Chapter 65: A Twist of Fate

Chapter 65: A Twist of Fate

Jiang Hui nodded slightly, speaking softly, "It seems my suspicions were correct."

"My lady, why do you suspect Lady Li?" Qiu Kui, understanding the implication in her master's words, yet, even she, always so astute, couldn't immediately follow Jiang Hui's train of thought.

"Someone has been orchestrating so much behind the scenes, even employing loyal death warriors; such a person wouldn't come from an ordinary background," Jiang Hui explained to Qiu Kui.

"I understand, but there are many ladies in the palace of noble birth, and besides, Lady Li is just a concubine from the Earl of Cheng'en's household, and the Earl's household is in such a state..." Qiu Kui said quietly.

Jiang Hui smiled faintly and suddenly asked, "Tell me, in what situation would someone target the Emperor's offspring and not spare even the pregnant concubines?"

"One reason would naturally be for the sake of their own child. But His Majesty only has one prince in the harem, and given the Emperor's prime age, it’s unlikely to continuously harm one or two heirs..." Qiu Kui said, pausing thoughtfully.

"Correct, and what's the other possibility?" Jiang Hui nodded and gently encouraged her.

"The other is…" Qiu Kui’s face showed confusion and alarm, "to leave the Emperor without an heir…"

"Exactly. And as you said, with the Emperor in his prime, it's impossible to continuously harm potential heirs. Therefore—" Jiang Hui sighed softly, "the person behind this only wants a period during which the Emperor has no child to succeed the throne."

Hearing such a treasonous statement, Qiu Kui tried to remain calm, pondering her mistress's words. After a moment, she trembled and said in a pale voice, "A period of time... Does that mean…?!"

Knowing Qiu Kui understood her implication, Jiang Hui nodded slightly, her voice barely audible.

"It's aimed at the Emperor. There might already be a trap set. Think, if something happens to the Emperor and there’s no prince to succeed, who is the most likely to take the throne?"

Seeing her mistress’s calm demeanor, Qiu Kui also regained her composure and answered softly, "Prince of Changle, or perhaps… Prince Jin."

The Prince of Changle was the legitimate son of the late Crown Prince Yuanhui, and Prince Jin was a younger son of the former Emperor. Both were potential contenders for the throne if anything happened.

"Prince of Changle… Marquis of Cheng'en's household… Consort Li…" Qiu Kui murmured.

Having been raised as a maid for the eldest princess since childhood, Qiu Kui understood some court affairs. She said, "But the Prince of Changle is just over ten years old. Even if he ascends the throne, he would need a regent or a regency council…"

As she uttered the word "regent," enlightenment dawned upon her, understanding Jiang Hui's implication.

With Prince Jin's status, if he were to support the legitimate elder brother's son, the Prince of Changle, to ascend the throne, and act as the regent himself, he could gradually consolidate power. This approach would be more acceptable in name, attracting less criticism.

"Moreover, the Prince of Changle's supporter, the Marquis of Cheng'en, lacks significant influence in the court and can't stir much trouble. It would be much easier to usurp power from him in the future."

"This explains it. In the palace, Consort Li has the backing of Prince Jin and the residual influence of the late Empress Yi and perhaps even that of Consort Li’s mother. Indeed, she could accomplish many things."

"But," Qiu Kui hesitated, "if there were a regent... wouldn’t the Crown Prince be a better choice?"

Her words were somewhat unclear, but Jiang Hui understood.

Nian'er, as the eldest son of the Emperor and younger and frailer by nature, was a more suitable candidate for Prince Jin than the Prince of Changle.

With the Crown Prince backed by the Marquis of Ningyuan and the Princess of Chengping, they might be willing to support his early ascension to the throne, reducing the pressure on Prince Jin from the royal family and the court. As for the subsequent struggle for power, it would depend on whether the Crown Prince could survive his frailty.

"Indeed, Nian'er is a more suitable choice," Jiang Hui said lightly. "So now it seems, the lay Buddhist at Proluo Temple did me a favor, and it was not just because she disliked the Empress Dowager."

"But why would they target the Crown Prince again?" Qiu Kui was puzzled.

"They are only temporarily united, not true allies," Jiang Hui said scornfully. "The only common goal between Prince Jin and the Marquis of Cheng'en is... the Emperor. After that, they have their own agendas."

Omitting a certain term, she continued, "The Marquis of Cheng'en wants to support the Prince of Changle, who shares their bloodline, to ascend the throne, while Prince Jin prefers Nian'er as the public figure."

"Speaking of which," Jiang Hui added, "Consort Li also has her own agenda."

Qiu Kui speculated, "Consort Li and Prince Jin...?"

"I heard from Xianyu that one year, during a sudden downpour, Prince Jin accidentally saved a lady from the Marquis of Cheng'en’s household at Proluo Temple. Perhaps that was when they met. It was a case of the prince unwittingly saving a lady who had feelings for him," Jiang Hui said in a soft voice.

Dong'an chicken, mustard gourd, and roasted Rorippa indica – the dishes added to tonight's Imperial Kitchen menu, heavier in flavor, were actually Prince Jin's favorites.

As soon as Jiang Hui deduced the true intention behind the scenes, she turned her attention to Consort Li, who hailed from the Marquis of Cheng'en’s household, recalling an incidental mention of this matter by Chen Xianyu.

Perhaps, when Consort Li first entered the palace, someone had promised her that upon successful completion of their plan, restoring Prince Jin’s title was not out of the question.

After hearing Jiang Hui’s words, Qiu Kui remained silent for a long while before asking, "And what about His Majesty…?"

Jiang Hui put down the pillow, lay back slowly on the bed, and said with closed eyes, nonchalantly, "It seems His Majesty has also realized it. Tonight’s mention of Prince Jin was deliberate, to startle the snake, sometimes just to force someone to act prematurely."

Qiu Kui covered Jiang Hui with a silk quilt and replaced the carved jade incense ball with a new one. As she was about to remove the curtain hanging from the silver hook, she heard her mistress suddenly ask, "Was Consort Li originally not on tonight’s performance list?"

"I do not know," Qiu Kui shook her head slightly.

"The consorts’ performances are always arranged by the Empress, and you were preoccupied with Consort Li’s matter. It's not your fault," Jiang Hui said softly. "Let Qingfeng inquire about it tomorrow."

"Yes," Qiu Kui acknowledged.

She gently lowered the curtain, checked the doors and windows again, then blew out the candle and settled down at the foot of the bed.

A night watch palace maid can’t sleep deeply; she recalled all the events involving Consort Li since her arrival at the palace, exhaling softly.

Perhaps the original plan was to let Consort Li get close to His Majesty and seize an opportunity to assassinate him, which is why Consort Li quietly eliminated the favored Selected Attendant and Zhao Shuren during her avoidance of favor, then subsequently rose to prominence.

However, His Majesty was always heavily guarded, and even during intimate moments with consorts, eunuch Sheng An was in attendance, making it difficult to act. Thus, the trap for His Majesty might not be in the harem.

She couldn’t help but think treasonously: If something really happened to His Majesty, would her mistress lead a better life?