Empress Xie’s heart couldn’t help but panic when she heard the Duke Zhen say this, and her face showed a trace of panic.
"What do you mean, are you going to sever ties with me?"
"I cannot let you and Prince Jing ruin the Xie family." Duke Zhen said seriously, "I promised father that the Xie family cannot be ruined by my hand. I also promised father that I would not allow anyone to destroy the Xie family, including you! If father were alive and knew you were selfishly thinking only of Prince Jing and not considering the Xie family, he would not recognize you as his daughter!"
As he spoke, his eyes turned very cold and sharp, "If you insist on making me abolish the Crown Prince and establish Prince Jing as the Crown Prince, then don’t blame me as your brother for being heartless."
"You..." Empress Xie never expected Duke Zhen to be so ruthless, and cried out in anger, "Mother, big brother is bullying me, he wants to sever our sibling relationship..."
Prince Jing rushed to Zhao Yang Palace and heard Empress Xie crying and shouting. He hurriedly came in to comfort Empress Xie.
Empress Xie leaned in Prince Jing’s arms, pointing at Duke Zhen and crying, "Xiao Qi, your dear uncle wants to sever ties with us mother and son in order to support the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, Prince Jing’s face was filled with darkness.
"Uncle, what’s going on?"
Duke Zhen once again detailed to Prince Jing what he had just said to Empress Xie.
After listening, Prince Jing was naturally furious, his face turning grim.
"Uncle, are you really going to be so heartless?"
"Your Highness, it’s not that I’m heartless, but I cannot let the emperor’s plot succeed and allow the Xie family to become fragmented."
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, the eighth prince was helping the Crown Prince manage political affairs.
In recent years, the emperor had let the Crown Prince review some memorials and handle some state affairs.
"Big brother, what do you think about seventh brother being appointed as the Minister?"
The Crown Prince was reading memorials and, upon hearing the eighth prince’s question, replied without thinking, "It’s good."
Hearing the Crown Prince say this, the eighth prince deeply sighed in his heart, and then asked, "Big brother, what do you think of seventh brother?"
"Seventh brother?" The Crown Prince didn’t understand why the eighth prince suddenly asked this, and he looked at the eighth prince with a puzzled expression, "Eighth brother, what’s wrong with seventh brother?"
"Big brother, haven’t you noticed anything at all?"
The Crown Prince looked confused, "Notice what?"
The eighth prince: "..." He had always thought that the big brother was aware of seventh brother’s ambitions, just that he never considered him seriously, which is why he never discussed seventh brother with him. Unexpectedly, he overestimated big brother; big brother hadn’t noticed seventh brother’s ambition at all.
"Eighth brother, what should I have noticed?" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
"Seventh brother’s ambition." The eighth prince was utterly surprised by how oblivious the Crown Prince was. As their tenth brother often said, it’s incredible!
The Crown Prince asked with a puzzled look, "Seventh brother’s ambition, what ambition does seventh brother have?"
The eighth prince was momentarily speechless, and then he spoke, "Big brother, seventh brother is also a legitimate son, do you think he has no interest in the throne?"
He asked again, "Even if seventh brother doesn’t, do you think the Empress doesn’t? Do you think the Empress would willingly let her own son be just a prince?"
"Eighth brother, you’re overthinking..."
The eighth prince interrupted the Crown Prince, "Big brother, it’s not that I’m overthinking, it’s that you think too little. Don’t forget, the Empress is the legitimate daughter of the Duke Mansion. Do you really think she would willingly let her son be just a prince?"
"Mother, she doesn’t have that thought, does she..." The Crown Prince spoke with little confidence.
Hearing the Crown Prince’s words, the eighth prince understood.
"Big brother, you know in your heart, you just don’t want to admit it, right?"
The Crown Prince suddenly fell silent.
"Big brother, I’m not trying to drive a wedge between you and the Empress, but seventh brother is the Empress’s own son, and you’re just the Empress’s nephew." The eighth prince emphasized, "Most importantly, the Empress is the legitimate daughter, while the late Empress was a concubine’s daughter. Big brother, do you really think the Empress treats the late Empress like a real sister? Do you think the Empress has no grievances against the late Empress?"
The Crown Prince looked at the eighth prince, opened his mouth, and finally let out a sigh, "Sigh..."
"Big brother, what do you think of father suddenly appointing seventh brother as the Minister? How do you think seventh brother and the Empress would react?"
"As long as uncle stands by my side, mother and seventh brother are not to be feared." The Crown Prince knew what was worrying the eighth prince, and reassured him with a smile, "Don’t worry, uncle will always support me and will not change his mind to support mother and seventh brother."
"Big brother, Duke Zhen is a smart man, he will never abandon you and halfway turn to support seventh brother, but the Empress and seventh brother will not give up so easily."
"Uncle will handle it." The Crown Prince smiled faintly, "There’s no need for me to worry about mother and seventh brother."
"Big brother, are you really not at all worried that Duke Zhen might change his mind and support seventh brother?"
The Crown Prince gave a meaningful smile, "No worries, because uncle would never put the Duke Mansion at risk!"
The eighth prince was stunned at these words, a surprised look flashing in his eyes.
It seems that big brother isn’t as unaware as he seemed, and it’s he who underestimated him!