Although Consort Lan felt this way, she still helped her father up immediately after her initial shock. Suppressing her inner panic, she quietly asked, "Father, what happened?"

 

Gu Yan wiped his tears and glanced at Jiang Shi, who stood by with a bewildered expression, not understanding what was going on. His expression was hesitant.

 

Jiang Shi was utterly confused, unable to grasp why he was looking at her like that.

 

After all, she hadn't done anything foolish recently.

 

Consort Lan looked at Jiang Shi and then at Gu Yan, growing anxious. "Father, Mother, my time at home is limited. What has happened? Please tell me." If they didn't speak soon, the palace attendants would start urging her to return, and there would be no time to talk.

 

Seeing her urgency, Jiang Shi couldn't help but panic. "I don't know," she said. She only knew that Gu Yan had been desperate to see Consort Lan, and his mood had been very anxious when he didn't receive a response. He hadn't been sleeping well and had been frowning with worry in their courtyard every day.

 

Seeing him so troubled, Jiang Shi was very concerned. But when she asked him the reason, Gu Yan remained silent, only wearing a pained expression.

 

Jiang Shi always thought that Gu Yan was worried about their branch's future after separating from the main family. She had no idea that he had done something so serious that he needed Consort Lan's help to save him.

 

Seeing that Jiang Shi genuinely didn't know, Consort Lan turned her gaze to Gu Yan, her eyes full of concern.

 

At this point, Gu Yan had nothing left to hide and revealed the matter that was weighing on his heart.

 

He cried and expressed his deep regret, saying many sorrowful and remorseful things. In summary, he believed that the Old Master might have been angered to death by him, and he had been filled with regret ever since.

 

Consort Lan and Jiang Shi were both stunned upon hearing this. Jiang Shi's legs gave out, and she collapsed into a chair.

 

Consort Lan's eyes widened, and she murmured, "How could this happen?" In her memory, Gu Yan had always been very respectful and fearful of the Old Master, never daring to speak a harsh word. Over the years, whatever the Old Master said, Gu Yan would never contradict.

 

How could he have angered him to death?

 

Gu Yan glanced at Consort Lan and then at Jiang Shi, looking deeply ashamed and uneasy. "It was that day when I had a bit too much to drink. I thought about some unhappy things and ended up saying what was on my mind to the Old Master..."

 

Consort Lan's eyes reddened with urgency. "What unhappy things could be worth causing such a scene in front of Grandfather?"

 

Gu Yan hung his head and said softly, "I heard some people gossiping..."

 

This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. In the past, the Gu family was highly regarded, with Gu Xuan's daughter being the Empress and his own daughter being Consort Lan. Initially, everyone envied the two brothers, saying they were extraordinarily honored.

 

But gradually, all eyes turned to Gu Xuan because the Emperor valued the Crown Prince, Xiao Jin, and because Gu Xuan was the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather.

 

Compared to a consort in the harem and a prince with the title of King Li, the Empress and the legitimate Crown Prince were always more favored and celebrated.

 

Since then, the Old Master often reminded Gu Yan not to incite Consort Lan and Xiao Shan to vie for that position.

 

Gu Yan actually never intended for Consort Lan to compete for anything. In fact, if it hadn't been for the Empress Dowager's insistence, he wouldn't have considered letting Consort Lan enter the palace at all.

 

Consort Lan was too gentle by nature. Entering the palace was one thing, but surviving there was another matter entirely.

 

Later, when Consort Lan did enter the palace, she was fortunate to have the protection of the Empress Dowager and the Empress, allowing her to live relatively comfortably and even give birth to the Third Prince, Xiao Shan. Gu Yan and Jiang Shi didn't think much of Xiao Shan's arrival, considering that Consort Lan and Xiao Shan were still beneath the Empress and Xiao Jin.

 

But since then, it seemed that everyone feared they would take the wrong path, feared they would oppose Gu Xuan and split the Gu family in two, feared the Empress and Consort Lan would turn against each other, and most of all, feared that Xiao Shan would compete with Xiao Jin for the position of Crown Prince.

 

Whenever Gu Yan thought about these things, he felt wronged. He had no intention of taking the wrong path, so why was everyone so guarded against him? Besides, even if he had the intention, Consort Lan didn't have the courage, and Xiao Shan had no such ambition.

 

The Old Master, worried that Gu Yan wouldn't understand, often told him that the Emperor walked a bloody path to ascend to the throne and had a complex about his sons vying for the crown. As long as the Crown Prince didn't act foolishly, his position wouldn't be shaken. At this time, anyone who moved against the Crown Prince would not be spared by the Emperor.

 

The Empress and Consort Lan both came from the Gu family, and Xiao Jin and Xiao Shan had a good relationship. The Crown Prince ascending to the throne would be a good thing for everyone.

 

In the Old Master's view, Gu Yan was far less steady than Gu Xuan. It would be better if he could settle down and not be swayed by a few flattering words.

 

But to be honest, Gu Yan wasn't a saint; who didn't have a bit of jealousy?

 

Watching his brother Gu Xuan rise higher in rank and gain more power due to his connections with the Empress and the Crown Prince, while he himself had to stay in the background, often overshadowed by Gu Xuan, Gu Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness from time to time.

 

Sometimes, when he got drunk, he would mutter that he was also Consort Lan's biological father and that the Third Prince was his own grandson. He was, after all, a legitimate member of the royal family.

 

The Old Master was aware of these feelings and tried to compensate for them in other ways.

 

But despite all the compensations, he remained a fifth-rank official, and his two sons were sent to harsh, remote areas to serve as county magistrates. In contrast, Gu Xuan was a first-rank official, and his son was sent to the wealthiest region of Jiangnan to serve as a prefect.

 

Whenever interests were involved, jealousy inevitably arose, and occasionally, small sparks would be added to the fire.

 

With enough sparks, a fire was bound to ignite eventually.

 

Recently, Xie Chen was suddenly granted the title of Bo, causing a stir in the capital.

 

A blind man being granted a territory for a Bo was an extraordinary event, something rarely seen in a hundred years.

 

Their household was no exception, and discussions were rampant.

 

However, while discussing Xie Chen, somehow the conversation among the servants shifted to their own Gu family.

 

They brought up the Old Master's dukedom.

 

In private, they whispered that the Old Master had already submitted a memorial requesting to pass the dukedom to the eldest master, Gu Xuan. They said that although the second master, Gu Yan, had a daughter who was a consort and a grandson who was a prince, how could that compare to the eldest master's daughter being the Empress and his grandson being the Crown Prince?

 

Some even sighed, saying that after the Old Master passed away, the second branch of the Gu family would never catch up to the first branch.

 

Same father, but different fates.

 

Hearing these words made Gu Yan's head spin.

 

At that time, filled with both anger and resentment, Gu Yan drank a few sullen cups of wine and, emboldened by the alcohol, went to see the Old Master.

 

Somehow, the conversation turned to this matter. Gu Yan cried like a child, accusing the Old Master of only caring about Gu Xuan and being too biased.

 

He lamented that not only was he not allowed to hold high office and had to prioritize the Empress and the Crown Prince in everything, but even a title was not left for him.

 

He went on to say that the Old Master was deliberately letting his branch fall into decline just to pave the way for Gu Xuan. He claimed that if his deceased mother were still alive, she would never treat him this way.

 

The Old Master was so enraged that his hands trembled, his breathing became labored, and his face turned pale.

 

Seeing that things were going badly, Gu Yan sobered up in fright and quickly fished out the heart-saving pills from the Old Master's belongings and fed them to him.

 

After the Old Master calmed down, Gu Yan slunk away in shame.

 

Who would have thought that not long after he left, the Old Master would take his last breath and pass away?

 

These days, Gu Yan has been living in fear. He was terrified that the Old Master had indeed been angered to death by him and equally afraid that others would find out, branding him with the crime of patricide.

 

This was the gravest of crimes, one that would affect his children and grandchildren.

 

Moreover, whether it was his guilty conscience or overthinking, he constantly felt that Gu Xuan's gaze was like a knife, cold and piercing.

 

Now, Gu Yan was filled with regret. Had he known things would turn out this way, he would never have said those reckless words. Now, he would be willing to become an ordinary commoner if only the Old Master were still alive.

 

Gu Yan, trembling, recounted these events.

 

By the end, he was crying in fear.

 

Jiang Shi took a long time to recover from the shock. She looked at him with a face full of disappointment and anger. "How could you believe the words of those petty people? They might have been whispering in private just to deliberately sow discord between you and Father."

 

Then, with a look of frustration, she added, "Our household has always been clean, and the servants never dare to gossip about the masters' affairs." She hesitated slightly before continuing, "The servants in the inner courtyard are all managed by Sister-in-law. Could it be that she had someone deliberately say those things to you?"

 

Gu Yan said, "Impossible. Father's heart has always been with Elder Brother and Sister-in-law. What benefit would Sister-in-law gain from doing such a thankless task? Don't overthink and falsely accuse people at this time. Servants are people too. Naturally, they wouldn't dare to speak out openly, but after seeing so much over time, how could they not discuss things in private? It just so happened that I overheard them at that time."

 

Jiang Shi thought for a moment and said, "That's true." Then, with frustration, she added, "Now your mind is clear, and you can think things through. But what were you thinking before you went to see Father?"

 

Gu Yan groaned in distress, "Let's not talk about useless things. What should we do now?"

 

Jiang Shi still felt there was something coincidental about the situation, but she also knew that Yun Shi had no reason to do such a thing. Without any evidence, she had to let it go for now and then looked towards Consort Lan.

 

After all, the outcome had already been set, and their focus should be on how to resolve the matter.

 

Gu Yan also looked at Consort Lan.

 

Under their gaze, Consort Lan felt immense pressure and anxiety. If the Old Master had indeed been angered to death by Gu Yan, what could they do?

 

Given her personality, even if she had complained to the Old Master, she would have found Gu Xuan and told him that someone in the inner courtyard was spreading rumors.

 

Now, with Gu Yan feeling guilty and having missed the best opportunity, discussing this further was pointless.

 

Consort Lan thought seriously for a while and then said, "How about I talk to the Empress..."

 

"No," Gu Yan quickly interjected. "The incident between Father and me would be seen by others as a case of brothers turning against each other. If the Empress and the Crown Prince find out, Elder Brother will know too. They might think we have ulterior motives. If Elder Brother becomes estranged from me, that's a small matter, but this could become a major handle against us, potentially implicating you and the Third Prince."

 

Jiang Shi also said, "Your father is right. This matter must not be mentioned to anyone else." Then she turned to Gu Yan and asked, "When you left, was Father still conscious?"

 

Gu Yan nodded. "He was quite clear-headed. He even scolded me and told me to get out."

 

Jiang Shi breathed a sigh of relief. "You were at fault, but Father was still fine when you left. How can it be entirely your fault? What if Father wasn't angry because of your words but because of something else?"

 

Gu Yan said, "There is indeed that possibility."

 

But when the Old Master passed away, no one was around, so no one knew exactly when he fell ill. What if he collapsed right after Gu Yan left?

 

He regretted it deeply, wondering why he let jealousy get the better of him and ruin everything.

 

Seeing Jiang Shi and Gu Yan in such a state, Consort Lan suddenly covered her mouth and began to cry, saying, "Father, Mother, it's my unfilial behavior." If she were the Empress, then it would be Gu Yan and Jiang Shi who were envied, and it would be others who had to make concessions.

 

Gu Yan wouldn't have felt so aggrieved and gone to complain to the Old Master, and the Old Master's sudden death might not have happened.

 

With Consort Lan crying, Gu Yan and Jiang Shi fell silent.

 

The three of them began to cry together.

 

***

 

While Consort Lan was speaking privately with Gu Yan and Jiang Shi, Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui were feeding the fishes in the pavilion at the center of the Gu family's pond.

 

Casually tossing a handful of fish food into the pond, the fishes would swarm towards the food, densely packed together, not caring whether they could actually get any of it.

 

Some fishes would be pushed out of the water in the frenzy, frantically using all their strength to dive back in, their tails splashing water that occasionally landed on the people nearby.

 

Seeing Xiao Shan carelessly throw another handful of fish food into the pond, Xie Zhui remarked, "If Your Highness continues feeding them like this, the fish will be overfed."

 

Xiao Shan snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the small bucket in his hand, noticing that there was only a shallow layer of fish food left at the bottom.

 

He smiled, put down the small bucket, and said, "I've already fed them so much."

 

Xie Zhui brushed off the remaining fish food from his hands and said, "If Your Highness' mind is not on the fishes, it's better not to feed them."

 

Normally, Xiao Shan would have responded with a teasing remark after hearing this.

 

However, considering that they were at the Gu residence and that the Old Master had recently passed away, he couldn't bring himself to make a playful comment. Instead, he straightforwardly said, "I was a bit distracted just now."

 

Xie Zhui looked at him and asked, "Would Your Highness like to talk about it?"

 

Xiao Shan replied, "It's not that I don't want to talk about it; I just felt a bit sentimental for a moment." Looking at the swarm of fish, he suddenly felt that they, the princes, were like these fish, and the throne was the fish food.

 

The fish crowded desperately, but the amount of fish food was fixed.

 

In the jostling, some fishes would be pushed out of the water. Fishes that missed the food thrown by others could go elsewhere to find it, but if a fish left the water, it would lose its life.

 

However, he, as this particular fish, was fortunate. Rather than jostling here, it was better to swim elsewhere and seek natural food.

 

In the end, he could still eat his fill and not go hungry.

 

Seeing his expression, Xie Zhui could easily guess what he was thinking, so he said softly, "Your Highness has a broad mind, but I believe that everything has its cause and effect. Your Highness need not worry too much."

 

Xiao Shan nodded, "Indeed, a person's fate is determined by the heavens. Let's not think about it anymore; thinking too much gives me a headache. Come, let's wash our hands. It's about time."

 

Xiao Shan was an independent person and always disliked having people crowd around him.

 

The Gu family was aware of this habit, so there were no other servants attending to them.

 

The two of them left the pavilion to wash their hands and then went to see Gu Xuan.

 

Gu Xuan was a shrewd and versatile person; otherwise, he wouldn't have navigated the court so smoothly.

 

Knowing Xiao Shan's temperament, he engaged in casual conversation with Xie Zhui.

 

They didn't talk for long before it was time for Consort Lan to return to the palace.

 

Xiao Shan and Xie Zhui also left with Consort Lan's entourage.

 

After Consort Lan left, Yun Shi felt a bit puzzled. Old Madam An always wanted to find a match for her children with someone from the capital. With Consort Lan's visit, it was strange that, despite being ill, she didn't let the younger generation of the An family make an appearance in front of Consort Lan.

 

The old maidservant beside Yun Shi chuckled and said, "What's so strange about that? With you here, Madam, what does the Old Madam have to worry about?"

 

Yun Shi took a sip of tea and glanced at her, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

 

However, she did not refute the statement.

 

Xiao Shan escorted Consort Lan back to the palace.

 

Seeing Consort Lan frequently lost in thought, he couldn't help but ask, "Mother Consort, what's wrong? Is there something troubling Grandfather and Grandmother?"

 

Consort Lan shook her head, "It's nothing. It's just that after being away from home for so many years, returning again, I find that while the garden seems unchanged, everything feels different. It's just a moment of nostalgia that makes me too sad."

 

Seeing that her expression was as usual, Xiao Shan didn't think much of it.

 

After comforting Consort Lan for a few moments, Xiao Shan left the palace.

 

Once he was gone, Consort Lan buried herself in her blankets. Thinking of Gu Yan and Jiang Shi, who clearly did not blame her, she still felt so uncomfortable that she could hardly breathe.

 

***

 

These days, the capital seemed to be bustling with activity.

 

The news of the Old Master's passing had not yet faded when the capital was stirred up again by a memorial sent from Jiangnan.

 

The memorial was sent by Wang Xin, the county magistrate of Su'an County in Liangzhou, Jiangnan, who risked his life to deliver it to the capital. The memorial accused Liu Jingxuan, the prefect of Liangzhou, of monopolizing power, engaging in corruption, and committing wanton murders.

 

Wang Xin's men delivered the memorial to the First Prince, Xiao Rong.

 

This was because the Liu Jingxuan mentioned in the memorial was the elder brother of Liu Jingyi, the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace.

 

Moreover, Wang Xin tearfully lamented in the memorial that Liu Jingxuan, fearing the news would leak, had pursued and killed the messengers along the way.

 

Wang Xin's letter was delivered to the capital with extreme caution, and now it was a matter of whether he would live to see the Emperor's special envoy investigate the matter.

 

Upon seeing the memorial, Xiao Rong, usually despondent, became visibly excited. He went straight to the palace and presented the memorial to the Emperor.

 

This time, Xiao Rong spoke with a sense of urgency, saying to the Emperor, "Father Emperor, the matters mentioned by Lord Wang are of great importance. I dare not conceal them."

 

The Emperor, seeing the blood-stained memorial, was immediately enraged.

 

He promptly summoned Xiao Jin and then threw the memorial at him.

 

Xiao Jin knelt on the ground, picked up the memorial, and after reading it, his expression changed. He then solemnly said, "Father Emperor, if this matter is true, you should immediately send an imperial envoy to Liangzhou to investigate thoroughly. If it is false, you should also send someone to find out who is behind this false accusation. Since Liu Jingxuan is the Crown Princess' brother, I request to recuse myself from this case."

 

Hearing his words, the Emperor's stern expression softened slightly. He asked, "In your opinion, who should be sent?"

 

Xiao Jin replied, "I dare not make presumptions, but I believe that anyone with marital ties to the Liu family should avoid involvement."

 

Xiao Rong seized the opportunity to speak, "Father Emperor, Liu Jingxuan is, after all, the Crown Princess' brother, and his status is quite significant. An ordinary person might not be able to suppress him. You should send someone of high status."

 

He was eager to directly suggest himself for the task.

 

However, he didn't dare to directly suggest himself, so he could only make such a recommendation.

 

Xiao Jin remained kneeling on the ground with an unchanged expression, seemingly indifferent to Xiao Rong's hint.

 

The Emperor glanced at Xiao Rong, whose eyes couldn't hide his schadenfreude, and then at Xiao Jin, who remained calm.

 

He then looked at Chang Le and said in a deep voice, "Go and find Xiao Shan for me."

 

Xiao Rong's face stiffened, and he felt a bit disappointed.

 

Even at a time like this, the Emperor thought of Xiao Shan instead of him. If this wasn't favoritism, what was?

 

Xiao Jin, kneeling on the ground, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

 

If the Emperor sent Xiao Rong, Xiao Jin was certain that Xiao Rong would make Liu Jingxuan confess to the crimes he committed, and even those he didn't, would be pinned on him.

 

Fortunately, although the Emperor was angry, he seemed to be only half-convinced about Liu Jingxuan's guilt.

 

Summoning Xiao Shan indicated that there was still room for maneuver, showing that the Emperor had not lost faith in his Crown Prince.

 

Xiao Shan arrived quickly.

 

The Emperor handed him the memorial to read. After he finished, the Emperor asked, "The Crown Prince says that those with marital ties should all recuse themselves. Your eldest brother suggests sending someone of high status. Who do you think should be sent?"

 

"Anyone but Eldest Brother should be sent," Xiao Shan said without a second thought.

 

The Emperor remained silent, but Xiao Rong couldn't help but angrily question, "Third Brother, what do you mean by that? Are you implying in front of Father that I would be unjust?"

 

Xiao Shan looked up, his face full of surprise. "Eldest Brother, how could you say that about yourself? What I meant was, this Liu Jing... Liu Jingxuan, right? He is Second Sister-in-law's brother, and you are Second Brother's brother. By extension, you are also related to him, so as a relative, you should avoid involvement."

 

Xiao Rong: "..."

 

The Emperor's expression shifted slightly, with a hint of a smile. "So, by that logic, you are also a relative and cannot go?"

 

This was a tricky question and was difficult to answer.