Chapter 265: A Command That Hangs in the Heart
The King of Fenye enjoyed strong tea.
The Grand Princess ordered a pot of strong tea to be brewed for him, while she herself drank Fujian white tea.
The King of Fenye’s eyes looked slightly tired, but his expression was relaxed. For the past few days, he and the Princess had been like newlyweds, inseparable.
“Prince Chu has invited us to a banquet, should we accept, Your Highness?” Princess Duanmin poured him a cup of tea with her own hands, asking with a smile.
“I don’t really want to go. The weather is cold, and attending social events takes a lot of time,” Qi Sihe said after taking a large sip of tea, “Besides, there’s no real need.”
“Your Highness means that since Prince Zhao’s Heir Apparent has been decided, there’s no need for further interaction with Prince Chu’s family, is that right?” the Princess asked.
“Naturally. Prince Zhao’s Heir Apparent is a candidate for Crown Prince. I said when I was on the grassland that as long as he wasn’t completely incompetent, this marriage would be settled. When the Emperor has his birthday, I will make this matter clear.” The King of Fenye’s objective was very clear; his daughter was destined to be the Empress.
Princess Duanmin merely smiled slightly at this, gently turning the lid of her tea cup as she said, “Your thoughts as men are too simplistic. Once the big matters are settled, you don’t concern yourselves with anything else.”
Qi Sihe raised an eyebrow at this, “What do you mean by that, Princess? Is it wrong to think this way?”
“It’s not about right or wrong, but about what’s good,” Princess Duanmin said to Qi Sihe as if teaching a child, “Our Zhuola Han is the pearl of the Fenye Tribe. We must make them earnestly seek her hand before we agree.
Why would something easily obtained be cherished? Aren’t all men like this?”
“You mean…” Qi Sihe’s hand, which was lifting his teacup, stopped.
“What is Your Highness not understanding? We simply want Prince Zhao and the others to be more proactive; there’s no need to lower our own status.” Princess Duanmin raised her delicate finger and lightly poked the King of Fenye’s forehead.
The scent of orchid and musk from her wrist was like a peach blossom breeze, brushing against the King of Fenye’s face, intoxicating him.
“I understand. It should indeed be this way.” Qi Sihe was not a fool; he understood the Princess’s meaning.
We cannot let Prince Zhao and the others get too smug. We must make things a little difficult for them, make them anxious and worried, and only then, when the matter is settled, will they feel fortunate and respect our side more.
“If that’s the case, then let’s go to the banquet. We can praise Prince Chu’s Heir Apparent in front of everyone. That way, Prince Zhao and the others will know that our Zhuola Han is not solely destined for his son, and they will have to show utmost sincerity, seeking our daughter’s hand as if they were seeking a phoenix.” Princess Duanmin fiddled with the thumb ring on the King of Fenye’s hand as she spoke. Her fingers were slender and fair, stirring a lustful thought in Qi Sihe, who then grasped her hand and couldn’t stop caressing it.
It was Mister Hua Ying’s idea for Prince Chu to host a banquet for the King of Fenye and the Princess. Prince Chu couldn’t help but hesitate, worried that they wouldn’t accept the invitation.
But Mister Hua Ying said, “Just invite them, they will surely come.”
Although Prince Chu had evidence against Prince Zhao, he did not act rashly. He tore a page from that account book, wrapped some tea leaves in it, and sent it to Prince Zhao, merely as a deterrent.
Otherwise, if he truly intended to act, why would he alert the enemy?
The Emperor had ordered Prince Zhao to investigate Prince Chu. Prince Zhao feigned diligence for a few days and then reported to the Emperor: “There is no involvement of Prince Chu in this matter. I believe those two officials were mistaken.”
The officials who accused Prince Chu were aligned with Prince Zhao. They were all in cahoots. Those two individuals also apologized to the Emperor, stating they had been misled by rumors.
The Emperor’s original intention was not to investigate Prince Chu. Although he knew Prince Chu was not entirely innocent, having him around provided someone to counterbalance Prince Zhao.
Otherwise, in the entire court, besides upright and loyal officials like Zhu Hui, it would all be the Dong Family’s influence.
“Since it was a misunderstanding, this matter will be dropped. Let it never be mentioned again,” the Emperor said. “Prince Zhao, you have worked hard these past few days. The envoy from Liaodong has brought many furs and ginseng as tribute. Take some back with you.”
Prince Zhao thanked him for the grace and accepted the reward before leaving the palace.
“Is this matter concluded then?” Princess Consort Zhao asked Prince Zhao.
She was unaware of the account book matter; Prince Zhao had kept it from her all along.
She simply told him there was no need to continue pressuring Prince Chu, and it would be best to strike directly at his weakness.
Princess Consort Zhao thought it made sense. Rather than petty skirmishes, it was better to cut off the root of the problem.
Without Ying Bai, Prince Chu would have nothing left to contend for.
The very next day, news spread that the King of Fenye and Princess Duanmin had gone to Prince Chu’s mansion for a banquet. This news inevitably displeased Prince Zhao and his wife, making them even more anxious.
“Didn’t I say so? That Princess Duanmin never had good intentions!” Princess Consort Zhao gritted her teeth. “The Empress still doesn’t take it seriously. By the time she realizes, it might be too late.
Every time I tell her, she tells me to put my mind at ease, saying Zhuola Han can only marry our Tong’er, and makes no preparations whatsoever.
Now Duanmin has lowered herself and is being tender to Qi Sihe. Do you think she’s doing it for that old man’s flesh and lust? She’s clearly trying to influence him with sweet talk!”
“We cannot be soft-hearted anymore,” Prince Zhao’s unease grew heavier. A sword seemed to hang over his head, he didn’t know when it would fall. “Haven’t you already spoken to people in the palace?”
“Of course. However, we must choose the right moment to act,” Princess Consort Zhao said. “There are many eyes and ears in the palace; if anything goes wrong, it will be bad. Although they will certainly not betray us, it might make Prince Chu and the others wary, and it will alert the enemy.”
She naturally had her people in the palace. Moreover, she was the Empress’s own sister and Grand Tutor Dong’s youngest daughter. As long as she wanted to bribe a few people to work for her, it would be easy.
She had already bribed people in the Imperial Kitchen to find an opportunity to poison Prince Chu’s Heir Apparent’s food. This poison was extremely subtle, and ordinary people would find it difficult to detect.
Those poisoned would suffer from abdominal pain and diarrhea, as if afflicted with a gastrointestinal illness, but they would usually die within seven days.
At that time, the Imperial Physicians could be bribed to turn a blind eye, saying Prince Chu’s Heir Apparent had died from acute diarrhea, for which medicine was ineffective, and he had passed away.
Even if Prince Chu suspected something, what could he do? He had no concrete evidence. His son was dead, and even for the sake of the greater good, the Emperor and Empress would not allow further investigation, as it would only lead to more chaos.
And even if the Empress sensed something or was displeased, since they were sisters, at most she would scold her behind closed doors, but she wouldn’t do anything more.
Since their interests were intertwined, they would not truly fall out. Princess Consort Zhao was quite confident about this.
“Has the weather changed outside again? Is it going to snow?” The Princess Consort looked up at the sky outside the window. The clouds were dark and heavy, and the north wind was biting.
“If it snows, the Emperor will likely go hunting again,” Prince Zhao said. “The King of Fenye is bored in the Capital City and is probably hoping for snow and a hunt!”
