That day, the Crown Prince had merely gone along with the situation to achieve his goal. Now that he had ridden the boat to the finish, the water naturally flowed back the other way.
“Back then, I was not aware of Mr. Gu’s illustrious achievements. Had I known, when we met at the Imperial Brother’s residence, I would have clapped and shouted, ‘Well killed!’”
“…”
Minister Gu stared at the Crown Prince, utterly speechless.
“Shameless,” Prince An muttered under his breath.
But having just advocated for Shen Xiabai’s execution, he found it awkward to interrupt now.
Prince An’s faction remained silent, watching the Crown Prince and Minister Gu exchange verbal volleys.
The Emperor’s gaze fell upon Prime Minister Cui, who stood at the front with his eyes closed, seemingly dozing. “Minister Cui, what do you think? How should Minister Shen be dealt with?”
Prime Minister Cui jolted, his face still clouded with confusion.
The Emperor said, “Minister Cui has come to court to catch up on sleep, it seems.”
“Your Majesty, forgive me. These past days, I have been troubled over my children’s marriages, and my energy has waned. I dozed off without realizing. What did Your Majesty ask me just now?”
The Emperor’s eyes turned cold. “I asked you, how should Minister Shen be dealt with?”
“Kill him,” Prime Minister Cui replied without hesitation. “Such a man who flouts the law should be beheaded immediately in public as a warning to others.”
His face was filled with eagerness, as if he wanted to drag Shen Xiabai out of the Dali Temple this very moment and have him executed on the spot.
“Minister Cui seems very eager for Minister Shen’s death,” the Emperor remarked.
“I dare not presume, Your Majesty. I merely speak the truth. Your Majesty asked, and I answered.” Prime Minister Cui put on an appearance of great deference.
But the corners of his eyes and brows betrayed his delight, as if they were screaming, “Die quickly, die quickly, so I can seize power and force the throne.”
The Emperor gave an enigmatic smile.
Minister Shen’s offense shall be set aside for now. After I have consulted with the Dali Temple (Court of Judicial Review) and the Zongrenfu (Office of the Imperial Clan), I will make a decision.
At that title—Minister Shen—everyone understood the Emperor’s intent.
All except Minister Gu knelt and withdrew from the court.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please seek justice for me!” Minister Gu crawled forward on his knees, trying to chase after the Emperor, but the chief eunuch blocked his way.
Many in the court had long been dissatisfied with Minister Gu and his son’s arrogant and bullying ways, so they merely stood by watching the spectacle, with few willing to lend a helping hand.
Prince An and the Crown Prince walked together as if no one else were around.
“Royal Brother seems to have been quite obedient to Royal Sister-in-law lately,” Prince An said.
“What makes you say that?”
Prince An scoffed. “Your face has grown thicker, and your schemes run deeper.”
He had witnessed the Crown Prince’s ability to flip the script today firsthand.
The Crown Prince was unfazed. “From what you say, Royal Brother seems quite obedient to Sister-in-law as well.”
He stopped walking and turned to look at Prince An, offering a faint smile. “One takes on the qualities of one’s company. You’ve been dumbed down by Sister-in-law a fair bit.”
“…”
After exchanging a round of sarcastic jabs, they each returned to their residences. Regardless of the process, both had completed their assigned tasks.
But Eunuch Liu, who accompanied Prince An, was growing anxious. “Your Highness, you are destined for great things. How can you keep getting bogged down by these petty affairs?”
The Crown Prince, admittedly less capable, was understandable for relying on his Crown Princess’s advice. But Prince An was different—and what was worse, the Princess’s abilities were far inferior to the Crown Princess’s, yet she still obeyed the Crown Princess’s commands.
If this continued, how could the struggle for the inheritance succeed? To put it bluntly, it was like having one’s neck held by the Empress’s grip.
Xiao Yi leaned against the carriage wall and said lazily, “She is, after all, her elder brother. Even the Crown Prince went all out for his cousin’s brother-in-law. If I do nothing, it won’t look good.”
“…” Eunuch Liu bowed, his face bitter. “Could you at least coax the Princess into taking on a few sweet deals next time? Must it always be thankless tasks?”
Today alone, he had offended the Emperor, Minister Gu, the Empress Dowager, and Minister Shen himself.
The Crown Prince, on the other hand, had smoothly turned the situation into a favor for himself.
Xiao Yi tapped his fingers on the armrest, looking somewhat troubled. “What you say is quite reasonable.”
Shen Xiabai must never be allowed to fall into the Crown Prince’s hands.
But this man was impervious to flattery or bribes, and winning his gratitude would be no easy task. As for that little lunatic from the Cui family, she played by no rules.
Prince An racked his brain, trying to figure out how to get those two on the same boat as him.
Eunuch Liu offered a suggestion. “I hear Cui Yunchu has a great fondness for gold, silver, and jewels. Perhaps she could be bought off.”
Xiao Yi propped his head on his hand. “Whatever’s mine is Yunfeng’s, and if Yunfeng wants it, she can take it. But that little lunatic has grand ambitions and is hard to satisfy.”
She had no ambition, no backbone, and no sense of honor—likely, if put to the question, she would confess without a beating.
Yet, oddly enough, befriending Shen Xiabai required that little lunatic’s help.
When Prince An returned to his residence, Cui Yunfeng was lying on the bed, flipping through a storybook. She merely lifted her eyelids at his entrance and then returned to her reading.
Xiao Yi walked over and snatched the book from her hands. “Let me see what’s so fascinating.”
Cui Yunfeng kicked him right away. “Give it back!”
Xiao Yi stood there, frozen, holding the storybook.
He had known Yunfeng for years—she had always been bold but dignified and gentle. Even if angered, she would slap him with her hand, never resort to feet.
“Tsk,” he clicked his tongue, bent down, and pinched her cheek. “My dear, you’re getting more and more out of line.”
Cui Yunfeng’s brow furrowed, her eyes full of displeasure. Xiao Yi immediately let go.
The next moment, tears streamed down her face. "I was thrown out of my clan, married into the prince's mansion in pitiful solitude, and you bully me? Have you no conscience?"
“I was joking with you,” Xiao Yi said, flustered. He immediately pulled the girl into his arms. “Alright, you can kick me all you want from now on. Do whatever you please. Just stop crying.”
“Fine.” Cui Yunfeng’s tears stopped as quickly as they had started.
Xiao Yi looked into her still-moist eyes, saw her grinning, and raised an eyebrow. “Did Cui Yunchu teach you this?”
“I’m not telling,” Cui Yunfeng said, lying back down. “How did things go with my brother?”
Upon receiving his affirmative answer, she beamed, her eyes curved into crescents.
Xiao Yi stared at her, his gaze deepening, a little lost in thought.
Cui Yunfeng thought that her elder sister’s advice—that arguing with him was pointless—was spot-on. What she needed to do was use his connections and influence to achieve her own ends.
“Yunfeng, do you know what your elder sister likes most?”
Cui Yunfeng’s smile faltered almost imperceptibly. “Why? You want to send her a gift?”
Prince An nodded.
Cui Yunfeng toyed absentmindedly with the tassels on her waist pouch, looking distracted. “I know. She likes power the most. If you could grant her the title of Princess of a different surname, she’d be overjoyed.”
“…” The sharp glint in Xiao Yi’s peach-blossom eyes faded into dullness.
A different-surname princess—that little lunatic definitely dared to dream.
Cui Yunfeng stole a glance at Xiao Yi’s expression and gave a puckered smile.
