"Your Highness, has Prince Cheng discovered something?" Mingwei asked anxiously.
Rong Zhen gave a wry smile. "Originally, Prince Cheng discovered that my people were in charge of the silk shop, and a few days ago a lawsuit broke out. I'm afraid that Prince Cheng will use this as an excuse to make trouble in front of my grandfather. If my grandfather gets involved, I'm afraid the smuggling of salt will be exposed."
Mingwei felt her heart sinking inch by inch.
Rong Zhen's concerns were not unfounded. He had always been patient and discreet, and Prince Cheng and the others were just looking for an excuse to trip him up. How could Prince Cheng let go of this opportunity that had been presented to him?
However, Mingwei believed she had some understanding of Rong Duo's character. Ruthless and inherently suspicious, Mingwei sadly realized at this moment that her final perception of Rong Duo was to completely overturn her initial impression of him as perfect. But this was not the time to reminisce about the past!
She kept reminding herself that the most urgent matter was Rong Zhen's matter.
Thirty-six years ago, Rong Duo's deep cunning had already alarmed Mingwei. Having served as emperor for thirty-six years, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe Rong Duo as unfathomable. No matter how intelligent and precocious Rong Zhen may be, he has absolutely no chance against Rong Duo.
Mingwei was immediately extremely anxious.
What should Rong Zhen do to escape this calamity?
"Ah Wan, don't worry." Rong Zhen saw that Ming Wei was terrified and her pretty face turned pale, and he began to regret it. He shouldn't have scared her by saying these things to test his position in Ming Wei's heart. He quickly softened his voice and comforted her, "I will naturally handle these things."
Mingwei's tense expression did not relax in the slightest. Her urgent tone was almost aggressive: "Please tell me, Your Highness, what do you intend to do?"
“Ah Wan, it’s alright. Even if we take a step back, the Emperor is still my grandfather, and I was named the Crown Prince since I was a child. There’s still some family affection between us. Even if my grandfather finds out, he’ll just call me over and give me a scolding at most.” Rong Zhen’s voice was soothing and gentle, giving people the illusion of being unhurried.
Although smuggling salt is a serious crime, Rong Zhen is, after all, a prince of the emperor. Rong Zhen's words just now were persuasive and somewhat understandable. If his grandson's wife were someone else, she would probably be more at ease. However, this person is Ming Wei, who was Rong Duo's imperial concubine in her previous life. In her view, treating Rong Duo with affection is simply too crude and perfunctory.
"Your Highness, I must say something disrespectful." Mingwei slowly lowered her eyelids and said softly, "When the late Emperor was alive, the Crown Prince he favored was not the current Emperor. Crown Prince Longde was the current Emperor's own elder brother. I'm sure Your Highness has heard some rumors about how he died!"
Compared to Rong Zhen, Ming Wei was more aware of Rong Duo's methods back then.
Crown Prince Longde was murdered by Rong Duo, leaving the position vacant. The late emperor, grieving the loss of his beloved son, suffered a decline in health. In the succession struggle involving four princes, Rong Duo ultimately ascended the throne with the help of figures like Grand Secretary Tang.
Tang Wan had only heard rumors about Crown Prince Longde before, but she didn't believe them. It was only after she entered the palace and overheard Rong Duo's private conversation with his confidant that she had no choice but to believe it.
He could harm even his own brother, let alone Rong Zhen, the grandson he disliked the most among all his grandsons?
Upon hearing Mingwei's words, Rong Zhen's expression changed slightly. He had a strange feeling that Mingwei was unusually cautious, even showing some fear and disgust, in her attitude towards her grandfather.
Meeting Rong Zhen's probing gaze, Mingwei had no choice but to explain, "When I visited the Duke of Ying's mansion earlier, I overheard some things—"
Rong Zhen nodded.
Although Crown Prince Longde died forty years ago, there were indeed some rumors circulating. Although Crown Prince Longde was always physically weak, his sudden death in the Eastern Palace was quite suspicious. Rumors about Rong Duo killing Crown Prince Longde had been circulating secretly among the noble families for a long time, and Rong Zhen was aware of this, so it was normal for Mingwei to know about it.
"Your Highness, please don't treat me with such perfunctory politeness!" When Mingwei looked up again, her beautiful eyes were already glistening with tears. Her voice was soft and quick, yet it sounded particularly heartbreaking.
Rong Zhen felt extremely distressed.
"Ah Wan, it's my fault." Rong Zhen regretted his perfunctory words in order to put her at ease, so he had no choice but to tell her everything. "Since Prince Cheng has already discovered it, the only way now is to cut off the silk shop's connection with other places and expose the silk shop and the private salt trade to their noses."
Mingwei listened intently, and only breathed a sigh of relief after Rong Zhen told her the truth.
Although smuggled salt is one of the important sources of revenue for Rongzhen's business, if other connections are used to cover it up in order to protect it, it will only lead to getting bogged down in a quagmire from which there is no way out.
Mingwei calmed down, and she smiled slightly, saying, "Your Highness has the courage to make such a tough decision. I admire you."
"Don't you think... what I did was incompetent?" Rong Zhen was somewhat puzzled by Ming Wei's reaction. To most people, this was clearly an act of cowardice and incompetence. "I could have tried—"
To everyone's surprise, Mingwei shook her head vigorously.
"I can't think of a better way!" Having lived two lives, Mingwei was no longer a fifteen-year-old girl. Instead, she gently comforted Rong Zhen, saying, "Many people are greedy, and not everyone has the courage to make tough decisions!"
Seeing that she was willing to comfort him in a gentle and soft voice, Rong Zhen felt as if he had drunk a bowl of hot soup in the cold winter, and his heart was warmed.
"Thank you, Wan." Rong Zhen's slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and his lost eyes regained their light. "I'll handle it." After saying that, he tentatively reached out and gently took Ming Wei's hand.
Mingwei's instinctive reaction was to shrink back, but when her gaze fell on Rong Zhen's expectant eyes, she did not look away, but simply blushed and lowered her head.
Rong Zhen smiled, a gentle smile spreading across his handsome face like a spring breeze.
Will things really go as smoothly as they think?
With her eyes lowered, Mingwei concealed her deep worry. Even if the investigation into the smuggled salt reached its end, would Rong Duo let Rong Zhen go? And what if, to think the worst, Rong Duo discovered everything? His usually weak and incompetent grandson had done so much behind his back—every single thing seemed like preparation for seizing the throne…
Would Rong Duo, who showed no mercy even to his own elder brother, Crown Prince Longde, let Rong Zhen go?
Mingwei suddenly closed her eyes.
******
In the days following their conversation, Mingwei lived in constant fear, terrified that bad news would arrive one day.
That morning, Rong Zhen went to the council hall as usual. Ming Wei had someone bring over a sewing basket, intending to put a pair of shoes on Rong Zhen's back to distract him.
"Your Majesty, here are the flower patterns you requested." The voice had barely reached her when Mingwei, who had been fiddling with the flowers, immediately stopped what she was doing.
The one who came to deliver the flowers on her behalf was Dongyue.
Although Dongyue and Dongzhu, the two maids given to Mingwei by the old lady, were the most clever and capable among the four maids who entered the palace with her, Tangli and Yuelin were still the ones who served Mingwei personally on a daily basis because of their past relationship. Dongyue and Dongzhu were also sensible and never tried to compete with Tangli and Dongzhu.
Mingwei still took the rumors from a few days ago to heart, and she asked Dongyue to investigate them secretly.
Normally, when she does embroidery, Tangli and Yuelin serve her. Today, only Dongyue is in the house. From afar, she can hear the voices of Tangli, Yuelin, Biyun, and others in the courtyard. Mingwei knows that it is about the rumors about her being "jealous" and has found a clue.
"Put it down." Mingwei gestured for Dongyue to sit on the small stool next to her before asking softly, "Did you find anything?"
Dongyue nodded cautiously.
"Your Majesty, this servant has discovered that our head palace maid, Bizhu, has been secretly saying many inappropriate things to other palace maids these days!" Dongyue said in a low voice, "She has played a significant role in spreading those rumors that you are jealous."