Chapter 89
The Crown Prince soon learned that Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao were still alive.
He snorted coldly in displeasure, "What tenacious turtles."
[王八 (wáng ba): lit. turtle; fig. a derogatory term meaning "bastard" or "cuckold."]
The subordinate replied, "Yes. The commotion caused by Qinghe Junwangfei only ended in her own death. Even a maidservant who was poisoned alongside her survived because she inhaled too little of the poison and was saved."
"Useless fool. Good riddance," the Crown Prince said with contempt.
Then he asked, "Has Qinghe Junwang regained consciousness yet? Any concrete news?"
The subordinate shook his head. "This subordinate is incompetent. Wei Yunzhao has highly skilled martial artists guarding the Wei mansion. Anyone who enters will be detected immediately, so our people cannot infiltrate the Wei family. For now, we don’t know Qinghe Junwang’s condition."
"If you can’t enter, what about the Wei family’s servants? Can’t you extract any information from them?" The Crown Prince was naturally dissatisfied with this answer.
The subordinate wore a pained expression. Mentioning gathering information from the Wei mansion made them miserable. The Wei servants seemed to have been bewitched, no matter if they were bribed with silver or threatened with their families, they refused to divulge anything.
Initially, when the Crown Prince ordered them to surveil the Wei family, they had tried to plant spies within the family. However, the Wei family hadn't hired new servants in a long time, cutting off that avenue entirely.
They then attempted to bribe existing servants to turn them into informants, but that also failed. The subordinate remembered one servant they had approached saying, "Our young madam is the kindest person in the world. The Wei family’s servants would never betray him."
At the time, they had been so furious they wanted to kill the servant on the spot, but fearing repercussions, they held back.
"Your Highness, the Wei mansion is like an impenetrable fortress. Gathering information is truly difficult. Please grant us more time."
"Worthless!" the Crown Prince spat coldly. His disdain was not only for his subordinates’ incompetence but also born of jealousy. Wei Yunzhao, a cripple, had so many loyal followers, while he, the Crown Prince, found the Eastern Palace riddled with spies, full of holes.
The comparison infuriated him, and since he couldn’t openly admit his jealousy, it manifested as rage toward his subordinates.
After another round of kowtowing and pleading for mercy, the Crown Prince fell into thought before issuing an order: "No matter what method you use, ensure Qinghe Junwang dies in the Wei mansion!"
The subordinate departed to carry out the order. The Crown Prince then summoned a eunuch and asked, "How is the Emperor? Has that woman still not been found?"
The eunuch replied, "His Majesty remains secluded in his chambers all day, showing no interest in state affairs. His spirits also seem to have deteriorated."
The Crown Prince frowned, disdainful of how deeply a woman had affected Emperor Changde. He had once revered the Emperor as a paragon of virtue, only to realize he was nothing more than this.
"Send more men to assist in the search. Also, look for women with similar appearances. Bring any candidates to the Eastern Palace."
Mentioning similar appearances inevitably reminded the Crown Prince of Jiang Jinyue, as the woman who had caught Emperor Changde’s eye had done so by resembling her. Unfortunately, Jiang Jinyue’s face was now ruined. The Crown Prince sighed regretfully, if her face were still presentable, he could have simply sent her into the palace and avoided all this trouble.
"Search for women who resemble the former eldest miss of the Anyang Bofu. The more similar, the better."
"Yes, this servant obeys," the eunuch replied deferentially before withdrawing.
The Crown Prince lowered his head and rubbed his temples, feeling that nothing was going his way. Since that was the case, he might as well vent his frustrations on the Sixth Prince.
He reached into his robes and retrieved the poison Jiang Jinyue had given him. Clutching the small packet of powder, a sinister smile curled his lips. He wanted to watch that bastard die before his very eyes.
The Crown Prince harbored an instinctive wariness and hatred for the Sixth Prince. Killing him was a task he found too satisfying to delegate, he wanted to do it himself.
____
Emperor Changde had no interest in state affairs, but he still attended the morning court sessions. However, these sessions were no different from not holding them at all. The officials bickered noisily, the Emperor scolded some and threatened others, and the chaos rivaled that of a marketplace, yet not a single issue was resolved. The courtiers grew increasingly disillusioned with Emperor Changde.
Seizing the opportunity, the Crown Prince proposed handling state affairs on the Emperor’s behalf. Emperor Changde, too deeply affected, had even set aside his desire to kill Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao. His previous displeasure with the Crown Prince had also faded, or perhaps he still resented him but lacked the energy to care. Thus, Emperor Changde agreed.
He issued an edict appointing the Crown Prince as temporary regent. The Crown Prince’s first act upon receiving the decree was to visit the Cold Palace to see Cao Lan’er.
Cao Lan’er sincerely praised the Crown Prince, expressing great satisfaction.
The Crown Prince took the opportunity to ask Cao Lan’er to assist him in killing the Sixth Prince. She knew that her earlier failure to heed his advice and eliminate Yue Heng had become a lingering grievance for the Crown Prince. Now that he claimed to have a foolproof plan, she naturally agreed.
The Crown Prince said, "Then I must trouble Mother to feign illness. I will send someone to summon him here. Once he enters the Cold Palace, he will never leave."
Cao Lan’er replied, "Rest assured, my son. As long as you handle matters outside, the Cold Palace is now my domain. No news will leak out, and no one will know that bastard died here."
The Crown Prince was unusually eager to eliminate Yue Heng. The very next day, after the morning court session, he arranged for the Sixth Prince to be summoned to the Cold Palace.
Yue Heng knew exactly what the Crown Prince intended. He had tested the small packet of poison Jiang Lin had given him on mice, even a tiny amount caused instant death. That small packet was more than enough to kill him.
The Crown Prince had set a trap to kill him.
Yue Heng was effortlessly escorted to the Cold Palace, where the Crown Prince awaited him. Cao Lan’er lay in bed, pretending to be ill.
They had put on a convincing act.
It would have been even more convincing if they hadn’t shut the door behind him the moment he entered and stationed guards outside, making it clear he wouldn't be allowed to leave.
Yue Heng approached the bed to speak with the "ill" Cao Lan’er. After a few words, a palace maid brought medicine for Cao Lan’er to drink. Yue Heng naturally took on the task of feeding it to her.
Cao Lan’er appeared reluctant to drink the medicine and asked Yue Heng, "Is it bitter?"
This was a hint for him to taste it first. Understanding her intention, Yue Heng obligingly took a sip.
"Not bitter, Mother. Drink it, it will help you recover."
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