The main hall was filled with lit candles, making it seem vast and silent. The dim light was stifling. Shangguan Li never expected General Gu to be on his side. He was slightly shocked and fell into deep thought for a moment.
Perhaps General Gu was aware of what the mother's clan of the Third Prince had done in the previous years. Thus, their relationship was not as harmonious as it seemed on the surface. In this critical moment, General Gu might even take advantage of the situation and give the Third Prince a heavy blow.
"It seems that General Gu also favors the Third Prince," the emperor said wearily. His health had declined significantly. After waking up in the middle of the night and holding on for a while, he had reached his limit.
"Since that's the case, let it be so."
The emperor waved his hand, and everyone withdrew.
Outside the hall, the gentle drizzle had somehow turned into a heavy downpour. The raindrops as big as soybeans hit the face, causing a faint pain.
General Gu recalled his conversation with Song Huaizhi a few days ago. An indescribable smile appeared on his face. He turned to glance at the main hall and gradually calmed down.
With Song Huaizhi's careful planning, the Third Prince's ascension to the throne was almost a certainty.
It was a pity that the Crown Prince was so ruthless that countless common people had lost their lives.
General Gu stepped into the rain curtain, his steps heavy and his expression cold.
...
The moment the horses entered the capital, another horse galloped towards Bailu Academy in a hurry.
Meng Ruyi couldn't fall asleep. Since it started to drizzle at dusk, she had been feeling restless, not knowing the reason for her uneasiness.
However, she still tried her best to maintain her composure and glanced at the bullet comments from time to time.
When sleepiness was about to overcome her, she finally got the news she was waiting for. She was immediately startled and stared at the bullet comments.
[Whoa, the news has reached the capital! So exciting! The emperor summoned a bunch of people to the palace in the middle of the night.]
[Terrible. I wonder how many people will die. That damned Crown Prince deserves to die!]
[I always feel that this is a turning point in the plot. Oh my god, it's so exciting!]
[I've prepared popcorn and cola. I'm not going to sleep tonight.]
Meng Ruyi: "..."
Sure enough, the bullet comments were still as eager to watch the show as ever.
The flying bullet comments did relieve her uneasiness a little. Just as she was about to get up, she heard Jingzhe outside say, "Miss Meng, Young Master Song is here to see you."
"Coming! Tell Brother Song that I'll be right there!"
Meng Ruyi quickly got up, put on a thick outer robe, and opened the door. She saw Song Huaizhi standing in the courtyard with an umbrella in his hand. When he saw her, he walked towards her slowly.
"The news has come," Song Huaizhi said with a smile, looking at Meng Ruyi. "The emperor intends to continue protecting the Crown Prince."
"By now, he has no other choice," Song Huaizhi said with even more disdain on his face. "The Empress's faction won't give up when victory is in sight. And the other princes are incompetent. The only somewhat outstanding Third Prince is also held back by his mother's clan."
"Who can we blame?" Song Huaizhi let out a soft laugh, his expression cold. "It's all his own decision."
"Come in quickly!"
As soon as Meng Ruyi came back to her senses after hearing his words, she saw his wet shoulders. She frowned and said, "Why is your clothes all wet?"
Then she reached out to grab Song Huaizhi's sleeve and pulled him into the room. She said to Lianqiao, "Prepare a brazier."
Since there wasn't much of his clothes wet, there was no need to change them for the time being.
Seeing Song Huaizhi looking gentle, but for some reason, his eyes seemed a bit dazed, Meng Ruyi couldn't help laughing and said, "It's so good."
"Most people should have managed to get out of the way with this early layout. We just need to strike first before the news comes back."
"Yeah," Song Huaizhi saw the relaxation and joy in Meng Ruyi's eyes. The corner of his mouth couldn't help curving into a faint smile as he sighed, "It's so good."
Jingzhe was lighting the candles and making tea with Liuxue.
It was destined to be a sleepless night. There were probably many people in the capital staying awake, waiting at various places.
"However, it should be easier in the next half month," Meng Ruyi thought of the Crown Prince, the culprit who was probably doing something now. A cold look appeared on her face. "Zheng Yuanjia should keep a low profile recently, which will be convenient for us to act."
"Brother Song, will the emperor really send Zheng Yuanqing to relieve the disaster?"
Meng Ruyi was still a bit worried.
"Yes," Song Huaizhi said. "I forgot to tell you that I had a chat with General Gu at his mansion that day."
"Presumably, if things go fast, the imperial edict is already on its way."
"Ah?" Meng Ruyi was slightly shocked and looked up at him.
For the first time, Brother Song actually forgot to tell her something.
Meng Ruyi recalled for a moment and suddenly remembered that sentence "Wait until you come of age" that night and her hasty escape. She covered her face and shifted her gaze.
Song Huaizhi found it funny. He said to Meng Ruyi, "It's not that I didn't tell you. You ran away so fast that day, Yu Yu. How could I ever hide anything from you?"
"I've always been honest with you. I even wish I could cut out my heart and show it to you."
Meng Ruyi paused and looked at him.
Song Huaizhi was handsome. Under the candlelight, his facial features were even more profound, and his eyebrows were smooth.
Meng Ruyi looked into his deep eyes and suddenly couldn't say a word.
The air around them was heating up. They seemed to be put into a big furnace, and their breathing became heavy.
The door was knocked.
The atmosphere between them froze.
"Miss, it's Young Master Song's man."
"Come in."
Song Huaizhi guessed who it was. He frowned subconsciously and glanced at the door. Seeing Li Ergou stumble in, Li Ergou quickly said, "Master, there's news from the palace. The emperor has issued an edict for the Third Prince to relieve the disaster and sent some people from the Crown Prince's faction to assist."
"Tsk," Song Huaizhi sneered.
"It's okay. Let General Gu handle it."
After Song Huaizhi finished speaking, Meng Ruyi asked, "Do we have to get rid of all of them?"
"Not necessarily," Song Huaizhi said, his eyebrows softening when he turned to look at her. "We should try to win over those we can, and deal with the others."
"The Crown Prince's faction has a large number of people, so it's impossible to kill them all."
"But with so many people in the Crown Prince's faction, not all of them will be loyal to the Crown Prince," Meng Ruyi said, looking at Song Huaizhi. "It seems that Brother Song has already prepared for this."
"Of course."
Song Huaizhi smiled and reached out to pinch Meng Ruyi's face. He said, "I'm eager to go home."
Meng Ruyi gave him a disdainful look, and her ears couldn't help turning red.
Li Ergou, who had just been startled: ... I shouldn't be here. I should be at the door.
...
When Wen Xiuzhi's father returned home, his face was full of coldness. He sat on the chair and let out a deep sigh.
"Father."
Wen Xiuzhi had been waiting for him in the study. When he saw his father come back, he poured him a cup of tea and then asked, "What did His Majesty say tonight?"
"Humph."
Wen Xiuzhi's father snorted coldly, took the tea from his son's hand, took a sip, and his face was full of uncontrollable anger.