The most dissolute couple in the capital

The road out of the palace wasn't long, but Li Han felt like he had walked for a very long time.

Back in his study, he dismissed all the servants and sat alone in the darkness.

After a while, he suddenly overturned the desk in front of him.

"Snap—"

Brushes, ink, paper, and official documents were scattered all over the ground, and ink spilled on the white jade bricks, resembling a pool of dried black blood.

He was not reconciled.

The loss of the Taiyuan Wang clan's support was bad enough. What suffocated him most was that his father, in this seemingly benevolent but actually oppressive way, had cut off all his escape routes and nailed him back to the Fanyang Lu clan's ship!

His mother came from the Lu family, so why bother with all this?

When he came out of the palace, he overheard the palace maids discussing the King of Liang.

Another relative caused a major commotion by falling into the water at a banquet...

"Li Chengjing..."

Li Han squeezed out those three words through gritted teeth, her jealousy almost making her grind her teeth to dust.

Why should I?!

That good-for-nothing, who only knew how to cockfight and dog racing, fell into the pond at the flower-viewing banquet, disgracing the royal family. Yet, the Emperor couldn't bear to say a harsh word to him! Not only did he not punish him, but because that good-for-nothing had glanced at the Cui family girl a couple of times, the Emperor, fearing he would be wronged, turned around and, with a stroke of his pen, naturally bestowed the daughter of the Cui family of Qinghe upon him!

That's the Cui family of Qinghe! Even if Cui Zhiyuan is just a secretary, they are still a distinguished family among the five noble clans and seven prominent families! When the Emperor bestowed this marriage upon him, did he hesitate even for a moment? Did he ever worry about any "formation of powerful families"?!

And what about himself? He, a prince who was both learned and skilled in martial arts and who planned for the court day and night, only wanted to find a marriage that could solidify his position. Yet his father tore off his face in the most humiliating way, accused him of the heinous crime of "recruiting soldiers and buying horses," and severely punished him like a dog!

I walked on thin ice, trembling with fear, racking my brains to scheme, only to be met with defensiveness and disgust.

That good-for-nothing only knows how to indulge in debauchery. Relying on the favor he received when he was a child, he can easily obtain all the favor and indulgence that he could never have!

If Li Chengjing knew what Li Han was thinking, he would probably be speechless.

I accidentally fell into the water and rescued a hero, a beautiful story; you pushed someone into the water, a heinous act.

Is it comparable?

But Li Han had lost all reason; he only felt that his father was truly senile! Looking at the entire Great Ning royal family, who else was capable of shouldering such a great responsibility?

The third prince was a brute with all his might, while the fifth prince was a sickly, bedridden man.

Li Han, from a young age, studied diligently and assiduously. His mother was a concubine, and his maternal clan, the Lu family of Fanyang, had been prominent for centuries. In terms of character, talent, and background, wasn't he recognized by all officials as an outstanding figure?

He should be the only and most perfect candidate for crown prince in this great Ning kingdom!

Li Han closed his eyes, clenched his teeth tightly, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched slightly. With a few heavy breaths, he forcibly suppressed the rage in his chest that was almost burning away his reason.

No.

He cannot continue this frenzied impulsiveness.

Today's defeat stemmed from acting too hastily and from underestimating his father's aversion to factionalism and corruption. Any further action he takes now will be seen by his father as an incorrigible habit.

But the defeat was not irreversible, and he summoned his trusted advisors in a low voice.

As soon as the aide entered, he caught a glimpse of his master's bloodied hand and the mess on the floor in the dim candlelight, and was so frightened that he immediately knelt down.

"Stop talking nonsense and come here." Li Han's voice had returned to normal. "The fat shop in the Liang Prince's mansion earns more than a thousand taels of gold a month. He is a prince of the imperial family, yet he does not think about serving his country. He spends his days associating with merchants and amassing wealth outside, which violates the ancestral rules."

The advisor hesitated, then said, "Your Highness intends to break the deadlock through Prince Liang? But the Agarwood Pavilion deals in cosmetics; no matter how much they earn, it's just women's money. Besides, Prince Liang has His Majesty's protection; I'm afraid..."

"Who said I was going to do it myself?" Li Han sneered. "Father just gave me a warning. If I were to directly order someone to impeach him now, I would be walking into a trap. You leaked the news to those old fogies in the Censorate."

The aide suddenly realized, but still had concerns: "Those old officials have terrible tempers. If they knew that Prince Liang, a member of the imperial family, was actually associating with merchants and making money off the women in the inner quarters, they would definitely be furious. But... His Majesty has always been very compliant with Prince Liang. Even if an official were to remonstrate to the death, at most Prince Liang would be punished by being confined to his quarters. It wouldn't be able to bring him down at all."

Li Han sneered:

"I find him utterly disgusting. A prince of the imperial clan, he doesn't think of serving his country, but spends his days associating with merchants and amassing wealth. This violates ancestral rules and is self-degrading. Moreover, the money his cosmetics shop earns comes entirely from the money of the women in the private quarters of officials. If any official seizes on this point and accuses him of using merchants to inquire about the private affairs of officials and corrupt the atmosphere of the court, then that charge will be truly devastating."

The aide felt a chill run down his spine and quickly bowed deeply: "Your Highness is wise. I will take care of it immediately and leave no trace."

The staff member acknowledged the order and withdrew.