TVSS Chapter 36

Su Jingxuan soon learned about the news in the capital.

The emperor had sent someone to monitor him, preventing him from becoming complacent and neglecting matters due to his awareness of the plot. The news from the palace fell within his expectations but also went beyond them, as he hadn’t anticipated Wei Zixuan’s pregnancy at this time.

The two-month pregnancy coincided with the period when the emperor was recovering from being infuriated to the point of spitting blood. Su Jingxuan couldn’t determine the child’s father, but that wasn’t important. What mattered was that Yuan Beiyi, who already had suspicions about the relationship between the Wei brothers, would surely harbor even more doubts now.

“Master, do you need to inform the palace for assistance?”

The old eunuch, who hadn’t gone to Yubei due to concerns, had followed and come to the northwest.

He was aware of some of the young master’s plans. The emperor deeply loved Wei Zixuan, and to create chaos in the emperor’s situation, they had to focus on Wei Zixuan. Although the Nalan family had fallen, there were still some assets left.

“No need. The emperor will find out about those things sooner or later. There’s no rush. The emperor is suspicious; doing too much will only seem fake.”

Su Jingxuan smiled and shook his head. Knowing Yuan Beiyi’s personality, the truth had to be slowly investigated by him to make him believe. If he intervened, it would only complicate matters.

The old eunuch nodded; the emperor was indeed overly suspicious.

“Just pay attention to the palace. Don’t act recklessly. Wait for further instructions. Now, go and bring out the new red robe I had made. There’s news from the military camp; Prince Wang has achieved a great victory and will return tonight. We’ll go welcome him.”

Chu Heng was a natural leader. With the most troublesome Lijiang tribe resolved, the remaining three untrustworthy tribes were no match for him.

One month without seeing him, Su Jingxuan couldn’t wait to see him again.

However, when the old eunuch heard the order, his expression changed.

“Young Master, do you really have to… Can’t there be other ways? We can promise Prince Wang other things. Do we really have to do this?”

The old eunuch knew what he wanted to do. Knowing made him even more worried. They did need the help of Prince Wang, but there were many ways to win him over. Did they really have to sacrifice the young master?

The master was a highly honored emperor, even if he wasn’t favored. Sacrificing himself like this was a great humiliation.

“If Prince Wang doesn’t put his heart on me, would he willingly risk his life to help the Third Prince ascend the throne? Prince Wang only cares about the stability of the Great Yong Dynasty. He doesn’t care which prince becomes the emperor.”

Su Jingxuan understood the old eunuch’s thoughts. The old man was loyal but also conservative. With such a character, there was no way to achieve the goal without being ruthless.

“In terms of status, he fears the emperor by three points. Regarding land and wealth, does Prince Wang lack anything?”

The old eunuch couldn’t refute; these were facts. So, it seemed that the only option was to use a ruthless move.

But thinking about how he would have to sacrifice the young master, he felt uncomfortable. The young master had already sacrificed his lifetime of happiness. Must he suffer such humiliation?

The old eunuch’s imagined scenes were all written on his face. Su Jingxuan found it both funny and moving, but he couldn’t tell the old eunuch that he just liked Prince Wang intentionally.

At that time, the old eunuch would not only feel sorry for the young master but also be angry that he had smeared the Nalan family’s reputation.

Opening his eyes wide, Su Jingxuan tried hard to make his eye sockets turn red and looked at the old eunuch.

“Young Master…” The old eunuch was indeed touched.

“Ever since Yuer entered the palace, his life has already been sacrificed. Now, as long as he is crowned and ascends the throne, the Nalan family will be preserved. Father and brothers won’t have died in vain. My sacrifice won’t be in vain either. Moreover, Prince Wang is excellent. Yuer doesn’t feel wronged being with him. You don’t need to worry.”

Su Jingxuan continued persuading, explaining with reason and moving the old eunuch. After a series of analyses and consolations, the old eunuch finally nodded, no longer opposing. Tearfully, he left.

But he still felt heartache and discomfort. In the end, it was all because of the emperor.

If it weren’t for the emperor, the young master, who had a good appearance, family background, and personality, could easily find someone he loved. However, it was the emperor’s selfish decree that ruined the young master’s lifelong happiness.

In the evening, Chu Heng returned to the northwest with his triumphant army.

The people along the border stood on both sides of the street cheering. By wiping out the Lijiang tribe that had disrupted their peaceful lives, Prince Wang’s prestige had become even higher in their hearts.

A man who was originally strong and tall, wearing iron-blooded armor, rode a horse without looking around. His expressionless face made him appear even more majestic. Returning from the battlefield, he still carried a murderous aura, making people dare not look directly.

However, when he saw the young man standing in the highest building of the mansion in a red robe that looked like wedding attire, smiling happily at him, his sturdy facial features melted like snow melting in winter. His chest became hot like boiling magma.

After passing through the long street, he handed the matter of the victory celebration banquet and settling the prisoners of war to the military strategist. He hurriedly rode back to the mansion, went up to the building, and hugged the person he had been thinking about for a long time.

“I missed you a lot.”

Although it was a simple sentence, it contained countless emotions. It was unimaginable that the fierce Crown Prince would utter such tender words just moments after being as sharp as an icy sword.

Su Jingxuan didn’t say anything; the joy and laughter in his tight embrace were the best response.

The old eunuch sighed, tactfully withdrew, and closed the door.

…

When Chu Heng submitted the military report of wiping out the three tribes to the court, the ministers were extremely pleased. The prosperity of the Great Yong Dynasty was assured with the formidable and loyal Crown Prince guarding. It meant continued peace and prosperity for the civil officials.

The entire court was unanimously joyful, but the emperor, upon seeing the war report, felt fear and apprehension.

The Crown Prince’s lineage had been loyal for several generations. They were loyal and unwavering in the past, but who could guarantee the future? People’s hearts change, and he might be the emperor, but he couldn’t single-handedly control the fate of the nation. How could he not be afraid and suspicious?

Especially with the so-called “Nalan Yuer” playing the role of Crown Prince in the northwest. He worried that the deeds he had done to the Nalan family were known. He feared that the Crown Prince might be lured by the Nalan Yuer to support the Third Prince in seizing his throne.

It was possible, even though he was afraid and worried. But at this point, he couldn’t directly confront it. A battle that could result in mutual destruction wouldn’t benefit him.

Yuan Beiyi had a headache, an intense headache. The military report from the northwest and the unknown information that the secret guards had not yet clarified made him even more unable to eat or sleep.

…

With the destruction of the three tribes, other vassal states on the northwest border were like startled birds, not daring to make any more moves. Immediately, they sent envoys to increase the tributes for this year.

They also sent a letter expressing their difference from the three tribes, stating that they had no intention of tearing up the peace agreement. At least for a short time, none of them dared to emulate the actions of the three tribes.

Chu Heng glanced at these matters and left them to be handled by his subordinates. After that, he accompanied Su Jingxuan and his entourage to Yubei to officially take over the fief.

Afterward, Chu Heng smoothly stayed in Yubei. Since Yubei and Yuxi were not far apart, the military strategist organized the northwest affairs and sent them to him for review.

With the care of the Crown Prince, the transfer of the fief to the young child went very smoothly.

However, the child was still young, so Su Jingxuan temporarily took charge of the fief’s affairs. These matters were not difficult for him, as the cycles of reincarnation were enough to turn someone who knew nothing into a versatile talent.

Although he temporarily handled the fief’s affairs, he did not completely exclude the child. The child was still young, and there was no harm in letting him learn gradually. Otherwise, in the future, when he ascended to the throne, would he have to manage the government on his behalf? That would be too tiring, and he was quite lazy.

The child was very clever, quickly learning things. Although he didn’t say a word while learning, he understood everything after explaining it once. Moreover, looking at his dark, shining eyes, it was clear that he could grasp more than just the immediate lessons.

Su Jingxuan was very satisfied, extremely satisfied. He liked clever children.

Even Chu Heng, who rarely praised others, took the initiative to take over the task of teaching the child martial arts.

The child was very diligent, practicing his fists and feet earnestly. He never wasted a minute during the two martial arts training sessions every day. The way he wielded knives and swords, with his eyes shining brightly, finally gave him some semblance of a lively person.

It could be seen that the child was intelligent in learning and had a talent for martial arts. He also seemed more interested in it.

Although the Crown Prince had no blood ties with the royal family, he was connected through generations of sibling relationships. The child calling him “Uncle” was quite appropriate.

Chu Heng, rarely showing a gentle expression to outsiders, smiled when he heard this respectful address. He patted the child’s shoulder several times, appreciating and valuing him even more.

However, Su Jingxuan, feeling a bit rare discontent in his heart, found the child to provide an answer to his doubts.

“I will bear the mission of the Nalan family with you, but I don’t need your sincerity. It’s not genuine at all, so you don’t need to do so much unnecessary stuff.”

The child’s expressionless face did not change, and this was the first time he spoke so many words in one go.

“What’s not genuine in my heart? Tell me!” Su Jingxuan laughed for the first time, feeling exasperated.

“…”

The child remained expressionless. The hand raised in the air loosened, and the handmade pastry he had made fell into the soup bowl. Then, he stood up and left. He didn’t seem like a child at all.

The soup bowl, which was already filled, overflowed with soup and seemed to convey something.

Su Jingxuan sat on the chair in a daze for a long while. The anger in his heart disappeared, and a smile appeared on his face.

The child was right; his heart was indeed not that genuine. He was only achieving his goals.

Because his heart already had someone named “Jiang He,” there was no extra space for anyone else.

However… there were different kinds of sincerity. He was genuinely serious, and the child unexpectedly spoke to him so directly, not giving him the slightest face. It was not cute at all!

Su Jingxuan picked up the wine glass on the table, raised it to his mouth, and drank it down in one gulp.