Chapter 43 Fanning the Flames

Back then, quite a few ministers and imperial clan members openly stood up for Hao Chujun, among whom was Li Yuanyuan, the Prince of Han.

However, compared to Hao Chujun and Xue Zhen, who were hounded to death, the Prince of Han remained completely unscathed, and afterward, he never stepped forward again to draw attention to himself.

The study door opened once more, and an elderly man with a stern expression stood outside.

He was dressed in ordinary black attire and sat down beside the desk, saying indifferently:

"I heard that your Duke's estate is crawling with vermin. Since this Prince came here tonight, I naturally have my reasons, but I wonder if you will have a legitimate excuse tomorrow to argue your case before the Empress."

Seeing the living Prince of Han in the flesh, Shangguan Wan'er froze for a moment, then hurriedly shifted her seat closer to Wu An, making herself as inconspicuous as possible.

The Prince of Han turned to look at her and immediately sneered:

"This Prince was an old acquaintance of Shangguan Yi. It's just a pity that the only one he left behind in this world is a granddaughter. I'm afraid your family's grudge will never be avenged in this lifetime."

Wu An tapped the desk lightly, interrupting him with an unruffled demeanor.

"If Your Highness's only purpose tonight is to indulge your tongue, you might as well go argue with the censors. If you wish to seriously discuss matters between us, then let us not waste any time now."

A mere captain at death's door, yet he dares to order this Prince around...

Li Yuanjia, the Prince of Han, let out a cold snort and said, "You sent a secret message today claiming it concerned the fundamental affairs of the state and asking this Prince to come for a private talk tonight. You may begin."

He raised three fingers.

"This Prince gives you only three chances. If you fail, I will leave immediately."

"The Emperor intends to clip the wings of the Eastern Palace."

Wu An immediately replied.

Li Yuanjia's hands tightened inside his sleeves, though he maintained an indifferent exterior. "Second sentence."

"The Empress intends to depose the Crown Prince."

Shangguan Wan'er snapped her gaze toward Wu An, and even the Prince of Han was caught entirely off guard, exclaiming in shock, "What did you say?"

Wu An had been waiting for Li Yuanjia's reaction.

Compared to himself, the Prince of Han was an imperial prince dating back to the Zhenguan era. Even if a pig were placed in his position, after all these years of immersion, it would have developed a considerable political sense of smell.

His expressionless reception of the first sentence indicated that, at least in the eyes of officials of Li Yuanjia's rank, the Emperor's behavior contained nothing particularly strange.

The Emperor had always adopted a hands-off approach to cultivation. Crown Prince Li Xian had acted as regent three times, and the power he wielded grew daily, deepening his ties with court ministers—naturally including figures like Hao Chujun and Xue Zhen.

Now that those two had fallen from grace, it seemed quite logical for the Crown Prince to be implicated.

Li Yuanjia's mind raced furiously. What puzzled him was why the Empress would want to depose the Crown Prince.

Yet... this actually made sense.

What the Emperor feared was the future, while what the Empress feared was the present.

If the Crown Prince truly ascended the throne, the power held by the Empress would instantly crumble into dust.

Li Yuanjia's expression shifted several times, and he leaned forward slightly.

"And the third sentence?"

Wu An stared at him, leaning in closer as well.

"The minor illnesses and ailments plaguing His Majesty are now too numerous to cure."

Shangguan Wan'er, sitting beside them, widened her eyes. She felt as though every single moment tonight was shattering her understanding of the world, yet upon hearing such treasonous words, the Prince of Han remained remarkably calm.

"All three of your statements are sheer nonsense."

Li Yuanjia paused before slowly continuing, "This Prince is an imperial prince and the Emperor's uncle. No matter what, he would never..."

"If the Emperor only wanted to bring down Li Jingxuan, he would have dealt with Your Highness's crimes right there in the hall. Whether it was a pay cut, temporary confinement, or a restriction of official duties, any of those would have happened. Instead, he merely scolded you with a single sentence."

Wu An smiled derisively and said:

"Does Your Highness truly believe the Emperor has always possessed such a mild temper?"

Earlier, when Hao Chujun was imprisoned, Li Yuanjia had directly blocked court bailiffs and the Golden Wu Guards in the street to prevent them from taking Hao Chujun's family—effectively opposing the Emperor's decree—yet he had suffered no punishment whatsoever.

An emperor.

An aging emperor.

An aging emperor riddled with physical pain.

These were three entirely different creatures.

"Are you saying the Emperor went to such great lengths simply to dig a pit and wait for me and the others to jump in?"

Li Yuanjia mused thoughtfully:

"A few years ago, when the Emperor declared in court that he wished to pass the throne to the Empress, Hao Chujun was the loudest voice of opposition. He was a man of great virtue and high standing in the court, which is why the Emperor ultimately heeded his advice.

This Prince previously thought the Empress was merely retaliating against Hao Chujun by dragging you, this starved hound, all the way from Hexi and propping you up to this position..."

He looked at Wu An, undisguised contempt in his eyes.

"If that is the case, their methods, and... the reason you summoned me here tonight, all suddenly make sense."

"You aren't afraid to take a bite out of the Crown Prince; you're just afraid of being the target of a joint pile-on."

Li Yuanjia tapped the desk lightly, saying in an unquestionable tone:

"I hear your Hundred Riders have already been expanded into a thousand. Tell your men to stop investigating Li Jingxuan, and instead, focus all their energy on gathering and transmitting intelligence from within the palace."

In the study, Shangguan Wan'er kept her head lowered in silence. The elderly man and the young man sat across the desk from each other, their eyes reflecting the other's icy demeanor.

Though Li Yuanjia had anticipated this, he was still somewhat startled by the news Wu An had delivered. He needed time to digest it, but before that, he didn't mind extracting a bit more leverage for himself.

Fair-weather friends were beloved by no one, especially a brute who had once offended him; Li Yuanjia didn't even bother to feign an attitude of treating the worthy with respect.

The situation was crystal clear now. If this young man did not stand on his side, the probability of being liquidated afterward was extremely high.

Wu An chuckled softly. He leaned back against Shangguan Wan'er's side, finding a comfortable posture, and said lazily:

"Have you misunderstood something?"

"Hm?"

"You did indeed guess this official's concern, which is that afterward, I might be liquidated."

Wu An reached to his waist, untied his saber, and placed it on the table with a soft clatter.

"But beforehand, if you refuse to agree, whether it is you or the Eastern Palace, I have ways to cater to the needs of His Majesty and the Empress, and make all of you... die!"

Li Yuanjia's gaze narrowed, and the words slipped out:

"You are nothing more than a dog raised by the Empress!"

"Stop barking. Without my help, I guarantee that a so-called Prince of Han like you will die like a dog before me in a few days."

Wu An could feel Shangguan Wan'er's body trembling slightly. His hand moved down to find her cold little hand, gripping it gently.

She raised her head and exchanged a glance with Wu An, looking small and helpless.

Wu An released her hand, stood up, and walked over to Li Yuanjia.

"What are you doing?" Li Yuanjia asked with deep revulsion.

"Slap."

Li Yuanjia's body shuddered, and a surge of fury instantly flooded his face. Wu An's hand had landed on his cheek—not striking a blow, but merely patting it gently, over and over again.

An imperial prince from the era of the Great Tang's Emperor Taizong, tsk tsk...

"Of course Your Highness may refuse, believing you needn't take this brute seriously, and thinking you can solve the problem through other means."

As Wu An spoke, he found the tactile feedback rather pleasant, and without paying attention, he put a bit of force into it.

"Smack!"

Li Yuanjia's face was whipped to the side. "..."

"Apologies, I got a bit carried away."

Wu An wiped his hand on Li Yuanjia's robe before pulling it back.

"However, I genuinely hope you will give it a try."

"But regardless of anything else, whoever stands in my way of finishing off Li Jingxuan will die right along with him."

This was his sole warning for the night.

...

After the furious Prince of Han stormed out, Shangguan Wan'er finally regained her composure and abruptly pulled her hand away from Wu An's grasp.

"I am returning."

Wu An made no effort to detain her, speaking without even raising his head: "When you return, help me tell the Empress that I have already tricked the Prince of Han and the Crown Prince into taking the bait."

Her brain felt inadequate once again... Shangguan Wan'er fell silent for a moment before asking, "Whose side are you actually planning to help?"

"Whichever side wins, I help."