Chapter 456
Chapter 456
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Ning Yuanxian felt as though his eyes would pop out of his head and burst, and a chill ran down his spine. He felt like he had just heard the most absurd thing in the world.
*'Ning Zheng will become the Crown Prince and inherit the throne? Haha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! Has there ever been anything more ridiculous in this world? Could there be anything more preposterous?'*
Ning Yuanxian was about to retort.
*'Even if our State of Yue were to fall tomorrow, I would never entrust it to Ning Zheng's hands, not even for a single night.'*
The King truly thought so in his heart. He despised and looked down on his son, Ning Zheng, that much. Even if both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were to die, he would not want to leave the throne to Ning Zheng. However, Shen Lang's words were no joke; he had spoken with the utmost seriousness. Everything Shen Lang had said tonight was a revelation, spoken from the heart. In a way, even after hearing Shen Lang's words, which had long since crossed the line, Ning Yuanxian did not feel particularly angry. This was because Shen Lang was not hiding his true intentions or trying to deceive him. This was very important. Shen Lang truly had no ambition for himself. What was wrong with simply wanting to protect oneself?
Like the saying, "If the king tells a subject to die, the subject cannot refuse," Ning Yuanxian naturally wished for such subjects, even in his dreams. But he also knew that was an impossibility. It would be remarkable if even one in a hundred subjects held such a belief. Ning Yuanxian had always assumed the worst when judging others, always thinking everyone had a hidden agenda. That was why he was particularly harsh with his subjects.
King Ning Yuanxian took another sip of tea before speaking.
"Shen Lang, since you have spoken truthfully to me, I shall speak truthfully to you."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I know the truth. I know that Gao Douhuan went to assassinate your father-in-law, Jin Zhuo, and that Gao Douhuan is Zhuo Yizhen, sworn brother to Zhuo Xiao'an, making him the Crown Prince's hound."
Shen Lang said nothing.
"However, the one who orchestrated the assassination of Jin Zhuo by Gao Douhuan was not the Crown Prince, but the Hidden Yuan Society."
"This subject is also aware of that. That is why I never intended to report it to Your Majesty in the first place."
"No matter how madly the Crown Prince acts, he would not do something that harms the national interests of Yue out of a personal grudge. After all, the State of Yue will one day be his. Although Zhuo Xiao'an is nominally the Crown Prince's concubine, the two have never had any intimate relations."
Shen Lang remained silent.
"However, the recent plot against you at Xuanwu Gate, and the deaths of several officials from the Court of Judicial Review at Ning Zheng's residence, were indeed Zhuo Xiao'an's schemes, which the Crown Prince tacitly approved. I know the Crown Prince wants to harm you."
Shen Lang continued to remain silent.
"I am fully aware that the Crown Prince wants to harm you, and I can protect you, but I cannot punish the Crown Prince for it. Do you know why?"
"This subject understands perfectly."
The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, the one called the foundation of the state. Not even the King could easily shake the Crown Prince's authority. A Crown Prince who had lost his authority would have an unstable position, and if he ascended the throne in such a state, his reign would also be unstable. An unstable throne would naturally lead to an unstable nation.
To put it more realistically, the King might be fond of Shen Lang, but could he possibly not be fond of the Crown Prince? No matter how much the King liked Shen Lang, he regarded him as a confidant of sorts, or perhaps a son-in-law. But could he cherish Shen Lang more than his own son? Impossible. The two sons Ning Yuanxian favored most were the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, Ning Qi.
The Crown Prince greatly resembled the King, while Ning Qi's personality was nothing like his own, yet he possessed traits the King lacked, which pleased him. The palm and the back of the hand are both one's own flesh; hurting either would be painful. But to the King, Shen Lang and the Crown Prince were not like the palm and back of his hand, where hurting either would cause him pain.
To be even more blunt, was it wrong for the Crown Prince to plot against Shen Lang? From the Crown Prince's perspective, it was only natural. The Crown Prince had previously sent Zhuo Xiao'an to offer a truce to Shen Lang, but Shen Lang had refused. If they could not live in harmony, a battle was inevitable. And once a battle had begun, could one complain that the opponent was using underhanded tactics? No. When you're out in the world, things don't always go your way. Even the supreme King could protect Shen Lang, but he could not stop the Crown Prince, much less punish him.
From another perspective, if the Crown Prince had not retaliated after Shen Lang rejected his offer of peace, the King would have been disappointed in him. How could such a weak and incompetent person be qualified to be Crown Prince? When he learned that Zhuo Xiao'an had plotted against Shen Lang, the King was first enraged.
*'I'm not dead yet, aren't you all being a bit too hasty? You know I must protect Shen Lang, yet you still go after him? What is the meaning of this? Are you saying you have no regard for me?'*
But upon calmer reflection, the King felt a little pleased and reassured. The Crown Prince had acted despite knowing his actions might anger his royal father. What spirit! This emotion was extremely complex, yet also genuine.
The King emphasized once more.
"Shen Lang, let me tell you again. It was you who refused the peace offerings from the Crown Prince and Ning Qi. Of course, they didn't want a true reconciliation, only to hold off while I am still on the throne. But I will absolutely not punish the Crown Prince and Ning Qi for your sake."
"This subject understands!"
"The Crown Prince and Ning Qi are both my most favored sons. My heart will never lean more toward you."
Shen Lang bowed at the waist and continued.
"This subject has never dared to entertain such thoughts. I have never thought of relying on Your Majesty during your lifetime to bring down the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. Your Majesty is the supreme arbiter; you cannot step onto the stage yourself. To do so would bring a fatal disaster upon the entire State of Yue."
The King sneered.
"As long as you know. If you're not relying on me to deal with the Crown Prince and Ning Qi, then who will you rely on? Surely not Ning Zheng?"
"That is correct. This subject has stated clearly before. I will battle Su Nan, and I only need Your Majesty to stand on my side. However, when I begin my battle with the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, Your Majesty will certainly not be on my side. Indeed, with my status, I am not even qualified to compete with them. But Prince Ning Zheng is. Therefore, this subject will support the Fifth Prince and make him the Crown Prince of Yue."
King Ning Yuanxian laughed contemptuously.
"Then let me make myself clear to you as well. Even if the State of Yue falls, I will never pass the throne to Ning Zheng."
"Your Majesty, did you not once hate this subject to the bone? So much so that you regretted being unable to eliminate the Jin Clan. This shows that words once spoken are not always set in stone."
Hearing this, Ning Yuanxian had the sudden urge to summon his guards and have Shen Lang killed.
*'Shen Lang, you scoundrel, have you developed a taste for shaming others? Are you saying I am fickle? Fine. Then I won't change. I'll just kill you as I originally intended, won't I?'*
But Ning Yuanxian took a deep breath, suppressing the impulse.
*'Endure it, endure it. I must endure it. I cannot stoop to the level of a young brat.'*
It felt as though Ning Yuanxian had used up a lifetime's worth of patience dealing with Shen Lang.
*'You damned brat, know your limits. If my patience truly runs out, I might just split that clever head of yours in two.'*
"What this subject means is, Your Majesty has never even tried to get to know the Fifth Prince in your entire life, so how can you know he is unfit to be Crown Prince, unfit to ascend the throne? Besides, what I intend to do is assist Prince Ning Zheng. To make him appear more outstanding than the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, more suitable to be the King of Yue."
The King snorted at his words.
"Your Majesty, surely there is nothing wrong with this subject proving that to you?"
The King sneered.
"Then prove it. But you must remember a few things. First, if you are my man, the Crown Prince and Ning Qi may oppose you, and I will not punish them, but I will protect you. However, if you support Ning Zheng, you are participating in the struggle for the throne, and any conflict that arises from now on is to be expected. At that time, if the Crown Prince and Ning Qi move against you, I cannot protect you, even if you are at death's door."
Shen Lang was well aware of this. If he were to support Ning Zheng and enter the succession struggle, the King, as the supreme arbiter, could absolutely not intervene. The King's intervention in the succession struggle would bring great disaster upon the State of Yue. The King stepping in to protect Shen Lang could be misinterpreted by the outside world as a false signal of support for Ning Zheng. Therefore, once Shen Lang entered the succession struggle, whether he lived or died would depend entirely on his own abilities.
"Second, Master Shen, you are so very impressive, brazenly boasting before me that you will support Ning Zheng and have him participate in the struggle for the throne. It sounds utterly absurd to me, but if you wish to play this game, who am I to stop you? I intend to stay out of it, so if you're going to play, play by yourself. Do not expect even the slightest help from me."
"This subject understands!"
"The five officials from the Court of Judicial Review were killed by your concubine, but since Ning Zheng confessed, the crime is now his. He is currently imprisoned in the Court of the Imperial Clan, and I will not let him out. Aren't you a man of miraculous means, Master Shen? Since you intend to support Ning Zheng for the throne, go ahead and help the imprisoned Ning Zheng ascend to it."
The King was being sarcastic. Where in the world was there a prince in prison? He had never liked Ning Zheng to begin with. If Shen Lang had not come out with this and had instead pleaded, he might have symbolically imprisoned Ning Zheng for a year and a half before releasing him. But since Shen Lang had the audacity to boast about helping Ning Zheng ascend the throne, the King was now inclined to let Ning Zheng rot in the prison of the Court of Judicial Review until he died.
"This subject understands! From the moment I declared my stance, I have entered the struggle for the throne. Your Majesty has already become the supreme arbiter and can no longer directly intervene. Henceforth, I will do everything in my power to assist the Fifth Prince and make Your Majesty see him in a new light. I will make you believe that he is the most suitable person to entrust the kingdom to."
The King now found it beneath him to even sneer. Shen Lang's declaration of entering the succession struggle was like a small, remote country declaring it would wage war on a massive empire and defeat it with an army of a few hundred men. It couldn't even be called a joke; it was no different from the ravings of a madman.
"Master Shen, I shall not delay you from your great undertaking any longer. You may go."
As the King dismissed him, Shen Lang bowed at the waist and said.
"This subject takes his leave!"
Just as Shen Lang was about to exit the great hall, the King spoke to him.
"Shen Lang, what I said earlier about owing you a debt still stands. So, you may come at any time, and I will fulfill my promise. But remember, you have only one chance."
"This subject understands."
"Now, get out!"
Shen Lang left the palace.