The Crown Prince felt that the Eighth Prince’s analysis made sense, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit, though his expression remained grim.
"Do you think the Emperor might choose someone from the military officers to arrange a marriage?" As soon as he finished speaking, his face grew extremely solemn, "Do you think the Emperor might choose one from the four Great Generals?"
The four Great Generals the Crown Prince referred to were Song Dekang, Shen Hu, Chu Ying, and Zhang Gong. They had been by the Emperor’s side since childhood and were his close confidants.
"No," the Eighth Prince answered very confidently, "The Emperor would never let the four Great Generals get involved in the struggle between you and Prince Dai. Besides, Prince Dai has already made outstanding military achievements on the battlefield and holds military power; he doesn’t need the support of military officers."
"I hope so." The Crown Prince still felt uneasy, "I’m worried that the Emperor might feel that the younger daughter of Minister Kong was unjustly treated in the past and might want to compensate Prince Dai by arranging a good marriage for him again."
He continued, "Given the Emperor’s fondness for Prince Dai, even if he doesn’t pick one from among the four Great Generals, he might choose one from their subordinates." That’s what worried him the most. "The Emperor has always favored Prince Dai, and breaking the rules for him has happened more than once."
This possibility was something the Eighth Prince had not considered.
"I don’t think so. The four Great Generals are only loyal to the Emperor, and their subordinates would only pledge allegiance to the Emperor too. If the Emperor selects one from the subordinates of the four Great Generals, it would be like telling everyone he wants to make Prince Dai..." The Eighth Prince trailed off, but the meaning was clear.
"Brother, the Emperor wouldn’t be so confused," the Eighth Prince added, "Even if the Emperor truly wanted to let Prince Dai replace you as Crown Prince, he wouldn’t do it so openly. If he does, it would certainly garner opposition from the literary officials."
"Really?" The Crown Prince lost rationality whenever it involved Prince Dai. "You also know the Emperor doesn’t particularly care for propriety."
"The Emperor may not care about propriety, but he cannot ignore the opposition of officials and the public," the Eighth Prince continued, "Moreover, the Emperor wouldn’t want chaos in the court, right?"
The Crown Prince still frowned and remained silent.
"Brother, even if the Emperor wants Prince Dai to replace you, it wouldn’t be now; he would help Prince Dai plot slowly," the Eighth Prince reassured the Crown Prince, "Brother, rest assured, the Emperor would never select one among the subordinates of the four Great Generals for a marriage."
Hearing this, the Crown Prince felt relieved.
"Brother, there’s one more thing: the Consort’s background cannot surpass that of the Princess Consort Dai." Otherwise, what would become of Princess Consort Dai and the Marquis Xuanping?
"You’re right." A smile finally appeared on the Crown Prince’s face.
"Brother, since the Duke Zhen has planned everything for the spring hunt, you should enjoy this spring hunt," the Eighth Prince kindly suggested, "Ever since Prince Dai returned from Liangzhou, you’ve been on edge without a moment of relaxation. Moreover, you fell ill after praying for blessings, so you really need to relax during this spring hunt."
This statement touched a chord in the Crown Prince’s heart, making his nose tingle as he replied with a slightly choked voice, "Eighth Brother, you understand me..."
The Eighth Prince said a few more words of consolation, which greatly moved the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince and the Eighth Prince played a game of chess before leaving. As he left, he reminded the Eighth Prince to rest well.
The Eighth Prince personally escorted the Crown Prince outside Xingde Palace, only turning back to Xingde Palace once he could no longer see the Crown Prince’s figure.
Upon returning to the courtyard, Yu Hai immediately asked, "Your Highness, what does the Duke Zhen plan to do at the spring hunt?"
"The Duke Zhen’s methods are profound and unpredictable; it’s hard to guess," the Eighth Prince truly couldn’t figure out what the Duke Zhen would do at the spring hunt.
Yu Hai speculated, "The Duke Zhen wouldn’t send someone to assassinate Prince Dai, would he?"
The Eighth Prince glanced sideways at Yu Hai, "The Duke Zhen isn’t that foolish."
"That’s true. Then what exactly does Duke Zhen want to do?" Yu Hai was extremely curious.
"We’ll find out during the spring hunt," the Eighth Prince wasn’t too curious.
"Your Highness, shouldn’t we do something during the spring hunt?" Yu Hai remarked, "After all, the spring hunt is a great opportunity, plus we could blame it on the Duke Zhen."
The Eighth Prince slightly shook his head, "Although the previous assassination was successfully concealed, with the Emperor’s wisdom, he might have sensed something. To be safe, let’s not do anything during this period."
Yu Hai was shocked by what the Eighth Prince said, looking terrified as he asked, "Your Highness, do you mean the Emperor has noticed you?"