Wei Hong thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, signaling him to pass on the order.
...
In a manor in Huizhou, Liancheng, who should have returned to Nanyan, sat in his room warming himself by a charcoal fire, listening to his servants report the latest news.
"This emperor of Daliang is really interesting. He hasn't even warmed his seat yet, but he wants to overthrow his imperial uncle. Doesn't he know his own limitations?"
"Does he think he can accomplish in just two years after his father ascended the throne what his father couldn't do in his entire life?"
The servant rolled his eyes and said, "Young master, the late Emperor of Liang only reigned for a few years, so it can't be said that he couldn't achieve it in his entire life."
Emperor Gaozong favored Prince Qin during his lifetime. Although Wei Feng, who was the crown prince at the time, could attend court and listen to government affairs, and even helped Emperor Gaozong manage some government affairs, he had no power whatsoever when it came to dealing with Prince Qin.
It wasn't until he ascended the throne that he truly grasped real power and could find ways to deal with his brothers whom he didn't like.
Moreover, he was even more impatient than the current emperor back then, and he attacked the Prince of Qin as soon as he ascended the throne.
Not only did he fail, but he also got himself into trouble and was resented by the King of Qin. It took him several years to realize that he was indeed helpless against the King of Qin. He gradually calmed down and stopped provoking him. Even before his death, he did not forget to pave the way for his son, so that the King of Qin could marry Yao Yuzhi's daughter.
Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. Not only did the King of Qin not mistreat Yao Youqing as he wished, thus avoiding Yao Yuzhi's dissatisfaction, but he also treasured the princess so much that he even took her to brothels with him, practically tying her to his belt.
Liancheng curled his lip: "Even a short life is still a lifetime! Who told him to get so obsessed with alchemy? He deserved it!"
The servant smiled and replied, "Yes," without saying anything more.
Liancheng sat by the fire for a while, lost in thought, seemingly pondering something.
As dusk approached and the sun, hidden beneath thick clouds, was swallowed by darkness, he suddenly spoke, asking as if to himself, "You tell me... between a foolish emperor and a shrewd and capable prince, isn't the former easier to deal with?"
The servant was taken aback, sensing something unusual in his words, and didn't dare to speak casually as usual.
Since the young master did not return directly to Southern Yan after parting ways with the prince, but instead stayed here, they felt that he might have some other plans.
Now... is he finally going to make a decision?
The room was silent. Liancheng fell silent again. After a long while, he sighed softly and stroked the wooden chair armrest, which he had worn smooth with his hands.
“I truly consider him a good brother, but even close brothers should keep clear accounts. We are people from two different paths, and it just so happens that our paths intersected for a while, and we traveled together for a period of time.”
"Now... it's time to part ways."
That was the final decision.
Although the servant found it somewhat sudden, he had been used to his abruptness after serving him for so long, and simply asked, "So, what are your plans, young master?"
After making his decision, Liancheng resumed his usual carefree demeanor, no longer as serious and sullen as before. He casually said, "I'm not going back to Nan Yan. I'll find a suitable opportunity to let the prince know that I'm dead and that the one in the Nan Yan palace isn't me."
The servants were initially puzzled, but soon understood.
"You mean... you want to use that prince to help the Emperor of Liang get rid of the prince?"
The Southern Yan had five princes, all of whom except Liancheng had titles. Even Liancheng, who did not have a title, was called the Third Prince.
The only one without a title or official rank is Liancheng's younger brother, who has only recently returned to the palace.
If the Southern Yan court, together with the Emperor of Liang, eliminates the Prince of Qin, then the young master only needs to go back and reclaim his position; everything will still be his.
If the Emperor of Liang is useless and fails to eliminate the Prince of Qin even when he joins forces with Southern Yan and Great Jin, and instead the Prince of Qin seizes the throne, then you should still go back and appear under the name of the fake Third Prince.
The King of Qin assumed he was dead and naturally wouldn't blame him; it just meant the two would become complete strangers from then on, and all the past would vanish like smoke.
Liancheng hissed, "Why are you saying such harsh things? How is this helping him get rid of the prince? I just didn't want to get involved in this mess."
But not intervening means letting things go unchecked, so deep down he knew he was in the wrong.
The servant chuckled awkwardly and stopped talking about it, then asked him, "Where does the young master plan to hide? If the prince finds out you're still alive... he might really make you a dead man."
Just imagine how furious the King of Qin would be if he knew he had been deceived and betrayed; he would probably hunt him down to the ends of the earth.
Liancheng had already thought it through, his eyes narrowing slightly and the corners of his lips curving into a slight smile.
"The darkest place is under the lamp; I hide where it is most dangerous."
The matter was decided, and the servants immediately went to make preparations.
Liancheng was the only one left in the room. The relaxed smile on his face disappeared, and he leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat tired, with a gloomy expression he had never seen before.
The charcoal fire crackled softly, and the man lowered his head, his lips twitching slightly.
"I have no friends anymore..."
Chapter 88 Orthodoxy
The streets of the capital remained bustling, and most people were unaware of what had happened in places like Shangchuan, or even if they did, they didn't care.
It was too far away from them, as far as the horizon, a place they would never set foot in their entire lives.
As long as the war does not reach the capital, and as long as this land under the emperor's feet remains peaceful, they can continue to enjoy peace.
Even many officials and their families in the court did not see any signs at this time, and simply thought it was another game between the emperor and the Prince of Qin.
This kind of game has happened more than once since the late emperor; they have become accustomed to it and have not taken it to heart.
However, a few people still caught a faint, almost imperceptible whiff of gunpowder in the north wind this winter.
Yao Yuzhi, as Yao Youqing's father, was naturally among them.
"Tell me honestly, what has your prince been doing lately? Is he... is he planning something?"
He summoned the two Jingyuan soldiers that Wei Hong had left here and asked them questions.
These two men are brothers, named Chen Tian and Chen Miao respectively.
Chen Tian glanced at Yao Yuzhi with a smile and asked in return, "Why do you ask this, sir? Even if the prince really has some plans, are you still going to help him?"
If you're not going to help him, what's the point of asking?
As Wei Hong's subordinates, they knew he wouldn't help, yet they still told him about their master's situation. Wasn't that foolish?
Yao Yuzhi knew she probably wouldn't get anything out of them, but she still said, "I don't care what he does, but I am your princess's father. Whatever he does, I just hope it won't involve my daughter!"
“You jest, sir,” Chen Miao said. “The prince and princess are husband and wife, sharing both glory and misfortune. How can there be any talk of being involved?”
Yao Yuzhi understood this principle, which was why he didn't want to marry his daughter to the King of Qin.
Putting aside the feud between him and the King of Qin, His Majesty and the King of Qin are certainly incompatible. How will his daughter, as the King of Qin's consort, conduct herself in that situation?
Seeing his worried expression, his graying temples, and the wrinkles around his eyes that had visibly deepened during their stay, Chen Tian, though not particularly close to him, still sighed softly and said, "Don't worry, sir. The Prince cherishes the Princess dearly and will protect her no matter what. Otherwise, he wouldn't have rushed to her aid upon hearing that she had been kidnapped..."
"What did you say?"
Yao Yuzhi suddenly stood up from her chair and grabbed his sleeve.
"The princess has been kidnapped?"
Chen Miao glared at her elder brother and said to Yao Yuzhi, "Sir, don't listen to his nonsense, my elder brother..."
"When did this happen?"
Yao Yuzhi ignored him completely, holding onto Chen Tian's sleeve tightly, and shouted loudly with red eyes.
Chen Tian looked embarrassed, glancing at him and then at his younger brother.
Helpless, Chen Miao pulled his sleeve out of Yao Yuzhi's hand and said to him, "Please sit back down first. We'll talk to you slowly once you've sat down."
As she spoke, she took his arm and pressed him back into the chair before recounting the story of Yao Youqing being kidnapped.
He didn't go into the details because he wasn't clear about them either, but from these simple and straightforward words, Yao Yuzhi could easily imagine what her daughter had gone through.
His daughter, whom he had cherished and raised with utmost care, a timid and cowardly girl who never dared to speak loudly, was kidnapped and nearly taken away from Daliang.
Yao Yuzhi's face was deathly pale. He clutched his chest and gasped for breath. Butler Chang quickly stuffed a pill into his mouth and brought him a glass of water to help him take it, which made him feel a little better.
"Why...why didn't you tell me sooner?"
After his breathing calmed down a bit, he asked.
Chen Miao replied, "The princess wouldn't want you to worry, so naturally she wouldn't tell you. Otherwise, she would have written it to you in a letter long ago."
After Yao Youqing was safe, she immediately wrote a letter to Yao Yuzhi, afraid that if she delivered it too late, he would find out what had happened to her these days. She also urged the messenger to hurry up and deliver the letter to him on the usual day.
Yao Yuzhi had already read the letter, and it indeed made no mention of her being kidnapped. Yet, her father had failed to detect anything amiss in her words.
"As for the prince, he always listens to the princess when it comes to matters concerning you. If the princess does not wish to tell you, he will not allow us to speak ill of you."
Chen Miao said.
"Besides... if the princess didn't say it, and we tell you directly, we don't know if you will believe us."
They were Wei Hong's subordinates, and Wei Hong had a long-standing feud with Yao Yuzhi. Their eagerness to tell Yao Yuzhi this matter made it seem as if they were specifically seeking credit from the prince.
If he believes it, that's fine; if he doesn't, it will only deepen the misunderstanding between him and the prince, which would be a loss.
Yao Yuzhi chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I believe you, of course. Who else can I trust? His Majesty?"
As he spoke, his laughter grew louder and louder, until finally two tears streamed down his face, making him appear almost insane.
Chen Tian and Chen Miao stood there, not knowing what to do. Steward Chang was also frightened and was hesitating whether to send someone to fetch a doctor when Yao Yuzhi burst into laughter a few times and then burst into tears. She slammed her hand on the table several times, saying, "What sins have I committed!"
Although he still seemed emotionally agitated, he appeared somewhat normal.
He didn't lose his composure for long. After crying and laughing, he wiped away his tears and raised his still slightly trembling hand.
"Don't worry, I won't tell the princess that I know about this."
If he were to write a letter to ask, Yao Youqing would inevitably worry that his anxiety might affect his health, and Chen Tian and Chen Miao would also be punished for letting something slip.
The two brothers exchanged a glance, then bowed and said, "Thank you, sir."
Yao Yuzhi waved her hand: "Go down."
The two acknowledged their departure and closed the door behind them.
After they left, Yao Yuzhi leaned back in her chair, looking dejected. Although she had wiped away her tears, her eyes were still red, and blood vessels were faintly visible in them.
"I still... underestimated Your Majesty."
He murmured after a long while.
"I thought... poisoning Ning'er and secretly reading the letters between Ning'er and me were the limits, but I didn't know... the human heart is like a well; standing at the mouth and looking down, you'll never know how deep it is. Without drinking a mouthful yourself, you'll never know how poisonous the water is..."
He had many doubts about the previous battle and couldn't understand many things.
Now that I know what happened to my daughter, I finally understand.