Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 86 Dark Chess

A month later, Liang and Chu signed another alliance, the border wars ceased, and Su Li led his army back to Jinling after receiving an imperial edict.

Half a year had passed between his departure for Yunnan and his return to Jinling. Prince Jing, who was originally a Prince of the Second Rank, had long since been promoted to a Prince of the Fifth Rank.

After the Crown Prince was deposed, he defeated Prince Yu and could be considered one of the most promising candidates to become Crown Prince in the eyes of the entire court.

Meanwhile, Su Li had also won victories in the border wars and was equally prestigious. It was clear to discerning people that the two princes were bound to have a fierce battle.

"I left in spring, and returned in summer or autumn."

Gong Yu lifted the curtain of the carriage, and outside, the leaves were turning yellow and the desolate autumn air made everything begin to wither.

"The scenery in Yunnan is really different from our Jinling. It's hot there, but it's cold here—" Xin Yang knelt on the soft carpet of the carriage, looking out the window.

Su Li, who had just woken up and was lying in Gong Yu's arms, rubbed her eyes and casually asked, "Where are we?"

Xinliu glanced outside and said cheerfully, "We can already see Jinling City!"

Su Li took a breath and stretched out her hand, saying, "Help me undress; I need to go to the palace to see my father later."

Before long, the procession passed through Jinling City and split up in the direction of the Prince's Mansion and the Imperial Palace. Su Li rode a tall horse and led the Prince's Mansion guards into the Imperial Palace to meet Emperor Liang.

"Father, the records from the beginning to the end of this war—"

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Emperor Liang personally walked over from behind the table, helped Su Li up from the ground, and nodded, saying, "This time, thanks to you and Princess Nihuang, we were able to defeat the Chu army and enhance our national prestige. I'm sure Chu won't invade our borders again for the next 10 years. You have rendered meritorious service!"

"It was all thanks to Father Emperor's support that I dare not take credit for it."

Su Li glanced at Emperor Liang, who had aged considerably, clearly exhausted from the troubles he had been dealing with recently.

"You don't need to be modest if you do a good job; you deserve to be rewarded for your contributions."

Emperor Liang thought for a moment and then asked directly, "Gao Zhan?"

The personal eunuch Gao Zhan, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward: "Yes, sir!"

"From this day forward, Prince Ling is promoted to a Seven-Bead Prince, and is bestowed with one hundred bolts of brocade, one hundred taels of gold, a set of armor, and a sharp sword!"

"Thank you for your great kindness, Father Emperor!"

Su Li bowed and thanked him once more. Emperor Liang patted him on the shoulder and said meaningfully, "You have come back from afar. Go back and rest. The important affairs of the court will need your help in the future."

"Your subject takes his leave!"

As soon as Su Li left the palace, she saw the carriage of Prince Yu's mansion parked outside. A delicate hand lifted the curtain, revealing a charming and beautiful face—it was Qin Banruo.

She slowly stepped out of the carriage, gave a graceful bow, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, Prajna has finally waited for you."

"It was Prince Yu who sent you. Your information network is truly impressive. I just returned and met with Father Emperor when you caught me in the act." Su Li said with a smile, "Everyone says that Prince Yu's mansion suffered heavy losses this time, but it seems the situation isn't as bad as it seems."

"This is not a suitable place to talk, Your Highness. Would you mind moving to another place?" Qin Banruo looked around, took a few steps closer, and deliberately lowered her voice as she spoke.

"Lead the way—"

Su Li knew without a doubt that the first thing Prince Yu would do upon his return was to contact him, the only prince who remained untainted and the only one capable of challenging Prince Jing.

In the original novel, Prince Yu was directly confined to his palace by Prince Jing and Mei Changsu's actions, losing his ability and will to compete. In the end, he was encouraged by a letter of dubious authenticity from Qin Banruo, who tricked him into rebelling.

But now, with Su Li around, Prince Yu has clearly not lost confidence and still holds onto a sliver of hope.

He was led into a private room in a restaurant. Several waitresses served him delicacies and fine wines before slowly leaving and closing the door behind them. Su Li sat cross-legged in the main seat, resting his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on the woman in the blue-purple robe.

"Speak your mind. I don't have time to waste on you."

"Very well, then let me speak frankly. Your Highness should have learned about the situation in the court after returning to the capital. Currently, Prince Jing holds immense power and is unstoppable. He may have a very high chance of ascending to the position of Crown Prince and sitting on the only throne in the world. I wonder what Your Highness, Prince Ling, thinks?"

Qin Banruo rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair and jade-like hands. She picked up the wine pot, poured a cup of fine wine in front of him, and slowly pushed it towards him, staring at him without blinking.

"You're telling me all this just to get me to clash with Prince Jing and create a chance for Prince Yu to turn things around. Do you think I'm stupid?"

Su Li didn't touch the wine in her glass. She sneered, grabbed Qin Banruo's wrist, and pulled her over.

"You don't need to test me. I can tell you directly that I am naturally interested in the throne, but it's impossible for me to be Prince Yu's pawn, unless—"

Qin Banruo asked urgently, "Unless what?"

"I want you!"

Su Li reached out and touched her delicate, pretty face, pinched it, and leaned closer to say, "Between power and beauty, at least for now, I am choosing beauty. If you want to gain benefits, you can't expect to get nothing in return."

If you want to work with me, give me your payment first, then we can discuss further.

Qin Banruo remained seated, and after a few moments of silence, he said, "Your Highness, don't you understand that you alone cannot stand against Prince Jing in the current situation? He has Consort Jing's support in the palace, and the civil and military officials of the court have also developed a favorable impression of him over the past six months."

Although you have won the war on the frontier, you only have the support of the military.

Moreover, Prince Jing also has the assistance of the brilliant strategist Qilin—”

"I know, but for me, being a carefree and leisurely prince is fine too. As for you—heh!"

Su Li patted her fair face, stood up, and walked outside.

As he opened the door and took his final step across the threshold, he replied casually, "Go back and think it over carefully. I'll wait for your answer."

""

After leaving the restaurant and returning to the Prince's Mansion, as night fell, Su Li quietly arrived at the Heavenly Prison in a carriage, arranged by his subordinates.

"Please, Your Highness. Lord Xia from the Suspended Mirror Bureau is locked up ahead."

The jailer led the way, and only the sound of footsteps echoed in the dark corridor.

Upon arriving at the prison gate, one can immediately see Xia Jiang, with disheveled hair and shackles, sitting forlornly on a pile of straw.

The jailer took out the key, opened the cell door, and then slowly backed out.

Su Li removed her black cloak, revealing her true face, and sat down opposite Xia Jiang, who looked on in astonishment.

"His Highness Prince Ling is truly incredibly powerful. He managed to sneak into such a heavily guarded prison without anyone noticing."

Xia Jiang looked at Su Li with a scrutinizing gaze. He had seen this Eighth Prince before, and now it seemed that this prince was very good at hiding his true power, which was no less than that of Prince Yu.

"Chief Xia, there's no need to be surprised. All affairs in the world are managed by people. Since they are human, they have flaws and weaknesses," Su Li said simply.

No one is better at exploiting human nature than him, having been bombarded with all sorts of information in modern society.

Xia Jiang's eyes narrowed; the other person's words were quite meaningful.

"A word from Your Highness is worth more than ten years of travel."

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. Does Lord Xia wish to leave from here?" Su Li asked directly.

Xia Jiang's eyes flashed, and he adjusted the shackles in his hands, making a crisp sound: "Your Highness wouldn't help this old man for no reason, would you?"

"That's natural. Firstly, as the head of the Suspended Mirror Bureau, you must know many secrets of all the officials in the court, which will be very useful for my struggle for the throne. Secondly, you are Sister Dong's teacher, and I fell in love with her at first sight. If I need to, I will have to put in a good word for me."

With these things in hand, surely Lord Xia would be willing to pledge his loyalty to me?

Xia Jiang was not surprised by the first part of Su Li's words; the prince must want to gain assistance by cooperating with him. However, the second part was surprising.

"This Prince Ling actually likes Dong'er—"

Because Su Li poisoned Xie Yu in advance, Mei Changsong was unable to find enough evidence to influence Xia Dong and let her know about her husband's death. This old man was also behind it all.

Therefore, the relationship between the master and disciple remained the same as before.

"If Your Highness can rescue me, I will swear to serve you to the death, and the same goes for Dong'er."

Xia Jiang knew that he had completely lost Emperor Liang's trust, and only by supporting a new emperor to ascend the throne could he regain his position as the head of the Suspended Mirror Bureau.

Prince Yu was devastated by the blow, and he could not cooperate with Prince Jing. If Prince Ling were to become emperor and take Xia Dong as a concubine, their relationship would make them even closer.

"Alright, from now on we're in a cooperative relationship. But let me make this clear: what I hate most is betrayal. Otherwise, even if you escape to the ends of the earth, I'll send men to hunt you down until you're dead!"

A cold glint flashed in Su Li's eyes as she said softly, "I know you have connections with Qin Banruo, the strategist of Prince Yu. You must follow my plan from now on—"

Xia Jiang nodded heavily: "Your Highness, please speak—"

Su Li leaned closer and whispered something. After listening, the latter took a deep breath: "Your Highness, rest assured, this matter is also in my favor. I will definitely cooperate with you to make Prince Yu raise an army at the crucial moment."

"That's right. When Prince Yu marched towards the Hunting Palace, Lord Xia was still the same powerful Chief Lord Xia he always was."

Su Li looked at the chess piece and nodded in agreement, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Your Highness must be careful of Mei Changsu and Prince Jing. These two are extremely cunning and have unwittingly set up a trap that will lead me to my death."

Xia Jiang looked on with hatred. He had schemed against others his whole life, but in his old age, he was outmaneuvered by a junior.

"I know this, so I will compete with Prince Jing next, so that all the civil and military officials will know that Princes Jing and Ling are constantly arguing, just like the Crown Prince and Prince Yu. This way, I can put the Emperor at ease, the officials at ease, and also put that genius Qilin at ease."

Amidst light laughter, Su Li walked out of the prison under Xia Jiang's watchful eye.

The wind rustled through the treetops, and last night's autumn rain had dampened the palm-sized leaves, making the city of Nanjing, now deep in autumn, appear desolate.

But the atmosphere in the palace was even more somber, for on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the golden bell tolled twenty-seven times, and the kind-hearted old man passed away.

The entire Liang royal family and all civil and military officials wore mourning clothes and kept vigil for the Empress Dowager for thirty days.

"well----"

A low sigh escaped from Xiao Jingxuan, the former crown prince who is now the Prince of Xian.

He had traveled a long way from his fiefdom to Jinling to observe mourning, and had been suffering for several days. He silently took out a piece of pastry and took a bite.

Prince Yu, standing ahead, remained silent. He coldly observed the two men in front of him, his posture upright and meticulous, displaying the excellent demeanor and discipline of a soldier.

It was Prince Jing and Prince Ling, who had recently made a great impression in the court, who had a mocking smile on their lips.

Having been through it all, he saw it clearly: these two were nothing more than pawns in his father's power struggle to maintain control of the court.

The position of crown prince may seem within reach, but in reality, it is a long way off.

Recalling Xia Jiang's words to him, Prince Yu felt a surge of excitement. Next spring hunt would be his chance to turn the tables, but for now, he had to be patient.

Father, this is not my fault. You forced me to do it all.

Silently muttering to himself, Prince Yu closed his eyes, suppressing the restlessness within him.

During this time, he had been secretly planning and trying his best to befriend military figures, including the Imperial Guard, the Patrol Battalion, the City Guard, and the State City Army.

Once Emperor Liang leaves the capital for the spring hunt in March, he can launch a fatal attack.

"The princess has arrived!"

"Greetings, Princess!"

Outside the palace, Nihuang hurriedly passed through the officials and saw her great-grandmother's coffin. She was already sobbing uncontrollably before she even arrived.

"Great-Grandma, Nihuang has come to see you."

Nihuang kowtowed three times, tears streaming down her fair and smooth face.

"Princess, Great-Grandmother passed away peacefully with a smile on her face, so you don't need to be too sad," Prince Jing said from the side.

"Yes, you've come all the way back from Yunnan, you should go and rest for a while."

Su Li also cast a glance at this woman with whom he had made love countless times at night in Yunnan.

"No need, I'll stay here with you to observe the mourning period—"

Nihuang wiped away her tears, shook her head, her gaze meeting Su Li's briefly before she looked away, then knelt to the side and remained silent.

Thirty days of mourning passed in the blink of an eye, and Nanjing began to enter winter, with occasional snowflakes drifting down from the sky.

Su Li stepped down from the carriage wearing a cloak, and the guards of the Prince's Palace hurriedly stepped forward to take the cloak from her.

"Your Highness, there's trouble again in He County—"

"What's all the fuss about? Didn't I already give her the conditions I promised last time? What more do you want?"

Su Li frowned. Recently, he and Prince Jing had clashed many times in the court. Although it was all an act, people are emotional creatures, and once they started arguing, neither of them felt comfortable.

In addition, he had secretly visited Nihuang many times, but she refused to see him. Recently, she even went directly to her great-grandmother Weiling and left Jinling, which made him even more unhappy.

"I don't know, she wants to see His Highness."

"Hmph, I'll go there tonight—"

As night fell, a horse-drawn carriage left Jinling and soon arrived in He County.

This unassuming little manor is heavily guarded, with traps everywhere and both overt and covert sentries. Anyone who doesn't know better would surely die silently if they entered.

In the dark dungeon, Su Li appeared before the four people, glanced at them, and nodded.

"It seems that my place is quite nurturing; everyone here has gained weight recently."

Yuwen Nian's temper was no longer as fiery as before. She gritted her teeth and pleaded, "Your Highness, you've finally come. Please let me out. I'm afraid I'll go crazy if I stay here any longer."

"No, Princess, you're not alone. Besides, I've prepared so many toys for you all. Just bear with it a little longer—"

"Let's say a year. After a year, you can come out."

Su Li's words caused a glint to flash in the eyes of Xiao Jingrui, Yuwen Xuan, and Yue Xiuzhe. The fact that they were released meant that Prince Ling's plan had succeeded.

With nothing else to do, they spent their time in the dungeon speculating and discussing why the other side had attacked the Chu delegation, and came to the conclusion that it was related to the struggle for the throne.

Can the next emperor be decided in just one year?

Yuwen Nian didn't care about any of that, pouting her red lips and shouting incessantly: "No way, if you don't let me out this time, I'll kill myself in front of you."

Su Li's eyes flashed fiercely, but a smile appeared on his handsome face: "Since that's the case, then I'll let you out."

"Really?!"