Chapter 145: Military Merit Is Military Merit, She Is Herself! (First Update)

Xiao Yue halted his steps.

It was a rare occasion for him to attend the morning court session, and given his prominent status, the officials had tacitly agreed after the session ended to consciously linger behind and let him leave first.

At this moment, Xiao Yue walked alone in front.

The officials walked in groups of twos and threes behind him, exchanging polite pleasantries.

As Xiao Yue blocked the imperial pathway, the people behind were already craning their necks to look over.

"Why has Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince run all the way here?" Xiao Yue curved his lips into a smile.

Xiao昀 was still young after all, lacking deep political craft. Unable to conceal his emotions, he simply darkened his face and said, "There are some techniques regarding archery and horsemanship that this prince wishes to consult Your Imperial Uncle about. I will occupy a moment of your time, so please step aside."

Xiao Yue gave a slight nod. "Very well! Since it is rare for the Crown Prince to need consultation with this prince, let us go."

Amidst his words and smiles, there was a strong sense of spring-like triumph. Seeing this in his eyes, Xiao昀 found it grating. He pressed his lips together, turned around, and walked ahead along the original path.

Xiao Yue followed closely behind.

Earlier, when Xiao昀 had come over, he had taken a shortcut. Now, as the officials caught up from behind, several busybodies craned their necks at the intersection to watch for a while.

Xiao昀 walked at a rapid pace without once looking back. It was not until they rounded a corner that he stopped on a narrow path with no end in sight.

Without hesitation, he turned around, his face cold, and asked Xiao Yue, "Now that things have come to this, does Imperial Uncle still want to kill Wu Xun?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yue laughed aloud.

His bright and hearty laughter only made Xiao昀 find him even more disagreeable.

An expression of impatience instantly surfaced across Xiao昀's features.

Noticing his expression, Xiao Yue stopped beating around the bush. He was still smiling, though the amusement in his eyes and brows had receded slightly, and he retorted instead, "Why wouldn't I?"

Feeling as though he had just heard a joke, Xiao昀 suddenly let out a sarcastic, cold laugh. "Is Imperial Uncle playing with me like a child? Your voluntary surrender of military power today is nothing more than retreating to advance, a mere tactic to deceive people. Do you wish to use this to dispel Marquis Dingyuan's guard so that he will agree to marry his daughter to you? Once the matter is fait accompli and he is riding a tiger, you will find it much more convenient to continue winning over his stance, isn't that so?"

Xiao Yue chuckled. "Crown Prince, we are uncle and nephew, and by any account a family. This prince offers you a piece of advice out of kindness: regarding certain matters—do not listen to your Imperial Father. Thinking too much and scheming too much is never a good thing."

Was he actually trying to drive a wedge between him and his father right to his face?

Xiao昀's brows twisted tightly into a knot as he maintained a cold silence.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Yue knew at once that his words were falling on deaf ears, so he no longer wasted energy trying to explain and simply stated bluntly, "Even if you don't believe it, this prince will make it clear to you today. Returning my military power was indeed done with marrying Wu Tan in mind, but it is solely because of Wu Tan. It has nothing to do with Wu Xun or anything else. If you are worried that I might bewitch Marquis Dingyuan in the future and do something, I can give you a guarantee right here and now: that Wu Xun, I will never contact him privately, nor will I instigate him to do anything."

Xiao昀 let out a cold snort and turned his face to the side, clearly refusing to believe him.

Observing his awkward posture, Xiao Yue felt a fair bit of helplessness. He sighed and said, "Is even this guarantee from this prince unacceptable? Then it seems the reason for Your Highness the Crown Prince's lingering resentment today is not just about Marquis Dingyuan after all?"

"What did you say?" Feeling as though a concealed corner of his inner heart had been suddenly ripped open, Xiao昀 felt a jolt in his chest. A flash of panic crossed the depths of his eyes as he abruptly turned his head to demand an explanation.

The two of them locked eyes.

With an expression of 'I knew it would come to this,' Xiao Yue said, "It seems this prince has guessed right. Since you looked down on that girl from the very beginning, you should have kept your pride high and acted as if the matter never existed. Although you are the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, and the future ruler of all under heaven, my good nephew, truly not everything in this world can go your way. Just as you originally wished not to be constrained by Marquis Dingyuan, yet you are forced to be constrained by him nonetheless—you chose, and so you chose; you gave up, and so you gave up. There is no medicine of regret, nor is there any turning back. The empire? A beauty? Choosing between the two is not actually a particularly difficult dilemma, is it?"

Though Xiao Yue's words seemed spoken to the Xiao昀 before him, in truth, he was speaking to the young emperor of his past life.

Previously, he had never tried to understand Xiao昀's thoughts, simply believing that his cold, gloomy, and twisted methods had fully inherited the true essence of Xiao Shi. Yet, after spending two months in the capital and witnessing firsthand this unruly child's attitude toward the marriage alliance, he gradually came to understand—

Perhaps the Xiao昀 of back then had not truly disliked Wu Tan all that much. What he genuinely rejected was Wu Tan's identity as Wu Xun's daughter, and his own predicament and situation where he had to compromise and bow to the Wu family in order to consolidate his imperial throne.

Therefore, all the dissatisfaction and hostility pent up inside his heart had been converted into aversion and torment toward Wu Tan, venting entirely upon her.

And now, saying these things to Xiao昀 was not done in the hope that he would suddenly see the light or anything of the sort. As someone who had lived through it and witnessed that tragedy of his past life with his own eyes, it was merely a heartfelt expression of emotion from a person who had walked the path before.

However, Xiao昀's hostility toward him was far too deep; he could not take in any of his admonitions and instead continued with a pressing, aggressive, and cold sneer, "So? After preaching so much to this prince, are you telling me that between the empire and a beauty, you have chosen the beauty?"

Who could possibly believe such nonsense?

All of this just for Wu Tan? What makes her worthy?

Seeing him so stubbornly unyielding, Xiao Yue gradually收敛 his smile and continued in an even, calm tone, "This prince has served in the military for eight years, acted as the commander-in-chief of the northern frontier for five, and experienced countless battles both large and small. While I cannot claim to have rendered great service, at least toward Dayin, toward the ancestors of the Xiao family, and even toward the common people under this heaven—I have done my utmost, and I can truly say my conscience is clear. I know both you and your father are suspicious. Indeed, based solely on your Imperial Father's actions of banishing this prince from the capital back then, he ought to have a guilty conscience; seeing this prince hold power now and living in endless panic is precisely what should happen. But Xiao昀, you are grown now as well. Certain ways of thinking should no longer be controlled and manipulated by him. Use your own eyes to look, ask your conscience—at least until today, until this very day—has this prince ever committed a single unrighteous act?"

His tone was not fierce, but every single word carried the weight of impact.

Having lived through both of these lifetimes, he had seen and experienced far too many storms. So many things had faded from his concern, no longer worthy of passionate or angry demands for justice.

Right now, he was simply reasoning with Xiao昀.

Because his words lacked no grievances of disrespect toward the emperor, Xiao昀's brows jumped repeatedly. Several times he wanted to voice a rebuttal, but unable to find the right words in the moment, he ended up pressing the corners of his lips tightly together, continuing to glare at Xiao Yue with deep hostility.

Xiao Yue did not possess the same patience for him as he did for Wu Tan, nor had he ever expected to reform him in the first place. He simply stated, "Whether you believe it or not, this prince has made everything that should and should not be said clear to you today. Believe it if you will; if not, so be it."

Without waiting for Xiao昀 to react further, he turned directly and walked back the way he came.

Following this deep conversation with Xiao昀, his mood dropped noticeably by several degrees. On his return journey, his expression remained solemn, his gaze profound, and he spoke scarcely a word the entire way.

Lei Ming observed his expression carefully for a long while, knowing he shouldn't meddle at a time like this, but Xiao Yue's previous words had allowed him to glean a hint of the inner story. Seeing that there was no one else around, he finally mustered the courage to voice the confusion that had lingered in his heart for a long time: "Master, this subordinate knows I shouldn't overstep my bounds, but there is a matter that has truly troubled me for quite a while. May I... ask you about it?"

In a foul mood, Xiao Yue spat out a single, concise word: "Speak!"

Noting his every move from the side, Lei Ming asked cautiously, "Why on earth did you return to the capital this time?"

He claimed to have returned to the capital, yet he had not relinquished authority over the northern frontier. Furthermore, upon his return, he repeatedly monitored the movements within the household of Wu Xun, the commander guarding the southern frontier, and even openly displayed his dissatisfaction with the emperor. Lei Ming had always assumed he had returned with the intention of usurping the throne.

Yet, listening to the words he had just spoken to Xiao昀—

If he had not been bluffing Xiao昀, it meant he harbored no such intentions at all.

Walking forward with his gaze fixed straight ahead, Xiao Yue did not hide it from him this time, stating coldly, "Although this prince lacks ambition, I still possess a temper and disposition. I am not driven to do things simply because I must; it all depends on how they choose to act. Xiao Shi does not have much longer to live. Under the influence of his paranoia over these past few years, officials in the court have either grown mediocre and self-preserving or skilled in currying favor and scheming against one another. If this continues, the entire Dayin Dynasty will not last another few decades. If Xiao昀 remains well-behaved in the future, this prince will let him continue sitting in that position. But if he continues to listen to Xiao Shi and remains stubbornly unyielding, this prince will not show mercy either. As for Wu Xun—he has secrets behind him, and the implications are significant. This prince must investigate them clearly before getting rid of him."

Xiao Yue hated Xiao昀, but his hatred was directed at the Xiao昀 of his past life who had used unscrupulous means to plot against him.

Back then, when he raised an army in rebellion and fought his way back to the capital, forcing Xiao昀 to commit suicide before his battle array, that resentment and grievance had already been put to rest.

If the current Xiao昀 were still that same person, he would spare no cost to make life miserable for him. Yet the Xiao昀 before him was still a twelve-year-old child who had not yet committed any malicious acts disregarding blood ties. Dislike the nephew as he might, it had not reached the point where he had to kill him.

Lei Ming listened in trembling terror. Matters concerning the emperor and the crown prince were not urgent, but Wu Xun, on the other hand...

"Marquis Dingyuan? What kind of secrets could be behind him?" Lei Ming held his breath, asking with nervous urgency. Halfway through, sudden realization dawned on him, "No wonder you previously ordered Yan Bei to secretly investigate his wife. It is... related to his wife? What on earth is going on?"

Xiao Yue replied, "When you ought to know, this prince will naturally let you know."

Since he was unwilling to speak, Lei Ming dared not ask any further. Yet, turning the matter over in his mind, he still felt there was one thing he could not leave unasked, so he once again gathered his courage: "Master, then what about the Second Young Miss of the Wu family... Your approach toward her... could it also be... because of Marquis Dingyuan?"

If his own prince was merely using the Second Young Miss as a stepping stone, Lei Ming felt he might as well go crash into a southern wall.

After all—

Over the past two months, he had worn himself to the bone mediating between them, doing his utmost to coax that little ancestor and matchmake the two of them, genuinely treating her as his future mistress. The devotion he poured in was real emotion, and his efforts could not be described as anything less than painstaking.

That was a heart full of fiery passion! Not the slightest bit fake!

If his own prince lacked morality and was purely exploiting a young girl—

Lei Ming felt that as an accomplice, and an energetically performing one at that, he probably no longer had the face to live.

Xiao Yue had been wearing a dark, expressionless face all this while, but at this, his eyes narrowed, flashing with cold radiance as he cast a sideways glance and chilled, "She is her, and Wu Xun is Wu Xun! As for Wu Xun's affairs, you are not permitted to utter a single word of it in front of her."

"This subordinate understands!" Pierced to the bone by the coldness of that glare, Lei Ming accepted the order without a second thought.

Xiao Yue resumed his strides forward.

Since there seemed to be little suspense regarding the future mistress, Lei Ming could not help but begin worrying anew, "However, Your Highness, the Second Young Miss and Marquis Dingyuan are, after all, biological father and daughter. When the matter comes to light in the future, her side..."

This was a remark Xiao Yue had no desire to hear. He immediately shot him another sideways glare. "Are your worries stretching a bit too far? To worry about that, you must first have the ability to coax her back for this prince."

Knowing his master was in a less-than-pleasant mood today, Lei Ming cleanly and decisively shut his mouth to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, thinking to himself: *Let whoever wants to coax her coax her; you're the one who took a fancy to her, not me!*

***

The Marquis Dingyuan's Residence.

Plagued by continuous worry over the messy affairs of her own children, Madam Meng had lacked the mental energy to pay attention to anything else lately.

During Xiao Yue's previous two visits, because he had come under the pretext of borrowing items and had simply visited the Old Dowager before leaving without lingering in the inner courtyards, she had remained unaware of the deeper context and had given it little thought.

Yet this time, Xiao Yue had marched straight into the inner courtyards, bringing along a physician and forcefully intruding into Wu Tan's courtyard as if turning the host into a guest. Such a spectacle and commotion made it impossible for her not to know.

Upon hearing the news afterward, she found it utterly bizarre. However, by that time Xiao Yue had already departed, and though she sent someone to inquire about it, she gleaned nothing.

The lips of the two chief maidservants by Wu Tan's side could not be pried open, but because Wu Tan had caused a scene of shouting and cursing that could be heard in the surrounding areas, rumors had vaguely spread among the servants that the Second Young Miss had a dispute with the visiting Prince Sheng, displeasing him to the point that he left in a huff.

Madam Meng remained skeptical of these claims. Later, hearing that Wu Qingyu had been present at the time, she directly summoned him to question him.

Because the affairs of Wu Qinglin and his sister were outside her jurisdiction and she feared arousing Wu Qingyu's suspicions, she posed her question quite tactfully: "I heard that Prince Sheng visited the estate yesterday. Why wasn't he entertained by your eldest brother in the front courtyard? Did you lead him to Jingchun Zhai instead? What nonsense is this!"

"Er..." Regarding the matter between Wu Tan and Xiao Yue, since Wu Qingyu had reached a consensus with Wu Qinglin, he had no wish to reveal too much to his mother either. He glossed over it vaguely, saying, "I didn't lead him anywhere; he had already arrived by the time I got there. Besides, everyone has already left, and the matter is in the past—why are you still fussing over this, Mother?"

Madam Meng could tell he was being perfunctory, but she knew her son well. Since the child was determined to run circles around her and play dumb, asking any further would be a waste of effort, so she changed the subject to something else.

Even so, the contact between Xiao Yue and Wu Tan still heightened Madam Meng's vigilance, prompting her to immediately instruct people to monitor the movements within Wu Tan's courtyard.

That day, all remained quiet on Wu Tan's end, but outside, the news of Prince Sheng relinquishing his military power spread like wildfire, causing an immense uproar.

Madam Meng was utterly shocked by this development as well. Then, on the following day, when Lei Ming brought the elder physician specializing in bone injuries to change Wu Tan's bandages, her spies caught sight of them.

"What did you say?" After entering to report the situation, Shu Rong saw Madam Meng wear an expression of complete disbelief. "Prince Sheng's personal guard brought a physician to treat and change Wu Tan's injuries? It's not as though our own estate lacks doctors. Besides—what does Wu Tan's injury have to do with Prince Sheng?"

Shu Rong faltered and stammered, her complexion carrying an unnatural, strange hue. Weighing her words, she offered, "Madam, there is something this maid believes you ought to ask the Third Young Miss about."

Madam Meng frowned. "Why is it entangled with her again..." Before she could finish her sentence, she slammed her hand onto the table and demanded, "Could that girl have caused some other trouble?"

"No, no!" Shu Rong hurried to explain. "It's just that on the day of the Second Young Master's wedding—this maid only heard the news later—didn't Miss Zhou of the Ningguo Duke's Mansion get injured? Word has it that prior to that, because her maid nearly scalded the Second Young Miss in the garden, Prince Sheng flew into a rage on the spot and directly crippled the person... At the time, aside from our Third Young Miss, there were several other young ladies present. Over the past two days, rumors have been vaguely circulating outside as well, all saying—that Prince Sheng seems to have taken a fancy to our Second Young Miss!"

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*Author's Note:*

Madam Meng: *Vaguely sensing something, it seems the old lady can seize the opportunity to stir up trouble once more ╭(╯^╰)╮*