Chapter 254 Father is a big tree that protects us from wind and rain
Jiang Huailiang was startled by his eldest daughter's words. He immediately sat up straight, his big eyes wide open like copper bells, full of disbelief.
"Don't think it's unbelievable. If I hadn't seen the murderous intent in the prince's eyes with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that he was so stupid that he wanted to harm the child in my belly!"
When she was trying to appease Li Chengxiu in the carriage, her lies had sounded like the truth. She said that if the Prince of Qi's Mansion retreated a little and behaved more obediently, the Crown Prince wouldn't be wary of them.
Isn't that pure nonsense?
As long as someone has the intention to kill, he can be hunted down to the ends of the earth, let alone a place just a thousand miles away?
Jiang Wan pulled at her hair in frustration and slammed the table in anger. She didn't need to hide her true thoughts in front of her father; she was quite gritting her teeth.
"Has Li Yanxiu gone too far in his evil ways, or has he lost his mind? Even though I'm still considered a childhood friend, the affection that idiot Li Chengxiu has for him as a brother is undeniable. And with you being his nominal second uncle, he shouldn't be trying to kill me!
Isn't it obvious that Li Chengxiu and I have surrendered to him? From the eldest to the fifth, whose fiefdom is more barren and impoverished than our Qi Wang Mansion? His own brother has exiled himself to guard the gate for him, what else do you want?"
"Perhaps, it's because you've been too high-profile lately that you've caused this kind of trouble."
Old Jiang's face looked unhappy, but his mind was still logical and he could easily figure out why the prince had the intention to kill.
"Is that what I want? I actually want to be a pampered princess. Didn't the Li family not give me that opportunity?"
He rolled his eyes in anger and started to complain.
"Dad, you've always told me that Dongling Mansion is desolate, but why didn't you tell me that it's just a large beggars' den?
On the way, Li Chengxiu boasted to me about the city to great lengths, but when I went over to take a look, apart from the empty Prince Qi’s Mansion which was indeed magnificent and impressive, everything else was just for show!
You said I was being too high-profile, but did you know that as soon as I got there, someone blocked my door with the IOU?"
Old Jiang's face froze in embarrassment for a moment, then Little Jiang continued to complain with a look of understanding.
"So, Dad, you also know about the immoral things Li Chengxiu has done? Then why haven't I heard you mention it to me?"
"I have no idea!"
The old father flatly denied it. His face was covered by a thick beard, so no one could see his specific expression.
"Those were all dirty tricks that bastard Li Laosi came up with on his own. What does that have to do with me? I taught him how to march and fight properly, so who told him to go begging? It's not my fault!"
"Oh, Dad, don't get so excited. You probably don't know you have a problem. The more guilty you are, the louder you get."
"...I, how could I feel guilty? I didn't know in the first place! As the old saying goes, a good master leads the way, but the practice is up to the individual. Why is the blame for Li Chengxiu's defrauding military pay being placed on me?"
"Dad, too much talk leads to mistakes."
The girl with a leaky cotton jacket stared at her old father with a sneer on her lips.
"I remember I didn't have time to tell you that he was swindling military pay everywhere, right? So how do you know about it now?"
“………”
Old Jiang wiped his face tiredly.
"Let's bring the prince out for a talk."
I accidentally fell into the trap my daughter had dug. There was no point in quibbling, so I just admitted defeat and lay down.
"Have you told Li Laosi about Li Laosan's murderous intentions towards you and the child?"
He wouldn't ask his daughter if she had seen it wrong. He knew the girl he had raised well. How could she, with her shrewd nature, make such a simple mistake?
"Yes."
Thinking of Li Chengxiu who almost cried like a dog at that time, her eyes were filled with sighs.
"Li Chengxiu has a sincere brotherly heart towards Li Yanxiu. Even if he knows that the prince has other intentions, I don't expect him to immediately pick up a sword and turn against his brother.
After all, the Emperor and Empress are still here, so the Crown Prince won't act rashly for now. I'm worried about the future, Dad."
She blinked again bitterly.
"Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne and becomes Emperor, will he really be able to tolerate Li Chengxiu, who is also a legitimate son?"
Jiang Huailiang remained silent, listening to his daughter express her concerns.
"It was because Li Lao Si didn't have the brains to fight for the throne that we were optimistic about Li Lao San and gave him all our support. But now that everything is fine, why is he no longer willing to tolerate our Qi Wang Mansion?
I can confidently say that Li Chengxiu is good at fighting, but if he is asked to be the emperor and take charge of government affairs, he will destroy the Li family's empire in less than a year or two!
So we really don't have that kind of ambition. What on earth does Li Yanxiu want to do now?"
Old Jiang smacked his lips and uttered a rare and elegant wise saying.
"How can I allow others to sleep soundly on the bed beside me?"
Xiao Jiang sighed helplessly.
"Dad, you got it wrong."
"Oh, don't worry too much about such details."
The old father was embarrassed for a moment, then quickly returned to his serious and solemn expression.
"Actually, Lao Qin analyzed this situation for me earlier. You know he's a man with a lot of cunning minds, like a hornet's nest. He always looks ahead before doing anything."
Jiang Wan's expression relaxed when he heard his father mention that person, but he didn't know what to say. He could only nod silently to indicate that he was listening.
"Old Qin said that power is fascinating, especially the supreme throne. Fathers and sons killed each other, and brothers and sisters killed each other for that throne. This has never stopped since ancient times.
The struggle for power and profit among ordinary people may not be so exaggerated, but once the struggle starts in the royal family, the corpses of their closest relatives will inevitably be treading under their feet.
When he said that, I thought he was overthinking it, but now I see that I was short-sighted and inexperienced."
Old Jiang sighed deeply, then looked up at his daughter and comforted her.
"You don't have to worry too much. All you need to do now is take good care of the baby. Daddy will take care of the rest!
What Lao Qin said was right. The rules of propriety and justice must be followed in this world, no matter who you are. As long as the royal family wants to pass on the country well, they must maintain order.
Dayu came to power in a very legitimate way, having conquered the country piece by piece, one sword at a time.
The Crown Prince is now the eldest son of the legitimate bloodline, so he has the full authority. If he refuses to abide by the rules of propriety and righteousness and casually takes up arms against his own brothers, then there will naturally be backlash waiting for him!
As he said this, a strong chill burst out from Jiang Huailiang's body, which was the murderous aura that only belonged to a veteran who had rolled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
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