The Prodigal Son

Yinzhou.

Shi Tai, a trusted confidant of Zhao Yan, rushed back to the Prince of Chengyang's residence as quickly as possible and delivered two letters.

One letter was dictated by the Empress Dowager and written down by Zhao Yan.

The other letter was written by Zhao Yan to the Prince of Chengyang.

The Prince of Chengyang opened the letter Zhao Yan had written to him first and examined it for a while, then frowned and opened the letter from the Empress Dowager.

As he read the contents of the letter, the Prince of Chengyang was filled with complex emotions, and his expression shifted between light and shadow.

Cleanse the court of corrupt officials!

That's easier said than done!

Is it really that easy?

Zhao Luan can lose a hundred times, but can only lose once!

If you lose, you'll be utterly destroyed!

However, the Empress Dowager's plan to purge the court of corrupt officials was also very ingenious.

Ningzhou is right next to Yinzhou.

If Zhao Luan really comes to Ningzhou, as long as he makes arrangements in advance, he may actually be able to complete the "purging of the emperor's inner circle".

The Prince of Chengyang pondered silently for a moment, then turned to Shi Tai: "What is the current situation in the capital?"

"Qin Yu's reputation is now ruined. Scholars in the capital and many civil officials in the court hate him to the bone. Several ministers have already claimed illness and taken leave. In order to appease the people, His Majesty has ordered Qin Yu to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors! I heard that Chancellor Song has also fallen ill because of this matter..."

Shi Tai explained the situation of the imperial city to the Prince of Chengyang in detail.

The incidents, including Lady Lü's miscarriage and the Empress Dowager vomiting blood, were all reported together.

In fact, many of the things were mentioned by Zhao Yan in the letter.

But the Prince of Chengyang still seemed uneasy and asked Shi Tai for the specific details of those matters.

Shi Tai answered all questions without hesitation.

They talked for almost half an hour.

The Prince of Chengyang only stopped when he had run out of questions.

Although he appeared calm on the surface, his heart was beginning to stir.

Based on the current situation, it is entirely certain that the Empress Dowager and Zhao Luan have started fighting again.

However, Zhao Luan now controls most of the military power in the imperial court!

If it comes to a head-on confrontation, the Empress Dowager would definitely be no match for Zhao Luan.

The Empress Dowager herself understood this, which is why she had been trying to arrange the marriage between Zhao Yan and Zhao Luan in order to win her over!

If the Empress Dowager wanted to regain power, she also needed to win him over and gain his support.

If the Empress Dowager's plan is followed, Zhao Luan really has no choice!

Either agree to marry Zhao Yan, or you'll have to come to Ningzhou!

Once Zhao Luan arrives in Ningzhou, he will indeed have a great chance of completing the task of "removing the emperor's inner circle".

Once the Empress Dowager regains power, she will inevitably need to rely heavily on Zhao Luan and his son in order to guard against Zhao Luan's counterattack!

This is an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the father and son!

However, the Prince of Chengyang was cautious by nature, and even so, he had not yet made up his mind.

Such a life-or-death matter cannot be decided on a whim.

"Alright, you can go and rest now!"

Prince Chongshitai of Chengyang waved his hand and walked out of the study.

He needs to calm down and have a good talk with his staff.

He even hoped his advisors would throw cold water on him, to wake him up and make him see more of the crisis.

"This subordinate takes his leave!"

Shi Tai bowed and took his leave.

"etc!"

Suddenly remembering something, the Prince of Chengyang turned to Shi Tai and asked, "After the incident with the Lü family, what's the situation with the Qin family?"

"I'm not entirely sure about that."

Shi Tai shook his head slightly. "Qin Yu has been reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors, and Qin Fumeng has also kept a low profile."

After a moment's thought, the Prince of Chengyang stepped outside.

After leaving the room, the Prince of Chengyang instructed his guards to summon Cao Yuan and Ji Lianhuan to fish in the lotus pond of the palace.

Cao Yuan was the sworn brother of the father of the Prince of Chengyang. Back when the old Prince of Chengyang was a powerful figure on the battlefield, Cao Yuan served as the commander of his personal guard for a long time. According to seniority, the Prince of Chengyang should now call him "uncle".

He was also one of the trump cards that the old King of Chengyang left for Zhao Chong.

Ji Lianhuan was the most trusted advisor of the Prince of Chengyang.

When Cao Yuan and Ji Lianhuan arrived at the pavilion next to the lotus pond, the Prince of Chengyang had already caught two small carp and had ordered people to prepare fishing rods for them.

Although Cao Yuan was over sixty years old, he looked only a few years older than the Prince of Chengyang because of his profound internal strength and formidable power.

In contrast, Ji Lianhuan, though only in his early forties, looked much older than the old man from Chengyang.

Cao Yuan stepped forward and casually picked up the fish basket to check the results of the Prince of Chengyang's battle.

Seeing that there were only two small carp weighing less than half a pound each in the fish basket, he immediately shook his head. "Your Highness, when did you become so stingy? You even keep such small fish?"

"Didn't they catch anything big?"

The Prince of Chengyang chuckled, "Don't just watch, get fishing! We'll have the fish we catch tonight as our snack!"

Cao Yuan picked up the fish basket and poured the two small carp inside back into the lotus pond.

The Prince of Chengyang tried to stop it, but it was too late.

"You..."

The Prince of Chengyang looked at Cao Yuan, both amused and exasperated, "The weather is so hot and humid today, it's going to be difficult to catch fish!"

What does "little fish" mean?

Cao Yuan put the empty fish basket back. "If you're going to fish, fish for big fish!"

"Old Cao is right!"

Ji Lianhuan also smiled in agreement.

As they spoke, the two sat down next to the Prince of Chengyang and began baiting their fishing hooks.

The Prince of Chengyang turned to look at the two men, his face full of worry, and said, "There is a big fish right now, but I don't know if we can catch it, or if we'll break the fishing rod in the process!"

"Oh?"

Ji Lianhuan's heart skipped a beat. "Where is this big fish?"

The Prince of Chengyang paused for a moment, then looked intently at the two men: "They could be in the capital, or they could be in Ningzhou!"

Upon hearing the words of the Prince of Chengyang, the two men were intrigued and immediately began to inquire with him.

The Prince of Chengyang did not hide anything and told the two of them about the current situation.

After hearing what the Prince of Chengyang said, their gazes suddenly became intense.

Ji Lianhuan struggled to suppress his excitement, his fingers trembling slightly as he baited the hook and cast it into the water. Then, he exclaimed excitedly, "Your Highness, this is a golden opportunity!"

"I know this is my chance!"

The Prince of Chengyang nodded. "But the greater the opportunity, the greater the risk! Right now, the Empress Dowager is merely using me. If things go wrong, I will be the one sacrificed!"

The Prince of Chengyang understood Ji Lianhuan's thoughts all too well.

Several years ago, Ji Lianhuan had tried to persuade him to join Zhao Yi and the others in raising an army, but he had refused.

"Isn't Your Highness using the Empress Dowager?"

Ji Lianhuan smiled meaningfully, "To take, you must first give! Only after the Crown Prince and His Majesty are married can we better proceed with our next plan!"

"That being said, we must still be cautious!"

The Prince of Chengyang's expression was grave. "It was precisely because I was cautious enough that I escaped a calamity a few years ago! If we were to engage the imperial court in battle, we would be no match for its army!"

Times have changed!

Ji Lianhuan shook his head and said seriously, "Precisely because we are no match for the imperial court in a direct confrontation, we need to take this step even more! Also, Your Highness, don't forget about the Min Kingdom..."

They have already joined forces with the State of Chu and placed their pawns in the State of Min.

As long as they succeed here, and if something happens to Min Kingdom, the imperial court will only think about winning them over and will never go to war with them!

Ji Lianhuan patiently analyzed the situation with the Prince of Chengyang. Although the Prince of Chengyang was tempted, he did not show it.

Just as they were talking, Cao Yuan's fishing float suddenly sank rapidly.

Cao Yuan quickly lifted the fishing rod, without even playing the fish, and violently pulled a two- or three-pound carp ashore.

"Look, we've caught this big fish!"

Cao Yuan looked meaningfully at the Prince of Chengyang, "Sometimes, the longer you play with a fish, the easier it is to escape! Being decisive and calm will only lead to trouble!"