Chapter 56: Rising Storm

Chapter 56 Storm Clouds Gather

"My, what an affectionate young couple."

From the opposite pagoda, someone had been observing the entire scene.

"Don't say that; it's not settled yet! It could harm the young lady's reputation."

A man in an embroidered python-patterned robe yawned languidly. "Elder Brother is so compassionate, truly benevolent."

Their identities were obvious.

The other sat inside, brewing tea, an amiable air about him. "His Majesty won't agree. Her Majesty is simply too impatient."

The Eldest Prince lifted his teacup and took a sip.

Having seen enough of the spectacle, the Second Prince turned and sat opposite the Eldest Prince, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"Anyway, it's all your game. I'm just an invalid; I'll stick to watching the show."

The Eldest Prince smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. He disliked hearing his brother speak of himself that way.

"Enough of that nonsense, I won't hear it. If you have ideas, why not get involved?"

The Second Prince shook his head. "I won't. With my health, who knows when I might... Better to just stay out of trouble and watch the fun."

Among the four brothers, the fourth was still young, the age gap too vast. Unless exceptionally talented, he had no chance of being considered.

But the Emperor was in his prime, so this was hard to predict.

The Eldest Prince held his teacup, a complicated look in his eyes, not something to share with others.

Among them, only the one before him was most favored by Father and Mother. At birth, the Grand State Preceptor had declared that the Second Brother was the child destined to stabilize the nation.

The Second Brother was indeed exceptionally talented, but unfortunately, his health was poor.

It was genuinely poor, and had been since childhood. After the last diagnosis by the Imperial Physician, it was concluded that he should avoid overthinking and worry, eat more, sleep more. Without proper care, he would hardly live past forty.

He needed many precious medicines, even legendary prescriptions of uncertain efficacy, to prolong his life.

More importantly, the physician said his vital essence was deficient, making it difficult to have offspring.

This situation with Ah Yao had Mother worrying herself gray-haired.

Moreover, Ah Yao was too fond of his carefree life; he truly disliked that position, even scorned it.

Everyone has their own aspirations; it can't be said to be bad.

But the previous incident with the Lin family was indeed Mother's folly.

There was affection between Father and Mother, but it was a shadow of what it once was. Otherwise, Consort Zhuang and Consort Shun wouldn't have entered the palace.

Mother could no longer act as freely as she once had, and neither could the brothers be as unrestrained as they once were.

The Lin family incident was a wake-up call.

The Eldest Prince had specifically brought his brother to see this.

The brothers, born of the same mother, had never faced any real adversity, with Father's care and Mother's strength.

The Second Brother had always been unrestrained, but from now on, that wouldn't do.

This marriage hadn't materialized, and all four brothers, along with Mother, were in a foul mood.

The daughter of a mere official couldn't be manipulated and chosen at will—was this not His Majesty's way of warning them?

The Eldest Prince feared the Second Brother would nurse a grudge and make trouble behind the scenes. He was no gentleman.

His methods were downright vicious—he knew his own brother.

But how innocent was the young lady? The Eldest Prince intended to give him a warning.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

From the moment he received the Eldest Prince's invitation, the Second Prince had known his elder brother's intention.

He had made arrangements in advance, not for any other reason but because he couldn't stand the arrogance of the Duke of Lecheng.

The Duke of Lecheng was none other than the Empress Dowager's brother.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress had long been at odds, and with the Empress Dowager leaving the city to recuperate and Consort Zhuang entering the palace, the rift became even more obvious.

Later, when Consort Zhuang became pregnant, the Duke of Lecheng's arrogance knew no bounds.

Of course, the four brothers were displeased. Besides, back when the Empress Dowager proposed Consort Zhuang, then an unmarried maiden, enter the palace, Mother was pregnant with the second child.

The Zhuang family woman entered the palace, Mother fell—the timing was all too convenient. How could Mother not hate?

They were already locked in a fight to the death.

If the Zhuang family woman could leave the palace and marry well, she should kowtow to Mother in gratitude for her mercy.

Who would have thought that the Zhuang family woman, who had once married in haste like a rat scurrying across the street, would become a widowed State Lady and re-enter the palace?

And even carry the Emperor's child.

This matter was truly nauseating to the four brothers.

Whichever brother ascended the throne, the first thing they would do was exterminate the Empress Dowager's clan.

They're all vermin.

The very thought was irritating. The Eldest Prince slammed his cup down on the table.

He didn't yet know that the mischief his good brother had set in motion was already underway.

Meanwhile, Chen Yuhu was chatting with Mrs. An about horseback riding, a subject on which Mrs. An was quite knowledgeable.

Perhaps coming from a merchant family, Mrs. An was very articulate.

She was also good-looking, with very lively eyes. Though older and had filled out with age, she had even more charm.

No wonder a merchant's daughter could marry into the Minister's family.

On the other side, Lin Qingjiao and An Ze walked through the peach grove to the shallow turtle pond.

After watching for a while, An Ze asked, "Won't you make a wish, Miss?"

Hearing this, Lin Qingjiao looked up at An Ze, her expression neutral. "No, I don't believe in gods or Buddhas. My mother said, humans can conquer heaven."

As Lin Qingjiao spoke these words, her chin unconsciously lifted, and her lips curled into a faint smile.

It made you want to keep looking, and then a few more times.

If her mother were to see this rebellious side of her, she probably wouldn’t want her to return home to become a proper lady.

An Ze watched Lin Qingjiao and thought to himself.

But he liked it—spirited, vibrant people were exactly the kind of person he wanted to marry and spend his life with.

Even if she was a little feisty, it didn’t matter.

Also witnessing this scene was the Second Prince, hiding in the shadows, waiting to see the drama unfold.

The Second Prince tapped his fan against his nose and couldn’t help but smirk. "Man can conquer nature," huh?

Not many dare to say such a thing!

I wonder what this girl's really made of?

As An Ze and Lin Qingjiao stood by the shallow pool, they suddenly heard someone calling out, "Cousin!"

Lin Qingjiao and An Ze turned to see a young girl standing in the peach grove.

She was smiling cheerfully, radiating charm and liveliness.

Lin Qingjiao raised an eyebrow but said nothing, following An Ze as they went to meet her.

Only when they got closer could they see her pleasant features—utterly sweet and adorable.

Anyone who saw her would find their expression softening.

The three of them walked together. Although An Ze was annoyed with this sudden appearance of his cousin, he didn’t show it.

Instead, he introduced Lin Qingjiao and Liao Ruofang to each other.

What was supposed to be a private meeting had now turned into a gathering of three.

Liao Ruofang seemed completely unaware of the situation, thriving as the third wheel.

The peach grove had a shallow stream. As they passed by, the atmosphere was still pleasant, and they paused by the stream to watch the flowing water.

But then, Liao Ruofang slipped unexpectedly and instinctively reached out to grab someone—and Lin Qingjiao paid the price.

Fortunately, it was a shallow stream, truly just a shallow stream.

Liao Ruofang fell, while Lin Qingjiao only stepped into the water, getting her skirt hem wet.

Hidden in the shadows, the Second Prince raised an eyebrow. Some people have all the luck.

The stream had been filled with cleverly hidden rocks, but someone else took the fall for her.

Well, the one who fell had ill intentions themselves, so the setup didn't completely go to waste.