newbobooks Chapter 165: Who exactly is the knife remains to be seen.
Chapter 165: Who exactly is the knife remains to be seen.
On the streets of the capital, a carriage pulled by two strong horses slowly made its way toward the Duke's mansion.
The cries of street vendors rose and fell, mingling with the sounds of horse-drawn carriages.
Duke Wei leaned back slightly, his brows furrowed. "Recently, that boy from the Yong Prince's mansion and Prince Su have been making quite a splash, trying to build connections everywhere, and they've become increasingly high-profile in court."
“Lord Duke, it seems that the Yong Prince’s Mansion is on Prince Su’s side,” said the Duchess of Wei, sitting to the side, her hand unconsciously clenching her handkerchief, her expression tense. “Does His Majesty have plans to change the heir apparent?”
Duke Wei gently patted his wife's hand, "Don't worry, our emperor is not as simple as he seems. Prince Su is just a testing ground. But who the real sword is remains to be seen."
"Isn't he the Crown Prince?" Lady Wei asked instinctively.
The political situation in the court is constantly changing. As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, the Crown Prince should have a secure position as heir apparent...
“The minds of emperors are hard to fathom,” the Duke of Wei sighed, and slowly began to speak, “who knows if a stone can be ground into a knife.”
His cloudy eyes instantly became clear and sharp. "Only the Crown Prince can inherit the throne."
"It's a pity that the Crown Prince has lost the support of the Prince Yong's mansion. It's all that rebellious son's fault." His tone was full of helplessness.
The Duchess of Wei felt somewhat guilty, realizing that she had spoiled her too much in the past, which had led to this situation.
"My lord, Lin Xingyao is pregnant..."
Before she could finish speaking, the Duke of Wei interrupted her.
"Don't even think about it. That old bastard Prince Yong is very cunning. There's no way he'll give us the child."
Upon hearing this, Lady Wei became anxious and was about to argue again when the carriage slowly came to a stop, coming to a steady halt in front of the Duke's mansion's imposing gate.
"But that's the bloodline of my Wei family!" The Duchess of Wei disregarded her decorum and reached out to pull the Duke of Wei, who was about to get up and get out of the carriage.
"What right does he have to seize it? If he loses his manhood tomorrow, he'll be our only grandson. If we can't get him back, who will inherit the Wei family's vast fortune and the title of Duke?"
"At worst, we can just adopt one from a collateral branch." The Duke of Wei said this, then lifted the curtain of the carriage and got out.
In fact, he was well aware of what his wife was saying, but the situation was tense at the moment.
With Prince Yong taking a hard line, getting the child back will be no easy task.
If Lin Xingyao is carrying a male heir, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne and the situation stabilizes, it will be time to settle scores with the Yong Prince's Mansion.
There might still be a chance to get the child back then.
But if it's a granddaughter, then we have to give up.
Lady Wei was carefully helped down from the carriage by her maid. Watching the Duke of Wei's receding figure, she gritted her teeth inwardly.
The Wei family has had only one son for generations, with Wei Qiming being the sole heir. Why should the title of Duke end up falling to those distant relatives who are not even remotely related?
She's not without children, so she can't let the Wei family's fortune fall into the wrong hands.
Supported by her maid, Lady Wei hurried towards the inner courtyard, her mind preoccupied with the secret Wei Qiming had told her.
Lin Xingyao is not a real princess, but an imposter.
He even developed feelings for her "brother"...
This secret is a double-edged sword; if used properly, it could be the key to reclaiming the child from the Prince Yong's residence.
However, even the slightest mistake can lead to trouble.
The Prince Yong's residence was indeed airtight; she had tried to send a few people in, but all her attempts had failed.
Lin Xingyao stayed holed up in the Yong Prince's mansion and never went out.
"How can I get her to come out on her own..." Lady Wei murmured to herself.
Granny Deng had been serving the Duchess of Wei since before she was married, and she was responsible for many of the Duchess's affairs.
He knew perfectly well what the lady was thinking.
Granny Deng quickened her pace and firmly supported the left hand of the Duchess of Wei. "Madam, please calm down. Princess Huijia returned to the capital the day before yesterday, and the young princess came back with her."
Lady Wei stopped abruptly, her tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxing, and a glimmer of sudden realization flashed in her eyes.
She immediately understood what Granny Deng meant. Princess Huijia must have returned to the capital this time to find a good marriage for the young princess.
This is a perfect opportunity. If Lin Xingyao knew that her beloved "brother" was going to meet a woman and even had plans to get married.
Given her feelings for Lin Jingchuan, how could she possibly remain still?
"You old rascal, you're still the sharpest one!" A rare smile appeared on the Duchess of Wei's face as she gently patted the back of Deng Mama's hand. "Go deliver the invitation. I'll make a trip to the Princess's residence tomorrow..."
A few days later, the capital city remained bustling and noisy.
Chu Ruohan, however, received an invitation from Princess Huijia, inviting her to ice skating.
In her previous life, she had never had any interaction with Princess Huijia, but in this life, she suddenly received an invitation from her, which caught her off guard.
Seeing her serious expression, Gu Junze asked, "What's wrong?"
Chu Ruohan raised her head, a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Why would Princess Huijia suddenly invite me? I've never met her before, how would she know me?"
Gu Junze smiled, took the invitation from her hand, looked at it carefully, and said, "Princess Huijia is my aunt, the daughter of Consort Ping. After she married Marquis Pingxi, she lived with her husband's family in Yanzhou and rarely returned to the capital."
"I've only met her a few times, and we're not very familiar with each other. But she probably heard that I got married and wanted to meet you."
Chu Ruohan nodded gently, but she still felt uneasy.
Seeing her like this, Gu Junze said gently, "If you don't want to go, then refuse. There's no need to force yourself."
"How can that be?" Chu Ruohan glared at him reproachfully. "Lady of the Marquis of Pingxi, how can I not go when a princess sends me an invitation?"
"If I don't go, wouldn't it make me seem impolite?"
Seeing her reaction, Gu Junze couldn't help but laugh: "You're always so cautious. Since you've decided to go, I'll go with you, how about it?"
Chu Ruohan nodded, but she was still a little uneasy.
Although she was reborn, she still dared not be careless in the face of these powerful figures.
"I've never participated in ice skating before, so I don't know what I should pay attention to."
Seeing the worry in her expression, Gu Junze gently patted the back of her hand. "Ice skating is just playing and having fun on the ice. There are no special rules."
"If you're not good at these things, just watch from the sidelines and enjoy the performance. But please be careful, the ice is slippery, don't fall."
"As for the rest, with me here, you don't need to worry."