then let me be the guarantor, how about that?" asked the prince.
Sun Wei remained silent.
"Although the Princess is His Highness's aunt, if she becomes stubborn, I'm afraid she will be even more difficult to persuade than the Crown Prince."
"Please don't misunderstand, Princess. I'm not a lobbyist for the Wang family," the prince said. "My marriage to Wang is imminent, and we've been in frequent contact, so there's a lot we can discuss."
Sun Wei saw his self-deprecating look and knew that he still didn't like this marriage.
"To be honest, Princess," the Crown Prince said, "I agreed to lead the expedition myself, but I also had my own selfish motives. As for the wedding, I'd like to postpone it as long as possible."
When he said this, his eyes were only on Sun Wei.
Sun smiled and said, "Your Highness is a person of great value. You care deeply about the world and are naturally tolerant. King Zhuang of Chu once said, 'If you don't make a sound for three years, you will be astonished when you make one.' When Your Highness reigns supreme, your power will surely resonate with the whole world. At that time, everything will be under Your Highness's control. How could you be trapped by a single matter or person? I hope Your Highness will not be impatient or anxious. Only by planning and controlling your strategy can you win victories thousands of miles away."
These words obviously touched the prince's heart.
He also smiled and said, "The princess is indeed very considerate."
"Your Highness is too kind."
The prince was busy with affairs, so the two talked for a while and then had to leave.
"Princess, please stay. If seen by someone with ulterior motives, the news will inevitably reach the Queen Mother," he said.
Sun Wei agreed and said, "Princess Wanshou's side..."
"In three days, I will send someone to deliver a letter to the princess to let her know the progress."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Oh, I remembered something," the prince said. "As for Ziheng, I need to meet him and persuade him in person. But if I just say the princess has come to Jiankang, I'm afraid he won't believe it. I should think of a way that doesn't require too much talk."
Sun Wei thought for a moment, took off the bracelet from her wrist and handed it to the prince.
The prince looked at the bracelet, which looked ordinary, and asked, "Ziheng, do you recognize this item?"
If she said it was a gift from Sima Jun, it would inevitably create some controversy. Sun Wei then said, "This belonged to the Princess of Yuzhang and later came into my possession. The Crown Prince will surely recognize it."
This, she thought, couldn't be considered a lie.
After all, in her previous life, she, the Princess of Yuzhang, did have exactly the same thing.
The prince nodded and accepted the bracelet.
On the carriage back to the palace, the prince was still thinking about the conversation he had just had with Sun Wei.
He looked at the smoke rising slowly from the incense burner in the car, as if watching the woman's every smile and frown as she spoke.
——By then, everything will be under Your Highness's control. How could you be troubled by a single matter or a single person?
The corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up.
The prince called out to the carriage and summoned the eunuch Zhao Tong.
"Go to Fanghua Garden."
Zhao Tong was surprised and hurriedly reported, "Fanghua Garden is guarded by the Queen Mother's people. Your Highness, please inform the Queen Mother first."
The prince thought for a moment and said, "Go to the Queen Mother's palace in person and tell her that I need to discuss the war with Ziheng. You've already gone in. I'll go back and pay my respects to the Queen Mother and report this matter in detail."
Zhao Tong was still in a dilemma.
"But if the guards of Fanghua Garden refuse to let you go..."
The prince said coldly, "This is the imperial palace, not a prison. I want to go in, why not?"
Zhao Tong quickly agreed.
The prince went straight into the heavily guarded Fanghua Garden.
Sima Jun was sitting on the porch, reading a book, half of his body bathed in the sun, looking quite relaxed.
The prince sneered: "The least anxious people in the world are those who cause trouble."
Sima Jun glanced at him, put down the book, slowly stood up and saluted.
"Why is the prince here?"
The prince pointed into the house and asked him to go in and talk.
Sima Jun followed.
As soon as the door was closed, the prince's guards stood outside, not letting anyone approach.
"The princess has arrived in Beijing." The prince lowered his voice and went straight to the point.
The light in the room was dim.
Sima Jun paused for a moment, then asked, "Which princess?"
"Which other princess in the world would come to the capital for you?" The prince said, handing a white jade bracelet to Sima Jun. "I just saw her in Tang Garden. Now, she is staying at the home of a guard named Yin in your mansion."
After saying this, his expression turned cold again: "The dignified Princess of Yuzhang cannot return home. Who is responsible for this?"
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