Too high to reach

Chapter 341 The So-Called Princess

Several recent events have left the Crown Prince scrambling to keep up.

He kept plugging the holes to please the emperor.

What frustrates him even more is that, to this day, he still doesn't know who is targeting him. And why...?

They opened up all their connections and launched a thorough investigation. Li Jing was the first suspect, but when they sent people to keep an eye on him, they discovered that he also seemed to be investigating the matter.

not him.

Who could that be?

Now, after the meeting was over, one of the people sitting in the front study was idly flipping through something in his hands.

A voice announced at the door, "Your Highness, the princess has arrived."

Just as she finished speaking, Princess Yu'an entered, "Crown Prince..."

She was still dressed in fine clothes, but her expression had lost its previous brightness and flamboyance. She had lost a lot of weight, and her skin was dark and yellow.

The Crown Prince sighed inwardly. He had been preoccupied with both good and bad things lately and had neglected her. He then asked softly, "What brings you here today?"

"I'm free every day!" Princess Yu'an sat down irritably, then immediately stood up again, her brows furrowed.

She forgot again...

Although the wound has healed, it must have damaged the tendons and bones. I don't know what kind of movement might cause her pain.

"Sigh," the Crown Prince quickly turned his eyes away and sighed deeply, "I'm also very troubled, I don't know what's wrong with me lately..."

Once the pain subsided, Princess Yu'an remained unconvinced by the Crown Prince's words: "Regardless of what happened, first tell me what Father Emperor's attitude is!"

"What kind of attitude is that... That day, he threw a memorial at me!" the Crown Prince said, annoyed.

"So what!?" Yu An rolled her eyes. "Didn't we not punish you or take away your power? What's there to worry about? No matter what happens, it hasn't shaken your position, and that's the most important thing."

The crown prince smiled wryly and remained silent.

Princess Yu'an looked around and, seeing that only she and her brother were in the large study, leaned closer and said, "Every year from late autumn to winter, Father Emperor gets sick with a cough, and who knows... he might not make it through this year! Wouldn't that solve everything?"

These words made the crown prince narrow his eyes. He didn't mince words either: "Hmph, they make a fuss every year, but they always manage to pull through..."

"You should discuss this with the Empress Dowager. She's been in the palace for so many years, why can't we just go with the flow?"

"You don't understand! This kind of thing isn't as simple as suppressing a concubine or causing someone to miscarry. It involves confiscating property, exterminating the entire clan, and the death penalty of slow slicing. Who would dare to do that? Besides doing it herself, who could she truly trust? The relationships in the palace are complicated. In daily life, you can just ask someone to do whatever they want. But when things get serious, you don't even know who the Emperor's people are and who the Empress Dowager's people are. What if... then we're all finished."

"That's true..." Princess Yu'an said helplessly, "However, no matter what, Father Emperor was just throwing a tantrum, he didn't really do anything to you. Besides, who did you offend?"

The Crown Prince glared at her: "What are you saying? In my position, when have I not offended anyone? What have I done that hasn't offended anyone? If I have more of my own interests, I will encroach on other people's, and that will offend people."

"That's true, but given your status, anyone who wants to mess with you has to think twice. If things go wrong, it could lead to your entire family being wiped out, okay? In my opinion, it'll be one of those few people. The first one is that bastard, Seventh Brother!"

"It can't be said that he wasn't involved, but there are some things that he really wasn't behind." The Crown Prince shook his head.

"And what about the fourth prince? He's a troublemaker, trying to fish in troubled waters. And the fourteenth prince, don't let his status as the seventh prince's lackey fool you, he certainly won't let go if he gets a chance. And the fifteenth prince... don't underestimate him, investigate that vile Consort Dong. And that old woman, the Empress Dowager suspects Qian Xiangqing wants to marry the fifteenth prince. Aren't they all in the same boat? And the Prince of Yong'an, the Emperor treats him no less well than his sons, he's rich, with fine gardens, fine things, carriages and horses... and he spends so much money doing favors for the Emperor and Empress Dowager..."

As the prince listened to her rambling, he wondered to himself: Who have I offended...? Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, but before it could fully form, he suddenly remembered something else...

"Alright, I have something to do. You go to the back and chat with your sister-in-law!"

Princess Yu'an snorted and stood up. "Don't forget what happened in the East. Be prepared at all times, and deal with him whenever you have the chance, regardless of whether he's dead or crippled."

"There's no time for that now. Besides, your problems might not be unrelated to him. If you mess with him, he might mess with you in return. Be careful..."

"But you didn't find out either, did you? Otherwise, wouldn't Father have chopped off his head?" The Crown Prince disliked being told he was incompetent, so he frowned and looked at Princess Yu'an, then suddenly said, "By the way, there's something... I'd like to discuss it with you first..."

"What is it?" Princess Yu'an sat down again.

The prince touched his nose, somewhat hesitant to speak. "It's like this... There's a second-rank commander at Tongguan, surnamed Niu. I only met him during the martial arts competition. He's thirty-five this year. His wife died last year, well..."

"What do you mean?!" Princess Yu'an suddenly understood, her eyes narrowed, and she became anxious.

The prince said helplessly, "Sister, you need to be aware of our current situation. This man has 50,000 elite troops and is incredibly wealthy. He controls several mines nearby. If you could get close to him..."

Princess Yu'an flew into a rage, sweeping everything off the table in front of her and screaming, "You're dreaming!"

"What are you doing?!" The crown prince was also annoyed when he saw her acting arrogantly in front of him.

"You're incompetent, yet you want to sell your girl?" Princess Yu'an asked with a sinister smile.

The Crown Prince calmly replied, "Princesses, though born into wealth and enjoying all the luxuries, are still married to serve the court. This has always been the case. Have you forgotten Hua'an and Wen'an in the palace?"

Those were two princesses who were sent away for political marriages.

It wasn't always the case that a marriage alliance was formed when someone won or lost a war. Princesses were often married off to maintain good relations and facilitate economic exchanges.

"You're comparing me to them?" Princess Yu'an pointed at her own nose, glaring at the Crown Prince with eyes wide with fury.

The Crown Prince sat upright behind his desk, exuding an air of imperial authority. "It's precisely because you're different from them that they went to marry foreign rulers, while you married the Eastern King! Don't forget, was the Eastern King willing to marry you back then? Wasn't that thanks to the efforts of my mother and me? In the end, you failed to win him over, and the responsibility doesn't lie with my mother and me! It's your own incompetence!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Princess Yu'an shouted.

“I’ll say it anyway! You can live as you please because your mother and I are supporting you. What, you can only enjoy wealth and luxury, but you’re unwilling to contribute anything?”

Princess Yu'an's chest heaved, and her eyes reddened.

What kind of life have I been living lately?
He doesn't care at all, yet he wants to take advantage of me?
The Crown Prince said very rationally, "Right now, it seems I have a lot under my control, but one thing could throw me into a panic. Why? Because I have no troops! Without troops, I have no confidence!"

"Look at Li Jing again... Putting aside the Zhao family army, just consider Cangzhou in the southeast and the western suburbs in the northwest. This creates a pincer movement against the capital... Even if that person's cough can't hold on... if he turns against me, what good will my title of Crown Prince do?"

Princess Yu'an's tears reached her lips, "Don't tell me..."

The Crown Prince impatiently interrupted her, “A widower in his thirties, with several concubines and numerous sons, both legitimate and illegitimate. The marriage alliance is just a formality… He has the status of a prince consort, which allows him to amplify his influence over there. Not only will the man be ours, but he can also send tribute money to us every year… You’re in the capital, and you don’t have to actually live with him. You can keep as many male lovers as you want. Isn’t that better?”

"No way! What can I do? That's my own business. Don't you dare try to interfere!" She angrily flung her sleeves and left.

This infuriated the Crown Prince. This thing only knew how to reap the benefits, but was utterly useless!
How did Ming'an handle things back then?

He could protect Empress Zhao and Li Yuan all by himself!

But what about you?
He thought about it bitterly for a while, then beckoned someone in, "Have someone investigate the Qian family's affairs? Any news?"

"Reporting to you, sir, we've been keeping an eye on the Qian family. But they're living as usual, with no outsiders visiting their home or going to strangers' houses. Everything seems normal."

"Just watching won't do any good. Send someone to establish a relationship with the steward or servants and ask them from within." The Crown Prince was extremely annoyed. Did he really need to teach him this?!
The servant quickly agreed, took the order, and left.

Actually, his flash of inspiration just now was almost remembering the great achievement he had just made. At the time, they had only traced it back to the general, and he and his staff had thought that this person must have someone above him. But in order to steal the credit from Li Jing, they had acted too hastily.

If he remembers now, he might realize that this was probably what angered the person behind the scenes.

Then he might look in that direction.

They might even take their anger out on Mo Yuan...

But before he could fully grasp the idea, he thought of the Qian family. Then, he was angered by Princess Yu'an.

I just forgot...