mynovelweb Chapter 268 It's time to find a wife.
Chapter 268 It's time to find a wife.
Two days later, Prince Rui led his entourage back to the capital. The journey that had taken a day and a night to arrive had taken three days by carriage.
After stopping to rest in the afternoon, Shen Li left Gu Chang'an in the carriage and got out to get some fresh air, wearing a cloak. When she walked to the river, she saw Li Rui feeding the horses.
Li Rui usually seems carefree and cheerful, but now he looks rather deep in thought, as if he's pondering something.
"Why is Your Highness feeding the horses yourself?" Shen Li walked up from behind him.
Li Rui turned his head and saw Shen Li walking towards him in the afternoon light. She stepped on the withered branches and fallen leaves by the river, and the soft sounds became clearer as she got closer.
"I've got nothing to do, and you look much better." Li Rui turned his gaze away, kicking pebbles at his feet.
"It's not a problem at all," Shen Li said casually.
"There's no need to be stubborn in front of me. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this is a near-death experience." Li Rui turned his head to look at her: "You're too hasty."
Shen Li helplessly shrugged: "There's nothing I can do, I didn't think that far ahead at the time."
It wasn't hard to predict the assassination attempt from the locations Bai Wuyou pointed out, but at that time she had no mind to analyze it. All she could think about was saving Gu Chang'an if she could, and if she couldn't, she would just die with him.
Li Rui wanted to advise her to prioritize her own safety, but now it seemed he couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"The political landscape in the court has changed. What are your thoughts, Ninth Prince?" Shen Li stepped forward, and although there was a distance between them, she lowered her voice so that only the other person could hear her.
Li Rui seemed not to have recovered from the previous conversation, and upon hearing this, he only said, "No matter what changes, I am still my carefree prince. What else is it to me?"
"Does Your Highness truly have no intention of competing?" Shen Li was already asking openly.
Li Rui smiled faintly and looked at her: "If I were to compete, would you help me?"
"Of course." Shen Li answered without hesitation; she was actually hoping that Li Rui would have this idea.
Li Rui may seem unreliable, but in reality, nothing he handles goes wrong, and his intellect is definitely superior to that of the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yi.
Li Rui smiled upon hearing this, but realizing his mistake, he withdrew his hand and his smile faded slightly: "With your words, I can say I didn't misjudge you, girl."
"I'm the older sister." Shen Li corrected him, finding him disrespectful.
Li Rui refused to address her that way, saying only, "I was born to enjoy a life of luxury and can't stand sitting on that hard chair. Next spring, I will ask my father to send me to my fiefdom."
Shen Li had no choice; if Prince Rui had even a little interest in her, she wouldn't have set her sights on Li Che.
It's not about who's stronger or weaker, but rather that Li Che is too young. If he's to be of great use, it will take him several more years. Li Rui, on the other hand, is much more convenient.
"Life is only a few decades long, so don't overwork yourself. You can worry about things ten or twenty years from now, but can you worry about a hundred years from now?" Li Rui comforted him, "It's okay to relax a little."
However, he felt that Shen Li was much more relaxed now than before. In the past, even when surrounded by soldiers and maids, she would not talk to him alone for more than a few minutes.
“You’re right.” Shen Li looked at him and felt that there was a hint of vicissitude beneath his unruly appearance. She wondered what troubles he was facing.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with, Your Highness?"
"Why do you ask that?" Li Rui was taken aback by her question.
"Your Highness seems to have something on your mind."
"Oh, it's been a long time, it's nothing." There was a hint of sadness in Li Rui's eyes, but he waved his hand and resumed his carefree demeanor.
"You've really grown up; you've started keeping things to yourself. You used to tell me everything when you were little," Shen Li continued, unwilling to give up.
Li Rui smiled helplessly at her coaxing tone: "Can you not talk about things from when you were little?"
"That depends on your performance, otherwise I'll tell your wife all about it later."
Li Rui looked at her and said, "How do you know I definitely have a wife?"
They had a previous life together; the emperor had arranged their marriage, but he probably didn't like it and they remained respectful to each other, resulting in no children.
"It's time to plan for yourself. Marrying someone you like is better than waiting for an imperial decree," Shen Li advised.
She couldn't bear to see such a dashing and debonair young man end up alone; that shouldn't be his fate.
“What you like may not be what you can fight for.” Li Rui said, then didn’t want to continue the topic. He continued, “Your return to the capital will not be smooth sailing. You must be wary of the harem making moves against you.”
With the Crown Prince in trouble, the Empress will certainly not sit idly by. However, being a commoner, the Empress cannot extend her influence outside the palace, so she is most likely to target Shen Li.
After all, Shen Li had to go to Fengxiang Palace every three days to give Li Che lessons.
"I know, this is nothing to worry about. You need to hurry up with your marriage, or you'll regret it." Shen Li came back to the point.
"..." Li Rui: "The horse has drunk its fill, I'm leaving now."
Shen Li was also helpless; why wouldn't this child listen to advice?
As for precautions against the harem, she had not made any preparations, and she had no plans to enter the palace for the time being.
After all this, is it too much for her to take three months off to spend the winter at home?
Three days later, the carriage returned to the capital. Gu Chang'an and Shen Li went back to their residence, changed into their court robes, and entered the palace together. By this time, Li Rui had already submitted the verified evidence to Emperor Cheng's desk.
On the night of the landslide, Zhao Yuan, the commander-in-chief, received a secret order from the crown prince to secretly kill Gu Chang'an and Shen Li, who was likely to arrive soon.
Zhao Yuan lost an arm but survived, and under interrogation, he told everything.
The Crown Prince's handwritten letter was preserved intact. Along with the letter were other handwritten letters from officials who had previously colluded with him in various places, account books of money sent to the Eastern Palace from some places, and testimonies from various officials who had formed factions with the Zhou family and the Crown Prince.
With witnesses and physical evidence readily available, and numerous charges against the defendants verdict verdicts, there is absolutely no possibility of overturning the verdict.
"Well, well, what a Crown Prince! He's trying to rebel against me!" Emperor Cheng was so angry after reading this that his hands were trembling. The Crown Prince's reputation for virtue and benevolence had spread far and wide over the years, attracting too many people.
The last assassination attempt was likely orchestrated by the Crown Prince; once I die, he will immediately ascend to the throne.
Although it's risky, the chances of winning are high.
"I hereby issue an edict: The Crown Prince has committed treason and formed cliques for personal gain. He is unworthy to be the heir apparent of my dynasty. Effective immediately, he shall be stripped of his title as Crown Prince, demoted to a commoner, and escorted to the Dali Temple prison to await trial." Emperor Cheng waved his hand and spoke all his words in one breath.
Shen Li raised an eyebrow. The Dali Temple prison—wouldn't that mean there was a chance to see him again?
Once the imperial edict was written, it was sent to the Grand Secretariat by eunuchs. Such a major matter as deposing the crown prince required the Grand Secretariat to draft the edict. If the draft was not approved, the imperial edict would be rejected.
However, since the emperor dared to issue an edict without consulting the cabinet, it meant he was certain that no one dared to protect the crown prince, nor could they.