Liang Xinran needed evidence, which Zhao Xiaohua did not have.
She had been too busy following Shen Yun to collect any evidence.
However, she had a defense: "Does His Highness the Crown Prince require evidence to orchestrate such matters?"
Liang Xinran suddenly understood. These two had appeared in the wilderness of Bazhou Village, as personally witnessed by Su Jiamei, the Grand Minister of the Eastern Palace.
Not long after they left, his men had met with disaster.
Moreover, Zhao Xiaohua had also stated that her people had witnessed it firsthand, only to lose track of them halfway.
This statement should be true; why would he doubt it?
What did it matter whether there was evidence or not?
Besides, if Zhao Xiaohua truly had evidence, would he dare to present it openly?
He was trying to cover it up.
Liang Xinran began to understand, and a deep hatred for Wang Enze and Lu Mingyang welled up in his heart.
Zhao Xiaohua then proceeded to suggest a solution to the matter.
Regardless of whether he held evidence, he could not make this issue public.
"Even if His Highness knows, he should pretend not to know," Zhao Xiaohua said.
At first, these words were irritating, but upon closer thought, they made perfect sense.
Liang Xinran was not foolish; in a flash, he understood.
Pretending ignorance on the surface was to lull them into a false sense of security, and then find an opportunity to deal with them in secret.
However, this way, the crisis was not yet resolved.
Was the person who beat the Dengwen Drum still alive? His testimony had already been entered into the case files of the Minister of Dali Temple.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is overseeing this case, but does this mean that this matter was definitely carried out by His Highness the Crown Prince?
Sometimes, when one has many subordinates, there are always one or two who are disobedient.
Given His Highness the Crown Prince's benevolence and kindness, this matter certainly could not have been orchestrated by His Highness the Crown Prince."
Zhao Xiaohua lightly offered Liang Xinran another scapegoat plan. She had even selected the person:
Cao Daman, who had been missing for a long time.
He had disobeyed the Crown Prince's orders and privately commanded the quarantine and burning of the infected citizens of Bazhou.
Afterward, fearing the Crown Prince's investigation, he had fled with his men.
Liang Xinran looked at Zhao Xiaohua with gleaming eyes.
He thought to himself, why was she just a woman?
If only she were a man, how wonderful that would be.
He said, "This idea is good, but didn't you say that Cao Daman was captured by the young master of the Wang family?
What if, after I present my defense, he releases the person to confront me face-to-face? What then?"
Sacrificing a minor guard to save himself from this predicament was not difficult for Liang Xinran at all; it was a very profitable transaction.
After all, in his heart, whose life was more valuable than his own?
Zhao Xiaohua said, "I heard that Cao Daman's younger brother, Cao Xiaoman, is also under the Crown Prince. If Cao Daman is ignorant and says something he shouldn't, His Highness the Crown Prince can simply have his brother have a good talk with him."
These few words completely dispelled the Crown Prince's doubts.
Zhao Xiaohua added, "However, Cao Daman is the Crown Prince's personal guard. If this matter is decided, the Crown Prince will inevitably be accused of poor judgment and lack of discernment in his staff. It all depends on whether Your Highness is willing to bear this reputation."
"Very well, I understand this matter. Shall we discuss San You?" Liang Xinran, to his surprise, felt a sense of sudden enlightenment after hearing Zhao Xiaohua's words, something he had initially looked down upon.
Things that he had been unable to understand before, he now grasped immediately with her guidance.
"San You, Prince Duan. Since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty by Emperor Gaozu, either the legitimate heir or the eldest son has been appointed. Prince Duan is both legitimate and the eldest, thus holding all the advantages. His Highness the Crown Prince..."
Zhao Xiaohua had intended to keep him in suspense.
However, Liang Xinran was most sensitive to others mentioning his background.
This matter was a hidden wound in his heart, and he allowed no one to touch it easily.
This was because he was born to Consort Huang of the imperial palace.
Although his mother had been the most favored for the past decade, her rank had ultimately stopped at that of a Noble Consort, with no further advancement.
He had repeatedly hinted to the Ministry of Rites to submit memorials requesting his mother to be enfeign as Empress, but he had been blocked by other officials.
Furthermore, looking at his father, the Emperor, it seemed he had no such intention.
Clearly, his mother was no worse than the current Empress, but she could not attain that position.
As a result, although he was now the Crown Prince, his origins were truly awkward.
Fortunately, the current Empress had not borne any children of her own, and her position in the harem was not as high as his mother's.
She merely raised a princess born to a palace maid.
Moreover, she was not favored, merely occupying a nominal position.
It was a pity that his mother desperately wanted this nominal position but could not obtain it.
No one knew what the Emperor was truly thinking.
He could bestow favor in the harem and appoint him as Crown Prince, but he was adamant about not granting the Empress title.
"Your Highness, why must you be concerned with your origins? The process is not important; what matters is the outcome.
One day, when Your Highness ascends the throne, Noble Consort will be the Empress Dowager. At that time, who would dare to contend with her, and who would still speak of Your Highness's status?"
This was true; the rules of the court had always been that the strong ruled and the weak were silent.
"Prince Duan is capable, a pity." At that time, he had believed that Prince Duan would have no opportunity to return to the capital. After striking a severe blow, to prevent discovery and the charge of fratricide, he had allowed him to live.
If he had known that Prince Duan would return to the court, he should have killed him at that time, regardless of any disreputable reputation.
Where would these current worries have come from?
Alas, regret was useless.
Prince Duan's wings were now fully grown; he was no longer the deposed prince exiled to the frontier, possessing nothing.
After his return, he had handled several affairs, all of which had received the Emperor's praise.
Especially during the Duan Yang Festival, his actions had completely foiled all his calculations, rendering his efforts in vain.
He had almost given others grounds for criticism.
"I heard that to defeat your enemy, if the outer defenses are too strong, it is better to attack from the inside out."
Zhao Xiaohua offered advice.
Liang Xinran indicated that he understood the words, but not her specific intention.
"Prince Duan has four sons, but only two are of age. The position of Crown Prince should have originally gone to the second son, born of the legitimate wife, but due to a twist of fate, it fell into the hands of the current Prince Duan's heir.
There will inevitably be a struggle for this."
Inciting conflict, this was something he was familiar with.
Liang Xinran clapped his hands, expressing his full agreement with Zhao Xiaohua's idea.
Zhao Xiaohua even took responsibility for the matter.
"You, a frail woman, how will you carry this out?" Liang Xinran, though he no longer dared to underestimate Zhao Xiaohua's intelligence, still had some doubts about her practical capabilities.
"Your Highness worries too much. Instead of worrying whether I can succeed or not, just watch."
Zhao Xiaohua was filled with confidence.
If Liang Xinran knew that she now commanded a formidable force, would he be so astonished that his eyeballs would fall out?
Of course, the time was not yet right, so she would not reveal it.
It was best to hold onto good cards until the end, and besides, she had not yet definitively decided whom to help.
Upon exiting the Crown Prince's council hall, Zhao Xiaohua encountered the Crown Princess, who had been waiting in the corridor outside.
She curtsied in greeting.
The Crown Princess, Lady Huang, opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Zhao Xiaohua had already turned to leave.
This woman, confined within the walls of a small palace, though noble in status, was no longer what she desired.
Upon leaving the Eastern Palace, she immediately dispatched someone to the Ministry of Rites.
She had them deliver a letter to Shen Yun for her.
She proposed a meeting at the Yue Bin Tea House on Fang Shui Street.
Shen Yun received the letter. Hearing it was from Zhao Xiaohua, he initially had no intention of reading it.
However, Zhao Xiaohua, being clever, had anticipated his thoughts and instructed the messenger boy to say:
"I advise Physician Shen to at least take a look, lest he regrets it in the future."
Shen Yun, knowing that Zhao Xiaohua was different from before, frowned, opened it, and his previously expressionless face immediately turned dark and grim.