"Father, what about you and Dad..." Jiang Rongjia's face showed worry, not for himself, but for Jiang Chenghan and Yan Jingshu.
Jiang Chenghan was worried about him, but he was equally worried about Jiang Chenghan and Jingshu. What if the Thirteenth Prince, unable to have him, vented his anger and sought revenge against his father and dad?
Jiang Chenghan smiled and rubbed his head, saying, "Don't worry, Father will protect your Dad well. As long as you are safe, Father and your Dad fear nothing."
The news of the Thirteenth Prince's marriage proposal to the eldest young master of the Jiang family being rejected quickly spread throughout the capital. Needless to say, upon learning that the matchmaker had returned empty-handed once again, the Thirteenth Prince was filled with fury and resentment, breeding many thoughts of revenge in his heart.
In the palace, because it involved the Jiang family's Jiang Rongjia, the news was delivered into the palace at the fastest speed, ensuring that Prince Rui, Xiao Yanchu, also learned of it. Upon hearing this, Upon hearing this, the usually slow-spoken, taciturn, and even somewhat cowardly Prince of Rui seemed to instantly transform into a wrathful deity, a fierce and merciless fighter from hell. His eyes turned dark and abyssal, swirling with a heart-palpitating ferocity, malevolence, and menace, not a trace of his usual gentleness remaining.
At dusk, Xiao Yanchu left the imperial palace. Suppressing the urgency in his heart to see Jiang Rongjia immediately, he rode directly back to his residence and then went straight to Junzi Hall where Xie Huan lived, meeting the person he wanted to see, the Prince of Chuxiang, Mu Chongyan.
"You already know." Mu Chongyan asked, though his tone was affirmative.
Xiao Yanchu's expression was stern, his entire being exuding a grim, murderous aura. He pressed his lips together and nodded.
Mu Chongyan continued, "Resolving Jia'er's immediate crisis isn't difficult. But even if we deal with the Thirteenth Prince now, there will inevitably be a second, a third Thirteenth Prince in the future..."
At this point, Mu Chongyan looked up at Xiao Yanchu and said, "My words from back then still hold true. Do you still hold the same intention as before?"
Xiao Yanchu shook his head, closed his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "In the past, I was too naive..."
He had believed that by maintaining a peaceful and non-confrontational stance, he would avoid becoming a target himself and, more importantly, would protect those close to him from harm. However, he failed to realize that his passivity was perceived not as peacekeeping but as weakness—an invitation to be exploited. This perceived vulnerability extended to his loved ones, making them targets as well. This miscalculation was why the Thirteenth Prince, fully aware that Jiang Rongjia was under Xiao Yanchu's protection, felt emboldened to act so brazenly and without fear of consequence.
Mu Chongyan finally showed a trace of a satisfied smile. He stood up, walked to Xiao Yanchu, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Never place your hopes on others. What you want ultimately must be obtained by yourself. You should have realized this earlier, but it's still not too late now."
Xie Huan had been listening to their conversation. Although Xiao Yanchu and Mu Chongyan spoke somewhat obscurely, Xie Huan, who was well aware of Mu Chongyan's plans, understood what they were discussing. Having already been persuaded by Mu Chongyan, he didn't say anything now, only letting out a faint sigh.
The capital, which had enjoyed a decade of peace, was now poised to witness the eruption of countless scenes of violence and bloodshed. Yet, as thoughts of Jiang Rongjia and Yan Jing Shu filled his mind, Xie Huan pressed his lips together firmly. A cold, stern light appeared in his eyes, reflecting his resolute determination to protect those he cared for, no matter the cost.
The next day, Jiang Chenghan personally escorted Jiang Rongjia and Jiang Rongkang to Prince Rui's residence. Using the excuse of settling the Jiang brothers in, he met with Mu Chongyan inside the residence. After discussions were settled, he left Prince Rui's residence.
For the next several days, the capital was tranquil and uneventful. Neither the Jiang residence nor Prince Rui's residence experienced any disturbances. Everything appeared as peaceful and calm as usual, but Jiang Chenghan and Xiao Yanchu both knew that the Thirteenth Prince's revenge had already begun.
First, Prince Rui was detained in the imperial palace for several days without being allowed to leave, and Jiang Chenghan was also transferred away from the capital to investigate the corruption case involving military pay in Jiangzhou. Knowing that the Thirteenth Prince was using a diversion tactic, Jiang Chenghan decided to play along, but he was worried about leaving Yan Jingshu alone at home and didn't want to implicate the Duke of Anguo's residence, so he took him along.
Although Jiang Rongjia and his brother were at Prince Rui's residence, they were secretly protected by Mu Chongyan. The Thirteenth Prince did send people to infiltrate the residence, but each time they were repelled. Although Jiang Rongkang failed to stab the Thirteenth Prince to death, he managed to kill several of the Thirteenth Prince's men, which somewhat vented his anger.
Due to repeated failures to kidnap Jiang Rongjia and the loss of many personnel, the Thirteenth Prince was forced to reevaluate Xiao Yanchu, a royal nephew he had never taken seriously before. He finally realized that, compared to himself, Xiao Yanchu was the true master of playing dumb while secretly being highly capable.
Unfortunately, he realized this too late. By the time Jiang Chenghan, Mu Chongyan, and others began executing their plan, he had already lost the opportunity to expose Xiao Yanchu's true nature.
The Thirteenth Prince died in his own princely residence, on the bed in his bedroom, while embracing a concubine he had recently taken into his household. She was originally the top courtesan from a renowned brothel in the capital. The cause of death was recorded as a sudden death during sexual intercourse.
Although this manner of death was highly disgraceful, given the multitude of concubines and beauties almost filling the rear courtyard of his princely residence, and the identical diagnoses from over a dozen imperial physicians, no one doubted the cause.
The Thirteenth Prince was dead. Although the cause of his death became a topic of much gossip, it was soon overshadowed by the various incidents arising from the struggle for the crown prince position in the capital.
The emperor had reigned for decades and fathered over ten sons, but he lived too long, and his sons did not all inherit his longevity. Additionally, some were disinherited, demoted, executed, or given away in adoption. Now, not a single direct son remained.
However, although there were no sons left, there were still plenty of grandsons born to those sons.
Although the Thirteenth Prince was dead, his political faction remained intact, and he had a living son. Consequently, his supporters logically regarded the son as the legitimate successor to the throne.
But at this time, the descendants of other princes who had been forced out of the succession struggle for various reasons in the past began to emerge. Although they individually held little power, together they posed a significant force that the Thirteenth Prince's supporters could not ignore.
For a time, the court became lively again with the dispute over the crown prince. Some argued that the son of the eldest prince should inherit, as the eldest prince was the firstborn. Others argued that the son of the second prince held the strongest claim, as the second prince had been the legitimate firstborn son of the empress. There were also those who advocated for the son of the former crown prince, Xiao Yanchu, to inherit, since the former crown prince had been the only officially designated heir by the emperor.
Of course, there were also many proposals to advocate for the enthronement of the Thirteenth Prince's son. However, the child's extreme youth made him incapable of effectively exercising power. Coupled with the joint suppression from other factions, the Thirteenth Prince's original supporters gradually disintegrated, and eventually, they were the first to be squeezed out of the crown prince contention.
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