12dz Chapter 146 The Useless Prince's Power Seizure (24)
Chapter 146 The Useless Prince's Power Seizure (24)
That night, Jingli and 6058 analyzed the current situation in the system.
[6058: The Favorability Card is considered a low-level effect card in the Observer System. It won't make someone who originally disliked you suddenly like you; at most, it can only make them dislike you less.]
[6058: There are two possibilities for why this emperor acted this way today. First, he already liked you, and with the added boost of the favorability card, he impulsively decided to make you the crown prince.]
[Keiri: Unlikely.]
[6058: I think so too, so I'm more inclined to believe the latter. He doesn't dislike you, and he has someone else in mind as his heir. What he says today, or what he might do in the future, is just a smokescreen.]
[6058: It's nothing more than the art of rulership.]
The two remained silent for a few moments.
[6058: But, whether this is a smokescreen or not, at least we've been pushed onto the chessboard.]
[6058: It's a game of strategy; we've had our share of comebacks.]
Jingli nodded emphatically.
·
The birthday banquet incident, which had been brewing overnight, came to light the following day.
When Jingli arrived at the Imperial Study, she found that her seat had been moved from the last row to the front, and Zeng Yuan was nowhere to be found.
A well-mannered boy walked up to Jingli and respectfully bowed to her.
"This humble servant, Zeng Xuan, greets Your Highness."
Jingli raised an eyebrow.
"Where is Zeng Yuan?"
"My younger brother has caught a cold and I am afraid that it might offend Your Highness's health. So today, I will accompany Your Highness in your studies. This is an interesting item that I found for Your Highness."
Zeng Xuan handed over a box, which was different from the one Zeng Yuan had received before.
Zeng Yuan's box was crudely made and quite old. Zeng Xuan's box, on the other hand, was made of fine wood, exquisitely carved, and outlined with gold powder; it was clearly not an ordinary item.
Jingli didn't even look at him, only staring straight at the boy in front of her.
"Is it just today, or starting from today?"
I once chose a meal, but I never expected that this young prince was not as easy to fool as my father had said.
Jingli then asked, "Is this the object you were looking for?"
Zeng Xuan quickly replied, "Yes."
“Then take it back.” Jingli sat back down. “I still prefer the little trinkets that Zeng Yuan found.”
He lifted his eyelids and said impatiently, "If Zeng Yuan has only caught a cold, he can simply ask for leave. Are we, the Prince and the Master, such heartless people? Why do you need to make a special trip for your brother?"
Zeng Xuan frankly expressed his fear.
Jingli tapped on the table.
"After Zeng Yuan recovers, she will still be my study companion. My study companions are only Zeng Yuan and Yuan Lanying. Do you understand?"
Cold sweat had already seeped from Zeng Xuan's forehead.
The young prince was only nine years old, yet when he said those words, he felt a deep sense of fear in the prince's heart.
“I understand, it was I who was reckless.”
Jingli nodded slightly: "You may leave now."
After Zeng Xuan left, Jing Li looked at Yuan Lanying, who was standing silently to the side.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
Yuan Lanying simply lowered her head and remained silent.
Compared to Zeng Yuan, he was more composed, but sometimes he couldn't help being overly cautious and seemed like a taciturn person.
Jingli sighed: "What I just said came from the bottom of my heart. My study companions, before, now and in the future, are only you and Zeng Yuan. If you also have brothers who make you catch a cold, just tell them, and I will personally visit them."
Yuan Lanying wanted to kneel down and tell Jingli that with these words, he was willing to give his life for her.
But now is not a good time.
He could only nod in agreement, his eyes slightly red.
·
The changes brought about by the birthday banquet go far beyond these.
Jingli clearly sensed a change in the other princes' attitudes towards her.
The older princes, the eldest and second princes, who used to treat him like he didn't exist, now subtly revealed hostility towards him.
The younger fifth and sixth princes were noticeably more timid when they saw Jingli. The sixth prince even secretly ran to Jingli's side and whispered in his ear, "Third brother, actually, actually, Cheng'er thinks your little bird is quite pretty."
Jingli reciprocated, saying, "Cheng'er's little rabbit is also very cute."
The sixth prince breathed a sigh of relief.
Jingli doesn't care much about these things, or rather, she doesn't have time to care.
Because the teacher pays special attention to him today, he calls on him to discuss every point he teaches, making it much more difficult for Jingli to pretend to be ignorant.
During martial arts class, Jingli received a pure white foal, which the emperor had bestowed upon him the night before.
"Third brother, this horse is really beautiful." The eldest prince said gently, but his smile was forced. "Come and try it on, let us also see the horse's charm."
The original owner had fallen off a horse, and afterwards, he would avoid any horse, let alone mount one.
If the original owner were truly here, the Crown Prince's words would surely put him in a dilemma.
Let's get on the horse. It would be difficult for the original owner to overcome her psychological trauma in such a short time. Besides, we don't even know what kind of temperament this white pony has. The timid and hesitant original owner might fall off the horse again.
Let's not get on the horse. It was a gift from the Emperor. The eldest prince only needs to ask, "Does Third Brother not like the horse that Father gave him?"
Disliking the three words was enough to make the emperor withdraw all his affection for Jingli.
Jingli and 6058 have reviewed the situation and concluded that the original owner's fall from the horse may not have been an accident.
The horses used by princes should have been very docile, but the original owner's horse was clearly agitated.
After the original owner mounted the horse, the horse did not immediately attack. However, after the Fifth Prince exclaimed in surprise, the horse neighed and became enraged, throwing the original owner off heavily. If Yuan Lanying had not reacted quickly enough to rescue the original owner, one of the original owner's legs would have been ruined.
At that time, the Fifth Prince was still young, and his exclamation was not intentional. The only explanation is that he saw something.
What he actually saw is now impossible for Jingli to ascertain, but judging from today's situation, it is highly likely that the eldest prince did something to it.
The eldest prince is thirteen years old, and in terms of age, he is the most likely candidate to be made crown prince.
Unfortunately, the eldest prince had a leg ailment; his left leg was naturally shorter than his right, so he never walked fast to avoid revealing his limp.
6058 learned about this by overhearing the palace servants gossiping.
His congenital deficiencies made him feel inferior, and the horse that the emperor gave to Jingli filled him with jealousy.
Unable to tamper with the horse the emperor had given him, he could only provoke Jingli with words.
Fortunately, Jingli is not the original owner.
Jingli can ride a horse; she learned it specifically for filming in the last century.
Not only that, he can also use his energy to communicate simply with horses—an inspiration he received from Kongming in the previous world. Although it is not as good as spiritual communication, it is more than enough to soothe ordinary small animals.
Jingli still appeared frightened, timidly looking at the palace servant leading the horse.
"Will it... will it kick me?"
"Your Highness, rest assured, this horse is the smartest and gentlest of all the horses in this batch."
Jingli took two deep breaths, seemingly trying to mentally prepare herself.
The eldest prince scoffed lightly, about to say something, when Jingli said, "Since it's a pony given by Father, it's naturally the best."
After saying that, Jingli stepped forward and took the initiative to stroke the pony's snow-white mane.
"Good boy, little horse~"
Upon hearing this, the white pony lowered its head and nuzzled Jingli's little hand.
Upon seeing this, the palace attendant immediately said, "This little horse is destined to be with Your Highness; it seems to like you."
Jingli narrowed her eyes arrogantly: "Is that so? This is a horse that my father gave to me."
Before mounting his horse, he specifically said in the direction of the eldest prince, "Brother, I'm about to mount my horse. Didn't you want to see my magnificent appearance?"
The eldest prince was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but he had to maintain a brotherly demeanor: "Third brother, be careful, don't fall off the horse again."
Ignoring his threats, Jingli beckoned to her martial arts master: "Master, I'm not riding well. Could you please help me?"
The martial arts master knew about Jingli's situation. He knew that the Third Prince was currently enjoying great popularity, and he couldn't let the young prince get into trouble while riding the horse given to him by the emperor.
Thus, under the protection of the palace servants and martial arts master, Jingli successfully rode the little white horse for a spin.
This little horse can be considered the first animal friend that Jingli has had in several worlds (not counting the small animals that carry 6058). Together with the palace servants, Jingli led the little horse back to the stable, and gave the little horse a name - Snow White, which matches the snow in this winter.
It's too cold now. When spring comes, Jingli wants to find an opportunity to take Baixue and Yu'an for a run on the grass outside the palace.
But this idea vanished within the next two hours.
At noon, Jingli returned to her palace and found several unfamiliar faces in the courtyard.
Langyue waved to Jingli, and Jingli obediently stepped forward.
"Li'er, these are the guards I chose for you. They will stay by your side and protect you from now on."
Jingli could sense the bloodlust emanating from these people, but not their resentment.
"Thank you, mother."
Lang Yue nodded, then changed the subject: "There's one more thing."
She dismissed everyone and pulled Jingli in front of her.
"I want to find you a personal bodyguard. Ideally, this person should be around your age, have no prominent family background, and be trustworthy."
Her expression was serious.
"This person around you is different from the guards outside, and also different from the secret guards your father might give you in the future. This person must be devoted to you, and if necessary, be willing to die for you."
Jingli was deeply shocked.
Langyue had her reasons for making this arrangement.
Jingli has already been pushed to the forefront of the succession struggle, and the previous dynasty's alignment is inevitable, even if it is not obvious now.
The imperial court and the harem are closely connected, and in Langyue, Jingli's safety is always the top priority.
At this moment, Langyue's words pointed to another layer—Yu An.
The characteristics described by Langyue, apart from being solely focused on the scenery, are almost all found in Yu An.
Jingli wants Yu An to stay by her side, but Langyue hopes he can realize his own value more than just being a playmate.
Jingli frowned.
"Would Xiao An...would he be willing?"
Jingli never doubted that Yu An would be willing to die for him in the future, but that was not what he wanted.
“I have asked Yuan An, and he said he is willing.”
Yuan was a common surname in this dynasty, and Yu An used this surname when he was listed in the register.
Langyue continued, "Tomorrow, someone will take him out of the palace to secretly train him. After that, he will always be by your side."
For a moment, Jingli couldn't find his own voice.
"How long will it take him to walk?"
"It could take a year or three years, and he needs to prove that he is capable of being by your side."
Jingli understood the logic, but he still couldn't suppress his disappointment.
He wanted to tell Lang Yue that he was capable of protecting himself, that he didn't even need guards, much less someone like Yu An.
But he can't.
To this day, neither he nor 6058 has found a solution to the world's pollution problem. He not only has to deal with the crisis of the shadows, but also the crisis of humanity.
Perhaps Langyue is right.
Within the system, 6058 is also in the comforting scene.
[6058: Don't worry, my silly boy, he's a god.]
[6058: He's not that fragile.]
[Keiri: Maybe it's because both the him from the previous world and the him in this world seem to need to be protected.]
Fu Zichu, who was mistreated in the previous world, and Yu An, who is frail and weak in this world, both made Jingli feel distressed.
Perhaps Yu An wasn't that fragile, but Jing Li still wanted to do everything in her power to protect him.
Otherwise, why would he have turned into an egg and come to these worlds?
That night, Jingli went to see Yu An again.
Besides food, he also brought a lot of other things with him this time.
He used all the points in the counterfeit system to exchange for commonly used medicines, cold-proof linings, breathable clothing, and so on, and gave them all to Yu An.
Seeing that he was just putting things out and pouting without saying a word, Yu An simply stood silently to the side without making a sound.
After Jingli finished arranging the things, she saw Yu An still standing there dumbfounded, and she was furious.
He gently pushed Yu An: "Why are you doing this?"
Yu An bowed: "This humble one does not understand."
"It's just the two of us! Don't stand on ceremony anymore! You are you, not some petty person."
Yu An changed his tune: "I don't understand what Your Highness means."
Jingli was furious with Yu An's unhurried attitude.
"Who gave you permission to be my bodyguard! I don't need you to do that for me."
Yu An remained silent for a long while.
He should tell Jingli that it was the Empress's permission.
If he does that, Jingli will definitely be so angry that she'll leave without saying a word.
But seeing the obvious tears welling up in Jingli's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Your Highness has treated me so well, and I also want to do something for Your Highness, whether Your Highness needs it or not, I just want to."
[Congratulations, host! Mission target's favorability +3.]
[Affection Level: 65/100, First Stage Goal: 100 (Note: Affection level cap will increase as the mission progresses)]
A notification sound rang out, and Yu An's gaze softened.
“I was originally all alone, but Your Highness gave me something to look forward to. If I can truly protect Your Highness with my lowly body, it would be my great fortune.”
[Congratulations, host! Mission objective's corruption value -1.]
[Darkness Level: 95/100, First Stage Target: 80]
What Yu An said was the truth.
Jingli was taken aback by the notification that her "darkening value" had decreased. Her temper subsided, but tears streamed down her face.
He has cried many times in this world, but never as sad as he is today.
“You’d better try harder, I don’t want to wait for you for too long. And—” Jingli sniffed, trying to suppress her tears, “After you come back, you’d better not act all distant towards me again, or I won’t forgive you.”
Yu An didn't quite understand. Wasn't his current performance considered unfamiliar in the eyes of the young prince?
Jingli's tears ached in his heart. He felt he should do something, but he couldn't step forward because of his long-standing pretense.
“I will,” he forced himself to look away. “Your Highness, it is getting late, please go back.”
As he said those words, Yu An inexplicably felt that one day he would regret it.