These assassins were naturally not here to kill the Crown Prince; they were all Wei family loyalists.
The previous time, Wei Yu had a flash of insight, feeling that any scheme or trickery would be useless against Wang Qingyao, and a direct confrontation would be more effective.
After discussing it with Grand Tutor Wei, she dispatched the family's loyalists.
Under the guise of assassinating the Crown Prince, their true objective was to kill Wang Qingyao amidst the chaos.
She knew Wang Qingyao had someone protecting her, so she sent the most skilled loyalist to tie up Zhenzhu.
The others would pretend to assassinate the Crown Prince, with one hiding in the shadows to find an opportunity to kill Wang Qingyao.
The Crown Prince had guards, and the Marquis of Fuping's mansion also had guards. When the fighting broke out, the scene would be chaotic, and it would be perfectly normal for a person or two to die.
Wei Yu had thought of every possibility.
However, despite her meticulous planning, she never expected that the assassins would be apprehended by Xiao Yun before they could even show themselves.
It was only later that she realized Wang Qingyao's earlier complaint of dizziness, asking Xiao Yun to fetch medicine from his mansion, was actually a ploy. She had intentionally sent Xiao Yun away to carry out her plan.
She was utterly shocked.
Wang Qingyao was standing right beside her, so how could she have detected the assassins hiding nearby?
Wei Yu tried hard to recall; before Wang Qingyao felt dizzy, she seemed to have glanced around...
But the assassins were hidden outside, not inside the Marquis of Fuping's mansion. Even with her exceptional martial arts and keen senses, she shouldn't have been able to detect them.
A faint thread of understanding began to form in Wei Yu's mind, something she almost grasped but couldn't quite articulate.
Wang Qingyao had already guessed most of what Wei Yu had done.
In the entire Great Sheng dynasty, who else would want to assassinate the Crown Prince?
He was practically unrivaled.
Only when one stood at such a height would they feel that everywhere there were treacherous commoners plotting against them.
The wealthier and more noble one was, the more they cherished their life.
Wang Qingyao glanced sideways at Xiao Yun, who appeared to be deep in thought, analyzing the situation.
"Logically speaking, the current court situation is clear. The remaining princes are either too young or their maternal clans are weak..."
Historically, assassinations of the Crown Prince were always linked to struggles for succession.
However, in the imperial harem, apart from the Seventh Prince, the other princes were still too young. Even the Seventh Prince, though his mother was elevated to the rank of concubine, came from a humble family. He had few guards, let alone assassins.
The Crown Prince did not suspect the Seventh Prince at all.
Wang Qingyao raised her hand, "I have a humble suggestion. Could it be Prince Qi?"
"How could it be Prince Qi?" the Crown Prince denied without hesitation. "Prince Qi is still imprisoned at Jiāluò Peak; it couldn't be him!"
"Prince Qi is merely confined, not dead. He cannot come out himself, but his messages can be relayed. Who knows if he has allies outside? If Your Highness were to meet with misfortune, among the three sons of Noble Consort, he would be the most suitable to inherit the throne, being the tallest among the short."
The Crown Prince wavered, suspicion clearly visible on his face.
Wang Qingyao continued, "Prince Qi is the most ruthless. Your Highness, have you forgotten that Prince Rong's leg was broken due to his scheme? If he did it once, he will do it again. Your Highness should be cautious."
"But..." the Crown Prince frowned. "Who would risk helping Prince Qi?"
While there was a possibility of success in helping Prince Qi, the process would undoubtedly be perilous. It would be more practical and convenient to pledge allegiance to him.
Furthermore, they shared the same mother, and their maternal clans had identical influence.
What Prince Qi had, he also had. But what he had, Prince Qi might not necessarily possess.
Wang Qingyao said leisurely, "Perhaps it was his former lover, a companion, or something similar. The world chases fame and fortune, but only love is unadulterated. It's not surprising for someone to disregard family interests for the sake of their beloved."
She paused at this point and glanced at Wei Yu, "Miss Wei, I'm not referring to you."
Initially, no one had thought of Wei Yu. With her mention, everyone remembered.
Prince Qi had pursued Wei Yu back then. Although Wei Yu had not agreed, she had not refused either. They had a period of ambiguous interaction.
Wei Yu subconsciously glanced at the Crown Prince. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held a hint of coldness.
She became furious and shouted at Wang Qingyao, "What nonsense are you spouting?! Prince Qi and I are innocent!"
Wang Qingyao was not angry at all, with a knowing look, "I know, I know, you and Prince Qi are innocent, nothing happened."
Her tone was as if she were pacifying a child.
Wei Yu was choked with anger, her molars grinding. "Wang Qingyao, you are deliberately sowing discord!"
In her extreme anger, Wei Yu actually addressed Wang Qingyao by her given name.
Wang Qingyao looked aggrievedly at Xiao Yun. Xiao Yun displeasedly said, "Miss Wei, although you are the future Crown Princess, you are not yet married. Strictly speaking, my Ding'an Princess Consort holds a rank, while you have none... Even if you become the Crown Princess in the future, and hold a high position, it is still impolite to address the Ding'an Princess Consort by her given name. Have you ever heard the Empress Dowager, Noble Consort Wei, or even the Emperor address the Princess Consort by her given name? Or does Miss Wei, in her heart, look down on the Princess Consort, and look down on our Ding'an Prince's Mansion?"
Xiao Yun's aggressive words caused Wei Yu's face to change color from red to purple.
The matter of the assassins had not even been resolved, and now it escalated to disrespecting the Ding'an Prince's Mansion.
Wei Yu felt overwhelmed.
She knew that Wang Qingyao could be dealt with, but the Ding'an Prince's Mansion could not be offended.
Taking a deep breath, suppressing the almost surging anger within her, she put on a tearful expression and said to Wang Qingyao, "Princess Consort Ding'an, please do not be angry. It is my fault. I was too hasty, which is why I acted this way. Prince Qi and I merely share a purely sibling-like affection. You wrong me like this, and I lost control of my temper..."
She apologized, then shifted the responsibility back to Wang Qingyao.
Wang Qingyao looked bewildered, "I didn't wrong you. Didn't I say I believe you and Prince Qi are innocent?"
She pursed her lips, appearing wronged, "I already said I believe you, why are you still being so aggressive? Do you dislike me saying this? Are you afraid Prince Qi will be unhappy?"
Wang Qingyao's expression was one of shock and sudden realization, covering her mouth with her hand as if she had just uttered something earth-shattering.
Wei Yu was so angry her face was about to contort.
The anger that had just subsided surged back, "You are slandering me!"
Wang Qingyao seemed startled, cowering behind Xiao Yun, and still managed to mutter, "Who doesn't have a past? The Crown Prince is not such a petty person, what's so difficult to admit?"
Wei Yu was truly infuriated.
She knew Wang Qingyao was deliberately provoking her and trying to sow discord between her and the Crown Prince.
Wang Qingyao was not important; what mattered was what the Crown Prince thought.
She ignored Wang Qingyao and turned to the Crown Prince, saying sincerely, "Cousin, you know that Prince Qi's first love was my elder sister, and later he liked Miss Han. I have absolutely no relationship with him."
The Crown Prince had collaborated with Wei Yu for so many years, and naturally knew that Wei Yu had played along with Prince Qi back then to gain his trust.
To say there was absolutely no relationship was too absolute.
His expression darkened, "Stop arguing. Whether it is Prince Qi or not, I will investigate and find out myself!"
The warm pavilion banquet ended unhappily, though only the Crown Prince and Wei Yu were unhappy.
Wang Qingyao and Xiao Yun had eliminated a portion of the Wei family's loyalists and were in a very good mood.
Xiao Mo ordered the kitchen to send up food. Xiao Yun waved his hand, "I won't eat. The Crown Prince will surely send people to investigate Jiāluò Peak. I need to do something before him."
The Crown Prince might not believe that Wei Yu and Prince Qi had colluded to harm him, but the seed of doubt had been planted. It would eventually take root and grow into a towering tree.