Li Piaomiao, dressed in a white long dress, slowly approached. Her extremely cold temperament made her look even more ethereal and cold.
She looked at Li Ci Ning standing outside the corridor, and glanced at the maids and servants behind him.
"Why don't you go back to your room?"
The voice was cold, yet questioned with a certain indifference that could not be questioned.
The maids and servants under the eaves of the surrounding houses vaguely felt as if there was a very cold breath coming towards them, especially the indifferent tone of the eldest princess. Their hearts trembled violently, and their expressions became more panicked and respectful.
"I came out to get some fresh air and was about to go back to my room."
Li Ci Ning chuckled and waved his hand: "Piao Miao, why are you here? It's just right. We haven't seen each other for a few days. Come in and chat with me."
After saying that, Li Ci Ning returned to the room.
Li Piaomiao remained silent and followed in.
The room was heated with floors, blocking out the cold wind from outside. Li Ci Ning walked to a window seat and sat cross-legged on a futon.
Before him stood a small charcoal stove, a pot of hot water boiling on it. A maid fetched the water and brewed two cups of tea. The aroma of the tea permeated the air, and the warm steam filled the room.
"Piaomiao, come and have a cup of hot tea?"
Li Piaomiao approached coldly and sat down cross-legged on the cushion opposite.
Then, she glanced at the tea on the table, then glanced at him again, and said in a cold voice: "How is your health?"
"I won't die for now."
Li Ci Ning looked pale and a little weak, but the smile on his face was always gentle.
When the eldest princess heard this, she lowered her eyes slightly and said nothing.
"Don't worry too much!"
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looked at his sister and shook his head gently: "Isn't I doing fine now?"
"It's nothing serious!"
The eldest princess raised her eyes and stared at him for a long time before she said, "I'll find a way."
"Thanks a lot."
Li Ci Ning sighed softly, "Ever since I fell ill, there hasn't been a single day of peace in the court. If it weren't for Piao Miao's secret help, who knows how chaotic things would have become."
The eldest princess remained silent.
Li Ci Ning seemed to recall something and sighed, "My father is obsessed with the way of immortality. He secluded himself from state affairs and ordered me to be regent. Now the court is in chaos. I have failed my father's trust."
The eldest princess said, "This is not your fault."
"As the crown prince, how can this not be my fault?"
Li Qining smiled, then slowly faded. A sharp gleam flashed across his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, my father has ordered me to be regent, yet he also favors Chen Zhao, leaving me with a formidable opponent in the court."
"Chen Zhao is favored by my father and holds the Secret Heavenly Office. He is able to form cliques and factions in the court and has immense power. Even I have to avoid his edge..."
Having said that, Li Qining paused, sighed deeply, and looked up at Li Piaomiao: "Piaomiao, tell me, is the Emperor's move really intended to train my abilities..."
"Or do you not trust me?"
The eldest princess was silent for a long time, seeming to want to speak but hesitant.
"If Father left Chen Zhao behind to train me, why did he allow him to grow so powerful? Chen Zhao has long been lawless in the court, confusing right and wrong, and persecuting loyal officials. Even the Minister of War and his family could not escape his clutches..."
Li Qining's eyes turned slightly cold, then he narrowed them and said in a deep voice, "Or is it that Father is worried that I will follow the example of the previous dynasty and do something treasonous?!"
There was silence in the warm room.
The eldest princess still didn't speak.
Li Qining smiled bitterly and said with emotion: "Although I am the crown prince, it seems that my father does not like me very much."
The eldest princess glanced at him and said, "You are the eldest son, the first child of our father and mother. How could our father not like you?"
"But the Emperor seems to favor my third brother more."
Li Ci Ning smiled bitterly, "Father has always preferred my third brother since childhood. Although he never showed it, I could sense it...Father only appointed me as the Crown Prince because of my status as the eldest son."
"According to our dynasty's ancestral precepts, upon reaching adulthood, the prince must leave the capital and return to his fiefdom. My third brother was able to remain in the capital even after reaching adulthood, and this was with the tacit consent of our father..."
"My third brother is very ambitious and has coveted my position for a long time."
Li Ci Ning sighed deeply: "You and I are originally siblings, but who would have thought that we would end up like this!"
The eldest princess remained silent: "That was his own choice."
"I don't want to end up like that with my third brother..."
Having said that, Li Ci Ning coughed violently twice again, covered his chest, took a few deep breaths, and his face seemed to be even paler.
"If my third brother can truly become a virtuous and benevolent emperor in the future, then I..."
"He can't do it!"
Before Li Ci Ning could finish, Li Piao Miao interrupted him and said coldly, "He is narrow-minded, cruel, and will do anything to get what he wants. If he becomes emperor, the world will be in chaos."
Li Ci Ning was silent. How could he not know his third brother's temper?
If he became the emperor, with his temper, how could he intimidate the two kings of different surnames in the north and the south?
The princess's eyes fell coldly on Li Ci Ning: "You fell ill for no reason this time, is it really nothing to do with him?"
When this was mentioned, Li Ci Ning fell completely silent, and a look of unwillingness to think too much emerged on his pale and handsome face.
"You are just too soft-hearted!"
The eldest princess stared at him coldly: "You are too soft-hearted. Sooner or later, it will hurt you miserably!"
"A soft-hearted emperor cannot control the court or the world."
Li Ci Ning was silent for a long time: "After all, he is my biological brother."
"There is no family affection in the imperial family." The eldest princess said coldly.
Li Ci Ning shook his head slightly. "If my third brother really has the ability to pacify those two kings of different surnames, and if this keeps the territory of our Great Ning Dynasty intact and the people and country peaceful... even if he does have a rather cruel temper, it wouldn't be a bad idea."
Having said that, Li Ci Ning paused, then smiled at the princess: "Wouldn't an emperor with more ruthless methods be better than me?"
The eldest princess remained expressionless: "If he ascends the throne, the world will be in chaos!"
Li Ci Ning looked up: "Why is Piao Miao so sure?"
The princess glanced at him and said expressionlessly, "He and Lin Jiangnian have an irreconcilable feud!"
"Lin Jiangnian?"
Hearing this name, Li Qining narrowed his eyes slightly: "Prince Lin Wang?"
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he asked, "Are you talking about what happened in the capital a few days ago?"
"more than!"
The eldest princess said, "When Lin Jiangnian came to the capital, he almost died at his hands."
"Given his personality, he will never give up!"
"The day Li Yuan ascends the throne will surely be the day the Daning Dynasty splits apart!"
The eldest princess's decisive voice came.
Li Ci Ning was silent for a long time.
He naturally understood this principle.
If the emperor of a dynasty and a vassal king have an irreconcilable feud, what this means is self-evident.
Lin Jiangnian is the only son of Prince Lin Hengzhong, and he will definitely be the future successor to the throne of the vassal king.
Then...
"What's the current situation in Linzhou?"
"fine."
The eldest princess said calmly, "The Crown Prince of Lin has entered the capital, but Lin Hengzhong hasn't taken any action... But Linzhou is his Lin family's territory, and no one dares to guarantee anything behind the scenes."
These words were obviously a reminder to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
After a long silence, Li Qining seemed to think of something: "Piaomiao, if I remember correctly, this Prince Lin is engaged to you, right?"
"He came to the capital this time with the intention of proposing marriage to the emperor, to marry you?"
The eldest princess looked indifferent: "I will not marry him."
"This is a marriage granted by our father."
"So what?!"
“…”
Li Ci Ning was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then sighed.
He understood his sister's personality. If she said she didn't want to get married, then she really had no intention of getting married.
"So what are you going to do?"
The princess glanced at him and was silent for a moment: "Let's talk about it when you get better."
Li Qining smiled bitterly: "I don't know if my body can really get better..."
Having said that, he paused and suddenly became curious: "Speaking of which, have you met him?"
The eldest princess remained silent.
"I haven't even met this future brother-in-law yet!"
Li Ci Ning smiled slightly: "I wonder what he looks like, and whether he is worthy of you?"
The eldest princess looked away without saying a word.
"If there's a chance, I'd like to meet him."
Li Ci Ning chuckled: "Look at my future brother-in-law, look at the future Prince Lin..."
The eldest princess turned around, stared at Li Ci Ning for a long time, and nodded.
"good!"
“…”
The carriage slowly stopped in the alley outside Jiang Mansion.
Lin Jiangnian pushed open the carriage curtain and jumped off. The cold wind was blowing in the alley. Lin Jiangnian, who was about to return home, suddenly heard a sound coming from the other side of the alley.
"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Lin?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced sideways and saw an ordinary-looking middle-aged man walking towards him respectfully with his head bowed.
"Who are you?"
Lin Jiangnian looked at this person.
"I am a servant of the Minister of Personnel, Lord Gao. I have been ordered by my master to deliver an invitation to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Lin."
The middle-aged man hunched over with a respectful expression as he handed over an invitation reverently.
Lin Jiangnian glanced at the invitation in his hand but didn't take it. "Minister of Personnel, Gao Boyan?"
The middle-aged man said, "That's right."
"Your master invites me, the prince?"
Lin Jiangnian seemed a little surprised, with a strange look in his eyes: "Are you sure?"
The middle-aged man said, "My Third Young Master was young and ignorant, deceived by a treacherous person, and almost caused His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to suffer injustice. Now that the truth has come to light, the Third Young Master can be said to have brought this upon himself. My master deeply regrets this and is deeply ashamed of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Lin. Therefore, he has specially ordered me to come here and invite His Royal Highness to a small gathering in three days. My master would like to express his apologies to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Lin in person. I also ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to forgive my misdeeds and give my master the opportunity to apologize..."
Lin Jiangnian didn't say anything, but stared at this person for a long time.
After a while, Lin Jiangnian suddenly laughed. He took the invitation from the middle-aged man and said with a faint smile, "Since it is Master Gao who is inviting me to the banquet, I, the prince, must give him this honor!"
"Go back and tell your master that this prince will arrive in three days!"
The middle-aged man's expression became more respectful: "Then I and the master will go back and wait for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to come."
After saying that, the middle-aged man retreated, left the alley, and soon disappeared.
Lin Jiangnian stood there, staring at the invitation in his hand with a meaningful look.
"Your Highness, are you really going to the banquet?"
Lin Qingqing's voice came from the side, with a bit of caution: "Gao Boyan just lost his son, and suddenly he came to entertain Your Highness. Something is wrong..."
Lin Qingqing's face was serious: "Gao Wenyang's death is inseparable from Your Highness. His actions are a bit like setting a Hongmen Feast for Your Highness."
"The Hongmen Banquet?"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly: "Does Gao Boyan have the courage to do this?"
Lin Qingqing said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, you must be on guard... Gao Boyan is so cruel that he even killed his own son. He is worse than an animal."
"I think he's trying to curry favor with me!"
Lin Jiangnian looked at the invitation in his hand and chuckled.
"Fawning?"
Lin Qingqing was startled, with a look of doubt on her face.
"Gao Boyan used Gao Wenyang's death to pledge his loyalty to the Third Prince. Not only did he preserve the Gao family's foundation, but he also likely received immense benefits from the Third Prince."
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes. "But this would also completely tie his Gao family to the Third Prince's camp. If the Third Prince succeeds in his bid for the throne and ascends the throne, his Gao family will naturally prosper. But if the Third Prince fails, his Gao family will face catastrophic disaster."
"In this case, Gao Boyan will have to find a way out for himself."
Lin Qingqing thought about it carefully, and then suddenly realized something: "So, Gao Boyan sent someone to deliver an invitation to you today, Your Highness, in order to secretly find a way out?"
Lin Jiangnian's eyes were calm. "The Third Prince and I are at odds with each other. If the Third Prince fails, the only one who can save them is me!"
"But……"
Lin Qingqing was puzzled and said, "Now that his Gao family has surrendered to the Third Prince, if the Third Prince fails in his bid for the throne, how can his Gao family stay out of it?"
"Who knows?"
Lin Jiangnian looked relaxed, with a half-smile on his face: "Who knows if the Gao family is enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens?"
"After all, Gao Wenyang's death is closely related to the Third Prince..."
Lin Qingqing was stunned, as if she understood something.
Lin Jiangnian stared down at the invitation in his hand and suddenly chuckled, "Tell me, if I send this invitation to the Third Prince now...what will happen?"
"The Third Prince will surely be furious and attack the Gao family!"
Lin Qingqing raised her eyes: "Your Highness, are you planning to attack the Gao family?"
"No."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly: "I want to see dog bite dog!"
"Dog bites dog?"
When Lin Qingqing was still wondering, her eyes suddenly fixed again and she turned her head to look at the alley not far away.
A dark shadow appeared in sight, standing quietly under the wall of the alley.
"Who?"
Lin Qingqing spoke in a low voice, her eyes alert.
"Qingqing, you go back first."
Lin Jiang threw the invitation in his hand to Qingqing and turned to walk out of the alley.
Lin Qingqing stood there, looking suspicious.
His expression remained alert and he did not move.
Lin Jiangnian walked up to the figure under the wall.
"Chen Kuishou, is there something wrong?"
Beneath the wall, Chen Changqing's face darkened slightly, looking somewhat unhappy. He said in a deep voice, "Gao Wenyang committed suicide in the Mi Tiansi dungeon."
"I know." Lin Jiangnian nodded.
"His death is closely related to Chen Feiyang."
Chen Changqing's eyes were cold.
"so what?"
Lin Jiangnian was not surprised and looked at him: "What are you going to do?"
Chen Changqing looked up at Lin Jiangnian, then lowered his head again.
"Chen Feiyang is in charge of the Secret Heaven Department and has connections with many powerful officials in the capital... I suspect he must be connected to the Third Prince."
Lin Jiangnian glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Is Chen Feiyang a lackey of that eunuch Chen in the palace?"
Chen Changqing's eyes were cold: "Yes."
"Why did he become Chen Zhao's minion?"
Chen Changqing hesitated slightly: "I don't know."
"If he can do it, why can't you?"
Chen Changqing was startled and looked up at Lin Jiangnian. Seeing Lin Jiangnian's indifferent eyes, he chuckled.
"Tell me, if he died, would your power and position in the Secret Department be further enhanced?"
Realizing something, Chen Changqing's expression changed slightly, and then he shook his head: "The Secret Heaven Division has four great guardians. Even if one Chen Feiyang dies, there are still three others..."
"What if the other three are dead too?"
Before Chen Changqing could finish speaking, Lin Jiangnian interrupted him.
Chen Changqing was stunned.
Are they all dead?
Those were the four guardians of the Secret Heaven Division, subordinates of the palace eunuch Chen. They were incredibly powerful, so how could they all be dead?
But when he thought of Lin Jiangnian's identity, Chen Changqing felt as if something in his heart suddenly jumped.
Among the Secret Heaven Division, only the four guardians stood in his way.
If all four of them died...
“You, you…”
Chen Changqing's voice was a little hoarse: "Are you planning to kill them?"
Lin Jiangnian didn't answer his question, but just smiled lightly: "The opportunity is right in front of you. As for whether you can seize it, it depends on your own ability!"
Chen Changqing was silent for a while, and then a sharp look flashed in his eyes.
"I will."
“…”