Taoist Priest Qiu looked at the table full of chicken, duck, fish, and meat.
The Crown Prince had invited him to a banquet in the government office, with Liang Yuzhou as the guest of honor. Song Wanchu had even cooked several delicious dishes herself.
Everyone treated him respectfully, greeting him with smiles.
Even Liang Yuzhou, the ice-cold and aloof one, rarely showed a smile.
Taoist Priest Qiu picked up a roasted lamb leg. It smelled so good that he swallowed his saliva, but then he put it down suspiciously.
"I feel like I'm attending a Hongmen Banquet," he said.
The overly enthusiastic smiles on the three people's faces made him feel something was off.
But he wasn't quite sure.
Given Liang Yuzhou's arrogant and proud nature, it was impossible for him to cooperate with the Crown Prince voluntarily.
So what was the strange harmony among the three of them?
Taoist Priest Qiu resisted the temptation and put the lamb leg back.
"You'd better make things clear first. I have my principles. A meal can't buy me over," he said seriously.
The Crown Prince spoke first. "Third Uncle, there's something I haven't told you."
Taoist Priest Qiu raised his eyebrows. He thought it was strange. This kid didn't even call himself "Gu" anymore. Was he lowering himself so much?
Wasn't he just trying to persuade him to return to the capital?
"I won't go back to the capital. The affairs of the royal family have nothing to do with me," he said.
The Crown Prince ignored his words and continued. "Not long after I learned your true identity, I wrote a letter to Father. He replied quickly. He was overjoyed and asked me to invite you back to the capital no matter what. If you don't go back, he'll come south in person."
When mentioning the Emperor, Taoist Priest Qiu snorted but said nothing.
His cold attitude said it all.
"Father did hold some grudges against you before. He issued a wanted order for you because he had no other choice. You were always on the move and hard to find. Over the years, his grudges have long since disappeared. Instead, he misses you."
"He's all alone at the top. He has no one to talk to sincerely. You're the only trusted uncle he has. He also wants the guidance and criticism of an elder," the Crown Prince said.
Taoist Priest Qiu's face turned cold, and he sneered. "Guidance? Criticism? After all these years, hasn't he figured out why I'd rather forge the imperial edict and exile myself from the capital than assist him?"
"The year he was made the Crown Prince, the Princess Royal became arrogant and domineering in the harem. One day, I saw her molesting a handsome young eunuch. I scolded her a few words, and she immediately went to your father to complain."
"Your father gave me a cold look and said his sister had suffered a lot. Even though I was an elder, I shouldn't scold her and make her feel wronged."
"Did he ever think of me as an elder at that time? From that moment on, I knew I couldn't be his regent. The relationship among the royal family is always delicate and fragile. Our opinions on the Princess Royal were different. Sooner or later, there would be a conflict."
"By then, not only would the relationship between the Emperor and the regent be hard to maintain, but even the relationship between uncle and nephew would be completely broken," Taoist Priest Qiu said.
The Crown Prince felt uncomfortable.
Father was always wise, but he was so foolish and indulgent when it came to the Princess Royal.
"Father was young and impulsive at that time," he tried to make excuses, but he knew his reasons were weak.
Taoist Priest Qiu still sneered. When he put away his playful and mischievous look, he was terribly cold. The three of them felt a low-pressure atmosphere pressing down on them.
"He was young and impulsive back then, but what about now? He already has an heir. The Princess Royal poses a great threat to his son, but what did he do? He just locked her up for a year and still allowed her to cause trouble!"
The Crown Prince was hit where it hurt.
"After all, the Emperor doesn't believe that the Princess Royal can stir up trouble in the court and collude with the enemy. In the Emperor's eyes, the Princess Royal is just an ordinary woman who is extravagant and likes to hang out with handsome men," he said.
"That's right. We're going to show the Emperor the evidence of the Princess Royal's crimes and let him see her true ugly and greedy face!"
Liang Yuzhou, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up.
Taoist Priest Qiu's eyes moved to Liang Yuzhou's face. He sized him up for a few times, as if he was trying to confirm if this was the Liang Yuzhou he knew.
He quietly leaned towards Song Wanchu and whispered, "Is this Liang Yuzhou? Has he been possessed? Why is he echoing the Crown Prince?"
Didn't he know Liang Yuzhou's character?
Song Wanchu lowered her head, on the verge of tears. "Uncle, if you don't go back to the capital, Liang Yuzhou and I will have to separate."
"You're putting such a big blame on me?"
Taoist Priest Qiu widened his eyes, as if he didn't know Song Wanchu either. "Why are all of you acting so strangely today? Where's the gentle and generous Wanchu who always thinks about the overall situation?"
At the same time, a lot of doubts arose in his mind. "I've always supported you and Liang Yuzhou being together. Aren't you two back together now? I haven't tried to separate you!"
Did something happen that he didn't know about?
The tears in Song Wanchu's eyes were about to fall. Her pitiful look made people's hearts ache.
"The old duke is seriously ill. Liang Yuchuan has defected to the Princess Royal. The Princess Royal has encouraged the Emperor to make Liang Yuchuan the heir of the Duke's Mansion. Once the military power falls into Liang Yuchuan's hands, the Crown Prince has little chance of winning. The old lady sent me a message, asking me to persuade Liang Yuzhou to return to the Duke's Mansion and resume his identity as the young duke," she said.
Her gentle and sad narration made everyone feel sorry for her.
Liang Yuzhou looked calm on the surface, but he was secretly happy. Wanchu was really good at acting.
Taoist Priest Qiu slowly understood the whole thing.
Liang Yuzhou could become the heir of the Duke's Mansion again, but Wanchu didn't want to be the wife of the heir again.
They needed a really reliable and powerful person to take over the military power of the Duke's Mansion.
So the three of them wanted to drag him into this.
He slapped the table hard, angry. "You three little foxes. Your ages combined are not as old as mine. Aren't you ashamed to ask a seventy-year-old man like me to lead the troops?"
Liang Yuzhou said sincerely, "You just need to lead the troops. You don't need to fight. You can just be a mascot to stabilize the morale of the army."
Taoist Priest Qiu got even angrier. His voice unconsciously got louder. "A mascot? When I was leading the troops to fight, your father was still wearing open-crotch pants! Am I only worthy of being a mascot?"
"Uncle, try this beef soup. I made it myself," Song Wanchu said, trying to calm him down. She put a bowl of steaming beef soup in front of Taoist Priest Qiu. "You're not a mascot. You're the great general of the Zhou Dynasty that my father admired the most. Only when the military power of the Duke's Mansion is in your hands can the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Duke's Mansion all feel at ease."
"You still know how to talk nicely!"
Taoist Priest Qiu smiled when he looked at Song Wanchu.
He took a bite of the beef. It was tender and delicious. His mood improved a lot.
Suddenly, he stopped chewing and threw away the spoon.
Across the table, three handsome and beautiful faces were smiling brightly.
He slapped his forehead hard. "Damn it! I've been drawn in by you three kids!"
He didn't even realize that he had unconsciously agreed to go back to the capital with them!