Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The crowd filed out, with Princess Zhaoning walking at the front with an elegant demeanor, followed by Crown Prince Xiao Chenlin.

Pei Dingxuan walked up to Liu Wenying and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright? Can you walk?"

Liu Wenying put her heart back in her chest and nodded.

She looked at Kouzhu, who was being dragged away by the guards. She looked exactly the same, but she was too disheveled and looked completely different from the fierce woman who had attacked her that day.

At first glance, she was caught off guard and panicked, but now she has calmed down and regained her composure.

"Thank you, sir. I'm fine."

Pei Zeyu walked slowly. Although he didn't get close, he only left after confirming that she had said she was alright.

After everyone had left, the vast palace fell silent.

The emperor rose from his throne and slowly walked down the steps.

He approached the Second Prince, Xiao Yiheng, and patted his son on the shoulder.

Xiao Yiheng was about to get up and pay his respects when the emperor pressed his shoulder and made him sit back down in his chair.

The emperor's tone was gentle, a stark contrast to his earlier imposing manner.

"Does your eye... still hurt?"

Xiao Yiheng's smile was bitter. "Thank you for your concern, Father. With the imperial physicians taking care of me, the pain has subsided. You need not worry about me."

The emperor was silent for a moment, then said, "The imperial physician said there is still a chance."

"Your Majesty, I understand. There is no need for you to comfort me."

The father and son remained silent for a long time before the emperor finally spoke.

"Yiheng, do you have any guesses in your mind? Who wants to harm you?"

Xiao Yiheng raised his head, his blind eyes "looking" toward the emperor.

"Father, I dare not say."

It's not that I don't know, but that I dare not say.

The emperor already understood, so he withdrew his hand and placed it behind his back.

"I understand. I will give you an explanation."

"Your Majesty, I trust you. I will surely stand up for you."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly lower, filled with bitterness and helplessness.

"To my shame, I have never had much desire for power struggles, but being in the royal family, there are some things I cannot control."

Now that I'm blind, I see many things clearly, but I can no longer share my father's burdens.

To retreat in order to advance, to feign weakness to gain sympathy.

The emperor, upon hearing this, felt a surge of heartache, which had initially been only three parts.

"What are you saying? My sons of the Xiao family should not wallow in self-pity. Once you are better, you can continue to share my burdens."

The emperor summoned a palace attendant and said, "Send the Second Prince back. Grant him a palanquin, which he may use before the emperor until his eyes recover."

Xiao Yiheng was flattered and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great favor."

The eunuch helped him up and carefully led him out of the hall.

The palanquin was already prepared and waiting outside the palace gate.

After Xiao Yiheng left, the palace doors opened again, and a figure strode in.

As soon as Xiao Chenlin entered, he knelt down on the ground, his forehead covered with gold bricks.

He waited outside the palace for a long time and saw his second brother being granted a palanquin, adorned with brocade canopies and gold-lacquered carvings.

Xiao Yiheng was sent away with dignity, and he immediately made up his mind.

Father must have listened to that bastard's complaint; the situation is unfavorable to him.

"Father, I am innocent!"

"Injustice? I haven't even told you what you did wrong, and you're already crying foul. Are you hiding something, or are you feeling guilty?"

Xiao Chenlin realized something was wrong; he had been too hasty and made a mistake.

But the words had already been spoken, and there was no going back. He could only grit his teeth and continue talking, hoping to smooth things over.

"Your subject knows that there have always been some disagreements between you and your second brother, but your injury has really nothing to do with me!"

Someone must have whispered something in his ear, causing him to misunderstand me.

"If my second brother hadn't complained to Father, how could Father have treated me this way?"

He spoke with genuine emotion, even carrying a hint of grievance at being misunderstood.

Before he could finish speaking, the teacup slammed against the gold brick in front of him, shattering porcelain and splashing tea all over him.

"Nonsense! Yiheng has never said a bad word about you from beginning to end! Nor has he filed a complaint against you!"

A shard of teacup cut Xiao Chenlin's hand, leaving a thin, long bloodstain.

He felt no pain, but was filled with intense hatred.

What a cunning Xiao Yiheng! What a smiling tiger!

He could kill without a knife; all he had to do was show weakness and play the victim in front of his father, and that would make his father suspicious of him as the crown prince.

"You have been very busy with official duties lately. Effective immediately, the authority to allocate troops for the defense of the capital region will be temporarily transferred to Yiheng."

Xiao Chenlin was shocked. The power to allocate troops to the capital region was a crucial matter that could only be handled by the Crown Prince when he was in charge of the country.

Weakening his power is a blatant form of punishment, isn't it?

"Father, your son..."

"What? You've tasted power and now you're reluctant to let go?"

"Your subject did not..."

"Hmph, as for the joint investigation by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice, I grant it."

Xiao Chenlin swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He understood.

This is like giving someone a slap and then a sweet treat.

Delegating power to the second prince and appeasing that bastard is his punishment.

Allowing the Dali Temple to intervene in the investigation is an act of leniency, leaving him room to maneuver.

After all, he has people in the Dali Temple, so what the case will ultimately uncover is entirely up to him.

The Emperor's art of maintaining balance was truly masterful.

"Your subject... obeys the decree."

A moment later, Xiao Chenlin left the main hall, the midday sun making him squint.

As he reached the bottom of the jade steps, his trusted aide quickly stepped forward to greet him. Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Chenlin kicked him in the back of the knee.

The subordinate was kicked to his knees with a thud, his eyes filled with terror, but he dared not utter a sound.

"You can't even get things done properly! What's the use of raising you as orphans?"

The subordinate lay trembling on the ground, bearing the rage, too afraid to argue.

Looking at the rolling mountains in the distance, Xiao Chenlin felt a deep sense of unease.

He failed to kill Xiao Yiheng and instead incurred the emperor's suspicion.

Although he is the crown prince, he cannot rest easy until he sits on that throne.

Since his father wouldn't help him, he would fight for it himself.

"Your Highness, what should we do next?"

"What should we do? The Northern Barbarian envoy hasn't left yet!"

If his father looks down on him, then why not borrow the strength of the Northern Di?

The move may be risky, like trying to get something out of a tiger, but it's not necessarily impossible.

He was willing to pay any price just to get that position.

……

When Pei Zeyu returned to his camp from the Xishan Palace, it was noon.

He had eaten a light lunch and was sitting on the couch, having just finished drinking a bowl of medicine.

The strong, bitter smell of medicine filled the tent, but it was quickly diluted by a delicate fragrance, the kind Lin Zhiyao usually used.

Lin Zhiyao entered the tent, stood by the bed, and hesitated to speak.

"Madam, the servants are attending to the master here. Please go back and rest."

Ah Fu spoke politely, but the meaning was crystal clear: he didn't need her help here.

Lin Zhiyao looked embarrassed, but still stood there without moving.

She knew, of course, that she was superfluous, but she had come today to ask him for a favor.

Seeing that she wasn't leaving, Afu didn't say anything more and just stood there with his hands down.

Pei Zeyu closed his eyes to rest and didn't pay any attention to her.

A moment later, he instructed, "Afu, pour me a glass of water."

Just as Ah Fu was about to pour tea, Lin Zhiyao beat him to it.

She picked up the celadon teapot, poured half a cup of warm tea, and presented it to Pei Zeyu with both hands.

Pei Zeyu opened his eyes, his gaze calm and still, like an undercurrent beneath still water, concealing a bottomless whirlpool. Lin Zhiyao's heart tightened inexplicably.

"Afu, all of you, get out of here."

Afu bowed and withdrew with the rest of his entourage.

The curtains were drawn, blocking out the light from outside.

Seeing that he was hesitant to take the tea, Lin Zhiyao remained calm and stubbornly held onto it.

"Second Master."

"The Lin family."

The two spoke at the same time, their voices colliding.

Taking advantage of Lin Zhiyao's momentary daze, Pei Zeyu said calmly, "You speak first."

Lin Zhiyao gripped the cup of tea tightly. "Second Master, I have something to ask of you."

"explain."

"There is an official in the Ministry of Personnel named Zheng Tangli who has been implicated in some matters at the higher level and is currently imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice's jail. I would like to ask Second Master for help in getting him out."

"Surname Zheng? Your cousin?"

Lin Zhiyao panicked. How did the Second Master know that she had a cousin surnamed Zheng?

She never talked to him about her family, and of course, she never had the chance to.

She was eager to explain, and her speech unconsciously quickened.

"I suppose so. He is my aunt's only son. My aunt begged my mother, and my mother asked me to find a way."

My second uncle had just escaped danger, and I didn't want to bring it up, but my aunt was old and only had this one son, and she cried her heart out.

My mother was also frowning all day long, and I couldn't bear it, so I came to bother Second Master.

Actually, I'm not very close to my cousin; I only know him because of my mother's sake..."

She rambled on and on, trying to absolve herself of all responsibility.

It was as if Zheng Tangli had nothing to do with her; she was merely relaying a message and was forced to speak.

Pei Zeyu listened without interrupting.

After she finally finished speaking, she said, "I promise you, I will find a way to save her."

Lin Zhiyao was stunned in surprise. It was... that simple?

Second Master agreed so easily?

Her hands, which were holding the glass of water, were trembling slightly, and her eyes were moist.

She thought, he still cares about her, otherwise why would he so easily interfere in such a matter?

"But I have conditions."

Lin Zhiyao's joy froze for a moment, but did not completely disappear.

"What are your conditions, Second Master? As long as I can meet them."

"After this, we will divorce."

The teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor with a bang.

…………