Chapter 475: Chapter 261: The Secret Treasure
In the secret tea room of the "Wang Jiangnan" teahouse, the Eighth Prince was playing chess with Kong Yuan.
Over the past two years, the Eighth Prince not only grew taller, but his features matured considerably, becoming more and more handsome. However, his brow bore an air of vigor, no longer as delicate as before; at least now he wouldn’t be mistaken for a girl.
"Your Highness, now that Princess Consort Ying has been elevated to Noble Princess Consort Ying, why haven’t you made a move against Noble Princess Consort Rong?" Kong Yuan had always held resentment against Prince Dai for causing his sister’s death, and he constantly sought revenge for her.
"Noble Princess Consort Rong cannot die just yet. If she dies, Prince Dai won’t have any prospects." The Eighth Prince said, placing a black piece, "Now is not the time for Prince Dai to have any incidents." Prince Dai had to remain well until he came of age.
Kong Yuan remained silent.
The Eighth Prince looked up at the silent Kong Yuan and comforted him gently: "I know you want revenge for your sister, but now isn’t the right time."
He added, "Small impatience spoils great plans, you must endure."
"Your Highness, how long must I wait?" The thought of his beloved sister driven to suicide filled Kong Yuan with rage.
"Not many years." The Eighth Prince toyed with the chess piece in his hand, speaking meaningfully, "Once Zhao Yun is crowned as a prince, this game will become interesting."
"Then I will wait a few more years." Although Kong Yuan was eager for revenge, he also knew this matter couldn’t be rushed.
"By the way, it’s just over a month until the centenary of your Kong Family ancestor’s passing, if I remember correctly, it’s his hundredth anniversary, right?"
"Your Highness, you remember correctly, it is the centenary of the old ancestor’s passing." Kong Yuan understood the Eighth Prince’s nature and knew he wouldn’t casually mention the centenary of their Kong Family ancestor, "Your Highness, why do you bring this up?"
The Eighth Prince didn’t answer Kong Yuan’s question, instead he asked, "How do you plan to commemorate him, the same as usual?"
"Yes, Your Highness, you are..."
The Eighth Prince didn’t keep Kong Yuan guessing his intentions. Sometimes, subordinates need to guess intentions. Sometimes, there is no need to make subordinates guess.
"Your ancestor sacrificed himself to protect the hopes and seeds of scholars, earning deep respect from scholars throughout the land. For his centenary, won’t you hold a grand celebration for him?" The Eighth Prince gave Kong Yuan a deep look.
Kong Yuan instantly understood the Eighth Prince’s meaning: "Your Highness, are you suggesting that our Kong Family should lively celebrate the old ancestor’s anniversary?"
"Yes."
"Your Highness, we do this every year," Kong Yuan asked somewhat puzzled, "What else should we do?"
"Petition the Emperor, requesting the Crown Prince to conduct the rituals."
"The Crown Prince performing the rituals?" Kong Yuan was shocked, "How is that appropriate?"
"There is nothing inappropriate..." The Eighth Prince whispered something to Kong Yuan.
After listening, Kong Yuan looked at the Eighth Prince with eyes full of admiration.
"Your Highness is wise."
"By the way, how is Li Chuan?" Li Chuan was once a trusted aide to Prince Dai, but was demoted after being reported for visiting a brothel during the late Empress’s mourning period. Prince Dai had Li Chuan return to his domain.
"Li Chuan reports that there are no anomalies in Jizhou."
The Eighth Prince nodded gently and didn’t mention Li Chuan any further.
After Li Chuan returned to Jizhou, he was mocked, embarrassed, and ostracized by the soldiers. He lost hope, causing trouble while drunk daily, and was eventually expelled from the army, becoming a commoner.
When he served as a General, he was quite arrogant. Additionally, he had an old habit of insulting and whipping soldiers when drunk, causing the soldiers to greatly dislike him.
When they saw him fall on hard times, it was inevitable the soldiers would seek revenge.
Beaten to barely an inch of his life, it was the Eighth Prince who sent someone to rescue him.
Having gone through a near-death experience, Li Chuan deeply realized the fickleness of the world and decided to survive at any cost, seeking his own revenge.
He followed the Eighth Prince’s plan, pretending to ally with the Crown Prince, gaining the Crown Prince’s trust, while he was actually the Eighth Prince’s man.
After recovering, Li Chuan turned over a new leaf, seeking out Qian Songtao and his group.
Seeing Li Chuan’s reformed character, Qian Songtao and the others were naturally willing to help, after all, they were once close brothers and shared life-and-death bonds.
With their help, Li Chuan rejoined the army. He changed his prior temperament, letting go of the grudges against the soldiers who sought revenge against him earlier.
Li Chuan was very capable, and having reformed, he quickly regained his former prestige in the army. Although he was now only a small sixth-rank general.
For the past two years, Li Chuan maintained secret contact with the Eighth Prince and reported on the situation in Jizhou. Furthermore, following the Eighth Prince’s orders, he befriended the soldiers in Jizhou, frequently inviting them for drinks and meals.