The Demonic Crown Prince

"Your Excellency, I dare not accept such a kneeling."

Li Yuan moved to the side, avoiding facing him directly.

"I know that Your Highness must still harbor resentment towards this old minister, feeling that during your time as regent for the Crown Prince, this old minister ignored you and even avoided you at all costs."

But, Your Highness, do you know that this old minister was protecting you?

Zhang Yue raised his head, his eyes already red, and his voice slightly choked.

Li Yuan frowned. Zhang Yue's words were sincere and genuine; he was definitely not faking it.

What's going on?

"Tell me about it." Li Yuan nodded slowly.

"Your Highness, you know that His Majesty harbors deep resentment towards Prime Minister Liu, but he has never dared to speak out. After Prime Minister Liu passed away, he transferred his hatred for Prime Minister Liu directly to Your Highness. Although he doesn't say it, he has been looking for an opportunity to depose you from your position as Crown Prince."

And all the princes, dressed in their finest attire, are watching you closely, waiting for you to make a mistake.

In this situation, if I get too close to you, the princes will frame me, and His Majesty will surely find me guilty of forming cliques and causing trouble for the court. At that time, Your Highness will not only be stripped of your title as heir apparent, but there may be even more tragic consequences awaiting you.

"Your attempt to escape unscathed is absolutely impossible."

Zhang Yue sighed deeply.

In an instant, Li Yuan understood perfectly that what Zhang Yue said was the truth!

However, although I've come to terms with it mentally, I still can't get over it emotionally.

"I can trust you, but what's the point?"

"I am no longer the crown prince; I am merely a prince going to Yanbei to face my death."

Li Yuan said calmly.

"If you were still the same Crown Prince as before, I would do my utmost to help you leave the capital. Then, I would never let you go to Yanbei Road, but let you go as far as you can, just hoping to live a peaceful life."

But now, Your Highness, with your abilities, things are not so certain!

Zhang Yue looked at Li Yuan with eyes full of satisfaction, like the look of an elder seeing a junior finally succeed.

Li Yuan's heart stirred. "Right now, I've just become a bit more irritable, beaten up everyone who deserved it, and even nearly pushed my father into a dead end. This can be considered a dying madness. What else is there to be sure about?"

Zhang Yue smiled and slowly shook his head. "Your Highness has simply come to terms with reality and no longer needs to endure. Moreover, under the rule of fighting without breaking the alliance, Your Highness can turn the tide with a flick of your wrist. Your seemingly violent actions were actually well-reasoned and measured, both overt and covert, demonstrating unparalleled wisdom."

Whether it was the princes or His Majesty, they could only swallow their anger and suffer the consequences. Apart from so-called assassinations, they couldn't even mount an effective counterattack.

Your methods are one in a million; which of the princes could rival you?

If you say that your departure from the capital was merely a desperate attempt to die out of righteous indignation, this old minister simply does not believe it!

"Oh? So you mean, now that I'm somewhat valuable again, you want to curry favor with me and do me a favor, so that if I really succeed in my fiefdom and become successful in the future, you won't offend me to the point of death, but instead leave me with a good relationship, is that right?"

Li Yuan said coldly, "These words are already quite harsh."

However, Zhang Yue remained calm and smiled, saying, "I understand that Your Highness harbors resentment, so whatever Your Highness says, I can accept it without the slightest resentment."

Li Yuan fell silent. The man, a man in his sixties, was so humble towards him, and every word he spoke was sincere. To be honest, he couldn't act impulsively anymore.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "You took a huge risk by coming to see me this time. Not only do several princes hate me to the bone, but my emperor father probably sees me as a thorn in his side and wishes I were dead out there."

But why did you come to see me?

"This old minister only wishes for a better future for Your Highness, so there are some things that Your Highness must know."

If Your Highness has a better future, this old minister will be extremely gratified, and will not have failed in the earnest entrustment of Prime Minister Liu before his death!

As for the risks, they're nothing to worry about. Even if someone finds out, what can they do? At worst, I can just resign and go home.

Zhang Yue smiled faintly.

"My grandfather's dying wish?" Li Yuan was taken aback; he had never heard of such a thing before.

However, seeing Zhang Yue still kneeling there, he felt a little embarrassed and quickly helped Zhang Yue up.

"Indeed, before his death, Prime Minister Liu told me a few things. The first thing was that I must protect you. If possible, I should play the bad cop and force you to resign as heir apparent. Then I should find an opportunity to send you out of the capital and escort you back to your hometown of Yunzhou. The Liu family will protect you there! Otherwise, you will surely be in great trouble!"

Because Liu Xiang had already foreseen that both His Majesty and the princes would inevitably show their power and take action against you after his death.

But before the old minister could do it, the prince himself did it.

Zhang Yue stood up, sat down opposite him, and slowly spoke.

In an instant, Li Yuan's eyes reddened. It turned out that before his death, his grandfather was still worried about his safety and tried everything he could to keep him alive.

He looked up at the ceiling, composed himself, and asked, "And the second thing?"

"The second thing," he said, "is that all preparations have been made in Yunzhou because there will be great chaos in Yanbei Road. We must send you out of the capital and back to Yunzhou in time before the chaos in Yanbei Road comes to pass."

Yunzhou is too close to Yanbei Road, only three hundred li away. If the chaos in Yanbei Road spreads to Yunzhou and you cannot go there, you must contact the Liu family in time so that they can pick you up and escort you to any place.

But there's no need to do this now!

Because you have already decided to go to Yanbei Road!

These first two events have truly embarrassed this old minister, because everything happened so quickly. The rebellion in Yanbei Road actually occurred at the same time as Your Highness's abdication as crown prince. This old minister was caught off guard for a while...”

Zhang Yue pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Grandpa, you've thought of everything for me..."

Li Yuan murmured, his heart pounding.

Although my grandfather has passed away, it feels so good to have family members who care about me.

Compared to the cruel and ruthless imperial palace, this is the true longing of family!

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and frowned as he asked, "Grandpa, you actually foresaw the chaos in Yanbei Road? Why?"

A sense of unease stirred within him. Could it be that everything was premeditated?

The rebellion in Yanbei Road was not a popular uprising at all.

He had a premonition that what was about to happen was an absolutely earth-shattering secret!

Zhang Yue looked at him, lowered his voice, and slowly said, "What I am about to say is both the prophecy of Prime Minister Liu and a clue that this old minister has obtained by combining the slightest clues. I hope it can provide Your Highness with a reference so that Your Highness may truly be determined to go to Yanbei to quell the rebellion and take up your fiefdom..."