Chapter 194: Resolute

In the Wan Feng Hall…

The Crown Prince leaned back in the circular chair, his right arm casually resting on the armrest, while his left hand massaged his temple, as though faced with a difficult problem.

Back when he had a marriage agreement with Su Wan, the Empress was pregnant, and he felt his position was in jeopardy. To secure his power, he secretly collaborated with Su Jihong to build an armory, selling weapons to the barbarians in exchange for warhorses and a large amount of wealth, thus strengthening his own influence.

Before the Regent asked him to make a choice, Su Jihong had mentioned that Su Wan and her sister, Su Mixue, were deeply bonded. Since life in the inner palace could be lonely, Su Jihong suggested that Su Mixue could be made a concubine for the Crown Prince, so the sisters could have each other for companionship and support.

Su Jihong had also tried to persuade him by bringing up the fact that Su Wan had Xiliang blood running through her veins. “If Su Wan marries into the royal family, she will never have children in this lifetime. Even if you care for her and are willing to show mercy by allowing her to bear a child, it will only result in either the son dying or the daughter surviving.

Your Highness, you love Su Wan the most, but if a child from another favored concubine inherits the throne, how could they ever tolerate her presence? With Xue’er, it would be different—you could pass a child on to her to raise as her own.”

The Crown Prince inwardly laughed. He hadn’t even ascended to the throne yet, and Su Jihong was already planning the heir.

To solidify Su Jihong’s support, the Crown Prince had agreed to this.

The Crown Prince stroked his right arm, still feeling a lingering numbness, and couldn’t help but smile bitterly as he recalled Su Wan’s words.

He was the Crown Prince of a nation and had never paid any regard to a mere peasant girl. Back then, in line with the Regent’s choice, he married Su Mixue as his Crown Princess. He had once proposed to make Su Wan his consort, and after ascending the throne and consolidating his power, he planned to make her Empress.

However, the Regent refused, insisting that Su Wan must marry Gu Huaizhi, using harsh methods to enforce it. At that time, the Crown Prince had thought the Regent disliked Su Wan due to his hatred of Qi Min for abandoning him.

Now, seeing how Su Wan resided at the Regent’s mansion and moved about freely, the Crown Prince realized he had misunderstood the situation entirely.

Perhaps the Regent had never intended to push him to ascend the throne, which is why he arranged for Su Wan to marry a mere commoner. Later, with the Regent’s influence, elevating Gu Huaizhi would be a simple task.

If he had chosen to marry Su Wan, would the Regent truly have pulled him down from his position as heir?

“Your Highness.” Ji Lin knocked on the door.

The Crown Prince snapped out of his chaotic thoughts. While he remained entangled in the past, Su Wan had already moved on, treating him as a stranger. That old affection had long faded, and now, even hating him seemed unnecessary to her.

“Enter,” the Crown Prince set aside his thoughts and looked at Ji Lin as he stepped inside. “How did things go?”

The Regent wanted him and Su Jihong to turn against each other. What the Crown Prince could do now was clean up, destroy the evidence, and stage an accident to kill Su Jihong.

Before that, he had to quickly win over Master Jiang.

As Ji Lin raised his hand, his fingers accidentally brushed against the token at his waist. Bowing, he said, “Your Highness, Master Jiang has finished handling matters at the Imperial Academy and has already left the capital. I tracked his movements but only found that he went to Jiangnan. Beyond that, there’s no trace.”

The Crown Prince’s expression darkened. “Keep investigating!”

His gaze swept past the large tree outside the window, its leaves already turning yellow. As the gentle breeze blew, the leaves floated down, as if foreshadowing his own fall from grace, like these leaves descending from the heights.

Suddenly, his hand clenched into a fist, slamming heavily onto the table.

His cold and stern face grew even darker, his brows furrowed with a deep, ominous intensity.

It seemed as if he carried the resolute determination of one who had burned his bridges, leaving no path of retreat.

Ji Lin, witnessing this, felt his heart skip a beat, a sense of foreboding creeping in. He dared not ask further, fearing he might reveal something unintentionally, so he took his leave immediately after receiving his orders.

The Crown Prince summoned a few more people, gave them brief instructions, and his eyes were filled with ruthless intent.