Chapter 276 - The Allies Deceive Each Other

The morning audience was over after Prince of Zhao outargued many people, and the crown prince’s followers had prepared to make a speech but didn’t need to speak.

After the meeting, Huo Dan who was furious grabbed Qiu Shuxia’s sleeve and insisted on asking him for an explanation. “Did Prince of Zhao say that today because he plans to keep a good relationship with his brother, the crown prince in the future? If so, you should have reminded us instead of stabbing us in the back like today as Prince of Zhao and Prince of Wei had formed an alliance before.”

Prince of Wei and his followers prepared to add insult to injury and expected to join hands with the followers of Prince of Zhao and attack the crown prince in unison at the morning audience.

As a result, Prince of Zhao personally turned his coat and his followers certainly wouldn’t oppose him in public. He defeated Huo Dan and the other officials who supported Prince of Wei alone, while the crown prince’s followers and the officials who remained neutral watched a good show unexpectedly.

It was fine that they watched a show. The key point was that the crown prince was accused of telling Zhao Wu and his son to harm Su Bofeng, yet Prince of Zhao, a cousin of Su Bofeng’s father, openly stood out and declared that he believed it wasn’t done by the crown prince. If others still suspected the crown prince, that was not a matter about whether there was evidence, but indicating that they were just overbusy. The victim’s relative had said something, so why would the outsiders worry about it?

All in all, if Prince of Zhao proved that he was just and loved his brother today, Prince of Wei was a sharp contrast to him and specially showed that he was heartless and took advantage of the crown prince’s perilous state.

It would have been fine if Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao had not formed an alliance earlier.

However, they had formed an alliance. How would Huo Dan not be angry?

Nevertheless, Qiu Shuxia was also helpless. He pulled Huo Dan to a corner and explained with a bitter smile, “Lord Huo, you know what? When we discussed the murder case in Jianling the other day, Prince of Zhao asked if it was done by the crown prince, and somebody with a long tongue replied that it was probably not. As a result, Prince of Zhao who is young and innocent said that in this case, we should justify the crown prince. As for the title of heir to the throne, he can gain it decently. We would certainly admonish him after he said something childish, but we never expected that he just…”

While speaking, Qiu Shuxia sighed and shook his head repeatedly, revealing his disapproval. Of course, he was more bitter and helpless. “If the title of heir to the throne is not given to any prince, as the empress’ son, you can do a better job and win the approval of the emperor and the officials at the imperial court with the actual strength and openly grab the title. However, the crown prince was decided many years ago, and you just try to snatch the title from your brother. How can you say the word ‘decently’?

“If you want to do something decently, you should not be ambitious but be a well-behaved prince.”

They fought for the title of heir to the throne at the risk of all family members’ lives, while this prince was so “innocent”. Anybody could know Qiu Shuxia’s feelings.

“Prince of Zhao is always persistent and resolute. How would he have such ideas?” Huo Dan looked at Qiu Shuxia who seemed to have eaten goldthread root, and his tone softened subconsciously, yet he was still confused and dissatisfied. “Isn’t he afraid that he would let you down?”

Although Prince of Zhao was young, he didn’t look brainless at ordinary times. To be fair, Huo Dan always thought that Prince of Zhao was much more outstanding than Prince of Wei.

After all, Prince of Zhao was Empress Su’s biological son and the Su Family’s nephew. Both the empress and the Su Family taught and guided him according to a wise emperor’s standard indeed, even though they had their plans when they supported him in fighting for the title of heir to the throne.

As for Prince of Wei, his biological mother didn’t even qualify to raise him, and his adoptive mother Virtuous Consort Jiang treated him well in the early years, but after the marriage of him and Jiang Muting was cancelled, they had conflicts. Although Grand Princess Daiguo was his paternal aunt, she was not so broad-minded as to take her nephew as a son.

She had married her biological daughter to Prince of Wei just to find a puppet.

So even though the two princes were the emperor’s sons, and Prince of Wei was older, it was reasonable that he was inferior to Prince of Zhao in bearing and knowledge.

However, Prince of Zhao did something stupid today that even Prince Wei wouldn’t do. It was said that nobody was perfect. Even the princes who joined the fight for the title of heir to the throne couldn’t be flawless all the time.

The problem was that some mistakes were insignificant, while some mistakes couldn’t be made even for once. In Huo Dan’s opinion, what Prince of Zhao did today was a mistake that he could never make.

Qiu Shuxia sighed. “Who can guess a teenager’s impulse? But Lord Huo, please don’t worry. We will give Grand Princess Daiguo an explanation for what happened today. I am going to the mansion of Duke of Ji and talk with him now.”

Then he added meaningfully, “The empress has only one biological son, so although Prince of Zhao is smart, after all, he has been raised with a luxurious lifestyle and would inevitably split hairs from time to time. Fortunately, he is always willing to follow good advice readily. I think that he won’t disappoint us in the future.”

Did he mean that the empress spoiled Prince of Zhao?

Huo Dan was speechless. As expected, an heir shouldn’t be raised by a woman.

Although he was angry as Prince of Zhao pulled away a prop, the crown prince was still the heir to the throne and the alliance between Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao still should exist, so he certainly didn’t want to fall out with Qiu Shuxia. After he made more complaints, he forgot it, letting Qiu Shuxia go.

However, Huo Dan didn’t know that Qiu Shuxia complained a lot about Prince of Zhao in front of him but clapped while laughing after he came to see Duke of Ji. “After all, Prince of Zhao is the empress’ son. Although he wants to fight for the title of heir to the throne, he is still fair and aboveboard.”

“It is just a coincidence. It was his innocence that helped him approach the target coincidentally.” Qiu Shuxia praised Prince of Zhao, while Duke of Ji looked lazy and continued indifferently, “Qingzhou is the hometown of my family. After Zhao Wu became a local official there, how would we not investigate his background? Bofeng’s case has nothing to do with the crown prince indeed. Not only we, but the Empress Dowager and His Majesty also know it.”

So, “Once Prince of Zhao joined hands with Prince of Wei and attacked the crown prince seriously at the morning audience today, wouldn’t the Empress Dowager and His Majesty feel disappointed as the brothers harm each other after they know that even if they don’t say anything? It’s better to let Prince of Zhao defend the crown prince and show that he respects and loves his elder brother.”

Prince of Zhao had expressed the previous day that he didn’t agree to frame the crown prince. If his action didn’t comply the arrangements of Duke of Ji, it would be a problem whether he could show up at the imperial court, let alone arguing with Huo Dan and the others in person.

The Su Family bet all on a single throw and planned this fight for the title of heir to the throne. How would they allow the innocent Prince of Zhao to ruin their plans?

“You said that, but the rumors in the imperial capital spread everywhere, and all people with sharp eyes know where they come from.” Qiu Shuxia stroked his beard and smiled. “As long as we push it, the crown prince may fall from the peak. How many people can restrain themselves and retreat instead of advancing?”

Duke of Ji stated impassively, “The Empress Dowager changed her mind just to protect Grand Princess Daiguo, not because she supports Prince of Wei. Moreover, even though the Empress Dowager made a choice between Grand Princess Daiguo and the crown prince and chose the former, she isn’t heartless to the latter. So after Prince of Zhao showed his tolerance and lenience at the critical moment, the Empress Dowager would pay attention to him. After all, this is the only hope to protect both Grand Princess Daiguo and the crown prince.”

He narrowed his eyes. “So it is good for Prince of Zhao to show his naivety occasionally for now, but the predecessors said that we should rule a country with justice, dispatch soldiers with anomalies and conquer the world with inaction. A wise emperor needs to know some weird methods. Fortunately, Prince of Zhao is still young, and we can teach him slowly in the future.”

“The ancient sages always said that politics means justice. It’s said that an emperor should be moral first and then he can correct the imperial court and all the officials and then the common people as well as everywhere around the territory. When everywhere is peaceful, nobody far and near dares to be not upright, and then there is no evil influence inside.”

Qiu Shuxia approved of his words, yet he thought, “It’s obvious that ‘justice’ is the most important to an emperor.”

He paid attention to feudal ethics and rites and supported Prince of Zhao because this prince was the empress’ son, and he naturally hoped that Prince of Zhao would remain just and decent. With such a mentality, he didn’t have a chance to take the throne, and this was the job of the officials who supported Prince of Zhao in fighting for the title of heir to the throne.

Anyway, in a word, they would do all the tiring jobs, and Prince of Zhao just needed to concentrate on studying how to be a wise emperor.

Duke of Ji didn’t comment on Qiu Shuxia’s thought but merely expressed, “The Empress Dowager has the intention to depose the crown prince. Although we didn’t attack the crown prince at the morning audience today because of Prince of Zhao, the Empress Dowager must have other plans. I worry that the crown prince would figure out a different way and make a surprise move.”

Qiu Shuxia pondered over these words carefully and then turned pale. “How dare he? He was brought up by His Majesty.”

“From ancient times, there is no kinship between the father and son in the royal family. What’s more, nobody is certain what he would do when he is in a hopeless situation.” Duke of Ji took a sip of tea calmly. “So we should make preparations when we wait for the Empress Dowager to take actions. After all, he is the official heir to the throne.”

Qiu Shuxia accepted the order seriously. “I will send people to keep an eye on the Eastern Palace.”

At the same time, Grand Princess Daiguo instructed Huo Dan, “This must be the old fox Su Nianyi’s idea. His purpose was to take the opportunity to show that Prince of Zhao is kind-hearted when you attacked the crown prince. Qiu Shuxia was humble in front of you after the morning audience, but in fact, he was just offhand with you.”

She sneered. “No matter how qualified Prince of Zhao is, he is so young, and how can he fight for the title of heir to the throne by himself? The Su Family just has a last-ditch fight. How would they rest assured if they didn’t control his speech and deportment? So what he did must be permitted by the Su Family, no matter if it is absurd and reckless.”

Huo Dan turned pale after hearing that. “Your Highness, do you mean that the Su Family plans to break up with us now?”

“No.” Grand Princess Daiguo shook her head and smiled. “The crown prince hasn’t been defeated, and it wouldn’t be helpful to them if they break up with us. They just plan to be the third one who runs away with the bone when two dogs strive for it.”

Coldness flashed in the grand princess’ eyes indistinctly, and she stated impassively, “However, the crown prince is in imminent danger because of my plan. It’s not so easy for the Su Family to take advantage of me.”

She caressed the beautiful gold peony on her sleeve and smiled unhurriedly. “Didn’t Qiu Shuxia say that he would give me an explanation for what happened today? I think that Prince of Zhao did a good job, so I don’t need to wait for their explanation. Just tell somebody to send a message that I agree to investigate the murder case in Jianling and prove the crown prince’s innocence.”

She added after a pause, “Among so many officials at the imperial court, only Prince of Zhao spoke for the crown prince today, so I think that it’s proper to let Prince of Zhao handle this case.”