Chapter 299 Secret Edict
Dou Wenyi realized she had misspoke as soon as she finished speaking.
These words were extremely disrespectful, and before he could explain, Pei Siyan replied domineeringly, "You can have it even if you don't."
"What if His Majesty is unwilling?"
A hint of malice flashed in Pei Siyan's eyes, and he smiled arrogantly, "He'd better be willing!"
“But…” Dou Wenyi frowned, looking at him with worried eyes.
If there is no imperial edict for succession, or if he is forced to abdicate by force, Pei Siyan will be criticized by the court officials after he ascends the throne, and will be condemned for ten thousand years as a tyrant who has obtained the throne illegitimately.
Pei Siyan narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You want to say that... he is still my father and lord, and bearing the infamy of patricide and regicide is ultimately a thorn in your side, for me, and for this future empire, isn't it?"
“Since you are so worried, then I will put in more effort to make him ‘willingly’ hand over this country.”
When the Great Zhou Dynasty is at peace and prosperous, great scholars will naturally come to expound the classics for it.
After saying that, he ladled out a bowl of soup and handed it to me, saying, "Okay, I promise you. I'll be careful."
She hasn't given him any children yet, and their love hasn't lasted forever.
He may not care about his reputation, but he cannot let her bear a bad reputation as well.
Dou Wenyi picked up a spoon, took a sip of soup, and said, "That's good. Are there any hidden dangers in Prince Duan's return to his fiefdom?"
Prince Duan, Pei Yunche, had no presence in the court. Back when he was at the hunting grounds, he was framed by Prince Rui, Pei Shaoqin, and was hit by a poisoned arrow. If she hadn't arrived in time, he would have been crippled. Once a prince is crippled, he will naturally have no chance to seize the throne.
His fate was completely changed because of his intervention.
Then, during the plague, Prince Duan distinguished himself in disaster relief and was highly praised by the court officials.
But the credit actually belonged to Pei Siyan; he orchestrated it behind the scenes and handed over the credit without hesitation.
Pei Siyan picked up his chopsticks and calmly looked up at her. "Yes, Consort Yun has always been low-key and dutiful in the palace. She has never taken advantage of my misfortune. Even after her son was made Prince Duan, she remained humble and cautious. In fact, many concubines in the palace looked down on her from the bottom of their hearts."
"Prince Duan wants to become a wealthy and noble prince after I ascend the throne."
Upon hearing this, Dou Wenyi couldn't help but be surprised. Emperor Muzong's harem was filled with beauties, and Consort Yun was of low status and not particularly outstanding.
She managed to remain impartial between the two major factions of Consort Zhang and Consort Tan, without offending either of them or taking sides, and still managed to give birth to Prince Duan and the Sixth Princess and raise them to adulthood. Her temperament and methods have surpassed most of the concubines.
How could someone who endures hardship and knows how to avoid direct confrontation be an ordinary incompetent person?
Such a person is either truly indifferent to fame and fortune, or has ulterior motives.
Dou Wenyi seemed to be thinking, "Back then, when you were fighting against the rebel king, the emperor wanted to find a husband for the sixth princess, and his favorites were Zhang Chengxian and Shen Yanzhou."
Pei Siyan picked up a piece of crispy fish for her, a cold glint in his eyes. "Some people are just too greedy. Since they want to court death, I will grant their wish!"
The reason why Emperor Muzong and the eldest princess made such a big scene was essentially to pave the way for Prince Duan to ascend the throne.
Even if Pei Yunche was self-aware, he couldn't resist the temptation of a windfall, especially one as powerful as the throne. Moreover, the dynasty had a group of self-important opportunists, such as Xie Guidu and the Eldest Princess.
Pei Siyan was intrigued and somewhat impatient; he wanted to see how this rabble would overthrow the Great Zhou Dynasty.
If they don't take action, what reason do they have to send this group of people to hell?
——
Meanwhile, Princess Fu'an and Xie Guidu returned to the Princess's residence, exhausted.
Along with them came a large pile of wedding gifts bestowed by Emperor Muzong. When they left the palace, the Imperial City Guard carefully and repeatedly inspected the pile of gifts inside and out, even using daggers to pry open the brocade boxes and scrolls to examine them carefully before letting them pass.
Throughout the entire process, Xie Guidu remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened, while she was extremely nervous, her heart pounding in her throat.
Princess Fu'an had a vague feeling that the eldest princess and he must be plotting something, but the Imperial City Guard hadn't been able to find out anything about them, and she was completely baffled.
She was present the entire time when her uncle the emperor received them, keeping a close eye on Xie Guidu's movements. He had no chance to speak to his uncle the emperor alone. Besides, there were definitely spies from the Imperial City Guard in that room.
Trying to pull any tricks or smuggle anything out under their noses is simply unrealistic.
After they returned, she inexplicably sensed that Xie Guidu was in an extremely good mood.
He remained calm and composed, but unusually, he didn't immediately change his clothes after returning. As far as she knew, Xie Guidu had always had a slight obsession with cleanliness, and normally he should have changed his clothes right away.
But he sat down by the window, and for a moment, the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up.
Completely baffled, she asked, "Xie Guidu, what are you so happy about?"
Xie Guidu composed himself and said seriously, "Having received so many rewards, shouldn't you be happy?"
Princess Fu'an was full of doubts. Even though her uncle the emperor had given generous rewards, the Marquis of Dingyuan's family was not a poor household. Had he really fallen into the trap of greed?
No way, they're just making a fool of her.
"Rainbow Ring!"
The maidservant lifted the curtain and came in. "Princess, Sister Caihuan isn't here right now."
Princess Fu'an asked in bewilderment, "Where did she go?"
The maid stammered, "This servant doesn't know."
Xie Guidu paused for a moment, then coughed. "If it's something you need, Princess, you can instruct others as well."
"Mind your own business."
Princess Fu'an's brows furrowed with impatience. "Were all those rewards registered and deposited into my private treasury?"
"The housekeepers are registering people."
"Take me to see this." Princess Fu'an felt that something was amiss, and those rewards were definitely not simple.
At the same time, Caihuan went to the princess's bedroom and knelt down properly on the ground, saying, "Princess, this servant has not failed in her mission."
The eldest princess had long, jet-black hair that cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her fair, jade-like face was free of any makeup. She exuded an otherworldly and ethereal charm.
A gleam of excitement flashed in her narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes. "Really?"
Caihuan unbuttoned her collar, revealing her snow-white skin and crimson bodice.
The princess immediately knelt down, put her arm around Caihuan's shoulder, shook her head and whispered to stop her, "Caihuan is safer with you than with me."
When Princess Fu'an and Xie Guidu entered the palace to express their gratitude for their marriage, the Crown Prince was bound to be suspicious of them and take strict precautions. Their every move was under surveillance, especially the pile of rewards, which made it impossible for them to keep anything important to themselves.
In fact, the eldest princess wanted to use them to attract everyone's attention, and Caihuan was the key to her statement. Her twin sister, Lingdang, was a palace maid in Funing Palace and was an inside agent carefully placed by the eldest princess next to Emperor Muzong.
After entering the Funing Palace, Caihuan swapped her undergarment with Lingdang's while using the restroom. Inside the undergarment was a piece of silk, which was a secret edict of succession prepared by Emperor Muzong.
Caihuan felt a chill run down her spine and respectfully agreed.
The princess whispered a few instructions in her ear, and she nodded repeatedly. Then she straightened her clothes and quietly withdrew.
Her worthless life is not worth mentioning.
But if they carry something on their person, they can change the world and stir up huge waves.
The eldest princess walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, gazed at the dark night sky devoid of stars and moon, and murmured to herself: Fu'an, it is your mother who has wronged you.
But there's no turning back once the arrow is released; she'd rather fight to the death than live a life of dishonor.
A downpour is coming...
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