Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Xiao Lie was rather curious.

The emperor's health was poor. Did none of the people in the Imperial Hospital dare to tell him openly that he had brought this upon himself?

As long as he stops indulging in intimate acts with Consort Yuan every night, his body will naturally become stronger again.

"Not a single imperial physician dared to say that the Emperor's favoritism towards Consort Yuan was the root cause of his downfall." This was the information Sixteen had gathered from the Imperial Hospital.

Isn't this just a veiled criticism that the emperor is incompetent?

If the emperor were to become enraged, the entire Imperial Medical Academy might be beheaded and their heads thrown into a mass grave.

Xiao Lie remained silent for a long time. "We still need to let that person take it easy a little. Sometimes he should be a little temperamental and firmly refuse the emperor."

If something were to happen to the emperor, Yuan Ajiao would likely have to be buried alive with him.

How could the Empress Dowager let her off the hook?

Besides this incident, there was another amusing anecdote in the capital.

The Third Prince's faction, hampered in every way, ended up fighting with the Fifth Prince's faction at the Ministry of Rites.

"Whose men won in the end?" Xiao Lie popped a bright green, creamy grape into his mouth. "I guess it was the Third Prince."

Sixteen said with great enthusiasm, "Your Highness is truly amazing! It really was the Third Prince's men who won."

"They were hitting and cursing each other, and many of those being beaten were former members of the Third Prince's faction who had defected."

They only caused this incident because they hate traitors.

Xiao Lie listened to it all as amusement. Now that the conflict between the two princes had begun, he should speed up everything on his side.

"I heard that Jiang Yao also came to the Imperial Estate for a short stay yesterday?" If he remembered correctly, Jiang Yao was the son of the Prince of Xinyang. Although he was young, he had already been granted the title of Prince.

He is currently on duty in the internal treasury.

The entire imperial estate in the outskirts of Beijing was under their control. As early as when Jiang Yao moved in, Sixteen had arranged for people to investigate Jiang Yao's background thoroughly.

Jiang Yao is considered one of the more promising members of the royal family.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so highly regarded by the emperor and assigned to such a prestigious position in the Imperial Treasury.

However, everyone has weaknesses that can be exploited.

"Jiang Yao is very passionate about collecting ancient paintings, but despite doing a hard job, he is still short of money and does not have enough to buy more."

Xiao Lie's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "That makes things easier. Have someone make arrangements. I want to run into Jiang Yao."

But before going to see Jiang Yao, Xiao Lie went to see Princess Yuhua first.

"Xiao Lie?" Jiang Yueyao was copying an ancient painting in the courtyard when she saw him take the initiative to come and find her. Her eyes were filled with surprise and joy.

Xiao Lie casually sat down on the stone bench opposite her. "I have something to ask of you."

"What is it?" Jiang Yueyao became interested. Every time he asked her for something, it was something exciting and important.

Xiao Lie and she didn't stand on ceremony. "I'd like to ask you for a painting by Master Buming."

Jiang Yueyao raised her eyebrows slightly and immediately guessed his intention.

"Jiang Yao lives next door. You want to use this ancient painting to get closer to him." As fellow enthusiasts of ancient paintings, Jiang Yueyao and Jiang Yao had some dealings before.

Xiao Lie didn't hide anything from her, "Are you willing to give it up?"

If it were someone else, there would be no room for discussion.

But who is Xiao Lie?

Just the one Jiang Yao wanted, she brought with her on this trip.

"I've already made a copy, so I'm giving it to you."

Xiao Lie didn't inquire how much real money she had spent to acquire this piece of art.

More than material possessions, Jiang Yueyao probably needs his closeness to her.

"To thank you for your generosity, I'd like to invite you on a boat trip tomorrow."

Jiang Yueyao shook her head, "You came here claiming to be sick and took me on a boat trip. It's easy for people to see through your act."

A healthy person who could fool the imperial physicians must have taken some kind of potent, harmful medicine.

She doesn't need him to do anything self-destructive just to please her.

"Just come over and talk to me often." Jiang Yueyao's request was simple; she just wanted to spend more time alone with him.

Xiao Lie took the ancient painting but wasn't in a hurry to leave. He stayed with Jiang Yueyao for an hour before going back.

Jiang Yao is an easy target.

Xiao Lie deliberately strolled towards the courtyard where Jiang Yao was, and only stopped when he reached a place that Jiang Yao was bound to pass by.

He ordered someone to make a wooden frame and hung the ancient painting he had obtained from Jiang Yueyao on it.

While admiring the painting, he even recited a poem.

This commotion naturally attracted Jiang Yao's attention.

"This..." Jiang Yao's eyes were fixed on the ancient painting before him. "How did this masterpiece by Master Buming end up in Young Master Xiao's hands?"

He clearly remembered that it was bought by Princess Yuhua.

"Princess Yuhua gave it to me," Xiao Lie said bluntly.

The more Jiang Yao looked at the ancient painting, the more itchy he felt.

"Young Master Xiao, would you be willing to part with this and sell it to me?"

"I'll have to gather the money for you later."

Xiao Lie was waiting for Jiang Yao to say this: "There's an underground casino in the capital that I frequent."

"I made a lot of money there."

Jiang Yao was tempted by what he heard.

If he were to gamble, wouldn't he be able to use the money he wins to buy and collect ancient paintings?

However, this underground casino is not a place where just anyone can be let in.

"Young Master Xiao, could you take me with you?"

Xiao Lie looked troubled. He clenched his fist and pressed it against his upper lip, coughing heavily a few times. "I'm physically weak, and those underground casinos are filthy and chaotic; I can't go there."

Jiang Yao panicked. What could he do? He had finally found out about such a lucrative opportunity and was unwilling to let it slip away.

"I can give you a token." Xiao Lie waited until Jiang Yao was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan before taking out a jade pendant from his pocket.

Jiang Yao took it from his hand. "With this, will you really let me in?"

Xiao Lie nodded and even arranged a carriage for him.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yao was in such a hurry that he rushed to the underground casino that very night.

If Xiao Lie hadn't secretly sent people to keep an eye on them, things might have gone wrong.

The underground casino he mentioned was never open; it was just something he made up.

"Seventeen, return to the capital immediately and inform Shen Qinglan so that she can make the arrangements." Seventeen appeared like a ghost, and after receiving the message, disappeared like smoke.

"Your Highness, if we scheme against the Prince of the County in this way, what if the Prince of Xinyang discovers our trick? Will it be detrimental to us?" The Prince of Xinyang had also followed the late emperor into battle and was a decisive and ruthless man.

Xiao Lie had already anticipated Sixteen's concerns.

"The Prince of Xinyang had a weakness despite his life of military campaigns." The Princess Consort of Xinyang was a jealous woman, and besides her, there was only one other concubine in the household.

Moreover, this concubine was sent to the bedside of the Prince of Xinyang because the Princess Consort of Xinyang was pregnant with Jiang Yao and was in poor health.

However, the Prince of Xinyang secretly kept a mistress in his separate residence.

"Tell me, if we tell Princess Xinyang about this, what will become of Prince Xinyang?" Princess Xinyang's maternal family is a force to be reckoned with.