Chapter 468 The Most Important Person
Emperor was worried. He looked at the time and stood up, “The wintersweets in the imperial garden are in bloom and I’m going to paint a painting of them. Fubing, are you going with me?”
The snow had fallen on and off for the past few days, and it stopped only yesterday. One could imagine how beautiful the imperial garden was now. Xin Fubing was a little tempted, but when she turned her eyes and saw Chu Shao lying on the bed, she shook her head, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I’m afraid I have to stay because I have something to do here.”
Now Jiang Huizhi had entered the palace. Although Xin Fubing didn’t believe that she could reach out to her palace in the past three or four months, who knew what secret plan the first branch had come up with when they purged the forces of Empress Dowager Gu in the past?
“Chu Shao’s safety is the most important thing!” Xin Fubing knew this very well. As long as his status as the eldest trueborn son was maintained, it would help him a lot in the future. The healthy growth of Chu Shao was the most powerful guarantee for Xin Fubing and the Xin Family in the future. Moreover, apart from the benefits that her son would bring her in the future, Xin Fubing didn’t want to risk her son on a whim.
So, she regretfully rejected Emperor’s proposal.
It was expected, and Emperor said with a smile, “Well, I will bring some flowers for you when I come back!”
Xin Fubing walked him out of Beique Hall happily and watched him leave. No one thought Emperor’s move was abrupt. After all, since he ascended the throne, apart from greeting Empress Dowager Jiang and accompanying Empress, Emperor’s only hobby was to draw paintings of flowers and plants in the imperial garden.
At first, the Jiang Family watched him so closely that even the ink he used had to be checked secretly. However, people were generally lazy. They hadn’t seen anything unusual about him in the past two years, so they naturally relaxed.
The imperial chariot arrived at the imperial garden, and a desk had already been set up under the wintersweet trees. The painting tools were complete on the desk. Two palace servants waited on Emperor, one on the left and the other on the right. One was preparing the ink while the other one was serving tea. A furnace was set up around with charcoal in it to prevent Emperor from feeling cold.
“Cen Wei will stay and wait on me. Everyone else can leave.” Emperor put on a fox fur in the chariot before coming out. He looked around, nodded slightly, and ordered.
Over the years, the valets had become accustomed to his request. At first, when they retreated to a distance, they would use their eyepieces to observe secretly. But no abnormality had been found, and now they didn’t take it very seriously.
After leaving the wintersweet trees, many of them even took the opportunity to find a corner to take a break. Anyway, Emperor didn’t dare to complain about them.
So, after a moment, the silence was restored in the trees where only Emperor and his servant Cen Wei were left, and there was only the sound of rustling when writing.
“Your Majesty, your painting skills have improved again!” Cen Wei looked at the vigorous plum branches on the paper, and praised while preparing the ink, “With just a few strokes, I feel a burst of energy!”
Emperor smiled faintly, “There is no power in me. How could there be energy? It’s just some likeness!”
“Your Majesty, you’re the blessed Holy Son of Heaven.” Cen Wei narrowed his eyes, looked around calmly, and lowered his voice, “Even if there are occasionally some villains, it will not last long… Your Majesty, why should you be discouraged??”
“Jiang Yashuang refused to confer the t.i.tle of n.o.bility on his trueborn daughter. I’m worried if he has noticed something. He is the grandson Marquess Qin has cultivated with painstaking efforts. He should not be underestimated!” Emperor painted with a focused expression and said in a low voice, “You should know the current situation. Although Marquess Qin is ill, once my actions in the past two years are noticed…”
Cen Wei’s face changed when he heard it, but he thought about it and shook his head, “Your Majesty, to be honest, you already have a prince. If Jiang Yashuang really sees something wrong, then…”
And then Emperor wouldn’t have a chance to draw a painting about wintersweets here, and he would have been “killed” to make room for Chu Shao!
Emperor heard the implied meaning of Cen Wei’s words. He stopped his pen for a while, and said lightly, “But this time I was rejected, and similar methods will not work next time. It will be very bad for me if he gets suspicious!”
“Your Majesty, you’re right.” Cen Wei pondered for a moment and then said, “But Your Majesty, you don’t need to worry at all this time. After all, as for the Jiang Family’s daughter being a princess, there has been Chunfu Princess’s example. Besides, Jiang Yashuang’s wife and Empresshave always been close. You had asked Jiang Yashuang to a.s.sist you even before you were made crown prince. You’ve been on good terms with him… In this case, it is understandable that you want to favor the trueborn daughter of Jiang Yashuang and his wife. Besides, you just mentioned it casually in front of Empress. Jiang Yashuang and his wife were asked because Empress went to Empress Dowager to ask for instructions. Even if Jiang Yashuang investigates it, it is impossible for him to conclude that you have other intentions other than favor!”
When the palace just learned the news that Qiu Yelan gave birth successfully, Xin Fubing was very happy for her friend. So, it seemed Emperor tried to cheer her up and said casually, “Fubing, since you like Jiang Yashuang’s daughter so much, how about making her a princess?”
Xin Fubing readily agreed and went to Taishi Hall to discuss with Empress Dowager Jiang in person. After scrutinizing the matter again, Emperor sighed in relief and said, “You’re right.”
He stopped for a while and then quickly sketched a half-open wintersweet flower and restored his serious tone, “Although this time it didn’t arouse suspicion, it also failed. We must find another way… Although Beijiang has frequently reported victories, they haven’t defeated the enemy at one stroke. It’s not that Jiang Tianchi can’t do it, but he did it on purpose… We don’t have much time!”
Cen Wei said seriously, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
“I just thought about it on the imperial chariot. I kept favoring the Jiang Family’s fourth branch to turn them against other branches… Because of Empress Dowager and Empress’s favor, it is not easy to be suspected. But, it’s too slow!” Emperor kept drawing and said coldly, “Not only is it slow, but the other branches of the Jiang Family have no military power in their hands. When they really fight, the fourth branch is not only the target of public criticism but also absolutely has the upper hand! The result may not be what we hope!”
“So, if we want to bring down the Jiang Family as soon as possible, the quickest and best way depends on one person!”
Cen Wei subconsciously said, “Who is it, Your Majesty?”
“Commandery Princess Ningyi Qiu Yelan!” Emperor said with an expressionless face, “The foundation of the Jiang family lies in the Northern Army, and the only one who can compete with the Northern Army is the Western Army! Her elder brother Qiu Jinglan, thanks to the good news of victories these days, has established prestige in the Western Army… As a brother, if he knows that his sister has been wronged in Jiang family, he would never let it go!”
Cen Wei frowned, “But Jiang Yashuang always dotes on his wife. This is a well-known fact in the court! Madame Zhuang, the wife of Jiang Tianchi, is domineering and vicious to outsiders, but she loves her biological children and daughters-in-law very much!”
Both her mother-in-law and her husband loved her and she had children. How could Qiu Yelan be wronged?
Seeing Emperor pondering, Cen Wei thought, “Empress Dowager and Empress are both very fond of Jiang Yashuang and his wife. This time they failed to confer the t.i.tle of princess on their trueborn daughter, but over time, Empress Dowager and Empress will definitely invite them to the palace with their children often! On this occasion, I think they will also invite n.o.ble Consort Jiang to come together lest anyone think they deliberately leave out her… If something happens to the children in the hands of n.o.ble Consort Jiang…”
“That’s not right!” Emperor shook his head before he could hear it, frowning, “Even if the Jiang Family’s fourth branch and the first branch fight with each other, how will it help my plan? Now I have to make Qiu Jinglan and the Jiang Family’s fourth branch turn against each other! Hasn’t the first branch been bullied by the fourth branch enough?”
The death of their second trueborn son was a mess! How much more could he expect from them?
“… The quickest way for a husband and his wife to break up is an affair.” Cen Wei pondered, “The problem is that Jiang Yashuang has always been loyal…”
His life style was impeccable. With Jiang Yashuang’s ident.i.ty and force, it was impossible to drug him and send a woman to sleep with him.
Even if they did do it, Qiu Jinglan was not a fool, and he wouldn’t definitely be mad at his brother-in-law. He would probably vent his anger on finding the conspirator!
“An affair…” Emperor pondered for a while and then slowly said, “Even if there is a way to do this, it is not very appropriate. After all, Commandery Princess Ningyi is far from being old and unattractive. Even if Jiang Yashuang has an affair, it is impossible for him to completely stop loving her. Besides, they have children, and for the sake of the children, I am afraid they will have to live with each other. It is impossible for them to take it to Qiu Jinglan and fight against each other!”
“Even if Jiang Yashuang’s children have an accident and the fourth branch is blamed, it would not be able to meet my expectations!”
“Because they are still young and can have more children. As you said, Commandery Princess Ningyi has always had a good time as a member of the Jiang Family’s fourth branch. The most troublesome thing about being a daughter-in-law is that her mother-in-law is picky and her husband is unloving. She has never met any of these cases! Qiu Jinglan is not a stupid man and he will not easily allow his sister to abandon such a husband… Commandery Princess Ningyi is still young as a married woman, but she is well over marriageable age! After leaving Jiang Yashuang, could she marry another man as eligible as Jiang Yashuang?”
“All in all, as long as Commandery Princess Ningyi is still alive, everything can be salvaged.”
“But if there is hope, things often don’t necessarily develop to the worst!”
Emperor continued painting and the ink stains changed from thick to light, turning into a beautiful plum branch on paper. His voice was cold, “So, do you understand what I mean?”
Cen Wei took a deep breath and bowed to answer, “Yes, Your Majesty!”
The person Qiu Jinglan loved most was Qiu Yelan, so as an uncle, he certainly liked Qiu Yelan’s children. But, in the final a.n.a.lysis, Qiu Jinglan loved Qiu Yelan the most!
Therefore, the quickest and most thorough way to arouse Qiu Jinglan’s hatred and anger towards the Jiang Family’s fourth branch was neither to plot against Qiu Yelan’s children nor turn him against Jiang Yashuang or someone in the Jiang Family’s fourth branch, but…
Let Qiu Yelan die in the hands of the fourth branch!
This was the sharpest and deadliest way to completely ruin the happy cooperation between Qiu Jinglan and the Jiang Family’s fourth branch!
Based on what he knew about Qiu Jinglan, as long as it was confirmed that his sister died at the hands of the Jiang Family’s fourth branch, even if Qiu Yelan’s two children were still alive, it wouldn’t be able to stop his revenge!
“Your Majesty, you’re truly far-sighted, and I’m so impressed!” Cen Wei said softly after bowing, “It is my blessing to serve you!”
“Don’t count the chicken before they are hatched!” Emperor was very calm. He was not proud of Cen Wei’s admiration at all. He kept painting the last plum blossom. And then he raised his eyes and looked at the snow-covered trees, “It’s far from the time to celebrate!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Cen Wei’s admiration was even deeper. Emperor had lived on thin ice, yet he could remain unmoved in the face of rare sincere praise, which showed Emperor’s strong will and ambition.
With such a wise master, why worry about his future?