tallest building

Princess Zhao understood Wen Mingqian's analogy, which made her feel much better, and her expression softened.

So he said, “What you say makes sense, but people love to curry favor with the powerful. I vaguely hear many people praising the Crown Prince of Chu! Not to mention others, Princess Duanmin values ​​him very much.”

“That’s true,” Wen Mingqian did not deny it. They originally intended to stir up conflict between the King of Zhao and the King of Chu. “Princess Duanmin may also have her own selfish motives, but I think the King of Fenye values ​​our Crown Prince more.”

"You don't know how terrible pillow talk can be. I heard that Princess Duanmin and Prince Fenye are very much in love now!" Princess Zhao smiled. Although she had never been to the palace, she knew a lot about what was happening there.

"Then what are Your Highness's plans?" Wen Mingqian asked tentatively.

"In truth, the Empress's original intention was simply to adopt Tong'er," Princess Zhao said, glancing at Wen Mingqian. "Wouldn't it be better if Ying Bai didn't get involved in this palace?"

“Who says otherwise? If that were the case, there wouldn’t be so much trouble, and the Princess wouldn’t have to worry about it every day,” Wen Mingqian replied.

"Mingqian, how have I treated you?" Princess Zhao suddenly asked.

“You have been incredibly kind to me,” Wen Mingqian said. “I am able to be where I am today entirely because of your support.”

"If I need your help, would you be willing to help me?" Princess Zhao suddenly grabbed Wen Mingqian's hand.

"Please speak, Your Highness. I will do my best as long as it is within my power," Wen Mingqian said calmly, his eyes unwavering.

"It's what I just said. Ying Bai is getting in my way now, and I want you to help me get rid of him!" Princess Zhao leaned forward and whispered to Wen Mingqian, "Do you dare?"

“The Princess Consort’s words to me show that she considers me a confidante.” Wen Mingqian knelt down as he spoke. “I have always thought about repaying the Princess Consort’s kindness, so I have no objection. But I have only one request.”

"Speak," said Princess Zhao, looking into her eyes.

"If things are truly exposed, I would rather die than reveal your name. I only ask that you find a way to protect Chang'an after I'm gone; that's all I can hope for," Wen Mingqian said with utmost sincerity.

"Get up quickly!" Princess Zhao said, helping her up. "I won't let you take any risks."

"Does the Princess not trust me?" Wen Mingqian asked hurriedly.

“How could I not trust you? If I didn’t trust you, why would I tell you such confidential information?” Princess Zhao sighed and shook her head. “You are very helpful to the Empress now. It is a big taboo for me to ask you to do something risky and keep it from the Empress.”

Wen Mingqian had naturally thought of this long ago. She knew that Princess Zhao was just testing her, because she had already become suspicious of her. After all, why would Mr. Hua Ying help the King of Chu? Was this the idea of ​​Master Zhuge?
As Zhuge Fuzi's last disciple, Gong Chang'an is naturally of one mind with his master. So, who does Wen Mingqian actually side with?

But Wen Mingqian's behavior just now put her at ease. Besides, it was Wen Mingqian who had revealed the relevant information to her, which was what made her wary.

"So what does the Princess intend to do?" Wen Mingqian pretended to be trying his best to share her worries. "To be honest, Princess Zhuolahan seems to be closer to the Crown Prince of Chu now."

"Don't worry about this matter. There's something else I'd like your help with. Could you please find out if Master Zhuge intends to support the Chu King's family? I want to find out if Hua Ying is on his side," said Princess Zhao.

“Your Highness, please allow me to say something, but I wonder if the Empress knows that Mr. Hua Ying has moved into the Chu Prince’s residence?” Wen Mingqian said. “Instead of going through all sorts of roundabout ways to find out, why don’t we make this matter public?” “Public? How do we do that?” Princess Zhao asked.

"His Majesty's birthday is just around the corner, and Mr. Hua Ying has always been skilled in music. If His Majesty and the Empress know that he is at the Prince of Chu's residence, they can certainly summon him to the palace to teach the musicians of the Music Bureau to play new pieces. After all, he is already at the Prince of Chu's residence; surely he can come to the palace?"

This servant serves Her Majesty the Empress and knows that Her Majesty is worried that there are no new things to do for His Majesty's birthday celebration.

If he enters the palace, he will naturally distance himself from the King of Chu. If he refuses, Her Majesty the Empress will naturally understand that he must be colluding with the King of Chu. Therefore, Your Highness, you can certainly speak to Her Majesty the Empress again, and Her Majesty will not disbelieve you.”

Previously, Princess Zhao had mentioned to the Empress that she suspected Ying Bai was trying to steal Ying Tong's thunder, but the Empress did not believe her.

"This method is indeed excellent. Borrowing the Empress's help is better than anything else," Princess Zhao said happily.

As long as the Empress also notices that something is amiss with them, she will help cover up their actions when they eliminate Ying Bai.

It's even possible that they won't even have to lift a finger; the Empress might just take care of the entire Chu family.

"Do you think the King of Chu would deny that Mr. Hua Ying is in his home?" Princess Zhao asked. "The Prince and I plan to wait until my father and brother return to the capital before taking any action. I think they will definitely return to the capital before the Autumn Festival."

“The King of Chu probably wouldn’t dare to hide it; the more he tries to conceal it, the faster his wicked intentions will be exposed,” Wen Mingqian added. “However, I would also like to say that we must act quickly. Once the King of Fenye makes his move and selects Ying Bai as his son-in-law, it will be difficult to make a move.”

I think their people must also understand that once the Grand Tutor and the Emperor's brother-in-law return to court, they probably won't be able to stir up the slightest trouble.

“You’re absolutely right!” Princess Zhao even stood up. “If you hadn’t reminded me, I would have completely overlooked it. They will definitely make a big fuss before Father and Brother return to the capital, and we can’t fall behind.”

Inspired by Wen Mingqian, Princess Zhao hurriedly went to see the Empress.

At dinner time, Gong Chang'an came in from outside, and the mother and son sat down at the table to eat.

Xiaoyue went out on business, and Wen Mingqian said to Gong Chang'an, "Princess Zhao came to the palace to see me today. She was testing me and asked me to take action against Chao Yingbai and get rid of this thorn in their side."

"The King of Zhao couldn't hold back any longer. With the incident at Dai Mountain, the King of Zhao and the King of Chu have completely broken ties," Gong Chang'an said, taking a sip of soup. "The real drama is yet to come."

“Although Princess Zhao is testing me, they must have already decided to take action against Ying Bai,” Wen Mingqian asserted. “We need to find a way to make them do things openly and leave them with an indelible stain on their reputation.”

"Mother, don't worry. I'll let Ying Bai know later. We can't get things done with the Prince of Zhao right now." Gong Chang'an smiled. "We'll secretly take advantage of both sides."

"Princess Zhao is still waiting for Grand Tutor Dong to return to court; we can't let them have their way." Wen Mingqian knew the importance of timing.

"Grand Tutor Dong shouldn't be back so soon. My fellow disciples will find ways to delay them for as long as possible on their way," Gong Chang'an said confidently. (End of Chapter)