Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2743 Still Vigorous in Old Age 127.0
“But it’s not just a feeling, right?” Shen Cha looked at Chu Han, then at Xiao Fengqi. “This night was definitely not peaceful, but since no one mentioned it, you didn’t know.”

“That’s natural, otherwise, the Regent King wouldn’t be able to become the Regent King.” Xiao Fengqi spread his hands. “However, after I woke up, my great-aunt didn’t tell me the specifics, and my family didn’t mention it either. Whenever I tried to get information out of them, they would change the subject and interrupt me.”

“Definitely, because you’re young. If I told you something like this, you’d have nightmares.” Chu Han felt a bit of back pain from sitting, so he stood up and slowly strolled around. As he walked, he said, “Kids should just grow up properly. The most important thing is for them to grow up well. As for other things, even if the sky falls, the adults will take care of them. Why should a child like you worry about them?” He looked at Shen Haolin and Shen Cha, then at Song Yaojia and Xia Chen, “You’re the same. If it weren’t for special circumstances, some things wouldn’t fall on your shoulders.”

“We know.” Shen Haolin looked at Chu Han, who was standing behind him and pressing on his shoulder, and sighed softly. “It’s not just us, isn’t it the same for our great-uncle? Sometimes, whether or not we shoulder certain responsibilities, and when we start to shoulder those responsibilities, is not something we can choose.”

"That's true." Chu Han patted Shen Haolin's shoulder and said, "Xiao Xiao, continue. When did you find out?"

"What happened that night?" Seeing Chu Han nod, Xiao Fengqi said, "Although they didn't say, I guessed a little. After that day, the concubine and the two young princes were confined to their quarters for only half a month. I initially thought it was a minor matter, but with the confinement order taking effect, the Regent's status suddenly rose. The late king directly sent all the famous teachers in the court to the Regent's residence, specifically requesting them to be the tutors of Young Master Lan and Young Master Nan, and also specifically requesting me to be his study companion. Among these famous teachers, some of them had previously taught several Princes of Liao."

"Didn't these people teach those two little princes before?"

“No.” Xiao Fengqi shook his head slightly. “So, this is tantamount to announcing to the world that the heir to the throne has been chosen. And the Regent’s Palace, where the heir to the throne resides, has suddenly become extremely sought after.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “Although this is a good thing, the atmosphere in Linhuang Prefecture is still not very good. The common people may not have noticed much, but all the residences of important officials, as well as the residences of the leaders of the North and South Courts, are heavily guarded. You have to pass by their gates quickly, otherwise you will be stopped and have your identity verified.”

“We’ve already made defensive preparations. If those two, together with their maternal relatives, launch a coup and cause chaos in the city, they have the ability to protect their own residences from harm.” Shen Haolin nodded. “They may seem like no one cares, but in reality, every family cares a lot.”

“That’s right.” Xiao Fengqi took a couple of sips of tea, glanced at Chu Han standing behind Shen Haolin, and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Even so, the family pretends that nothing has happened.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t let anyone notice anything amiss. However, your abduction is likely related to all of these things.”

“It’s related.” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “The two young princes and their maternal grandparents’ families were unhappy that it was us and the Qi family who came up with this idea, so they wanted to retaliate against us, which led to this whole mess. Originally, they did intend to only take me away, but unexpectedly, little Feng ended up with me. For them, that was a pleasant surprise.”

"In other words," Shen Cha stroked her chin, "can I understand that their family—I mean the maternal family of those two little princes—has always had a connection with Mian?"

“Yes, but they won’t admit it.” Xiao Fengqi looked at Chu Han. “Right?”

“Yes!” Chu Han nodded. “The people of Mian confessed to them, but they denied it. In the end, they just pushed out a collateral branch to take the blame. The main family suffered no casualties at all.” “That’s not important,” Xiao Fengqi sighed softly, “because after that incident, for about half a year, the two young princes, their mothers, and their maternal families… all had their homes confiscated and their families wiped out because of this power struggle. So, whether they confess or not doesn’t matter. That crime is far less serious than the crime of power struggle.”

"That's true." Shen Cha nodded. "When did you find out the specifics?"

“When I was about eleven or twelve years old, my great-aunt’s health was not very good. Although she didn’t have to lie in bed every day, she needed to rest more than she needed to handle official business. Most of the time, she looked after me and guided me in handling household matters. Whenever we stopped to rest, we would talk about things that had happened in the past.”

"So you asked to know what happened that night?"

"It just happened in the heat of the moment. If it hadn't been brought up, I probably wouldn't have remembered it, since it's been so long."

"How could you forget that?"

"A lot happened afterward, and during that time, my great-aunt was in poor health, so all my energy was focused on her. Besides, the culprit has been dead for many years, so there's no point in bringing it up again." Xiao Fengqi sighed and said, "The reason I brought it up is because my great-aunt reminded us that we can't let our guard down. There are probably quite a few traitors among us. The abduction incident back then was a good lesson. It was because of this that I remembered what happened that night, because everything started from that night." He took a sip of tea and said, "As I mentioned before, after learning that the late king had sent Young Master Lan to the Regent's Palace, the concubine and the two young princes went mad, feeling that things were no longer under their control."

"It's not entirely in their control; it's more accurate to say they feel they've been deceived by the late King of Liao?"

“I agree.” Shen Cha nodded. “They have always felt that the late King of Liao did not value Young Master Lan. Not only did he not value him, but he was even somewhat indifferent to him. Otherwise, he would not have allowed them to bully Young Master Lan like this.”

"Yes, that's what they think, their own arrogance. So, sending Young Master Lan away allowed them to see the true nature of the King of Liao."

“It’s not just that, I think it’s more of a fear.” Shen Cha looked at the others. “As those two young princes gradually gained real power and became the most powerful heirs to the throne, whether it was the two princes, the concubine, or even the concubine’s family, they all felt that their strength was extremely powerful and that they were fearless. But…”

"The actions of the late King of Liao made them suddenly realize that they had not grasped real power for so many years."