Chapter 160

Many, many things happened over the past few years.

Yan Ting had fallen from the highest point in his life into hell. He had leapt off the cliff due to being pursued and ruined his face and leg. The Weiyuan Marquis Estate lost its nobility and the Yan household was scattered. His own mom passed away….

Yan Ting had wanted to die but wasn’t able to, so he could only live on.

Often times, something may seem unbearable when thinking about it. However, when there was no choice, people would find out they were tougher than they expected. No matter how difficult the situation, they could still pass the days.

Yan Ting was in this situation.

His life was pretty decent now. He wasn’t willing to idle his days away waiting for death so he slowly started helping Xu Xiang Rong with some of his affairs. He didn’t ask and didn’t care whether it was right or wrong. He merely walked onwards, removing anyone in his way.

Yan Ting often forgot who he was anymore. It seemed that everything that happened previously was unrelated to him. He would still have remained Lord Ting instead of Yan Ting had he not been suddenly stirred up at the news.

That person had gotten married.

A long time ago, Yan Ting had considered many times whether he had really let Shen Yi Yao down. Why did two people who should have been the closest in the world end up in such a state? Yan Ting kept refusing to accept one fact: Shen Yi Yao had probably been involved to some degree in his death.

She was a girl who hadn’t even been able to watch a chicken getting butchered, but ended up participating in scheming her husband’s death. What a failure of a person he was!

Yan Ting hadn’t been unaffected by Shen Ding’s words. They had even pushed him into despair due to his thoughts and beliefs being overturned. That was a complete denial of his existence. Afterwards, he was no longer willing to think about it. Like a certain person had said, what’s done is done. Wasn’t repenting now a little artificial?

The door creaked open and someone walked in.

His hair was damp and he wore pale blue innerwear. He body was still wet as he came at him.

Burning, heavy entanglement….

In his daze, Yan Ting heard that person speaking by his ear.

“What? Still hung up on her?”

“No.” He heard himself answer.

*

The struggle between the crown prince and Senior Concubine Xu’s factions never stopped after starting.

Along with the Jin Prince and Qi Prince leaving for their vassal states, the struggle was now spread over a far distance.

In theory, the empress and crown prince should feel relieved now that their enemies had left. However, Senior Concubine Xu remained in favor and Emperor Xi was still biased towards the Jin and Qi Princes. Whenever the crown prince was given anything, Emperor Xi would also send a portion over to the Jin and Qi Provinces the next day. Furthermore, after leaving, the princes had been summoned back to the capital several times. It was extremely eye-catching.

After leaving to their vassal states, they also made moves in private frequently. The crown prince often had nightmares about them raising their own army and invading the capital, putting him to death.

Emperor Xi’s opnion wasn’t clear. He had aged recently and his health wasn’t as before. Not long ago, he had fainted in court which startled all the officials. Although news was later spread that it was just an old illness relapsing and there weren’t any major issues, everyone still had their doubts.

Before they realized it, Emperor Xi seemed to have gotten old. Especially after recovering, he seemed to be a little more lethargic in court.

The crown prince’s side deliberated several times before being unable to endure and making a move.

This move meant trying to force the Jin Prince and Qi Prince to death. These days, there were officials frequently petitioning to reduce the military power of the vassal princes. The most fervent supporter was the capital investigation bureau’s right imperial censor. Although no one clearly explained why this matter was being brought up, and merely said it was to gather imperial authority, all the smart people could tell the crown prince’s faction was opposing the Jin Prince and Qi Prince.

Emperor Xi didn’t declare his position.

During this time, the right imperial censor suddenly died in the Chunxiang Cahmbers.

The Chunxiang Chambers was a famous brothel in the capital. Although his family tried to cover it up, the people of the capital were still treated to a huge joke. They all discussed how this old man was still unwilling to rest despite being so old, and ended up completely ruining his reputation.

The right imperial censor truly had this vice, but it wasn’t known to outsiders. Of course his family was aware of this and had a guilty conscience. They naturally didn’t dare refute it and hurriedly had the funeral and left the capital.

Along with the right imperial censor’s death, the matter of reducing authority was not dropped, and instead became even more intense. In the end, the crown prince personally submitted a memorandum and the matter reached its peak.

During this time, the capital was jittery.

The crown prince was forcing Emperor Xi to declare his position. Would convention end up trumping his heart’s desires?!

Many people sighed that the crown prince had been too anxious. However, the crown prince’s faction weren’t useless people either. Since they made this move, they definitely left themselves a way out.

Emperor Xi didn’t express his opinion in court but afterwards noted on the crown prince’s memorandum that he “had no brotherly affection at all” and sent it back.

When the news came out, everyone was shocked.

At the eastern palace, the crown prince immediately shut his doors in reflection.

After a few days, he privately submitted another memorandum expressing his remorse and criticizing himself. Along with Empress Xiao putting in a lot of effort the past few days, Emperor Xi seemed to have forgiven the crown prince.

Everything that happened had been filled with twists and turns and full of blades. It made people feel it was too much to take in. Many people didn’t know what was going on. Only a few people understood but they mostly kept silent. At most, they said the following ambiguous words to their juniors….

Aren’t things the same as before again?

Same as before?

Before when?

……

Regarding this matter, Emperor Xi ultimately dealt with one of the eastern palace’s assistant officials and put an end to things. The reason was that he had led the crown prince astray. Luckily the crown prince had mended his ways and had suddenly repented.

As for what the truth really was, many officials in court were very clear.

It was nothing else but both sides probing each other. The only unfortunate person was that official who was accused of leading the crown prince astray.

The old officials in court were all experienced and sharp. They didn’t get involved from start to finish. As for those who didn’t understand and jumped in, they ended up being the mortals who suffered while the gods battled.

Of course, those were minor issues that raised no waves.

*

Because this matter would also affect him, Luo Huai Yuan naturally paid close attention.

However, he wasn’t too worried because he knew someone would bear the brunt and prevent the sinister crown prince from succeeding.

This matter had happened in his past life and Luo Huai Yuan had viewed it as a joke. He said the crown prince’s faction had been driven to desperation. Because he had no intentions whatsoever, he wasn’t too worried about it. In the end, the crown prince hadn’t succeeded.

In his past life, Luo Huai Yuan had treated the struggles as a show.

If Emperor Xi was someone teasing dogs with a bone, the crown prince and Jin Prince were the two dogs being teased. For the sake of that tasty bone, they acted cute and silly. All for that piece of bone.

Luo Huai Yuan seemed to be a person with no bottom line. For the sake of his goals, he often didn’t care what means he used. However, he was actually pretty proud. It was due to having seen Emperor Xi teasing the dogs too often in his past life that he didn’t consider getting involved in this life.

Of course, this also had to do with his lack of advantages. The crown prince’s mother was the empress and he had the powerful Xiao clan behind him. The Jin Prince and Qi Prince had the favored Senior Concubine Xu as their mom, and also Emperor Xi’s ambiguous approval.

What did he have?

He had nothing. The current equilibrium also didn’t allow for someone like him to get involved. He might as well watch from the distance. Therefore, ever since he reincarnated up until now, Luo Huai Yuan had yet to find a good method of ruining the Jin Prince’s counterattack.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to ruin things for him. He just had no way of doing so.

It was possible that the moment he made a move, both sides would retaliate. How could two struggling parties allow a third to get involved? No one wanted to be caught in a pincer attack. Therefore, they would immediately team up and slap to death anyone who made a move.

This was why Luo Huai Yuan stuck to finding a path of retreat. He had no confidence in himself. No matter if the Jin Prince or the crown prince ascended, neither one would let off the other vassal princes. The Jin Prince knew the threat posed by the other vassal princes. The crown prince was the same way, having been stifled by his two vassal prince brothers for so long. The moment he ascended, he wouldn’t let anyone off.

As for Luo Huai Yuan, he would become the poor fish in the pond caught up in the calamity.

The future was really bleak!

Luo Huai Yuan couldn’t help but sigh anxiously. However, his expression soon became a smile because two little ones came walking towards him.

“Big sis, big sis, you wait for me!”

A small little bundle rolled behind a cute little doll. The two of them were both tiny things. The little doll looked lively and charming, fair and cute. Behind her, the little boy was also extremely cute, but he was round like a little meatball.

“Not waiting, your fault for having short legs!”

Although Niu Niu said so, she still slowed her steps. She waited until her younger brother got close before grabbing his hand and running over.

“Dad!”

“Aiya, my two little darlings!”

Luo Huai Yuan picked both of them up in one go, one in each arm. He went and sat in the chair on the side, giving each tender face a kiss before saying: “How did you fumble your way over? Where’s mom?”

Niu Niu smiled craftily, her two little dimples having been completely inherited from Luo Huai Yuan.

“Mom is looking everywhere for you, but she can’t find you.”

Luo Huai Yuan looked embarrassed and asked: “Then didn’t mom see you when you came over?”

The two little ones shook their heads.

Luo Huai Yuan let out a breath.

Recently, Yan Yan had had it with him, pulling him along to train in martial arts with her every day. All his pestering was in vain. Helpless, he could only hide the entire day, and only dared return after she got in bed.

These days were unmentionably bitter. Since his own wife had spoken, he only dared use the excuse that he was busy to avoid thing. He truly was busy, but there was still some idle time.

When he was idle, for the sake of slacking off, Luo Huai Yuan had found several “secret hideouts” in the estate for him to nest in. He had hidden it from his wife but wasn’t able to do so from the two little ones.

Especially Niu Niu, who was really good at the matter of “finding dad”. Luo Huai Yuan truly wondered if she was a cat in her past life.

“Then don’t tell mom you saw dad today and I’ll play with you guys!” A bargaining tone.

Jian’er heard play and his little face lit up.

“Play horse riding!”

Niu Niu rolled her eyes at her disappointing brother. He was dealt with so easily?!

“Then I also want to ride horse!” She said.

Luo Huai Yuan put on a miserable expression. He only nodded after a long while. The two little ones immediately danced for joy.

See, children were really easy to coax. Although it was a simple matter, as long as you acted a little hesitant before agreeing, the results would be extraordinary.

In a nearby tree, Yan Yan let out an inaudible snort before vanishing.