Chapter 170 - Beacon in Troubled Times 20 (2/2)
“The concubines of the harem used poisonous means to compete for favour and this made the emperor lose heart. Thus, he secretly made a decree that once he died, all his concubines would be buried with him.”
Yu Hanjiang listened to the story and felt a thrill. He thought carefully before saying, “The third prince was giving poisoned wine by the late emperor. The fifth and sixth prince joined with their mothers, the concubines to seize power but the eight prince… in other words, the eighth prince didn’t partic.i.p.ate in the fight for the crown prince’s position. Why didn’t the late emperor consider making him the crown prince?”
Grandpa Yu smiled. “The eight prince is the one who can see the most thoroughly. Among the late prince’s several sons, he was well-educated and talented. He was the best candidate to be crown prince. The late emperor consulted us ministers and everyone suggested the eight prince. However, just as the late emperor was about to establish the eight prince as the crown prince, the eight prince took the initiative to make a compromise. He suggested that the late emperor establish the rule that the throne could only be pa.s.sed onto the first son of the empress. If there is a legitimate son to pa.s.s it onto, it must go to the eldest son and can’t be out of order, so as to avoid a struggle among future generations for the throne.”
Historically, it wasn’t uncommon for there to be a b.l.o.o.d.y battle over the crown prince’s position. At that time, the eighth prince and his mother had no power. If the late emperor had made him the crown prince, he would’ve become the next scapegoat and be suppressed by the fifth and sixth princes. Was he really powerless at the time or was he a tiger pretending to be a pig, waiting for the best time?
His grandfather’s next statement gave Yu Hanjiang the answer. “In the year when the late emperor died, the crown prince succeeded the throne. At that time, the crown prince was only 18 years old. The fifth and sixth princes fought him and the eighth prince helped the crown prince. His Majesty might’ve been young but he was far-sighted. He had long expected that his two uncles wouldn’t stay still and made arrangements in advance when the late emperor was seriously ill. It was a pity for the two princes. They despised their young nephew too much and were shot dead by arrows in the palace. His Majesty used the excuse of ‘illness’ and buried them.”
Yu Hanjiang, “…”
This year’s matter, Yu Hanjiang had just pa.s.sed the examination and didn’t know about it. He only realized after listening to his grandfather.
Many of the struggles in the imperial palace were secrets that couldn’t be circulated. Although Grandpa Yu was old and hiding in Jiangzhou, there were several high-ranking ministers of the court who were the old man’s proud pupils. He had his own source of information.
Yu Hanjiang heard this and couldn’t help wondering. If the eighth prince really wanted to rebel then wouldn’t it be easier when the emperor had just ascended the throne and his status was still unstable? Why help the emperor calm the rebellion of the two other princes?
Now the crown prince had been in power for four years and most of the ministers were convinced by the emperor. The emperor had gradually cultivated his own people so the eighth prince had missed the best opportunity to rebel. Was it true that the eighth prince was an idle prince who only loved beauty and had no intention of being involved in politics?
Yu Hanjiang frowned and fell into contemplation.
Grandpa Yu lamented, “In the royal family, many concubines, princes and princesses died in vain. The Eighth Prince and Ninth Princess are the few relatives of the emperor left.”
Yu Hanjiang suddenly remembered the emperor’s secret letter to the Eighth Prince…
Was his guess wrong?
Just then, his mother called them to go and eat. Yu Hanjiang helped his elderly grandfather and went together. The family ate a meal around the dining table. Yu Hanjiang chatted with his parents for a while before taking Xiao Lou to leave.
After leaving the Yu home, Xiao Lou smiled and asked, “How about it? Did you get anything out of this trip?”
Yu Hanjiang whispered, “Our reasoning might be wrong again.”
“You’re saying that the eighth prince isn’t trying to rebel?”
Yu Hanjiang nodded. “Based on my grandfather’s description, the eighth prince isn’t like that type of person. It is said that when the late emperor died and the crown prince took the throne, the fifth and sixth princes joined forces. It was His Majesty and the eighth prince who settled the rebellion. The two princes were shot and killed in the palace. If the eighth prince wanted to rebel then there is no need to wait until the emperor’s wings are full.”
Xiao Lou heard this and felt some surprise. “Then the eighth prince is actually very loyal to today’s emperor?”
“Since His Majesty is a far-sighted person, if he is afraid of the eighth prince then he wouldn’t be silly enough to let Princess Sukan marry the Zhao state’s prince, leaving such a big hidden danger behind him.”
Xiao Lou thought carefully. “Allowing the eighth prince and the Zhao state to form an alliance, does this mean His Majesty actually trusts the eighth prince?”
Yu Hanjiang thought about it. “His Majesty also gave the eighth prince a secret letter. I don’t know what was written there. Perhaps our reasoning is off. The eighth prince isn’t rebelling but is working with His Majesty… to suppress the possible rebellious forces in Jiangzhou?”
Xiao Lou’s eyes lit up. “This makes sense. The prince changes from a villain to someone righteous. There is someone who wants to rebel but it isn’t the eighth prince. He is on the same boat as the emperor?”
The process of reasoning was like pulling off a coc.o.o.n. One way of thinking was wrong and it was immediately replaced with another one.
There were too many clues involved in the murder case at the prince’s mansion. At first, it was believed to be a fight between the family. The private affair of the fourth young lady and Lin Shaobo was discovered. Later, it was suspected that the eighth prince was rebelling…
Now it turned out that it was all wrong.
Lin Shaobo wasn’t the murderer, Guard Qin wasn’t the murderer and the Eighth Prince probably wasn’t the murderer.
So in the end, who sneaked into the palace on the prince’s birthday to kill two people?
Yu Hanjiang glanced at Xiao Lou. “I don’t know the progress on Long Sen’s side. Let’s go to the prince’s mansion to see.”
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