webnovelfull Chapter 305 My older sister? What older sister?
Chapter 305 My older sister? What older sister?
The Seventh Prince grew even more disdainful upon hearing this, and said with some impatience:
"If that's all there is to say, there's no need to continue. You're really generous to your subordinates."
The Seventh Prince pondered whether to use this matter as leverage or to directly confront Zhen Chenyao before his father.
Zhen Chenyao smiled and said:
"Of course, one should be generous to those who risk their lives for you. After he took responsibility and committed suicide, he was given a complete body."
At this moment, his men brought over a table of fine wine and food. Zhen Chenyao smiled and said:
"Seventh Prince, please."
The Seventh Prince no longer refused. He now had leverage over Zhen Chenyao and was curious about what Zhen was really up to.
Zhen Chenyao poured a cup of wine for the Seventh Prince and said with a smile:
"Seventh Prince, please do me the honor of trying this. It's one of our finest wines, the kind you can't find anywhere else."
The Seventh Prince wasn't worried that he would tamper with the wine; Zhen Chenyao didn't have the guts. After raising his cup and drinking it in one gulp, the Seventh Prince said:
"Alright, be straightforward, no need for beating around the bush. Does your sister, Consort Zhen, know that you've come to surrender?"
Do you really think Situ Hui is a fool? His own sister is a Noble Consort and he has a prince as a nephew. How could he possibly come to surrender? He just didn't do a clean job killing Jia Hu and wants to drag him down with him.
Seeing that Zhen Chenyao didn't speak, the Seventh Prince smiled and said:
"What, you've been exposed so directly, are you stunned? Let me think, did you act on your own initiative, or was it your sister in the palace who suggested it?"
Everyone in the palace could see that the woman was only pretending to be virtuous; in reality, she was a restless person.
Now that there is no empress, she has become a concubine, so naturally she still wants to become empress to give her son a title.
She always pretends to be magnanimous, saying things like, "We little Ba are young and should learn more from our older brothers." She really thinks everyone else is blind. She's just a woman with a pretty face but no brains.
Her father only made her a Noble Consort because of the Dowager Consort's influence. She relied entirely on the Dowager Consort's connections. Over time, she actually started to believe that she had gained the favor on her own merits.
"My older sister? What older sister?!"
Zhen Chenyao smiled dejectedly and took another swig of wine.
Oh, the Seventh Prince suddenly became interested.
Zhen Chenyao sighed; he had been prepared for this all along.
"I'm not afraid to tell you this, but my sister is no ordinary woman. Her heart is completely devoted to the eldest branch of the family, and she despises us second branch in every way. Seventh Prince, tell me, we are all born of the same mother, why is she so biased towards one another!"
The Seventh Prince's interest grew even stronger; he hadn't expected such an unexpected gain, and this trip was definitely worthwhile.
He had always disliked Consort Zhen. What was with her putting on airs in the palace? She even dared to act like a noble consort.
He always tries to use his rank to suppress his mother, doesn't he even know who she is? He always pretends to be gentle and virtuous, talking about how brothers should get along.
Look, look, even her own brother hates her. This is such a huge joke! I'd better write to my mother right away and make her happy too.
"Don't try to fool me with that. You two are siblings. Even if you fight or get angry, it's still a matter for your Zhen family. Don't you want your nephew to climb to that position one day? You're his uncle, so you're not going to miss out on any benefits. Are you willing to give up those things?"
While it may sound like a joke, it shouldn't be taken seriously. Giving up a comfortable life as royalty to surrender to the enemy is just plain stupid!
Zhen Chenyao smiled bitterly. Yes, not only would others not believe him, but even he himself didn't believe it at first. He was forced into this situation by them!
"Even if they are brothers, so what? Five fingers are not all the same length. Let alone a large family like ours. Logically speaking, Seventh Prince, you should understand this principle even better."
"Hmph, you think your Zhen family can compare to us? You must have a death wish to dare to put your impoverished family on par with us!"
The Seventh Prince was full of disdain. They were really taking advantage of his kindness. They were just a family that rose to power by relying on their maternal relatives, yet they dared to compare themselves with the royal family.
"Seventh Prince, please don't be impatient. I was just using this as an analogy and had no intention of offending you."
Zhen Chenyao had never been so tired. He regretted inviting the Seventh Prince today, as he couldn't communicate with him at all.
If it weren't for the fact that there were only a handful of princes capable of seizing the throne, and that only the sixth prince was a suitable partner, he would never have come to seek out the seventh prince.
Zhen Chenyao was now filled with regret. Why wasn't it the Sixth Prince who came? If it had been the Sixth Prince, everything would have been much simpler.
Everyone says that the Sixth Prince is gentle and kind, but Zhen Chenyao knows that the Sixth Prince is definitely not like that on the surface. He has also investigated for a long time and found that many ministers in the court have secretly sided with the Sixth Prince.
His father-in-law had a student in the capital who had met the sixth prince and knew that the prince was always fair in rewarding and punishing, and a man of his word. He had fulfilled all the promises made to the ministers who pledged allegiance to him, which led even more ministers to side with him.
Zhen Chenyao had considered enduring it, thinking that once his nephew ascended the throne, even if his elder sister disliked him, he would still benefit from it.
He used to be full of confidence, until two years ago when the emperor began to fall seriously ill. Later, the emperor recovered and was able to make a southern tour, but after all, he was old and his nephew was young. He had several adult older brothers, so it was not his turn to inherit the position as an underage prince.
Zhen Chenyao had also considered the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince was currently weak and powerless, without the support of his maternal family, and could not possibly defeat the princes whose maternal families were powerful.
After much thought, only the Sixth Prince seemed suitable. Sending someone to contact the Sixth Prince would inevitably involve the Zhen family, so it would be better to meet with the Seventh Prince directly for a detailed discussion. However, the Seventh Prince was an irritable and unpredictable person.
Having finished watching the Seventh Prince's jokes, I felt a bit bored and wanted to leave.
"In the end, you haven't addressed why you betrayed your Zhen family. If you want to surrender, you should at least show some sincerity."
Since things had already come to this point, there was no other way, so Zhen Chenyao could only continue:
“I know that because of my status, no matter how much I say, you, Seventh Prince, cannot fully trust me. So I will speak frankly. It is because of injustice that my father wants to separate our second branch of the family, and my noble sister in the palace has agreed to it.”
They're all her nephews and nieces, and she always sends different gifts for each branch of the family, which I've tolerated. But no one should try to use my sons and daughters to do favors!