Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 197 Suspicious

Chapter 197: Chapter 197 Suspicious

Emperor Jianming hastily helped him up. "It’s my incompetence and cowardice. For years, I’ve been a puppet. When the noble families commanded me to go east, I dared not go west; when they sought to kill someone, I couldn’t stop them and even enabled their tyranny. The late emperor stood firm for political reform, preferring death to submission. I’m the most craven emperor of the Yuwen Family, and my uselessness nearly caused your demise."

"The implementation of the new policies is inevitable; Your Majesty must not waver." Marquis Zhenbei spoke with unyielding righteousness. "When the ruler asks for a subject’s life, the subject must comply without hesitation. If Your Majesty truly desires my death, a single decree will suffice—you need not endanger yourself. Should harm befall the imperial body, it would be my sin."

"It’s my fault; it’s all my fault..." Emperor Jianming muttered in regret and remorse. "I lost my judgment in a moment of folly and wronged you."

Marquis Zhenbei’s expression darkened slightly. "Your Majesty, I’ve said before that once the new policies are enacted, I will relinquish control of the military. Troop reductions will occur at the borders, and Xie Zhang will garrison Ningzhou. My wife and I will stay in the capital to accompany our children and share family joys. Please trust in my loyalty."

"I trust you!" Emperor Jianming sighed. "But the Grand Scholar once discussed the new policies with me and deemed their implementation overly harsh. The Lin Family does not support the reform, and the Marchioness is Elder Lin’s beloved daughter. Now that you’re caught in the middle, how will you cope?"

Marquis Zhenbei was momentarily stunned. He had discussed the reforms with Elder Lin, leading Xie Jue to consult the cabinet on the matter. Yet now Emperor Jianming claimed that Lin Hongyuan opposed the new policies—had the Lin Family changed their stance?

"Your Majesty, you must have faith. National policy cannot be obstructed by one person, one family, or one clan. Be it the Lin Family or the Xie Family, as long as the policies benefit the nation and its people, no one can prevent their implementation. The late emperor died in the forbidden palace because of our incompetence. I once swore that within my lifetime, I would never allow such a tragedy to recur. Your Majesty, fear not—you will surely reclaim your authority, and Yanyang will prosper with order while the people live in peace." Marquis Zhenbei spoke with somber determination. "I will hand over military power, and the noble families will no longer threaten the throne."

Emperor Jianming was deeply moved and shed silent tears. "It’s my failure..."

Upon returning to the imperial tent, Emperor Jianming found the Crown Prince already seated inside, sipping tea. As he entered, the prince stood to greet him. Emperor Jianming gestured a light, symbolic support. Mr. Xu and a few palace maids stepped forward to remove his cloak and hang it aside. A maid brought warm water to assist Emperor Jianming in washing his hands.

After Mr. Xu offered a cup of tea, he led the palace maids out quietly.

The Crown Prince asked, "Father, what did Marquis Zhenbei say?"

The imperial tent was arranged to imitate Yangxin Palace, with a screen separating the bedroom and living quarters. To the right was a heated couch, beside which stood a shelf holding the emperor’s common belongings. After cleaning his hands, Emperor Jianming sat on the couch. The Crown Prince angled himself to sit opposite him. On the couch was a desk holding a chessboard, with two cups of tea and three plates of snacks nearby.

Sweeping away the defeated demeanor he had shown before Marquis Zhenbei, Emperor Jianming gazed thoughtfully at his trusted Crown Prince. "The marquis has agreed to relinquish military power. Upon returning to the capital after the hunt, it will be announced in court."

When Emperor Jianming returned to the camp, the Crown Prince, already present, had heard about Marquis Zhenbei’s injury. He inquired about the situation, prompting Emperor Jianming to uneasily recount events truthfully. Following the Crown Prince’s advice, Emperor Jianming sought out Marquis Zhenbei to explain everything.

"Congratulations, Father, on achieving your goal. Once military power is reclaimed and border troops reduced, we will no longer be constrained by Marquis Zhenbei Mansion." The Crown Prince picked up a black chess piece between two fingers and placed it on the board, sweeping away a cluster of white pieces. "With military control firmly in hand, the new policies will proceed smoothly without further fear of noble families’ dominance."

"Sha’an, how did you guess I set an ambush at Xiyanshan?" Emperor Jianming addressed the Crown Prince by his courtesy name, his tone gentle. "Did Chen Mo tell you?"

The Crown Prince stood and expressed his guilt. "Father, please understand that Chen Mo, as Commander of the Jinyi Guard, would never reveal such classified information to me. Yesterday, I had urgent matters and sought out Chen Mo, but he wasn’t in camp. That’s when I deduced it. Father, by setting a trap to kill Marquis Zhenbei, you took a great risk. Unless you intended to bait the noble families into believing your relationship with the marquis was already on the brink."

Emperor Jianming silently observed the Crown Prince, his gaze cold. Offering himself as bait had brought him perilously close to death, while the Crown Prince remained calmly in the camp, awaiting news. Knowing the emperor had put himself at risk, the Crown Prince refrained from advising against it. What was he planning? If the ambush had gone wrong and he’d perished during the hunt, the Crown Prince might have naturally ascended to the throne. Why hadn’t he tried to dissuade him?

Suspicion is inherent to emperors, and Emperor Jianming was no exception!

The Crown Prince, as Emperor Jianming’s eldest son, had been sharp and gentle from a young age, earning his father’s favor. He had been designated Princely Heir early on and seamlessly became Crown Prince after Emperor Jianming’s accession. Emperor Jianming deeply cherished the Crown Prince. At fifteen, he was entrusted with assisting in governance. Emperor Jianming assigned Grandmaster Zhang and Elder Lin as his tutors, carefully ensuring their allegiance to the prince.

He meticulously chose a bride for the Crown Prince, going to great lengths to select Lin Yushu. Through this marriage alliance, he consolidated the Crown Prince’s power and status, making the noble families his backbone of support. He never considered cultivating another to supersede him. The Crown Prince’s position was immovable and unshaken.

The Crown Prince lived up to expectations, being benevolent and loving toward the people, earning considerable acclaim. Emperor Jianming hoped the Crown Prince could transform the court and rise above the fate of being a puppet ruler.

Behind him lay vast resources, all at the Crown Prince’s command, including Chen Mo.

"A noble person does not tarry under a crumbling hall. Though I wished to dissuade you, I feared sabotaging your plan. Before the hunt, I instructed Chen Mo to protect you at all costs. Should it become necessary, Chen Mo would take your place in danger." The Crown Prince knelt and spoke with a solemn voice. "Father, you are both ruler and parent. I would never stand by and watch harm come to you."

Emperor Jianming’s cold demeanor softened. Indeed, the Crown Prince always displayed loyalty and filial piety. Knowing his plan, how could he let the emperor face peril alone? Emperor Jianming extended a hand to help him up. "Sha’an, I understand your intent. Rise."

"Thank you, Father." The Crown Prince stood and returned to his seat on the heated couch. "Now that military power is consolidated, after peace talks, Xie Jue and the cabinet will take charge of the new policies. We can sit back and watch the noble families engage in their rivalries. Marquis Zhenbei Mansion having lost its military power means no family will fear them anymore. Let them struggle amongst themselves, and we’ll reap the benefits as bystanders."

Emperor Jianming shook his head lightly. "The Tiger Talisman is merely a slab of stone. Even we cannot command the Northern Iron Cavalry."

The Crown Prince smiled warmly, his long fingers picked up the defeated white chess piece. Slowly, he said, "Father cannot command the Northern Iron Cavalry because the marquis is still alive."

As the white chess piece was removed, the board transformed anew. "But what if the marquis were dead?"

Emperor Jianming’s pupils contracted sharply, the sound of silence filling the imperial tent. This was a prospect Emperor Jianming dared not even consider. Though he had set an ambush, he had never intended to kill Marquis Zhenbei.

If the marquis died, the cavalry would surely rebel!

"He is robust and without illness, and harbors no ambition. How could he possibly die?" Emperor Jianming’s voice trembled, a mixture of fear and excitement betraying him. "You... you must not act recklessly!"

The Crown Prince stayed silent, smiling. For the first time, Emperor Jianming could not decipher the intentions of his ever-gentle eldest son. "If Marquis Zhenbei were to die, how could the new policies proceed? Should the policies fail, noble families would dominate the throne, and we’d forever remain as puppets. The noble families burned the late emperor alive—they could just as easily execute us both."

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