Chapter 233: Mending the Rift Between Them

Chapter 233: Bridging the Rift Between Them

New Emperor Xiao Zhengxian had barely gotten comfortable on the dragon throne when he was forced to confront a headache—the fratricidal conflict between Prince Jing and Prince Ning.

In the Golden Throne Hall, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

Prince Jing, Xiao Lingchuan, stood before the hundred officials in his dark court robes, his face cold and stern, his words aggressive and pressing, demanding an explanation for what he called Prince Ning’s “great disrespect” the day before.

His supporters followed suit, launching a torrent of accusations, each word aimed at Prince Ning Xiao Huaijin’s “presumption” and “recklessness.”

On the dragon throne, Emperor Xiao Zhengxian wearily rubbed his forehead.

On one side was his fourth brother, backed by many supporters; on the other, his fifth brother, whose maternal family was wealthy. The emperor, with few allies and a modest maternal clan, was caught in a dilemma.

Under the unyielding pressure from Xiao Lingchuan, the scales were eventually forced to tip.

In the end, Xiao Zhengxian had no choice but to order that Prince Ning Xiao Huaijin receive twenty lashes at the Imperial Clan Court and pay a thousand taels of gold as “compensation” to the Jing Prince’s mansion.

Xiao Lingchuan was quite satisfied with this outcome, a faint victorious smile curling at the corner of his lips.

As the court adjourned, he deliberately walked over to the ashen-faced Xiao Huaijin and said with a knowing smile, “Fifth brother, don’t blame your fourth brother. Truth be told, I’m just as anxious as you to find out who abducted Miss Jiang. After all, neither of us wants her to be falsely accused and die in prison, right?”

Xiao Huaijin looked up, his usually warm eyes now filled with suppressed anger and gloom. “Fourth brother, there’s no need for pretense. I know Miss Jiang is in your mansion! I ask for nothing else but that you treat her well. She could never have poisoned the concubine of Prince Rui’s mansion. I will get to the bottom of this and clear her name!”

“Why should fifth brother bother with Miss Jiang’s affairs?” Xiao Lingchuan’s face instantly turned cold. He leaned close to Xiao Huaijin and whispered, his voice like a venomous serpent’s hiss, “Don’t tell me you still harbor unrealistic fantasies about her?”

Seeing Xiao Huaijin’s face change dramatically, he let out a soft, amused laugh:

“Too bad, fifth brother. You’re too late. After a night, don’t you think the deed is done?”

Seeing Xiao Huaijin trembling with rage, he delivered the final blow in a calm, deliberate tone,

“Fifth brother, wait patiently. When Miss Jiang’s name is cleared, you’ll have to respectfully call her ‘Fourth Sister-in-Law’!”

“You!” Xiao Huaijin was furious, his fists clenched until the joints popped, but he could only watch helplessly as Xiao Lingchuan walked away victorious.

The punishment at the Imperial Clan Court was carried out without leniency to quell public outcry.

Twenty lashes with a water-soaked oxhide whip, leaving Xiao Huaijin’s back a bloody, mangled mess.

Having been coddled by Consort Dowager Rong and the late emperor since childhood, he had never endured such physical pain, yet during the flogging, he did not utter a single cry of agony.

Upon hearing the news, Consort Dowager Rong personally rushed to the Ning Prince’s mansion to visit him. Seeing him lying on the couch, his back covered in shocking wounds, she burst into tears. “Jin’er, why put yourself through this?”

“Mother, don’t worry. Your son can endure this hardship.” Xiao Huaijin’s face was pale, but his voice remained firm. “Fourth brother thinks he can trap Shuning by his side with such despicable means. He’s daydreaming! I will never let him succeed!”

“Jin’er, is it truly worth it for a Jiang Shuning?” Consort Dowager Rong sat beside his bed, her words laced with realistic assessments. “Listen to your mother. If Prince Jing really took her, a weak woman alone in his mansion for a night… what can she do to repay him? She’ll have to give herself to him, plain and simple. You are now Prince Ning, appointed by His Majesty. Your maternal grandfather’s family is immensely wealthy. Why must you completely fall out with your fourth brother over a woman whose reputation is tarnished?”

“Mother, stop!” Xiao Huaijin’s expression changed dramatically, interrupting her emotionally. “Fourth brother forcibly took Shuning. She had no choice. How can I stand idly by and not lift a finger to save her?”

He propped himself up, gritting through the pain, his eyes burning with nearly unyielding determination,

“Besides, I don’t believe it! I don’t believe Shuning would repay him by giving herself to him! Fourth brother can’t force her either! With her nature, she would rather die than use her own virtue as a bargaining chip!”

Consort Dowager Rong wanted to argue further, but a eunuch’s sharp voice announced from outside the door:

“His Majesty has arrived —!”

Hearing the announcement, Xiao Huaijin was somewhat surprised.

He struggled through the intense pain, trying to get up and kneel to pay respects, but a figure in bright yellow robes had already entered quickly and pressed down on his shoulders.

“Fifth brother, lie still, no need for formalities!” said the new Emperor Xiao Zhengxian.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!” Consort Dowager Rong quickly rose and bowed.

“Please rise, Consort Dowager Rong.” Xiao Zhengxian’s gaze fell on Xiao Huaijin’s bloodied back, his already furrowed brow deepening. His voice was filled with suppressed anger and deep guilt. “I’m useless! As the Son of Heaven, I can’t protect you, and you suffer such pain!”

“Brother, please don’t say that! You did what a monarch must do. The fault is not yours. It’s Xiao Lingchuan who is too arrogant, turning black into white!”

With the sudden movement, his wounds flared in pain, causing him to hiss in a sharp breath, but the hatred in his eyes burned even stronger. “Miss Jiang was clearly taken by force and imprisoned in his mansion! If not for his obstructions yesterday, given a bit more time, I could have rescued her from that den of wolves!”

“You think I don’t know?” Xiao Zhengxian sighed, his voice tinged with exhaustion and helplessness. “But now, most of the court follows his lead. If I were to order a forceful search of the Jing Prince’s mansion, it would stir up a huge backlash.”

He paused, lowering his voice with caution,

“Now, not only is the Grand Empress Dowager’s maternal clan backing him, but he has also cultivated countless followers from humble origins in the military and the court. Even… Miss Jiang’s father, Chancellor Jiang, is now his staunchest supporter. As emperor, I sometimes feel like I’m sitting on a bed of thorns.”

Xiao Huaijin knew well that overthrowing the all-powerful Xiao Lingchuan would not be achieved overnight.

After a moment of silence, his eyes, darkened by pain, suddenly flashed with a cold, sharp glint.

“Since Xiao Lingchuan is so favored at court, the aristocratic clans eyeing the position of Consort Jing must be flocking to him. Brother, why not go with the flow and give him an ‘opportunity’?”

“You mean...” Xiao Zhengxian understood immediately, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. “Grant him a marriage? As in, give him multiple wives?”

“Exactly.” A cold, sharp smile curled at the corner of Xiao Huaijin’s lips. He spoke each word deliberately, “And the more, the better!”

He continued, looking at the emperor’s thoughtful expression, “Those aristocratic clans may seem united on the surface, but beneath it, they are all fighting for their family’s honor. You can grant him the daughters of the most powerful clans all at once. Let them all marry into the Jing Prince’s mansion, and for the position of Principal Consort, for future power, they will scheme, fight, and cause chaos!”

“That way, his household will be in chaos, and he will have no time for anything else. By then, it will be much easier for us to find out Miss Jiang’s whereabouts, or even root out the spies he has placed in the mansion.”

Xiao Zhengxian nodded. “Indeed, fifth brother is wise. I recall the late emperor’s edict; we can also pull it out then.”

The edict mentioned that if Xiao Lingchuan did not ally himself through marriage with a powerful clan, he would immediately have his military power in the capital revoked and be ordered out of the capital and off to his fiefdom.

Xiao Lingchuan’s fiefdoms were all remote, barren lands at the border. He was so power-drunk, how could he agree to leave the capital?

This edict for multiple marriages—he couldn’t say no!

—

After drinking the medicine, Jiang Shuning fell asleep soon. When she woke up, she found herself on Xiao Lingchuan’s main bedchamber daybed.

The air was thick with a cold sandalwood scent, uniquely Xiao Lingchuan’s, invading every breath she took.

In her past life, she had only visited his quarters a few times, each time to nurse him when he was at death’s door.

It seemed only when he was passed out did she have a chance to enter his chamber.

She heard a low voice from beside the bed.

Xiao Lingchuan was already sitting there, holding a steaming bowl of medicinal soup.

He skillfully tested it with a silver needle, confirming it was poison-free, then scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her lips.

“Why am I in your main bedroom?” Jiang Shuning asked.

“You are my wife, so naturally we live together.” Xiao Lingchuan said calmly. “Once your name is cleared, I will hold the grandest wedding banquet in the world for you. Whatever I owed you in our past life, I will repay you double in this one.”

In his past life, he mistakenly thought she had drugged the wine, and was brutal to her during their consummation, making her cry all night.

So in this life, he deliberately chose the same bridal chamber to give her a true wedding night—no force, no harm, only his quiet watch all night long.

He was healing the rift between them, bit by bit, in his own way.

"You don't have to do this, Your Highness," Jiang Shuning said, lowering her eyes to hide her emotions. "I have already agreed to a deal with you, and I won't go back on my word."

Xiao Lingchuan's hand, holding the spoon, suddenly froze, and the air grew thick with tension.

He slowly set down the bowl, lifted her chin, and forced her to meet his gaze.

The faint warmth lingering in his deep eyes was instantly replaced by an icy coldness.

"Do you think that all the trouble I went through to get you out of the imperial prison... was just for a deal?"

His voice dropped low, with the pressure of an impending storm, his gaze burning and unyielding. "Jiang Shuning, what I want is your heart!"

Just as Jiang Shuning, trapped by the fierce, almost consuming possessiveness in his eyes, had no way out and didn't know how to answer, Ling Feng's urgent voice came from outside the door:

"Your Highness, Third Master Jiang asks to see you!"

Xiao Lingchuan's eyes darkened, and the murderous aura around him was barely containable.

"What is he doing here?"

Ling Feng paused, sounding equally puzzled: "He says... he specially came to bring you almond cakes!"