Chapter 272: Second Bet

The two confidants of Prince Wu inside the hall also changed their expressions dramatically after seeing the note.

"So this is how it is..."

"I really didn't expect this. I had always thought Yin Zhaoxian was the least likely person to be swayed and drawn into the royal power struggle. Who would have thought..."

"Heh, normally that would be true. But the key is that Prince Jin had already won Yin Zhaoxian over even before he held any official position."

Prince Wu looked at the gloomy sky outside the hall door, his mood inexpressible. Beyond anger and unease, there was an inexplicable sense of humiliation.

He recalled the times he had genuinely tried to win over and curry favor with Yin Zhaoxian. Now, he realized that Yin Zhaoxian must have found it amusing, his third brother must have laughed at him, and even his imperial father must have found it a joke.

'Hmph... I must be on the verge of becoming a complete laughingstock.'

Prince Wu could imagine how his third brother would mock him behind his back. He could even picture the cold, indifferent look his imperial father would cast from behind his desk in the imperial study upon witnessing such ridiculous behavior.

Prince Wu, Yang Qing, knew exactly what kind of person his imperial father was and what his character was like, because he possessed the same temperament. Being ridiculed and looked down upon like this would certainly deduct points in his father's eyes.

'No wonder my third brother has been so quiet lately... He was probably just waiting for Yin Zhaoxian to arrive in the capital!'

"Yin Zhaoxian certainly kept a low profile; I hadn't anticipated that..."

As he spoke, Prince Wu clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and continued.

"However, the outcome is still uncertain. I admit my third brother has a trick up his sleeve, but a mere Yin Zhaoxian cannot sway my imperial father much. I know my father's character..."

"Your Highness is absolutely right! How could a mere prefect, no matter how favored by the emperor, possibly influence His Majesty?" "Indeed, we must not lose our composure now!"

Prince Wu turned around, nodding with a smile.

"Far more ministers at court support me than my third brother. I believe most people see supporting me as the best bet. Several Grand Councilors also favor the succession of the eldest legitimate son. Regardless, my chances of winning are still greater."

At this point, Prince Wu's smile faded, and he looked intently at his two confidants.

"However, while the support of numerous ministers at court is an affirmation for me, it's also a risk. Given my third brother's cunning, if he were to somehow bewitch our imperial father's mind and truly issue an edict to pass the throne to him, my status as a prince would keep me safe, but those ministers who supported me would surely face retribution later."

Prince Wu narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at a precious sword hanging in the hall.

"Just in case, we still need to make some preparations... What do you say?"

Prince Wu lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping back to the Minister of War and the official from the Imperial Secretariat. The latter felt a burning sensation down his spine; they exchanged glances, but no one dared to speak.

Although Emperor Yuande's health was deteriorating, he remarkably attended court three times over the next seven or eight days.

Yin Zhaoxian, despite being the Prefect of Wanzhou, also attended court.

Many civil and military officials, both within and outside the court, could clearly sense that the emperor was making arrangements for his succession. For instance, he began delegating certain matters, over which he had never relinquished control, to the various ministries that were originally supposed to handle them.

Furthermore, certain major criminals whose names the emperor remembered in the imperial prisons and dungeons were either executed or released back into society, to avoid the possibility of a general amnesty later that might reduce or pardon those he disliked.

He also deliberately prompted the Imperial Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel to evaluate Yin Zhaoxian's achievements, preparing to transfer him to the capital and promote him.

Yet, during this period, he did not mention any details about appointing a crown prince, nor did he even ask for a single prince's name. At morning court, he largely ignored all the princes, only acknowledging them if someone stepped forward to submit a memorial or similar document.

This situation was an ordeal for both Prince Jin and Prince Wu.

Ji Yuan was not a voyeur. Although he had initially intended to observe this scene, he naturally made brief visits to Prince Jin's and Prince Wu's residences, observing generally without prying into details, and never entering the imperial palace itself.

Interestingly, after Yin Zhaoxian arrived in the capital, both princes became pessimistic about the old emperor's choice for the crown prince. This pessimism intensified to some extent, and they each prepared contingencies. Some were extreme, others collaborative, but it truly showed they were brothers, even if not born of the same mother.

To avoid suspicion, Yin Zhaoxian stayed mostly within the guesthouse during this period, only leaving for court or to handle official duties at various government ministries. Both Prince Wu and Prince Jin sent people to approach him, but he refused to see any of them.

The ninth day of the ninth month, the night of the Double Ninth Festival.

In the largest guesthouse of the Capital Prefecture, Yin Zhaoxian occupied a private building with its own courtyard. Soldiers and guards stood watch outside, while servants and stewards attended to him inside. At this moment, he was writing vigorously in his room.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Who is it?"

A steady, calm voice sounded from outside the door.

"It's me."

Inside the room, Yin Zhaoxian's hand paused upon hearing the voice. He quickly put down his brush, walked around his desk, and personally opened the door. Sure enough, Ji Yuan stood outside, bowing with a smile.

"Master Yin, how have you been lately?"

"Mr. Ji? You're in the Capital Prefecture? Please, come in!"

After returning the greeting, Yin Zhaoxian stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. He glanced outside, but then realizing Ji Yuan was no ordinary person, and that the guards and servants showed no reaction, he stopped overthinking it.

Once Ji Yuan was inside, Yin Zhaoxian, with a hint of surprise, began to converse with him.

"Mr. Ji, it's almost three years since we parted ways in Wanzhou! Did you come to the capital specifically to find me? Or are you here for Qing'er? Although his imperial examination results were only second-class, he must have hidden his true abilities. That's good, though; being too prominent is never a good thing for me..."

Yin Zhaoxian, who was generally perceived by the court and public as a man of few words, now spoke incessantly, leaving Ji Yuan no chance to interject.

'Alright, whatever you say.'

Ji Yuan sighed helplessly to himself, though he quite understood his friend's excitement. As he listened to Yin Zhaoxian, he walked to the desk and saw what Yin Zhaoxian had been writing.

It wasn't a court memorial, nor an urgent official document, nor a poem about nature or romance. It was an educational treatise.

"Oh, this is 'On Practical Learning' (Wuxue), which I've been drafting recently. If it can be widely adopted in the future, it will surely benefit scholars everywhere."

Ji Yuan looked at Yin Zhaoxian and said, "May I look through it?"

"Please do, Mr. Ji!"

Ji Yuan nodded, walked to one end of the desk, and picked up a few pages to read.

Yin Zhaoxian possessed a grand righteousness, which emanated from his calligraphy, making his words appear as clear as those written by immortals for Ji Yuan's eyes.

The written content was not yet bound into a book, appearing to be a preliminary draft. Its essence was immediately clear to Ji Yuan: although it contained various topics, its fundamental aim was to improve literacy and reintroduce elements like the "Six Arts of the Gentleman." These seemed simple but were profoundly meaningful.

In Ji Yuan's words from his previous life, Yin Zhaoxian largely aimed to gradually establish the "spirit" of a scholar, making the so-called "integrity and moral fortitude" more accessible and explicit.

"To sit at a desk with brush in hand, writing essays; to take up a sword on the battlefield, slaying brigands—excellent!"

As soon as Ji Yuan spoke, Yin Zhaoxian's eyes lit up, and he again bowed respectfully to him.

"It is indeed Mr. Ji, with such wonderful words and phrases, expressing my thoughts so perfectly!"

Ji Yuan flipped through a few more pages before returning them to their original place, his mood significantly lighter than when he arrived.

After all, his friend valued education more than being an official, just as his initial intention when entering public service had been. This hadn't changed over the years, which was why his address for Yin Zhaoxian remained the same.

"Master Yin, the path you've chosen is a long and arduous one!"

"Heh heh, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Ji Yuan naturally sat down on one side, and Yin Zhaoxian naturally poured him tea before sitting on another chair.

"Master Yin, in the struggle for imperial power in Da Zhen, who do you think will prevail between Prince Jin and Prince Wu?"

Yin Zhaoxian paused, then chuckled softly.

"Even you, Mr. Ji, ask such a question. Although you are extraordinary, this time I am a little clearer than you. The day I arrived in the capital, I already knew who the crown prince would be."

"Oh... I'm suddenly curious. How about a wager with Master Yin?"

Ji Yuan chuckled.

Inside the Grand Imperial Palace, in the imperial study, Emperor Yuande lay sideways on a soft couch.

The light from the lamps illuminated the imperial study. The old emperor, unusually for this hour, was still poring over a miscellaneous book. Although his complexion was poor, his spirits were quite good.

A short while later, one of Emperor Yuande's longest-serving and most trusted old eunuchs entered the imperial study, carrying a scroll of paper.

"Your Majesty, this was sent by Commander Qian."

The old emperor glanced at the old eunuch, who, understanding the unspoken command, shuffled forward and slowly unrolled the paper, presenting its contents before the emperor.

The latter read it emotionlessly, then rubbed his temples.

"Ha... haha... hahahaha..."

Emperor Yuande laughed a few nervous laughs.

About fifteen minutes later, the same old eunuch who had delivered the secret letter was seen rushing through the palace, leading several junior eunuchs and a few guards.

In a side room somewhere in the Imperial Palace, an old eunuch sat on a soft couch, eating preserved fruit, drinking tea, and looking at an erotic painting.

Just then, a "knock, knock, knock" sounded from outside the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

The old eunuch outside replied, exchanged a glance with someone nearby, and a junior eunuch opened the door for him.

"Oh, Eunuch Li! What brings you here..."

The old eunuch inside the room, upon seeing the visitor, quickly got off the couch to greet him. Both were old eunuchs who had served Emperor Yuande for many years, but the newcomer was more favored than he.

"Eunuch Han, His Majesty, moved by your many years of service, specifically commanded me to bring you some rewards. As you know, His Majesty's wishes are impromptu, and I dared not delay; I merely ran an errand."

"Oh, oh, His Majesty still remembers this old servant's good deeds. Please come in, Eunuch Li. What kind of rewards are they?"

The old eunuch beamed, noticing a wooden tray carried by a junior eunuch beside Eunuch Li. A red cloth covered it, bulging with something unknown beneath.

Eunuch Li smiled and stepped aside a little.

"His Majesty's generosity, Eunuch Han. You may see for yourself."

The old eunuch surnamed Han looked at him, frowned slightly, but still stepped forward two paces with a smile.

The moment he gently lifted the red cloth, his right hand trembled. Revealed beneath the cloth were a white silken cord and a wine pot...