HLnovel Chapter 74 Decline
Chapter 74 Decline
Qingshan laughed heartily, and even Si Yan nodded in satisfaction. "Lord Sun is too timid. He's scared by such a small matter. How dare he have imprisoned the three of us in the Heavenly Prison in the first place?"
"He said he would follow orders." Qingshan left the teahouse with a big smile. "Today was really good. Every time I see him in the future, I'll scare him. He might scare himself to death before the adults even have to lift a finger."
Si Yan said it was indeed possible. When the group reached a secluded spot, he said, "Princess Longyu killed the envoy from Wusu. I'm afraid war is about to break out. I wonder which prince His Majesty will send to lead the troops?"
"How could it be a prince? It should be a general, right?" Qingshan said.
Si Yan pushed Qingshan away, saying he couldn't discuss such matters with him. "The Emperor has been balancing the power between the Crown Prince and the other princes. Even the Crown Prince hasn't achieved any outstanding accomplishments. Whoever can take down Wusu will have made a great contribution."
The Emperor is getting old; how many more opportunities will he have to make such a contribution?
This might be the only time.
Anyone with a modicum of ambition would rush to lead troops to Wusu, since the chances of defeat at Wusu are much higher.
Xie Bohuai entered the town government office and said, "Whoever the Emperor sends is up to him. We just need to follow his orders."
At this moment, in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince was talking to his confidants about sending troops to Wusu. "I have been the Crown Prince for many years. Above me is Prince Duan, below me is the favored Prince Hui, and my other brothers are not honest. Unfortunately, my achievements are mediocre, and compared with my brothers, I am not particularly outstanding."
Everyone knows this is one of the Emperor's tactics.
Even though the emperor doted on Prince Hui, he did not show him much favoritism in matters of state.
It can be said that the emperor is a very intelligent person. Even at this age, he is still clear-headed and not confused.
The crown prince wanted this achievement, so he said, "Everyone, let's go back first. It's not advisable to be too proactive in this matter. Let's wait and see."
After the confidants withdrew, a palace attendant came to deliver a message, saying that Sun Hao had been so frightened by Xie Bohuai that he wet himself at the teahouse that day.
"What a useless piece of trash!" The Crown Prince slammed down his teacup. "When I asked him to dig up any dirt on Xie Bohuai, he didn't find a single thing. Now that he's seen Xie Bohuai, he's so scared. How is he supposed to get anything done in the future?"
The eunuch also felt that Sun Hao was too timid. Over the years, his master, sitting in the position of crown prince, had never been at ease because he held too little power, often less than Xie Bohuai. With Xie Bohuai, such a capable assistant, the emperor had kept his master and several princes firmly under control for the past few years, preventing them from causing any trouble.
“Lord Sun is indeed incompetent,” the eunuch said. “If Xie Bohuai had really found out anything, he would have already taken action against the Crown Prince’s Palace. Today, Xie Bohuai was just bluffing, which shows that he has no clear direction either.”
"Such a simple principle, you can think of it, but Sun Hao can't. Sun Hao can no longer be used. Cut off all contact with Sun Hao to prevent Xie Bohuai from finding out about the Eastern Palace." The Crown Prince took a deep breath. "Send someone to deliver a message to Xie Boyuan, telling him to quickly find something to use against Xie Bohuai. I don't want to see Xie Bohuai again."
The eunuch withdrew with the Crown Prince's words, and Princess Ning'an entered at that moment.
"It's you. I thought it was your brother." Seeing his daughter, the Crown Prince felt a sense of relief, but couldn't help but sigh. He had planned so much for himself, but unfortunately, his son was incapable of handling anything.
Princess Ning'an immediately understood her father's meaning, her hand clenching slightly in her sleeve. She tried her best in everything, but because she was a girl, she was always constrained. "Brother is studying at the Imperial Academy and hasn't returned yet. Is Father worried about Wusu?"
"You're so smart."
“We have been conserving our strength for many years, while the new king of Wusu has just ascended the throne, and the court is unstable at this time. Father, even if you are eager to gain this merit, you should not be the first to act. Someone will always try to test the Emperor first.” Princess Ning’an’s words struck a chord with the Crown Prince.
"I know everything you've said. It's such a pity. If you were a man, I wouldn't have had to go through so much hardship," the Crown Prince sighed, then looked at his daughter. "I suppose your mother has told you about the Bai family, hasn't she?"
When the Bai family was mentioned, Princess Ning'an's expression became somewhat unnatural. "Hmm."
"Bai Shu holds great power and is someone everyone wants to win over. If you can marry into the Bai family, they will have no choice but to side with us." The Crown Prince has been trying to win over the court officials, and Bai Shu is his biggest target.
Princess Ning'an said, "But with my grandfather in charge, I'm afraid he won't allow his daughter to marry into the Bai family."
Both the Crown Prince and the Right Chancellor are high-ranking officials; a marriage between such powerful figures would likely be unacceptable to the Emperor, given his suspicious nature. Last time, during the selection of imperial consorts, the Emperor directly bestowed a favor upon the Bai family, meaning their daughter didn't have to participate in the selection process, which speaks volumes about the Emperor's attitude.
Therefore, Bai Shu did not openly get too close to any prince. Someone who has reached this point would not be unable to see this point.
"I have my own plans. You've never required me to worry about you. Just know that this is happening and prepare accordingly." The Crown Prince was tired and waved his hand, signaling Princess Ning'an to leave.
Princess Ning'an dared to breathe a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the main hall. She didn't want to marry into the Bai family, but her father couldn't see that the Bai family was showing signs of decline after losing to Xie Bohuai.
Throughout her life, she had been told countless times that it was a pity she was born a woman. The more this was said, the less she believed in fate, and she was determined to fight for herself.
"Caiyue, have you sent over all the storybooks I prepared for my brother?"
"Your Highness, they were all chosen according to what the Crown Prince liked, and he liked them all. He should be out having fun today, not going to the Imperial Academy," Caiyue said.
"Provide cover for my brother and have someone keep an eye on his safety. We absolutely cannot let anything happen to him." Princess Ning'an took a deep breath, and seeing that it was getting dark, she added, "Send someone to tell my aunt that I will be visiting her tomorrow."
"Why is the princess getting so close to Princess Longyu?" Caiyue didn't understand. Princess Longyu had just humiliated the Right Prime Minister. If she were to get close to Princess Longyu now, would her master's marriage with the Bai family still be possible?
Princess Ning'an didn't speak, but only told Caiyue to follow her instructions.
When Princess Longyu received the news, she said lightly, "Interesting. The Crown Prince has a fine daughter. That's really something."
Granny Jiang also praised, "Princess Ning'an is no less than any of the imperial grandsons. If we really have to compare, she could be the crown prince."
"That depends on her own abilities. Our dynasty has never had an empress. If she really has the ability, I'd be happy to watch the show." Princess Longyu had been busy in the palace all day and was not in much spirits. Hearing that Princess Xihe was still in Ye Wanning's room, she yawned. "Let them play. Don't restrain them. As girls, they won't have such good days after they get married. They'll have to serve their husbands, be filial to their parents-in-law, and manage the household. Just thinking about all that annoys me. Let them have some fun."