Inside the palace, in the palace of the second prince.
The second prince was sitting on the ground, surrounded by a pile of wine bottles, and he looked extremely disheveled.
He lost, and lost inexplicably, simply because Ji Hao was worried about the threat from the Yongle Marquis's mansion and feared that Ruan Changhong would be driven to desperation, so he decisively disposed of his own son.
The second prince tilted his head back, looking dejected.
After an unknown amount of time, the palace door was suddenly opened, a beam of light shone in, and a long, thin figure appeared: "Second brother, how did you suddenly fall into such a sorry state?"
"...You got a share too, Ninth Brother."
The second prince looked up at Ji Wuyu, who was standing at the palace gate in the distance. He was dressed in brocade robes, and his lips still held a faint, gentle smile, but it sent chills down one's spine.
Ji Wuyu strode forward, his dark eyes lowered, followed by the leader dressed in black.
The second prince couldn't help but shudder. He only now realized that the surroundings were unusually quiet: "Where are the palace guards? Ninth Prince, I am your elder brother, don't go too far!"
"Second brother, do you think I'm going to kill you?"
Ji Wuyu glanced at him with some surprise, then chuckled lightly, whether mocking or sarcastic.
"How could that be? This is the palace after all. Given my father's dislike for me, if I were really suspected of killing you, he would execute me on the spot."
"Then what are you doing here?"
The second prince realized he had overreacted and breathed a sigh of relief.
Ke Ji Wuyu stood not far away with his arms crossed: "I'm just here to talk to my second brother today. After all, it's quite unbelievable that you're the only one who has been defeated so quickly."
"Your father has bestowed upon you the title of prince, so it seems you are now a prince with no real power or influence. Second Prince, barring any unforeseen circumstances, you are expected to set off tomorrow."
Ji Wuyu paused, then said, "Well... if nothing unexpected happens."
There was clearly another meaning behind those words, and the Second Prince's face paled slightly: "You, do you want to do something else?!"
"No, I really just came to catch up with old friends."
The second prince gave a stiff smile: "Alright, let's catch up..."
Ji Wuyu thought for a moment and chuckled: "Speaking of which, I have a vivid memory of the time when my second brother played a game with me."
"At that time, the royal hunting grounds were open. I was too young to participate. My second brother was so kind that he let me join the hunting grounds too."
"I remember I was wearing a deerskin when my second brother shot me through the heart with an arrow, but I survived."
Listening to Ji Wuyu speak of past grievances in a tone almost like that of a friend, the Second Prince couldn't help but swallow hard. He subconsciously took a step back, only to bump into a rolling wine bottle.
A clear, crisp voice rang out, attracting Ji Wuyu's attention. He glanced at it casually and said, "I will remember not only the kindness of my second brother, but also that of my other brothers."
Having said that, his dark eyes turned cold, but the smile on his lips remained warm. He turned and walked out of the palace, just as he was about to leave—
"Beware of bandits on the mountain roads in the past, Second Prince. Desperate criminals will not show mercy, even if you are a prince."
"You, you..."
The second prince was speechless for a moment, but the palace doors had already closed again. He knew this was a blatant threat.
...
As night fell, Ruan Qing'an lay in bed, still feeling weak. The original owner of this body had been in poor health, and even now, she couldn't muster any energy.
Moreover, in order to scheme against the Second Prince, Ruan Qing'an almost risked his life, enduring his frail body to soak in the water for several minutes before Ruan Changhong could openly rage.
Inside the room, the lights flickered dimly. Ruan Qing'an couldn't help but frown, slowly sitting up and leaning against the headboard.
Before her sat a tall, slender figure with his back to her.
“Your Highness, if you trespass into a woman’s private quarters, my father will probably rush in, drag you out, and beat you to death.”
"I must say, it's not just a possibility, it's a certainty, my lord."
With a slight smile, Ji Wuyu turned around. The candlelight flickered on the table, illuminating his handsome jawline, and his dark eyes looked at her gently.
Ji Wuyu was clearly aware of the risks involved, but he still came. At least for him, the benefits of meeting Ruan Qing'an outweighed the risks.
However... my father-in-law has a really bad temper.
Ruan Qing'an shook his head and sighed, "Your Highness, has the matter with the Second Prince been resolved?"
Ji Wuyu nodded slightly: "It's not convenient to make a move inside the palace, so if nothing unexpected happens, my second brother can leave the capital safely."
"And then die on the road?"
In response to Ruan Qing'an's question, Ji Wuyu said with a half-smile, "I didn't say that. Of course, I hope that my second brother will have a safe journey."
038: [Tsk tsk tsk, is the male lead's hypocrisy ingrained in his bones?]
Ruan Qing'an neither confirmed nor denied this, and continued, "This time, by using me as bait, the Yongle Marquis's Mansion was able to show its strength, and also because of me, it was separated from Your Highness, which is a good thing."
"Moreover, Father's people have also received news that Daqing on the border is getting restless and has begun to probe the border garrison. They will take action soon, and the court will also react."
"Your Highness, please do not request to go to the border. It would be easy for His Majesty to notice something amiss. Your father will handle things in the court. Besides, if you go to the front lines, it means you are voluntarily giving up the power struggle and your position. His Majesty is unlikely to disagree. So Your Highness just needs to wait."
After listening, Ji Wuyu nodded. Although his father-in-law was difficult to get along with, he was indeed a rare ally.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Ruan Qing'an couldn't stop coughing, and her face turned even paler from the discomfort. Seeing this, Ji Wuyu quickly stepped forward and carefully supported her.
He patted Ruan Qing'an's back with his long, slender hand, comforting her, "If you miscalculate this time, and that fool Second Prince stands there and doesn't save you, you'll be dead."
"I won't die, cough cough... Don't worry, Your Highness, I won't die until everything is over."
Ruan Qing'an spoke softly, but she almost curled up and pressed herself against Ji Wuyu's embrace. Her slender hand covered her lips, and a trace of red seeped from between her fingers.
Ji Wuyu's eyes darkened, but for a moment he didn't know what to say. He simply held Ruan Qing'an carefully in his arms and silently comforted her.
After a moment, Ruan Qing'an felt a little better. She chuckled and said, "It's alright. In any case, I won't show up on the day Your Highness goes to war, so as not to let people discover our cooperative relationship."
"Once we reach the border, you will have access to the resources of the Yongle Marquis's mansion. As for how far you can go, that will depend on your abilities, Your Highness."
Ji Wuyu's smile remained unchanged: "Of course. I have no foundation in the palace, yet I have managed to get to where I am today. If I had your help, I wouldn't even be able to take down an army, so there would be no point in me competing."
"Your Highness, you're not vying for that position."
Ruan Qing'an looked up, his leaden eyes filled with the same cold smile as his brother: "Other princes play chess on the board, and only by pleasing His Majesty can they become the Crown Prince."
However, what the two of them did was not the conventional process of gaining the emperor's approval, becoming the crown prince, and then ascending the throne after the emperor's death.
Instead... they directly overturned the chessboard where the princes were playing chess, and pointed the knife directly at the current emperor!
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