Chapter 416
Chapter 416: Meeting the Crown Prince again; the Imperial Struggle for Power!
Following a little eunuch, Bai Xiaofei arrived at the crown prince’s palace where the person in question was pacing back and forth . The moment he saw Bai Xiaofei, delight lit up his face .
“You are here, Brother Bai!” The crown prince walked up in a warm welcome, as enthusiastic as the procuress of Red Sleeve Building, looking like he just wanted to pull Bai Xiaofei into an embrace .
“Your Highness, you’re scaring me like this . ” Bai Xiaofei interrupted his action with a polite smile . It was important to get down to business .
“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, it’s fine . I heard that the Thunderstorm Bandits attacked the Bright Road Merchant House . Are you okay?” The crown prince looked worried when he said this . Although it was just an act, it already wasn’t easy for the crown prince of a kingdom to lower himself to this level .
“Your Highness is joking . How can I come here if I’m not?” replied Bai Xiaofei, causing a hint of embarrassment to appear on the prince’s face .
“Erm, that’s true…”
“Your Highness, if you have something to say, just say it . I just have a question for you as well, so let us be direct,” Bai Xiaofei stopped the meaningless chit-chat and got straight to the point, stunning the crown prince .
“You’re very straightforward, Brother Bai . My bad with the pleasantries . ” Giving up on the idea of building up affection, the prince grew serious . “Brother Bai, you really didn’t handle the fire at Qingxue Palace cleanly enough . ”
This shocked Bai Xiaofei for a moment . After frowning, he quickly calmed down . He must be laying the foundation for the conversation . He wouldn’t have used this method to meet me if he just wanted to cause trouble for me .
Arriving at this understanding, Bai Xiaofei smiled slightly .
“What do you mean?” he asked back, neither admitting nor denying .
“Even though Imperial Concubine Qing planned everything well, some people still saw you enter . Her attending maid as well as the entrance guard might not talk for fear of their own safety, but they would still confess if the means is cruel enough . ” The crown prince paused a little before taking a turn, “But don’t worry, Brother Bai, I have made it so that they can never open their mouths again . Only I know about it, no one has any real evidence . ”
Sincerity! The crown prince presented absolute sincerity!
However, whether or not his words were credible was another matter . He said that he didn’t hold any evidence, but the reality would depend on Bai Xiaofei’s answer to his following questions . Moreover, his phrasing of ‘never open their mouths again’ made him uneasy . There was only one kind of person in this world who could never open their mouth again…
‘I didn’t kill them, but they died because of me . ’
However, Bai Xiaofei soon let go of this struggle . Everyone had their own fate . Even if they survived this fatal ordeal, they would still encounter another in the palace . This time it was directly related to Bai Xiaofei, but he wasn’t going to make any changes just because of it . The struggle for imperial power was no different from a war . If he could go on a killing spree on the battlefield, he could also accept this kind of death .
Sponsored Content
Winners be kings, losers be bandits . As long as his own people were safe, who cared about the rest?
“You’ve shown your sincerity, Your Highness . You must have something very important to tell me . ” Having digested the matter, it was time for Bai Xiaofei to reciprocate .
“Brother Bai, what do you think of the situation in the royal clan now?”
There it was . This was not one bit off from what Bai Xiaofei had imagined . The crown prince was worried about the throne!
“His Majesty has aged, and Nabu City is in turmoil . It’s only a matter of time before Your Highness is enthroned . Seeing as His Majesty appointed you as the crown prince, he is biased towards you,” Bai Xiaofei told the truth, but this wasn’t what the crown prince wanted to hear .
“But Father’s bias may not be useful sometimes!” The crown prince cast Bai Xiaofei a meaningful look . “Brother Bai, can you understand me when I say this?” The crown prince kicked the ball back to Bai Xiaofei with a serious expression . Obviously, he was pressuring Bai Xiaofei to show his sincerity .
“While I have an understanding of the general situation, I don’t know who you think can threaten your position,” said Bai Xiaofei honestly .
The crown prince finally revealed a smile . I was waiting for these words!
“I have many younger brothers, but the ones really interested in the throne are only my Second Brother and Third Brother . The former is the queen’s own while the latter is often out . His force remains unclear and it’s difficult to investigate the full extent of his influence . ”
Sponsored Content
Alright, now that’s really a problem!
“What kind of help is available to you at the moment, Your Highness?” His brows creased, Bai Xiaofei began collecting information .
“The commander of the Royal Guards – Commander Kang . I can’t guarantee that anyone else is absolutely loyal to me except him . ”
Hearing this, Bai Xiaofei heaved a long sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart . Although there was only one, the quality was nothing to complain about . In case something went wrong, the help that the Royal Guards could offer would absolutely be the biggest!
“What about Vice Commander Li?” Bai Xiaofei suddenly thought of another person . This question had the crown prince dumbfounded .
“I hadn’t considered him, but with Commander Kang at the top, his significance…”
“Commander Kang is merely a Master Rank puppet master . What if, by a one in a thousand chance, something happens to him? Who would have the final say over the Royal Guards then?” Bai Xiaofei interrupted . “Anyway, it’s already late to win him over now . Even if you offer him the best benefits, it will only serve to expose your own hand . But I believe Your Highness can handle this very well . ”
Bai Xiaofei gave the crown prince a meaningful expression . The latter immediately understood the message .
Sponsored Content
“I got it . I will assure the absolute leadership of Commander Kang in the Royal Guards!” The crown prince’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint as killing intent rose in his heart .
“As for your two younger brothers, I would like to know your attitude towards them,” said Bai Xiaofei indifferently, but there was a hint of examination in his eyes . Old Man Illusionary had taught him about disputes and fratricides in royal families, but he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes . Now, there was an opportunity right in front of him .
“If they are unkind, then I can only return the favor . But before that, I’m willing to maintain a little brotherly affection towards them . ” With a solemn face, the crown prince looked like he had great determination to stand by this decision .
Indeed, he put himself in a passive position by doing so . If his two younger brothers were cruel enough, he probably wouldn’t even have a chance to ‘return the favor . ’
“Alright, I understand . Your Highness can just do everything as usual, and also assure Commander Kang’s complete safety . As for the rest, just leave it to me,” Bai Xiaofei finally showed his stand .
The crown prince was a little overwhelmed by sudden happiness .
“My brother, you really mean it?!” exclaimed the crown prince who looked like he was ready to pounce, but Bai Xiaofei revealed a smile that ran a chill down his spine .
“Of course I mean it . After all, I need a favor from Your Royal Highness as well . ”
How the tables had turned…