Chapter 293: Striking the Emperor’s Raw Nerve

Chapter 293: Striking Straight at the Emperor’s Weak Spot

In the Golden Throne Hall, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron.

General of State Stabilization Wang Deshan knelt before the hall, tears streaming down his weathered face.

“Your Majesty! My son, Wang Qi, has been captured by Western Frontier raiders for three months now! Three months! I can’t sleep at night, my heart is wrenched! Prince Jing holds the tiger tally for the Western Expedition, yet he drags his feet and refuses to move, letting my son suffer every kind of torment in the hands of those villains! I beg Your Majesty to take action and order the Western Expedition immediately!”

On the dragon throne, Xiao Zhengxian frowned deeply, putting on a worried expression, but his gaze discreetly shifted toward Xiao Lingchuan, who stood at the head of the military officials.

Now, the court’s forces were fragmented. He could mobilize only a handful of troops.

Even if he had troops, he was unwilling to help Wang Deshan.

After all, Wang Deshan was aligned with Prince Rui. Before this third brother was completely stripped of power, his threat was no less than Xiao Lingchuan’s.

But he had to keep up appearances.

“Fourth Brother,” Xiao Zhengxian said, his voice steady and carrying the majesty of a monarch, “Why have you repeatedly delayed the Western Expedition?”

All eyes instantly focused on Xiao Lingchuan.

“Your Majesty, it’s not that I deliberately delayed,” he said, his voice flat and unreadable. “It’s just that there is a pregnant consort in my residence, in delicate health, requiring my constant care. I am truly stretched thin. Swords are blind—if I were to set out now, who will answer for my child’s safety?”

At these words, the entire court erupted in uproar.

Prince Jing’s residence is expecting?

Which Secondary Consort was it?

Wang Deshan lifted his head sharply, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Xiao Lingchuan as if they were shooting fire: “A woman! For the sake of a woman, Your Highness would abandon my son to his fate?!”

“A woman?” Xiao Lingchuan finally raised his eyes, his cold gaze, like poisoned daggers, piercing straight into Wang Deshan. “General of State Stabilization, watch your words. The child in my residence is imperial blood, a future commandery prince or prince! In your eyes, is he inferior to your good-for-nothing son?”

He curled his lips contemptuously, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Moreover, General, you station tens of thousands of troops in Xiyu. Has the court ever shortchanged them a single cent of military pay or provisions? How is it that you can’t even protect your own young master? Do I have to travel a thousand miles to clean up your mess?”

“Are the troops you’ve raised nothing but useless trash?”

These words were more vicious than a direct slap in the face.

This was questioning the loyalty and capability of the entire Western Pacification Army!

“Xiao Lingchuan! You… you go too far!” Wang Deshan trembled with rage, pointing a finger at him, nearly fainting on the spot.

“Enough!” Xiao Zhengxian interrupted at the perfect moment, putting on a pained expression. “You are both pillars of the state! How can you quarrel like this among yourselves! General of State Stabilization, calm yourself. Fourth Brother, say no more!”

Even as he played the mediator, a flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.

Fight on, the fiercer the better.

Better yet, let the dogs tear each other apart.

The morning court broke up on a sour note.

Xiao Lingchuan was summoned alone to the Imperial Study.

Xiao Zhengxian personally poured him a cup of tea, his tone as gentle as a loving elder brother’s: “Fourth Brother, why do this? How did you end up so hostile toward both the Imperial Uncle and the General of State Stabilization?”

He sighed, in a heartfelt tone.

“I know Fourth Brother now has many supporters in the court, but you can’t make enemies everywhere like this. Aren’t you afraid of future trouble?”

Xiao Lingchuan picked up the teacup but did not drink. Instead, he lightly stirred the tea leaves with the lid, making a crisp sound.

He suddenly laughed mockingly.

“I thank Your Majesty for your concern.”

That laugh was short and cold, draining the warmth from the study.

“I am merely a subject. Even if I make enemies of everyone, so what? At worst, I’ll go to my fief and stay there, staying out of state affairs.”

He set down the teacup, lifting his eyes to meet Xiao Zhengxian’s on the dragon throne, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

“But Your Majesty is different. You are the Monarch of Daye. Naturally, you must make everyone submit to you.”

He paused, then suddenly shifted his tone like a polished dagger thrusting straight home.

“However, even if Your Majesty makes the whole world submit, so what? You have been on the throne for over a year, yet there is still no sign of an heir. The Aristocratic Clans can’t stand that most of all. Your Majesty has the leisure to meddle in my trivial affairs—better to think about how to expand the royal line!”

Xiao Zhengxian’s teacup crashed heavily onto the desk. Scalding tea splashed out, burning the back of his hand bright red.

He was oblivious to the pain.

Xiao Lingchuan’s words were like countless red-hot steel needles, stabbing into the sorest part of his heart.

Heirs!

This was his greatest worry since ascending the throne, his greatest shame as an emperor!

And Xiao Lingchuan dared to throw it in his face so blatantly!

As if he hadn’t noticed the emperor’s suddenly dark expression, Xiao Lingchuan rose leisurely, gave a perfunctory bow, and said, “If Your Majesty has nothing else, I take my leave.”

With that, he turned and strode away, his back straight, without a moment’s hesitation.

The hall fell dead silent.

Xiao Zhengxian stared at his retreating figure, his chest heaving violently. A knot of rage stuck in his throat, unable to rise or fall, making black spots swim before his eyes.

Just then, Empress Gu Wanying came to pay her respects, holding a bowl of medicinal soup she had personally decocted. She spoke gently, coaxing him to drink it.

But Xiao Zhengxian suddenly changed color. He smashed the soup bowl to the ground, shattering it, the medicine spilling everywhere.

He shouted angrily, “I've been drinking this for ages, and it's done nothing!”

Gu Wanying was startled by his sudden violence, her face going pale. Her voice trembled slightly: “Your Majesty, what is the matter?”

“Wanying, I must get a prince as soon as possible. Otherwise, those aristocratic families will never let me sit securely on the throne!” Xiao Zhengxian’s tone revealed deep anxiety. His brows were knit, his eyes full of worry and unease.

Gu Wanying lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering. Her voice was soft, tinged with worry: “Your Majesty, I feel that since you ascended the throne, you have changed a lot.”

In the past, though he was physically weak, he had been warm, upright, and even-tempered. Now, he was prone to sudden fits of rage and mood swings, making her fear him.

Xiao Zhengxian noticed the fear in her eyes and reined in his temper a bit, softening his tone to comfort her: “Wanying, you understand that times are different. I am now the Emperor of Daye, bearing the responsibility of the realm. Naturally, I cannot be as carefree as when I was the Crown Prince. Now, my fourth brother is no longer a threat. As long as I have an heir, the throne will be secure without any worries.”

“But this matter cannot be rushed,” Gu Wanying said gently. “In the past, Miss Jiang once told me that nourishing a weak constitution is not a matter of a day. It must start with dietary adjustments. Rushing it will only make things worse.”

"I cannot wait that long!" Xiao Zhengxian cut her off firmly, his gaze carrying an undeniable resolve. "I need you to conceive a prince as soon as possible—only then can I truly rest easy."

Gu Wanying, hearing this, blushed with a hint of shyness and said softly, "I have heard that Prince Jing has a Doctor Sun by his side, a man of exceptional medical skill. Why not ask Prince Jing to bring this man into the palace to help restore Your Majesty's health?"

"No!" Xiao Zhengxian's face darkened as he refused without hesitation, his voice laced with cold sternness. "Fourth Brother is ruthless in his schemes, and that Doctor Sun is his man—who knows if he might attempt to harm me on his orders? I can't leave my health in the hands of his men. I must find someone else."

"What can be done, then?" Gu Wanying sighed lightly, her brows knitted with worry. "If only Miss Jiang were still here—her medical skills rival those of the imperial physicians, and she excels in dietary therapy. If she were around, she could surely restore Your Majesty's health."

At these words, Xiao Zhengxian's face suddenly darkened, a complex gleam flashing in his eyes as he spoke in a low, suppressed voice: "I suspect that the woman pregnant in Prince Jing's residence now is none other than Miss Jiang. If she truly bears Fourth Brother a child, my position will become even more precarious. Those aristocratic clans—how could they tolerate a sonless emperor continuing to sit firmly on the dragon throne?"

"Poor Miss Jiang, reduced to a shameful affair without a proper marriage, and carrying Prince Jing's child. If Prince Ning were to learn of this, how his heart would ache!" Gu Wanying's tone was full of pity, a trace of compassion gleaming in her eyes.

Hearing this, a sly glint appeared in Xiao Zhengxian's eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Well said. The news of Miss Jiang bearing Fourth Brother's child must indeed be made known to Fifth Brother."

This way, perhaps that child... would never have the chance to be born.