Lu Wuxie finally understood Lan Heng's words.
"Is Fu Chong an outsider to the Lan family?" he asked.
Lan Heng gave a helpless smile. "I think my father's greatest regret was unconditionally supporting Fu Chong. It's a case of the farmer and the snake; Fu Chong sold out the Lan family and gained supreme power.
He then had the audacity to become my life mentor. Thinking about it now is incredibly ironic."
Lu Wuxie lowered his gaze, not pursuing the matter of the Lan family further.
He vaguely recalled that when Emperor Jing first ascended the throne, the national treasury was empty, and the court faced both internal and external threats. Fu Chong, for reasons unknown, suddenly replenished the treasury with a large sum of money, resolving Emperor Jing's urgent crisis and laying the groundwork for the court to resist the Ruan family later. Now, it seemed, everything made sense.
"Then, how do you plan to proceed?" he asked Lan Heng.
Lan Heng shook his head, a hint of weariness and helplessness in his eyes.
"I was raised by Fu Chong from a young age. To me, he was both a teacher and a father.
If I hadn't known that he even wanted me dead during the purge, I might have continued down the wrong path with him.
Now... he and I have chosen different paths. There's no turning back from the outcome, but I have a question that I've never understood and hope you can answer."
"What is it?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Lan Heng deliberated for a while, then hesitantly voiced his thoughts. "The Sixth Prince indeed knows how to lie low and assess the situation. However, Crown Prince Lu Yuanhong is no less capable. In the past few years, the Crown Prince gained some prestige while overseeing state affairs. In fact, in terms of lineage and backing, the Crown Prince has the advantage. Why didn't you choose to support the Crown Prince and instead bet everything on the Sixth Prince?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Wuxie's smile held a trace of nonchalance.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he poured Lan Heng a cup of water to moisten his throat. After Lan Heng had drunk a good portion, he said, "I find it interesting. There's a thrill in helping the least likely person ascend to the throne!"
Lan Heng's sword-like eyebrows twitched slightly. After a moment of consideration, he commented on Lu Wuxie's words, "That's not right. You're lying."
The moment Lan Heng spoke, Lu Wuxie chuckled softly. Then, he stared at the teacup in Lan Heng's hand, his gaze gradually deepening, and uttered a sentence that Lan Heng could scarcely believe.
The teacup in Lan Heng's hand shattered on the floor as Lu Wuxie finished speaking.
As if unaware, he stood frozen on the spot.
Lu Wuxie knew the weight of his words and had anticipated Lan Heng's reaction.
He glanced at the shattered purple clay teacup on the floor and casually picked up an inverted one from the table, refilling Lan Heng's cup.
This time, Lan Heng did not pick it up. He looked at the unfurling tea leaves in the cup and smiled. "I used to think your pretense was to conceal your sharpness and prudence. I never imagined it was for this..."
"Do you remember the matter of Consort Rong?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Lan Heng nodded. "I previously thought Consort Rong acted that way out of hatred for the Emperor, merely girlish sentiments. Now, I realize my thinking was too narrow. She was actually paving the way for the Empress."
"Therefore, the Sixth Prince is our only gamble," Lu Wuxie stated.
"And you are not one?" Lan Heng asked.
Lu Wuxie smiled and shook his head. "Before meeting Li'er, I did consider it. If all else failed, I might have contended for the throne myself. But now, I have no such aspirations."
"Why?" Lan Heng couldn't help but ask.
Lu Wuxie shook his head, recalling his conversation with Zhong Li. "The heights are too cold. To be an emperor comes with the emperor's own constraints."
Upon hearing this, Lan Heng looked at Lu Wuxie with a degree of admiration. "I finally understand why Li'er chose you."
Lu Wuxie raised an eyebrow, a look of confusion on his face.
"Only you can protect her for life. As for me..." he sighed. "Despite my meticulousness in my actions, when faced with certain unavoidable situations, I tend to be indecisive."
"Therefore, I would like to ask a favor of you," Lu Wuxie said.
"What is it?" Lan Heng asked.
"The key person in Li'er's case is likely Madam Tao. According to the information I have, Madam Tao has yet to appear. I want to ask for your help in finding her." As Lu Wuxie spoke, he rose to leave the Judicial Inspection Office.
Seeing him about to leave, Lan Heng quickly caught up and asked, "If I search for Madam Tao, where are you going?"
"To the palace to see the Emperor!" Lu Wuxie replied.
Upon hearing this answer, Lan Heng froze in place, asking with bewilderment, "So, after all I've said, you know it's a trap and you're still going?"
Lu Wuxie reached the doorway and looked back at Lan Heng. "Yes, Li'er is waiting for me to save her."
At this moment, in the Imperial Study of the palace.
Lu Jingan was drinking tea and perusing a memorial. Suddenly, his throat tickled, and an uncontrollable cough shook his body. The tea he had just swallowed wasn't properly settled and he sprayed it all over the memorial in his hands.
"Oh, Your Majesty! Be careful not to burn yourself!" Eunuch Hua, seeing this, quickly pulled a handkerchief from his robes and hastily wiped away the tea stains on Lu Jingan's attire.
As for the memorial, there was no time for salvage; a large portion of the text became illegible as the ink spread.
Lu Jingan was still coughing and waved for Eunuch Hua to attend to the memorial.
Eunuch Hua produced another handkerchief and began tidying the memorial.
After a while, once he had finished with his tasks, he looked up again. Lu Jingan was staring at his hands, lost in thought.
Eunuch Hua, unable to hide his curiosity, leaned closer to see. When he noticed a large bloodstain on Lu Jingan's hands, he scrambled towards the door of the Imperial Study, shouting, "Guards, summon the imperial physicians, summon the imperial physicians!"
"Return!"
Just as Eunuch Hua reached the entrance of the Imperial Study, a sharp voice from within stopped him.
He turned to look at the man sitting on the dragon throne, his expression stern. "Your Majesty."
Lu Jingan closed his eyes, his chest heaving rapidly a few times. After he gradually calmed down, he said, "Eunuch Hua, come back. The imperial physicians cannot be summoned!"
Eunuch Hua was taken aback, looking at Lu Jingan with eyes full of concern. "But Your Majesty..."
"Nowadays, in this court, how many can I truly trust?" Lu Jingan asked.
Eunuch Hua was momentarily at a loss for words.
Lu Jingan sighed and walked to a nearby washbasin, rinsing the bloodstain from his hands. "After all these years, I never expected to reach this point. It's all my own doing."
"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Hua approached Lu Jingan, helping him back to his seat.
Lu Jingan offered a wry smile, his gaze fixed on the burning candle flame nearby. "I remember when I came of age, Feng Yang was not yet crowned. He trusted me the most. But at some point, power and desire clouded my judgment."
"Your Majesty, the Wise Prince..."
"Your Majesty!" Eunuch Hua was about to say something when the guards standing outside entered. "Your Majesty, the heir apparent of the Wise Prince's manor requests an audience."
Lu Jingan's eyebrows rose. He tossed the handkerchief in his hand into the brazier for burnt paper, looking out at the sky where the evening glow was fading. "At this hour, why is he coming to find me? Announce him!"