In recent days, Concubine Lan had been extremely cautious in front of the Queen, constantly on edge.
She was terrified that she might be implicated by the foolish Qin family.
After all, it was her son who had actually set up the scheme!
She still couldn't quite understand why Ming'er had targeted Cheng Simian.
Wasn't he deeply infatuated with her?
He had even once contemplated proposing marriage to Cheng Simian, aiming to snatch the reputation of being kind - hearted and benevolent from the Crown Prince.
Concubine Lan had strongly opposed it at that time. Her son was the most beloved of the Emperor's sons. When the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, Ming'er would become the most noble prince. How could he marry the daughter of a convicted official without a family background?
However, after witnessing Cheng Simian's charm at the Chunling Villa, she thought her son had good taste.
Cheng Simian was dignified and composed. Even when falsely accused, she could handle the situation calmly.
She effortlessly reversed the situation. The entire Qin family combined was no match for her.
A woman like this would surely manage the inner courtyard with ease.
She was highly talented, emotionally stable, and had both means and strategies. With her peerless beauty, her merits were endless.
The lack of family background and her father's death penalty seemed like insignificant flaws.
What a pity!
The imperial edict conferring Cheng Simian as the Crown Princess had already been issued. It was a done deal, and Ming'er no longer had a chance!
Lu Siming came to pay his respects to Concubine Lan.
"Has the storm outside passed? Have our mother - son pair been implicated?"
"Mother, there's no need to worry. Everyone is scolding the Rongxiang Duke's Mansion. We haven't been involved."
He had hidden his tracks well and had shown enough sincerity in front of the Queen and the Crown Prince. Even if they suspected his involvement, without evidence, they wouldn't take action.
Lu Siming was glad that he had managed to stay out of trouble.
But he still felt a chill of fear. His plan had seemed flawless. How had Cheng Simian known in advance and then turned the tables on them?
There must have been a leak from the Qin family. The maid Qiluo had come from the Qin family. She must have discovered the secret of the erotic pictures.
All his efforts had been in vain!
Lu Siming gritted his teeth in hatred.
Originally, he had planned to ruin Cheng Simian's reputation so that her marriage to the Crown Prince would fall through.
If Cheng Simian couldn't become the Crown Princess, Qin Xuanyan would naturally enter the Eastern Palace.
Putting such a stupid and arrogant woman beside the Crown Prince would surely make the Eastern Palace a chaotic place.
And since the Crown Prince's marriage had to be announced to the ancestors, even if Qin Xuanyan did something absurd, she couldn't be easily deposed.
Disrupting the Crown Prince's inner courtyard was the first step in Lu Siming's plan to seize the crown prince position.
He also planned to reach out and take Cheng Simian as his side - concubine when her reputation was in ruins and everyone was spurning her, to warm her heart.
He wanted her to whole - heartedly assist him.
With a capable helper like Cheng Simian, his inner courtyard would be stable. At the right time, she would become a weapon for him to strike at the Crown Prince.
It was a pity that his plan had failed at the first step.
Everything would have to be reconsidered!
Concubine Lan showed deep hatred and contempt for the Qin family.
"I originally thought that since Qin Feng held a high position and great power, if you married Qin Xuanyan, Qin Feng would be your backing. Coupled with the 50,000 troops of your grandfather, even when the Crown Prince ascended the throne in the future, he wouldn't look down on you."
Lu Siming sneered. His mother was still too naive.
What he wanted was not just to be a noble prince.
But he said nothing. His mother was timid. After the downfall of the Princess Chang, she had become even more paranoid and couldn't bear to hear any hint of unrest.
"A stupid woman like Qin Xuanyan would be a never - ending disaster if she were to marry into our family. I would only be implicated by her."
"You're right. From now on, I'll also stay away from the Qin family. Yang seems to be smart, but how could she be so shameless as to frame an unmarried girl with erotic pictures? She has no conscience at all and lacks the gentleness and virtue of a sister - in - law."
The sister - in - law she referred to was Yang's younger sister, the younger Mrs. Yang, who had married her elder brother.
It was a pity that the younger Mrs. Yang had died young of an illness.
Lu Siming asked, "Mother, have you asked Uncle to do the thing I mentioned some time ago?"
Concubine Lan frowned, looking worried. "As soon as your uncle saw the Princess of Gaochang, he was completely infatuated with her astonishing beauty. Of course, he wants to marry her. But there's a young man named Shi Luohan who is always around the princess. He's tall and valiant, and the princess doesn't even spare your uncle a glance."
Lu Siming's face darkened.
At the Spring Welcome Banquet that day, as soon as he saw Yaoguang and learned of her identity, he had other ideas.
His uncle, Gao Zhao, was in his forties but was only a fifth - rank colonel, achieving nothing.
Yaoguang was the only remaining bloodline of the Gaochang royal family. She must have lofty ambitions and was determined to restore her country.
Restoring a country required troops.
Coincidentally, his grandfather's family had 50,000 troops.
Gaochang was in an important position and had a deep connection with the Great Zhou. It could help the Great Zhou stabilize the northern border and resist the barbarians.
The Emperor also supported Princess Yaoguang's plan to restore her country.
If his uncle could marry Yaoguang, he could petition the Emperor to lead troops to help the Princess of Gaochang restore her country.
His official position could then be promoted to the third - rank general of great might.
If Gaochang was successfully restored in the future and Yaoguang became the queen, his uncle would be the king's husband.
A girl knew nothing about governing a country. Sooner or later, the power of Gaochang would fall into his uncle's hands.
The troops of Gaochang would then become his reserve force.
Troops were exactly what was needed most in the struggle for the crown prince position.
He had planned everything well. How could he let a man who had suddenly appeared stand in his way?
"Shi Luohan?" He repeated the name over and over in his mouth. "Is he the second - place finisher who almost defeated Liang Yuzhou in the martial arts competition?"
Concubine Lan nodded. "I've sent someone to inquire. It's him. He's also Song Wanchu's sworn brother and has a rather close relationship with the Crown Prince and the Prince Rui."
The Prince Rui was no longer the Taoist priest Qiu. He was in charge of Liang Xuguang's 200,000 troops and was the most trusted and relied - upon third uncle of the Emperor.
"Are Shi Luohan and Yaoguang a couple?"
Lu Siming hated himself for not investigating Yaoguang's background in detail.
Now everything had become very passive.
He had to find an opportunity to meet this Princess Yaoguang.
...
After the imperial edict of the betrothal was issued, the Eastern Palace became increasingly busy.
The Crown Prince's wedding couldn't have the slightest mistake. Just the preparations alone would take half a year.
According to the rules, during this period, he and Mianmian had to avoid seeing each other.
The Queen had already sent the palace maids to teach Mianmian the rules and etiquette, explaining the relationships among the royal family members, the four dukes and eight marquises in the capital, as well as the complex relationships among different noble families.
These would all be useful for her future interpersonal interactions as the Crown Princess.
Of course, they also had to secretly teach her about the affairs between men and women, instructing the Crown Princess on how to serve her husband.
Not being able to see Mianmian every day, the Crown Prince felt bored and tortured. But thinking about their wedding half a year later, he felt excited.
To avoid distractions, he devoted more time to handling government affairs every day.
Recently, the Emperor's health had deteriorated significantly. His eyesight had become poor, he often had headaches, and he couldn't stay up late.
The Crown Prince reviewed and handled two - thirds of the memorials submitted by the ministers.
Little Anzi brought a cup of tea. "Your Highness, Taoist priest Qingzhou requests an audience."
The Crown Prince looked up from the mountain of memorials.
Liang Yuzhou was here?
It had been a long time since he last saw him.
"Let him in."
Liang Yuzhou still wore a simple gray - blue Taoist robe with his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin.
He walked lightly, looking like a transcendent being with an air of a hermit.
"You've been so elusive lately. What have you been up to?"
Liang Yuzhou sat down, took the tea handed by Little Anzi, and took a few sips before calmly saying, "Aren't I just helping you keep an eye on Lu Ningzhen's minions and those scheming court officials?"
Although Lu Ningzhen had been defeated and her followers had been purged, there were still a group of killers who were loyal to her, lurking in every corner of the capital, waiting for an opportunity.
The Crown Prince scoffed and exposed him. "Are you really that kind - hearted? You're doing this to avenge Wanchu. A petty - minded person like you would never let those who have offended Wanchu go."
Liang Yuzhou was determined to kill Lu Ningzhen before he would stop.
"If someone offended Miss Cheng, I don't believe you could bear it."
Liang Yuzhou immediately fought back.
The two of them were not like a monarch and a subject but more like good friends, joking and bickering without any scruples.
Little Anzi thought they were becoming more and more like real brothers.
It would be great if the Crown Prince really had such an excellent brother.
"There's one thing I really need to consult you about."
The Crown Prince's eyes darkened a bit, showing a hint of sharpness. "Lu Siming is ambitious. He dared to try to take Mianmian away from me and framed Mianmian. With the Qin family taking the blame, he hasn't received the slightest punishment. I can't swallow this humiliation."
Liang Yuzhou raised his eyebrows. "Why are you asking me about your business with your brother?"
"You have more experience than me in dealing with brothers."
The Crown Prince showed his teeth in a smile, not sure if it was a compliment or a sarcasm.
A look of contempt flashed in Liang Yuzhou's eyes. Liang Yuchuan wasn't even worthy to be his opponent.
He seriously offered advice. "It's not difficult. Since you're angry, just arrest him and beat him up first to vent your anger."
The Crown Prince also wanted to do this, but he frowned slightly, showing some hesitation. "After all, he's also a prince..."
Liang Yuzhou curled his lips, showing a contemptuous smile. "He tried to take your wife. Can you bear such a great humiliation? Are you still a man?"
Hearing this, Little Anzi shivered in fright.
Only Liang Yuzhou dared to talk to the Crown Prince like this!
The Crown Prince no longer hesitated. "Beat him! We must beat him severely!"
Before he could finish his words, they heard an announcement from outside: "Master Shi is here!"
The Crown Prince was surprised. "What kind of day is it today? Everyone is coming to the Eastern Palace?"
As soon as Shi Luohan came in, without even taking the tea, he directly asked the Crown Prince, "What's the crime for beating a current national uncle?"