Masquerade in Bridal Attire and Marry the Prince

212. Intrigues

Translator: Bryan

Yuxing Tianrui’s massive army crossed the border. Though Turk reacted immediately, when their troops reached the border, Yuxing Tianrui had already taken several cities by launching sneak attacks. Du Chuxuan, naturally, received news of it before the Emperor did, and he covertly began to execute the plans which he hadn’t been able to carry out previously.

“I have something to report, sire!” said Minister Zhao aloud, the patriarch of the Zhao family, as he noticed that the Emperor was about to bring the court meeting to an end who believed that nobody had anything else to report. “We all know His Highness has been nursing his injury lately, but right now his two concubines are not in that palace with him. I wonder if Your Majesty can be so kind as to grant them permission to visit their parents.”

He had pondered for quite a long time before saying those words. Seeing as how Old Master Fang had humbly come to him to seek help and also claimed that the incident in the East Palace was not as simple as it seemed, there must indeed be something fishy going on. Although he had more than one granddaughters, he cared about them very much and not all of them could marry the Crown Prince, so he naturally wanted to protect Fang Rui.

The Emperor’s face registered displeasure and he smiled, “Minister Zhao, your words make me feel you’re distancing yourself from me.” His voice was slow, but his eyes traveled to the Fang family. However, there were many members of the Fang family in the court. Though angry, the Emperor had to think twice before lashing out at them. “His two concubines are very concerned about my son, which is why they’ve been praying for him in the palace.”

The concubines staying in the palace on their own account was different from being put under house arrest. Naturally, after the Emperor put it that way, nobody dared contradict him. However, his reply made Minister Zhao even more apprehensive. As a member of the Zhao family, he had been a courtier for many years and had seen all kinds of things happen in the court. The more he thought about it, the deeper his disquiet.

Having noticed that nobody else seemed to have anything to say, the Emperor turned around in a swish of his sleeves and walked off. The courtiers, naturally, dropped to their knees, not daring utter a word.

“Father, I’m positive this is a serious matter. It’s definitely not as simple as it seems.” In the Zhao family’s residence, Minister Zhao gave Old Master Zhao a blow-by-blow account of what had happened earlier this day. The old man gazed at the chessboard thoughtfully. “Has there been any news from our men in the palace? How’s Ling’er?”

“Messages from the palace suggest Ling’er has a lot of servants waiting upon her as an imperial concubine should have, but there are very few places she can go to,” Minister Zhao snorted. He was clearly very displeased with it. He didn’t dare complain in front of his father who had the final say in this issue.

“It’s only too obvious the Fang family are trying to use us as their cat’s paw.” Old Master Zhao placed a white piece on the board and snorted, “But these are trying times. We must find out what happened in the palace, otherwise it’d be very inconvenient for your sister to make her move in there.”

Minister Zhao nodded. Naturally, he understood that. He was just about to speak when a servant hurried inside and reported, “Your Lordships, there’s a guard at the front gate claiming he works for the third prince. He requests an audience with you.”

Minister Zhao was momentarily surprised. “He works for the third prince?” He glanced at his father. They had never had any dealings with the third prince before. Why did he send someone to visit them at this point in time?

“He’s already come here. If we turn him away, people will see us as a laughing stock.” Old Master Zhao, however, was unworried. “Go and meet him. The third prince wields no real power. Just hear what he has to say. There’s no need to take any of his words seriously.” Knowing that his father had decided to distance themselves from the prince, Minister Zhao raised no objection.

“Minister Zhao.” When Minister Zhao stepped into the hall, he saw two people standing there, both of whom were plainly dressed. One of them was none other than Yuxing Wei! Minister Zhao gave his unobservant servant a dirty look. “Please forgive me for not having come here sooner to welcome you, sire. May I ask what brings you here?”

Yuxing Wei turned around and smiled, “Minister Zhao, there’s no need for formalities. I’m here because I’m worried about your daughter. I want to help her.”

Minister Zhao was momentarily astonished, but he soon repressed his amazement. However, he had seen quite a lot of this kind of things before. There hadn’t been many women in the imperial palace in recent years, but it was not uncommon for those courtiers to stoop to commit fratricide on account of women. Therefore, he was not very surprised.

“Thank you for you kindness, sire. I haven’t heard any news of my daughter for days, which makes me unable to eat or sleep well.” Minister Zhao led Yuxing Wei to a table where they seated themselves, but he didn’t make the prince any promises.

He had talked about this issue at the court meeting only this morning, and now Yuxing Wei came here to deliver a message like this. He couldn’t ignore the undertone contained in the prince’s words.

“What happened in the East Palace really concerns me. Both the two concubines are kind-hearted women. My brother is not in a fit state to take care of them. As his little brother, I feel obliged to help him,” Yuxing Wei smiled. Though knowing that Minister Zhao had caught on to his intention, he still chose not to say it out lest he hurt the minister’s feelings.

“The two of them are now both living in a warmth chamber, waited upon by my mother’s most competent handmaids. All their daily necessities are top-notch, but the chamber is not as comfortable as a palace, and neither is it as large.”

Minister Zhao frowned slightly at his words, but he didn’t say anything. Yuxing Wei, naturally, had anticipated his silence. He smiled, “Minister Zhao, you’ve always been a smart man. I’m here to seek a partnership with you. I’m willing to make a gesture of utmost sincerity. Are you interested?”

Yuxing Wei deliberately lowered his voice when uttering the last few words. On hearing that, Minister Zhao turned to look at the servants and gestured for them to leave.

Having cottoned on to Minister Zhao’s intention, Yuxing Wei was naturally satisfied. Zhao Ling’er was indeed part of the reason why he had chosen the Zhao family to cooperate with, but it was more because the Zhao family had dealings with Manlou. For him, the Zhao family was easier to take advantage of, and he could use them as a scapegoat whenever he wanted.

It was getting dark. The Zhao family and Yuxing Wei were the only ones knowing about the secret meeting between the two.

Early the next morning, an urgent memorial to the throne was directly delivered to the Emperor at the court meeting. The Emperor’s heart lurched. He did some calculation and believed that Yuxing Tianrui should have made some inroads by now. When opening the memorial, he actually felt delighted. Predictably, the instant he opened it, he saw the news of Yuxing Tianrui taking five cities in a row.

Trying hard to maintain a straight face, the Emperor thundered with feigned rage, “This unfilial bastard! I told him to wait for further instructions, and yet he dared make such a move! What an undutiful creature!”

Those were very harsh words. All the courtiers, unaware of what had happened, instantly slumped to their knees.