Free Web NovelChapter 225: Chapter 225
Chapter 225
Crash!!
The sound of a vase shattering echoed. The plump body of the principal wife of the minister’s manor trembled with hatred. Her face flushed red with anger. Who would have thought that her husband, at his age, still had the notion of taking a concubine into the manor? Not only that, he had already secretly engaged in relations with her, resulting in this shameful incident!
"Fu-Furen, please calm down. This isn’t good."
"Not good? Hmph! What am I supposed to do? Welcome the harlot who tarnished the reputation of the minister’s manor into my care? I really don’t understand what my husband is thinking. He hasn’t taken a concubine in years. I can’t believe he’s doing this now."
The middle-aged woman, nearly elderly, tried to suppress her anger. This displayed her maturity. Having endured much in life, she was able to quickly swallow her fury.
"It’s because the woman from the Ming family is a true harlot. That’s why the minister did such a thing. So, don’t play along with their game, Furen. It’s better to let them into the manor. At least every move they make can be monitored. This time, it’s fortunate that it is just a misunderstanding, but one day it might become a reality. If we let them meet outside again and she gets pregnant..."
The maid shared her thoughts. The principal wife of the manor sighed. How could she not see the benefits of this situation? However, being betrayed behind her back made her somewhat furious. The middle-aged woman straightened her clothes again. Today, she would have to welcome the eldest young miss of the Ming family into the manor as a concubine.
It was true that she did not have to personally greet her, nor was there a need for an extravagant dowry. It was merely sending a palanquin to receive her through the side entrance, designated for servants and concubines. Even so, the other party was the eldest young miss of the Ming family. Although she did not care much about greeting her at the front of the residence, she would have to pay her respects. As the principal wife, she couldn’t let this pass like with other concubines.
She could refuse to meet her, but the arrival of the other party required giving face to the Ming family. After all, she was the eldest young miss of the Ming family. Moreover, there was another reason to accept her respects: the minister had ordered that the Young Miss Ming should be honored.
There was some reluctance, but she had to take this opportunity to assess the character of this vile woman. Hadn’t she been the fiancée of the Wang before? Why had her status fallen so low that she became a concubine of an old man?!
Upon reflection, this situation seemed far from normal. Something unusual must have happened.
Within the Crown Prince’s palace, the young man destined to be the next emperor leisurely swirled a teacup in his hand. Next to him, the minister was in attendance. Despite being his maternal grandfather, the minister still had to show respect due to the royal status and couldn’t let familial ties override protocol.
"Grandfather, I don’t quite understand this situation. Can you explain it to me? It’s not that you favor Young Miss of the Ming family, is it? Didn’t you first tell me that you would nurture the Ming family to be our eyes and ears? Why then did you change your mind and take her as your concubine?"
"And what about the plan to send someone from the Ming family to be the consort of my uncle so that we could gather information on Second Brother’s activities? If things are like this, our plan has fallen apart, hasn’t it?"
The man who was the crown prince spoke, his tone not overly serious, but the minister knew he was earnestly seeking answers. When it came to the expectation of the throne, the Crown Prince seemed the most eager for it, but in truth, it was he who desired it even more!
"I haven’t thought about women for a long time. Living through so much, if I were still misguided by women, I wouldn’t be in the position of minister and unable to assist you as I have till now," the minister expressed his anger through his plain words. The Crown Prince paused slightly, then smiled ingratiatingly.
"I was merely teasing you, Grandfather. Why so serious? Despite that, I genuinely want to know what your next plan is," the minister glanced at his grandson and sighed. The Crown Prince was still young, just like the Second Prince; they were not yet ready to truly be the emperor.
Consider the current emperor. How clever he was, with a trustworthy wang by his side. These two detestable brothers made him regret not acting more decisively in the past. If he had killed them when they were children, by now, the third prince he supported would have become emperor, and he would have been much easier to control.
Well, even though his grandson was like this, it was quite good. Let him remain foolish for now. After the other party ascended the throne, he would still hold power. The only regret was that the Second Prince, who was currently competing for the throne, was hot-tempered. Although the Second Prince was slightly less impulsive, he still consistently shows his weaknesses.
Both were prideful fools. If it weren’t for the Wang keeping them in check, they would have already been eliminated from the contenders for the throne.
"The Ming family is no longer useful. On the contrary, if the Wang were to marry into the Ming family, he would use the opportunity to spy on us. Moreover, no one can guarantee that after the Ming family gains power from the Wang, they will remain loyal to us. The Ming family is two-faced; they will surely choose the side that benefits them the most."
"Rather than let them choose us, I chose them. We would turn this suspicion into full power on our side. This also has its advantages, as we can also weaken the second prince a bit more."
The minister explained his thoughts. The Crown Prince raised his eyebrow slightly. He hadn’t considered this before. When the Ming family sought to join them, he thought they wouldn’t betray him because they spoke more about the benefits from their side. At that time, he realized that his uncle was like this, concerned only with the country and not with factions. By the time he realized it, he would find himself abandoned by his allies.
He didn’t expect that being a member of the Ming family and being a Wang’s consort were different. Even if the Wang didn’t grant power, the consort still held influence. They might gain more simply by using the title "Wang’s consort."
The Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled slightly, pleased that his grandfather had such a good idea.
"But..." the minister paused slightly, staring into the Crown Prince’s eyes.
"What is it?"
"The matter of entrusting tasks to the Ming family without consulting me first—was this the Crown Prince’s well-thought-out decision?" The aura of pressure from the elderly man, who had seen and endured much, immediately bore down on the Crown Prince as he finished speaking.
The young man who had been sipping tea leisurely suddenly felt suffocated, as if a deathly aura had appeared before him. He swallowed hard, unable to stop the sweat from beading along his forehead. Fortunately, the minister didn’t bully his grandson to the point of death. After seeing that the young man couldn’t handle the pressure, the old man relaxed.
The Crown Prince let out a light breath, his gaze momentarily filled with displeasure before it vanished. He then smiled sheepishly as he looked at the person in front of him
"Grandfather, I made a hasty decision on my own. I didn’t want Second Brother to gain recognition from the achievements of the Red Earth City’s Governor. So, I aimed to turn them into villains. After the meeting following our exit from the court, I realized that this move would give Second Brother an advantage. I truly didn’t want that to happen."
He explained earnestly, which was indeed his true thought. After the meeting with his supporters, everyone unanimously agreed that the Second Prince’s accomplishments this time were truly outstanding. Many of those who had yet to pledge their support were now approaching him through the Governor of Red Earth City. Furthermore, it seemed that his father was planning to reward the Red Earth City’s Governor.
Otherwise, why would he assign so many individuals to work with him? These people were all capable. Although they might not hold power now, in the eyes of the populace, they were worthy of respect. As long as they gained the people’s love, his father would certainly approve.
How could he allow this to happen? The simplest solution was to deal with Governor Mu, causing as much discord as possible. If possible, he wanted everyone to see the true, vile nature of Governor Mu.
He hadn’t expected the Governor’s furen of Red Earth City to become pregnant, which completely ruined his plans due to sheer bad luck. However, it was still good that he managed to cause difficulties for Second Brother’s palace. The loss of their child led their father to order a three-day halt in their work, which was more of a punishment than a true consolation.
For others, three days might seem insignificant, but in the court, three days could bring significant changes. Many tasks then fell into his hands, providing an opportunity to seize achievements.
"This isn’t a bad idea, but it lacks thorough investigation. Moreover... such actions are highly risky. Now, the Second Prince’s side probably knows that we are behind this, and they will undoubtedly target us."
"This action has indeed brought the Ming family fully to our side, but those who have remained neutral all along cannot accept such disgraceful conduct. As a result, the Second Prince has gained several supporters. This is the price we must pay."
"In addition, someone has targeted the eldest young miss of the Ming family. From our investigation, we found that she was poisoned, but we don’t know when or how it happened. Also, how could there be such malicious rumors suggesting that I secretly had relations with her? Therefore, we must be wary of the person behind all this."
The minister spoke solemnly. There was someone capable enough that, even after investigation, they found no clues, indicating that these people were the real deal!
"I will heed your advice and not act this way again. However, regarding the person who took action, I think it might should be someone from uncle’s side," the Crown Prince shared his thoughts, and the minister nodded in partial agreement.
"I think so too, but this doesn’t quite align with the Wang’s usual methods, so we can’t be sure. It’s better to remain cautious," the old man said, expressing his feelings. The Wang wasn’t known for using poison unless he had someone new on his team.
And who could that be? Someone new joining the Wang?
While pondering, the minister’s eyes flickered intensely. He had previously encountered the Governor’s furen of Red Earth City a few times. Back then, he was merely suspicious of her cold eyes and intelligence. Unexpectedly, in light of current events, he seemed to see those eyes again.
Collecting information, it seemed possible. In the Second Prince’s palace, didn’t she have knowledge of poisons? While others were terrified, she remained calm, and how did she avoid getting hit by the arrows? She was so close yet unharmed? This was undoubtedly unusual. Later, it was Young Miss Ming who falsely accused her and ended up suffering the consequences. Ah... perhaps this isn’t revenge by the Second Prince or the Wang but her own retaliation!
