Chapter 944: 55: Refining Heaven and Earth into Yin and Yang, Whose Name Is Remembered in History

Chapter 944: Chapter 55: Refining Heaven and Earth into Yin and Yang, Whose Name Is Remembered in History

Qingde Palace, which is also the Eastern Palace where the Crown Prince resides.

Late at night, the Crown Prince, who had returned from the Yangxin Hall, sat alone in the main hall drinking wine.

The raindrops outside the window tapped against the glazed tiles, while the gold-plated lion furnace emitted curls of fragrant smoke.

A woman with a graceful appearance and gentle demeanor stepped into the great hall, a filigree gold phoenix hairpin slanted in her cyan hair bun.

The woman looked at the figure sitting before the purple sandalwood table; the Kui dragon pattern embroidered in gold thread on the red python robe shone brilliantly under the light, and the jade belt highlighted his taut waistline like a bow drawn to its fullest extent.

“Your Highness.”

The woman softly called out, moved to the steps, and sat down beside the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince turned his head to look at her, a gentle smile appearing on his face:

“Zihua, why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”

The woman’s name was Sui Zihua, the youngest daughter of the current Duke Zhongguo.

The Sui family ancestors once followed the Grand Ancestor Emperor, accompanying him in campaigns both north and south, achieving illustrious military accomplishments, and were the foremost generals under the Grand Ancestor!

After the establishment of the Da Lan Dynasty, the Grand Ancestor conferred the title of Duke Zhongguo upon the Sui family ancestors, a title inherited through successive generations without exception!

Sui Zihua was intelligent from a young age, known as a talented woman in the Capital.

At the age of seventeen, she was betrothed to the Crown Prince, becoming the Crown Princess Consort, and it had been over a decade since she married the Crown Prince.

All these years, the Crown Prince lived cautiously, as if surviving in a gap, confiding his inner troubles only to Sui Zihua. Many times, she would also offer advice and help him devise strategies.

Thus, for the Crown Prince, this Crown Princess Consort, Sui Zihua, was not only an important support due to her family, but also provided him with emotional solace, serving as his crucial ‘adviser’.

“Does Your Highness have any troubling matters?”

Sui Zihua placed her hands on either side of the Crown Prince’s temples, gently massaging them.

The Crown Prince closed his eyes, enjoying and relaxing significantly:

“Indeed, there are troubling matters, related to Li Fei.”

“Oh?”

Sui Zihua’s expression shifted slightly, “Has Marquis Jing’an stirred up some trouble?”

“It’s not really a big issue, but…”

The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then informed her about the matter concerning Li Fei and the Xiao family.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to sharing many significant matters with this confidante at his side.

After quietly listening to the Crown Prince’s account, Sui Zihua didn’t rush to express her opinion but instead asked:

“What does Your Highness intend to do?”

The Crown Prince opened his eyes, spoke somewhat vexedly:

“The Xiao family is testing to see my attitude, but I am also hesitating. Zihua, regarding Li Fei, I believe I’ve treated him with sincerity from beginning to end, never slighting him. Yet, between him and me, there’s ultimately not much personal bond.

Out of gratitude for my father’s benevolence, he might indeed prove loyal, but will he do the same for me in the future?”

After patiently listening to the Crown Prince, Sui Zihua withdrew her hands from massaging and softly said:

“I heard that Marquis Jing’an targeted the Lu family this time to avenge a former teacher. Although the teacher only taught him in the Martial Arts Hall for less than a year, he was nevertheless willing to avenge him. Doesn’t his resolute attitude illustrate that he’s a person who values emotional ties?”

Initially, in front of her, the Crown Prince should refer to himself as ‘孤’ (a humble self-reference for royalty), and she should refer to herself as ‘妾身’ (a humble self-reference for women).

However, in private conversations, they simply used ‘I’, and neither felt there was any issue.

“If Your Highness can fully support Marquis Jing’an this time in avenging himself, naturally, there will be an increase in personal bond between you two.”

Sui Zihua looked at the Crown Prince, softly said:

“This reasoning is certainly clear to Your Highness, and the reason for your hesitation is because you’re wary of Marquis Jing’an’s potential, isn’t it?”

The Crown Prince nodded, not denying his apprehension.

Before overseeing the state, he never worried about Li Fei’s abilities being too powerful.

To him, Li Fei was an essential minister to pull close, the more capable, the better!

But if he were to sit on that Dragon Chair in the future, the perspective and mindset would change.

The Crown Prince, new to overseeing, hadn’t fully transitioned his mindset yet.

But the Xiao family’s probing made him realize prematurely:

You are to be the Emperor, so considerations can’t be as they were before.

Sui Zihua nodded, “What Your Highness worries about makes sense too.”

For a ruler, whether a minister will rebel isn’t the most crucial.

The most important is whether the other party has the capability to rebel?!

Even if a minister is utterly loyal and unlikely to rebel, it doesn’t automatically earn the monarch’s trust.

As long as he wants to rebel, he can do so at any time, possessing the ability to rebel, that is the way to doom!

If the Crown Prince has enough time, he can gradually control the court after ascending the throne, control military power, and thoroughly consolidate his position.

His apprehension towards Li Fei might not be as significant then.

But it’s precisely because Li Fei’s potential is so vast, his growth so swift, that the Crown Prince can’t help but be apprehensive!

For the four Guardian Ministers chosen by the Emperor for the Crown Prince:

After all, Ye Ze’an is a civil servant, and no matter how large his influence, any future conflict will mostly be an internal power struggle within the government, so the Crown Prince needn’t be overly concerned.

The State Preceptor Yun Shu’s own Tao has already deeply bound with the National Fortune of the Da Lan Dynasty; with shared prosperity, rebellion from him isn’t a concern.

The ‘Military God’ Wenren Zheng has proven his loyalty over decades; even if the Crown Prince doubts him, he can confidently reduce his military power gradually after ascending the throne.

Only Li Fei, unlike Yun Shu, who is deeply ‘bound’ with the Da Lan Dynasty, and unlike Wenren Zheng, who has proven himself through decades and countless examples.