If it hadn’t been for Su Chengyu bringing Gong Juechen, how could the poison in his body have been cleansed? How could his health have improved?
Su Chengjin was truly grateful to Su Chengyu.
However, Duke Tao didn’t feel any gratitude at all, and even snorted, "You can know the face but not the heart. He seems to be good to you, but you must have also heard that having the doctor cure you has also made his reputation even better. His reputation was already good enough, and now it’s even more so... He is really good at putting on a facade, something you could never compete with."
After a pause, Duke Tao added, "He’s not only good at presenting a front but also excels in currying favor. Since your father favors Prince Yi, he just schemed his way in. Look at how he behaves toward Prince Yi, how lowly he places himself, but what’s the purpose? It’s nothing but to secure his position as the Crown Prince, to sit more firmly in that spot."
Then, Duke Tao jeered, "Thank heavens he can humble himself; now everyone thinks he, your father, and Prince Yi are the real family. As for you, the Fifth Prince, who knows into which corner he has thrown you."
On hearing this, Su Chengjin thought carefully and felt that it might really be the case. Now, aside from holding the title of Prince, he didn’t feel like part of the Royal Family at all.
Indeed, Su Chengyu’s position as the Crown Prince was becoming increasingly stable...
Su Chengjin was initially very grateful to Su Chengyu, but now, he felt no gratitude at all, even thinking that Su Chengyu was really good at pretending, having feigned kindness toward him for so many years.
"Fifth Prince," suddenly, Duke Tao’s voice dropped to a whisper, "Although the Crown Prince now seems very secure in his position, if you ever wish to... your maternal grandfather, as well as all members of his family, are all willing to lend you their support."
Upon hearing Duke Tao’s words, Su Chengjin knew he was suggesting to pull Su Chengyu down from the position of the Crown Prince, and who wouldn’t want to be the Son of Heaven, except: "Prince Yi is on his side..."
His maternal family was much more powerful than Su Chengyu’s maternal family. When the Emperor of Xiyun succeeded to the throne, all the ministers advised him to appoint his imperial consort as the Empress, but the Emperor insisted on appointing Su Chengyu’s imperial consort instead.
Unfortunately, though Su Chengyu’s imperial consort had the fate to be Empress, she did not have the fate to enjoy it, as she died soon after Su Chengyu learned to walk.
Since then, the Emperor of Xiyun had never established another Empress, leaving the position vacant, regardless of how the ministers advised, he refused to appoint another Empress.
And if originally the Emperor of Xiyun had appointed his imperial consort as Empress instead of Su Chengyu’s, then he would have been the legitimate heir, and Su Chengyu would not have been established as the Crown Prince immediately upon birth because of his status as the legitimate heir.
Though being a legitimate heir, if such heir commits a mistake, losing the right to inherit the dynasty, then the other sons would be eligible to inherit the dynasty.
The Emperor of Xiyun now only had him and Su Chengyu as sons. If Su Chengyu were unable to inherit the dynasty, then according to ancestral rules, he would be entitled to inherit.
However, the problem was that Prince Yi was now on Su Chengyu’s side, and coupled with Su Chengyu’s own very crafty nature, toppling Su Chengyu was indeed very difficult.
In Xiyun, Xiao Changyi was like a War God, and Duke Tao, who had spent his life in military service, had seen how Xiao Changyi led troops in battle and held genuine admiration for him.
Nonetheless, Duke Tao said, "It’s true that Prince Yi is on his side now, but that doesn’t mean he will be in the future."
"What do you mean, Grandfather...?"