Chapter 198: Mu Yunzhu: Who the Hell Cares!?

Xiao Li hadn’t expected to receive a letter from Mu Yunzhu. Its contents were simple: she was leaving and she loved the gifts Xiao Li had given her. Even though she knew Xiao Li was only humoring her, she liked them anyway.

She wrote that her greatest reward for coming to Longsheng was getting to know Xiao Li.

Lastly, she described the wonders of Chi Rong and expressed her hope that Xiao Li would visit one day.

It seemed like a simple letter, but the closing was very interesting. Besides her own name, she had also written the character for "Yu" in a corner.

’Looks like the Princess Chi Rong has given up on the male lead.’

But Mu Yunzhu giving up didn’t mean the King of Chi Rong would. It was hard to say how deep the King of Chi Rong’s supposed affection for his "nephew" Xiao Jingyu ran, but Xiao Li was certain he had a profound love for the fertile lands of Longsheng.

Inside the box was a set of Chi Rong attire. Mu Yunzhu had added a note explaining it was a ceremonial outfit she had prepared but never had the chance to wear, and she was leaving it as a parting gift.

’Looks like sparing her life wasn’t such a bad thing after all.’

Mu Yunzhu’s departure was a cause for joy for some and sorrow for others.

Liu Xueyin couldn’t wait for Mu Yunzhu to disappear. Xiao Jingyu, on the other hand, needed to leverage the power of Chi Rong and worried that Mu Yunzhu’s departure might affect his cooperation with their king.

However, while other matters were negotiable, he would absolutely not compromise on marrying Mu Yunzhu. He would never marry a woman he did not love.

Mu Yunzhu: ’Who the hell would want you!?’

On the third day of the Emperor’s coma, an urgent battle report arrived from the border. The Yue Country had breached Yanping State, occupied its capital city, and imprisoned Prince Yanping’s entire family.

Prince Yanping’s home base had been taken. He expressed great fury, but amidst his righteous indignation, he claimed to be more worried about His Majesty. He only dispatched his most capable subordinate to lead the rescue, while he himself, for the sake of the throne and the nation, would suppress his anger and wait for the Emperor to awaken.

Everyone else: ’As if. Who doesn’t know you’re just staring at the throne, which is almost within your grasp, and can’t bear to leave?’

It was easy for the Nanqi King and the others to talk. They all tried to persuade him, saying, "We will stand guard over His Majesty. You should go back and assess the situation."

"This sudden invasion by the Yue Country is aimed directly at you. Their intentions are clearly hostile. With your family in their hands, the odds are against them. You must hurry back and save them! His Majesty is a blessed man and will surely awaken. When he does, we will explain everything to him. He certainly won’t hold it against you."

One after another, they offered earnest advice, feigning concern for his welfare when, in reality, all of them wanted to convince him to leave of his own accord.

At this critical juncture, if Prince Yanping were to leave, he would forfeit his right to contend for the throne entirely.

"CRACK!"

A teacup instantly shattered into pieces. Xiao Jingzhao gritted his teeth. "Damn it! Do they think they can force me away this easily?"

"The Yue Country just had to send troops at this very moment. They must be behind this. To use such tactics... It’s despicable! Shameless!"

"If I find out who’s responsible, I’ll have them drawn and quartered!"

After his furious outburst, he finally calmed down, his expression turning dark and violent. "I have to end this quickly. Once I’ve taken the throne, I’ll settle the score with them!"

In less than half a day, the Second Prince was dead.

Consort Yun personally kept watch over the Emperor with her son, not daring to entrust his daily needs to anyone else. But her vigil had already lasted for four days.

As the weather grew hotter, it became unbearable. She took her son back to her quarters to change her clothes, and in that brief quarter of an hour, the Second Prince was killed.

Consort Yun knelt outside the Emperor’s bedchamber, clutching her son’s body and wailing inconsolably. Lady Shufei held the Eldest Prince in a death grip, her eyes filled with profound terror.

She was terrified her son would be next.

"Empress! Empress!"

Lady Shufei fell to her knees before the Empress, still clutching the Eldest Prince, and pleaded, "Your Majesty the Empress, I have wronged you so much over the years. I never should have been so disrespectful just because I bore the Eldest Prince. I beg you... for the sake of the Eldest Prince, His Majesty’s only remaining heir, I beg you to help me."

Lady Shufei kept apologizing, practically trying to shove the child into the Empress’s arms.

The Empress presided over the Central Palace and had the backing of the powerful Wang family. If the Eldest Prince became her official son, it would be the same as him being the Crown Prince. With the Wang family’s protection, the other princes wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly.

It was her son’s only path to survival.

Her current regret was as deep as her former arrogance had been high. She had offended the Empress too grievously, and now her only recourse was to desperately beg for help.

The Empress did not accept the child despite Lady Shufei’s wailing. Even now, her expression remained placid and detached.

"Lady Shufei, what nonsense are you spouting? No one wants to harm the Eldest Prince. I must attend to His Majesty. Where would I find the time to watch your child? If you are too tired, you need not remain on watch here. Go back and rest."

The pleading in Lady Shufei’s eyes turned to raw hatred. "Empress, how can you be so heartless? You can punish me however you wish, but the child is innocent! He is His Majesty’s son! You are the Empress; you cannot ignore the greater good!"

The Empress turned away and ordered her attendants to escort Lady Shufei to a side hall.

Listening to Lady Shufei’s cries and pleas, the Empress frowned. "Send for the Empress Dowager."

’Protecting the Eldest Prince is a matter best left to the Empress Dowager.’

’Even though the Empress Dowager also dislikes Lady Shufei, she should be willing to set aside past grievances to help her at a time like this.’

"General Rong, a word."

Rong Qing stood by the door, his hand on his great saber. He had maintained this posture for days, even sleeping while leaning against a pillar, never once letting go of his weapon.

Upon hearing her summons, he glanced at the doorway before approaching the Empress.

"What are Your Majesty’s orders?"

The Empress dismissed her attendants and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "What exactly does Xuanyang intend to do?"

Rong Qing replied, "I have been guarding this post for days. The Princess has given no orders."

The Empress pressed, "She left no prior instructions for you?"

"No."

The Empress wasn’t surprised that she couldn’t get any information out of him. Some said Xuanyang had been poisoned and was in a coma, while others claimed she was perfectly fine. ’But if she’s fine, why hasn’t she come to the palace?’

’It’s true that I am the Empress, but I hold no real power and manage no state affairs. I can’t possibly keep these ambitious princes in check. If it were Xuanyang, however, she could definitely do it.’

The Empress was waiting for Xiao Li to act, while Prince Yanping was secretly gathering his strength, preparing to make his move.

Meanwhile, the Nanqi King, unable to bear the grime any longer, returned to his residence to freshen up, only to receive an unexpected visitor.

"The Chi Rong Envoy?" The Nanqi King had no connection to Chi Rong, and a mere envoy held little sway. No one had ever considered trying to win over the Chi Rong Envoy.

However, since the man had come to his door, the Nanqi King was willing to grant him an audience.

The moment Xiao Jingyu entered, he removed his mask. "Brother."

The Nanqi King was stunned. "Jing Yu, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Jingyu said, "I’ve come to propose a partnership, Brother."

Xiao Jingyu knew he was on his own and lacked power. It would be difficult to emerge victorious from a struggle between his two older brothers, so he chose to partner with the Nanqi King.

He would do everything in his power to help the Nanqi King seize the throne. In return, once the Nanqi King became emperor, he would restore Xiao Jingyu’s title, grant him a fiefdom, and allow him to live a life of leisure with his Princess Consort.

The Nanqi King was shocked and suspicious, but he accepted the offer. At this moment, he desperately needed such an ally.