"Crown Prince is foolish, and you don't try to advise him?" Duke Xue reprimanded.
Fuyao lowered his head. How could servants comment on their master's affairs? Especially since even the Crown Princess's advice was met with a beating.
"Duke, the immediate priority is to find a way to handle this matter. After all, many people saw it. If someone's mouth is not secure and the news leaks, if His Highness the Crown Prince suffers, Duke Xue's mansion will also be implicated!" Fuyao always remembered his mission: to persuade Duke Xue to go out and handle this matter. If something happened, Duke Xue could take the blame for the Crown Prince.
Duke Xue gritted his teeth. When they were humiliating his daughter, they were so smug. How could they not have thought of Duke Xue's mansion then? Now that something had happened, they thought of Duke Xue's mansion. Duke Xue really didn't want to care about the Crown Prince's life or death, but if the Crown Prince had an accident, Duke Xue's mansion would not benefit!
"Who were the people who witnessed this incident?"
"Minister of Rites Yan Shangqing, several officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, and a few guards."
"Yan Shangqing is cowardly and easy to deal with. I will handle the officials from the Court of State Ceremonial. As for the guards, you will be responsible for disposing of them," Duke Xue said coldly. "The speed must be fast, and this person must not be allowed to spread the word."
"Yes, my Lord Duke."
After Fuyao left, Crown Princess Xue Ning'er walked out from behind. "Father."
"The Crown Prince is becoming more and more outrageous. You don't stop him. You should know that you are husband and wife; you rise and fall together." Duke Xue lectured his daughter.
"Father, the Crown Prince has not yet ascended the throne and still needs the help of Duke Xue's mansion. Yet he treats his daughter like this. If he ascends the throne and no one can restrain him, I fear Duke Xue's mansion will face utter destruction!"
"You are the Crown Princess, the future mother of the nation. The Empress is your aunt, my own sister. She will not indulge the Crown Prince's recklessness."
"Father, if the Empress didn't indulge him, would the Crown Prince dare treat his daughter like this? Or do you think your brother-sister affection with the Empress can outweigh the mother-son affection between the Crown Prince and the Empress?" Xue Ning'er said coldly, "I only believe in my son!"
Duke Xue's expression shifted slightly. The Crown Prince was older and more ambitious. The Grand Imperial Grandson was also not young, already ten years old. If it were about relationships, naturally, the Grand Imperial Grandson was closer to him!
Although the Crown Prince's reckless behavior in the Grand Temple did not reach the palace, it was widely known in secret.
Furthermore, as the grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven approached, everyone kept it secret, discussing it in private.
"The Crown Prince has indeed become more outrageous. He actually took a woman to the Grand Temple to cause trouble. Does he think this world already belongs to him?" Prime Minister Wen was both angry and annoyed. "Useless!"
Wen Mohan couldn't help but laugh, "Father, the Crown Prince isn't your son, why are you so angry?"
"The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince, the future of the nation. But look at what he has done! Framing and assassinating his brothers, I can understand that for the sake of consolidating his position. But causing trouble with a woman in the Grand Temple is simply the behavior of a foolish emperor. If he inherits the throne in the future, Yu Sheng will be destroyed in his hands!"
"Father, you are exaggerating."
"Exaggerating?" Prime Minister Wen snorted. "Look at that Yun Qi Young Emperor, he is ruthless and decisive, with ironclad methods. The Yun Qi Empress Dowager, who raised him and supported him to the throne, he killed without hesitation. The Dugu family was annihilated as soon as he said so. Someone who can kill that person cannot be someone to trifle with. I fear ten Crown Princes are no match for him!"
"Lan Yue and Bei Rong do not seem to have any particularly outstanding individuals?"
Prime Minister Wen frowned. "Let's not talk about Bei Rong for now, but Lan Yue is not simple."
"The Lan Yue Empress has no heirs, and adopted daughters cannot ascend the throne!" Wen Mohan said slowly.
"I am not worried about the Lan Yue Empress, but about the Lan Yue Imperial Princess who has been hidden in the dark all along," Prime Minister Wen said slowly. "Seventeen years of hiding without revealing herself. This resilience alone is beyond ordinary people. And she was taken away by a confidant of the previous Empress. Those who took her away must have been excellent people. If this person is hiding in Yu Sheng, it will be no small matter!"
Wen Mohan narrowed his eyes and did not reply. The Lan Yue Imperial Princess hiding in the Yu Sheng Imperial Capital was indeed a significant matter. Moreover, Lan Yue had been showing unusual activity recently, which might be related to the forgery of the Phoenix Seal some time ago.
"Father, if the Lan Yue Imperial Princess is indeed hiding in the Yu Sheng Imperial Capital, where would she be hiding?"
"I don't know. She could be an ordinary citizen, a wealthy merchant, or a palace maid or concubine."
"Could she be hiding in the palace?"
"I don't know. Whether she is hiding outside the palace or inside, she will be difficult to find!" Prime Minister Wen's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. "For some reason, I always feel that if this Lan Yue Imperial Princess is exposed, it will create a huge storm in Yu Sheng!"
Wen Mohan nodded in agreement, subconsciously stroking the hollow jade pendant he wore at his waist. As he fiddled with it, it emitted a pleasant sound.
"Are we just going to bury the Crown Prince's matter?"
"The grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven cannot have any mistakes, otherwise, I, as the Prime Minister, will also be held responsible!" Prime Minister Wen sighed, "This matter can only be suppressed."
"The Crown Prince's reckless behavior in the Grand Temple may not be let go just like that."
Prime Minister Wen's brows furrowed into a character resembling the Sichuan terrain. The Crown Prince's recklessness naturally could not be let go. However, the grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven could not have any mishaps. After the ceremony, revealing it would have no meaning!
"This matter can only be let go!"
A faint light flashed in Wen Mohan's eyes: "Father, if the Crown Prince acts so outrageously and pollutes the Grand Temple, what will happen if a heavenly punishment descends during the grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven?"
"Don't talk nonsense! The grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven will proceed smoothly!"
Wen Mohan knew that the grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven would absolutely not proceed smoothly. The King of Qin, the King of Chu, and the King of Qi, with the alliance of the three kings, if the Crown Prince could still pass the grand ceremony for sacrificing to heaven safely, then these three would be too incompetent!
"The Crown Prince's act of polluting the Grand Temple is now known to everyone outside the palace, and even the common people know about it. The King of Qin, the King of Chu, and the King of Qi, will they not use this opportunity to bring down the Crown Prince? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Alas, that's why I'm troubled!" Prime Minister Wen rubbed his temples. "These scoundrels, at this time, instead of thinking about joining forces against the enemy, they are only thinking about infighting!"
"After all, there is only one dragon throne!"
"I fear that if they fight amongst themselves, they will achieve nothing. The current Emperor is in good health. If they fight like this, they might end up with the same fate as the Yun Qi royal family!"
"Those who can survive the struggle for the succession are not to be trifled with. The King of Qin has distinguished military achievements and holds military power. The King of Chu is cunning and good at winning people's hearts. The King of Qi is highly favored by the Empress Dowager and has the backing of the Jin family, and is not foolish himself. If these three join forces to bring down the Crown Prince, can the Crown Prince still remain stable in his position as Crown Prince?"