Chapter 201: Xuanyang Is Still the Biggest Variable

Feng Yin changed back into his tattered clothes and rolled around in the dirt a few times, making himself look utterly wretched before sneaking home.

He had just slipped into his room and hadn’t even had time to change when Imperial Tutor Feng arrived.

Seeing his grandson’s filthy face and bleeding arm, Imperial Tutor Feng’s brow furrowed. "How did you get into this state?"

Feng Yin didn’t speak. He took some medicine, poured it on his arm, and then wrapped it very casually with a bandage.

Imperial Tutor Feng quickly raised a hand, ordering someone to fetch a doctor, then sat down next to Feng Yin. "You didn’t see the Princess?"

Feng Yin glanced at him. "Why are you asking about the Princess?"

Imperial Tutor Feng sighed, then began to analyze the current situation for Feng Yin.

"The Nanqi King is skilled in both civil and military affairs. Besides his relatives, many military generals are willing to support him. Prince Yanping is an expert in martial arts and has countless strong commanders under him. He was originally a bit weak on the civil side, but now he has the full support of the main branch of the Lu family."

"We old officials wish to support the young master, but alas, we are surrounded by wolves and tigers and lack military aid."

Feng Yin remained silent. Imperial Tutor Feng continued, "Rong Qing is the heir of the Rong Family. His martial arts are formidable, and the guard team he leads is highly trained, each man a match for a hundred. He is currently leading his team to protect His Majesty, but his loyalty is to Princess Xuanyang. He has no intention of supporting the young master."

Imperial Tutor Feng knew his grandson was an intelligent man and wanted to be subtle. With the greater situation at stake, a matter concerning the entire dynasty, Feng Yin should have understood his meaning.

However, Feng Yin gave no sign of understanding, nor did he reply.

He changed his clothes, washed his face, sat down, and picked up a book, treating his grandfather as if he were thin air.

After a moment of silence, Imperial Tutor Feng sighed. "Are you resentful of your grandfather?"

Feng Yin put down his book and looked up at Feng Yuan. "You were the one who forbade me from contacting the Princess. Now, you’re the one who keeps bringing her up."

Imperial Tutor Feng said self-righteously, "Times have changed. Besides, we are discussing official matters now. His Majesty is in mortal danger, and the court is in turmoil. She is the reigning Princess, His Majesty’s sister. She has both the ability and the responsibility to protect the dynasty."

Feng Yin retorted, "There is more than one princess in the court. You used to dislike her for her bad reputation and poor character, but now you think she has the ability to control the situation. Is that right?"

Imperial Tutor Feng fell silent. Feng Yin averted his gaze. "Grandfather, you can’t despise the Princess with one breath and then try to exploit her affection for me with the next."

Imperial Tutor Feng disagreed. "How is this exploitation? I simply want the Princess to declare her position and stabilize the court for His Majesty. This is for her own good as well. If someone else becomes Emperor, do you think she’ll be able to live so freely as a princess?"

Feng Yin lowered his eyes, his gaze dimming. "I can’t help you with this. You’ll have to find a way yourselves."

Imperial Tutor Feng could also see his grandson’s stubbornness. Though anxious, he was helpless. "I just want a straight answer right now. What is the Princess’s exact situation?"

"I didn’t see her."

After Feng Yin said this calmly, the doctor happened to arrive. He asked the doctor to treat his wound elsewhere, clearly wanting to avoid facing Imperial Tutor Feng any longer.

’It was understandable that his grandfather wanted to support the Eldest Prince and win over the powerful and influential Princess Xuanyang. The Princess herself dared to openly defy those other Princes, not to mention she commanded an elite army—an asset they desperately needed.’

’It wasn’t wrong for his grandfather to want the Princess’s support, but he couldn’t forbid him from contacting her and then turn around and try to use him to sound her out and scheme against her.’

’Besides, the Princess had a mind of her own. With the situation as it was, her choice to remain behind closed doors surely meant she had her own plans. She wouldn’t let herself be used as a protective talisman for the Eldest Prince.’

It was rare for Feng Yuan to speak so earnestly to a junior. Seeing his grandson’s obstinacy, his temper flared. "If the Eldest Prince is defeated, there will be even less of a possibility between you and her!"

Feng Yin didn’t look back. ’Whether there was a possibility between him and the Princess wasn’t his decision to make, nor was it his grandfather’s.’

’Winning the Princess’s favor was something he had strived for. If he then made demands and tried to use her, that would be when all possibility truly vanished.’

「Meanwhile, in Prince Yanping Mansion.」

Xiao Jingzhao was also pressing for an answer to the same question.

"Well? Have you confirmed Xuanyang’s condition?"

’Right now, I’m evenly matched with the Nanqi King. The Eldest Prince’s side seems to have a lot of supporters, but they’re mostly scholars. If it really comes to a fight, they are nothing to fear.’

’Most importantly, we’ve uncovered the secret of Xiao Jingyun’s birth. He’s an illegitimate child the Empress Dowager used as a replacement. As long as this news spreads, the Emperor himself is no longer of Imperial blood, which means the Eldest Prince naturally has no right to inherit the throne.’

’Once his parentage is exposed, Imperial Tutor Feng and the Wang family’s faction are certain to be defeated. In the end, it will still come down to a struggle between me and the Nanqi King.’

’However, this was all just speculation. It was still unknown how it would play out in reality.’

’Even now, Xuanyang remained the biggest variable.’

’Her cavalry, impervious to blades and spears; her weapons that cut through iron as if it were mud; and those highly destructive firearms that had appeared a few times... Lu Chengzhi took so many men, yet they were wiped out in a single encounter. And Lu Chengzhi himself, protected in the very center, was the first to die. That strange, deadly power was impossible not to fear.’

Lu Ling wasn’t so sure anymore.

"The Corpse Puppet sent to investigate didn’t return, and no one has come to kill me."

’It wouldn’t be strange for the Corpse Puppet to be captured by people from the Princess Mansion. With Xuanyang poisoned and unconscious, she naturally couldn’t send anyone to kill him.’

’Everything seemed so logical—so logical it was unsettling.’

’It all happened so suddenly. The moment His Majesty collapsed, the court descended into chaos. Yet in this chaotic situation, two places remained unnervingly calm—so calm it was terrifying.’

’One was His Majesty’s bedchamber. The other was the Princess Mansion.’

’Both were guarded so tightly that no one could get a foothold inside. And what a coincidence that both the Princess and His Majesty were poisoned and in a coma.’

Xiao Jingzhao felt uneasy. "If this stalemate continues, it will be most disadvantageous for me. We must end this quickly. The rumors about Xiao Jingyun’s birth have already been spread. We can’t afford to worry about the consequences anymore."

Lu Ling thought for a moment, then volunteered, "Leave the Princess Mansion to me. If she makes no move, all the better. If she does, I will do my best to hold her off. As long as you seize the throne and secure the situation, dealing with her will be much easier."

Xiao Jingzhao nodded grimly. "That’s the only way."

「On the seventh day of the Emperor’s coma.」

News about the Emperor’s questionable birthright spread everywhere. It turned out the Emperor was merely the child of a palace maid’s affair and not of the late Emperor’s bloodline at all.

This move was naturally a huge blow to Chief Minister Wang, Imperial Tutor Feng, and their allies. The Emperor was already dying, so his parentage didn’t affect him much, but it directly impacted whether the Eldest Prince could become the new Emperor.

They did everything in their power to suppress it, claiming it was a baseless rumor. A group of civil servants argued themselves red in the face over the matter.

However, Prince Yanping took his men directly to the Imperial Garden and dug up a small corpse from under a parasol tree. The child was dressed in a Prince’s clothes and wore a Peace Lock engraved with the name ’Jingyun’.

The Empress Dowager broke down on the spot, which served as irrefutable proof of the Emperor’s true parentage.