Chapter 506: The Current Situation of Prince Rui

Chapter 506: The Current Situation of Prince Rui

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran looked at each other, knowing full well that their current disguise was unrecognizable to anyone.

Just as Mo Jiuya was about to step forward to knock, the side door opened once more.

This time, Fei Nanyu opened the door.

To avoid a repeat of the previous incident, Mo Jiuya spoke up immediately.

"Mr. Fei, it’s us."

Fei Nanyu was indeed momentarily stunned when he saw the two, but he quickly recognized Mo Jiuya's voice.

Recalling the identification token he had given them, it made sense that they had entered the city in this disguise.

However, he had no idea where they had obtained the palace eunuch uniforms.

Regardless, it was a relief that they had safely entered the city.

Fei Nanyu shifted sideways to make room at the door and whispered, "Please come in."

It was the same study where they had talked last time, and the three entered one after another.

Once seated, Fei Nanyu asked, "Ninth Master Mo, why are you in the Imperial City at this time?"

This was a question that had been puzzling him all along. Given the unrest in the Imperial City, if Mo Jiuya were recognized, wouldn’t that invite trouble?

Mo Jiuya had no intention of hiding anything. Even if he didn’t fully inform Fei Nanyu of the future events in the Imperial City, Fei would eventually figure out that it was him who made things happen.

"My Mo family has been exiled to the Northwest. All I wish for now is a peaceful life, but some people don't want us to have that.

Instead of staying in the Northwest and constantly being on guard, it's better to take preemptive action and eliminate those who wish the Mo family harm."

Fei Nanyu had indeed considered the possibility of the Mo family taking preemptive action against the Empress's faction.

However, the distance from the Northwest to the Imperial City was vast, and the Mo family's identity was extremely sensitive.

He had thought Mo Jiuya might make a move against the Empress, but never did he expect it to be now.

After all, the current situation in the Imperial City was like a huge vortex. Many people were trying to avoid getting involved, yet here they were, stepping right into it.

Mo Jiuya’s boldness and skill are evident, and He Zhiran is no less impressive, a true heroine among women.

"Since you're both here, do you have any specific plans? If there's anything you need my help with, I will spare no effort to assist."

"At the moment, I don't fully understand the current situation in the Imperial City. The information you sent only gave a general overview. I think it's better to clarify some things before making a move," Mo Jiuya said seriously.

"As you saw outside the city today, the guards at the gates have been replaced by Minister Xue's confidants.

On the surface, the Imperial City seems peaceful, but in reality, it has been largely taken over by the Empress's faction.

Prince Qi is nothing more than a brute and has few capable subordinates. For now, all he can do is wait and see.

The most pressing concern is that Emperor Shunwu has not held court for an extended period, and no one knows his condition.

Even worse, the Empress used schemes to obtain a royal decree, claiming that the Emperor is seriously ill and needs rest. Since the position of crown prince is vacant, it would be inappropriate for any prince to temporarily handle state affairs. Therefore, the court will be temporarily managed by the Empress.

While it's said that the Empress is in charge, how could a woman possibly understand the art of governance? Ultimately, it's her father, Minister Xue, who calls the shots."

At the beginning, some officials dared to challenge and speak back a few times. Minister Xue made an example out of them by ordering the execution of several people during an early court session. Now, those ministers are completely cowed into silence.

“You know how Prince Qi is. He has never had any backbone in critical moments, tending to be cowardly, and now he has been frightened into inaction by the ruthless methods of the Empress’s faction. He’s become a sitting duck.”

Fei Nanyu said all this in one breath, and from his tone, it wasn’t hard to tell that despite his grand ambitions, he couldn’t execute his plans without capable people.

Mo Jiuya also frowned, musing that in the vast Great Shun, there were so many capable ministers and military generals, yet the court was controlled by the Empress’s family. It was ridiculous.

However, Mo Jiuya always remembered the unjust grievances his family suffered. He constantly reminded himself that no matter how the court situation changed, his only purpose for coming here was to eliminate anyone who harbored ill intentions toward the Mo family and secure a peaceful life for them.

Still, he needed to ask and clarify things. After all, knowing your enemy and yourself is crucial for success.

Especially since he had brought He Zhiran to the capital, even if he didn’t care about his own safety, he couldn’t allow his wife to get involved.

Mo Jiuya organized his thoughts and continued to ask.

"What about Prince Rui now?"

When it came to Prince Rui, Fei Nanyu’s expression softened.

"Prince Rui’s ability to escape the chaos of the capital with De Fei shows that he has seen through the situation.

De Fei is the only family he has in this world. The fact that he entrusted her to the Mo family’s care shows that he came to the capital with the sole intention of helping the Mo family resolve the crisis. I have no doubt about his intentions.

Moreover, in our several interactions, I have come to appreciate his character. Not long ago, I disclosed my background to him.

Upon hearing about my past, not only did he not reject or doubt me, but he also offered to help me regain my identity.

Now, we have formed a brotherly bond in private, and I consider him my only family at the moment.

However, Prince Rui has never had any ambition for the throne. After returning to the capital, although he has been trying to build his influence, the results have not been ideal.

He’s smarter than Nan Qi and knows that confronting the Empress’s faction now would be pointless, so he has been keeping a low profile, only maintaining secret contact with me.

Our stance is very much aligned for now. We are both trying to find out the real reason behind Emperor Shunwu’s absence from court sessions.

Mo Jiuya raised his eyebrows. "So, you haven’t found a good way to uncover the truth yet?"

Fei Nanyu smiled sheepishly. "Indeed. The fact that the Empress’s faction could pull off something so big means they had prepared everything in advance. Now, the palace guards have all been replaced by their people.

A few days ago, Prince Qi sent people to investigate inside the palace, but there has been no news so far."

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran’s original plan was to enter the capital and swiftly deal with the Empress’s faction once the opportunity arose. If Minister He was willing to resign from his position, they would take him back to the Northwest.

However, seeing Fei Nanyu’s troubled expression and considering Nan Rui’s efforts for the Mo family, they felt they had to do something to repay this friendship.

Especially for Nan Rui, who could have been living a peaceful life with De Fei but was once again drawn into this vortex because of the Mo family.

No matter what, they had to ensure that Nan Rui could extricate himself safely.

The best way for Nan Rui to stay out of harm’s way would be to change the course of history where Nan Qi becomes emperor, and instead have Fei Nanyu take over the imperial position.

Of course, these were just initial thoughts the couple had and had no intention of voicing them.

Fei Nanyu was unaware of their thoughts and shifted his gaze to He Zhiran, asking, "Did Ninth Madam come to the capital to see Minister He?"