Chapter 210

The elderly man swirled the liquor in his glass slightly, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his mouth, before speaking.

"Luck can be considered a form of ability as well. So, for those who are so unfortunate, keeping them as allies would mean that the Wang’s vision is quite blind.

The group burst into laughter, pleased with their quick resolution to the matter, but all of this was on the condition that their information was incomplete.

Little did they know that the Governor of Red Earth City not only had a formula for the cure but had also managed to cultivate the herb in large quantities. As a result, the Bai Region would become a great power in the future. They were completely unaware of this. It was clear that the second prince and the Wang kept this information quiet, with only the Emperor being directly informed.

The following morning, Mu Heng and Yueqian were summoned for a special audience. The King’s throne room was a place where women rarely, if ever, were allowed, unless it was a representative like the Empress herself on specific occasions. This time, when the beautiful woman entered the court early in the morning, as the Emperor was attending to state affairs and meeting with nobles, many eyes were fixed on Yueqian with displeasure.

Unfortunately, there was nothing they could say. It was the Emperor’s decree. They were unaware of Yueqian’s capabilities, thinking only that allowing a woman to meddle in state affairs would bring disaster.

The nobles reported their various matters as usual until all issues were addressed. The Emperor then signaled the second prince to speak. If it were only about the assassination attempt on the Governor’s furen of Red Earth City, he wouldn’t have allowed a woman from another city to come in.

However, those in the court were unaware of this. They were only aware that there was a royal decree calling back the husband and wife who had recently been appointed to manage the Red Earth City because of the assassination attempt.

Naturally, the second prince did not rush to reveal the crucial information. He started with the background that everyone already knew.

“Father, with your permission, I would like to report on the situation in Red Earth City,” the second prince stepped forward, drawing the attention of all the nobles.

They knew that the second prince had been tasked with investigating the herb situation in Ming Fa City. Of course, everyone knew what the results would be. Ming Fa flowers required a long cultivation period, so even if the Emperor himself went there, no better results would come. This journey was merely an attempt to show the public that the royal family was making efforts.

“Hmm, go ahead,” the Emperor leaned back against his dragon throne. Unfortunately, no one noticed the relaxed expression in his eyes. They merely thought the Emperor was tired and no longer wanted to hear about this issue.

“I traveled to Ming Fa City to investigate, and it turned out that we must wait four months for the next harvest. Additionally, the herbs from Ming Fa City are not plentiful. If we wait solely for them, it will be too late,” the second prince spoke calmly.

Of course, the second prince remained calm, but how could the nobles be calm? They exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward.

“Second Prince, if you are saying there is no hope for the people, how will we handle the citizens’ anger? The epidemic from Red Earth City will surely plunge the entire Bai Region into chaos! Not only will the townspeople suffer, but our forces defending the Region will be weakened. This means if the Du Region invades, our Bai Region will not be able to resist.”

This noble exaggerated dramatically. However, his words couldn’t be dismissed either. His voice was loud but trembled, showing a performance of deep concern.

Hearing this, the second prince’s eyes darkened slightly. Having been embroiled in power struggles since childhood, how could he not understand that this official aim to undermine him?

Yueqian also grasped the intention. This was like shooting one arrow but killing two birds. Not only did they want to make the second prince’s efforts appear futile, but they also dealt with Red Earth City at the same time. Furthermore, he hinted at her origin from the Du Region. This meant that they were using her original status as an excuse to destroy them.

Who would have thought that if she hadn’t come with good news today, they might have tried to kill them!

"Oh, I just realized that you were so concerned about the troops under my care," the Wang, who was seated, laughed mockingly.

This made the noble feel a twinge of fear. What did the Wang’s words imply? It clearly meant that he, who had no official role, was trying to meddle in the Wang’s responsibilities, as if trying to embarrass him. It was also an act of overstepping his boundaries. These few words made the speaker feel as though he could be dragged off for execution at any moment.

However, looking at his own faction, he straightened up again. No matter how powerful the Wang was, he couldn’t completely cover up this matter. Sooner or later, the people would find out. And when that day came, who would be held accountable?

Even if the Wang wanted to protect his own people, it would depend on whether the citizens would accept it!

"Uncle, I believe that what the Minister of Finance has said isn’t entirely wrong. The Minister of Finance probably didn’t intend to interfere with your duties. However, this situation is indeed concerning. With the surveillance from the Du Region and other neighboring territories, who among them doesn’t know the state of our Bai Region? They might even send someone to escalate the situation."

The Crown Prince, who was the First Prince, spoke earnestly. Traditionally, princes were not allowed to participate in the emperor’s council meetings. Of course, this was common practice in other Regions. However, the Bai Region operated differently.

Their approach was not like other Regions; the princes could join the council meetings to listen to various opinions and learn simultaneously. But not just any prince could participate; only those whom the emperor deemed capable were given this opportunity.

When they were young, the prince with the best academic performance could attend the meetings. Although they lacked extensive knowledge at the time, learning the atmosphere of these meetings was a great way to cultivate them. However, this practice had its drawbacks. By being thrust into the public eye, there was a high chance that they would be targeted.

Initially, the Crown Prince had not been given the opportunity to participate in the Emperor’s council meetings due to his insufficient abilities. There were also the Fourth Prince and Seventh Prince, but they were dealt with, leaving only the Crown Prince and the Second Prince still competing fiercely. Of course, there were other princes waiting for their chance to prove themselves as contenders.

Many observed that these two had the highest chances. One was the direct son of the Empress, supported diligently by ministers because one of them was his maternal grandfather. The other was the son of the Emperor’s beloved nobles consort, clearly backed by the Wang.

Though the Wang never openly stated his lack of support for the Crown Prince, he had taken the second prince as his disciple from a young age. Over the years, the second prince spent more time at the Wang’s manor than his own. If this wasn’t considered support, what was? Thus, they were always seen as being on opposing sides.

The Crown Prince’s public statements were rare, but this time the ministers agreed to let him take the lead in expressing concerns for the people. This was likely to make the Emperor appreciate his perspective more, highlighting how the Second Prince’s focus on his own faction seemed misguided in comparison.

On the other hand, the Second Prince glanced around, knowing this battlefield was not his forte. He preferred working without needing to heed others’ voices, understanding only what was best for the people. However, he couldn’t avoid this situation. He and the Crown Prince were like thorns in each other’s sides. If the Crown Prince ascended the throne, would he allow the Second Prince and his mother to live in peace?

For survival, he needed to respond quickly and aim to become the Emperor of the Bai Region.

"This epidemic is something no one wanted. As for the military, my uncle is perfectly capable of handling it. Regarding the care of the people, we must work together," the Second Prince spoke directly.

His meaning was that the focus should be on caring for the people, not interfering with his uncle’s duties. Moreover, he firmly believed no one could manage the military better than his uncle, not because of his royal status, but due to his ability, loyalty, and dedication to the Region. As his nephew, having accompanied him everywhere, he knew this better than anyone. He also believed his father understood his uncle better than anyone else.

Before his father became the Emperor, the two of them had worked together similarly. In fact, his father wanted to pass the throne to his elder brother, the uncle, but the other party refused. Thus, his father had to take the throne reluctantly; otherwise, it would have fallen to other princes, jeopardizing their safety instead.

So, no matter what anyone wanted to say, the one thing they should never criticize was his uncle’s work!

“How do we work together, little brother, when you’ve already cooperated with Governor Mu to such success, haven’t you?” The Crown Prince suddenly threw a heavy stone at the Second Prince.

Nobles supporting the Second Prince exclaimed in surprise, not expecting the Second Prince, who had recently encountered the Governor of the Red Earth City, to be implicated.

Of course, even the nobles supporting the Second Prince had clear mistrust of someone from the Du Region. From the beginning, they had little faith in the Mu family. However, since it was the Wang’s decision, there was nothing they could do. They hadn’t anticipated that this decision and the coincidental meeting between the Second Prince and Governor Mu would become a binding chain linking the two together.

As long as Governor Red Earth City was guilty, so would they be!

“Crown Prince, please retract your statement. I heard that Second Prince met the couple by chance.”

“The matter of the Governor of Red Earth City is unrelated to Second Prince.”

The nobles rushed to speak up, fearing the Emperor’s wrath might unjustly punish their prince. Such pressure would likely calm the Emperor’s anger, considering the ministers’ positions. But the second prince didn’t let them finish, waving his hand to silence them.

“Regarding the Governor of Red Earth City, though we have not officially cooperated and our meeting was coincidental, I can assure you that we will collaborate in the future,” the Second Prince declared firmly, leaving the nobles astonished.