“Madam Chang, what do you mean by that?” Anle asked, confused.
“Princess, we can find a man who resembles Prince Ning and have him take Prince Ning’s place in prison,” Madam Chang explained.
“Then wouldn’t my imperial brother be unable to see the light of day for the rest of his life?”
Princess Anle did not quite approve of Madam Chang’s suggestion.
“Princess, don’t hesitate any longer. As the saying goes, winners are kings and losers are criminals. As long as Prince Ning can escape this time, who will dare to bring up this past incident once he ascends to that supreme position in the future?”
Madam Chang wanted to persuade Princess Anle.
“But the problem is, who are we going to find to take my imperial brother’s place in prison?”
“Princess, this person has already been found for Prince Ning by this old servant. All you need to do is remember to bring this old servant along when you next visit Prince Ning.”
As Madam Chang spoke, she glanced at the door of Princess Anle’s sleeping quarters and then quickly put on her human skin mask.
She added, “Princess, this old servant must leave now. If you need anything, you can directly instruct a young palace maid to notify this old servant at the Imperial Wardrobe, and this old servant will come immediately.”
“Alright, you may go. I will consider this matter carefully.”
With that, Anle waved her away.
…
Deep in the night, at Prince Leng’s manor, in the study.
Jun Mohan and Leng Ruoli received a secret letter from Yingzhou. The letter stated that Prime Minister Qin and the traitor Lin Zhenfan were colluding and were likely to make a move soon, planning a coordinated attack from within and without.
These developments were within the expectations of Prince Leng and his wife, neither of whom found them surprising.
“Jun Mohan, what is our plan now?” Leng Ruoli asked, curious about Jun Mohan’s intentions.
“We will first lure the enemy into a trap, and then catch them within the urn,” Jun Mohan explained simply.
“If Qin Zhihong and Lin Zhenfan are colluding, wouldn’t that be considered treason if they were to launch a rebellion?” Leng Ruoli said calmly.
“Yes, but they won’t be foolish enough to brand themselves as traitors or rebels. They will find a scapegoat to take their place,” Jun Mohan added.
“That person wouldn’t be…”
Leng Ruoli spoke, forming an exaggerated shape with her mouth.
“Yes, most likely him. I will have Yan Song keep a close watch on the prison, and I also need to remind His Majesty and the Empress Dowager,” Jun Mohan said with a stern expression.
“Mhm, you always consider everything so thoroughly,” Leng Ruoli praised Jun Mohan without reservation.
…
Prime Minister Qin’s manor.
Tonight, Qin Zhihong finally received the secret letter from Yingzhou, and his heart was filled with anticipation.
However, after reading Lin Zhenfan’s letter, his head began to ache.
Lin Zhenfan was actually asking him to find a way to rescue Prince Ning, and then have Prince Ning cooperate with him in a coordinated effort. This was… truly difficult.
From the current situation, rescuing Prince Ning was no easy feat, which gave him a headache.
Early the next morning, after a night of contemplation, the Prime Minister, carrying the imperial edict written by the Emperor, led Madam Qin, along with a bounty of delicious food, to the prison to visit Prince Ning and Qin Xixue.
Prime Minister Qin planned to see Qin Xixue first before secretly discussing some matters with Prince Ning.
But when they saw Qin Xixue’s current appearance, Prime Minister Qin and his wife were almost scared unconscious.
Heavens! They couldn’t believe their daughter had become so ugly; she looked like a monster. Even if they rescued her later, she wouldn’t be able to show herself to anyone.
“Xue’er, what happened to your face? What will you do in the future?”
Madam Qin immediately burst into loud wails in the prison.
“Father, Mother, do you also despise your daughter for being ugly?”
Seeing her parents’ reactions, Qin Xixue began to cry loudly.
“Xue’er, your mother doesn’t despise you, but what will happen to your face looking like this in the future?”
Madam Qin was now worried about her daughter’s disfigurement.
However, Prime Minister Qin had other plans in mind. Since his eldest legitimate daughter’s appearance was ruined, he still had his second legitimate daughter, who was only sixteen.
Although his second legitimate daughter was not as beautiful as Qin Xixue was before, she was still better looking than Qin Xixue was now.
If Prince Ning was unwilling to marry Qin Xixue after his release, then Qin Zhihong would have his second legitimate daughter replace his eldest daughter and marry Prince Ning.
The more Prime Minister Qin thought about it, the more he felt this plan was feasible.
Therefore, he said to Qin Xixue in a gentle tone, “Xue’er, Father will find a way to rescue you. For now, you must stay in prison and take good care of yourself.”
As he spoke, Prime Minister Qin signaled Madam Qin to open the food container they had brought for Qin Xixue. Seeing the abundance of delicious food her parents had brought her, Qin Xixue’s heart rejoiced. She grabbed her chopsticks and began to eat voraciously, having completely lost all semblance of a proper young lady.
“Xue’er, eat slowly. Father will go and have a few words with Prince Ning.”
Prime Minister Qin said lightly.
“Mhm, Father, go ahead. Prince Ning is imprisoned at the other end of the jail,” Qin Xixue said, her mouth full, pointing her finger towards the other end of the prison.
“Alright!”
Prime Minister Qin nodded and stood up, walking to the other side of the prison.
Seeing Prime Minister Qin approaching his cell, Prince Ning revealed a gentle smile.
“Prime Minister Qin, you’ve finally arrived!”
“Your Highness Prince Ning, if I, Qin Zhihong, can help you ascend to that position this time, then the mistress of your harem must be a daughter of the Qin family.”
“Of course, but Xue’er…”
As Prince Ning said this, his eyes deliberately glanced in Qin Xixue’s direction.
Prime Minister Qin quickly understood his meaning. As expected, Prince Ning did not truly love Xue’er.
“Your Highness Prince Ning, rest assured, the mistress of the harem will be a beautiful woman. If Xue’er’s face cannot be cured, does this old minister not have a second legitimate daughter, Qin Xilan? This old minister will marry her to you,” Qin Zhihong said in a low voice.
“Then this King thanks Prime Minister Qin in advance.”
Prince Ning cupped his hands towards Prime Minister Qin.
“Indeed, a few days ago this old minister specially wrote a letter to Yingzhou. Last night, he replied to me, wanting to cooperate with us from the inside and outside. He wants us to control the person in the palace first, and then… However, Lin Zhenfan is an old fox. If this matter truly succeeds, you can then turn on him, strip him of his military power, and then we…”
Prime Minister Qin’s words were full of calculation.
He was not only calculating against Lin Zhenfan but also against Prince Ning. In short, in the end, whether Prince Ning or Lin Zhenfan gained control of the empire, he, Qin Zhihong, would be a great contributor.
This was a plan he had conceived after a whole night of thinking, his eyes already sporting two dark circles.
“This plan is good, but first, we need to find a way to get me out. Otherwise, all other matters are just empty talk. I am worried that the Emperor will deal with me in these next two days,” Prince Ning reminded Prime Minister Qin.