Chapter 959 – The Calm Before the Storm (Part 1)
Sun Wen, with the help of the Fourth Prince, successfully trapped the Second Prince and sidelined the Eldest Prince, then set his sights on the Sixth Prince.
The Fourth Prince furrowed his brow, “Old Six’s mother is of noble status and comes from a powerful family, why choose to deal with him first?”
Sun Wen chuckled, “Forgive my disrespect, but the Eldest Prince has been looking older by the day, and his bouts of anger have weakened him significantly. If anything were to happen to him, the Sixth Prince could use his maternal family’s influence to claim the throne. Wouldn’t our efforts only serve to tailor his wedding dress?”
Aside from the Sixth Prince, the other princes had mixed strengths, making the Fourth Prince’s chance to strike now.
Hearing Sun Wen speak about the Northern Border King this way, the Fourth Prince felt a twinge of discomfort.
However, his ambition and greed for power overshadowed his father-son bond, allowing him to ignore that unease.
The Fourth Prince bowed deeply, earnestly asking, “Please teach me, sir.”
With a twirl of his beard and a smile, Sun Wen said, “Come here, Fourth Prince.”
The two conspired in hushed tones, and the Fourth Prince’s eyes sparkled brighter with every word.
Just days later, Sun Wen executed another scheme that not only ensnared the Sixth Prince but also sent the Northern Border King into a fit of illness.
“Father— I really didn’t do it! You have to believe me—”
The Sixth Prince cried, resembling a weeping mess, as he had diligently guarded against betrayal from his own brother.
“Father, someone must be framing me! You raised me yourself, how could I pull such treasonous acts?”
On his knees, the Sixth Prince wept, receiving only a single word charged with wrath in return.
“Get out—”
The Northern Border King’s fury had not subsided; he was more enraged than ever, wanting to eliminate this son of his.
Why? Because that son seized the opportunity of his father’s incapacitated state to cozy up with his beloved concubine right on the floor!
Hearing the naughty banter between those two scoundrels made him furious enough to send a Buddha soaring!
In the Northern Border lands, it was customary for a widow to marry her late husband’s brother, uncle, or even her husband’s illegitimate sons. Should the Northern Border King die, his sons would have the right to inherit his beautiful wives and concubines.
But he was still alive and kicking! How could his son be frolicking with his concubine right in front of his sickbed?
The Northern Border King was so infuriated that his illness worsened, leading to a temporary paralysis.
Caught red-handed, the Sixth Prince sobbed helplessly, yet he could not dissuade the Northern Border King’s desire for revenge.
To save his life, the Sixth Prince could only escape to his mother’s family for help, retreating back to his fief to raise troops.
Some time later, his servant died to prove his loyalty and revealed that the Sixth Prince had been framed.
After a raucous investigation, it turned out that the Seventh and Eighth Princes were the masterminds behind it all!
The Northern Border King was too tired to continue being angry; instead, he felt a chilling indifference in his heart.
The Seventh and Eighth Princes dared to mock him with a cheeky charm, and he grumblingly forgave them.
Who could’ve imagined that his two sons were far more ruthless and heartless than he realized, plotting against their other brothers behind the scenes?
Did they think that after eliminating their brothers, the throne would simply descend upon them?
The Seventh Prince was well-connected with the Northern Border trading houses—rich and influential, while the Eighth Prince was quite the charmer, mingling with many Northern Border nobles… Upon reflection, there had indeed been whispers about the Eighth Prince’s capabilities—what a chilling thought!
That night, the Seventh and Eighth Princes caught wind of trouble and took the same path as the Sixth Prince, fleeing before the Northern Border King could seize them.
Their escape only reinforced the Northern Border King’s earlier judgment.
With ease, only four princes remained.
The others? The Second Prince was in the Lord’s grasp, the Eldest Prince was deposed, and the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Princes had scrambled to their respective fiefs.
The schism within the Northern Border was almost complete; now it was just a matter of tying up loose ends.
“Sigh—another New Year’s Eve, I don’t know how Lanting is faring?”
The lingering elder, Sun Wen, missed his grandson, unaware if the boy thought of him too.
Before the year-end, a special guest arrived in Chongzhou—Han Yu!
“Wen Bin?”
Wei Ci almost didn’t realize it when he saw Han Yu.
“Zixiao!”
Han Yu beamed, stepping forward to exchange respectful bows with Wei Ci.
This man had shed the childishness of youth, now a strikingly handsome young man in his mid-twenties, dressed in grand robes with an extraordinary aura.
Wei Ci and Han Yu were both disciples under Yuan Jing, and they shared a decent friendship.
Reuniting after so long, they had much to talk about, and as their spirits lifted, they clinked cups of fine wine.
“I really didn’t expect… Liu Lanting to be a woman… When I first heard that news, I nearly thought I misheard.”
In Han Yu’s memories, Jiang Pengji was still that reckless youth driving a herd of horses along the riverside.
Who would have guessed that the mischievous boy from back then had grown into a powerful female lord?!
What a twist of fate!
As Han Yu drank, he vented his thoughts, showing a side of himself that was far from his usual aloof demeanor.
Wei Ci shrugged in disbelief.
Not only was Han Yu shocked, but which student from Langya Academy wasn’t?
The two discussed topics spanning across vast themes, eventually touching upon the state of the world.
“Look at the current situation; Liu Lanting is determined to wage war with the Northern Border—”
Wei Ci noted, “The Lord has made up his mind; this battle is unavoidable. The Northern Border is a looming threat that must be dealt with.”
“She hasn’t changed much; her temperament is still the same. If she goes to war with the Northern Border, she won’t be able to manage other regions.”
Wei Ci raised an eyebrow, “Wen Bin, your words seem laden with meaning?”
Han Yu responded, “The Cangzhou Meng Clan has deep grudges against Liu Lanting, how could they miss such a golden opportunity?”
If it were other lords, the chances of taking advantage would be slim, but who knew what the Cangzhou Meng Clan might do?
Wei Ci’s expression darkened, and Han Yu revealed another worrying tidbit.
“The Cangzhou Meng Clan plans to ally with Huang Song from Haizhou, and Meng Zhan even proposed offering his adopted daughter as a concubine to Huang Song—”
Wei Ci’s brows knitted deeper.
In his previous life, Huang Song and the Meng Clan had formed an alliance against other lords as well.
Huang Song married Meng Zhan’s daughter as his wife; this seemingly close bond hid their own ulterior motives.
In the end, Huang Song ended up swallowing the Meng Clan’s power.
However, in this life, he hadn’t heard of Meng Zhan having a biological daughter, but he did have an adopted daughter popping up.
Naturally, this was to be expected, given that Meng Zhan’s previous wife was not Gu Zhen.
“Even if it’s an adopted daughter, to give her away as a concubine… that’s rather generous. Are you worried that an alliance between Huang Song and the Meng Clan could pose a threat to our Lord?”
Han Yu replied, “It’s certainly not out of the question.”
With enough incentive, anything could be negotiated.
If an alliance with the Meng Clan allows Huang Song to climb higher, who wouldn’t want to seize such a profitable opportunity?
Wei Ci locked eyes with Han Yu, asking directly, “Did you come here this time to promote the alliance between Xu Pei and our Lord?”
He was quite blunt, and Han Yu didn’t beat around the bush.
“Of course. If the two families team up, even if Huang Song and the Meng Clan join forces, we will still have no fear.”
Upon arriving in Chongzhou, Han Yu didn’t meet Jiang Pengji first; instead, he “coincidentally” bumped into Wei Ci, hoping to gauge the situation.
Now it seemed, the likelihood of an alliance was quite high.
