gnovel Chapter 927 - 763: All or Nothing
Chapter 927 - 763: All or Nothing
Could the Third Prince really have such plans? This is unacceptable; he bears the lives of the entire clan! He can’t be allowed to act recklessly!"Your Highness, we are not the only ones anxious, such as the Eldest Prince and Fourth Prince. We might as well watch and wait, and add fuel to the fire when necessary."
Huo Huai Zhong suppressed his inner agitation and hastily offered another suggestion.
"Are you suggesting that we should pin our hopes on the Eldest and Fourth? Humph! If they could accomplish anything, the Second wouldn’t stand a chance long ago."
The Third Prince snorted coldly, originally intending to scold these people for not thinking, but forcibly restrained himself.
These days, fewer and fewer people are siding with him; these two are somewhat capable, and he cannot afford to make things too difficult for them.
Everyone present discreetly grimaced, saying the Eldest Prince is incapable, as if the Third Prince himself could achieve anything.
At the very least, the Eldest Prince still holds some influence in court, and he is indeed incredibly strategic.
As for Prince Jing, it’s superfluous to mention him; he lost merely because he fell out of favor with the Emperor and lacked external backing.
Otherwise, given Prince Jing’s strategies, how could the Third Prince dare to clamor here? He would have been sent back to his fief long ago.
"The Fourth Prince is ruthless and cunning, like a rat hiding in the sewer, observing everything outside. As soon as someone turns away, he crawls out to take a bite."
Speaking of Prince Jing, the Third Prince’s eyes narrowed slightly, a gleam of disdain and ridicule flashing within them.
The Third Prince has always despised the Fourth Prince, whose mother is a palace maid.
Everyone exchanged glances; hearing the Third Prince’s evaluation of Prince Jing left them feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
No matter how he is, one cannot deny his deep stratagem and remarkable tactics.
"No matter what the Eldest and Fourth Princes are up to, we need to come up with a plan right now; we can’t just sit and wait to die, can we?"
The Third Prince gave it some thought, still unwilling to let go.
The Third Prince stepped into the study and sat wearily at a rosewood desk, which had escaped the fire.
Everyone exchanged glances; seeing the Third Prince’s demeanor, unless they proposed a satisfying idea today, they might not even leave the study.
Nobody wanted to waste time idly, so they once again turned their gaze to You Guangzong.
Seeing this, You Guangzong simply closed his eyes, no longer paid attention to them, and didn’t speak anymore.
After all, he is not Zhuge Kongming, where would he have such clever ideas?
Moreover, these people don’t shed tears until they see the coffin; if not pushed hard, they might still want to hide in the back!
Seeing that You Guangzong was out of ideas, the others started to feel a bit dejected.
"Your Highness! The Second Prince has always handled things without leaving clues, yet he appears extremely mediocre. Previously, we didn’t regard him highly, only focusing on the Eldest Prince, neglecting him. We thought the Emperor valued the Eldest Prince among others, hence he should choose the Eldest Prince. Could the Emperor have selected the Second Prince as a shield?"
Someone had to speak up, and just as the Third Prince showed extreme impatience, Peng Fang finally spoke.
"We all missed the mark; who would have thought that the Second and Fourth Princes were so deeply concealed! Let’s not discuss the Fourth for now, but why did we overlook the Second Prince, being the legitimate son?"
Even the Third Prince himself found it quite strange; he usually focused on contending with the Eldest Prince and never paid attention to the Second.
Whenever the Second took on tasks, he naturally added trouble, but the Second seemed oblivious every time.
Yet the Second was incredibly lucky, unexpected events always disrupted the Third Prince’s plans.
Initially, he thought the Second was just lucky; now it’s clear this wasn’t sheer luck at all, but indeed the Second’s scheme!
The Second Prince is truly fearsome!
The Third Prince squinted his eyes, suddenly feeling a chill; he and the Eldest Prince had fallen into the Second’s trap.
Over the years, the Second appeared unobtrusive and indiscreet, yet always managed to complete tasks entrusted by Father, even if the results were mediocre, they got done, didn’t they?
It’s vexing that he focused solely on the Eldest Prince, allowing the Second to be carefree for so long; now, the Second has become a dark horse, snatching the Crown Prince position.
After pondering deeply, the Third Prince realized neglecting the Second was due to Father’s attitude and the Second’s deliberate understatement, playing dumb to win the tiger’s favor.
"Actually, if Your Highness doesn’t want the heir ceremony to proceed smoothly, there might be a way," Liu Xian coughed lightly and suddenly spoke.
Remembering the Third Prince’s previous look at him like he was dead, his heart was still trembling with fear!
He has a wife and children; he can’t risk his life for the mere five taels of silver in monthly salary.
The Third Prince likely harbors thoughts of killing him, so Liu Xian no longer dreams of leaving the mansion. It might be better to gamble everything; either succeed, or die with honor.
If successful, wealth and prosperity are in sight. And if he fails...
Things won’t be worse than now, Liu Xian doesn’t consider himself foolish; he initially felt there was no future following the Third Prince!
Now, for the family’s lives, he had to gamble.
"Oh? What clever ideas do you have?" The Third Prince was somewhat surprised to hear Liu Xian speak.
Liu Xian normally avoids major discussions, preferring to shirk responsibility; today he’s active, probably because the earlier glance scared him.
This is fine; let’s see what clever ideas he might come up with. If satisfied, sparing his life isn’t impossible.
"The urgent matters now are to prevent the Second Prince from attending the heir ceremony; I have a suggestion for this."
Liu Xian didn’t beat around the bush; he was aware of his current precarious situation.
The Third Prince nodded, "Then, Mr. Liu, please share your insight; everyone will listen to your proposal to see if it’s feasible."
The Third Prince’s words sounded somewhat sarcastic to Liu Xian’s ears.
"Your Highness, although the Second Prince remains healthy, every so often the evil winds enter his body." Liu Xian finished speaking, suddenly presenting a sinister smile.
The people in the room looked astonished at Liu Xian, surprised at his audacious heart.
Huo Huai Zhong and Peng Fang exchanged glances, seeing shock in each other’s eyes.
The Third Prince paused for a moment, then began pacing back and forth in the study.
Huo Huai Zhong noticed the Third Prince’s silence, knowing he was intrigued. He feared the inevitable.
"Your Highness, this might be unsuitable!" Huo Huai Zhong hurriedly stood up, saying anxiously.
"Indeed, Your Highness, this official believes we should first observe the Eldest Prince’s movements before acting hastily, avoiding getting confused and being used by other princes; Your Highness must not act impulsively!"
Peng Fang also grew anxious; they were different from mere advisers.
They not only held official positions but also had family lives to protect; how could they seek the perilous fortune?
Thinking of this, Peng Fang couldn’t help giving Liu Xian a glare.