Chapter 240 Countdown 3
Prince Ning was already feeling irritated, and he felt even more depressed when he heard this unexpected question.
He did not completely trust Shen Yushan, always feeling that he was deep-minded and unpredictable. In that action, he chose a more direct and risky approach, and indeed concealed it from Shen Yushan.
Being exposed in front of others, he felt a little embarrassed, but because he needed help, he could only suppress his anger and explain:
"Lord Shen has misunderstood! The incident happened suddenly that day, and the opportunity was fleeting. I was afraid that the news would leak out... It's not that I don't trust Lord Shen!"
Shen Yushan listened quietly, his eyes calm and deep, and it was hard to tell whether he believed it or not. After a moment, he sighed:
"Your Highness, it's not that I'm being harsh. It's just that matters at court are so complex and entangled. Your actions that day infuriated His Majesty, and then you brought up Prince An's rumors of treason, which fueled His Majesty's suspicions... Now, this backlash is unfortunate, isn't it?"
His words seemed to be full of emotion, but in fact he attributed part of the reason for King Ning's current predicament to his original autocratic behavior and lack of trust.
Prince Ning was secretly annoyed, thinking that Shen Yushan was taking advantage of the situation to manipulate him, but at this moment he had to ask for help, so he had to swallow his anger and said:
"I was inconsiderate that day. But now we are in great danger. I hope Lord Shen will lend a hand for the sake of our past friendship! As long as we overcome this difficulty, I will definitely..."
Shen Yushan raised his hand to interrupt him, his face solemn. "Your Highness, it's not that I won't help. Now that the drums have been sounded, His Majesty has acquiesced to the joint trial of the three courts. The evidence directly points to the Ministry of Revenue's deficit and the military pay issue. Most of the witnesses and evidence have been collected... This matter is of no small importance and cannot be easily resolved."
Seeing that he was still making trouble, King Ning completely lost his temper and said directly: "Just tell me what Lord Shen wants. I will do my best to cooperate."
Seeing Prince Ning's impatience, Shen Yushan's eyes flashed with a subtle glint, but his face became increasingly serious. He pondered for a moment and said:
"Since Your Highness is so forthright, I will speak frankly. At this point, resisting head-on is definitely not the best strategy. The evidence that has been presented is as solid as a mountain, and overturning it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven."
He changed the subject, leaning forward slightly, and adopting a frank attitude. "The only solution now is to address the root cause... We should decisively make some undiscovered key points 'quietly disappear'. Perhaps this will interrupt the chain of investigation and make it impossible for the three courts to proceed. I will help His Majesty mediate and ultimately close the case with a few scapegoats."
This means that Prince Ning should take the initiative to clip his wings.
Shen Yushan paused at this point, observing Prince Ning's expression. Seeing that he was still hesitant despite his intentions, he sighed.
"Of course, this is a very risky matter. If you are not careful, you will be doomed. Your Highness, there is no need to tell me the intricacies of this matter. You can do it yourself."
His words threw the choice back to King Ning, showing that he was not in a hurry to ask questions, but was considering him in every way.
But Prince Ning could also understand Shen Yushan's intentions. If he didn't tell him anything, how could he be willing to contribute? How could he cooperate? His power was already on the verge of collapse, and the Minister of the Chancellery didn't need to continue investing in this shaky prince.
Prince Ning did not completely trust Shen Yushan, but the crisis was imminent, and in the end, the desire to survive outweighed his doubts.
He gritted his teeth, holding the mentality of "telling part and keeping part", and whispered half-believingly and half-doubtingly: "...Since Lord Shen said so, I will speak frankly..."
He carefully told out two relatively critical, but not the most fatal, secrets, wanting to see Shen Yushan's reaction and next move.
Prince Ning didn't know that behind him, behind the heavy pearwood bookcase, several figures were holding their breath and concentrating, clearly recording every word and every name he said.
Those were the Hidden Phoenix Guards who were lurking here on Xiao Yuluan's orders.
Shen Yushan nodded solemnly, as if he was taking careful notes and making plans. From then on, every moment Shen Yushan was planning and analyzing for King Ning, the Hidden Phoenix Guards would pass on the news silently.
While the two were still planning on the surface, someone had already taken action.
After Prince Ning left, the bookcase quietly opened, and Grand Princess Xiao Yuluan unexpectedly walked out. She smiled and said, "If Prince Ning finds out, you'll be exposed."
Shen Yushan's eyes flashed with joy, but he sneered in response, "This is the final deal. Who cares what he thinks? I haven't made any shady deals with him. And if I just say a few words on his behalf in front of His Majesty's court, I'll make up for the friendship I've been playing along with him for these days."
Xiao Yuluan pursed her lips and smiled, sarcastically saying, "Minister Shen is indeed impeccable. He wants to get hold of his handle and gain reputation at the same time."
Shen Yushan didn't feel the irony at all, but instead puffed out his chest and said, "Princess, you are so kind."
Xiao Yuluan was somewhat speechless, so she decided to turn the topic to business. "My people have already been dispatched. I believe they will succeed soon. Now it all depends on the performance of the Minister of the Chancellery."
The two smiled at each other, and everything was said without words.
However, Shen Yushan suddenly changed the subject with his next sentence: "It's getting late, Princess, why don't you stay and have dinner with us?"
This abrupt change of topic made Xiao Yuluan silent for a moment. She looked at Shen Yushan with some suspicion, but finally agreed to stay. She hoped that she was not overthinking it.
At the same time, Xue Chen, the Marquis of Zhenbei, also came up empty-handed at the Princess's Mansion.
That night, King Ning knew that several pieces of evidence he had given had been seized upon by others, but there were more than just those two. There was another one, which was inferred by Xiao Ji based on the information presented by his eldest cousin Yang.
Prince Ning was furious. "Chen! Yu! Shan!" He slammed his fist on the table, his eyes bloodshot and his chest heaving violently with extreme anger. "You old bastard! How dare you toy with me like this!"
"Quick, send someone to kill him! Quick!"
Prince Ning had already lost his mind, and his subordinates' persuasion was futile, so he had no choice but to carry out the order. However, there was no news from the people he sent out.
This made Prince Ning pace around the study like a trapped beast in extreme anger and panic, and he fell into deeper despair.
Indeed, since Shen Yushan dared to plot against him in this way, he must have been prepared in advance. The most important thing is that the evidence he said may have been controlled by Shen Yushan and will soon become a sharp blade to stab him.
And the father... Prince Ning's mind flashed with the emperor's cold scrutiny and the fate of Prince An being imprisoned and his mansion searched.
He never thought that his suspicious and heartless father would side with him at this moment of "conclusive evidence".
What the emperor wants is control. He would probably be happy to see the brothers fighting each other so that he can check and balance them, or even... catch them all in one fell swoop!
Asking the emperor for justice? That would be like walking into a trap, and I'm afraid I'll end up worse than Prince An.
His crimes were enough to strip him of his title, demote him to a commoner, and completely ruin his reputation.
With the previous experience of Xiao Ji being reinstated, King Ning did not think that his brother would let him do it again.
There was no one to turn to, no one to fight back... The enormous pressure and the anger of being betrayed pushed King Ning to the edge of the cliff.
A crazy and dangerous idea grew and spread in his desperate heart, quickly devouring the last bit of his sanity.
Since his father was unfair and his allies betrayed him, everyone wanted to kill him...
Then why should he still abide by the rules between ruler and subject, and father and son? !
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