Chapter 306: Releasing the Crown Prince (New Addition at the End)

The corners of the Empress Dowager’s mouth turned downward as she gazed thoughtfully at Princess Yongfu, whose face was filled with sorrow and bitterness. The Empress Dowager sneered inwardly, thinking, Why bother with such high-sounding words?

Even if the Marquis of Guangyuan were to wake up, Princess Yongfu would never allow it. 

In the palace, no one is truly kind-hearted. 

At their core, they are all filled with baseness and selfishness. 

They love themselves more than anything else. 

That’s why it’s so rare for the royal family to produce someone like Ji Xuan, who is deeply devoted to love.

“Yongfu, you should know that the law applies to the emperor as it does to commoners. If the evidence is irrefutable, even I will find it difficult to protect you,” the Empress Dowager sighed, hinting at something. “After all, the Great Zhou Kingdom is now in the hands of the Regent. You know very well that he opposes me. The more I try to protect you, the more his lackeys will seek your life.”

Princess Yongfu, being clever, immediately understood her meaning. “Mother, if the empire were to fall into your hands, would you be able to protect me then?”

The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow, pleased with her insight, and offered some guidance. “The royal bloodline is weakening. The only one who can stand against the Regent now is the Crown Prince. However, he is currently imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court. I want to save him, but I am powerless.”

She looked weary and helpless as she continued, “Only the Empress has any influence now. And the only neutral person who can persuade the Empress is the Eldest Princess.”

Princess Yongfu had a good relationship with the Eldest Princess, and the Empress Dowager’s favor toward her was largely due to the Eldest Princess’s connections.

Princess Yongfu wiped away her tears. “The Great Zhou Kingdom belongs to the Ji family. It should be ruled by the bloodline of the Ji family. The Regent is currently in Xiliang and should relinquish his power. How can a mere subject govern the empire? 

If imperial authority continues to decline, the Great Zhou will inevitably fall. I will not allow this to happen. I will do everything in my power to persuade the Eldest Princess.”

A faint smile appeared on the Empress Dowager’s face. “You truly deserve your father’s love.”

After plotting with the Empress Dowager, Princess Yongfu hurried to the Eldest Princess’s residence.

The Eldest Princess mentioned the incident at the Defender Duke’s residence to Xie Wuyi and pressed him about marriage.

“You’re not getting any younger. Your cousin Su Wan has already been married for a year, and she’s several years younger than you. As her elder cousin, shouldn’t you hurry up?” The Eldest Princess had never imagined that Su Wan was Ji Xuan’s daughter, and she couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

Xie Wuyi regretted returning to the capital to see his mother after Gu Jingyun had come back.

“Mother, I grew up in a temple and have already made my intentions clear to Buddha. I will cut off all worldly ties and become a monk,” Xie Wuyi said, noticing the Eldest Princess’s expression darken. He tried to comfort her, “If I were to marry, it would only burden the girl. You could adopt a child from Father’s side to raise as your own.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Your father is a consort. How can he carry on the Xie family line?” the Eldest Princess emphasized. “I want a grandchild!”

“Fine. Then register one under my name.”

The Eldest Princess slapped his shoulder. “I don’t want to argue with you. You owe Wanwan a favor. I’ll have her make this request of you.”

Xie Wuyi’s expression changed abruptly.

The Eldest Princess snorted.

You think you can outwit me?

She turned and left.

The steward hurried over and reported, “Your Highness, Princess Yongfu is here to see you.”

The Eldest Princess thought Princess Yongfu had come about the matter concerning the County Princess of Lin’an. “Take her to the drawing room.”

“Yes,” the steward quickly left.

A female official whispered, “Your Highness, you have some friendship with Princess Yongfu, but it’s best not to get involved in this mess.”

“I know what I’m doing,” the Eldest Princess said, adjusting her shawl before heading to the drawing room.

Princess Yongfu immediately approached her upon seeing her. “Elder Sister.”

“You’ve lost weight,” the Eldest Princess said, her gaze falling on Princess Yongfu’s swollen eyes. She spoke with concern, “Don’t be too upset about Lin’an’s situation. Although marrying into the Qinghe Earl’s family is a step down, and Liu Baocheng is not a good match, given the circumstances, it’s the best move for her reputation. With you supporting her, Liu Baocheng should behave himself.”

Princess Yongfu’s expression shifted.

The Eldest Princess could tell she wasn’t pleased and sighed. “Send her to a nunnery first to temper her character. In a year or two, we can find her a decent family to marry into. With your support, her life won’t be too bad.”

Princess Yongfu forced a smile. “Let’s handle Lin’an’s matter as you suggested. Send her to the nunnery first.”

The Eldest Princess smiled faintly and said nothing, sipping her tea.

Princess Yongfu’s heart raced. She felt even more uneasy in front of the Eldest Princess than she did with the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager had ambitions, and as long as you catered to her desires, she was easy to deal with.

The Eldest Princess was different.

“Elder Sister, I came today for another matter,” Princess Yongfu said, her hands resting on her knees, palms sweating. She rubbed them nervously. “I heard that Qi Min isn’t dead and has become the Empress of Western Liang. Second Brother has stayed in Western Liang, and it’s no longer appropriate for him to remain as Regent. Don’t you think so?”

The Eldest Princess narrowed her eyes, staring at Princess Yongfu.

Princess Yongfu felt her heart pounding under the Eldest Princess’s gaze but forced herself to remain calm. “The Grand Secretariat is selected from the Hanlin Academy based on merit and seniority. Second Brother pushed his adopted son into this position despite opposition. Isn’t this disrupting the court’s order?”

“Your reasoning is flawed, Sister. If someone is truly talented, why stick to rigid rules? As long as he can earn the respect of others, it’s fine. Don’t forget, Jiang Lao was appointed as Chief Grand Councilor by our father before he was even thirty. That was also unprecedented.”

The Eldest Princess smiled. “Someone has to break the rules so that future generations can follow ‘precedents.’ There’s no need to be bound by convention. Even if it’s the young Grand Councilor, if he’s capable, he could even become Chief Grand Councilor.”

Princess Yongfu’s face stiffened. She took a deep breath and continued, “Yes, Second Brother has good judgment, but the Ji family’s empire shouldn’t be held in the hands of his adopted son, who shares no blood ties with us.

Eldest Brother is currently unconscious, and among his descendants, only the Crown Prince is fit to rule. He made a mistake, but he’s been punished in the Imperial Clan Court and has learned his lesson. Why not release him?”

The Eldest Princess’s heart sank. She hadn’t expected Princess Yongfu to meddle in the matter of the imperial heir.

“I have no say in this,” the Eldest Princess said, offering a warning. “The inner court cannot interfere in politics. The Empress Dowager follows the rules and does not interfere in governance. As a princess, how can I meddle in the imperial succession?”

“Sister…”

“The matter of the imperial heir is of great importance. The late Emperor must have left a decree, and we cannot interfere,” the Eldest Princess stood up. “You’ve been worrying about Lin’an’s situation and haven’t rested well these past few days, have you? Go back and rest. The Ji family’s empire isn’t something that can be overturned by just anyone.”

Princess Yongfu, unwilling to give up, tried to persuade her further, but seeing the Eldest Princess leave directly, she gritted her teeth in frustration and had no choice but to leave angrily.

Yu Fei, her maid, voiced her concern. “Your Highness, why don’t we move to the palace? We could send all of the Marquis’s people to the manor. That way, no one would notice anything unusual about the Marquis’s condition.”

Princess Yongfu felt another wave of anger. As a princess, her father had not bestowed a princess’s residence upon her.

She had completely forgotten that it was because she had chosen to leave the capital with the Marquis of Guangyuan that she hadn’t been given a residence.

“Let’s wait and see,” Princess Yongfu said, fearing that things might escalate. She instructed, “Keep a close eye on the Marquis’s people. Don’t let anyone send out messages. If anyone tries, deal with them directly.”

“Yes.”

Princess Yongfu, feeling troubled, suddenly thought of something and ordered the coachman to head to the Gu residence.

When the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Gu residence, Yu Fei stepped down first. Princess Yongfu glanced at the gate of the Gu residence, where a small head peeked out. When she saw the face, her expression changed dramatically.