What Happened
"A royal marriage is bestowed; there's no reason to go back on it." Zhao Ruxi gave a bitter smile. "Even if I cut my hair and become a nun, the Zhao Family will still be implicated."
Upon hearing this, the old lady and Lady Zhu calmed down.
They felt sorry for Zhao Ruxi, but they also had to consider Zhao Yuanxun and Zhao Jingtai.
Seeing the two women sighing and complaining, Zhao Ruxi quickly spoke up for Xiao Lingyan, saying, "Although the royal family is cruel, Prince of Qi has no ambition to seize the throne. Otherwise, he wouldn't have abandoned the royal relatives and ministers in front of him and run to the back as soon as he heard someone was bullying me. I think this marriage is satisfactory so far. Even if you marry into another family, haven't there been instances of siblings fighting over titles and property?"
Upon hearing this, the old lady and Lady Zhu, recalling Xiao Lingyan's outstanding performance that day, abandoned their idea of changing their granddaughter's husband.
Two or three of the women in that main hall were heavily pregnant. Hearing of the dispute, their husbands not only didn't come themselves, but didn't even send a servant to inquire.
Prince of Qi had been worried about them and wanted to send someone to protect them. But today, as soon as he heard that someone was bullying Zhao Ruxi, he came in person and even confronted his third sister-in-law on Zhao Ruxi's behalf. This is extremely rare for a man, let alone a prince.
They give this grandson-in-law a perfect score of 100.
Countless other powerful families have turned against each other in a fight for titles and wealth; they've seen far too much of it in their lifetime in the capital. Leaving aside other families, even within their own Zhao Family, there was a Lady Wei and a Zhao Yuankun, weren't there?
Even among those from humble backgrounds, there are those who fight each other for profit.
The world Xixi, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain. Where there is profit, where is there no conflict?
Men with genuine feelings and intentions are rare indeed. Having missed out on the Prince of Qi, who will they marry Zhao Ruxi to?
With that thought, both of them cleared their minds of all distractions.
The three had just picked up their chopsticks in the palace when the coup occurred, and their stomachs were still empty. Lady Zhu immediately ordered the servants to prepare some quick and easy dishes in the kitchen, and after eating, they returned to their own courtyards, looking exhausted.
After taking a bath, Zhao Ruxi sat on a recliner by the window, holding a hand warmer, and stared blankly at the bleak scenery.
The banquet for the Emperor's birthday began after he left his official post in the evening. It was only five or six o'clock at the time, but because it was winter, it was already dark.
"System, why did the Second Prince try to stop the Crown Prince? How could it be such a coincidence that the Crown Prince cut off three of his fingers? Was Xiao Lingyan involved in this?" she asked in her mind.
She felt uneasy until she found out the truth about the matter.
In modern times, although she and Xiao Ke were rivals, when she really encountered trouble, Xiao Ke would verbally criticize her but secretly help her in practice. She always felt that this man had a soft and kind heart.
But in ancient times, when he decided to seize the throne and faced with an immense desire for power, would he become a different person?
Although she and Xiao Lingyan had decided to fight for the throne themselves and prevent Xiao Lingpu from taking that position, she still couldn't accept it if Xiao Lingyan used this incident to target Xiao Lingpu Xiao Lingpu cause him harm.
After all, Xiao Lingyan, like her, had received the original owner's memories. Xiao Lingyan had told her that in his memories, Xiao Lingpu had raised the original owner like a son and treated him extremely well. He had also felt this warmth after transmigrating, otherwise he would not have been willing to help Xiao Lingpu ascend the throne.
Although Xiao Lingpu is currently suspicious of Xiao Lingyan, she hasn't done anything to harm him so far. If Xiao Lingyan uses this incident to harm Xiao Lingpu, is it possible that one day he will also harm her for the sake of power?
Therefore, Zhao Ruxi is determined to get to the bottom of this matter.
Because of Zhao Ruxi's instructions, the system immediately allocated a portion of its perception to the main hall where the princes were located, so it knew the ins and outs of the matter without even having to investigate.
It said, "It's a coincidence. Apart from the Third Prince, it has nothing to do with anyone else. Actually, to be honest, this matter has no direct connection to the Third Prince either. He simply saw through and manipulated people's hearts."
"As you know, the Crown Prince is extremely wary. Not long ago, someone broke into his room while he was sleeping. Although they only took a few documents and valuables, it made him very uneasy. He always felt that someone might sneak into his room at any moment and take his head."
"The Third Prince took advantage of this, having someone present the Crown Prince with a dagger that could cut through iron like mud. The Crown Prince treasured it greatly. The dagger happened to be small enough to fit perfectly in his pocket, so he carried it with him at all times. He even brought it to this banquet."
At the banquet, the Third Prince asked the Fourth Prince if he had recently taken in a master thief as a retainer. He said he had lost something and suspected the Fourth Prince had ordered the thief to do it. The Fourth Prince vehemently denied it and became quite agitated. The Crown Prince, who had been drugged recently, suddenly realized that the person who broke into his room was one of the Fourth Prince's men, and drew a dagger to stab the Fourth Prince.
"The Third Prince, knowing the dagger's power, naturally dodged it. The Second Prince, confident in his martial arts skills and wanting to save the Fourth Prince in this situation, believed this act of brotherly love and consideration for the greater good would please the Emperor and earn praise from the ministers, making him far more loyal and righteous than the Third Prince, who disregarded his brothers and only cared about his own escape. With the Crown Prince deposed, the Third Prince cold-hearted, and the Cen Family's support, his ascension to the throne was inevitable. That's why he rushed ahead to try and snatch the dagger from the Crown Prince's hand. However, the dagger was sharp, and the Crown Prince, having lost his temper, slashed at anyone who tried to stop him, severing three of his fingers."
Zhao Ruxi remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
She said, "Has Xiao Lingyan laid out a backup plan for the Third Prince?"
The Third Prince is too terrifying; he must be eliminated.
"Don't worry. Xiao Lingyan has laid a series of indirect clues. The Emperor will follow these clues and soon find out that the dagger was sold to the Crown Prince by the Third Prince, and that the Third Prince was the one who poisoned the Crown Prince. No matter how innocent the Crown Prince is, he killed the Fourth Prince, and there is absolutely no way he can continue to be the Crown Prince. He will only be imprisoned."
"If it turns out to be the Third Prince, didn't the Emperor just imprison Third Prince? Wouldn't that prevent the subsequent coup?" Zhao Ruxi asked.
Xiao Ge's only flaw was his soft heart. Even though the Crown Prince killed the Fourth Prince, Third Prince was the mastermind behind it all, he probably wouldn't have the heart to execute his two sons, and would only imprison them for life.
In the original story, the Crown Prince managed to escape from imprisonment and launch a palace coup. Could the deranged Third Prince really be contained by the Emperor's confinement? This man is inherently insane; once he decides to fight to the death, who can stop him?