Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1099 - 131: The Loss of the Noble Title (Part 2)

"Your Highness, the Xie Family has lost their ducal title. Isn’t that disadvantageous for you?" Xie Shi cared little about holding the duke title himself, yet he worried deeply if this loss harmed Prince Jing.

"No." Prince Jing offered a faint smile, "In truth, it’s beneficial for me that the Xie Family lost their title."

Xie Shi felt puzzled and asked blankly, "Why is that?"

"Uncle, Father has always been wary of the Xie Family, as you know."

Xie Shi nodded.

"Back then, was Father truly unaware of what my eldest uncle and eldest brother were doing?" Prince Jing remarked, "Such a shrewd man as Father—how could he fail to notice their schemes? He simply feigned ignorance, letting them carry on until their ambitions grew out of control, then he struck decisively."

At these words, horror drained the color from Xie Shi’s face. Pale and stammering, he said, "Your Highness, did His Majesty arrange this deliberately, in order to..." He trailed off, unable to finish. If His Highness spoke true, the Emperor was a truly dreadful figure.

"Father also feigned ignorance of the noble families’ schemes in Yangzhou back then, though he’d known everything for ages and set his trap long before." No one did Prince Jing revere more than the Emperor—nor fear more. "The Peng City copper theft dragged on for years. Why hold back the fourth brother from investigating right away?"

Xie Shi listened and shivered with cold dread. "The former Crown Prince was His Majesty’s own son, the rightful eldest. How could the Emperor..."

"Blame the eldest brother’s excessive obedience to the eldest uncle." Prince Jing had clashed with the former Crown Prince from the start—first because he saw him as unworthy, second to prove to Father his own worth as a legitimate son with Xie Family backing. Had he sided with the former Crown Prince, danger would have loomed over him, the prince, and the entire Xie Family.

"Is obeying one’s elder brother too much a crime?"

"Father wants Great Zhou’s Crown Prince, not the Xie Family’s. Clear now?" The eldest uncle deemed himself clever, yet proved the greatest fool.

Xie Shi grasped it all, feeling a deep unease.

"So that’s how it is."

"The eldest uncle’s arrogance left him no match for Father." Prince Jing sighed, "The Xie Family’s dire state stems from the eldest uncle and his allies’ folly. Without their prior contributions, doom would have claimed them utterly this time."

"I warned elder brother to rest content with the Xie Family’s current might, but he refused to hear me." With that, a sudden realization struck Xie Shi; his face twisted in shock as he stared at Prince Jing, "Your Highness, did elder brother’s refusal to support you make you less obedient than the former Crown Prince?"

"Precisely." Far from merely disobedient, he outsmarted the eldest brother entirely. With the eldest uncle unable to sway him, why offer any aid?

"I see..." Had elder brother backed His Highness and followed his lead, death might have passed him by.

"Uncle, any word on the Divine Pill from aiding Mother’s search?"

Prince Jing’s abrupt question terrified Xie Shi.

"Your Highness, how... how did you know?"

"Is it so tough for me to find out?"

Xie Shi mulled it over and saw the logic, "Sister... I’ve counseled her many times, but she won’t budge. She demands the Divine Pill. I sent men to scour Lingnan. Days ago, news arrived: the Divine Pill formula was destroyed long ago, its Gu worm mother vanished. Breeding identical Gu worms is now impossible. Worst of all, the herbs for rearing the mother Gu got burned."

"Tenth brother left nothing to chance."

"Your Highness, do you seek the Divine Pill too?"

"Why would I need it? Mother worries me." Since Empress Xie youthened from the Divine Pill, her strangeness had worsened. Prince Jing feared madness without more.

"I fret for Sister as well. But Sister..." Xie Shi had pled with Empress Xie endlessly, yet she clung stubbornly to craving the Divine Pill.

"Uncle, I’m deeply concerned about Mother at the moment." Prince Jing furrowed his brows, his expression turning grave, "Without the Divine Pill, I fear Mother could lose her sanity." In recent years, Mother had been struck by endless illnesses, her health declining steadily, her features aging noticeably. She avoided mirrors entirely, and her disposition grew more erratic. After taking the Divine Pill, her sicknesses vanished, her youth returned vibrantly, and her temper stabilized. Should the Divine Pill disappear, her conditions may return, her looks will wither again, and she absolutely won’t endure it.

"Your Highness, I share your worry that Sister might descend into madness." Over these years, Sister’s repeated illnesses had made her personality increasingly terrifying. To be honest, he had avoided facing his Sister before.

"The Divine Pill is nowhere to be found. Uncle, send someone to procure beneficial tonics from Lingnan and present them to Mother as the freshly produced Divine Pill."

"Your Highness, Sister likely won’t fall for that."

"The new Divine Pill differing from the old one is expected, and its potency won’t equal the previous batch, yet it should preserve her youthful vigor." Prince Jing continued, "Claim outright that the new Divine Pill is a fake crafted by folks from Biaoguo or Johor, and Mother will accept it."

"Your Highness is truly insightful." Phrased like that, Sister ought to buy it.

"Uncle, keep the Xie Family in check to prevent any disturbances." Prince Jing cautioned, "Disobedience now means certain doom for them."

Xie Shi’s heart clenched at these words, and he nodded hastily, replying: "Your Highness, have no fears, I’ll caution them sternly."

"Should anyone dare claim Father is ungrateful again, enforce family law immediately." Prince Jing stated icily, "If such talk reaches Father’s ears, you know the dire repercussions."

Terror etched on his face, Xie Shi nodded emphatically: "Your Highness, rest easy, I’ll keep them under control."

While they conversed, a eunuch attending Prince Jing entered, drew near, and murmured something quietly.

Prince Jing dismissed him with a wave after hearing the report.

Noticing the shift in Prince Jing’s countenance, Xie Shi asked anxiously: "Your Highness, what’s the matter?"

"Word from the palace: Noble Princess Consort Rong has fallen ill," Prince Jing sneered, "Father has summoned Prince Dai back to the capital."

"Isn’t Noble Princess Consort Rong’s illness a boon for us?"

"Uncle, do you believe it’s genuine sickness or mere pretense?"

Xie Shi froze in shock, "Noble Princess Consort Rong faking illness? What reason would she have?"

"Obviously, because Marquis Xuanping lost his title."

"The Emperor dotes on Noble Princess Consort Rong endlessly. With her unwell, he’ll doubtless reinstate Marquis Xuanping’s status to cheer her up." Recalling Prince Jing’s mention of Prince Dai’s return, Xie Shi grew uneasy, "Your Highness, Prince Dai earned mighty feats at the northern frontier previously. His comeback now bodes ill for our plans."

Prince Jing showed no concern over Prince Dai’s arrival. A subtle smile played on his lips as he remarked, "Not so certain."

"Your Highness, doesn’t Prince Dai’s return pose a risk to us?"

"Compared to our position, fourth brother has far greater cause for alarm. We’ll watch the drama unfold."

"Yes, Prince Chu faces an even bigger menace." Prince Dai’s triumphant return threatens Prince Chu most severely.

"Uncle, in a few days, I’ll hand you the medicine. Deliver it to the palace for Mother, calling it the new Divine Pill." Mother’s supply of Divine Pill dwindles, and with Prince Dai heading back, she must stay calm now—no outbursts or madness.