"He won’t intervene?! What are we supposed to do then?" The Great Prince had truly never felt thus shattered.
He had stayed in this remote mountain region for two solid months, and despite the time spent, Mu Houchu showed not a hint of reaction!
Now he bluntly responded that he would not get involved at all!
"Great Prince, does this mean handling the bandits is all down to us?" His attendant timidly asked.
The Great Prince replied frantically: "Do you really think the Emperor sent me here to eradicate bandits?!"
The attendant helplessly replied: "But Prince Pingyang didn’t fall into the trap at all, he refuses to touch this situation. There’s no way we can drag him into it."
The Great Prince sighed and slumped into his chair: "I should’ve known. He’s always been incredibly cunning. I can tolerate his previous refusals, but now he bluntly states that he won’t get involved. This only shows that he has seen through everything. He must know that this matter is targeted at him, that the Emperor dug a pit for him. So now... he will probably not get involved at all."
"Then what are we gonna do? If he doesn’t get involved, you won’t be able to complete the tasks the Emperor has assigned. There are two tasks assigned for this trip to Yu State, one is to eradicate the bandits, the other is to dispose of Prince Pingyang. But, it’s difficult enought to pull Prince Pingyang into this, let alone anything else. Your Highness must complete at least one task, otherwise when we return to the capital, the Emperor will likely chastise you."
The Great Prince shook his head: "You say there’re two tasks, but how could I not know the Emperor’s real intention? The only thing he wants me to do is to eliminate Uncle Mu. No matter how many merits I accumulate, it will be in vain as long as he doesn’t die."
"Then that’s... problematic."
The Great Prince was getting impatient: "Didn’t he mention anything else? The bandits are located within the territory of Yu State, he should control it as well!"
The guard replied hesitantly: "He said this is a task the Emperor assigned to the Great Prince, for you to lead troops to eradicate the bandits. No such command was given to him. Besides, he doesn’t have any troops, how’s he supposed to assist the Great Prince in battling the bandits? What he means is, unless the Emperor commands him, he won’t intervene."
The guard dared not mention Marquis Mu’s remark "I think it’s good to have these bandits in my state", he was afraid this might enrage the Great Prince.
The Great Prince sneered: "Asking the Emperor for commands? How could the Emperor assign him to lead troops to fight bandits? It took a great deal of time to seize power from him, and with such an order, he would inevitably have to cede some military power. Even if he could take it back, the Emperor wouldn’t be relieved to give him military power!"
"Probably Prince Pingyang knew the Emperor wouldn’t issue such an order, so he used it as an excuse."
The Great Prince slapped the table in frustration: "If not this then what?! Are we supposed to keep waiting doing nothing?"
The Great Prince suddenly felt dejected, why would his father assign him such an unrewarding task? His father always said that he was dull, and he himself knew he was useless, so why would his father send him to deal with such a cunning and ruthless adversary?
If things didn’t go well this time, he would surely face his father’s chastisement when he returned to the capital.
Just thinking about it gave the Great Prince a headache.
At this moment, a servant hurried in: "Your Highness, an encipher just arrived from the capital."
The Great Prince was stunned, then quickly snatched the encipher from the servant’s hand and skimmed through it.
The servant cautiously asked: "Did the Emperor issue any new orders?"
As the Great Prince read the encipher, his expression changed unpredictably. A mix of doubt, perhaps joy, and some apprehension.
"The Emperor ordered me to charge the bandits with my troops, even if it means rushing up the mountain at all costs." The Great Prince gripped the encipher, his palms sweating.
The attendant’s eyes widened: "That’s too risky! These bandits are cunning. If we rush up the mountain recklessly and end up in a fight-to-the-death, won’t Your Highness be in danger?"
The Great Prince paled: "The Emperor wants me to be in danger."
"What?"
The Great Prince pursed his lips, then murmured: "How could we force Marquis Mu into action if I don’t get into trouble?"
——
"Has the Great Prince left yet?" Ji Xinhe asked.
"No." Mu Houchu played with her fingers. They spent their days at home in leisure, living like retired folks. Mu Houchu thought it would be boring at first, but it turned out to be quite pleasant.
Ji Xinhe couldn’t resist saying: "If he still hasn’t left, he mustn’t have given up yet. I think he probably still has backup plans."
As long as the Great Prince doesn’t leave, Ji Xinhe’s mind won’t be at ease.
Mu Houchu noticed Ji Xinhe’s nails had grown a bit long, so he just picked up a pair of scissors and carefully cut them. As he attentively trimmed her nails, he said: "It isn’t him who has a backup plan, but the person behind him. Leng Zhuo is timid and mediocre, he lacks such sophisticated schemes. To be honest, him showing up this time merely makes him a pawn."
The fact that the legitimate heir to the throne from the royal family had become a pawn was either a tragedy or a lament.
Ji Xinhe frowned: "The Emperor?"
"Probably not just the Emperor, perhaps... Duan Lan?" Mu Houchu said with a cold smile. "If it’s Duan Lan, it wouldn’t be surprising. He fell out of favor a while ago and now he can take this opportunity to advise the Emperor and regain favor, while also taking care of me with one stone."
Ji Xinhe pulled her hand from Mu Houchu’s, expressing her concern: "If they really have any backup plans that force you into action, then you..."
Mu Houchu gently squeezed her hand and whispered, "Don’t be afraid, I’ll handle everything that comes my way. I know my limits."
"Ok." Ji Xinhe bit her lip and snuggled in his arms.
Mu Houchu slightly lifted his eyes and saw Ling Feng’s figure flickering outside the door. He patted her back gently: "Sweetie, I have some matters to handle in the study. I’ll ask Shulan to bring you the bird’s nest porridge, eat some and then go to sleep, okay?"
"Okay." Ji Xinhe obediently agreed.
Upon leaving the room, Mu Houchu’s expression gradually iced over. He swiftly walked towards the study where Ling Feng had been waiting.
"What’s the situation?"
Ling Feng saluted: "The Great Prince led his troops to attack the bandits fiercely. According to the scout’s report, the attack didn’t follow any tactics, just a blind charge. I fear the situation isn’t good."
A cold mocking smile lifted the corners of Mu Houchu’s lips: "Heh, that’s a pretty ruthless move."
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