jdhmnovel Chapter 495 When Will the Showdown Begin?
Chapter 495 When Will the Showdown Begin?
"Your Highness, please try it. I was in the Imperial Kitchen today, and the Imperial Chefs have been working on it all day."
The second prince was a little impatient. Since Brother Lin hadn't been around all day, he knew he would most likely get to eat the snowflake crisps he had during the day.
"Brother Lin, have you tried it? How does it compare to the Jiang family's?"
"Well, they each have their own merits."
Chen Lin hesitated, clearly not telling the truth.
“I saw you eating it with relish during the day. Was it this hard when you ate it? The Jiang family’s food looks crispier.”
"The ingredients are all pretty much the same. It's just that the imperial chefs might not have much experience since it's their first time making this. I guess they'll do better next time."
The second prince put down the hard snowflake crisp, and let's just call it snowflake crisp for now.
"Forget it, once I'm out in the open with Jiang Qing, it'll be a piece of cake for me to ask for as many snowflake crisps as I want."
Chen Lin was somewhat helpless. "Your Highness, have you forgotten your original intention in trying to win them over?"
Why does it sound like it's all about getting a bite to eat?
Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw! Our prince is a man of great literary and military prowess, with a mind as deep as the ocean. We cannot speak ill of our prince like this. Forgive me, forgive me.
Thinking to himself, "What a sin! What a sin!" Chen Lin casually picked up a snowflake pastry made by the imperial chef. Ouch! His teeth!
That's right, he hadn't tasted it beforehand, because by keeping a close eye on it, no one would have had the chance to poison it.
Moreover, the imperial chefs had all tasted them themselves, and they were quite satisfied.
But who would have thought that this snowflake crisp, which should have been soft and crumbly, was harder than a rock? Which step went wrong?
"When does Your Highness intend to confront Lord Jiang? Your Highness almost gave yourself away today, and I see that Lord Jiang is quite meticulous."
Even if nothing is discovered today, it's hard to guarantee that over time, as people get to know His Highness, they won't discover anything unusual about him.
You did not hide your proficiency in the Four Books and Five Classics, a fact that Lord Jiang, as one of the most outstanding scholars, would likely not be concerned about.
But can you guarantee that you won't reveal the slightest flaw while spending three or four hours together every day?
Will Lord Jiang feel that he has been deliberately tricked at that time?
The Second Prince stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "Brother Lin is right. It's time to find a suitable time to lay our cards on the table."
However, we cannot act rashly; we must devise a foolproof plan. We must ensure that Lord Jiang does not feel like he has been tricked, while also making him willingly serve us.
I may have the title of the legitimate son, but that title is not enough to support Jiang Qing's allegiance to me.
"It's not like the First Prince hasn't tried to recruit Jiang Qing; hasn't he repeatedly managed to evade her?"
"How can the First Prince compare to His Highness? His Highness is only pretending to be stupid and foolish, while the First Prince is genuinely stupid and foolish."
Chen Lin's words were unpleasant, but the Second Prince did not refute them, after all, he and the First Prince did not have a deep brotherly relationship.
Chen Lincai was more like his older brother, always considering and worrying about him, and always putting him first.
"But what is the perfect solution?" The Second Prince frowned.
Chen Lin's eyes darted around, and he said, "Your Highness, why don't we sound out Lord Jiang's opinion first? For example, we could find an opportunity to discuss court affairs. Factionalism is gaining momentum in the court. What is Lord Jiang's view on this?"
The second prince's eyes lit up. "This plan is feasible, it will steer the conversation in the direction we want. But we need to plan it carefully, and it's not appropriate for me to bring this up."
"Empress Dowager is also unsuitable; the empress and concubines are not allowed to interfere in politics. Furthermore, it wouldn't be appropriate for Mother Dowager to be present when Lord Jiang comes to lecture. And Lin-ge, you're also unsuitable."
"That's right. The harem must not interfere in politics. This doesn't just refer to the concubines, but also to all the eunuchs and palace servants. Discussing politics is an overstepping of authority."
"Hehe, I really hate it now. If Yang Guozhong hadn't killed my own uncle, I wouldn't be without any help from my maternal relatives now."
Chen Lin also looked disgusted. He had met the young master and the old marquis before. They were both in good health. How could their whole family have suddenly died?
It's all because of that heartless Yang Guozhong, who killed and seized power, causing the Empress to lose her maternal family support and the Second Prince to lose the help of his maternal grandparents and uncle.
"Sigh~ How about we ask Prince Xuan Nan for a favor?"
"The Prince of Xuan Nan? My great-uncle?"
The second prince had only met this great-uncle on the day of the palace banquet. He seemed quite amiable, but he wasn't familiar with the Prince of Xuan Nan.
"Yes, the Prince of Xuannan is currently residing in the Taiji Palace, which is not far from here."
"But if we ask the Prince of Xuan Nan for help, wouldn't we expose ourselves to him first?"
Chen Lin pondered for a moment, "No, that's not necessary. As long as we use the right method to bring the two of them together, His Highness's childlike mind is actually a protective shield."
They didn't try to hide anything from His Highness.
The Second Prince roughly understood Chen Lin's meaning: to keep things from both sides, but to use some prompts to get the two to talk about topics he wanted to hear.
This sounds difficult, but in reality... well, it's not simple either.
"Do you have any idea?"
Chen Lin picked up the hard, crumbly snowflake pastry. "I think I might have a way, but it will depend on Your Highness's cooperation."
Chen Lin is a man of action, especially when it comes to matters concerning the Second Prince.
So, only three days later, when Jiang Xiaoqi went to the palace to give lectures again, he saw that there was an extra guest in the Second Prince's hall.
What is the Prince of Xuan Nan doing here?
Should I continue lecturing today?
Would it be impolite to turn around and leave now?
On the table in front of Prince Xuan Nan were five or six kinds of exquisite pastries. Although they were common in the palace, no one would eat pastries as a meal on a regular basis.
Especially for older people like Prince Xuan Nan, they are not so keen on sweets.
However, having suddenly received an invitation from the Second Prince, he couldn't refuse just because he was an elder.
After all, I'm practically living under someone else's roof. The Second Prince is the legitimate son, so regardless of whether he has a chance to become the Crown Prince, I have to give him face.
Unexpectedly, coming here meant simply enjoying some snacks.
Oh well, let's just treat this as a way to amuse the child. It's not easy for this kid to grow up like this; he's quite pitiful.
I didn't eat many snacks, but I drank quite a bit of tea. The tea here at the Second Prince's place is the same as the tea at His Majesty's.
It seems that the emperor held this legitimate son in a different regard.
According to the court officials, the Second Prince had been personally tutored by His Majesty the Emperor before he was diagnosed with brain damage, and was being groomed to be the future heir apparent.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned!
"Grand Uncle, have some snacks."
"Very well, Lord Jiang has arrived. Will my presence disturb your lectures?"
"It doesn't matter! Great-uncle, look at your grand-nephew, he's learning very well!"
If a child were to act coquettishly towards a beloved elder, the Prince of Xuannan would be unable to say goodbye.
He could only obediently eat snacks and drink tea, acting as an elder watching his grandnephew study.
This feeling is quite peculiar.
The other adult princes had never been this close to her.
The Third Prince wanted to win him over, and the Fifth Prince also implied in his words that he wanted his support.
I'm really quite a sought-after person in this capital city!
Jiang Xiaoqi and Prince Xuannan did not exchange any glances, and Jiang Xiaoqi took out the lesson plan he had prepared in advance as usual.
That's right, now he needs to prepare lesson plans.
After all, the second prince's learning progress was much faster than he had imagined.
Hmm, how can he not be considered an unconventional child prodigy?