coobybook Chapter 142 The Situation
Chapter 142 The Situation
Chapter 142 Situation
Ye Pianran returned to the pavilion. Chunyu Jing put down his teacup, rested his chin on his hand, and asked with a smile, "Did Miss Ye see something?"
"Your Highness, please forgive my boldness, but the water lilies in this pond are not 'Wenjun Gazing at the Moon,' but 'Purple Demon Lotus.'" Ye Pianran observed Chunyu Jing's reaction and slowly said, "The Purple Demon Lotus blooms once every three years. After it blooms, its fragrance can cause people to become mentally exhausted, plagued by nightmares, and ultimately die a violent death. This year happens to be the third year for the Purple Demon Lotus in this pond, and it will bloom soon without my intervention."
Chunyu Jing's face showed obvious surprise. His brows furrowed, and his expression instantly turned gloomy: "Are you sure this is the 'Purple Demon Lotus' and not Wenjun Gazing at the Moon?"
Ye Pianran said, "Absolutely true."
Chunyu Jing immediately stood up and called out to those around him, "Someone come here!"
Upon hearing the news, the guards of the Prince's Palace rushed over. Chunyu Jing pointed to a pond full of lotus leaves in front of him and said, "Pull out all the evil things in the pond for me, don't leave a trace!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The guards bowed and accepted the order, immediately jumping into the pond to uproot the water lilies. In no time, all the water lilies in the pond were uprooted, and among the roots, they found many flower buds that had already grown but had not yet emerged from the water.
Upon seeing the flower bud, Chunyu Jing's face darkened further. He ordered the guards to clear away the purple demon lotuses, then turned to Ye Pianran and said, "Thank you for reminding me today, Miss Ye. Otherwise, the Nanping Prince's Mansion would have been in trouble."
Hearing the notification sound indicating that the task was completed, Ye Pianran lowered her head and said, "It was just a small favor."
Chunyu Jing said, "Miss Ye's small act of kindness saved the entire Nanping Prince's Mansion. I should repay such a great favor. Please feel free to tell me what you like or want."
Ye Pianran didn't want any reward; she just wanted to never see this person again, even if it meant death.
Seeing that she remained silent, Chunyu Jing assumed that she couldn't think of a gift to thank him for the time being, so he said, "Don't worry if you really can't think of one. You can owe me this favor. When you think of something, just ask me. I can satisfy any condition you ask."
Making such a promise was quite rare for someone as suspicious and sensitive as Chunyu Jing, and Ye Pianran was finally certain that he really didn't know that the creature raised in the pond was not "Wenjun Gazing at the Moon".
Fine, that's fine. Let Chunyu Jing owe her. Maybe this favor will turn into a turning point someday.
"In that case, I will respectfully comply," Ye Pianran said, bowing slightly.
After this incident, Chunyu Jing became absent-minded. Anshi Hou realized that they seemed to know something they shouldn't know, and knowing that it was not a good place to stay, he used the excuse of having something to do at home to bid farewell to Chunyu Jing and then left the palace with Ye Pianran.
After returning to the Marquis of Anshi's residence by carriage, Ye Pianran and Ye Lingyue were about to return to Lanxin Courtyard when Marquis Anshi called them back.
“Ran’er, you must not reveal anything about what you saw at the Prince of Nanping’s residence today to anyone else, understand?” Marquis Anshi said very seriously.
Ye Pianran was eager to sever ties with the Prince of Nanping's mansion, and agreed, "I know, I will keep my mouth shut."
Marquis Anshi nodded and hummed in agreement, then strode away. Lost in thought, he nearly bumped into Ye Yanxun as he turned the corner of the corridor.
Having barely managed to support Marquis Anshi, Ye Yanxun glanced at the way he had come and asked, "Father, did you just return from the Prince's residence?"
Marquis Anshi gave a casual reply, his brows still furrowed tightly. Ye Yanxun observed his expression and whispered, "Why does Father look so preoccupied? Did you see Rou'er at the Prince's residence?"
Marquis Anshi was startled. He quickly looked around, grabbed Ye Yanxun's wrist tightly, and said, "Let's talk in the study."
The two arrived at the study and instructed Ye Yanxun to close the door. Marquis Anshi said in a deep voice, "Rou'er does indeed serve the Fourth Prince, but she told me herself that it was her own choice. Xun'er, what do you think?"
Ye Yanxun guessed that something must have happened to Ye Yingrou in the examination hall, which was why Chunyu Jing had made such an arrangement. However, he dared not tell An Shihou about Ye Yingrou's infiltration of the examination hall, since neither An Shihou nor Xu Pingyue knew that Ye Yingrou had opened Ronghua Tower and simultaneously possessed several identities under different disguises.
He thought for a moment and said, "Since Rou'er said it herself, then she is willing. Rou'er always has her own ideas about what she does, so Father can rest assured."
“I’m not worried about that.” Marquis Anshi paced back and forth in his study with his hands behind his back, his expression showing no sign of relief. “I’m worried about the Fourth Prince’s attitude on this matter.”
The Fourth Prince's attitude? Ye Yanxun frowned in confusion, then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind Marquis Anshi's words: "You mean..."
“Starting from the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Qionglin Garden, the Fourth Prince has been intentionally or unintentionally helping the Marquis’s mansion. Now he has even taken Rou’er as his maid under some pretext. He wants to firmly grasp our Marquis’s mansion in his hands,” said Marquis Anshi, looking out the window with a meaningful gaze.
"Among His Majesty's princes, the Crown Prince oversees the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel, the Third Prince oversees the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice, and the Fourth Prince oversees the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites. Although the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince each hold specific positions, in court, only the Fourth Prince can truly rival the Crown Prince. The Eastern Palace faction is led by the Crown Prince's three tutors, while the Fourth Prince's faction is led by the Right Chancellor, Shi Zhenghan. The Right Chancellor, Shi Zhenghan, has always held differing opinions on political affairs from the Left Chancellor, Gongsun Zhan. However, to prevent the Eastern Palace faction from gaining Gongsun Zhan's support, they can only try their best to win him over. I know Gongsun Zhan; he is upright, incorruptible, and unyielding. Neither the Crown Prince nor the Fourth Prince can sway him. Since we can't sway him, we'll start by weakening his faction. In the end, when the Left Chancellor's power is reduced to an empty shell, it won't matter who he supports."
Ye Yanxun immediately realized: "Father means that as the Left Prime Minister's family through marriage, our Marquis's Mansion is naturally the first to be targeted if we want to undermine the Left Prime Minister's power?"
Marquis Anshi nodded: "That's right."
"What does Father think?" Ye Yanxun asked cautiously.
"The title of Marquis Anshi has been passed down to this day, but it no longer possesses the prestige and prosperity of its former glory. Your father has no martial arts skills whatsoever and cannot protect the country like our ancestors did. I feel truly ashamed." Marquis Anshi sighed softly, his choice already clear. "Furthermore, I have always been at odds with Gongsun Zhan. If I continue to be subservient to him, I'm afraid the Marquis's mansion will never rise again. Only by choosing a wise ruler and completely breaking free from Gongsun Zhan's shackles can the Marquis's mansion's prestige be restored, giving your mother and Rou'er a legitimate status."
As he imagined that day coming, Ye Yanxun's pupils contracted and he clenched his fists tightly.
"Xun'er, I'll ask you this question right here today," Marquis Anshi asked, looking directly into Ye Yanxun's eyes, "If one day you were to enter the court as an official, what choice would you make? Would you choose to follow the Crown Prince, or the Fourth Prince, or perhaps... the Third Prince?"
Ye Yanxun was startled, his heart pounding wildly. This was a choice that would determine his future career, a choice he could never reveal to the outside world. Success would bring him fame and fortune; failure would bring him utter disgrace. Ultimately, it all came down to a gamble.
"If that day ever comes, Xun'er is willing to follow in Father's footsteps and work with Father to revitalize the Marquis's mansion!"
Marquis Anshi nodded in satisfaction, patted Ye Yanxun's shoulder lightly, and said, "Good, good, you are truly my good son!"