Chapter 1293: Chapter 1129: Eldest Prince Drowns

Liao Wu naturally heard the other’s flattery, but he didn’t mind. Now the Duke Qin Mansion and he were like grasshoppers tied together on a string. What the other said not only affirmed his ability but also signaled clear submission.

"Such undeserved praise! Since the Duke of Qin has already formulated a detailed plan, I shall eagerly listen!"

"Even if we find evidence that the Shen Family is engaged in cliquish behavior and plotting unspeakable deeds, the Shen Family will still deny bitterly. After all, they are the maternal relatives of the Empress, and out of respect for she, the Emperor would surely be lenient towards them. This creates too many uncertainties, making it unlikely we’ll achieve our goals. What we need is to push the Shen Family into outright treason, only then can we act with proper justification."

"But the Shen Family is not stupid. Why would they take such rash actions before they’re fully prepared?" Liao Wu gave Qin Yingyuan a probing glance. Since the Duke Qin Mansion proposed this, they must have a strategy.

Instead of excitement, he felt the Duke of Qin was truly unfathomable.

The Duke of Qin, the Emperor’s brother-in-law, was actually contemplating a coup. If the Emperor truly succumbed to poisoning, the Emperor’s Ye would still inherit the throne.

Why didn’t the Duke of Qin put his hopes on Ye then? Even though that would be one step removed, as long as the Eldest Princess remained, the Duke Qin Mansion would still be among the most prestigious in the aristocratic circles of the Capital. Why take such a risk?

Could it be that the Duke of Qin harbored the same intentions as the Shen Family, allying with him merely to exploit him?

Liao Wu couldn’t help but become wary, the seeds of doubt planted earlier sprouted again.

"They won’t act easily of course, they’ll need to be forced! What do you think, if the Emperor knew what the Shen Family was secretly up to, would he remain indifferent?"

Qin Yingyuan smiled slightly, realizing that even her Third Uncle was an extremely clever person. However, his temperament had been too impulsive before, often acting recklessly, following only his instincts.

Having suffered a setback, he had now become more cautious.

"Revealing to the Shen Family that the Emperor’s poisoning is incurable will certainly accelerate their actions. Then reveal their movement to the Emperor. And if that’s not enough, isn’t there Ye? Should the Emperor learn that the Shen Family not only covets the throne but also wants to eliminate Ye, do you think he would not be furious?"

Liao Wu looked at Qin Yingyuan’s lightly smiling face, feeling a chill creeping up from his feet.

Though he considered himself a ruthless person, it turned out this niece was also merciless. No matter what, Ye was still the nephew of the Eldest Princess.

"The remaining Princes are all around four years old, unable to shoulder the burdens of the empire. The Emperor places all hope on Ye now. If the Shen Family targets Ye, they are courting death."

Striking early is key! The longer you delay, the more fear grows, eventually eroding away even the courage you had.

"Indeed, a most brilliant plan, but is the Eldest Princess willing to sacrifice her nephew Ye?" Liao Wu thought of the Eldest Princess, she probably still had no inkling of the Duke of Qin’s intentions, right?

Mentioning her mother, Qin Yingyuan’s smile immediately faded.

After quite a while, she finally said, "Mother will understand father’s difficulty, the Duke Qin Mansion must not lose its glory under father’s reign! Anyway, the Emperor is already near his end, what difference does it make who becomes Emperor? As long as this empire still carries the surname Zhao, she will always be the most prestigious Princess of the Dayan Dynasty!"

"This matter is better left unsaid to her for now, as the Emperor is still her biological brother, we fear she might not be able to restrain herself and reveal something, which could end badly for our entire Qin Family."

"Third Uncle! Our Duke Qin Mansion is now tied together with you, we are loyal and without any other intentions. We only wish to retain our aristocratic status in the Capital, so father can have a place to exercise his talents."

Qin Yingyuan looked at Liao Wu sincerely, her eyes full of pleading. She knew Liao Wu was still wary of them and naturally needed to explain.

She understood well her father’s struggles, a talented and extraordinary man could hardly resign to a life wasted away with idle pastimes, nor could she as a daughter. She cherished her ambitions but found no outlet to realize them.

"When did I ever say I didn’t trust you? Don’t overthink it! There’s nothing of interest left on me now! Since you have a plan, follow your method then! After success, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

Liao Wu patted Qin Yingyuan’s shoulder, showing his goodwill.

"But since you’ve made up your mind, act swiftly. I’m afraid the Emperor might summon Gu Chengyu back to the Capital. After all, his days are limited, his energy drained. The court’s current chaos might prompt him to recall Gu Chengyu to reinstate order!"

"Third Uncle makes sense, my father shares the same concern..."

...

"Master! Prince Jing’s forces have indeed started moving." Ming Yan entered the room and reported to Gu Chengyu.

"Hmm! Have you informed Prince Gong?" Gu Chengyu put down the book in his hand, knowing Prince Jing could not contain himself.

"It has been leaked, the two sides should be reacting by now!" Ming Yan nodded.

"However, why didn’t you let Prince Jing take the batch of weapons? If Prince Jing’s power grew, he could fight Prince Gong to mutual destruction, wouldn’t it remove our worries?"

Ming Yan was quite puzzled over this point, unable to grasp the master’s intentions.

"If Prince Jing succeeded in retreating, Prince Gong might still swallow his pride. After all, his current aim is not Prince Jing, but to expand his own power. Only when the two sides clash, even if Prince Gong wants to endure, he can’t control the development of events and can’t allow Prince Jing to back down! Besides, one side must fall, leaving another force to contend with the Capital’s secluded devotee, how could we let both suffer severe losses?"

Gu Chengyu had already planned it out, the evidence would be more concrete when the two sides clashed! Then, for the sake of reputation, Prince Gong would have to act against Prince Jing. Otherwise, those high-caliber followers of Prince Gong would only mock him for fearing Prince Jing.

"Oh~" Ming Yan suddenly understood, then thought of Qi Huan Yu and others imprisoned.

"Master! Shall we interrogate Qi Huan Yu and the others?"

"Of course, you and Ming Mo go! Arrange for General Chang to assign some men to accompany you, make sure to record everything clearly, I need to send this back to the Capital."

Matters here needed resolution, once received the Emperor could decide, only then could his senior brother be released. Luckily, he was in charge of the border now and had moved his senior brother to a VIP cell with good food and rest.

There was no choice, as his senior brother’s name was yet to be completely cleared, temporary inconvenience was necessary.

"Yes!" Ming Yan turned and left the room, summoning Ding Jiu to aid.

...

"Your Majesty! Disaster has struck, the Eldest Prince has drowned!"

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