Chapter 297: Chapter 298 - The Inside Information (1)

Jian Xubai smiled. “Do you think that His Majesty wasted half a year and watched that the brotherhood between the crown prince and Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao was ruined repeatedly just in order to scheme against Consort Cui?”

Seeing that Ji Su was confused, Jian Xubai raised his chin and gestured for him to close the window. Then he whispered, “The enmity between Aunt Daiguo and Consort Cui started many years ago, while His Majesty didn’t get sick recently.”

When Emperor Xianjia was alive, he didn’t need to worry that Consort Cui would be in power because of her son and take revenge on Grand Princess Daiguo. He didn’t want Consort Cui to stay alive mainly because he was afraid that after he died, he would be unable to control everything, and his sister’s family would suffer.

The problem was that the emperor was always in poor health. Since he had this plan, why was Consort Cui always safe and sound when he was critically ill several times in the past?

“With His Majesty’s shrewdness, if Consort Cui irritated him because she arranged spies around Grand Princess Daiguo… it seems not like this!” Ji Su muttered to himself. “Allow me to say something rebellious. After all, Grand Princess Daiguo had gone too far when she insulted Consort Cui then, and Consort Cui wasn’t comforted later but was punished. Who could let it pass after suffering so much? His Majesty must know this point, yet he still punished Consort Cui as Grand Princess Daiguo wished. It is really confusing.”

Ridicule flashed in Jian Xubai’s eyes. “You don’t understand it because you only know that Aunt Diaguo slapped Consort Cui because of something insignificant, but you don’t know that even though Aunt Daiguo is overbearing, she has experienced the hardships when His Majesty fought for the title of heir to the throne those years. How would she really offend the crown prince’s biological mother because of a trifle?”

Ji Su was surprised in secret after hearing that. “Your Highness, do you mean…”

“As soon as His Majesty took the throne, he was worried every day and wanted to entrust his son to the civil and military officials, and Aunt Daiguo was prepared to act as regent, so Consort Cui was naturally ready to be the Empress Dowager as his biological mother.” Jian Xubai was helpless. “The relatives His Majesty trusts most are certainly Grandma, Mother and Aunt Daiguo. Grandma and Mother have no interest in politics, and only Aunt Daiguo is always showy. What’s more, her husband is from a noble family. He is a hereditary marquis, and he is talented. Do you think that Consort Cui would be relieved?”

He sighed. “After His Majesty killed his half-siblings except my uncle Prince of Yi, Consort Cui advised him in private that Aunt Daiguo and her husband were aggressive and domineering, and if he didn’t discipline them, they might harm the crown prince.”

In Consort Cui’s position, it was logical that she worried about it. Her parents’ family, the Cui Family was just an ordinary official’s family and couldn’t even compare with Virtuous Consort Jiang’s family, not to mention the empress’s family, the Su Family from Qingzhou. So once the young crown prince took the throne after Emperor Xianjia died at an early age, his biological mother Consort Cui couldn’t give a hand to him to keep his position.

She couldn’t offer the crown prince much help, so it meant that she couldn’t share much profit from his taking the throne.

After all, Prince of Zhao hadn’t been born then. When the crown prince’s mother in name Empress Su didn’t have a son, for the family’s interests, she wouldn’t mind helping the son of her husband’s concubine, and Grand Princess Daiguo was his aunt. Even though Consort Cui was his biological mother, how much profit could she get?

Consort Cui had seen that Emperor Xianjia didn’t show mercy while killing his half-siblings, but she underestimated his sister’s importance to him. She incited the emperor rashly yet didn’t succeed. Moreover, it was even revealed to Grand Princess Daiguo. With the grand princess’s temper, if Consort Cui didn’t offend her, she might not turn against her for the sake of the crown prince, while Consort Cui even intended to kill her first, so how would she yield?

She refused to yield and even hated the crown prince.

“So everything that happened these two years was caused by Consort Cui?” At this thought, Ji Su frowned involuntarily. “If Consort Cui didn’t consider herself clever and try to ruin the kinship between His Majesty and Grand Princess Daiguo, the grand princess wouldn’t insult her in public. If the two ladies didn’t have enmity, how would Grand Princess Daiguo join the fight for the title of heir to the throne?”

Although besides Prince of Wei, Prince of Zhao wanted to fight for the title of heir to the throne against the crown prince, if it weren’t for Grand Princess Daiguo, the Empress Dowager must still support the crown prince, so how would the situation worsen and make him despair?

Now the crown prince was safe, but it was just because of Emperor Xianjia.

To be frank, this fight for the title of heir to the throne was unfair from the beginning. The emperor was determined to support the crown prince, and he was in power and could decide everything, so Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao lost with grievance. It was not that their abilities were inferior, but their supporters were not so powerful.

Ji Su got the rebellious thoughts out of his head and planned to speak, yet he saw that Jian Xubai shook his head and said, “You haven’t noticed the key point. Consort Cui had the plan to murder Aunt Daiguo since the crown prince was a child, while after Aunt Daiguo insulted her in public, they became enemies openly. Under the situation, after His Majesty punished Consort Cui as Aunt Daiguo requested, he showed no interest and pretended that he didn’t know the enmity between them but concentrated on cultivating the crown prince. Should a wise emperor do something like this?”

However, Emperor Xianjia was an acknowledged wise emperor, so he did that certainly because he considered something.

As for what he considered, Jian Xubai sneered. “Do you think that the people who attempted to murder His Majesty under Consort Cui’s orders were sent by him?”

Ji Su was stunned. “Weren’t they?”

Didn’t Jian Xubai tell him just now that Emperor Xianjia intentionally made Consort Cui commit the crime of murdering the emperor?

“Dealing with Consort Cui was just a subsidiary purpose of His Majesty pretending to be ill this time.” Jian Xubai was helpless. “If I guess right, His Majesty’s real purpose was Meilyu and the others. No matter how stupid Consort Cui is, she has been staying in the imperial palace for a long time and certainly knows what she will end up with if she fails in murdering the emperor. Even if she thinks that she is in a desperate situation, she doesn’t dare to take the risk unless she is confident, but Meilyu and the others can convince her unexpectedly. Have you thought about these people’s background?”

Seeing that Ji Su wanted to ask, Jian Xubai waved his hand wearily. “This is something significant. Even if there is nobody around now, we should be cautious. Let’s talk about it after we leave the imperial palace and return home.”

Ji Su wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and didn’t dare to ask more. He just advised tactfully, “Beautiful Lady Nuan hasn’t been titled in the imperial harem system, but she is an official imperial concubine. Even though His Majesty doesn’t treat her the best among his concubines, since she can serve him frequently, she must not live a hard life. Your Highness, you refused to marry her that year and have a wife now. What’s more, your wife is pregnant and manages your mansion alone these days, and she worries about your safety in the imperial palace. So…”

“You heard that I let Beautiful Lady Nuan take the credit for the antidote, so you suspect that something happened between her and me?” Jian Xubai had planned to go to bed. Hearing that, he was able neither to cry nor to laugh. Then his face fell, and he rebuked, “Ridiculous!”

If he really had feelings for Beautiful Lady Nuan, when Wuhuan was destroyed, as long as he asked her to be his concubine, Duke of Ji might not refuse, even though he didn’t marry her as his wife because he considered his future and the others.

After all, the Su Family’s plan to collaborate from within with forces from outside was known to some people, and Duke of Ji was anxious to comfort all parties. How would he dare to refuse a request of Jian Xubai, a victim?

Jian Xubai didn’t mention it then certainly because he had no feeling for this peerless beauty from beginning to end. He let Beautiful Lady Nuan take the credit for the antidote tonight for some reasons.

“After His Majesty summoned the crown prince, didn’t the crown prince send somebody to tell us when he went to His Majesty’s bedroom and indicate that we should go there and wait for orders near the bedroom?” Jian Xubai pondered for a moment and believed that although he had a clear conscience about this matter, it was said that there was no secret in the world. If something leaked and was revealed to Song Yixiao, it would be bad, so he needed to explain to Ji Su clearly. Then somebody would prove and explain for him.

“Perhaps the crown prince thought that after His Majesty woke up tonight, he summoned the empress alone first and then him, so then he might summon his younger children.”

Apart from the youngest prince, Prince of Shu who couldn’t take care of himself and Prince of Liang who was said to be infected by Consort Cui’s illness after serving her as the empress’s excuse, Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao also stayed in the warm chambers in the east and prepared to serve the emperor at any time.

No matter how naive the crown prince was, he knew that his only chance of survival depended on his father for now, and his father summoned him after saying a lot to the empress in private as soon as he woke up. Then if he saw Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao according to the identity and closeness of bloodline, who knew if they would tell their father many things harmful to the crown prince?

So after the crown prince was summoned, he didn’t tell his two half-brothers but called his cousin Jian Xubai who was close to him.

Then if Emperor Xianjia wanted to summon Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao after he finished talking with the crown prince, the crown prince could advise him, “Xubai has served you here all the time these days and feels happy after hearing that you are awake. He is waiting outside. Can you tell him to come in first and encourage him for the sake of his love for you? Then he will be relieved.”

Not to mention that Jian Xubai was most loved by Emperor Xianjia among his nephews, the emperor wouldn’t disagree considering Grand Princess Jinguo.

So Jian Xubai would see the emperor before Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao, and then he could report to the emperor about the suspicious and improper behavior and words of the followers of Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao these days for the crown prince. It would be improper if the crown prince said that. Then even if Emperor Xianjia had energy to summon Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao, perhaps he wouldn’t believe the two princes at once or get a bad impression of the crown prince if they spoke ill of him.

“The crown prince was right to prepare for what might happen, so I wouldn’t disagree.” Jian Xubai smiled. “But I was afraid that Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao would find something wrong and rush to the bedroom, waiting outside, so I left you here to keep an eye on the two rooms. If they sent some people to ask, you could stall them off.”

Ji Su knew what happened next.

Because he was kept here, he didn’t know how Jian Xubai used the antidote.

“Soon after I stayed outside the bedroom, Beautiful Lady Nuan came.” Jian Xubai glanced at him and then added, “I was alone outside the bedroom then. Seeing that she wanted to enter the bedroom, I certainly stopped her and told her that the crown prince was inside. In the end, she suddenly told me that Consort Cui threatened her and forced her to murder His Majesty.”