After leaving the Imperial Study, the Third Prince couldn't help but approach Ji Wuyu and strike up a conversation. His words were filled with barely suppressed excitement, and his eyes shone brightly: "Thank you so much, Ninth Prince, for this."
"You're too kind, Third Brother."
Ji Wuyu smiled calmly, still as gentle and refined as ever, giving the Third Prince no sense of crisis whatsoever. On the contrary, it made him seem cowardly and forbearing. If Ruan Qing'an and 037 were here, they would only silently cast disdainful glances at him. This black-hearted bastard is putting on an act again.
But obviously the Third Prince didn't know that. He laughed heartily and patted Ji Wuyu on the shoulder: "Ninth Prince, you should go back and rest. The soldiers you brought out all have feelings for you. I will take good care of them and lead them to victory."
"Alright, then I'll head to the Yongle Marquis's residence first."
Ji Wuyu bowed slightly and then hurriedly left, looking as if he was furious. The Third Prince burst into laughter.
Little did he know, he might not be laughing anymore afterward...
...
When Ji Wuyu arrived at the Yongle Marquis's residence, Ruan Qing'an and Ruan Changhong were sitting in the main hall. They must have heard the rumors from the palace and were waiting for Ji Wuyu to discuss the next steps.
As Ji Wuyu walked in, Ruan Changhong, who was drinking tea, turned his face away in annoyance, looking like he didn't want to see this guy.
Nobody likes someone who steals their sweetheart's cabbage, nobody!
In response, Ruan Changhong firmly maintained an "antagonistic" relationship with Ji Wuyu.
Faced with his ill-tempered father-in-law, Ji Wuyu could only smile bitterly. What else could he do but fawn over him? Otherwise, what if Ruan Changhong dragged him out when he and Qing'an were getting married?
Ji Wuyu composed himself and gave a slight bow: "Lord Marquis."
Ruan Changhong drank his tea, ignoring him.
Ruan Qing'an glanced at him, coughed, and drawled, "Father, His Highness is sending his greetings."
"……cut."
Ruan Changhong then turned to look at Ji Wuyu and nodded slightly.
Standing there, Ji Wuyu could only sigh. If he wasn't mistaken, the way Ruan Changhong was looking at him now gave him the feeling that "his own daughter always sides with another man, he's very angry, but he can't bear to direct his anger at Ruan Qing'an, so he directs it at Ji Wuyu."
After Ji Wuyu sat down, Ruan Qing'an raised her hand slightly and said, "Alright, alright, let's get down to business."
"Your Highness, how is the situation in the palace?"
Ji Wuyu pondered for a moment and said, "Father's health has deteriorated rapidly. If nothing unexpected happens, he will die. Therefore, he urgently needs an heir and, in order to stabilize the situation and pave the way for his heir, he will also take action against us."
"He temporarily chose my third brother as the crown prince and stripped me of my military power, handing it over to him. It seems he intends to groom him."
Ji Wuyu paused: "But Father Emperor's actions this time were too hasty, which gives me a bad feeling. If I'm not mistaken, my third brother was probably pushed out by him as a pawn to shield the true heir, with the purpose of diverting our attention."
Upon hearing this, the main hall fell silent for a moment.
Ruan Changhong's expression darkened slightly. In the year after Ji Wuyu went to the battlefield, he had intervened and controlled the situation in the court with a strong attitude, which gave Ji Wuyu time to develop in peace.
He thought for a moment and said, "For now, let's not reveal what we already know. Let's take action against the Third Prince to maintain a certain level of obstruction and lull him into a false sense of security. As for the rest, I'll observe in the court to see which prince is the true heir."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wuyu nodded slightly: "Thank you, Lord Marquis."
Ruan Changhong waved his hand. They were now completely bound together. If Ji Wuyu won, everyone would be happy; otherwise... they would lose everything.
Ruan Qing'an tapped his fingertips on the table and suddenly said, "I'll handle the matters with the army. It would be better for Your Highness to remain hidden in the shadows so that they can lower their guard."
"After all, in His Majesty's eyes, Your Highness and the Yongle Marquis's Mansion are on the same side, but Your Highness's only power is military power, which has now been given to the Third Prince. So, Your Highness is no longer a threat to them. The only threat is the Yongle Marquis's Mansion."
“Now, our Yongle Marquis’s Mansion will attract their attention on the surface, making them think that we are about to lose and that we are desperate to do something rash, while Your Highness’s forces in the shadows will be much safer.”
Hearing Ruan Qing'an's words, Ji Wuyu narrowed his eyes. Clearly, this was a feasible method. He had been enduring in the palace for so many years, and the power he had secretly developed had not yet been discovered. This was also a good trump card that could not be exposed.
Ji Wuyu couldn't help but say, "That makes sense. If the Yongle Marquis's mansion can attract their attention, and make them think that they are desperate, no one will want to perish with us at this time."
Indeed, the side about to lose in the struggle for succession has no chance of turning the tide, but it also has the power to drag others down with it. This is what is meant by "the barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes".
As long as the other princes still want to win and challenge the Third Prince, they won't want to fight the Yongle Marquis's mansion head-on; they'll all wait to reap the benefits.
Thinking of this, Ji Wuyu couldn't help but look at Ruan Qing'an. She blinked her leaden gray eyes, revealing a hint of playfulness, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
037: [Ancestor, are you and the male lead really not villains? How come you two are so cunning?!]
“Learn something, little system.”
Ruan Qing'an casually dragged out his words, laughing as he spoke.
Soon, the two equally ruthless "villainous couple" finalized their strategy, with the short-tempered father-in-law in charge of implementing it.
After Ji Wuyu left the Yongle Marquis's residence, Ruan Qing'an went to the military camp in the suburbs. The soldiers that Ji Wuyu had brought back were originally intended to protect the safety of the people, but because of Ji Hao's order, they were all handed over to the Third Prince.
Ruan Qing'an received news from Long San that the Third Prince was preparing to go to the military camp, which seemed to be the kind of thing a new official would do to make a splash.
Naturally, Nguyen Thanh An went there even faster than the Third Prince.
It wasn't until the afternoon that the Third Prince's carriage stopped in front of the camp. The Third Prince, beaming with pride, got off the carriage and looked at the military camp and the army that belonged to him. A sense of satisfaction welled up within him.
He couldn't help but laugh heartily: "My lords, although I am the Crown Prince, I am still willing to share weal and woe with you all and work together to create a new territory for our Great Liang!"
"..."
After his impassioned speech, the soldiers passing by the tent stood still, silently watching the Third Prince, their eyes devoid of any emotion, as if they were looking at a... idiot.
In short, the entire area in front of the tent was completely silent, and the atmosphere was awkward.
The Third Prince, brimming with ambition and boundless pride: ...
\u0005\u0005\u0005\u0005\u0005
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com