Chapter 660 Supplementary Calculations
Lu Youming was quite frightened by the scene. Seeing him struggling so hard, the guards didn't understand what was wrong with him this time.
Seeing that it was getting colder outside, they simply pushed the wheelchair back inside.
That night, Yun Yichen had a dream in his hazy state, in which he saw a little child.
At first glance, the child's eyebrows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to his own, about seven-tenths.
"Who are you?"
Yun Yichen chased after the child, who stopped and smiled at him.
"You... are you Gu Rui?"
For some reason, Yun Yichen suddenly remembered what Gu Shuyan had once said: that Gu Rui was also very important to him.
Seeing that Yun Yichen had guessed it, Gu Rui nodded.
"Why do you look so much like me!" Yun Yichen felt that this child was a carbon copy of himself.
Gu Rui didn't answer him, but said to herself, "Mother is going to the temple on the first day of the lunar month. You must go with her. Remember, you must go with her!"
After giving his instructions, Gu Rui disappeared. Yun Yichen woke up from his dream with a start. He opened his eyes and saw that Gu Shuyan was still sleeping soundly.
He tiptoed out of bed, poured himself a glass of water and drank it down before he could recall what the child in his dream had said to him.
"Are you going to the temple on the first day of the lunar month?"
Yun Yichen looked back at Gu Shuyan and nodded to himself.
In the following days, the Yun family received New Year's gifts from various other families one after another.
Gu Shuyan had previously managed the household for the Ji family, so she was quite adept at handling these families' return gifts.
Gu Shuyan was busy running around, and Yun Yichen didn't have a moment to spare.
Recently, the emperor has clearly shown a willingness to support Lu Changqing in court. Not only did he allow Lu Changqing to participate in court affairs after he returned to the capital, but he also praised him in public for his thoroughness in handling affairs.
This was a good thing for Liu Shangshu's faction, but a terrible thing for Lu Yuanbin.
Although the emperor did not dismiss him from his position as acting crown prince after his return from Suzhou, it was clear to everyone that the emperor intended to weaken his power.
"Father is increasingly disliking me now. If the fourth prince really succeeds in getting things done, the position of crown prince might actually become his."
Lu Yuanbin said to his aides in a fit of anger.
"In my opinion, that's not necessarily true. Didn't His Majesty keep looking for the Second Prince? Or perhaps His Majesty wanted to use the Fourth Prince to keep Your Highness in check so that he could focus on finding the Second Prince."
One of the aides voiced his opinion.
Another aide disagreed, saying, "Whether His Majesty relinquishes power to the Fourth Prince or continues the search for the Second Prince, neither of these decisions should be good news for His Highness!"
"That's not necessarily true!"
Another aide, upon hearing their conversation, immediately rejected their idea.
"His Majesty's attitude is currently ambiguous, and it's hard to say who he favors. However, this may not necessarily be a bad thing for us; at least, we still have plenty of time."
The aide's words caused everyone present to change their expressions.
Lu Yuanbin then asked, "What do you mean by that, sir?"
"Your Highness, history is written by the victors. The Crown Prince served as Crown Prince for so many years, yet in the end, he still failed to ascend to the throne. Until the very end, no one knows how things will turn out. Moreover, His Majesty is getting older. As long as Your Highness remains composed, aren't you afraid that His Majesty might have other ideas?"
The advisor spoke cryptically, but everyone understood the meaning behind his words.
The emperor is getting old and his health is declining. If we can start by targeting the emperor, and given the current crown prince's status, the throne won't fall into the hands of anyone else.
"Sir, I need to think carefully about what you have to say."
Lu Yuanbin accepted his advisors' suggestion, but whether or not he actually did it depends on his decision.
The men Lu Changqing sent out finally learned of the emperor's recent unusual movements.
Unlike Lu Yuanbin, Lu Changqing revealed a mocking smile upon hearing that the emperor was searching for the second prince who had been thrown into the cold palace years ago.
"Cold-blooded and heartless, ignoring him for decades, and now he wants to look for him again. It's truly disgusting."
Lu Changqing did not develop any goodwill towards the emperor because of the emperor's delegation of power.
On the contrary, Lu Changqing truly looked down on the emperor for using his improved health to secretly compete with Lu Yuanbin.
How many of those Gu poisons are left?
Lu Changqing had been using his sick body to raise the Gu worms, but now that his body has recovered, the Gu worms can no longer be raised and they are dying one after another.
Lu Changqing knew that this was definitely because these Gu worms couldn't adapt to his healthy blood.
Therefore, before all the Gu worms die, he must first use them for something.
"Only about 10% are still alive."
The guard thought for a moment and then gave Lu Changqing a number.
"That's enough. Bring the things over in a bit, and I'm going to see my father."
Lu Changqing didn't hesitate for a moment when he thought about using a curse on the emperor.
It was as if the person he was about to use the curse on wasn't his father at all.
The power struggles among the princes in the harem did not have a significant impact on them.
With the New Year approaching, people in the palace, just like those outside, exchanged gifts to create a festive atmosphere.
In the Empress's bedchamber, upon hearing the news from the palace maid, the Empress nearly crushed the cup in her hand.
"Are you sure you didn't mishear? The emperor is looking for that vile woman's son?"
“This servant heard it clearly. These words were conveyed by the Fifth Prince to Consort Sun.”
The palace maid replied meekly.
The Empress's face instantly darkened. After a long while, she slammed the cup in her hand down and said angrily, "I thought he was doing this because he wanted my son to return to court. But it turns out it's all for that wretched woman's son."
"Since I, Hua'er, cannot become the emperor, then that slut's son should not even dream of it."
The Empress knew the Emperor better than anyone else. After learning that the Emperor was looking for the Second Prince, she immediately guessed that the Emperor's purpose in doing so was to pave the way for him.
"What does Your Majesty wish to do?"
The old nanny beside him waved to dismiss everyone before slowly walking up to the Empress and asking.
"He did the first thing, so he can't blame me for doing the fifteenth. Prepare some gifts, and I will personally go to see Consort Sun."
After the Empress finished speaking, the old nanny immediately understood what the Empress meant.
And so the Empress sat down in Consort Sun's bedchamber.
Consort Sun was taken aback by the Empress's sudden arrival, but then quickly greeted her.
"Your Majesty, what brings you to visit me today?"
The former Empress and Consort Sun belonged to two different factions, each supporting their own son in their attempt to ascend to the throne.
Later, the crown prince was deposed and Lu Yuanbin gained power. Although the empress had to restrain herself a bit, she still couldn't stand Consort Sun's arrogant demeanor.
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