Chapter 736 - 729: Can’t Intervene
Huangfu Jingchen chuckled and said, "He will not ascend to that position; Grandfather is still here. His father has already been demoted to Prince Liang, and Grandfather will appoint a new Crown Prince. Regardless of which Uncle it is, it has nothing to do with him anymore."
Xia Wenjin smiled at him, "Then who do you think among your Uncles will be the new Crown Prince?"
Huangfu Jingchen laughed as well and said, "This cannot be guessed; it’s up to Grandfather’s will to decide. However, it certainly won’t be the deposed Crown Prince, nor will it be my father. That leaves Uncle Xin, Uncle Lu, and Uncle Li!"
Xia Wenjin said meaningfully, "Could it not be the Imperial Grandson?"
These words startled Huangfu Jingchen, and then he said, "You mean Huangfu Yuxuan?"
If the Emperor appoints a Crown Prince, it naturally has nothing to do with Huangfu Yuxuan. But if he wants to appoint an Imperial Grandson, then Huangfu Yuxuan, who has grown up in the Capital City and has deep ambitions and a good reputation for wisdom and virtue, has a great opportunity.
He thought of something and looked at Xia Wenjin, "Could it be that the Director of the Astronomical Bureau, with the Stargazing Method Fragment in his hand, has determined that Huangfu Yuxuan is that person, so..."
Xia Wenjin smiled and said, "Prince Zhuang wants to kill you, and the one close to Prince Zhuang is Gongyang Puyu. Shouldn’t it be you then..."
Huangfu Jingchen laughed and said, "Naturally not me. If it were me, Gongyang Puyu would be surrounding me now, instead of people trying to take my life one after another! Besides, there are three points of doubt throughout the whole matter."
Xia Wenjin blinked her eyes and said, "What three points of doubt?"
Huangfu Jingchen counted carefully, "Gongyang Puyu seems close to Prince Zhuang, but if Gongyang Puyu were truly plotting for Prince Zhuang, Prince Zhuang wouldn’t be like this now. His action against me, rather than saying it’s to eliminate someone obstructing him, is more like he’s being used as a pawn!"
Xia Wenjin nodded and said, "You’re right! With Prince Zhuang’s temperament, it shouldn’t be like this. But after becoming Crown Prince, he has committed several foolish deeds, which is different from his previously careful style!" Actually, Xia Wenjin in this life had not interacted with Prince Zhuang; this understanding was from her past life.
Huangfu Jingchen nodded and said, "Indeed, foolish deeds! Luring the Crown Prince into forcefully conscripting common women, yet failed to cover his tracks; sending someone to kill me on the street while being the Crown Prince, causing chaos in the Capital City, which is a clear sign of lacking virtue for his position."
Xia Wenjin thought carefully and agreed, saying, "Unless he feels that killing you is of utmost importance, not even having time to lure you out of the Capital City, he must eliminate you immediately! That should threaten his position as Crown Prince!"
Huangfu Jingchen nodded, the poisoned wine at the banquet in the harem was meticulously prepared by Prince Zhuang, only to be disrupted by Huangfu Jinxuan. The street killing was a second plan hastily decided after the palace banquet failed, which explains the flaws. But it still shows Prince Zhuang’s urgency and madness!
Xia Wenjin, as though listening to a story, said, "Didn’t you mention three points of doubt? What about the second one?"
Huangfu Jingchen looked at her, "Huangfu Yuxuan suddenly rushed from the Capital City to Jinzhou and betrothed to you; this is quite unusual. If we didn’t understand Huangfu Yuxuan, it would be acceptable, but the more we understand, the more we know he is someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, yet he managed to build a good reputation in the Capital City, clearly being very cautious about hiding his actions. But as an Imperial Grandson, marrying someone from Jianghu instead of a noble lady from the Capital City seems too flamboyant, doesn’t it? The main point is after my father did the same, Grandfather drove him out of the Capital City and disliked him for many years. If the benefits of marrying you didn’t outweigh the displeasure from Grandfather, why would he do it?"
Xia Wenjin blinked and smiled, "Could it be because I’m beautiful as a flower and too adorable?"
Huangfu Jingchen also smiled and said, "But you’ve also mentioned, when he did it, he hadn’t even met you! He only knew your birthdate. Gongyang Puyu must be very skilled in calculating if birthdates are compatible!"
Xia Wenjin clapped her hands and said, "That matches my guess. A blind man, and birthdates, who knows what benefits my birthdate could bring him." She continued, "What about the third point?"
Huangfu Jingchen said, "Since Gongyang Puyu chooses a master, it means he is not content with the status quo and aspires to elevate his position, perhaps even reaching the highest ranks. Whether he sought out that person first, or that person found him, it was undoubtedly a mutually beneficial arrangement. Since Gongyang Puyu isn’t fully plotting for Prince Zhuang, and the outcomes of Prince Zhuang’s actions, although seemingly without obvious benefits for Huangfu Yuxuan on the surface, invariably have his influence, suggesting that they have been collaborating from the start!"