Pei Cijing held Shen Ninghuan's hand. His gaze fell somewhere outside the window, his eyes slightly unfocused. His hand, with its distinct knuckles, was warm and strong, and at this moment it tightened slightly, as if holding onto something important.
Shen Ninghuan did not rush him.
She just looked at him quietly, waiting for him to speak his mind.
She knew her husband well.
Normally, he looked lazy and indifferent, keeping completely out of things that didn't concern him.
He would never sit if he could lie down, and never stand if he could sit. But when it came to a critical moment, the light in those eyes was brighter and clearer than anyone else's.
Since he said there was something wrong, the palace coup was likely not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
A moment later.
Pei Cijing withdrew his gaze and looked at Shen Ninghuan.
"Wife, have you ever thought about one question?" He lowered his voice, his brows slightly furrowed. His usual lazy demeanor had long faded, replaced by absolute seriousness. "The timing the Crown Prince chose to launch the palace coup was wrong."
Shen Ninghuan looked at him, not interrupting, just listening quietly.
Pei Cijing continued, "An occasion like the palace banquet, where all the civil and military officials, nobles, and royal relatives are present—making a move in such a place, even if successful, would the Crown Prince be able to sit securely on that throne?"
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of analytical depth.
"The Great Qian Dynasty has been established for over a hundred years. It values etiquette, legitimacy, and righteous titles. If the Crown Prince killed his father to seize the throne at the palace banquet, that would be regicide and patricide. He would be an absolute traitor."
"Those courtiers might not dare to say anything on the spot, but what about afterwards? How would the people of the world view him? How would the vassal kings across the lands view him? And how would those border generals holding military power view him?"
"If the title is not legitimate, the words will not carry weight, and if the words do not carry weight, deeds cannot be accomplished."
"This logic."
"The Crown Prince couldn't possibly not understand."
"If someone with ulterior motives wanted to cause chaos, they could instead use the banner of restoring order, raise their arms in a call to action, and gather crowds of followers. By then, the Great Qian's empire would likely be torn apart. For the Crown Prince to take over such a mess, even if he sat on that throne, how many days of peace would he have?"
After Pei Cijing finished speaking, his gaze fell on Shen Ninghuan's face, waiting for her reaction.
After hearing these words, Shen Ninghuan's eyes flickered slightly.
She nodded gently.
These words indeed made sense.
The Crown Prince had been the heir apparent for thirty-six years and had handled countless state affairs. He understood the twists and turns of the court better than anyone. How could such a person choose the absolute worst time to make a move?
Unless—he never intended for it to end peacefully?
Shen Ninghuan pondered secretly in her heart, but her face remained impassive. She just looked quietly at Pei Cijing, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing his wife nod, Pei Cijing knew she agreed with his analysis. He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice, "If I were the Crown Prince and wanted to succeed the throne, I wouldn't need to make such a big scene at all."
Shen Ninghuan raised her eyes to look at him.
This husband of hers.
He was truly audacious, daring to say anything.
Pei Cijing, however, did not notice his wife's look and continued his own treasonous speech, "I am the Crown Prince, the legitimate heir apparent. As long as the old Emperor... ahem, as long as His Majesty passes away, my succession would be a matter of course. Why make a move at the palace banquet? Why make it known to the whole world?"
"Just figure out a way to let His Majesty 'die of illness' and get the job done silently. Wouldn't that be a hundred times safer?"
"Taking a ten thousand steps back, even if I absolutely had to make a move, I should choose a place with few people."
"For example, taking advantage of the time when His Majesty leaves the palace for sacrifices, or goes to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat, replace the guards with my own people and do the deed cleanly. Afterwards, claim it was a sudden illness or an accident. Who could find fault with that?"
"But the Crown Prince deliberately chose the palace banquet, chose the time when all the civil and military officials were present, and chose the most conspicuous and unhideable method."
As Pei Cijing spoke, his gaze carried a hint of deep thought: "This doesn't make sense..."
After hearing these words, Shen Ninghuan couldn't help but raise her hand and gently rub her temples. She had long known that this husband of hers was different from others.
After all, he had transmigrated from another world.
But these words today.
They still left her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
What did he mean by "If I were the Crown Prince"? What did he mean by "let His Majesty die of illness"?
If anyone else heard such words, they would probably be scared weak in the knees and trembling on the spot. If it reached the ears of those with ulterior motives, a charge of "great disrespect" would be inescapable. In a more severe case, he could even be labeled as "harboring treasonous intentions."
She sighed.
Raised her head.
Looked at Pei Cijing.
That gaze contained a bit of helplessness, a bit of reproach, and a bit of... deeply hidden doting.
"Husband," she began, her voice not loud but every word clear, "What you just said, it is fine for us husband and wife to discuss in private. But once you step out of these doors, you absolutely must not say another half a word."
She paused, her tone becoming a bit more solemn.
"No matter what timing the Crown Prince chose, no matter what fishy business is involved, that is a matter for the royal family and the court. We are subjects, members of the second branch of the Marquis's estate. If such words spread, at best it will bring trouble upon ourselves, and at worst it will implicate our entire clan. Speak cautiously."
Pei Cijing blinked.
Looking at his wife's solemn appearance, not only did he not feel reprimanded, but he actually found it somewhat cute—those clear eyes were clearly filled with the meaning of "You rascal, I really can't do anything about you."
He curled his lips, held Shen Ninghuan's hand, and with a bit of a fawning smile in his tone said, "Don't worry, wife, I understand everything."
"I only say these kinds of things to you, wife. On the outside, I am absolutely loyal to the monarch and love the country, absolutely support His Majesty, and am absolutely politically correct. When it's time to kowtow, I kowtow; when it's time to shout 'Long live the Emperor', I shout louder than anyone else. I know this set of rules inside and out!"
Absolutely loyal to the monarch and loving the country? Absolutely supporting His Majesty?
Heh!
Shen Ninghuan looked at his appearance and couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile, rolling her eyes at Pei Cijing. He was already plotting how to let His Majesty "die of illness," yet he still claimed to be loyal and patriotic.
However, "politically correct," this term was rather interesting.
This man...
He looked lazy on ordinary days, but in his heart, he understood everything.
He knew what could be said and what could not; he knew what could be done and what could not; he knew how to pretend on the outside and how to relax in front of his own family.
His sense of propriety was grasped absolutely perfectly.
She nodded gently: "As long as you understand, Husband."
Pausing for a moment, she added, "Setting aside the disrespect towards His Majesty, what you just said does make some sense. For the Crown Prince to choose to make a move at the palace banquet is indeed unreasonable. This is one point of suspicion."
Pei Cijing's eyes lit up.
His wife agreed with his analysis!
He was about to continue speaking when Shen Ninghuan asked again, "Besides this point, did you notice any other fishy details, Husband?"
Pei Cijing nodded.
He reined in the smile on his face and became a bit more serious: "There is another point."
"Yesterday at Huaqing Courtyard, did you notice that burly man who led the charge? The one who was invulnerable to swords and spears, and possessed immense strength?"
Shen Ninghuan nodded slightly.
Naturally, she remembered.
When the man charged in, he was like a moving mountain.
With every step he took, the ground trembled slightly. The imperial guards fought desperately to hold him back, but when their swords and sabers struck him, they only produced dull clangs, failing to even break his skin. In the end, it was only after the old madam gave instructions for the guards to focus on his vital points that they barely managed to slow him down.
And then...
A certain "man in black" descended from the sky. With a packet of quicklime powder and a ruthless kick to the groin, he took the man down in just three moves.
Shen Ninghuan's lips curved up slightly, though she quickly suppressed the smile.
Pei Cijing did not notice his wife's expression and continued, "That man was highly skilled and invulnerable to weapons. At a glance, he was either a death warrior meticulously trained by the Crown Prince, or a strange talent hired at a heavy price. Shouldn't a person like that be used in the most crucial place?"
"The most crucial place?" Shen Ninghuan asked.
"Hanyuan Hall," Pei Cijing replied. "That is where the true victor is decided. As long as they captured His Majesty and controlled the court officials, the situation would be set in stone. The Empress's side was merely the icing on the cake."
"Yet the Crown Prince deliberately sent such an expert to Huaqing Court."
As Pei Cijing spoke, his brows furrowed again.
"Tell me, my wife, does this make sense? Good steel should be used on the blade's edge. Such an expert wasn't used to deal with His Majesty, nor to fight the military generals who were desperately protecting the Emperor, but was instead sent to control a group of female family members?"
He shook his head.
"If they failed at Hanyuan Hall, even if they had captured the Empress and those noble ladies, what good would it do? Would His Majesty abdicate because of it? Would the court officials submit? Impossible."
"This is completely failing to distinguish between the primary and the secondary."
After hearing these words, Shen Ninghuan fell silent.
She lowered her eyes, recalling the situation at Huaqing Court last night.
When that burly man charged in, he was indeed exceptionally ferocious. The imperial guards resisted with all their might but couldn't stop him at all. If it hadn't been for the old madam's guidance, and if someone hadn't intervened later... Huaqing Court would probably have become a river of blood.
Such a person was actually sent to attack their group of women?
It really didn't make sense!
Suddenly, a thought struck Shen Ninghuan.
She looked up at Pei Cijing, her gaze carrying a bit of complex emotion. "Husband, over at Hanyuan Hall, were the two sides evenly matched?"
Pei Cijing paused slightly, somewhat surprised. "How do you know the situation at Hanyuan Hall? You weren't there."
Shen Ninghuan smiled faintly.
She didn't explain.
She just looked at Pei Cijing, waiting for his answer.
Pei Cijing didn't press the matter, merely nodding. "You guessed correctly. At Hanyuan Hall, the Crown Prince's side only had a slight upper hand. With generals like my eldest uncle fighting to the death to protect the Emperor, and those loyal eunuchs risking their lives, the Crown Prince, despite having more men, was never able to truly capture His Majesty."
"If that invulnerable brute had been at Hanyuan Hall at the time..." Shen Ninghuan murmured softly.
If that man had been at Hanyuan Hall, with his invulnerability to weapons, those protecting the Emperor might not have been able to stop him. If he had charged straight for His Majesty, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Yet the Crown Prince deliberately sent him to Huaqing Court.
Sent him to deal with a group of women.
What did this mean?
Things gradually became clear in Shen Ninghuan's mind. She looked at Pei Cijing, her eyes shining with sudden insight. "Husband, I'm afraid the Crown Prince never intended to win. He was intentionally balancing the power of the two sides."
The two looked at each other.
Their gazes met in the air.
A moment later.
Shen Ninghuan continued softly, "If that is true, then all of this was planned by the Crown Prince. The failure of the palace coup was originally a part of his plan. He..."
She paused, lowering her voice even further.
"He was paving the way for someone."
Both of them fell silent for a moment.
Then, they spoke a name in unison—
"The Eighth Prince."
As their voices faded.
The room sank into a brief silence.
Outside the window, the birds were still chirping, and sunlight streamed through the lattice, casting mottled shadows on the ground. Everything looked no different from usual, so peaceful that it seemed as if last night's blood-soaked storm was merely a nightmare.
But inside this room, stormy seas were churning in the hearts of the two people.
The Eighth Prince, Li Chengyan.
During the palace coup last night, he was the one who appeared at the most critical moment and held a sword to the Crown Prince's neck.
Without him, the old Emperor would likely have been captured by the Crown Prince. Without him, the outcome of this palace coup would have been completely rewritten.
He was the meritorious official who saved the Emperor.
He was the hero who saved the dynasty from collapse.
He was a loyal subject and a filial son in the eyes of everyone!
But what if all of this had been orchestrated by the Crown Prince from the very beginning?
What if the Crown Prince never intended to win, but planned to lose, intending to use this palace coup to hand this younger brother a monumental achievement?
Scenes from last night flashed rapidly through Pei Cijing's mind—
The Crown Prince standing in the center of the hall, hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm, as if everything was under his control.
That calmness was not forced composure, but a genuine ease from within, as if he were merely a spectator watching a play.
When the Eighth Prince held a sword to his neck, the Crown Prince showed no panic at all. Instead, he smiled. In that smile, there was no fear, no anger, only a kind of... relief, which others could not understand.
That faint smile on the Crown Prince's lips before he died.
That smile.
It was clearly the look of someone who had gotten exactly what he wished for.
Pei Cijing closed his eyes, then opened them again and looked at Shen Ninghuan. Shen Ninghuan was also looking at him. Both of them saw the exact same doubt in each other's eyes—
What gave the Eighth Prince the right to have the Crown Prince pave the way for him with his own life?
And why was the Crown Prince willing to pave the way for the Eighth Prince with his life?
Between these two men.
What secret connection existed that no one else knew about?
