The East Palace, the Crown Prince's robes were disheveled, his appearance haggard. He, who was once the lofty Crown Prince, the heir apparent of Yusheng, the future ruler of the nation, had, in a short span of time, become a confined prince, liable to be deposed at any moment!
"Your Highness, please don't drink anymore," Madam Yan whispered, attempting to dissuade him. She had no idea what was happening outside, but the Crown Prince being confined was no good news; he needed to pull himself together as soon as possible.
The Crown Prince cast a sidelong glance at the beautiful concubine kneeling beside him, scoffing, "Are you happy to see my downfall? Get out!"
"Your Highness, you wrong your humble servant," Madam Yan crawled to the Crown Prince's side, clutching the wine jar in his hand. "Your Highness, you are my sky, my everything. Seeing you torment yourself like this pains me deeply. You must rally."
Only then did the Crown Prince truly look at Madam Yan. Madam Yan was not her given name; it was bestowed because of her exceptional dancing skills, her slender waist, and her graceful posture, reminiscent of a flying swallow. Hence, the Crown Prince had named her Madam Yan.
"I am now confined, my power stripped away, and I could be deposed at any moment. Do you still believe I am your sky?"
"Whether Your Highness is the Crown Prince or a commoner, you are my husband, my heaven and earth." Madam Yan set down the wine jar, moved closer to the Crown Prince, gently smoothed his disheveled hair, and re-tied his topknot. She then tidied his robes. "Your Highness, you are the heir apparent; you must always maintain the demeanor of one."
"I am about to be deposed, why should I bother with dignity?"
"Your Highness, do not speak nonsense," Madam Yan said softly. "Many ministers support you. His Majesty would have to weigh his options carefully if he wanted to depose you. Moreover, you would not simply wait to be slaughtered, would you?"
The Crown Prince straightened his body. Yes, how could he wait to be slaughtered? He had been Crown Prince for so many years, amassing quite a few capable individuals under his command. He had not committed any egregious offense this time. Merely sleeping with a woman, and his father made such a fuss, claiming he had angered Heaven and Earth, and that failing to depose him would incite popular discontent. It was all an excuse!
The Crown Prince's expression turned ferocious. He absolutely would not wait to be slaughtered. Currently, with the peace talks with Yunqi underway, his father would not dare order his deposition, as it would shake the court and give Yunqi an opportunity to attack during the ensuing chaos. Yusheng would be in danger. He still had time to plan.
The Crown Prince understood that he was safe for the time being, but he could not afford to be careless. Once the peace talks were settled, his father would be free to deal with the matter of deposing the Crown Prince. If he were deposed, everything would be too late!
"I cannot just wait to be slaughtered!" The Crown Prince stood up. However, he was currently confined to the East Palace, and it was not easy to get out. How could he contact his subordinates?
"Is there anything this humble servant can do for Your Highness?" Madam Yan asked cautiously.
The Crown Prince looked at Madam Yan. That was right. Only he was confined to the East Palace; his concubines could still move freely. Madam Yan was usually unremarkable, so having her deliver messages would not attract attention. Who would suspect a frail woman of plotting treason?
"My beloved concubine, you are truly my treasure!" The Crown Prince, filled with excitement, kissed Madam Yan's cheek fiercely. Madam Yan blushed crimson, like a newly bloomed red lotus, exuding an indescribable allure.
The Crown Prince was already prone to lust. Seeing Madam Yan so alluring and delectable, how could he resist? He immediately scooped her up and carried her to the inner chamber. "My darling, I truly love you to death."
The Crown Prince had thought of a way to resolve his crisis, and his mind felt much lighter. Just as he was preparing to conquer the castle, he discovered that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get erect!
Sweat trickled down the Crown Prince's forehead, and his face turned red with strain. His once proud prowess now lay limp, offering no response, which was more unbearable than killing him.
Madam Yan also sensed something was amiss. Clinging to the Crown Prince's body, she said, "Your Highness has been too worried and drinking excessively lately. You must be exhausted. Please rest well, and once Your Highness has recovered, this humble servant will attend to you properly."
The Crown Prince thought for a moment and concluded that this must be the case. He then leaned close to Madam Yan's ear and whispered his instructions. Madam Yan nodded as she listened. A short while later, she got dressed and left.
The Crown Prince sat on the bed, looking at his own crotch with some doubt. Was it really due to lack of rest?
A sense of unease gnawed at the Crown Prince. When he was with Madam Xu, he had boundless energy, even three rounds were not a problem. Why couldn't he even get an erection today? It must be that he was too tired recently; a good rest would fix it.
After resting for two days, the Crown Prince summoned Madam Yan again. They engaged in foreplay, but he still couldn't get erect. The Crown Prince finally panicked, thinking he didn't like Madam Yan enough. He then summoned several other beautiful concubines he usually favored, but he remained impotent!
To be the Crown Prince and yet impotent, how would he enjoy his future three palaces and six courtyards? What joy would life hold then! The Crown Prince quietly ordered someone to summon a physician to examine him. However, the physician could not diagnose any problem. The Crown Prince's expression became unpredictable. If he still couldn't detect the issue at this point, he wouldn't be the Crown Prince.
"I want to see Xu Ruolian!" the Crown Prince commanded coldly. "Bring Xu Ruolian to see me."
Fuyao looked troubled. "Your Highness, Madam Xu is currently imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. That is the territory of Prince Qin's influence. It will not be easy to bring Madam Xu out, and it might even alert His Majesty, escalating the situation further."
The Crown Prince's expression became ferocious. He was desperate to see Madam Xu, to ask her if she had done something. He remembered that every time Madam Xu came to serve him, she would burn incense and brew tea for him. He hadn't thought anything was wrong before, but now, upon reflection, everything felt suspicious!
Although he was lustful, he was also restrained. Why did he lose his reason when it came to Madam Xu? He even had a falling out with the Crown Princess because of her and then took her to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to misbehave. Normally, he was meticulous, so why did he repeatedly make mistakes?
"Investigate everything related to Madam Xu. I fear I have been manipulated!"
"Yes, your subordinate will investigate immediately." Fuyao also felt something was wrong. But at the time, the Crown Prince was so infatuated with Madam Xu, even favoring her exclusively, spending twenty days a month in her quarters. Fuyao had tried to dissuade him, but it always ended inconclusively.
Now that the Crown Prince was confined and his body was also having problems, the only way to find out the cause was to see Madam Xu in person. Su Dan Novel Network.
However, the Ministry of Justice prison was not easy to break into. If they were captured, it would implicate the Crown Prince. No, they needed a foolproof plan.
While the Crown Prince and Fuyao were racking their brains for a solution, news came from the Ministry of Justice prison that Madam Xu had been sentenced to death. The Crown Prince's mind went blank. Madam Xu was dead, which meant he would be impotent for the rest of his life!