Chapter 75 Xie Xuanran Invites Qin Jiao’s Help

Chapter 75: Xie Xuanran Seeks Qin Jiao's Assistance

Once Tongsheng had finished serving the dishes, he left, leaving only the four of them exchanging awkward glances. Xie Xuanran spoke first: "Uncle, Young Master Qin, please try the clay-baked chicken and see how it tastes."

Xie Nai picked up a piece of chicken and gave it to Qin Jiao. Qin Jiao hurriedly held out his own plate to catch it. "I can serve myself, really," he said. For some reason, the more Xie Nai fussed over him in front of Lin Wen and Xie Xuanran, the more uncomfortable Qin Jiao felt.

Lin Wen glanced at Xie Nai, then also picked up a piece of chicken for Xie Xuanran.

The clay-baked chicken had a crispy skin and was full of rich, fragrant meat. It was delicious, but Qin Jiao, preoccupied with his thoughts, ate it like chewing on cardboard. Seeing his unease, Xie Nai put down his chopsticks and directly asked Xie Xuanran: "Mingjia, out with it. What exactly are you two planning?"

Xie Xuanran had always respected Xie Nai. Seeing his uncle stop eating, he too put down his chopsticks and replied obediently:

"Uncle, you've been away at Jing Pass for three years, and your nephew has missed you dearly. Now that you're back in the capital, I wanted to treat you to some local delicacies. Additionally, the market administration in the capital has been in chaos. I've learned of the conflict between Zhu Geyong of the Market Inspectorate and the heir of the Marquis of Pingning from the Qin residence. In truth, this situation in the capital has been going on for half a year now, and I..."

Xie Nai furrowed his brows and tapped the table with his index finger. "Get to the point."

Xie Xuanran paused for a moment, then said solemnly: "Uncle, Mingjia is asking you to help me bring down Second Imperial Uncle."

Qin Jiao: "..."

Was he supposed to be hearing this?

The young master held a piece of chicken between his chopsticks, unsure whether to put it in his mouth or drop it onto his plate.

"What are you panicking about? Weren't you plenty bold when you deceived me before?" Lin Wen remarked coolly, taking the opportunity to mock Qin Jiao for having once used Xie Nai as a pretext to trick him.

"Some people willingly fall for tricks—that's not my problem," Qin Jiao shot back, even though he was nervous.

"Twisting things around, just like someone else."

The "someone else" Lin Wen mentioned wasn't about to let that sarcasm slide. Xie Nai immediately retorted, "With all your cleverness, why haven't you dealt with Xie Chengyi yet?"

Although Lin Wen wanted to fire back, he could only state the truth calmly: "His biological mother is of noble birth, and he has the support of powerful court officials. What can I do about him?"

Xie Nai sneered. "He's just a cripple. What's there to fear?"

"Wait!" Qin Jiao abruptly raised his hand, speaking cautiously. "Maybe I should step out first."

"It's fine. This isn't exactly a royal secret. Young Master Qin, there's no harm in listening," Xie Xuanran reassured him.

"Oh... very well then," Qin Jiao said reluctantly.

Since Xie Xuanran had said so, Qin Jiao listened quietly. Through their back-and-forth conversation, he gradually pieced together this imperial family's secret history.

Xie Chengyi, the Second Prince of the Tianyuan Dynasty. His mother, Li Ying, hailed from the Li clan of Longxi, a prominent family. Emperor Chengyuan had even personally appointed her as Imperial Noble Consort. Now that there was no Grand Empress Dowager in the palace, Li Ying was the most honored Consort Dowager Ying.

The Li clan of Longxi had many members, and the court was filled with important ministers loyal to them. Three years ago, after the late emperor's death, the Longxi faction, led by Li Ying's father, Li Guozhang, pushed for the Second Prince to ascend the throne.

At that time, the court was divided into two factions: the "Longxi faction," which supported the Second Prince, and the "Imperial Authority faction," led by the late emperor's teacher, Wu Xianyi, which supported the Sixth Prince, Xie Nai.

The Second Prince's greatest drawback was his crippled left leg and cruel temperament, while Xie Nai was upright, talented, and young, with a mother as noble as Li Ying—the Imperial Noble Consort Li. He was considered the ideal candidate for the throne.

However, at that time, the Jing Pass was in turmoil. The foreign chieftain Wu Tuyin repeatedly invaded. The Tianyuan Dynasty was struggling to rebuild, facing national hardships. Neither the court nor the country could be settled by one person alone. In the end, with the help of his mother, the Imperial Noble Consort Li, and the imperial tutor Wu Xianyi, Xie Nai allied with the Lin family to install Xie Xuanran as the Young Emperor.

After the failed coup, Consort Dowager Ying and the Second Prince kept a low profile for a while. But once the Imperial Noble Consort Li passed away, there was no one left in the harem to rein in Consort Dowager Ying. Leveraging her clan's influence, she thrived in the palace, and the Second Prince, Xie Chengyi, began running wild, disrupting market order and causing widespread resentment among officials and commoners alike in the capital.

Xie Xuanran never forgot what Xie Nai had said to him before leaving for Jing Pass: "Mingjia, the people's lives are hard. A ruler must strive for their benefit to achieve peace and prosperity across the land."

During the three years Xie Nai spent quelling the rebellion at Jing Pass, Xie Xuanran dutifully followed his uncle's teachings, never daring to slack off. But the Second Prince's rise was too swift. Without clear evidence, the young emperor could do nothing against his second imperial uncle.

As the long-buried past surfaced before his eyes, Xie Xuanran spoke with solemnity: "A few days ago, during the lantern festival at Xiusheng North Street, I went incognito and devised a plan to bring down Second Imperial Uncle. I ask Sixth Imperial Uncle and Young Master Qin to assist me."

"Me?" Qin Jiao's eyes flew open in shock. "What can I do to help?"

"Well, I received intelligence that..."

At Jusheng Xuan.

Tongsheng stood guard at the entrance of the private room, holding a tray, ready for his master inside to call on him.

On the surface, only Tongsheng was present as a servant, but hidden around the corridor corners, on the beams, on the rooftops, and even in the kilns across from Jusheng Xuan were Shadow Guards—loyal to the royal family, tasked with protecting Xie Xuanran.

Inside the private room, after explaining his plan, Xie Xuanran sat upright and solemn, waiting for Xie Nai and Qin Jiao's responses.

Qin Jiao was stunned by what Xie Xuanran had revealed. His face pale and his gaze wandering, he was at a loss for words. Beside him, Xie Nai's expression turned cold, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. He asked Xie Xuanran, "Where did you get the information you just mentioned, Your Majesty?"

"Your nephew planted spies around Second Imperial Uncle," Xie Xuanran replied. "The intelligence was just delivered a few days ago."

Qin Jiao absently rubbed the Fengxue Bracelet on his wrist, a chill creeping up his spine.

Xie Nai lightly squeezed Qin Jiao's hand, then said, "It's fine for Qin Jiao and Lin Wen to annul their engagement, but nothing else. We'll talk about the rest another time."

"What, do you think you can decide for Qin Jiao?" Lin Wen sneered. "So anything that benefits you is acceptable?"

"Annulling the engagement benefits you too," Xie Nai said, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Lin Wen. "Besides, I can also make decisions for Mingjia. Want to test that?"

"You..." Lin Wen choked on his words. "Despicable!"

"Right back at you," Xie Nai retorted.

Xie Xuanran respected Xie Nai and also cherished Lin Wen, but ever since Xie Nai found out about his one night of indiscretion with Lin Wen, the two had been at each other's throats whenever they met, locked in an impasse.

But now, with Qin Jiao's presence, it was like a spark that starts a wildfire, breaking the deadlock.

Xie Xuanran discreetly tugged at Lin Wen's sleeve. "Uncle, Chancellor Lin, please stop arguing. Why don't we ask Young Master Qin what he thinks?"

Qin Jiao hadn't yet figured out how to respond. He remained silent for a long time. "If Young Master Qin is unwilling, I won't force you," Xie Xuanran said calmly. "You don't have to feel pressured."

Qin Jiao lowered his head. What Xie Xuanran had told him was too shocking. After a moment of thought, the young master said, "Your Majesty, may I have a few days to consider?"

Xie Xuanran nodded solemnly. "Of course. When you've made up your mind, you can contact Chancellor Lin at any time."

"Alright," Qin Jiao agreed. Speaking of Lin Wen, he had something to ask him. "Chancellor Lin, I have a question for you."

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