CHAPTER 40

 

The atmosphere in the capital was growing increasingly tense. Prince Wu and Prince Ning had torn away all pretense of civility, no longer maintaining even a facade of friendliness. During every morning court session, they engaged in fierce verbal duels, each trying to outmanoeuvre the other. Today, one would cut off the other’s support; tomorrow, the other would do the same in return. The back-and-forth battles became increasingly vicious.

 

In this chaotic environment, there were frequent changes in government officials. Every day, officials were stripped of their ranks and sent to prison. The most unfortunate ones even brought disaster upon their entire families. The primary offender would be imprisoned, while their descendants were reduced to slavery. The male members became servants, and the females were sent to the Bureau of Slaves. One day, a young woman might be a high-ranking official’s daughter, and the next, she was doomed to a life of misfortune in the Bureau of Slaves.

 

It was truly tragic.

 

The common folk of the capital, well-experienced in these matters, saw the writing on the wall and knew something big was about to happen. Many hurried to stock up on food. Some bolder merchants even began hoarding white mourning cloth.

 

With Lu Shaoyou as an alliance, Song Yuanzhi naturally had access to more information. She knew that Prince Ning was currently on the losing side and seemed on the verge of defeat. Furrowing her brows, she asked, “Are we really going to let Prince Wu succeed?”

 

Song Yuanzhi had little faith in Emperor Yongkang. After all, in the original novel written by Yu Ling, Emperor Yongkang had indeed passed the throne to Prince Wu. Not to mention, the emperor was now obsessed with alchemy and addicted to pills, making him no different from the foolish emperors in history, at least in Song Yuanzhi’s eyes.

 

However, Lu Shaoyou was much more composed. He gently patted her back and reassured her in a soft voice, “Don’t worry, His Majesty won’t let Prince Wu continue to expand his power unchecked.”

 

The one still seated on the throne was Emperor Yongkang, after all. While Prince Wu and Prince Ning fought like roosters, did they really think Emperor Yongkang would be pleased? Even in an ordinary mansion, if two sons were fighting over inheritance, an ill-tempered father would be quick to teach them a lesson about filial piety with a stick.

 

As for the royal family… once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. It all depends on who plays the game better. Outwardly, it may seem like Prince Ning is losing to Prince Wu, but in reality?

 

Lu Shaoyou, who remained neutral, had a clear view of the situation. Prince Ning still had a few critical moves hidden, while Prince Wu, on the other hand, had already turned the Nan’an Marquis Mansion into a weapon in his arsenal. The current Nan’an Marquis, seemingly emboldened by Prince Ning’s setbacks, ignored Prince Ning’s faction and even went so far as to submit a formal petition to Emperor Yongkang, asking him to establish a crown prince.

 

Song Yuanzhi couldn’t help but click her tongue. “Wow, the Nan’an Marquis must have a death wish! The position of crown prince is crucial, the most important of all. For him to step forward at this moment, while Prince Ning is weakened, and openly ask for a crown prince… His intentions are as clear as day.”

 

But to the Nan’an Marquis’s satisfaction, it seemed that Prince Ning’s faction had indeed suffered a major blow. At this moment, there were surprisingly few voices opposing his request. Besides their faction, most officials remained silent. Still, that didn’t matter much. The loudest calls in court now were for Prince Wu to be made crown prince. Those opposing him were few, and no one dared mention Prince Ning.

 

With such a favorable situation, it was only natural for them to press the advantage.

 

Prince Ning even cooperated, claiming illness after being reprimanded by Emperor Yongkang again, and stopped attending court altogether.

 

Prince Wu’s faction was overjoyed! Though Prince Wu remained cautious in front of Emperor Yongkang, treating him with the same respect as always, his attitude toward Prince Jing and Prince Hao became increasingly condescending, much to the irritation of these two princes.

 

Prince Hao, notorious for his playful and carefree attitude, had no ambition for the throne and wasn’t afraid of Prince Wu. His words became more direct as well. Seeing Prince Wu start to act as though he were already crown prince, ordering their attendants around and mentioning how generous Xuanyuan Guifei was in treating their mothers with respect, Prince Hao finally lost it. His words almost spat on Prince Wu’s face. “My mother is an imperial consort of the highest rank! It’s not Xuanyuan Guifei’s place to take care of her. If she ever becomes empress, then you can act all high and mighty in front of me. We’re all princes here. I can tolerate you bossing me around, but how dare you act like this in front of our second brother? Even our eldest brother doesn’t flaunt himself like you do!”

 

What a joke! If it weren’t for the inappropriate setting, Prince Hao would’ve spat directly in Prince Wu’s face. How dare he act as though he were already crown prince when he wasn’t even there yet? As for being resented, Prince Hao didn’t care. He was just a playboy, making money with some friends and having fun. Even if the emperor, in his senile state, made Prince Wu crown prince, Prince Hao wasn’t afraid to take a bite out of him if pushed.

 

Seeing the situation grow tense, Prince Jing quickly stepped in to smooth things over, moving forward and shielding Prince Hao. With a laugh, he said to Prince Wu, “Fourth Brother has always had a fiery temper and doesn’t tolerate injustice. He speaks quickly, so don’t take it to heart, Third Brother. By the way, I heard Changqing Daoist has refined some new elixirs, and His Majesty couldn’t stop praising them. Congratulations to you, Third Brother.”

 

Everyone knew that Changqing Daoist had been introduced to Emperor Yongkang by Prince Wu. With such praise from Prince Jing, Prince Wu couldn’t tell if it was genuine or veiled sarcasm.

 

Nevertheless, with Changqing Daoist brought up, Prince Wu restrained his anger at being insulted by Prince Hao. He shot Prince Hao a glare, snorted, and strode off in a huff.

 

Once he ascended to the throne, dealing with these two brothers would be as easy as lifting a finger. There was no need to bother with them now.

 

Prince Hao, however, wasn’t done. “Look at him! He acts more important than even Father!”

 

“Just stop talking. Prince Wu’s power is growing. If he really holds a grudge against you, life won’t be as carefree for you anymore.”

 

“I just can’t stand his smug face.” Prince Hao sighed. “And what’s up with Big Brother? Is he really going to let Third Brother get his way?”

 

If Prince Hao had to choose between the two, he’d definitely pick Prince Ning. At least Prince Ning acted humbly around them. In the past, they could still go out and listen to performances together.

 

Prince Jing’s eyes flashed, and he patted Prince Hao on the head. “Don’t worry about it. These aren’t things for us to be concerned about. If Big Brother isn’t in a hurry, why should you be?”

 

They had long withdrawn from the battle for the throne. Whoever ascended to the throne in the future, they would still be princes. But for Prince Ning and Prince Wu, only one would survive this power struggle.

 

Prince Jing certainly didn’t believe that Prince Ning would retreat at this critical moment. He had no way out. Either he took the throne or faced the destruction of his family.

 

Song Yuanzhi also felt that Prince Ning should show some presence to reassure his supporters before the wavering officials all defected to Prince Wu’s side.

 

But to her surprise, Prince Ning remained remarkably calm. Even as Emperor Yongkang’s attitude began to soften, he still did not make an appearance.

 

The Nan’an Marquis grew even bolder, while Prince Wu, blinded by his ambition for the crown prince position, became more and more reckless. Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Guifei in the harem acted like she was already the empress, showing no respect for the current empress.

 

At this time, Emperor Yongkang, whose attitude remained ambiguous, added fuel to the fire by making a subtle statement. He acknowledged his old age and agreed that it was indeed time to appoint a crown prince. However, he added that the position of crown prince was of utmost importance and should not be decided lightly. He told his ministers to discuss it further and then come together again to make a decision.

 

With those words, the court erupted into chaos.

 

Naturally, Prince Wu had the loudest support. Prince Jing and Prince Hao also had a few scattered supporters, though mostly just to stir the waters. As the eldest, Prince Ning was the most legitimate choice, but with his continued absence due to illness, his faction’s influence had reduced.

 

At first, Song Yuanzhi thought Prince Ning was faking his illness. But as things dragged on and he still didn’t appear, even she started to get anxious. In private, she asked Lu Shaoyou, “What’s going on with Prince Ning? Is he really ill?”

 

With the situation as dire as it was, even if he was genuinely sick, he should drag himself to court. If Prince Wu were to be appointed crown prince, pulling him down afterward would be nearly impossible.

 

Lu Shaoyou remained unbothered. He pulled Song Yuanzhi into his arms and teased, “Why are you so worried when he isn’t?”

 

“How can I not be?” Song Yuanzhi lightly punched him. “Even if Prince Ning doesn’t win, it would be better for either Prince Jing or Prince Hao to take the position. But it absolutely can’t be Prince Wu. Otherwise, what future do we have?”

 

If Prince Wu ascended the throne, the Nan’an Marquis Mansion, as his in-laws, would surely gain more power, likely replacing the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion’s influence. Xuanyuan Yu still bore a grudge against Song Yuanzhi, and with Xuanyuan Guifei in the palace, even Empress Lu’s position would be in danger.

 

With so many lives at stake, it was outrageous how relaxed Lu Shaoyou was!

 

He playfully tapped the tip of Song Yuanzhi’s nose, still smiling casually. “You’re underestimating Prince Ning. Do you really think he’s doing nothing just because he’s staying behind closed doors? Just wait—Prince Wu’s downfall is coming soon.”

 

Song Yuanzhi’s impression of Prince Ning still lingered on their previous encounter, when he had been attacked alongside Lu Shaoyou but had taken it all lightly. This time, with the issue of appointing a crown prince, her image of him as carefree only deepened. Despite Lu Shaoyou’s firm assurance that Prince Ning was planning something big, Song Yuanzhi still wasn’t entirely convinced.

 

Sure enough, in the days that followed, Prince Ning remained silent.

 

On the other hand, Prince Wu’s confidence soared. His faction already considered the crown prince position as good as theirs. The Nan’an Marquis became increasingly arrogant, speaking openly in court in support of Prince Wu’s appointment and even going so far as to harass officials who had not yet pledged their support for Prince Wu.

 

Those who had remained silent in court were visited at home by the Nan’an Marquis for a lecture. Not only that, but the marquis also prepared a petition, hoping to gather enough signatures to demonstrate to Emperor Yongkang how much public support Prince Wu had.

 

Of course, the Nan’an Marquis was smart enough not to visit the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion. So it was only a few days later that Song Yuanzhi heard about the situation from Madam Qin. Her first reaction was, “Has the Nan’an Marquis lost his mind?”

 

Coercing and enticing officials into forming factions was essentially dancing on the emperor’s landmines. Emperor Yongkang might not be the best ruler, but he still had all the typical imperial flaws, with paranoia being one of the most prominent.

 

This maneuver by the Nan’an Marquis practically screamed, “Look, Your Majesty, everyone supports your son instead of you!”

 

How could Emperor Yongkang not feel that the dragon throne had suddenly become prickly, his royal rear-end pained by the threat of usurpation?

 

Indeed, when Emperor Yongkang saw the petition, his anger boiled over. But outwardly, he showed no sign of it, enduring his rage as he calmly ended the court session. Upon returning to the Sun Palace (his chambers), he flew into a fury. “So, Prince Wu thinks he’s that powerful, does he? Investigate! I want to know who else is conspiring with him. Leave no stone unturned!”

 

Without a sound, the emperor’s shadow guards appeared, knelt to receive their orders, and then vanished just as quietly.

 

Another violent coughing fit overtook Emperor Yongkang. He coughed so hard it felt as though his lungs might be expelled from his chest. The chief eunuch, Liu Gonggong, rushed forward to help him breathe more easily, but his sharp eyes quickly noticed the bright red blood staining the handkerchief in the emperor’s hand. His pupils shrank in fear, but he pretended not to see, barely daring to breathe.

 

It took Emperor Yongkang a long while to recover. He stared darkly at the bloodstained handkerchief before closing his eyes and issuing an order to Liu Gonggong. “Send the imperial physician to Prince Ning’s residence for a visit.”

 

Liu Gonggong obediently complied, personally arranging for the imperial physician to visit Prince Ning.

 

Not long after, Song Yuanzhi heard that Empress Lu had fallen ill and closed Fengyi Palace to visitors.

 

Song Yuanzhi immediately grew restless and tugged at Lu Shaoyou’s sleeve, urging him, “Go find out what’s happened to the Empress.”

 

“Don’t worry, the Empress is fine,” Lu Shaoyou reassured her, though his expression was serious. “But a much bigger storm is coming.”

 

Three days after the imperial physician visited Prince Ning’s residence, a “recovered” Prince Ning returned to court and smiled faintly at Prince Wu.

 

On that very day, the momentum behind Prince Wu’s bid for the crown prince position began to falter.