The sound of coughing came one after another. Wei Lin’s eyes were gentle as he stroked his sickly-looking wife’s hair. He won a scholarship at the age of eighteen, and he did not have the help of his family behind him as other officials do. He came from a poor background and relied on a woman who worked silently to support him on his education. Therefore, she is the one Wei Lin is most concerned about now.

Emperor Hongming preferred to use lone subjects, so Wei Lin almost smoothly climbed up to the position of Court Elder. However, he also knows that nowadays, among the forces in the court, he is the one who is most in danger.

Especially in such a turbulent situation. He replaced Yang Hui as the first minister. Still, Wei Lin knew in his heart that the reason why Yang Hui was so determined to support the Third Prince must be that the Emperor had indicated something. The Third Prince must also have leverage in his hands.

Now that the Grand Prince intends to use him, he doesn’t know what will happen to him when the Third Prince returns to the court.

This was not enough for Wei Lin to send his wife away. What really made him make this decision was the Grand Prince himself. Wei Lin has long heard that the Grand Prince was cruel, so he had a lot of suspicion in his heart. In the past few days, he heard that the current Commander of the Imperial Guard, Fang Rui, was being held under control by the Grand Prince.

This is why Wei Lin could not help but worry about his wife, not to mention that his wife is also suffering from lung disease, worsening day by day. Wei Lin could not bear for her to suffer excessively further.

“It’s windy outside. Get into the carriage.” Wei Lin closed the cloak on his wife’s body, “After leaving the capital, life may not be as fine as usual, so I have to bother you to endure again.”

“Tell me the truth, why are you sending me away? What about your situation? Didn’t the Grand Prince just made you an official?” Although the woman was sick and weak, she was very spirited and pulled Wei Lin to ask questions.

“What can I do? Now that I am sitting as the First Minister, sending you away is just because I see that you are sick and in a bad mood. I want to send you out for a break.” Wei Lin pretended to look like he was crying and laughing, covering up the heaviness in his heart.

“Really?” The woman asked hesitantly but inhaled a mouthful of cool air and could not stop coughing.

Wei Lin looked heartbroken and hurriedly pushed her into the carriage: “Really, really, go, wait until I take a break, and then I will go see you.”

""

The carriage finally rolled forward. Wei Lin had his hands behind his back, standing on the official road looking at the departing carriage, and eventually could not contain a deep sigh.

Yang Hui is gone, and Wei Lin had to fill his vacancy. He also had to slowly draw away from the network of forces laid by Yang Hui, which made him really tired recently. However, he did not dare to have a moment of relaxation. He had dealt with the Third Prince, so of course, he knew that none of these princes had a simple mind.

For the Third Prince, Wei Lin, with his old eyes, could still figure out seven points of this person’s thoughts, but for the First Prince, he could not even guess three points.

The First Prince is very sharp, old-fashioned, and has his own style. Since his governance, he has not been suppressed by the officials and also swept away the balance in the court. He has quickly broken up several forces in the court. Everything from top to bottom has been regulated, and the wind of corruption has been significantly suppressed.

For all the tasks he has set, if someone is slacking off or deliberately cheating as in the past, the Grand Prince will never talk nonsense with them. He will simply dismiss them, fine them, and promote new ones.

To be honest, Wei Lin admired such means. He sometimes looked at that young shell and always felt that a wise demon lived in it.

The wisdom of a demon is really the wisdom of a demon. Wei Lin was ashamed of himself. Because he could not see through the prince’s thoughts, he felt a sense of panic, which made him determined to send his wife away.

Qing Yun sat in the carriage, looking at Wei Lin standing in the distance against the wind. He could not help but shake his head and lose his smile. He promoted Wei Lin, naturally, because of his talent. In the court, he seemed to be crisp and sharp. The decision to reappoint Wei Lin, who was originally a Court Elder, instead of promoting others, was made by Qing Yun after taking the situation in the court into consideration.

Unexpectedly, this decision has scared Wei Lin, the party concerned. This was enough to show how badly Grand Prince Yan Sa’s reputation is among the officials and even among the people.

It seems that Yan Lan has been ruining him a lot these years.

Putting away the brush in his hand, Qing Yun blew the ink on the paper and waved his hand towards Chen Bing. Chen Bing signaled and immediately had the driver move the carriage towards Wei Lin.

Wei Lin was still immersed in his thoughts. The current chaotic situation, coupled with the sudden emergence of the Grand Prince, both gave him a lot of pressure. After all, he is now being forced to take sides. He worries that if he does not perform as well as the Grand Prince wants, he might implicate his family.

""

After thinking hard to no avail, Wei Lin shook his head with a bitter smile and flung his sleeves to turn around and leave.

As a result, once he turned his head, he saw a carriage slowly stop in front of him. Wei Lin’s heart thumped, and a bad feeling instantly sprang up in his heart.

This carriage should not be……

“Court Elder Wei and his wife are really deeply in love with each other.”

The youth’s distinctive clear and crisp voice with a slight imperceptible laugh came out of the carriage, making Wei Lin’s heart sank completely.

Without making any resistance, he threw himself on his knees: “This Minister sees the Grand Prince.”

When did the Grand Prince come? How much of what he said to his wife was overheard? Wei Lin’s mind whirled, thinking about whether he had said anything he shouldn’t have.

But after thinking about it, Wei Lin could not help but smile bitterly. Seeing the current situation is not all clear, he did not say anything even if he was half prepared for the words of the Grand Prince.

Wei Lin’s heart was gloomy. He only regretted why he was not more careful today.

Disregarding the mud on the ground, Wei Lin knelt down deeply and touched the ground with his head.

He has also recently figured out a bit of the rule of the Grand Prince’s actions, so there was no half-excuse: “Wei Lin now has such achievements, all because of the hard work and support of my wife. In the beginning, all the money for the examination in the Capital was saved by my wife, every bit of it. Therefore, Wei Lin has nothing else to ask but only hope that my wife can be safe and sound.”

“For this reason, Wei Lin is willing to be a cow and a horse and help Your Highness wholeheartedly.” [T/N: means to devote all your energy to doing something]

At the end of Wei Lin’s words, Qing Yun smiled. It seems that this man and his wife are really very affectionate. Otherwise, it is impossible to reach this point thinking of playing a bitter drama to let him spare his wife.

Yan Sa, ah, Yan Sa, what kind of demon are you in the hearts of these people? Qing Yun sighed.

In fact, he did not know that Yan Sa’s reputation would be just like a tyrant. Now, Wei Lin is so afraid of him because of the actions of Qing Yun, an old demon. After all, he can have such plans at such a young age, but he also carries a negative and violent reputation. Is it not something that people should be wary of?

Qing Yun waved his hand, and Chen Bing immediately took the prescription that Qing Yun had just written and walked down.

Chen Bing is also a person, and seeing Qing Yun’s expression, he could understand his attitude towards Wei Lin. As soon as he got off the carriage, he lifted Wei Lin up in a cordial tone. “Elder Wei, His Highness is touched by your affection for your wife and has given a prescription for a medicine that will have a miraculous effect on your wife’s lung disease. Why don’t you accept it quickly?”

Even if Chen Bing came to help him, Wei Lin did not dare to get up. He looked at the prescription Chen Bing handed him with a bewildered face. The ink on it was still fresh, and it looked like it had just been written down not long ago.

What does this……mean?

“Elder Wei, why don’t you get up? Do you want this prince to personally help? The position of you as the First Minister is only for the sake of the court, do not overthink.” As if seeing the scene outside with his own eyes, the youth’s laughing voice rang out again.

The fear and worries in Wei Lin’s heart have not yet dissipated. Chen Bing, who helped him up, has gotten on the carriage. The low-profile carriage has turned around and left slowly, leaving Wei Lin standing alone on the official road with a blank face, holding the prescription in his hand.

The words of the youth came from afar, making Wei Lin speechless: “This prince will remember First Minister Wei’s words. There is no need for you to be a cow and a horse, First Minister Wei just needs to always be mindful of the court, and I will be satisfied.”

Just……just like that, just gave him a prescription, and that’s it?

The defense that Wei Lin just filled his heart simply had nowhere to release. He watched the back of the slowly disappearing carriage and felt that he was still in a dream. As if his feet were stepping on cotton, there was a sense of weakness and instability.

Wei Lin stood in the cold wind for a long time before he calmed down and looked down at the prescription in his hand. His wife’s lung disease has lingered for three months. He visited famous doctors all over, but there is no cure. Wei Lin even begged the Imperial Physician to come, but his wife’s condition has not improved.

As soon as Wei Lin, who is slightly familiar with medicine, saw this prescription, his heart immediately stirred, and his fingers slightly trembled. He knows that the First Prince has sought treatment for his own body from everywhere, and a long illness could make him a good doctor. What if this prescription……works?

Without hesitation, Wei Lin waved his hand towards the boy beside him and said, “Prepare the carriage, and go after my wife!”

“Yes, Master.” The boy hastily answered.

Wei Lin’s tense face and trembling fingers conveyed the excitement in his heart. He saw clearly that today’s matter was entirely using such means for him to gauge the man’s mind. The Grand Prince is open and honest and does not intend to hold his family hostage or even force him to submit.

Thinking of this, thinking of his earlier words of submission, thinking of the previous tension and worry in his heart, Wei Lin felt his old face was hot and sore. To think that he has lived for half a lifetime, but his heart is still not as open and transparent as a young man who is just in the early years of his life.

Who are the disgraceful people who spread the rumor outside that the Grand Prince is moody, cunning, and envious? Weighed down by the fact that he had made such a scene today, Wei Lin could not help but curse in a low voice.

The First Prince is concerned about the court, selfless, courteous, and wise, but also resourceful. This time, he is willing to stand in line with the First Prince in the fight for the throne!

Qing Yun was busy reorganizing the Capital, while Qi Yue took the Third Prince to the Capital from the Northern border at a fast speed.

They just met Yang Hui, who had resigned to support the Third Prince in the north.

As soon as he saw Yang Hui, the stern trace between Qi Yue’s eyebrows became even thicker: “Court Elder Yang, why are you here?”

“The Emperor is seriously ill. The Eldest Prince took the opportunity to rule and supervise the country. I did not obey his control and resigned in the name of old age and came to follow the third prince.” Yang Hui stroked his beard. Although he spoke justifiably, a trace of embarrassment flashed in his eyes.

""

In the beginning, in the courtroom, he put up a show to resign, but who would have expected the Grand Prince to agree without further discussion.

Hmph, I wonder what kind of chaos the court has been in since he left.

“Nonsense.” As soon as he heard Yang Hui’s words, Qi Yue gave a rebuke, reprimanding Yang Hui and the First Prince who was far away in the imperial city. Although he is based in the north, he knows all about the power in the Imperial Court. He knows that although this person Yang Hui has the problem of pride, he is indeed a talented person and controls most of the power in the Imperial Court.

His departure from the court will indeed have some turmoil, plus the Emperor is seriously ill. The First Prince, who has been raised in the palace since childhood with a physical disability and closed vision, is now in power. It is unclear what will happen.

“Teacher, you treat me so well. There are no words to express the gratitude in my heart.” Yan Lan held Yang Hui’s hands and burst into tears.

When Yang Hui saw this, the doubts and regrets that had risen in his heart over the past few days dissipated to nothing, and he looked at Yan Lan with increasing satisfaction.

There was a flash of thought in Yan Lan’s eyes. He knew about Yang Hui’s proud nature and knew how to behave to make this Court Elder Yang completely useful to him.

Qi Yue was not interested in watching the two men exchanging pleasantries. He looked at the Imperial City from afar and said to the military officer beside him: “Here, the people behind us will have to stop first. I am afraid that any further advance will cause panic. You and I will go into the Capital and explore the situation inside the court before making any plans. Bringing the soldiers to attack the city is the last resort.”

After a brief explanation of his plan, Qi Yue turned to the Third Prince and said, “Your Highness is carrying the holy decree. I am afraid that the Grand Prince has anticipated that and he would lure you into the city. So, in order to keep the holy decree safe, Your Highness should first station here with the army.”

Yan Lan was anxious to have someone to explore for him, so of course, he agreed.

Qi Yue took a few people with him and rushed to the Capital with a fast horse. In fact, in his opinion, the Third Prince is not good at coping with the current situation. The First Prince is ruling for reasons that can not be faulted, the Emperor is seriously ill, and the situation is very urgent. The Third Prince was good at long and careful planning, so the immediate concern is unfavorable to the third prince.

There was no need to think too hard to know that even if the Third Prince has the holy decree in his hand, it is useless unless the decree is brought intact before the hundreds of officials.

This time, Qi Yue intends to quickly resolve the matter in the Capital. All the obstacles encountered by the Third Prince, to put it bluntly, is because of the Grand Prince. If he could eliminate the Grand Prince this time and save the Emperor, all the crisis could be lifted.