LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 39 - 39 The Perilous Situation of the Chu Familyi
Chapter 39: Chapter 39 The Perilous Situation of the Chu Familyi
Translator: 549690339
Capital city.
Imperial Palace, Royal Garden.
The Sum Emperor, dressed in a yellow dragon robe, sat in the pavilion, delicately savoring the fragrant tea in his hands.
At this moment, a soldier clad in armor suddenly appeared behind him.
“Your Majesty, your servant has confirmed that it was Prince Lu Yi who spread the rumors that Prince Shuyun sent people to assassinate Prince Lu Chen.”
Hearing this, the teacup in the hands of the Sum Emperor shattered instantly, and he uttered a cold snort, “My children are really getting too restless. Could it be that they’re all hoping for my early demise? Are they so eager for the Crown Prince’s position?”
Seeing the Sum Emperor’s anger, the State Preceptor, Situ Ce, seated opposite to him immediately said, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It’s not surprising for brothers to turn against each other when the Crown Prince position remains undecided. If Your Majesty could establish the heir sooner, it might quell some of the princes’ thoughts.”
At these words, the Sum Emperor chuckled and then said, “Only you dare to talk to me like this, State Preceptor. If anyone else suggested that 1 establish the Crown Prince earlier, I’d make sure they get a hundred lashes.”
Saying so, the Sum Emperor rose from his stone bench and, with hands clasped behind his back, gazed at the lotus pond in the Royal Garden.
“To be truthful, I’m more curious about how Chen managed to survive than the affairs occurring within the Capital city.”
The thoughts of the Sum Emperor were much like those of Lu Shuyun; even if the Chu Family really arranged for a Mysterious Grandmaster to protect Lu Chen, it was highly likely that the assassination attempt by Blood Moon Tower would succeed.
According to intelligence gathered by the Shadow Guard, Blood Moon Tower had dispatched a Half-step Grandmaster and five Ninth Grade fighters to North City.
Moreover, with the pieces Lu Shuyun had placed in North City, if they acted together, even the presence of a Grandmaster might not spare the North Prince from death.
Yet, the North Prince had survived.
This caused the Sum Emperor to doubt whether the Mysterious Grandmaster beside the North Prince was truly just that simple.
At this moment, Situ Ce spoke up, “Perhaps Prince Lu Chen was able to survive because his fate decreed he should not die yet; luck played its part.”
The Sum Emperor spoke indifferently, “Enough, the farce should come to an end. Since the Chu Family has not sent anyone to North City to contact Chen lately, let him do as he pleases there. I no longer plan to inquire about his affairs.”
The Sum Emperor had someone investigate the Chu Family recently and found that aside from initially sending Chu Yuqin and that Mysterious Grandmaster to protect Lu Chen when he first went to North City, they had made no further moves.
They had not sent anyone to contact Lu Chen, and it seemed as if they had indeed given up on him.
Even the Sum Emperor had heard that there was great dissatisfaction within the Chu Family with Chu Xiong, the Family Head, and there was talk of replacing him.
Chu Xiong, with troubles of his own, naturally lacked the interest to concern himself with Lu Chen, far away in North City.
The Sum Emperor then commanded the red-robed eunuch beside him, “Issue my decree: for spreading rumors and tarnishing the royal family’s dignity, Prince Lu Yi is to be confined for three months.”
“As for Prince Shuyun…”
At this, the Sum Emperor paused for a moment, then continued, “Mr. Liu, later go and tell Prince Shuyun to exercise restraint.”
Upon hearing this, the red-robed eunuch in front of the Sum Emperor instantly responded, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Following this, Mr. Liu left the Imperial Palace and headed for the residences of Prince Lu Yi and Prince Shuyun to deliver the decree.
Meanwhile.
South, Suf eng City.
Chu Family.
An old man with graying hair sat in the courtyard, poring over the letter in his hands repeatedly.
Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in blue brocade entered the compound.
“Father, didn’t you say that we would temporarily ignore the affairs of North Prince Mansion? Why won’t you let Yuqin return? And to think that you have secretly arranged for a Grandmaster to protect the North Prince!”
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The man named Chu Hongfei is the son of Chu Xiong, and he is also Lu Chen’s uncle.
Chu Hongfei was in a bad mood after learning that the North Prince Mansion had a Mysterious Grandmaster, even though Lu Chen was his nephew, but he had very little to do with Lu Chen, let alone having any fondness for him.
Moreover, the woman he loved had always been with the North Prince, which made Chu Hongfei even more unhappy.
As for the woman he loved, that was naturally Chu Yuqin.
Facing his son’s questioning, Chu Xiong fell silent for a moment, then countered, “Hongfei, do you really think that the Grandmaster in the North Prince Mansion was sent by me?”
Upon hearing Chu Xiong’s words, Chu Hongfei was taken aback, then he said, “Besides you, who else would send a Grandmaster to protect a worthless prince.”
In Chu Hongfei’s view, Chu Xiong was likely worried that Lu Chen, his grandson, would get hurt, so he sent a Grandmaster there.
At that moment, Chu Xiong sighed and said, “Indeed, I had considered sending a Grandmaster to protect the North Prince, but thinking of the recent movements in the Capital city, 1 eventually gave up on that idea.”
“I have no idea where that Mysterious Grandmaster came from either.”
“And Yuqin went to North City with the North Prince of her own free will, now she no longer listens to the Chu Family.”
At this point, a look of doubt surfaced on Chu Hongfei’s face, and he promptly asked, “Dad, you wouldn’t be lying to me, would you?”
“If it wasn’t by your order, how could Yuqin possibly follow a good-for-nothing who doesn’t know anything? I don’t believe it.”
Chu Xiong said with a disappointed tone, “Right now, the Sum Emperor’s actions are unrelenting, the head of the Imperial Guards in the Capital city has been replaced over and over, even Zhou Wangtian has been wiped out, Mu Changtian has been imprisoned in the Capital city, and it’s clear that the Sum Emperor is about to strike at the Aristocratic Families. At a time like this, how dare I have too much contact with the North Prince? Do you really think I’ve gone senile and want the Sum Emperor’s blade to fall on us even quicker?”
“As for Yuqin, 1 advise you, son, best give up sooner rather than later. Although her husband died on the first day she married into the Wang Family, she is still considered the Wang Family’s daughter-in-law.”
Upon hearing Chu Xiong’s words, Chu Hongfei thoughtfully said, “Dad, if it really wasn’t a Grandmaster you sent to North City, then it stands to reason that no Grandmaster would protect the North Prince, right?”
Chu Xiong stroked his graying beard and then said, “I was also very puzzled when I first saw this message. However, I just received news from the Capital city, and it seems that this matter may have something to do with Prince Lu Yi.”
As he said this, Chu Xiong handed the letter he was holding to Chu Hongfei. Chu Hongfei picked up the letter and glanced at it, his expression changing again and again.
Then he said, “Dad, do you think that Prince Lu Yi is the one who sent the Grandmaster to protect the North Prince, trying to pull our Chu Family over to his side in this way?”
Chu Xiong said indifferently, “Not to win over the Chu Family, but to win over me.”
The letter in Chu Hongfei’s hand was sent by a spy from the Chu Family in the Capital city, who found out that Prince Lu Yi had spread news about the North Prince several times, including the news circulated in the Capital city about the Eighth Prince Faction attempting to assassinate the North Prince, which was also spread by Prince Lu Yi.
It seemed like Prince Lu Yi was protecting the North Prince.
But Chu Xiong was no fool; it was clearly a performance for him to see.
It was hard to say whether the Grandmaster by the North Prince’s side was Prince Lu Yi’s underling.
As Prince Lu Yi, the person most likely to become the Crown Prince, it was unquestionable that he had Grandmasters under him.
But Grandmasters aren’t cabbages; Prince Lu Yi himself needed Grandmaster protection, and sending a Grandmaster to protect the North Prince would leave who to protect him in the Capital city? That is, unless he had more than one Grandmaster at his side.
At this time, Chu Hongfei placed the letter on the stone table and said, “I don’t care, Yuqin must come back no matter what. What’s the point of her staying with a worthless prince in North City? The conditions in North City are so harsh; she’ll only suffer there.”
Hearing this, Chu Xiong became furious and scolded, “All you think about is women, is that all you aspire to! With the Chu Family on the brink of disaster, you’re still concerned about women!”
Chu Hongfei said carelessly, “What does the Chu Family’s disaster have to do with me? When the time comes, I’ll simply take Yuqin to the Great Wu Dynasty.”
Hearing Chu Hongfei’s words almost caused Chu Xiong to choke in anger.
“Get out! Just get the hell out of here!” Chu Xiong yelled fiercely.
Seeing Chu Xiong angry, Chu Hongfei quickly left the courtyard.
After Chu Hongfei left, Chu Xiong looked at the empty courtyard and sighed deeply, saying, “Yue’er, your father has wronged you. I failed to protect you back then, and now I don’t even dare to send someone to protect your child..”