Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 1099: Chapter 131: The Loss of the Noble Title (Part 2)

"Your Highness, the Xie Family has lost their ducal title. Isn’t that disadvantageous for you?" Xie Shi didn’t care whether he held the duke title, but he was concerned about whether the loss of the title was disadvantageous for Prince Jing.

"No." Prince Jing smiled faintly, "For me, it’s actually a good thing that the Xie Family lost their title."

Xie Shi didn’t quite understand, and asked blankly, "Why is that?"

"Uncle, you should know that Father has always been wary of the Xie Family."

Xie Shi nodded.

"Back then, were Father really unaware of what my eldest uncle and eldest brother were doing?" Prince Jing said, "Father is such a clever person. How could he not discover what they were doing? Father just pretended not to know anything and let them continue. Once they grew too ambitious, Father stepped in."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shi’s face was aghast. He spoke with a pale face, stuttering: "Your Highness, did His Majesty do that on purpose, for the sake of..." He dared not continue. If what His Highness said was true, then the Emperor was truly terrifying.

"Back then, Father also acted as if he didn’t know what was happening with the noble families in Yangzhou, but in reality, he had long been aware and had laid a trap." The person Prince Jing admired most was the Emperor. At the same time, the person he feared most was the Emperor. "The case of the copper theft in Peng City lasted for years. Why didn’t Father immediately send the fourth brother to investigate from the start?"

After listening, Xie Shi felt only chills down his spine. "The former Crown Prince was His Majesty’s biological son, and the legitimate eldest son. How could the Emperor..."

"Blame it on the eldest brother for being too obedient to the eldest uncle." Prince Jing had always been at odds with the former Crown Prince, firstly because he genuinely believed the former Crown Prince was unfit to be Crown Prince, and secondly because he wanted to show Father. He too was the legitimate son, backed by the Xie Family. If he had been aligned with the former Crown Prince, both he and the former Crown Prince, as well as the Xie Family, would have been in danger.

"Is being too obedient to elder brother also a sin?"

"Father needs a Crown Prince of Great Zhou, not the Crown Prince of the Xie Family. Do you understand?" The eldest uncle thought himself clever but turned out to be the stupidest.

Xie Shi understood and felt rather disconcerted.

"So that’s how it is."

"The eldest uncle was too arrogant. He was no match for Father." Prince Jing sighed, "The Xie Family has fallen to such a state because of the actions of the eldest uncle and his associates. If not for the Xie Family’s past assistance, they would be doomed this time."

"I had advised elder brother to be satisfied with the current power of the Xie Family, but he wouldn’t listen." Having said that, Xie Shi suddenly thought of something, his expression changed dramatically, and he looked at Prince Jing in astonishment, "Your Highness, was it because elder brother refused to help you that you weren’t as obedient as the former Crown Prince?"

"That’s correct." He was not only disobedient but also smarter than the eldest brother. The eldest uncle couldn’t control him, so how could he be willing to help him?

"I see..." If elder brother supported His Highness and listened to him, perhaps he wouldn’t have died.

"Uncle, have you found any news while helping Mother search for the Divine Pill?"

Prince Jing’s sudden question startled Xie Shi terribly.

"Your Highness, how... how do you know?"

"How hard is it for me to know about this?"

Xie Shi thought about it and felt it made sense, "Sister... I have advised her, but she won’t listen. She insists on the Divine Pill. I’ve already sent someone to search in Lingnan. A few days ago, I received news that the formula for the Divine Pill was long destroyed, and the mother of the Gu worms in the Divine Pill is gone. It’s impossible to breed the same Gu worms anymore. The most important thing is the herbs used to raise the mother Gu were burned."

"What a thorough job done by the tenth brother."

"Your Highness, do you also want the Divine Pill?"

"What would I need it for? I’m worried about Mother." Prince Jing found that ever since Empress Xie became younger after consuming the Divine Pill, she’d grown increasingly abnormal. He was concerned that without the Divine Pill, Empress Xie might go mad.

"I’m worried about Sister too. But Sister..." Xie Shi didn’t know how many times he’d tried to advise Empress Xie, but she wouldn’t listen and insisted on the Divine Pill.

"Uncle, I’m very worried about Mother now." Prince Jing frowned, his face growing serious, "Without the Divine Pill, I’m afraid Mother will go mad." These past years, Mother has constantly fallen ill, growing weaker, and her appearance has become increasingly old. She no longer dared to look in the mirror, and her temperament grew stranger. After consuming the Divine Pill, she no longer fell ill, her appearance became youthful again, and her mood returned to normal. Once the Divine Pill is gone, her illness might recur, her appearance will age, and she certainly won’t accept that.

"Your Highness, I’m also worried that Sister might go mad." For these years, Sister, due to frequent illnesses, her temperament became increasingly frightening. Honestly, he previously dared not see his Sister.

"The Divine Pill cannot be found. Uncle, have someone buy some body-beneficial medicine from Lingnan and tell Mother it’s newly made Divine Pill."

"Your Highness, Sister probably won’t believe it."

"It’s normal for the new Divine Pill to be different from the previous one, and its effect also cannot match the old one, but it can still maintain youthful appearance." Prince Jing added, "Say directly that the new Divine Pill is a counterfeit created by people from Biaoguo or Johor, and Mother will believe it."

"Your Highness is wise." Saying this way, Sister should believe it.

"Uncle, calm the Xie Family people, make sure they don’t cause trouble." Prince Jing reminded, "If they are not obedient at this time, then only death awaits them."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shi’s heart tightened, and he quickly nodded and said: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will warn them."

"If anyone says again that Father is ungrateful, punish them directly with family law." Prince Jing said coldly, "If these words reach Father’s ears, you know what the consequences might be."

Xie Shi, with terror on his face, nodded vigorously: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will restrain them."

As they were speaking, a eunuch by the side of Prince Jing came in, approached him, and whispered a few words.

After listening, Prince Jing waved his hand at him.

Seeing the change in Prince Jing’s expression, Xie Shi hurriedly asked with concern: "Your Highness, what happened?"

"A message from the palace. Noble Princess Consort Rong is ill," Prince Jing sneered, "Father has decreed for Prince Dai to return to the capital."

"Isn’t it a good thing that Noble Princess Consort Rong is unwell?"

"Uncle, do you think she’s truly ill or pretending?"

Xie Shi was stunned, "Noble Princess Consort Rong feigning illness? Why would she feign illness?"

"Naturally because the Marquis Xuanping has lost his title."

"The Emperor has always favored Noble Princess Consort Rong. Now that she’s ill, the Emperor will surely restore the Marquis Xuanping’s rank to make her happy." Xie Shi thought of Prince Jing saying that Prince Dai was coming back, and he couldn’t help but feel anxious, "Your Highness, Prince Dai had accomplished great meritorious deeds in the northern frontier before. His return now is disadvantageous for us."

Prince Jing was not worried about Prince Dai’s return. He said with a faint smile, "Not necessarily."

"Your Highness, will Prince Dai’s return not threaten us?"

"Compared to us, the fourth brother is more worried. Let’s sit back and watch the show."

"Indeed, there’s also Prince Chu." Prince Dai’s meritorious return is an even greater threat to Prince Chu.

"Uncle, in a few days, I’ll give you the medicine. You take it to the palace to deliver to Mother as the new Divine Pill." Mother’s Divine Pill is running low, and Prince Dai is going to return to the capital. At this moment, Mother must not cause any trouble. Keep her stable and prevent her from going mad.