It's unclear when it began, but Prince Rui, the prince adopted halfway through, has garnered significant attention.
The era of the Crown Prince's faction and Prince Ning's faction being at odds has long passed, evolving into a three-way split. Prince Rui's reputation now subtly seems to be on the rise, surpassing the others. Although he didn't contribute to the war in the Northern Frontier, the negotiated peace was facilitated by him.
Everyone is watching, waiting to see what rewards the Emperor bestows.
The prevailing winds in the capital are about to change again.
As soon as Meng Changdong returned to the capital, he was busy dealing with the affairs left by the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice. Situ Yan, however, was idly slacking off at home. Not only did he skip official duties, he didn't even attend the morning court. Lu Nianfu woke up to find the sun already high in the sky. Hearing him outside, playing with their child, she paused for a moment, "You're out of court this early today?"
"I didn't go."
"Did Father Emperor grant you leave?"
Situ Yan stated righteously, "After working diligently for so long, is it wrong to rest at home?"
Lu Nianfu: ...
Was this still the diligent and hardworking Prince Rui she knew?
Situ Yan continued, "The seventh month is scorching, the heat is unbearable. A few basins of ice each day aren't enough. Why don't we take Yao'er to the manor to escape the heat? We haven't visited the manor the Emperor bestowed upon us yet."
Lu Nianfu felt a prickle of unease. She had wet nurse Xu carry the child away, then closed the bedroom door and asked, "A'yan, did something happen in the imperial court?"
"It's nothing major. It's just that upon our return to the capital, we found more people watching us. So, I thought it best to lay low for a while." Tsk, it was a good thing he pushed the credit for the Northern Frontier war away, otherwise, these people wouldn't just be watching him.
Lu Nianfu quickly understood the implication, "Is it the Crown Prince and Prince Ning's people?"
"Not just them. Quite a few important court officials are watching me. If we don't withdraw, I fear some people will try to instigate me to contend for that position." Situ Yan looked annoyed. Getting entangled in the power struggle for the throne meant either success or ruin. He didn't have such grand ambitions, and certainly wouldn't gamble with his wife and child's lives.
In her past life, Lu Nianfu had been Prince Ning's concubine and had personally witnessed the struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Ning.
During that time, there were constant border wars, and the court was in turmoil. The Emperor suffered from persistent headaches and was powerless. It was Situ Yan who stepped in to manage the situation. Although his lame leg barred him from the highest seat and kept him from the battlefield, he still seemed to stand at the pinnacle of power.
Otherwise, Situ Jue wouldn't have tried to win him over multiple times.
Lu Nianfu looked at his appearance, so eager to escape, and felt a sense of daze. She couldn't reconcile this Prince Rui with the man in her past life who had single-handedly steered the empire through chaos and held immense power.
Weren't they the same person? How could their ambition differ so greatly?
"Pop," Situ Yan flicked her forehead. "Wife, what are you thinking about?"
Lu Nianfu blurted out, "Haven't you ever thought about fighting for it?"
Situ Yan's expression froze. "Do you want to be Empress?"
"Not that grand of an ambition. It's just that you've always been high-profile since returning to the capital, offending both the Crown Prince and Prince Ning. If they ascend to the throne in the future, your days might be difficult."
"If they ascend, I'll just be a leisurely prince. While Father Emperor is still alive, I'll request a fiefdom. At worst, we won't return to the capital. We'll take the child and do as we please. Our lives will definitely be more carefree than they are now."
Lu Nianfu thought being a leader in a fiefdom wasn't bad either. "But A'yan, I'm afraid you won't be able to let go of those soldiers at the border."
Situ Yan fell silent.
The reason he wanted to train troops in the Ministry of War was precisely to make the Great Yin army strong and capable, so they could achieve victory with minimal sacrifice on the battlefield.
However, he was also philosophical. "Alas, one lives each day as it comes. Father Emperor's health is still quite good, isn't it? He'll definitely live another twenty years."
"I also hope he lives a long life."
Situ Yan patted her hand. "Don't worry. Besides the Crown Prince and Situ Jue, there are still Third Brother and Fourth Brother."
As for Sixth Brother, he was still guarding the imperial mausoleum. Even if he came out, who knew if he'd get involved with Situ Jue again.