The Red Mansion

Chapter 209 Eighth Master's Secret Plot to Assassinate Yuan Li
The secret appointment of an heir by the retired Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun, along with news of Emperor Jingning's seventh southern tour, spread like wildfire throughout the court and the country in just a few days.

Although the selection of the heir apparent was described as "secret," discerning individuals could easily see the underlying reasons. The heir apparent favored by the two emperors was undoubtedly the fourth prince, Yuan Li. As for the third prince, Yuan Shi, and the fifth prince, Yuan Zhou, they were merely supporting characters.

The word "secret" is merely a self-deceptive act; the difference between this and publicly establishing an heir apparent lies in the fact that no imperial edict was issued to formally appoint Yuan Li as the Crown Prince.

On this day, a light drizzle fell over the capital city. Although the rain was fine, it carried a chilling coldness, as if countless whispers were falling from the sky.

Inside the former residence of the Eighth Prince Yuan Si, the study's doors and windows were tightly shut.

Inside the room, aloeswood incense burned in a gilded enamel tripod. Amidst the rising smoke, three people sat facing each other: the former Eighth Prince Yuan Si, the former Ninth Prince Yuan Tang, and the former Tenth Prince Yuan.

Yuan Si leaned against the Luohan bed, wearing a plain dark blue satin robe with a simple silver belt loosely tied around his waist. At first glance, he looked like a wealthy and leisurely young master. Although he had a smile on his face, his eyes seemed to hide the glint of swords.

Sitting opposite him was Yuan Tang, a large, burly man with a plump figure and sharp, hawk-like eyes that occasionally flashed with a glint of light.

Beside the daybed sat a rosewood armchair, where Yuan Zheng sat with his legs crossed. He was slender and kept fiddling with a white jade snuff bottle in his hand, occasionally bringing it to his nose to sniff it, displaying the demeanor of a spoiled young master.

Yuan Si suddenly put down his teacup. The Ru kiln celadon cup collided with the rosewood tea table, producing a clear "clang" sound, like gold and jade striking each other, or like the sound of a broken string.

His face was grim, and his voice was low and hoarse: "The fourth prince's throne is becoming more and more secure. Now he and the emperor have secretly designated each other as heirs. Although it is called a 'secret,' who in the entire court doesn't know it? The position of heir apparent will undoubtedly belong to Yuan Li!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan paused in his snuff bottle and sneered, "Father is biased. In his eyes, we sons are not as good as the fourth son, and now even that brat Yuan Li is riding on our heads!"

Yuan Tang rubbed his thick hands on his knees, gold rings gleaming between his knuckles, and said in a deep voice, "Father will soon be making his seventh southern tour. We... may be able to take this opportunity to achieve something!"

Yuan Si nodded and said in a low voice, "Ninth Brother is absolutely right! Father is old and ailing, and his body is no longer able to bear the burden. Once he passes away, Fourth Brother will surely take the opportunity to eliminate us! This southern tour of Father is our last chance!"

A sinister glint flashed in Yuan Tang's eyes as he said, "We have already missed many opportunities. If we don't act now, I'm afraid that in the future... we will only have our necks to be laid to rest!"

Yuan frowned, his snuff bottle trembling slightly, and tentatively asked, "Could it be that Eighth Brother intends to... take advantage of Father Emperor's southern tour to harm Fourth Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Si sneered: "Foolish! Before the fourth prince ascended the throne, we had a chance to get rid of him, but we missed the opportunity. Now that he is the emperor, he either lives deep within the palace or resides in Changchun Garden, surrounded by a forest of guards and countless sentries. Not even a fly can get in. How can we make a move?"

Yuan raised his hand to scratch his temple, his brows furrowed, and said, "If we don't get rid of the fourth brother, how can we turn this dead end?"

Yuan Tang suddenly gave a sinister smile, his mustache trembling slightly: "That brat Yuan Li is going on the southern tour with Father Emperor this time." A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "We can take this opportunity to get rid of him!"

Yuan Si nodded and said, "That's exactly right!"

Yuan looked puzzled and twirled the snuff bottle in his hand: "Even if we get rid of Yuan Li, the fourth prince will still be the emperor. How can we turn the tables?"

Yuan Tang turned his gaze to Yuan Si, as if waiting for him to make a decision.

Yuan Si's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he slowly said, "With Yuan Li dead, the fourth prince only has three sons left—Yuan Shi, Yuan Zhou, and a five-year-old child who is not yet of age. Both Yuan Shi and Yuan Zhou are mediocre. It will be easy for us to control them!"

Suddenly remembering something, Yuan laughed and said, "Myth brother, don't forget that the fourth brother has a bastard child—Jiang Nian!"

The room fell silent the moment these words were spoken.

It turned out that the three brothers had long suspected that Jiang Nian was Emperor Taishun's illegitimate son and had even secretly investigated him.

Yuan Tang sneered and slapped his knee with his fat hand: "He's just a bastard child who can't be seen in the light of day. He can't even be recognized as a member of the family. What's there to worry about?"

Zhou Sankui, a notorious salt smuggler in Laizhou, had a long-standing collusion with Yuan Tang. Jiang Nian had previously uprooted Zhou Sankui, thus offending Yuan Tang. If Yuan Si hadn't intervened, advising Yuan Tang that "a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan," Yuan Tang would have already taken action against Jiang Nian.

Yuan Si gently stroked his teacup and pondered, "This young man is no ordinary person. He is quite capable despite his young age. Fortunately, he is someone who cannot be seen in the light of day, otherwise he would be a troublesome person for us."

Yuan Tang returned to the main topic and said in a deep voice, "Killing Yuan Li alone is probably not enough! Once that kid dies, the Fourth Prince will definitely be furious, and even Father will go mad. Even if they can't trace it back to us, we won't have a peaceful life. Besides, the Fourth Prince is in his prime; who knows how many more years he can live? After Father passes away, he can still deal with us!"

Yuan Si nodded slightly: "Ninth Brother is right. Our mission this time is not only to take Yuan Li's life, but also to..." His voice suddenly turned cold, like a stone falling into a cold pool, "...to feign an assassination attempt on Father Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan's snuff bottle clattered to the ground, and all color drained from his face.

Yuan Tang stroked his mustache, lost in thought, his eyes gleaming.

Yuan Si lowered his voice and said, "We sent assassins to feign an assassination attempt on Father Emperor, not to actually kill him, but just to put on a show. The important thing is..." He dipped his finger in tea and drew the number "four" on the table, "...to make Father Emperor believe that this is the work of the fourth prince! Once Father Emperor believes that the fourth prince plotted rebellion during the southern tour, father and son will inevitably turn against each other. At that time, the fourth prince will be deposed, and Yuan Li will be dead..." He wiped his finger on the tea stain, "...the new emperor will either be the fourteenth brother or Yuan Xi!"

Yuan Xi was the son of the deposed crown prince and the eldest grandson of Emperor Jingning. Although his father was the deposed crown prince and had been imprisoned and killed, he had been granted the title of Prince and was deeply loved by Emperor Jingning. He was Emperor Jingning's favorite grandson, even more so than Yuan Li.

Yuan laughed and said, "If we're talking about it, even the myna bird might have a chance."

Yuan Si waved his hand: "It won't be me. But if the fourteenth brother ascends the throne..." He exchanged a glance with Yuan Tang, "He will naturally be of one mind with us. Even if Yuan Xi succeeds to the throne... it will be easy to handle!"

Yuan Tang stroked his mustache and pondered, "Pretending to assassinate Father Emperor is not difficult, but the difficult part is how to frame the Fourth Prince?"

Yuan Si smiled knowingly, then suddenly bent down and took out a sandalwood box from under the table. The box was entirely dark and gleamed with a faint purple light.

Yuan Tang and Yuan Er unconsciously moved closer. Yuan, being the most impatient, reached out to touch it: "Eighth Brother, what is this?"

"Wait a minute." Yuan Si raised his hand to block, and took out a key from the brocade pouch at his waist.

The key clicked as it was inserted into the lock, a sound that was particularly crisp in the quiet room.

Upon opening the box, a handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra was found inside, its pages yellowed. Tucked inside was a letter with a seal of a stone lion from Shoushan, bearing the four characters "Master of Yuanming" in bold red ink.

Emperor Taishun was a Buddhist, and this copy of the Diamond Sutra was handwritten by him in his early years.

In the western suburbs of Shenjing, only about a mile from Changchun Garden, there is another garden. In his early years, Emperor Jingning bestowed this garden upon Emperor Taishun, who was then the fourth prince, and named it "Yuanmingyuan". The name was derived from the idea that "roundness and divinity represent the gentleman's moderation; brightness and universal illumination represent the wisdom of the enlightened person", expressing the hope that the garden would be a place of perfect virtue and universal wisdom.

Later, Emperor Taishun adopted the pseudonym "Yuanming Jushi" and had a Shoushan stone lion-shaped seal with the inscription "Yuanming Zhuren".

Yuan Si gently stroked the letter with his fingertips and whispered, "We've forged Fourth Brother's handwriting on this letter, paired it with this seal, and along with this scripture, we can frame him!" Before he finished speaking, Yuan clapped his hands and laughed, "Brilliant! This is irrefutable evidence; Fourth Brother can't deny it!" Then he asked curiously, "But where did we get these items?"

Yuan Tang stroked his mustache and sneered, "Where else could it have come from? It was naturally given to him by Yuan Shixiao."

Yuan Si suddenly closed the scroll and said solemnly, "This time I need to trouble Mr. Zhuge to make a trip south! It's time to put Dai Quan, this hidden pawn that has been buried for so long, and those assassins that Ninth Brother has been secretly raising, to use!"

The three had finalized their plan when Yuan Si suddenly took out a bottle of wine from the curio cabinet. The wine pot was a glass vessel, a tribute from the Western Regions, crystal clear and filled with amber-colored wine that gleamed with a faint reddish light. He then took out three mutton-fat jade cups, their jade warm and lustrous, their bodies carved with dragon patterns, exuding an air of imperial grandeur.

Yuan Si poured the wine himself, and the wine made a gurgling sound as it entered the cup, like sobbing tears of blood.

Yuan Si held the cup with both hands, a hoarse voice escaping his throat: "These past years we've endured humiliation and lived on thin ice. Now..." His voice suddenly turned cold, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes, "...there's no turning back! Success means the pinnacle of power; failure means utter ruin. Either way, we're going to die, so we might as well..." He raised the cup high, "...strive to make a name for ourselves in history!"

Yuan Tang gripped his wine cup tightly in his thick hand: "We share honor and disgrace, we are in the same boat through life and death!"

Yuan Yi raised his glass in response, but the jade cup in his hand trembled slightly, and the red wine in the cup rippled.

As the three men tilted their heads back and drank the wine, their Adam's apples bobbed as if swallowing a poisonous snake.

Outside the window, the rain was getting heavier.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder, like a warning from heaven…

……

……

Jiang Nian originally planned to take a leisurely approach, enjoying the lanterns and sights with Lin Daiyu on the Lantern Festival, and then spending the next few days visiting famous scenic spots in Yangzhou with Lin Daiyu.

However, Lin Daiyu was really delicate. She had only walked a few miles on the Lantern Festival night, but she was so tired that her legs ached and she felt weak for the next two days.

Unfortunately, Jiang Nian discovered that Wen Zaizhang was Shen Chuan'en's spy, and he had already clashed with Shen Chuan'en in secret. Under these circumstances, he abandoned his plan to take Lin Daiyu to visit the famous scenic spots in Yangzhou.

Fortunately, it did not significantly hinder his grand plan to reform the salt administration.

It is already the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

On this day, a light drizzle fell over Yangzhou.

The Wenchang Pavilion, located near the Salt Institute, is shrouded in misty water vapor.

Built during the Wanli era of the previous dynasty, this pavilion has withstood 140 years of wind and rain. The three-story pavilion with octagonal eaves spans the Wen River and stands alongside the prefectural school to the west, forming a "pavilion on the left, school on the right" system.

The pavilion houses a statue of Wenchang Dijun (the God of Literature), and incense burns continuously within its walls. On ordinary days, it is a bustling place where scholars pray, literati gather, and people stroll and enjoy the scenery. A small market spontaneously formed in front of the pavilion, selling books, brushes, incense, and candles, truly making it a place where "the pavilion stands in the center of the city, and literary fortunes flourish."

Jiang Nian led Lin Daiyu to the third floor and gazed out the window. Outside, a misty rain shrouded Yangzhou in a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere.

Lin Daiyu, lost in her own world, parted her lips slightly and said, "The whole of Yangzhou is laid out before us, and the scenery in the misty rain is truly beautiful."

Before she could finish speaking, she quickly looked at Jiang Nian beside her. Because Jiang Nian was quite tall, Lin Daiyu had to look up at her. But then she saw Jiang Nian open her sandalwood folding fan with a "whoosh".

Lin Daiyu frowned slightly and said reproachfully, "The weather is still chilly, and there's a light drizzle. The wind is strong up high, and you're already fiddling with a fan!"

Jiang Nian looked down at Lin Daiyu, still gently waving the sandalwood folding fan in her hand, and said with a smile, "This fan was originally a gift from Sister Lin, so naturally I must play with it from time to time, so as not to disappoint Sister Lin's kindness."

He had already inquired with Zijuan and learned that this fan was a gift from Jia Min to Lin Daiyu, and the water lilies on the fan were embroidered by Jia Min stitch by stitch. Lin Daiyu, upon returning to Yangzhou and seeing this item again, couldn't help but be reminded of her by it, so she specially brought it with her on the Lantern Festival, only to have it "forcibly taken" from her.

Lin Daiyu said, "I clearly said that this fan is only temporarily stored with you, and you...you must return it to me!" As she spoke, her bright eyes looked at Jiang Nian with a mixture of reproach and resentment.

Jiang Nian quickly closed the fan, then unfolded it again, and said with a smile, "I have already said that you should return the favor to me, so consider this fan as a thank you gift. How can you ask for something back after giving it away? If you are so stingy, it is not like you are a normal person."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu blushed, gave a soft hum, and turned her face to look out the window at the misty Yangzhou.

After a while, seeing no movement from Jiang Nian, she couldn't help but turn back again, only to see Jiang Nian staring intently at the southern horizon.

Jiang Nian was thinking to herself, "The Zhenjiang troops will soon cross the river to Yangzhou to 'fight'!"

Yangzhou is located south of the Yangtze River, with Zhenjiang on the opposite bank.

He has secretly dispatched Ren Pijiang and Dai Shijiao to mobilize the troops stationed in Zhenjiang...

The misty rain before him seemed to have transformed into the chilling aura of a thousand armies in his eyes!

Seeing him lost in thought, Lin Daiyu couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Nian snapped out of her reverie, her playful side suddenly awakened, and whispered in Lin Daiyu's ear, "I was thinking, with Secretary Lin being so beautiful, I wonder which young master will be lucky enough to marry her in the future!"

Lin Daiyu blushed instantly from her ears to her cheeks, her cheeks flushed with anger, her delicate face showing a hint of reproach. She pointed at Jiang Nian and said, "You...you're talking nonsense! You're using these ridiculous words to bully people again, I...I..."

Before she could finish speaking, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in them.

Jiang Nian didn't care at all—it would be strange if Lin Daiyu didn't shed tears every time she was with him!

He continued to gaze intently southward...

Viewing the magnificent scenery from the misty pavilions, one can secretly witness the clash of swords and the thunder of horses.

The beautiful woman turned away shyly, her face flushed with anger; the young master, scheming, gazed at the great river.

(End of this chapter)