Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 75 Who can ascend to the top of the throne?

"Enough!" Emperor Liang looked at his incessantly noisy and unruly sons, feeling quite annoyed. He slammed his hand on the table. "I will order the Suspended Mirror Bureau to thoroughly investigate this case. You two, get out of here."

The Crown Prince and Prince Yu exchanged a fierce look before leaving the hall together.

After leaving the palace, Prince Yu immediately arranged for someone to meet Mei Changsu.

He recounted everything that had just happened to him, and Mei Changsu was overjoyed, bowing deeply in gratitude.

"This time, the entire effort was made by Your Highness; otherwise, the Jiangzuo Alliance would have been in grave danger."

"You're too kind. You are my right-hand man, and your affairs are my affairs as well. There's no need for such formalities."

As Prince Yu spoke, he feigned embarrassment and asked, "I wonder if the group that hijacked the prison cart was truly from your Jiangzuo Alliance?"

Mei Changsu smiled with feigned helplessness and bitterness: "Now that things have come to this point, I really dare not hide it from Your Highness any longer. It was indeed some of the brothers in the alliance who arranged these subordinates."

But I assure Your Highness that the case of the Myo-yomi Pavilion has nothing to do with us.

Prince Yu nodded, his expression unchanged, and sighed, saying, "Next time something happens, I hope you will try to discuss it with me more. If we can communicate in time, we may not have needed to resort to hijacking the prison cart."

"Your Highness is right. I was careless in my consideration," Mei Changsu said repeatedly.

"Sir, you have been living in the Ningguo Marquis's residence, which is inconvenient for you to travel. I recently purchased a house that is not far from the Yu Prince's residence. Why don't you move in here?"

Prince Yu was extremely envious of this capable assistant and always wanted to have him completely under his control.

Mei Changsu smiled mysteriously: "I appreciate Your Highness's kindness, but now is not the time."

Prince Yu frowned and asked, "What do you mean, sir?"

"I'm thinking of getting rid of Marquis Xie Yu of Ningguo for Your Highness—"

"What?" Prince Yu was startled, his expression immediately brightening as he hurriedly leaned closer and asked, "Is what you say true? Can you really help me get rid of this person?"

Marquis Ningguo, Xie Yu, is the Crown Prince's most powerful assistant and a major figure in the military. If he falls, the Crown Prince will suffer a heavy loss and completely lose his bargaining chip in the fight against him.

"Of course, I have been planning this, but at the crucial moment, I will still need Your Highness's strong support," Mei Changsu said solemnly.

"That's no problem. If needed, I will do my utmost to help."

Watching Prince Yu's departing carriage, Mei Changsu ultimately decided not to involve Prince Ling in the matter.

The biggest enemy of both sides right now is the Crown Prince. Only after the Crown Prince falls can Prince Yu be free to fight against Prince Ling. Otherwise, if another prince with great military achievements and deep cunning is added, the situation could become even worse with the three sides in a tripartite balance.

The fact that Prince Ling had never revealed his intention to seize the throne clearly indicated that he wanted them to fight to the death until they were both severely injured before he made his move.

Just then, Li Gang came over to report, glanced around to make sure no one was there, and whispered in his ear.

"Sect Leader, the alliance has discovered traces of Miss Gong Yu!"

"Where?" Mei Changsu's expression brightened. These days he had been hesitating and considering whether to find a woman with high martial arts skills from the alliance to replace Gong Yu.

"At the Ling Prince's Mansion—"

Mei Changsu paused slightly, then frowned, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Is it possible to make contact with Gong Yu?"

"The Lingwang Mansion is extremely well-guarded and has many experts. That brother only discovered it by chance. It's impossible to sneak in silently."

Li Gang shook his head slightly, rejecting his idea.

"In that case, I'll send a visiting card and personally pay a visit to Prince Ling tonight."

"is a "

Soon, Su Li received the invitation from the other party, to which he simply replied, "I look forward to your arrival."

At night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. The dark streets were peaceful, except for the brightly lit Lingwang Mansion across the street. Graceful palace maids in palace attire moved through the corridors, and from time to time, guards carrying torches and swords walked by.

"Mr. Su, this way please?"

Led by a stoic bodyguard, Mei Changsu arrived at the front of the main hall, where bodyguards on both sides immediately stopped Zhen Ping and Li Gang, who were following closely behind him.

"Our Highness only allowed Mr. Su to enter. Please wait here for a moment."

"metropolitan----"

The two immediately turned their gaze to Mei Changsu, who smiled and said, "Since it is His Highness who said so, then you can wait and see. I don't think there should be any danger in this Prince's mansion."

The two fell silent for a moment, then slowly retreated together.

Indeed, once they entered the palace, they were at the mercy of the Prince, with no room to resist whatever he wanted to do.

Mei Changsu entered the main hall, where musical instruments collided and played clear melodies. A group of songstresses displayed their graceful figures, their bodies infinitely alluring and beautiful, surrounding a pair of sisters, dancing a captivating dance.

On the main seat, a woman in a light blue palace dress, Gong Yu, was being embraced by Su Li, drinking and watching the dance, looking quite carefree.

Upon seeing him enter, the dancing girls scattered to the sides, their beautiful eyes all turning towards Mei Changsu.

"It is an honor for my humble abode to have such a talented scholar as you visit. Please have a seat."

Mei Changsu bowed slightly, said "Thank you, Your Highness," and sat down to Su Li's right without the slightest hesitation.

Su Li waved his hand, and the singing and dancing in the arena continued. He looked at the handsome and slender Mei Changsu and asked in a calm tone, "I prefer to be straightforward. What brings you here, sir? Please speak plainly."

"I have only come today to pay my respects to Your Highness, and I have no important business here." Mei Changsu picked up a bunch of grapes, took one out and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly as he said, "People say that Your Highness is carefree and happy, and when he has nothing to do, he often enjoys dancing and making merry at the Prince's Palace."

But only I know that Your Highness, you harbor great ambitions. Though you appear calm on the surface, your inner world is actually turbulent and deep.

After he finished speaking, he wanted to see what change in the other person's expression, but unfortunately the latter did not change at all, his eyes were fixed on the dance in the arena.

He gave a bitter laugh, and said with a hint of admiration, "Your Highness is more terrifying than I imagined. The Crown Prince has ascended to a high position, but he is still trembling with fear every day. Prince Yu is secretly plotting to ascend the throne and is doing his best to win over all forces. Prince Jing seems to be indifferent to worldly affairs, but he is always busy with military affairs and never slacks off."

Only Your Highness—indulging in extravagance and sensual pleasures, you firmly hold the entire situation in your hands.

After listening, Su Li looked at him, smiled slightly, and raised the glass of wine in her hand to toast him: "Sir, you have a good way of speaking. But no matter how much you praise me, Mr. Su, I will never let my guard down."

The chances of us becoming friends are slim, unless you abandon your support for Prince Jing; otherwise, we will inevitably have to fight each other.

Mei Changsu was slightly startled. He had always supported Jing Dan and had never revealed this to outsiders. How could this person know?

"Your Highness is mistaken. I support Prince Yu."

"Really? Maybe I remembered wrong." Su Li remained noncommittal.

Mei Changsu took a deep breath: "I wonder what Your Highness's views are on the Crown Prince and Prince Yu?"

"Of course I'll watch it lying down. Neither of them is any good. Handing the reins over to them will only bring disaster—only I can bring change to this country and create a new path for the world."

Zu Li was radiant and exuded confidence, giving off an aura that made people involuntarily hold their breath—Wang Wei.

Mei Changsu smiled wryly, "Your Highness is truly confident—"

Su Li didn't want to explain. He waved his hand, and the singing and dancing in the arena immediately stopped. He said lazily, "I'm tired. Since you have no other important business, sir, you may go back."

This strategist had been testing him ever since he entered the palace, never telling the truth. Talking to such a person was exhausting.

Instead of wasting time, it would be better to chat with the songstresses about life and soak in a hot spring.

She patted Gong Yu's pert buttocks and said, "You should have something to say to Mr. Su. Why don't you see him off?"

Gong Yu glanced at him with her almond-shaped eyes, then gracefully bowed and followed Mei Changsu, protected by a group of guards from the Prince's mansion, as they moved through the corridors of the main hall.

Just before leaving the palace, the two stopped. Mei Changsu sighed deeply and looked at her.

Gong Yu pursed her lips slightly, her beautiful face showing a hint of melancholy and aloofness: "Sect Master, how have you been lately?"

"I am doing well, but Mr. Thirteen passed away a few days ago. He was still thinking about you when he died." Mei Changsu said in a long, drawn-out tone.

Gong Yu remained silent for two seconds, then walked gracefully to the curtained area, gazing at the blooming lotus flowers in the pond. Moonlight streamed down, making her appear as beautiful as jade.

"When I have the chance, I will ask the Prince to let me visit Mr. Thirteen, so that our friendship of so many years will not have been in vain."

"That's good—the palace is a deep and complex place, once you enter the royal residence, it's like entering a vast sea, so you must be careful."

Mei Changsu offered a few words of advice, then suddenly burst out laughing: "Prince Ling is ambitious and cunning. He is very likely to ascend to the throne in the future, and perhaps I will have the opportunity to call you Imperial Concubine then."

Gong Yu's cold eyes flickered slightly, and a sadness that no one else could see appeared on her face. She said in a low voice, "Sect Master, please take good care of yourself. I never expected that an ordinary invitation would lead me into this Prince's mansion. I can only say that no one can know what fate holds."

She spoke quickly and fluently, and in just a few words she explained the whole story of how she entered the Prince's mansion.

When Mei Changsu learned that it was Prince Yu who did it, and recalling the virtuous prince's demeanor that the prince had maintained in front of him, he felt a surge of anger. A hypocrite is a hypocrite.

Knowing full well that Miaoyinfang belonged to him, he refused to reveal any information, fearing that Miaoyinfang would cause him resentment.

"Miss Gong Yu, it's getting late, Mr. Su, please come in." The guard beside her reminded her.

Gong Yu snapped out of her reverie and smiled slightly: "I'll see you out of the manor, sir."

"good!"

Watching Mei Changsu walk out of the palace, the heavy vermilion gate slowly closed. Gong Yu composed herself and returned to her residence.

Inside the luxurious and brightly lit room, a tall and imposing figure was carefully examining a file, only putting it down when she entered.

"Has the person been sent away?"

"Yes!"

Su Li beckoned with her finger, and Gong Yu obediently sat in her lap, her soft buttocks feeling very appealing.

He pinched the woman's chin with his fingers and asked teasingly, "I thought you'd give him some hints and take you out!"

Gong Yu lowered her eyes shyly and exhaled a fragrant breath: "Your Highness is joking. I am your person, how could I do such an improper thing? I have seen how good you have been to me these days."

There is only one thing I haven't forgotten right now, and that is to kill Xie Yu and avenge my whole family.

"Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised. I will personally let you kill Xie Yu."

Su Li's hands began to explore the unknown territory, and he said teasingly, "My dear concubine, it's getting late, let's go to bed."

Gong Yu said sweetly, "This humble servant will undress Your Highness—"

Time passed very quickly. The conflict between the Crown Prince and Prince Yu intensified in the court, and the atmosphere of factional strife, fueled by the two forces behind the scenes, became common knowledge in Nanjing.

As autumn fades and new life begins, the important festival of Lunar New Year's Eve is approaching at a visible speed.

At the docks, laborers gathered, their backs drenched in sweat as they carried various goods, and one official ship after another arrived carrying supplies from all over the country and even from overseas.

Some laborers discovered black fire, or gunpowder, mixed in with the goods they were carrying.

This news was immediately reported to the two factions, Mei Changsu and Su Li.

Having nothing to do lately and indulging in his carefree life, Su Li was aware of the work of that Marquis Yan Que.

This marquis, utterly disillusioned with the current court after his lover was taken away, planned to cause a major upheaval at the National Day banquet on New Year's Eve, so that Emperor Liang would die at the most joyous time.

However, in the original novel, Mei Changsu stopped him and persuaded him to join his side with reason and emotion.

Su Li has no intention of interfering in this matter; she simply wants to preserve the evidence.

After all, if Emperor Liang were to pass away, the Crown Prince would benefit, as he could rightfully ascend the throne, which would naturally not be a good thing for him.

Emperor Liang can die, but not now; it would be best if the crown prince were deposed and the court were leaderless.

As people drink, make merry, and enjoy their carefree lives, New Year's Eve arrives.

After the grand ceremony during the day, Emperor Liang held a grand banquet for all his officials in the palace that evening, and Su Li, as a prince, was naturally invited as well.

Xinliu brought out the latest formal wear, and Gongyu extended her fair and slender hand to help him change.

"How is it?" Su Li spread her hands and turned around in front of her.

"In His Highness's words, he's very handsome!" Gong Yu said with a smile.

Su Li wrapped her arms around her slender waist and gently bit her fragrant lips, tasting the flavor of the lipstick. Xin Liu and Xin Yang did the same.

"You all stay home and behave yourselves. I'll come back after the banquet at the palace and spend New Year's Eve with you."

"yes""

Riding in a horse-drawn carriage and escorted by a group of guards, we entered the palace. The palace, decorated for New Year's Eve, looked like a heavenly palace fallen to earth, full of joy.

The palace maids and guards were all dressed in new clothes and armor, creating a joyous and festive atmosphere.

Upon entering the main hall of the palace, Emperor Liang had not yet arrived. After a year of fierce fighting that nearly resulted in brain damage, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, who had suffered heavy losses on both sides, had already arrived.

Prince Jing and the other princes also gathered in small groups, chatting casually.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The quacking of the Grand Eunuch Gao Zhan echoed throughout the hall. Emperor Liang appeared with the Empress and Consort Yue, and all the princes immediately knelt down.

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