Chapter 77: Three Royal Brothers
“Prince is tired after so many years.” Xia Jing sighed. His eyes appeared extremely exhausted.
“I must say……although young master Chu might not believe. I still feel that I must clarify something. I don’t care that I am made the scapegoat, but you should see who provided backing.” Xia Jing looked at Chu Mo and plainly spoke: “The person who fired the arrow at Zhang Qingyu is indeed from Prince Mansion. He was also a person I valued, but I did not send him!”
“He wasn’t sent by you?” Chu Mo’s brow wrinkled. This old thief had done many vile things, but he was also a man who dares act and take responsibility. Otherwise, wouldn’t he have a lawless reputation? The prince likely isn’t deceiving him.
Especially now. Xia Jing had no reason, and he lacked the nerves to deceive Chu Mo.
“Was it Xia Jie?” Chu Mo squinted at Xia Jing.
“He doesn’t have that authority.” Xia Jing’s sight lowered. He plainly said: “That archer had a high position in the Prince Mansion. Xia Jie doesn’t have the qualifications to order him around.”
“That letter? Those killers?” Chu Mo looked at Xia Jing.
“I did those things.” Xia Jing’s face was calm. He simply said: “But I did not try to kill my subordinate’s beloved son.”
“So to say……the opponent also wanted to frame you?” Chu Mo suddenly felt his chest cool down.
Xia Jing profoundly looked at Chu Mo: “I cannot stand waiting for people to appear, they have come for me! You have been innocently involved.”
“They?” Chu Mo pointed to the sky. Xia Jing nodded.
Chu Mo was silent a moment, then he said: “Those things have nothing to do with me. Just don’t get me in the crosshairs next time.”
Xia Jing didn’t speak for a while. He finally said: “Hard to say.”
“Then let them bring it on!” Chu Mo said without a care on his face, but his heart became increasingly alert. Chu Mo felt a freak combination of factors were at play, and he carelessly stepped into the maelstrom.
Xia Jing grabbed the two letters and left. Chu Mo quietly sat there and thought.
“The Royal Family……” Chu Mo’s pupils flashed ice-cold rays of light.
Chu Mo never thought he would be brought into the Royal Family conflicts.
Chu Mo never thought about it, but that doesn’t mean Chu Mo is clueless!
The current emperor is wise and brilliant, but he is already in his sixties. The crown prince was already established twenty years ago. It is the oldest prince Xia Ying.
The emperor has given birth to dozens of children, but his first wife has only given birth to three princes.
They are the eldest, prince Xia Ying, the second, prince Xia Xiong, and the third, Xia Hao.
The prince Xia Ying is already in his forties. He has wielded power in the eastern palace for many years. He is calm, broad-minded, and shrewd, and he has a business attitude. At the very least, this is how people at all social levels view him. Xia Ying will likely be a ruler no less enlightened than his father.
The relationship between Xia Ying and Xia Jing couldn’t be called good, but it isn’t bad either.
The two parties have an uncle and nephew relation, but one is the crowned prince, and the other is the emperor’s brother. The two couldn’t be extremely close. Everyone understood this logic.
But the second prince, Xia Xiong, and third prince, Xia Hao, have a poor relationship with Xia Jing.
Especially the third prince Xia Hao. He is thirty years old, and he is in the prime of life. Xia Hao cultivated in a sect since he was a child. He came down from the mountain at twenty years old, and he continuously helped the military after returning to Da Xia.
His power had already reached the fourth realm. He had entered the Bone refinement state, and he became a general.
The valorous Xia Hao always looked down upon his powerful uncle. He felt Xia Jing’s existence could interrupt Xia Ying smoothly inheriting the throne.
He has overtly and covertly aimed at prince Xia Jing because of this.
These things were about the nobility of Da Xia, but they were no secret.
Xia Jing didn’t exactly say, but Chu Mo could guess. These events most likely had to do with Xia Hao.
The unseen adversary was able to buy off a Prince Mansion archer of high status. The adversary’s level of authority must not be much different than Xia Jing!
Otherwise, the archer would have no reason to leave Xia Jing.
Chu Mo also had another reason to suspect the target, and it is why he pointed the finger at the third prince, Xia Hao. That is: The third prince is unfriendly with grandfather Fan Wudi!
It all started at a new year’s banquet two years ago. Xia Hao took the opportunity to propose a toast. He did this to win over the army Generals for his elder brother Xia Ying.
Fan Wudi disliked this action very much. The old General believed the crowned prince would become emperor sooner or later.
But there is an emperor on the throne of Da Xia right now!
Not the crown prince!
And he is not just any emperor!
Why must he win over the army Generals for a prince?
But the older General didn’t say anything, even though he disliked the action. He is a soldier after all. He didn’t wish to become involved with the Royal Family affairs.
But the damned bastard yet ran before Fan Wudi and proposed a toast, trying to win the old General over.
Fan Wudi is only one of many Generals, but many of the military’s major military figures had served under him over the years. The military is a place with seniority, so the old General was extremely popular.
Not every single person would follow the old General’s words, but the military big shots would all give face.
Because of this, Xia Hao tried to win Fan Wudi over at all costs.
The old General endured for a while, but Xia Hao continued to nag. The old General was pestered beyond his breaking point, and he lashed out at Xia Hao: “Be a soldier……a little bit more pure!”
Xia Hao became hostile right away. First he mocked the old General. He said Fan Wudi fought his whole life, but he is still so low in rank. He had been surpassed by several of his own soldiers. Xia Hao then said the old General wasn’t strong. He is so old, but he is still stuck in the Iron Bone state, unable to break into the Iron Blood state.
Xia Hao borrowed his drunken courage to say several more unpleasant things. The old General was just short of tearing him to pieces.
The emperor discovered the activity in the end, and he gave Xia Hao a scolding. This matter came to an end, but it is the reason Xia Hao hates General Fan Wudi.
Chu Mo and Xu Fufu were fortunate enough to join the banquet at that time, so they personally saw the conflict.
Chu Mo didn’t have to think long before guessing the cause of his current situation.
Xia Jing would still have to explain more if it were the past. But the prince now knows the severity of Chu Mo, so he only spoke a few simple words.
Chu Mo sat there in deep thought. He sighed: “Ying, Xiong, Hao, and Jie……in addition to Xia Jie, those three princes are all complicated!”
“They used one Prince Mansion archer to drag everyone into the water……prince Xia Jing, General Fan Wudi, Grand Secretary Xu Zhongliang……even the Qing provincial governor Zhang Chong!” Chu Mo’s facial expression became ice-cold: “Extremely ruthless!”
“But……you all had better not take another step towards me. Xia Hao, I want nothing to do with you group of princes! I will make you regret it if you come after me or my grandfather again!”
Chu Mo’s pupils flashed ice-cold, showing murderous intent.
………
At the same time, the crown prince in the Eastern Palace.
Xia Ying, the crown prince already in his forties, sat at the head. His brow was wrinkled, and his face appeared extremely focused.
A thirty-seven or thirty-eight year old man sat to his right. He appeared a lot like Xia Ying. He wore a handlebar mustache, and he had an extremely gloomy expression. He was the second prince Xia Xiong. On the surface, Xia Xiong was the lowest status of the three princes.
He had no position in the dynasty, and he didn’t enter the military. Xia Xiong was always at the crown prince’s side. One would think Xia Xiong an aide if they didn’t know his status.
Only people who knew Xia Xiong understood his terror. It could be said, Xia Ying would be nothing without Xia Xiong!
Half the plans from the eastern palace came straight from Xia Xiong.
Xia Ying once said in a drunken state: “Who says the royal family is ruthless? They are the brothers at my side, one scholar and one warrior!”
The people viewed Xia Ying highly. This is because his brothers rally to Xia Ying’s side.
A man in his thirties with a dashing face sat opposite of Xia Xiong. He sat up straight, and he wore brilliant clothing. His expression was a bit angry: “Simply a piece of trash! Can’t even do one little thing right! He deserved death. Incapable thing! I vainly wasted so much time placing him in the Prince Mansion.”
“It’s okay third, some things are just fate, don’t complain. At least he committed suicide instead of being captured. He became a sacrifice for you. It isn’t bad.” Xia Xiong looked at Xia Hao and plainly said: “But our uncle……he is no pushover. He has no evidence this time, but……he most likely guessed this is our doing.”
“What can guessing do? Does he have proof?” Xia Hao coldly said: “I look forward to the day he seeks trouble! His image will become even worse in the eyes of father.”
“Enough, third, think about it. Our uncle is much craftier than you. You look down upon him, but he is father’s younger brother! No one can act against uncle so long as father sits on the throne.” Xia Xiong said, then sighed: “It is a pity. That was such a good opportunity. But Chu Mo, that little thing stirred up the board. In any case, that blockhead Xia Jie should die! Our uncle also fell out of favor a long time ago!”
“This time we have to account for Chu Mo. We were actually dodged by him. That little thing is scary. A clever person would stay a little farther away from him.” Xia Xiong softly said.
“Hah, yeah right……” Xia Hao’s face immediately filled with disdain. He coldly laughed: “That little thing? He is just a teenage brat. He knows shit! The matter yesterday still isn’t settled. Didn’t he run to the Prince Mansion and cause trouble? Would a smart person do that? Ha ha, it’s a pity the fun won’t last long.”
“He knows shit? Third, you despise other people. That weakness needs to change.” The motionless crown prince suddenly spoke: “That child……he could become a strong enemy!”