The Fourth Prince's Scheme

The Fourth Prince had planted an informant among the Second Prince's retainers, so he was intimately familiar with everything that had transpired when the Second Prince hosted Lu Yang. "Lu Yang managed to turn the tables and take control of the situation in practically no time at all. That level of scheming is truly admirable—even Second Brother, who has always been renowned for his meticulous mind, fell right into the trap." Knowing that Lu Yang was difficult to deal with, the Fourth Prince had sent gifts to Meng Manor for several days in a row to demonstrate his goodwill. Now, feeling that he had shown enough goodwill, he could proceed with the next step of his plan. ... "Brother Lu, I have long admired your renowned name! Seeing you today, you truly possess an extraordinary demeanor!" Like the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince stood at the entrance to welcome him to show how much he valued his guest. His greeting, however, followed the etiquette of the jianghu, making him appear less like an exalted imperial prince and more like a chivalrous outlaw hero. Rumors in the mortal world said that he was openhearted and generous, never caring whether someone was of high or low birth when making friends. In truth, every single person he associated with served a purpose for him. To that end, he had even sworn brotherhood with many unremarkable cultivators simply to conceal his true intentions. Meng Jingzhou had entered a sudden bout of closed-door cultivation, so the Immortal Fairy had not brought him along. Besides, the Immortal Fairy felt that bringing Meng Jingzhou made little difference anyway; she had the Second-in-Command in her spiritual space to offer counsel. Though the Second-in-Command was not as wise as she was, he could still serve as a decent reference. The Fourth Prince secretly observed the Immortal Fairy's reaction. Seeing that she was completely unmoved by his praise, he could not help finding it a bit strange. The Immortal Fairy also thought the Fourth Prince was rather odd. *Why are you speaking so much truth right to my face? Isn't all of this common knowledge? Isn't that just a waste of breath?* Sensing that Lu Yang was truly difficult to read, the Fourth Prince could only continue, "Brother Lu, please, come inside quickly." The Fourth Prince's manor featured winding streams for floating wine cups, scenic garden landscapes, and musicians whose playing complemented the surroundings, creating quite an elegant atmosphere. A considerable number of cultivators had gathered at the residence. Scions of prominent clans made up only a tiny fraction; the majority consisted of brothel masters, teahouse keepers, painters, physicians, and even matchmakers. These were all friends who had gone through life and death with the Fourth Prince—people he trusted implicitly. In contrast to the lighthearted melodies played by the musicians, the Immortal Fairy could sense that ever since she arrived, everyone had been watching her with tense expressions. The Fourth Prince invited Lu Yang to the seat of honor beside his own, taking the head seat himself. Once the Fourth Prince sat down, the atmosphere seemed to ease considerably. Fine wine and sumptuous dishes were served as though they cost nothing, laid out even more lavishly than the feast at the East Sea Old Dragon Emperor's birthday banquet. Of course, that was partly because the Fourth Prince had far fewer guests than the Old Dragon Emperor had hosted. Although these spiritual dishes were mediocre and thoroughly disdained by the Immortal Fairy, she forced herself to eat them, considering that doing so would indeed help Lu Yang boost his cultivation. Cups clinked and toasts were exchanged. From time to time, performers utilized spells and divine abilities to enliven the atmosphere, filling the hall with continuous laughter and cheer. Suddenly, stirred by the moment, the Fourth Prince set down his bronze wine goblet and let out a long sigh. "What a pity. I'm afraid we will rarely have the chance for gatherings like this in the future." The moment these words left his mouth, the atmosphere instantly turned heavy. The guests set down their chopsticks one after another, turning their gazes upon the Fourth Prince in unison. Before coming, they had already guessed the general reason why the Fourth Prince had summoned them here: he wanted to plot a momentous endeavor. "Why does Your Highness say such a thing?" someone asked loudly. The Fourth Prince looked at the crowd with complicated emotions, glanced at the Immortal Fairy who kept her head down eating, grabbed his goblet, tilted his head back, and downed the wine in one gulp. Perhaps what he was about to say was simply too treasonous, requiring liquor to bolster his courage. "Imperial Father does not have much longevity left, yet as his son, I can be of no help whatsoever. Watching Imperial Father grow older day by day, I can neither eat nor sleep in peace. "In my dreams, I often see Imperial Father passing away, and Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother fighting over the throne until the common people are plunged into misery. I wake up in the dead of night, drenched in a cold sweat. "I often think: Imperial Father loves the people like his own children, and he would never wish to see such a tragedy unfold. I want to change all of this, but unfortunately, I am weak and isolated. How could I ever intervene in the struggle for the throne? "When that day comes and Great Xia falls into turmoil, how could we, men whose hearts beat for the realm, sit here drinking and making merry?" Picturing the scene described by the Fourth Prince, the guests lowered their heads one by one, and some even shed genuine tears of sorrow, their emotions completely sincere. The Immortal Fairy raised her head briefly, unable to fathom why everyone had suddenly burst into acting when everything had been going so well. *Oh well, none of my business anyway.* The Immortal Fairy lowered her head again and went back to helping Lu Yang eat. Naturally, the Fourth Prince had no idea what the Immortal Fairy was thinking. Seeing Lu Yang look up, he assumed Lu Yang was finally taking an interest in them. A scholarly-looking middle-aged gentleman below spoke up, "If we speak of solutions, there actually is one. However, this method is utterly treasonous and impossible to carry out." The Fourth Prince urged urgently, "Mr. Lu, please speak." "It cannot be spoken," Mr. Lu said, shaking his head. "No matter how treasonous it may be, can it possibly outweigh the well-being of the realm's myriad citizens?" Under the Fourth Prince's relentless pressing, Mr. Lu finally revealed the plan. "If we desire peace under heaven, then there must be an undisputed lord over all to inherit the throne. By right, that should be His Highness the Eldest Prince. However, the Second Prince and Third Prince will certainly not sit idly by, which is how the contest for the throne will arise. "As long as the three imperial princes lose their eligibility to contend for the throne, the crown will naturally be yours." Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince made to speak and stop him. But Mr. Lu continued as if he had anticipated what the Fourth Prince was about to say: "I know Your Highness has no desire to vie for the throne. But for the sake of the realm's common folk, this is the only way." The Fourth Prince parted his lips, wanting to voice objections, but the words felt powerless on the tip of his tongue. On top of that, the friends he had made were gazing at him with fervent, expectant eyes; how could he possibly utter words of refusal? "Forget it... forget it." The Fourth Prince lowered his head as if resigning himself to fate. Then he asked, "Yet how could we possibly make my three brothers give up on the throne?" Silence fell over the hall. This was the most difficult hurdle. The Fourth Prince turned his head to ask the Immortal Fairy, "Brother Lu Yang, do you have a way?" Hearing herself addressed, the Immortal Fairy slurped a mouthful of noodles, looked up at the Fourth Prince, and said, "It's simple. Why not just rebel?" Lu Yang had originally thought the Fourth Prince would look shocked, but unexpectedly, the prince acted as though he had long anticipated this response and pressed on: "Then... would you be willing to help me?" This was precisely the answer the Fourth Prince had been waiting for. According to the intelligence gathered from the Second Prince's side, Lu Yang frequently ran his mouth about rebelling and founding a new dynasty to cleverly evade the subject of the imperial succession, leaving the Second Prince too intimidated to pursue a deeper conversation. The catch, however, was that the Fourth Prince genuinely intended to rebel! If he did not rebel, he would not stand a chance at the throne. If Lu Yang answered "no," it would prove he had merely been running his mouth, and the Fourth Prince had other means to force him to take a side. If Lu Yang refused to lose face and said "yes," that would be even better—it would drag Lu Yang straight into the fray, locking him firmly on his side. "Sure," the Immortal Fairy agreed readily. It was exactly what she had in mind.