newbobooks Chapter 336 Among the royal family, none are truly simple.
Chapter 336 Among the royal family, none are truly simple.
The Third Prince nodded slightly and gently pushed the teacup towards Prince Yong.
"The world is full of troubles, and I am but a passerby in this mortal world. I dare not presume to know anything about it."
He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyelids.
Despite his seemingly indifferent and unambitious demeanor, the Prince of Yong dared not underestimate him in the slightest.
There are no truly simple-minded children among the royal family.
“Prince Su,” Prince Yong said, lowering his voice to a few decimal places, “his recent actions have gone a bit too far.”
There was a moment of silence in the meditation room, broken only by the chirping of cicadas outside the window.
The third prince picked up his teacup and blew on the floating tea leaves.
"Oh?"
He uttered only a soft monosyllable, waiting for the Prince of Yong to continue.
Prince Yong frowned slightly. This impeccable attitude annoyed him, yet he was helpless to do anything about it.
"The imperial court is rife with undercurrents."
“Some methods, when used on one’s own brothers, can be considered expedient measures.”
“But if…” Prince Yong’s voice suddenly turned solemn, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"If the foundation of the nation is shaken and foreign threats are invited, then it is not a struggle for power, but digging one's own grave."
He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the Third Prince.
"Third Prince, we both share the surname Zhao."
"This land belongs to the Zhao family."
"Royal descendants may have disputes and be ranked."
"But if someone else seizes the throne, our ancestors will not be able to rest in peace..."
The Third Prince paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the teacup.
He slowly raised his eyes to meet the Prince of Yong's sharp gaze. His eyes were deep and unreadable.
"Is Prince Yong's statement implying something?"
Prince Yong did not directly answer the Third Prince's question; his deep eyes reflected the flickering candlelight.
He simply changed the subject slightly, "Your Highness spends most of his time with Buddha, but seems to have a deep connection with Gu Junze?"
The question was abrupt, yet it carried a certain certainty of understanding.
The sandalwood scent that filled the air seemed to freeze for a moment because of this.
The Third Prince let out a very soft sneer, "It seems that nothing in this world can be hidden from Prince Yong's spies after all."
He did not deny it, speaking calmly as if recounting an insignificant old story.
"Gu Junze once saved my life."
This frankness came unexpectedly, and Prince Yong's seated posture stiffened slightly.
The Third Prince lowered his eyes, watching the tea leaves floating in the cup, his voice drifting as if from a distant memory.
"If he hadn't saved Zhao Yunci when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow back then, there probably wouldn't be a Zhao Yunci in this world anymore."
"This humble monk may have long since frozen to death in the desolate mountains and turned into a handful of yellow earth."
A genuine look of surprise flashed across Prince Yong's eyes.
He had imagined countless possibilities: power-money transactions, secret collusion, but he never expected it to be this kind of past.
He remained silent for a moment, seemingly processing the information.
Only the faint crackling of the candlelight and the indistinct chirping of insects carried by the night breeze outside the window remained in the meditation room.
“So that’s how it is…” Prince Yong murmured to himself, his tone complex.
He raised his eyes, his gaze sharpening once more, piercing directly at the Third Prince, his voice even lower.
“Yunci, do you know... that the current Prince Su is not the real Prince Su.”
The Third Prince suddenly raised his head, and a crack finally appeared in the deliberately maintained indifference in his eyes.
"The real Prince Su is probably... no longer alive."
"The one sitting in that position now is nothing but an imposter. The Emperor's health is deteriorating day by day, and there are very few relatives he can trust."
Prince Yong leaned forward slightly, his gaze burning intensely, almost setting the Third Prince ablaze.
"The true direct descendants of the Zhao family's empire, apart from the ailing emperor..."
"Only you are left, Yunci!"
A deathly silence fell over the meditation room.
Only the flickering candlelight illuminated the changing expressions on their faces.
After an unknown amount of time, when Prince Yong emerged from his meditation room again, the night was even deeper.
His back was straight, but it wasn't as tense as it had been when he arrived.
He glanced back at the tightly closed wooden door of the meditation room, a meaningful smile curving his lips.
The night breeze stirred the hem of his robes, making his steps seem somewhat effortless...
On the other side, Chu Ruohan and Gu Chengan stayed behind the bamboo basket for a long time, their nerves constantly on edge, listening intently to the sounds around them.
Moonlight filters through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Only when they were certain that the chaotic footsteps had completely disappeared did the two of them relax their tense nerves slightly.
"It should be safe now," Gu Cheng'an said softly, peeking out from behind the bamboo basket to cautiously observe his surroundings.
Chu Ruohan supported her slightly protruding belly and slowly stood up, her legs and feet feeling numb from squatting for so long.
Seeing this, Gu Cheng'an quickly reached out to support her, his face showing concern: "Are you alright?"
Chu Ruohan shook her head, indicating that she was fine.
She took a deep breath, regulated her breathing, and calmed herself down.
The two quietly left the pile of bamboo baskets, carefully walked out of the backyard, and returned to the dark alley.
"How did you suddenly appear in the alley?" Chu Ruohan finally asked the question that had been bothering her.
Gu Cheng'an rubbed his head somewhat embarrassedly, a wry smile appearing on his lips.
"Du Ruoling kept going to the military camp to bother me, which really annoyed me, so I found a quiet alley to clear my head."
He looked up, his expression serious: "Who knew I'd run into you being chased? It's fate."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ruohan couldn't help but smile slightly.
It turns out that Gu Cheng'an was still troubled by Du Ruoling's matter.
"What should we do now?" Gu Cheng'an looked around and asked in a low voice.
Chu Ruohan pondered for a moment, a resolute glint in her eyes: "I want to go back to the General's Mansion."
Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng'an quickly shook his head: "We can't go back. The outside is completely surrounded by the Imperial Guards."
Chu Ruohan pondered for a moment, her eyes gleaming in the night.
"Then let's get out of the city first."
Gu Cheng'an hesitated slightly, but finally nodded.
"Okay, I know a side path where the guards are less strict."
The two of them stayed close to the wall, avoiding the patrolling imperial guards, and quietly made their way towards the city gate.
Under the moonlight, Chu Ruohan frowned, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts.
Gu Junze has been placed under house arrest, while Gu Chengyan has been named Crown Prince.
Time ticked by, second by second. The situation grew increasingly unfavorable for them.
As they approached the city gate, Chu Ruohan suddenly stopped.
"Return to the palace." Her voice was firm and clear.
"Huh?" Gu Cheng'an looked astonished. "Didn't you just escape? Going back now would be like throwing yourself to the wolves."
He looked at Chu Ruohan in confusion, completely baffled as to why she had suddenly changed her mind...
Chu Ruohan turned to Gu Cheng'an, her eyes calm, "No matter what, I must go to the palace and see the Emperor..."