Chapter 553: The Aftermath of the Plot Within a Plot (Part 10)

Chapter 553: Schemes Within Schemes: The Aftermath (10)

The turmoil surrounding Yun Murui's rebellion in Langjing has now come to a complete end.

The underlying reasons—whether they align with Yun Ji and Su Rao's analysis that the deposed crown prince was far more astute than underestimated, allowing the new emperor to achieve two goals at once, or whether his intentions were truly as he had professed to Yun Mujing—remain uncertain.

Yun Murui gave his life to ensure the safety of his wife and child, never imagining that the Deposed Princess Consort would follow him in death, leaving only their infant behind.

The royal orphan could not be left to wander outside the palace. The new emperor, moved by familial affection and pity for his young nephew, placed the child under the care of the Elder Prince of Cloud and his wife. Under the Elder Prince's guidance, the child would grow up in security.

Regardless of which version of events held true, the outcome was now decided, the decree issued, and all matters settled with finality. No further debate was possible.

The new emperor's veiled implications about the future Crown Prince of Yun Lang stirred no immediate waves. After all, his words were left ambiguous, and he had made no explicit declaration.

Meanwhile, the Marquis of Yin Gonghou's family, previously stripped of titles and reduced to commoners due to association, was also pardoned in light of the deposed crown prince's exoneration. Their original sentence was overturned.

The Yin Gonghou clan had not participated in the rebellion in Langjing. Their demotion had been solely due to familial ties through marriage. Now that the deposed crown prince's crimes were absolved, their punishment was naturally revoked.

Their honors were fully restored, with uncles, cousins, and brothers reinstated to their official positions. The Yin Gonghou title was once again inherited. This ordeal ended as a close call—a false alarm.

Whether the new emperor's leniency toward the Mu family was deliberate, influenced by the Su family's marital ties, a gesture of favor to the Su family, or simply Senior Tutor Cheng's intercession on behalf of the deposed crown prince—divine mercy sparing the Mu family—most officials found no fault.

Only a minority harbored misgivings but held their tongues, as their leaders remained silent. These men followed cues, and their leader was none other than the Zhao family, now supplanting the fallen Yao family as Langjing's foremost noble house.

The Duke of Zhao, a man who pursued family glory above all else, was the one most opposed to the Mu family's exoneration and restoration.

With the decline of the Yao and Su families, the return of the Second Prince—son of Consort Shu—and the late emperor's succession decree elevating Consort Shu to Empress Dowager, the Zhao family's status had soared, surpassing even the Yin Gonghou clan, a mere minor noble house.

Previously, the Marquis of Yin Gonghou's family had not even registered as a threat in the Duke of Zhao's eyes. With the Su family withdrawn and the Crown Prince deposed, the Mu family was insignificant.

But now, with their honors restored, the Mu family posed a serious threat.

The deposed crown prince's crimes pardoned, his son innocent—a legitimate royal descendant, the new emperor's nephew, the late emperor's eldest grandson, and a royal great-grandson raised by the prestigious Elder Prince of Cloud and his wife, grandparents of Prince Yun Ji—meant that the Marquis of Yin Gonghou's family, with such a royal connection, could foresee boundless glory if the child grew up safely under the emperor's grace.

Moreover, the young Marquis of Yin Gonghou, the future head of the Mu family and a rising favorite of the new emperor, held immeasurable potential if trusted and valued.

With these two figures, the Mu family could one day rival the Zhao family, becoming a potential rival.

The Duke of Zhao foresaw this danger but dared not test the new emperor's intentions in such sensitive times.

From Yun Mujing's handling of the deposed crown prince's rebellion—first with brutal crackdown, punishing entire clans to intimidate the court, then with unexpected leniency, securing their loyalty with mercy—he had demonstrated a masterful balance of authority and benevolence.

This alone showed the Duke that the new emperor's tactics were a true inheritance of Emperor Yu's legacy.

Now, the Duke finally understood why his grandson had yielded the throne to the Seventh Prince.

The Seventh Prince's pretense of laziness and frivolity had been a disguise. He had waited in the shadows, lurking behind his grandson, watching the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince's power struggle, reaping the rewards.

The thought made his blood run cold.

The new emperor's political acumen and mastery of statecraft might even outstrip the late emperor's.

Only by observing how the new emperor could be gracious enough to place the son of the deposed crown prince in the care of the old Cloud King and his wife, can one truly perceive his broad vision—a ruler’s bold and decisive spirit, embodying the majestic bearing of a ruler destined to unify the realm.

Such a new emperor left no room for the Duke of Zhao to let his guard down even slightly.

The Duke of Zhao, who valued his family's honor above all else, was a wily old fox—sharp and flexible. Now that the new emperor had established his authority in court through the deposed crown prince’s rebellion, how could he possibly step forward?

The tallest blade of grass is first cut, especially under a new emperor whose strategic mind surpassed even the late emperor’s. His only option was to proceed with utmost caution, avoiding conflict and ambition, to preserve the Zhao family’s current prestige and prosperity.

He would not allow his family to become a thorn in the new emperor’s side, nor to be feared by him, and end up like the Yao family.

With the Duke of Zhao refraining from opposition, those officials who followed his lead naturally dared not confront the new emperor either. To be marked by the new emperor would mean the end of their careers.

Moreover, regarding the pardon of the deposed crown prince’s rebellion, even the old General Su—whose family had once been framed by the deposed crown prince’s faction—showed no displeasure. Instead, he pleaded for leniency. Whether the old General Su was truly magnanimous or acting out of kinship with the Mu family, since even the old Cloud King did not oppose, how could others possibly object? The deposed crown prince’s rebellion had been for the stability of the court, and the Mu family had always been loyal and righteous.

As for those leftovers from the old regime who, under the Qin King’s orders, had stirred chaos in the capital—their fate was met with no objections from the ministers.

Su Rao also did not intervene. Whether they lived or died depended on the severity of their crimes. Yun Mujing, as the new emperor of Yunlang, had his own decisions to make.

Su Rao would not interfere simply because those leftovers were arranged by her uncle or were subjects of Great Qin.

Qin Rao was dead, her memorial tablet already carved. From now on, she would only be Su Rao, living well in accordance with her parents’ final wishes. As for others—whether they sought to restore the fallen dynasty or merely used it as a pretext to satisfy their own ambitions—it was no concern of hers. These matters were the responsibility of those now in power.

She was just a woman, with no broad shoulders left for others to trample upon. Those who wished to climb atop Qin Rao, the princess of the former dynasty, to pursue their own gains—well, they might as well dream on.