Duke Gong acted boldly with great power, and the courtiers dared not offend him. The events in the Imperial Garden were kept silent by everyone who witnessed them. Even those close to the scene did not dare to speak a word, afraid of inviting trouble upon themselves.
Yuan Beiyi was furious but helpless. If he continued to confront Chu Heng in this way, it would not be to his advantage. Until he had an absolute certainty of toppling Chu Heng, he had to endure for now.
Moreover, the matter involving the empress and the prince was indeed his fault. If Su Jingxuan revealed the palace scandal to the world, those who coveted his throne would have a pretext to act.
In addition, the military display Su Jingxuan showed in the Imperial Garden made Yuan Beiyi extremely wary. Though he was also a martial artist, he had no idea that the empress, who used to cry and complain, possessed such skills. The empress had likely revealed this capability due to being pushed to the limit. If this continued, Nalan Yu, disregarding the lives of his entire family, would probably focus only on venting his anger. It could easily lead to…
Considering all these factors, Yuan Beiyi had to temporarily swallow his anger.
Fortunately, Su Jingxuan understood the situation and did not directly expose the emperor’s humiliation. Instead, he left a bit of dignity for the emperor. However, Yuan Beiyi was unaware that this was just a temporary measure. Su Jingxuan’s main goal was to protect Nalan Yu. Charging him with crimes of harming the imperial heir provided a pretext. If Su Jingxuan did not give some punishment now, it would inevitably stir public anger.
As for Nalan Yu, he felt somewhat resentful and disappointed. Previously, whenever he suffered any injustice, the emperor would immediately stand up for him. However, this time, he received some precious treasures quietly to appease him. The incident involving the Third Prince was not intentional on his part; it was those audacious eunuchs. This revealed the emperor’s ‘sincere heart,’ and his affection for him was just this much.
This incident made him see the emperor’s ‘true feelings.’ His heart died down, and he became even more moved by Wei Yifeng, who silently stood by him. When the emperor’s body recovered, he used the excuse of the brothers’ reunion to summon Wei Yifeng into the palace.
On the surface, it was a reunion of brothers, but secretly, it was a nightly rendezvous filled with love. With the care and attention of the emperor, Wei Yifeng, who had been forbidden to leave, had a healthy glow on his face after just half a month. His beauty became even more extraordinary.
Yuan Beiyi, seeing Wei Yifeng’s recovery and improved appearance, felt relieved. He cherished him even more, unaware that his beloved had long placed a big green hat on him.
…
Su Jingxuan, after receiving these messages, laughed and dismissed them from his mind. He didn’t want to get involved in the romantic entanglements of the three involved parties—two attackers and one victim. He focused on taking care of the Third Prince and prepared for their departure from the capital.
Dealing with these people was not urgent; he had plenty of time for his mission. His favorite thing to do was to settle all the enemies at once, and these people were currently quite content. When the time came, he would make them cry miserably!
Time was of the essence. After confirming the Third Prince’s condition was not life-threatening, Su Jingxuan set the departure date for a month later, the same day Chu Heng would leave.
The region of Yubei was adjacent to the Northwest. Naturally, he had to leave with Chu Heng. This way, not only would he have the opportunity to spend time with his beloved, but with Gong Prince’s protection, he could also avoid the emperor and Wei Yifeng secretly making a move.
Although he had the ability to protect himself, he couldn’t be careless while dragging a child and an old eunuch along. He had to be cautious.
However, before leaving, there was one more thing he had to do: plant a seed in the emperor’s heart, leaving a hidden chess piece for the young Third Prince to buy some time for his growth.
With everything prepared and in order, the night before leaving the capital, Su Jingxuan quietly entered the emperor’s sleeping palace.
“What do you want to do again?!”
Feeling someone approaching while still in a deep sleep, Yuan Beiyi immediately opened his eyes, on alert. When he saw Su Jingxuan, his pupils contracted slightly, revealing a wary expression.
“Your Majesty, don’t be alarmed. I’m here tonight just to bid you farewell…”
Su Jingxuan walked to the bedside with a relaxed pace, not carrying any weapons or showing any intention to subdue him.
Seeing the completely silent outer hall, Yuan Beiyi knew that the intruder had either subdued the guards or had absolute confidence that he wouldn’t call for help.
Inwardly, he felt a slight unease. He was wise enough not to waste time on useless accusations and immediately addressed the emperor, “Your Majesty, I must admit that I have underestimated you all along.”
The current Nalan Yu was no longer the weak and powerless youth he used to be. The transformation overnight far exceeded his imagination.
“If it weren’t for Your Majesty’s coercion, Nalan Yu would always have remained that innocent and ignorant young man.”
Su Jingxuan smiled, locking eyes with the emperor with a piercing gaze.
Yuan Beiyi was unsettled under that straightforward and insightful look. He almost thought that the other party knew some truths, but he also found it impossible. He had kept Nalan’s family matters very secretive, and no one else knew besides himself. If Nalan Yu did know something, he wouldn’t be talking to him so calmly.
“What do you want to say?” Beiyi asked, his palms sweaty.
Su Jingxuan looked at his expression and smiled, observing him in silence for a while.
“Your Majesty, regardless of what happened before, I came tonight just to tell you that I don’t seek anything else. I only hope that the Third Prince and I can live the rest of our lives peacefully, ensuring that the Nalan family does not come to an end. Can Your Majesty grant me this wish?”
Yuan Beiyi’s eyes flickered, and the tightly clenched hands gradually relaxed. He breathed a sigh of relief.
The clarity of the statement made it impossible for him not to understand. The other party was now expressing his stance, making it clear that everything he did was out of necessity, with no intention of further conflict, and not because he knew something.
“Nalan’s family has served the court for many years. If you stay quiet, I won’t forget this merit and loyalty,” he nodded, whether the other’s words were sincere or not, at this moment, he had to agree.
“Then please, Your Majesty, remember the words of tonight. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee that I won’t take any more drastic actions.”
It was a clear threat.
Yuan Beiyi’s face turned unpleasant, and he forced himself to remain calm, taking a few deep breaths.
Seeing his expression, Su Jingxuan smiled and continued, “By the way, before I leave, there’s one more thing I want to tell Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
“When I was young, I lived on the border with my grandfather and elder brother. At that time, the relationship between Great Yong and the small border country, Jiangle, was good. Jiangle’s king admired my grandfather’s bravery, and they often went hunting together for fun.”
“At that time, I was still too young to participate in hunting, and my grandfather didn’t take me, but I pestered my elder brother, who, being fond of me, secretly took me along. I hid in the tent, watching the excitement…”
“I remember that the King of Jiangle brought a prince with him. The older brother of that prince instantly looked good. He was dressed in red riding attire, and the beauty mark between his eyebrows was unusually bright, resembling Wei Guijun.”
“What do you mean?!” Beiyi said sternly.
“I remember that, at that time, the commander-in-chief sent to destroy Jiangle was General Wei, and after the King of Jiangle was defeated, General Wei returned to the court. After Jiangle’s destruction, General Wei’s family gained an additional young master.”
“Nonsense!”
“If what I said is nonsense, sending someone to investigate will reveal the truth. Although Your Majesty is ruthless, the Nalan family has been loyal to Great Yong for generations, and our loyalty is undeniable.”
After saying this, Su Jingxuan didn’t say more, turning to leave and leaving behind Yuan Beiyi with a changing expression.
Like all clichéd novels, the protagonist always has an extraordinary background. Apart from having a beautiful appearance, Wei Zixuan also has a huge secret — he is the prince of the destroyed country.
Even so, given the protagonist’s halo and the emperor’s favor for him, he won’t be killed just because of this identity. Since the Jiangle country has been destroyed, this identity poses no threat as long as the emperor doesn’t care about it.
He revealed this secret to Yuan Beiyi only to let him know that the Wei brothers have no blood ties.
The Third Prince is still too young now; he needs time to grow. Even if he threatens the emperor and prevents him from taking action against the princes for now, it’s only temporary. Sooner or later, the emperor will make a move.
The only way to hold the emperor back and let the child grow up smoothly is to make the emperor mess up and be unable to act.
The ambiguous relationship between the Wei brothers is just a shield with the name of ‘brothers.’
But once Yuan Beiyi knows that the two are not blood-related, yet still so close, he won’t be able to endure it!
To seize the throne for the Third Prince and protect the Nalan family at any time is possible, but Su Jingxuan does not want a mess left by the struggle for the throne. The Nalan family does not need the eternal infamy of conspiring to usurp the throne.
Yuan Beiyi won’t easily believe him, but given the emperor’s suspicious nature, he will surely investigate.
As expected, after Su Jingxuan left, Yuan Beiyi fell into contemplation. Eventually, he decided to send someone secretly to investigate.
It’s not that he fears Wei Zixuan’s identity as the prince of the destroyed country; it’s more about not allowing anything beyond his expectations as a controller.
After instructing the guards, he felt uneasy and, unable to restrain himself, summoned a eunuch, put on his clothes, and headed to Huacheng Palace.
Inwardly troubled, Yuan Beiyi didn’t bring too many people with him on the way, only the chief eunuch who served him in attendance.
It was already midnight, and the lights were still on in Huacheng Palace. Without having the eunuch announce, he walked in directly.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Wei Zixuan sitting with Wei Yifeng, drinking and laughing under the moonlight. They seemed to be chatting amicably.
“Your Majesty, General Wei is already in good health. You need not worry. General Wei comes to the palace every day to chat about family matters. Your worries about him missing his family have eased, and he looks much better lately.”
The eunuch assumed that the emperor had come at this late hour due to concerns about the empress’s health and dutifully reported.
Yuan Beiyi listened without saying a word, staring at the two men in the hall with a heavy expression.
Even if the brothers have a deep bond, there’s no need to meet every day. With a seven-year age gap, different positions, and being in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace where the emperor’s consorts reside, what is a non-imperial, male outsider like Wei Yifeng doing here so late at night? Where is the emperor in all this?
