Chapter 55: Chapter 12 Kill With Borrowed Knife
jièdāoshārén)
Lit: Kill with a borrowed knife
Fig: Let someone else do the dirty work
On the other side of the eastern palace, sharp sounds of breakage were heard, one round and another, scattering the birds in the courtyard, and maids rushing towards to the room, ready to be called forth. Ru concubine calmly walked towards her son's, the 4th prince, manor. An elegant youth in purple brocade robe was seated, holding on to his snack plate and teacup, while another youth in moss green brocade robe, was still grabbing onto something, a vase this time, to throw down onto the floor.
"That's an expensive vase from the Kelun pottery," sighed the 7th prince, who stayed seated, eyes glancing at the white ceramic wreckage his brother, 4th prince had done.
"Royal concubine mother" 7th prince Xue ShiHuan stood up and greeted his mother, while his older brother, 4th prince Xue ShiKuang had stopped throwing things but taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
"Come, and tidy this up. Bring me a new pot of jade dragon tea," Ru concubine waited for the maids to sweep the floor and stride into the once again clean room.
"All of my men died!" 4th prince, Xue ShiKuang, said vehemently. "Those jianghu men were supposed to come before our men arrive but they scattered after my men were killed! They claimed that we did not give them extra information that there was a top martial master within that dog's company.
I had paid a good sum of gold for those jianghu men! Now my top guards are dead and my money gone down the drain! Mother, tell me if the old guy is secretly helping him, or else, why is that dog so difficult to be killed?"
Ru Concubine ignored her son's bloodshot eyes and angry speech, and receive the cup from her head handmaiden on her side who had poured a fresh cup of brewed tea.
She did not bother to be worried of the any news leaking out of this chambers as all the palace people were trained to keep their mouths shut as their family members were held in the hands of the royal families they served. Any leaks meant the lives of their families.
Ru Concubine looked at the teacup filled with a light shade of green tea, letting the faint wisp of steam passed by her face, while she blew on it before carefully sipping the tea.
"Mother!" 4th prince Xue ShiKuang urged, impatiently waiting for his impassive mother to say something.
"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight," Ru Concubine said firmly without looking at her sons.
"Who will win? That dog?" 4th prince Xue ShiKuang spat out while Xue ShiHuan shook his head at his elder brother's deduction.
"The empress will take action soon enough. Just train more men and be careful with your words," Ru concubine looked up from her teacup and using her finger to lightly point at her younger son, the 7th prince, "There will be banquet tonight and Murong XieChu would bring his child, try to be nice to the boy and gain his friendship."
Ru Concubine knew her younger son was a wolf in sheep's clothing, underneath 7th prince, Xue ShiHuan's jovial smiles, lied a serious and calculative man and Ru concubine just prayed that both brothers could support each other instead of fighting each other later on. She might not be as intelligent as Dugu empress but she prided herself to be able to understand characters.
Ru concubine had known the 9th prince, Xue ShiMin, was a smart child since young, hiding his talents and not attracting any attention. The brat had stayed steadfast when he saw his nanny pulled out from his mother's manor, and Ru concubine had decided she would have to watch this child carefully.
After many months, Ru concubine had caught on his nuances, that tenacious attitude to not cower when her own flesh and blood children had cornered him, and the way his mouth muttered the entire passage from his lessons when he thought no one had noticed him.
Too bad the Dugu empress was busy paying attention to the other royal children that she failed to notice the threat in the pale and small sized motherless prince. Since Xue ShiMin was placed under her care, she had to be careful not to overdo and waited for the chance to remove him.
During the outing into the countryside, Ru concubine was reported that 9th prince Xue ShiMin had fallen sick after accidentally fell into the lake when he went boating alone. Ru concubine gave the palace people a warm impression by showing extreme motherly concern by rushing to the 9th prince chambers and worrying about him.
Daily, she would visit and send the 9th prince medical tonics to warm his body. Ru concubine even went great lengths to invite 9th prince's savior, a daughter of a minor official from another minor tribe. In front of the Yan ZhiRou and her mother, Ru concubine was very warm and friendly, asking Yan ZhiRou's to step forth and held Yan ZhiRou's small hands, looking at her fondly, saying what pretty child she would grow up to.
In thanking for saving the life of a royalty prince, Ru concubine awarded Yan ZhiRou, with a white and red veined jade bangle. The Xue Emperor heard of such incident and merely kept his silence, while the Dugu empress smiled coldly at Ru Concubine's acts.
Both 4th prince, Xue ShiKuang and 7th prince, Xue ShiHuan, had later admitted to her that it was 4th prince, Xue ShiKuang, who had pushed Xue ShiMin into the lake, making Ru concubine angry. She warned them off not to incur the suspicions of their father emperor. Were the emperor to know his royal sons attempted committing fratricide, they would never gain an opportunity to inherit the throne.
Who knew after the 9th prince woke up from his coma, he seemed to have shed off his timid stance, and actually went up to the emperor for a request - to live independently. And incredibly, the emperor would actually grant 9th prince, Xue ShiMin's request to have his own palace!
When 9th prince, Xue ShiMin, left the palace for his trip into the civilians' world, Ru concubine together with her maternal family also tried to send people to find an opportunity to kill him but they came back thwarted and the only one whom she could think of was the emperor. Xue emperor might be cold to 9th prince, Xue ShiMin, on the surface but his generosity exceeded her expectations.
It could be that the emperor was guilty towards the 9th prince and his biological mother, Gui concubine, but nonetheless, she could not afford creating any more suspicions towards her and her family, and Ru concubine decided to pull back the orders to kill Xue ShiMin and let him be for the years he was out roaming.
It was until, when he returned, that Ru concubine was surprised as she only found out after few days of his arrival in capital. How could the 9th prince move around anonymously and actually befriended a son from the wealthiest family main branch of Helan clan?
Her sons, 4th prince and 7th prince, had tried to gain support from this uber rich family but was politely declined with the excuse of being merchants and staying neutral to do business for the nation to prosper. This was as equal as slapping the face of Ru concubine!
Without the royal stability, what prosperity could these cheap merchants get?
This threat of the 9th prince had to be rooted but this time, before he could gain additional power and disrupt her plans, but she should just let someone else do the job for her and for her to reap the benefits later.
Who better than Dugu empress?
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