"The person by your side is Jiang Zhongxun?" Yang Mengchen mused to herself: No wonder the emperors of past generations could control the world; it turns out they had made meticulous plans early on.
Long Xuanmo nodded in response.
"Speaking of which, Jiang Zhongxun has been back in the Capital for quite some time, and I have yet to meet him." freewebnσvel.cѳm
Yang Mengchen was merely curious. After all, Long Xuanmo had said that Jiang Zhongxun was only two years older than him and had been sent to Long Xuanmo’s side by the Emperor at the age of twelve. Such resourcefulness at that age intrigued her.
However, Long Xuanmo immediately became jealous: "He is a strange and eccentric individual. It’s better for you not to meet him, lest he irritates you to death."
Yang Mengchen had no intention of meeting Jiang Zhongxun; she was simply trying to divert Long Xuanmo’s attention. Now, seeing his reaction, it was clear that he had suffered at Jiang Zhongxun’s hands more than once. She inwardly marveled that Jiang Zhongxun dared to ’pluck a tooth from the tiger’s mouth’, showing no fear outwardly, and she made it clear that she would definitely not meet Jiang Zhongxun.
Long Xuanmo wasn’t worried about anything; Jiang Zhongxun was a chess enthusiast. Since learning that Ah Jiu had defeated Old Master Zhen, Jiang Zhongxun had been pestering him for a game with Ah Jiu. He had always refused on the grounds that Ah Jiu was too busy, but Jiang Zhongxun would not give up, especially since he would seek multiple rematches with Ah Jiu regardless of winning or losing. Thus, Long Xuanmo spoke tirelessly of Jiang Zhongxun’s unpleasantness, determined to keep Ah Jiu away from Jiang Zhongxun.
Yang Mengchen found Jiang Zhongxun to be truly peculiar, and she listened with great interest, occasionally laughing out loud.
Meanwhile, in a residence somewhere in the Capital, Jiang Zhongxun kept sneezing non-stop and muttered to himself, wondering who was speaking ill of him behind his back.
At midnight, a shadow avoided the guards and silently slipped into Prince Jing’s bedroom within Jing Prince Mansion.
Even in sleep, Prince Jing remained vigilant. Sensing something unusual in the room, he demanded in a deep voice, "Who’s there?" while quickly grabbing the dagger hidden under his pillow and gripping it tightly.
"There’s no need for alarm, Prince Jing. This prince has come to visit you specifically," the shadow answered at a leisurely pace.
Recognizing the voice, Prince Jing put the dagger back under his pillow, threw back the bed curtain, put on his shoes, and donned the outer garment hanging on a nearby rack before walking to the table, lighting the candle, and looking at the person standing by the window with a mocking tone: "Since it’s someone I know, why would the Second Prince bother with a disguise?"
A cold glint flashed in the visitor’s eyes, but he still raised his hand to remove the black veil from his face, revealing it to be Qi Zonghao, who had secretly returned to the Capital.
"Speak then, Second Prince. What brings you to seek me out in the middle of the night?" Prince Jing asked bluntly.
The recent purge by the Emperor had put court officials on edge, and he had been extra cautious not to draw the Emperor’s attention. If the Emperor learned of his midnight meeting with the Second Prince of Xiliang, it would surely arouse suspicion and distrust, which would be completely detrimental to him.
Sitting opposite Prince Jing, Qi Zonghao didn’t beat around the bush: "I am here to discuss a new partnership with you, Prince Jing."
"Such a perfect opportunity last time, and yet it was spoiled by Princess Qiuxin," Prince Jing said with a sneer.
He had been eager for Qi Qiuxin to marry into Chen Prince Mansion. As a Princess of Xiliang, Prince Chen could neither beat her nor kill her and could only treat her like a venerated idol. While Prince Chen was preoccupied, he would have his chance to act, which is why he had agreed to collaborate with the Second Prince. But it had all come to nothing and cost him a valuable chess piece, while the Second Prince had left the Capital without a word, leaving him quite displeased.
Qi Zonghao’s expression was dark: "Prince Jing!"
A lowly and powerless prince dared to be insolent before him—it was simply courting death!
Seeing the sinister look and the chill emanating from Qi Zonghao, Prince Jing was taken aback, but knowing that he still needed Qi Zonghao’s help to seize the throne, he naturally didn’t dare offend him and softened his tone: "What new partnership would you like to discuss with me, Second Prince?"
"You help me take away Princess Chen, and I guarantee you will ascend the throne as Emperor!" Qi Zonghao’s tone was that of a command.
Prince Jing was caught off guard and feigned confusion: "Princess Chen is already married; does the Second Prince still fancy her?"
From Princess Chen’s inscrutable skill at chess, it was clear that she was extremely shrewd. Coupled with her intelligence, competence, and overwhelming talent, not to mention the support of Qing’an behind her, having her meant dominating the world. He wanted Princess Chen even more than Qi Zonghao did; how could he simply hand her over? Did the Second Prince really think he was a fool?
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