Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2754 Still Vigorous in Old Age 138.0
"They ran away? They just ran away like that? They didn't want to be cowards who backed down at the last minute, did they?" Jin Miaomiao didn't expect to hear such an answer. She picked at her ear, looked at Xiao Fengqi, and said, "Young Master Xiao, you must be lying to us."

“I didn’t lie to you, they really ran away. Upon hearing that the two princes had been beaten, they immediately took their men and returned to the Rong residence. Not only that, the Rong residence kept its gates tightly shut, allowing no one to enter or leave, as if they had nothing to do with what was happening outside.” Xiao Fengqi also looked helpless. “When my great-aunt told me this, she was also very shocked. I thought the same as you. They had the audacity to openly lend their private troops to the two princes and even blocked the only route in and out of the palace, so why did they back down at the slightest sign of trouble? Even now, I still can’t understand it.”

“That’s right. They made such a big fuss and caused such a commotion, how could they just run away?” Xia Chen was also very puzzled. “They sealed off the city, blocked the roads, besieged the Regent’s Palace with their troops, and even tried to control the palace, but they did nothing and just slunk away?” He spread his hands. “I have to say, their behavior is too absurd.”

"They had the courage to stand up to the late King of Liao, so why did they lose that courage when they saw the two young princes being beaten?" Shen Cha didn't quite understand either. She looked at Chu Han, then at Shen Haolin, "What do you think, Uncle and Brother?"

"It's not hard to understand. As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn. The reason they made such a commotion is probably because they were frightened by the Liao King's actions. They were only thinking about how to retaliate, how to teach the Liao King a lesson, and how to show their strength, but they forgot about the golden sword in the Regent's hand. This is quite normal; people easily forget some things they thought were common sense when they are in a state of great fear." Chu Han looked at Shen Haolin, "Where's Xiaolin? You looked thoughtful just now, what were you thinking about?"

"Hmm," Shen Haolin hesitated for a moment, "I don't know if my thinking is right."

"Tell us what you think, we'll listen."

“I was thinking, what if this whole farce was a trap from the very beginning?” Shen Haolin looked at Xiao Fengqi, then at Chu Han, raised an eyebrow, and said, “This is also a thought that suddenly came to mind. Is it possible that my great-aunt and Qi family grandfather were actually being used? Someone used them to complete this plan and carry out the first encirclement and annihilation of the Rong family, Consort Rong, and the two little princes?”

Xiao Fengqi didn't speak, but exchanged a glance with Chu Han and Shen Cha, and then looked at Song Yaojia, Xia Chen and Jin Miaomiao. He noticed that they had all fallen into deep thought after Shen Haolin expressed his thoughts.

"Think about it, is this possible?" Shen Haolin tapped the table lightly. "Although it's a bit daring, if it succeeds, the benefits will be huge, at least laying the foundation for the subsequent siege."

“Hmm, I think that’s very true.” Xiao Fengqi stroked his chin and said, “I told my great-aunt before that the whole story sounded strange, a bit anticlimactic. It started with a lot of fanfare, but when the conflict was supposed to happen, it abruptly stopped, and then the punishments and rewards were given as appropriate, resulting in a seemingly harmonious and happy ending.” He sighed and said, “I don’t think things should be like this, unless…”

“The arrangement was already made, and even if it wasn’t arranged, there was probably some tacit understanding. My great-aunt and grandfather Qi are very quick-witted; they probably guessed something after that night.” Shen Cha immediately understood Shen Haolin’s meaning. “After all, it was too much of a coincidence.”

“Indeed.” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “This round has completely exposed the Rong family’s strength.”

"The Rong family probably realized they might have been set up when they learned the Regent had taken out the golden sword, which is why they managed to slip away in time. As for so-called face," Shen Cha sneered, "they probably don't care about that at this point. The fear of being schemed against is probably more severe than the fear of having power taken away at any moment." "That's right," Xiao Fengqi nodded. "The Rong family is clever; after all, they are much more astute when it comes to scheming against others."

“That’s true, but those two little princes…” Shen Cha thought for a moment and shook her head, “They probably never suspected that this was a setup, otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to retaliate against the Xiao family and the Qi family by colluding with Mian to kidnap Young Master Xiao and Little Brother Qi.”

"But he also took advantage of the Rong family. Didn't the Rong family warn them?" Song Yaojia frowned slightly. "Or perhaps..."

“Given the Rong family’s character, even though they knew that the late King and the Regent were behind this scheme, they didn’t dare to retaliate against them. So, they chose to protect their great-aunt and the Qi family’s grandfather.” Xiao Fengqi sighed and said, “The late King and the Regent also knew this, which is why they were so furious, because the Xiao family and the Qi family were suffering on their behalf.”

"You're right." Chu Han nodded, glanced at Song Yaojia and Xia Chen who also agreed, and was about to say something when he saw Jin Miaomiao staring at him blankly. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "What's with that expression?"

"I don't quite understand what you're talking about." Jin Miaomiao looked at Shen Haolin. "I don't really understand what the Duke meant by 'scheme' and 'utilization'."

“That’s how it is.” Shen Cha patted Jin Miaomiao and explained, “What my brother means is that this whole farce was a scheme by the Prince of Liao and the Regent from beginning to end. Besides the Rong family, Consort Rong, and the two little princes, they also targeted the great-aunt and the Qi family grandfather. As for the young Master Lan, he was just a target, a weapon they used to scheme against the Rong family, Consort Rong, and the two little princes.”

"How could that be?" Jin Miaomiao spread her hands. "My great-aunt and Qi family grandfather went to see the Prince of Liao and proposed to send Young Master Lan to the Regent's Palace. Only the two of them should know that, right? How could others not know what they wanted to do and possibly have planned it in advance?"

“If your great-aunt and grandfather hadn’t consulted the Regent beforehand, why would they have rashly proposed sending someone to the Regent’s residence?” Shen Cha looked at Xiao Fengqi. “The two elders must have consulted with the Regent and obtained his consent before they went to the palace to meet the Prince of Liao, right?”

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “My great-aunt mentioned this point, and it’s not just the two of them who had this idea; the Regent also shared the same thought. I remember my great-aunt saying that the Regent thought it was a very good idea to bring Young Master Lan to his residence, but he couldn’t ask for permission.”

"I understand. If he speaks up, it will cause misunderstandings in the court, and the Prince of Liao will be accused of mistreating his own son. If someone else speaks up, it can be said that Consort Rong is unkind and wants to get rid of Young Master Lan as soon as possible."