After Wang Dian returned to the palace, his mood was exceptionally foul. Even Yun Fu and several young eunuchs who usually liked to gather around him didn’t dare approach, and carefully inquired about the situation from Chong Heng.
Recalling the embarrassing sounds he heard while driving the carriage outside, Chong Heng’s small face turned bright red. Imitating Liang Ye’s tone, he barked fiercely, “I don’t know! Stop asking!”
Hateful Wang Dian, hateful master! If he hadn’t missed his master so much, he would never have driven the carriage for Wang Dian. In the end, his master only brought him a package of Northern Border candy, and even wanted him to share it with that little white mouse from the Eastern Palace.
It was all his, and he had no intention of sharing with Liang Huan.
Yun Fu was startled by his fierce expression and hesitated for a long while before gathering courage to enter and say, “Your Highness, earlier today, Baili Cheng’an Daren came to seek an audience. Since you weren’t here, this lowly servant took the liberty of asking him to return to his residence first.”
“It’s fine, I’ll go find him.” Wang Dian looked down at the jade pendant at his waist. Many people had seen this pendant at Cui Yuxian’s birthday banquet, and later Liang Ye wore it daily to court. If the other half suddenly appeared on him, it would inevitably spark rumors—though they wouldn’t really be rumors.
Wang Dian somewhat disliked the action of “removing the jade pendant”—Liang Ye had personally tied it for him, and it hadn’t even warmed up yet. He simply put on another outer robe over it.
How neurotic. Wang Dian felt this behavior was utterly foolish. Liang Ye’s visit had been too brief; he hadn’t even had the chance to properly settle accounts with him. Yet he couldn’t deny that when Liang Ye knelt down to tie the jade pendant for him, his heart had pounded wildly in his chest, and he had been so happy he wanted to lift Liang Ye up and spin him around.
How undignified.
Wang Dian glared fiercely at the jade pendant, lowered his head to tighten his belt, and remembered that by now Liang Ye had probably completely left the capital. His elated mood instantly plummeted to a low point.
Perhaps after Liang Ye won this battle, he should rebel and keep him close to properly care for him. He licked his lips that Liang Ye had bitten swollen. If Liang Ye lost, there would be even more reason to keep him confined. Just thinking about it made his blood boil with excitement.
After barely suppressing his agitated emotions, once he stepped out of the palace gates, he transformed back into the loyal and patriotic prince. No one could have imagined that beneath his proper appearance lurked such a treasonous beast.
Baili Cheng’an’s residence was surprisingly simple—a small two-courtyard compound with only one imposing guard who appeared capable and intimidating, likely skilled in martial arts.
“Long Xiang, go brew some tea,” Baili Cheng’an instructed.
Long Xiang watched Wang Dian vigilantly, and Baili Cheng’an mildly rebuked him, “This is the Prince of Danyang, don’t be discourteous.”
Long Xiang cupped his fists toward Wang Dian in salute and turned to leave.
“I apologize for the display, Your Highness,” Baili Cheng’an said. “This brute lacks manners, please forgive him.”
“It’s fine,” Wang Dian said. “How is Wenbin’s cold?”
This familiar form of address made Baili Cheng’an slightly uncomfortable, but he didn’t object. He just politely smiled and said, “After returning from the teacher’s residence, it kept recurring, but now it’s almost completely better.”
“Wenbin, after our perilous journey together to the capital, having shared life and death, I’ll be frank,” Wang Dian said. “The court is now in chaos, and His Majesty is far away at the frontlines. My harsh methods weren’t my intention, but were necessary. Though we’ve gathered the urgent supplies and provisions, anyone with eyes can see how this war will unfold. If Northern Liang awaits its doom… Wenbin, do you understand?”
Baili Cheng’an’s expression showed slight emotion.
“With war outside and noble families causing trouble within, Great Liang must either find new life at death’s door or be slowly dragged to its death.” Wang Dian stood up and said, “I know well of my bad reputation, but for Great Liang’s sake, I ask Wenbin to set aside prejudices—if not for His Majesty, then for Great Liang’s countless innocent citizens—”
At this point, Wang Dian made to kneel. Baili Cheng’an naturally couldn’t and didn’t dare let him kneel, hurriedly supporting his arm. He suppressed his hesitant expression and said, “This official’s cold has recovered, and will naturally follow Your Highness’s orders.”
Wang Dian gripped his arm tightly and said with sincere emotion, “If Old Imperial Preceptor Wen were still here, he would surely be deeply gratified.”
At these words, Baili Cheng’an’s eyes suddenly reddened. “When the teacher was alive, he often taught us to prioritize the country and its people above all else.”
Wang Dian’s eyes also reddened slightly. “The Imperial Preceptor had a great sense of righteousness.”
Thus, Wang Dian’s temporary inner cabinet finally had enough members. Above were the elders led by Yan Ze, Cui Yun, and Bian Cang. Below were officials he had recruited like Baili Cheng’an, Qi Ming, and Zeng Jie—all either connected to Wang Dian’s position or those with whom he had deep personal friendships but who possessed real talent and learning. Then he set his sights on Cui Qi for the final position.
In the side hall, Cui Qi sat in his wheelchair, his face still frighteningly pale, maintaining an aloof distance as he said, “Your Highness, this move is inappropriate.”
Wang Dian was even more direct than Liang Ye. “If Northern Liang falls, will Liang Huan still have his life? If we don’t fight and grab for power now, when Liang Huan takes over Liang nation one day, he’ll inevitably be labeled as the ruler who lost the country. As his father, can you bear to see your son’s name forever disgraced?”
These words struck straight to the heart. Cui Qi raised his eyes, his gaze unprecedentedly sharp.
“With all your knowledge and abilities, if not use them now, then when?” Wang Dian smiled as he stood up, placing his hand on the wheelchair and bending down to look him in the eye. “Second Young Master Cui, since you can endure what others cannot, you should know how difficult royal life is. Whether it’s Liang Ye, you, or Liang Huan, which of you has lived like a proper person? Liang Ye drank white jade soup in the palace for over ten years, becoming a madman through the torment. Others may curse and insult him, but you cannot. If it wasn’t him, it would have been you. Similarly, if you hadn’t suffered these hardships, it would have been him… If he truly feared you, he would have killed you before going to war. How could he have let you live until today?”
Cui Qi’s hands tightened slightly in his sleeves as he looked up at Wang Dian. “You have no blood ties with him, so why do you help him so?”
“Naturally, our relationship is extraordinary.” Wang Dian smiled, revealing the red-tasseled jade pendant hidden under his robe, proudly showing off, “Cui Daren, His Majesty tied this on personally.”
Then he clearly saw Cui Qi’s expression freeze, crack, and freeze again. This person who usually showed no emotion displayed a rare loss of composure and rebuked in a low voice, “Preposterous!”
Wang Dian covered the jade pendant and raised an eyebrow, “How can mutual love be preposterous? Your brother loves me desperately, won’t even take a single consort in the harem. Otherwise, why do you think he so resolutely established Liang Huan as crown prince?”
His intention was to make clear to Cui Qi that Liang Ye would have no more offspring, and Liang Huan’s position as crown prince would remain secure. As for how Cui Qi interpreted this, that was his own business.
Cui Qi was angered until his face reddened. “Preposterous! Ziyu is simply—”
Wang Dian’s brows twitched slightly as he narrowed his eyes, “Although Liang Ziyu isn’t very bright, all you Liang family members are quite shrewd. In the end, I was also drawn into his schemes. Why do you act as if your brother has been greatly wronged?”
It seemed Cui Qi was so angry he wanted to stand up. After his breathing rose and fell violently, he closed his eyes heavily, “Why does Your Highness need to tell me all this?”
“You’re Liang Ziyu’s elder brother, so you’re sort of half a brother to me too.” Wang Dian smiled slightly. “Sixteenth Brother, I’m still missing one person in my inner cabinet, and I’m saving the spot for you.”
Cui Qi opened his eyes, probably wanting to point at his nose and curse, but given his good upbringing, he ultimately didn’t. Instead, he firmly said, “Cui Qi is not capable enough. Your Highness should seek someone more qualified.”
Wang Dian pulled a candy from his sleeve and beckoned toward the hall’s curtains. As Cui Qi wondered what trick he was up to, they saw a fluffy white bundle crawl out from behind the thick curtains, watching them vigilantly and carefully for a long while before finally gathering the courage to walk toward Wang Dian.
Wang Dian felt gratified—his nightly visits to the Eastern Palace to tell the child fairy tales hadn’t been in vain.
Liang Huan toddled over to Wang Dian, who crouched down, unwrapped the candy and put it in his mouth. Holding the child, he pointed at Cui Qi and said, “Call him Father.”
“Fa…ther.” Liang Huan, with candy in his mouth, summoned his courage to quietly call out, then hugged Wang Dian’s neck, burying his face in Wang Dian’s shoulder. He called out sweetly, his voice incomparably tender, “Uncle.”
“Yes.” Wang Dian responded, “Ah Huan, your father won’t help Uncle, why don’t you persuade him?”
Liang Huan hugged his neck silently for quite a while before raising his little head and walking toward Cui Qi’s wheelchair. Though terrified, he forced himself to look up at the very handsome person before him, timidly grabbed his sleeve, and said softly, “Father.”
Cui Qi’s face stiffened, and he instinctively tried to pull his sleeve free and wheel backward, but the tiny thing suddenly hugged his leg, blocking his retreat.
He could only glare coldly at Liang Huan. “Let go.”
“Father, help Uncle.” Liang Huan’s eyes reddened, probably from fear, but he still gathered his courage for Uncle’s sake and placed the candy on Cui Qi’s knee. “Have some candy.”
Cui Qi stared at the candy on his knee, his expression freezing slightly.
“Ah Huan is the Crown Prince. Father and Uncle must both help me, I’ll give all my candy to you,” Liang Huan clutched his sleeve tightly, wrinkled his nose, “And Father Emperor too.”
Obviously, the little one didn’t have a particularly good impression of Liang Ye—who knows what Liang Ye had done to the child in the palace. Seeing that saying more would expose the truth, Wang Dian quickly scooped up the child. “Alright, your father knows your wish now. It’s time to practice calligraphy. Let Brother Chong Heng take you.”
Chong Heng jumped down from the beam, instinctively wanting to carry him by lifting, but catching sight of the child’s father present, he reluctantly changed from lifting to embracing, and quietly threatened, “No crying, or I’ll take all your candy away.”
Liang Huan’s lips trembled, tears welling up in his eyes as he reached toward Wang Dian, “Want Uncle…”
“After you finish writing, Uncle will come see you.” Wang Dian smiled and patted his little head, and Chong Heng promptly left with him.
Wang Dian looked at Cui Qi. “Sixteenth Brother.”
A vein throbbed on Cui Qi’s forehead. “This official doesn’t deserve Your Highness calling me brother.”
“Do it somewhat for the child,” Wang Dian reasoned with him, “And for the child’s deceased mother.”
Cui Qi suddenly gripped the candy in his palm tightly.
Wang Dian sighed, knowing it was settled.
No wonder Cui Yuxian said the Liang family produced passionate lovers—neither father nor son could get past matters of the heart.
But given how ruthless Liang Ye was, he should be able to help his father and older brother avenge their humiliation.
Wang Dian smiled, took a candy from his sleeve and crushed it in his mouth. The sweetness made his throat sticky as he gathered his sleeves and stepped into the snow.
