Chapter 274: Sunlight and Shadow Strategies

Imperial Grand Tutor Li Mushu stood up from his seat, a mixture of excitement and worry in his voice, which trembled slightly. "Your Highness... what if you are wrong? Then..."

Hearing this, the head of the Chu family, the attendant, and another person all felt goosebumps. Even Prince Jin’s back was sweaty and his scalp tingled, but he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "I know! This is a massive gamble, betting on fortune to be on my side, Yang Hao!"

Thunder rumbled, illuminating Prince Jin's slightly pale face.

Outside, the rain poured down heavily. The great storm, which had been brewing since the thunder last night, had finally arrived, bending the branches and leaves of the once auspicious garden flowers under its torrent.

As the saying goes, "a fall rain brings a fall chill." Soon after the rain began, the people of Jijing Prefecture felt a noticeable drop in temperature.

It is often said that your opponent knows you best, and this holds true in the struggle for the imperial succession. Prince Wu had never underestimated Prince Jin. Even when the old emperor's health deteriorated and Prince Jin appeared docile and quiet, Prince Wu remained wary of his third brother.

Similarly, Prince Jin placed more importance on his elder brother. Unlike Prince Wu, who sought to establish a comprehensive network across the court and government, Prince Jin, after the old emperor's health declined, focused most of his efforts around his elder brother. He knew he couldn't win a contest for court officials against his brother, who had a clear advantage.

For a long time, Prince Jin had made no major moves, or rather, almost no moves at all, but this did not mean he had truly given up. Opportunity always favors the prepared. Even without concrete evidence of the problems facing Prince Wu's faction, Prince Jin, based solely on analyses within his own residence, decisively concluded his opponent's condition.

Immediately after making his decision, Prince Jin secretly issued a series of orders. A number of agile experts, disguised, set out under the cover of the heavy rain. The key to this step was not only to ambiguously instigate Prince Wu's people to act, but also to find ways to remain uninvolved, essentially to create the impression that Prince Wu had truly lost his temper and resorted to lethal measures. If Prince Wu had indeed intended to act in this manner, that would be ideal. But if he could remain calm, Prince Jin would need to give him a push.

As night fell, the torrential rain continued. At the entrance of Prince Jin's residence, Prince Jin, Yang Hao, and Grand Tutor Li Mushu were escorted by servants holding umbrellas as they boarded a carriage together. After helping Li Mushu into the carriage, Prince Jin said to the coachman, "Let's go, to the palace." Accompanied by front and rear guards, the carriage slowly set off.

About fifteen minutes later, in the Imperial Study in the palace, Emperor Yuande was reading a miscellaneous book, its content again a tale of immortals. Although he was reading about immortals, the old emperor's mind was still preoccupied with court affairs. Prince Wu's previous actions had greatly disappointed Emperor Yuande, and the plan to announce the imperial decree of succession after the Double Ninth Festival was temporarily put on hold.

At this moment, an old eunuch entered the Imperial Study and whispered a report. "Your Majesty, Prince Jin has arrived at the palace and requests an audience."

"Hmm? So late, what does he want?"

"Uh, he said he came to pay his respects, Your Majesty."

The old emperor frowned and put down the book. Eunuch Li quickly stepped forward and helped him sit up, while the palace maids immediately placed cushions behind the soft couch. "Let him in."

"Yes!" The old eunuch withdrew and soon led Prince Jin, Yang Hao, into the Imperial Study.

"Your humble son pays his respects to Imperial Father!" As soon as he entered, Prince Jin respectfully performed a full prostration.

"Rise." Prince Jin, still on the floor, looked up and smiled before standing.

"This is certainly novel. What brings you to the palace to pay respects at such an hour? Sit." The old emperor joked. After the princes moved out of the palace to establish their own residences, hardly any of them came to pay respects at night. Of course, this was also partly due to the old emperor's own bad temper and his dislike of being bothered.

"Thank you, Imperial Father!" Prince Jin stood up. A eunuch brought a chair, and he sat down directly.

"In the past, your humble son was quite afraid of Imperial Father, so I dared not come. Now, reflecting, I realize I should have come to pay my respects more often," Prince Jin said, his voice slightly low, tinged with emotion.

"Where is Li Mushu? He's almost always with you. Didn't he come along?"

"I cannot hide anything from Imperial Father. My teacher is still waiting in the carriage. He said that a humble Grand Tutor dared not face His Majesty in the Imperial Study."

"Heh..." The old emperor chuckled, took a piece of dried fruit from the low table in front of the couch, and then waved his hand towards Prince Jin. A palace maid immediately came forward with a tray.

Prince Jin, without ceremony, took many pieces of dried fruit and candied preserves, putting one in his mouth and holding the rest in his hand.

"What? Nothing to eat at Prince Jin's residence?" The old emperor chuckled again, teasing him.

"Imperial Father jests. But these are gifts from the Imperial Study, bestowed by Imperial Father; they are different. I'll also take some for my teacher to taste."

The old emperor looked Prince Jin up and down. "You say you should come to pay respects more often. Is it perhaps because you think I don't have much time left, and you're afraid you won't have the chance later?"

An ordinary minister at this point would likely have paled and immediately begun to explain. But Prince Jin did not speak right away. After a moment of silence, he spoke, a hint of sorrow on his face. "What Imperial Father says is indeed what your humble son thinks. People say it's hard for imperial families to have true affection, but I remember it. When I was little, Imperial Father even held me up to 'fly'..."

Even an old ox has affection for its calf. As a dying old man, how could Emperor Yuande not be touched by Prince Jin's emotional words at this moment? He uncharacteristically did not interrupt Prince Jin's rambling recollections.

"As I grew up, my fears only increased. It's been a long time since your humble son has spoken so much by Imperial Father's side..." Prince Jin's words ended at the point when he moved out of the palace to establish his own residence.

The old emperor remained silent throughout. Looking at his son now, he was filled with mixed emotions. He patted the side of the soft couch. "Come here and sit."

Prince Jin opened his mouth and stood up halfway but did not move.

"What? Afraid? You used to sit here often when you were little!"

Since the old emperor had said so, Prince Jin no longer hesitated. He put away the dried fruit and candied preserves he was holding, stood up, and slowly walked to the couch and sat down. The soft feeling beneath him was as familiar as in his memory, a mixture of reminiscence and longing.

He didn't speak much about extraneous matters with his Imperial Father, just chatted about everyday things and childhood memories. At one point, the old emperor even called Consort Ren to join them. Unbeknownst to them, a significant amount of time passed. They genuinely did not discuss anything related to the struggle for the throne, or even court affairs, from beginning to end.

"Imperial Father, it's getting late. Please rest early. Your humble son will come to pay respects again tomorrow!" Prince Jin rose to take his leave.

"Hao'er, if you come to chat for so long every day, how tired your Imperial Father will be!" Consort Ren frowned, chiding her son.

"Haha, it's fine, let him come if he wants!" Prince Jin smiled and bowed to his Imperial Mother and Father.

"Imperial Mother, don't worry. Your humble son mainly just wants to pay respects, while there's still a chance..."

"Hao'er! What are you saying!?" Consort Ren's expression changed, and she angrily rebuked him, then immediately apologized to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, Hao'er didn't mean it, he..."

"Alright, alright, it's nothing." The old emperor waved his hand. He was in a good mood tonight, and he didn't care much about something that was, after all, a fact.

Consort Ren breathed a sigh of relief, then frowned at her son. "Hao'er, aren't you going to thank your Imperial Father for his grace?"

Prince Jin seemed to just realize it, and bowed again in thanks. "Thank you, Imperial Father, for absolving your humble son of guilt. Actually, what your humble son just said..." Prince Jin looked at Consort Ren, sighed resignedly, and did not continue. He prostrated himself again. "Your humble son takes his leave!"

After Prince Jin left, Consort Ren's face showed worry. Her son's resigned and slightly sad expression before leaving disturbed her. "Your Majesty, Hao'er, he..."

The old emperor slowly exhaled and patted his beloved consort's back. "It's nothing. I won't let anything happen to him..." The old emperor now understood somewhat. Prince Jin had always been intelligent. Unlike Prince Wu, who played both sides, he had been very quiet lately, likely already knowing he had no hope. But would Prince Wu, after ascending the throne, spare such a capable brother?

That night, several specific messages reached Prince Wu's residence, prompting Prince Wu, who was already unable to sleep, to put on his clothes and go to the front hall. "My third brother went into the palace late at night?"

A man dressed in a dark blue night suit bowed and replied. "Reporting to Your Highness, that is correct. The carriage departed at Xu hour and returned close to Zi hour!" Prince Wu's brow furrowed like the character "川" (river).

"Are there any noteworthy tidings from the palace?" Although he had discussed it with his ministers during the day, Prince Wu still asked this instinctively.

"This... as per Your Highness's instructions, those close to His Majesty are no longer sending messages..." Prince Wu clapped his hands, pacing back and forth anxiously in the hall.

"Then, forget it!"

"Yes!" The messenger acknowledged the order and withdrew. Prince Wu sat in the hall for a long time before returning to his room to rest.

The next day, and the day after... Prince Jin continued to visit the palace for several consecutive days. Then, one day, his carriage openly drove to the Jijing Prefecture posthouse. Yin Zhaoxian hadn't expected Prince Jin to dare to visit him in person, but an imperial prince's visit could not be refused. He could only invite Prince Jin into the posthouse, but he left the main gate wide open and asked the posthouse attendants to serve tea.

Both these events could not be concealed from the old emperor and Prince Wu, and their reactions were different.

The old emperor learned the exact details that day, realizing that Prince Jin hoped Yin Zhaoxian would, in the future, protect the few scattered officials loyal to Prince Jin, especially caring for Grand Tutor Li Mushu. This, of course, did not make the old emperor believe it entirely, but he couldn't rule out the possibility, and he felt a sense of melancholy. For his son, in many ways, "the end was near."

However, after Prince Jin's visit to Yin Zhaoxian, Prince Wu could no longer hold back and secretly summoned his confidantes to his residence for another discussion. Prince Jin's actions made Prince Wu extremely anxious. He couldn't resist contacting his palace informants again and learned that Consort Ren had also accompanied the emperor to the Imperial Study several times, which made the ministers in Prince Wu's residence feel uneasy and wary. No one knew Prince Jin's capabilities better than them. Some military officials even came several times on their own initiative to request an audience with Prince Wu.

On the morning of September 17th, in a secluded spot outside the city gates of Jijing Prefecture, Grand Tutor Li Mushu and his family were arranged in multiple carriages. His family members had been quietly brought there in batches. Around them were some of Prince Jin's trusted experts.

The aged Li Mushu bowed to Prince Jin, his expression filled with sorrow and reluctance. "Your Highness, this old man should remain here!"

Prince Jin shook his head. "Teacher, you should return to Yan State. Even if my elder brother truly ascends the throne in the future, you will be old and far away in Yan State, and with Yin Zhaoxian there, you should be safe."

"And what about Your Highness?"

"Me? Of course, I'll await the outcome of the battle. Do I have anywhere else to run?" Prince Jin smiled and bowed to Li Mushu. "Teacher, take care!"

Li Mushu's old eyes grew dim with emotion, and he bowed slightly trembling. "Your Highness, take care!"

Prince Jin personally stepped forward, helped Li Mushu into the carriage, and watched the convoy slowly depart before turning to leave, returning to the city as quietly as he had arrived.