Chapter 347 - Closet Encounters

"What are you getting at?" Princess Nalan asked with a raised eyebrow, still frowning.

"Well...I was just thinking about how this could be good for you." Lei Xing enlightened and Princess Nalan's frown deepened. She was obviously still confused but she did not want to ask so she just trained her eyes on Lei Xing and waited for her to continue.

Lei Xing leaned forward on the table, knitting her brows and lowering her voice, "See, the thing is I can't, well... It will be hard for me or anyone to get the Emperor to simply release Prince Yi. This is treason we're talking about, once this arrow has been released, it cannot be called back. It is not something a leader can afford to be lax about, otherwise, others will follow suit thinking nothing of such a crime -"

"So, what does that have to do with me?" Princess Nalan irritatedly cut in, she grew up in a palace so she understood all these, but this was her life and her future husband, she could not be seen as soft or understanding. 

Lei Xing let out a breath and flatly said, "While I can't persuade the Emperor to release him, it is possible that I could persuade him to say.... banish him?"

Princess Nalan blinked and then knit her brows in confusion as she echoed, "Banish him?" Not quite understanding.

Lei Xing quickly explained before Princess Nalan could jump the gun, "En, if you marry him as it is now, you would be expected to live here with him or do you think he would want to move back to Zou with you?" She paused for effect and watched Princess Nalan's frown deepen. 

Up until yesterday, Princess Nalan had truly thought that she could persuade Prince Yi to move back to Zou with her. She thought he would like it better there, but now if the claims of treason were true, then it would mean he wanted the throne...here. 

And Lei Xing went ahead to confirm her suspicions when she softly said, "Nalan, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, Prince Yi has greater aspirations. Most of which do not ordinarily include a life frol.i.c.k.i.n.g in the wild, but that can change. We as people adapt regardless of whether we're willing or not. He can learn to love it through you, you can show him how. If he's banished then and you marry him, then he would be left with nothing, his aspirations gone, he would be lost and you can show him the way. You can take him back home with you, marry him, and make him happy in your life. I can advoc-"

"You're asking me to betray him?!" Princess Nalan menacingly said, glaring daggers at Lei Xing.

Lei Xing lightly sighed in exasperation, "It's not like I'm asking you to testify against him, I'm not asking you to do anything at all. I am just explaining to you why this is a good option for you."

Princess Nalan frowned down at the table between them, seemingly in contemplation. Then obviously restless, she jumped to her feet and began pacing. Lei Xing quietly watched her and waited while it all sank in for her. If all goes well, Princess Nalan would stop thinking of how to cause trouble and would simply patiently and happily wait to cart off her dear Prince on her shoulders to Zou, out of sight, out of mind. 

Lei Xing was almost positive this was what the Emperor had in mind and if that was not it, then she could persuade him a little - but she would have to be careful about going about this. Although she did not think that he could find anything to be jealous of her talking about sending his brother away, but you never know with him these days. Even when he had told her about what he planned to do with Prince Yi last night, she was careful not to show too much interest in the issue - not that she really cared in the first place, her mind was occupied with other matters.

After a while, Princess Nalan finally stopped her pacing and turned to Lei Xing and declared, "He would hate me." Dragging Lei Xing back from her wandering thoughts. 

Lei Xing sighed and took the teapot to pour herself a cup of tea as she lightly responded, "Hate you for what? It's not like you're the one who turned him or asked him to commit treason. He didn't even know you then... Moreover, with your wild show of love today, hating you would be far from his mind." She offhandedly said as she sipped the tea. She was really tired today and dealing with all this crap was draining her fast. 

"You think so?" Princess Nalan skeptically said, walking over to stand by the table.

"Of course. Honestly, considering he would be left with nothing when banished. You, my dear -" She said, raising her cup to Princess Nalan, " - would be saving him, he would undoubtedly come to feel a great deal of gratitude and devotion towards you. You can live as freely as you will and he will accommodate all your wants. This will be a win for your union." She finished, putting her cup down and looking up at Princess Nalan with a smile.

Princess Nalan pursed her lips, still looking hesitant as she sank down to the stool next to Lei Xing, "So... so... what - what-" Princess Nalan frowned, annoyed with the tone of her voice, "What now?" She irritatedly blurted out.

"Nothing..." Lei Xing said, innocently blinking at her, "You just need to be quiet the next few days, nothing like you did today. We can't further exacerbate things. I'll take care of the rest. You just take care of yourself and of course, the baby. I'm sure the physicians have told you that stress is bad for your condition, I know you're strong but you have to take better care now..." Lei Xing gently said, giving Princess Nalan's shoulder a reassuring pat. 

Princess Nalan frowned and stared down at the table, deep in thought.

***

"Shan!" Zhao Chang excitedly called as he reached Prince Yi's cell. He then blinked, taken aback when he saw the state of the "lodgings". Prince Yi was in prison, yes. But unlike the other cells, his cell was clean with a bed - not a comfortable bed, but it was better than the straw the others had. There was also a table in the center of the "room" with two stools, where Prince Yi was currently sat drinking out of a cup. 

{...Is that hot tea? O_O)...}

Zhao Chang frowned, this was not the state of the prison he had imagined. He had imagined Prince Yi shackled to a wall, stripped with wounds all over his body while continuously being tortured.

"Well... You look comfortable." Zhao Chang said, sounding a bit disgruntled as Prince Yi calmly approached him. It seems Prince Yi did not need his rescuing at all and well, it was a bit upsetting. 

"What are you doing here?" Prince Yi quietly asked, knitting his brows as he glanced about the walkway, before looking over Zhao Chang's obviously borrowed guard's outfit, "How did you get that?" Prince Yi asked with a frown. He could not imagine that Zhao Chang had the good sense to effectively bribe his way into the prison. 

"Nevermind that. What's going on? How do we get you out of here?" Zhao Chang hurriedly said, trying to move the conversation along. He knew Prince Yi would definitely not approve of him going to Lei Yong for help, it would be dubbed "too suspicious". 

But to Zhao Chang, straight-laced people like Lei Yong were easy to handle. You just had to get under their skin and they would do as you bid as long as you phrased it the right way. Even though Lei Yong had not agreed right away and sent him off saying he was busy at the time, Zhao Chang believed that he would eventually come through... And he did. 

Lei Yong had sent a man to him that night. The man came ready with an Imperial guard's outfit for him and then walked Zhao Chang through all the checkpoints in the palace. It was obvious Lei Yong had informed the prison guards prior to their arrival as the man simply nodded at the prison guards and they opened every gate for them...Of course, every gate did not include Prince Yi's cell. 

Prince Yi knit his brows, sighed, and irritatedly said, "I don't know, no one has mentioned what these charges are about... Has anything happened outside?" Prince Yi asked with great intent. 

Zhao Chang knit his brows and shook his head, "Some other ministers were arrested as well, I don't really remember which ones exactly, a few small ministers - Ah! The finance minister, Chen Bo, he was part of them, but nothing has been said about the charges. My father isn't telling me anything." Zhao Chang grumbled, he was sure his father knew what was going on. 

{...Stingy old man!...}

"Chen Bo...?" Prince Yi quietly said to himself, frowning in confusion. 

{...I have not had any dealings with Chen Bo - except... But why would that suddenly come up after all this time? How could he -!...}

Prince Yi sighed in irritation, raising a hand to massage his temple. He was starting to get an idea of what the Emperor was doing and it was particularly infuriating. It was now clear why he had been spared from their father's wrath those few years back during the aftermath of the Crown Prince's rebellion. Prince Yi frowned, as he wondered if their father had planned this or had it been Jun Kai who had planned this from the beginning. 

{...I should have known when he started all that "ghost" nonsense with the ministers... How long has he known? Did father leave him the evidence so he could "take care" of me? Or was he just playing with me all this time? Playing with all of us!...}

Jun Kai was now Emperor, even if he wanted to dispute the evidence or claim innocent, who was he to appeal to? Not that their father would have given his pleas a listening ear either. Prince Yi stiffly punched his fist into the prison bars as he said under his breath, "I acted too late..." 

Zhao Chang looked Prince Yi over and then lowered his voice and asked, "Don't tell me you really did something? Why didn't you tell me? I could have hel-" Zhao Chang stopped when Prince Yi turned his glare on him and then cleared his throat, "I'm just saying, it could have gone a different way if I were involved." He disgruntedly said.

"If you were involved, you would have been dead." Prince Yi irritatedly said and Zhao Chang smiled said, "I knew you were thinking of me. In that case, I forgive you~... But next time, you have to tell me these things. I'm not so useless you know, see!" He said, spreading his arms, obviously referring to the fact that he made it to the prison "on his own".

"You still haven't told me how you got here." Prince Yi said, narrowing his eyes. 

"Not important, not important." Zhao Chang quickly said, rubbing his nose and clearing his throat.