Chapter 216: A Premonition of Impending Events

Chapter 216: A Premonition of Impending Events

Instead of sending it to the Li family's mansion, the imperial edict from the Emperor, appointing Li Jinghao as the heir of Prince Duan, was delivered to Prince Duan's residence in Upper Capital. Prince Duan asked the eunuch bearing the edict to wait; he had someone call Princess Jianing and her brother from the Li mansion to receive the edict.

The Princess Consort of Prince Duan, unaware of the edict's contents, had a premonition that it wouldn't bode well for her, and she stood beside Prince Duan, coquettishly asking in a soft voice, "My lord, what is the edict about?"

Prince Duan glanced at her. As always, she was delicately beautiful, seemingly fragile and in need of his protection at all times. But now, he felt that this woman was no longer as agreeable to him as she once was.

The name Lin Yuquan once again surfaced in his mind.

He wasn't so foolish as to be manipulated by others. A selfish person only sees what they want to see, only knows what benefits them. As for everything else, as long as it doesn't threaten his interests, he doesn't care.

Was he truly unaware of the troubles Princess Jianing and her brother faced in their fief? Not at all. He simply felt that since nobody died, there was no need to trouble himself over it.

But now, Princess Jianing and her brother kept mentioning Lin Yuquan, and this sense of crisis made him more lucid. At the same time, he became increasingly wary of his Princess Consort, who had always seemed to align perfectly with his wishes.

Hearing the Princess Consort's question, he said indifferently, "I requested the Emperor to appoint Jinghao as the heir, and His Majesty has consented."

The Princess Consort was shocked and furious, forgetting to control her facial expressions, her muscles contorting in agitation.

However, this was only momentary. Realizing her lapse, she immediately resumed her delicate and weak demeanor, smilingly saying, "That... that is as it should be, after all, Jinghao is the eldest legitimate son. But my lord, what about Jingxian? This child is intelligent and diligent, and besides, Jianing and Jinghao are hostile towards him. Once Jinghao inherits the title, what will become of our Jingxian?"

Worry etched her face as tears slowly trickled down from the corners of her eyes, capturing a portrait of helpless distress.

In the past, Prince Duan would have surely embraced her, softly consoling her and assuring her that he would never let Li Jinghao treat her son unfairly.

But the current Prince Duan had three words echoing in his mind — Lin Yuquan.

Staring at the tear-streaked face of the Prince Consort, he asked, "Who is Lin Yuquan?"

The Prince Consort blinked in surprise, "My Lord, why do you suddenly inquire about my cousin?"

"He's your cousin?" the Prince inquired.

With a puzzled expression, the Prince Consort replied, "Yes, haven't I mentioned him to you before, My Lord?"

"No," the Prince asserted confidently.

"Then I must have forgotten. He isn't someone of great importance," the Prince Consort said, moving closer to the Prince with a sorrowful tone, "My Lord, we must plan for Jingxian's future!"

The Prince shifted slightly, creating distance between them, and said, "I have my arrangements."

"I trust in your decisions, My Lord," the Prince Consort said, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

The Prince squinted silently.

Soon after, the Princess of Jianing and Li Jinghao arrived. The eunuch, seeing them, greeted with a smile, "The Crown Prince, please receive the imperial edict."

Li Jinghao nodded timidly, and the Princess of Jianing pulled him down to kneel alongside her. Everyone in the Prince's residence also knelt down. The eunuch read the imperial edict in a shrill voice and then, smiling, handed it to Li Jinghao.

A maid beside the Princess of Jianing quickly handed a purse to the eunuch, saying, "Your efforts are appreciated."

The eunuch felt the purse, likely containing banknotes, and his smile widened, "Not at all troublesome."

The eunuch left cheerfully, and the Prince approached the siblings, saying, "It's not proper for you two to always reside at the Duke's estate. Move back here."

The Princess of Jianing nodded, "Alright, we'll pack our things and move back tomorrow."

The Prince hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze lingering on the siblings before finally saying, "Follow me to the study."

He turned towards the study, with the siblings trailing behind. The Prince Consort watched in panic, sensing that something significant was about to unfold.

Inside the study, after the siblings sat down, the Prince asked, "Who is Lin Yuquan?"

Internally, the siblings scoffed. Their father was always like this, believing what he wanted to believe without seeking proof.

Before, he believed the words of Zhao Shirou; now, he started to believe theirs.

"Lin Yuquan, from Yangchang County," said Princess Jianing.

Prince Duan felt the name Yangchang County somewhat familiar, frowning as he chewed over it. Li Jinghao couldn't help but roll his eyes and said, "Father, Yangchang County is one of the counties under our fief."

Prince Duan, unembarrassed, uttered an "oh" and continued, "Go on, Jianing."

Princess Jianing, having long lost hope in him, added, "Lin Yuquan. A man from Yangchang County, a scholarly gentleman of humble origin whose family has farmed for generations. Currently, he holds the position of Junior Supervisor in the Ministry of War's Armament Department, a sixth-rank official."

Princess Jianing looked at Prince Duan and asked, "Father, do you have any idea how Lin Yuquan, a scholar from a lineage of farmers, managed to secure such a lucrative position in the capital?"

Prince Duan already had some suspicions and replied, "You tell me."

Princess Jianing revealed, "Twelve years ago, Zhao Shirou was framed by her sisters and caught in a scandalous act with a man. That man was Lin Yuquan."

Prince Duan abruptly stood up. He wanted to deny it, remembering Zhao Shirou as a mere child when they were together. But as a man in his forties with a history of many women, he knew such things could be faked.

Moreover, his first encounter with Zhao Shirou had occurred while he was drunk, which made him believe Princess Jianing's words even more.

"Coming from the prominent Wu Tong family, if Zhao Shirou's scandal was discovered, she would either be married off as a nun or to the man she was caught with," said Princess Jianing.

"But Zhao Shirou, unwilling to accept this fate, reached an agreement with Lin Yuquan, both denying the incident. Thus, she avoided disaster. Later, they schemed to have you meet Zhao Shirou."

Princess Jianing sneered, "Father, was your first encounter with Zhao Shirou at a temple?"

Prince Duan remained silent with a stern face as Princess Jianing continued, "And your second meeting, wasn't it near a separate residence of our manor, where Zhao Shirou's carriage broke down, and you offered her rest in the residence...?"

This 'rest' wasn't just any rest; the two consummated their relationship in the residence, and thereafter, Zhao Shirou took up residence there.

"How did you come to know all this?" asked Prince Duan, his clenched fists showing protruding veins, clearly enraged to the extreme.