Chapter 252: Grasping Leverage
This day, Prince Chu returned from the morning court with a very displeased complexion.
Seeing this, Princess Consort Chu quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Your Highness?”
“I don’t know how the matter of Yu Fengshan’s son became known,” Prince Chu said, wiping his face. “Today, someone from the Ministry of Personnel brought up the issue of Yu Fengshan’s son in court, not only implicating the Liu family but also dragging me into it. I managed to temporarily deflect it with words, but I don’t know if there will be any follow-up.”
Princess Consort Chu was also surprised to hear this, “Who is plotting behind the scenes? We’ve handled so many such matters before, and I’ve never seen anyone impeach us.”
“Hmph, don’t you know yet? Can’t you guess?” Prince Chu sneered, “This must have been instigated by Prince Zhao, otherwise who would have the courage?”
“I think so too, who else would do such a thing?” Princess Consort Chu sighed. “A few days ago, they invited King Fenye and the Princess to their mansion, but they didn’t invite us. That’s fine. For two consecutive days, I went to their mansion to try and see Princess Consort Zhao, but they claimed she was ill and not receiving guests. Yet, the Marquis Mansion’s horse carriage was parked in front of their door, and they still lied with a straight face.”
“Never mind all that, let’s settle the immediate issue first. I don’t think they intend to let this go easily,” Prince Chu said. “You’ve already received the silver they gave, haven’t you? Use that money to find someone to take the blame. Although the Liu family handled it directly, we can’t completely wash our hands of it. We don’t want to push them too hard and get ourselves entangled.”
“These thirty thousand taels of silver might not be enough. We’ll likely have to add some more,” Princess Consort Chu said after thinking for a moment. “There’s no choice, who told us to get caught? I’ll discuss it with the Liu family again later.”
“This can’t go on like this, we can’t be so passive,” Prince Chu had been pondering this all the way. “If they decide to fight to the death, won’t we suffer?”
“Yes, we’ve always been avoiding and yielding, but the other side is pressing step by step. What will we do if we’re pushed to the cliff?” Princess Consort Chu also had a worried expression. “But who can help us at this point?”
“I can think of one person,” Prince Chu said, looking at the tea cup on the table but having no appetite to drink. “In the current situation, perhaps only he can help us break through.”
Upon hearing this, Princess Consort Chu quickly asked, “Who?”
“Tutor Zhuge,” Prince Chu said. “He’s the only one I can think of.”
Princess Consort Chu frowned upon hearing this, “Tutor Zhuge? Can he… can he help us? We’ve never had much interaction with him, and besides, his status is…”
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Prince Chu then picked up his tea and took a sip. “It was when King Fenye first arrived in the Capital City…”
Prince Chu then recounted what Tutor Zhuge had said to him that day when he was admiring chrysanthemums.
“He told me to have a long-term ambition, and also said that with outstanding beauty and noble roots, how could one abandon oneself? This was clearly hinting to me that I should have the ambition to contend for the throne!
But at that time, my mind was hesitant, and I didn’t dare to respond, so I vaguely brushed it off. Now it seems Tutor Zhuge truly has foresight; he foresaw the current situation at that time.”
“If it’s truly as Your Highness says, then Tutor Zhuge really has us in mind. I suppose he must have taken a liking to Bai’er’s aptitude and felt that Ying Tong was not as good as him.” Princess Consort Chu couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope.
“It’s still a woman’s opinion,” Prince Chu sneered upon hearing this. “Although Bai’er’s aptitude is indeed better than Ying Tong’s, it’s not the most important thing.”
“Then what is it because of?” Princess Consort Chu was puzzled.
“The Dong family holds immense power, comparable to Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty. With Tutor Zhuge’s insight, would he tolerate them continuing to act tyrannically and exploit the common people?” Prince Chu said with cold eyes. “If Ying Tong were to become the Crown Prince, then this future world would still be his Dong family’s world. You don’t study, so you naturally don’t understand these great principles. San Jing Academy only appears in times of chaos; do you think Tutor Zhuge entered the palace for no reason?”
“So that’s how it is!” Princess Consort Chu understood a little. “The Dong family has been in power for too long, and there’s a day when they might usurp the throne. We truly shouldn’t let them continue.”
“In the next few days, I will find a way to enter the palace and meet with the Tutor, so he can help us strategize,” Prince Chu said. “We can no longer sit and wait for death.”
“That’s right! Our previous forbearance and yielding was only because we wanted them to leave us a place, but now it seems that’s not possible. Moreover, Tutor Zhuge is willing to help us. If Tutor Zhuge is willing to help, it means San Jing Academy is on our side.” Princess Consort Chu was no longer as timid and cautious as before.
How many people in this world are truly without ambition? Often, they just lack the right opportunity.
Meanwhile, Prince Chu was planning when he could enter the palace to meet Tutor Zhuge.
At dusk, a doorman came in and reported, “Your Highness, someone outside claims to be from the mountain and wishes to present a treasure to Your Highness. Will Your Highness see him or not?”
“No,” Prince Chu was annoyed at the moment and had no time to see these charlatans.
“Uh… that person also said that if Your Highness refuses to see him, he wants me to tell you that you cannot take the roads to the east, west, or south,” the doorman said cautiously.
Prince Chu frowned upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and then said, “Have him come in! Take him to the guest room.”
The person was very tall and burly, wearing a pure black cloak and a large hood that covered most of his face.
After meeting Prince Chu, he removed his hood, revealing a refined yet resolute face, around thirty years old, with piercing eyes.
“May I know your name, sir? And why have you come to see Prince Chu?” Prince Chu, seeing this person’s extraordinary demeanor, dared not be negligent.
“My name is Hua Ying, and I have come to visit on the orders of Tutor Zhuge,” the man said, cupping his hands.
“Oh, so you are Mister Hua Ying, I’ve heard much about you!” Prince Chu had naturally heard of Mister Hua Ying.
He was considered one of the most well-known among the disciples of San Jin Academy. He had refused to graduate for many years, which only made him more famous.
“Your Highness need not be so formal. I believe you can guess why I am here, can’t you?” Hua Ying said with a smile.
“I am foolish and dare not guess wildly. Please enlighten me, sir,” Prince Chu chose to remain cautious at this point, as what he was about to do could cost him his head.
“If Your Highness doesn’t trust me, you should trust the Tutor. The Tutor knows Your Highness is in trouble, but it’s inconvenient for him to leave the palace, so he sent me. Hua Ying said directly, “Today, Prince Zhao ordered someone to impeach Your Highness in the imperial court. I imagine Your Highness is still shaken, aren’t you?”
“Although you are not in court, sir, you are fully aware of court affairs. You are indeed from San Jing Academy.” Seeing that he spoke so directly, Prince Chu stopped beating around the bush. “I am indeed in some difficulty at the moment. Does sir have any good methods?”
“Before His Majesty, the Tutor will speak on Your Highness’s behalf,” Mister Hua Ying said. “This will ensure His Majesty does not lose trust in Your Highness. Furthermore, I have my own ways to deal with Prince Zhao and ensure he restrains his claws and dares not act rashly. Your Highness can rest assured and need not worry about this matter.”
