Chapter 1055: Cannot Exist Together

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

It was also because of this that the emperor was very afraid of the old n.o.bles. There was welfare and preferential treatment, but these were not too important.

The power of the old n.o.bles had been pa.s.sed down for generations, but they had also fallen from generation to generation. They were no longer as prosperous as before.

Without great contributions or the great merit of expanding the territory, it would be very difficult for the old n.o.bles to return to their former prosperity.

The previous emperor had chosen the Ning Residence and targeted the huge benefits behind it. He wanted to support the Ning Residence to protect the fifth son of the previous emperor.

The Ning Residence had been placed in an important position by the previous emperor. In the future, if they helped the new emperor, they would be able to ensure the prosperity of three generations.

This was an opportunity and a huge gamble.

Seeing that Yu Youyao did not look too good, the smile in Princess Liyang’s eyes deepened. “The previous emperor had the intention to nurture his henchmen for the fifth son of the emperor. The Ning Residence was one of them, but the world was unpredictable. Not long after, the previous emperor fell sick and lost his power. It was the Empress Dowager who surpa.s.sed the emperor and bestowed a marriage to the daughter of the Ning family for the fourth son of the emperor. She joined forces with the relatives and many n.o.ble generals in the court to initiate the palace riot.”

Yu Youyao understood the key point.

Since the previous emperor had nurtured his henchmen for his fifth son, it meant that the previous emperor’s body might not have reached the point of being seriously ill. Princess Liyang had also always said that the previous emperor was “ill and weak” but had never mentioned that he was seriously ill.

When a person was sick, it was inevitable that they would be exhausted. This was a very normal situation.

In that case, there was probably another reason why the previous emperor had fallen sick.

With the previous emperor’s illness, the Ning Residence, which he had single-handedly promoted, had become a useless chess piece. In the end, it benefited the Empress Dowager.

The Ning Residence had no choice.

The previous emperor’s edict had become a death warrant for the Ning Residence. Not only could the Ning Residence not reveal anything, but they also had to do their best to be a loyal dog to the current emperor.

“The fifth son of the previous emperor did not partic.i.p.ate in the power struggle, but the previous emperor liked his fifth son and had the intention to establish him. Everyone knows that after the current emperor ascended the throne, it was the Empress Dowager and the Ning Residence who protected him. In addition, the fifth son of the previous emperor was a good-for-nothing. That’s why he was not implicated. However, it doesn’t mean that the current emperor doesn’t have a grudge against the fifth son of the previous emperor. This also planted a root of trouble for the subsequent destruction of the Ning Residence.”

Yu Youyao felt a chill run down her spine. The dog emperor was suspicious by nature. Due to the fact that he had just ascended the throne and was controlled by the Empress Dowager and the court officials, and because the fifth son of the emperor was the previous emperor’s favorite son, it was not appropriate for him to kill everyone as soon as he ascended the throne, so he could only let the fifth son of the previous emperor off.

However, his grudge against the fifth son of the previous emperor deepened day by day.

His dissatisfaction and suspicion towards the Ning Residence also deepened day by day.

The root of the problem had been planted from the beginning.

It wasn’t just because the fifth son of the previous emperor had made outstanding military achievements in the North and became the famous King You.

Princess Liyang sighed softly. “The current emperor is in an improper position and is controlled by the Empress Dowager. He’s always worried about his personal gains and losses. He suspects that his dragon position is unstable and that the previous emperor has a backup plan. Anyone who’s related to the fifth son of the previous emperor will be suspected. Due to the previous emperor’s edict, the Ning Residence is also walking on thin ice in the court.”

He wasn’t worthy of his status, so he was worried about his gains and losses.

“Back then, the emperor personally conquered the north. The Ning Residence could have refused to go to war, but in order to dispel the emperor’s suspicion and regain his trust, the Ning Residence had no choice but to support the emperor’s personal expedition. It was also because of the emperor’s suspicion of the Ning Residence that the entire Ning Residence was loyal but suffered an injustice.”

Supporting a personal expedition to the north was a helpless move not only for the Ning Residence, but also for the Empress in the palace and the eldest son of the emperor who had just been born.

If the Ning Residence refused to go to war, the emperor would be even more suspicious and dissatisfied with the Ning Residence. The Empress’s situation in the palace was obvious. Meanwhile, the eldest son of the emperor would lose his holy heart and become the target of public criticism.

Her grandmother had mentioned the old matters of the Ning Residence to her in the past, but Yu Youyao did not understand. Duke Ning used to guard the North and was also a fierce general who had been through hundreds of battles. How could he support such a ridiculous act of personally conquering the north?

It was as if he was asking for trouble.

Now, it seemed that he had no choice.

That edict was like a guillotine hanging over the head of the Ning Residence. If they could not gain the emperor’s trust, the outcome of the Ning Residence could be foreseen.

At this point, Princess Liyang looked at Yu Youyao with a faint smile. “Eldest Princess, you don’t know this, but Duke Ning was guarding the North earlier and had many connections in the North. The Empress Dowager asked King Li of Zhou to become the va.s.sal lord because she borrowed the protection of the old subordinates of the Ning family. Otherwise, how do you think King Li of Zhou could easily recover hundreds of thousands of troops as a profligate son after arriving in Liaodong? Without the help of his old subordinates, how could he have established himself in the North so quickly?”

So this was it.

In the past, there were some things that she couldn’t figure out or didn’t make sense. Now, they were all connected. Yu Youyao’s scalp went numb, and she suddenly couldn’t stand it anymore.

Empress Ning and Yin Huaixi were not just fated.

The destruction of the Ning Residence was directly related to King Li of Zhou. King Li of Zhou was protected by the old subordinates of the Ning Residence. This was also an indelible kindness.

The interests between Yin Huaixi and Empress Ning had long been inseparable.

Previously, when Empress Ning had brazenly schemed against her marriage, Yin Huaixi had not said anything. He had only gone with the flow and schemed against the Empress Dowager to arrange a marriage for them.

As long as there was such a “kindness”, Yin Huaixi’s entanglement with Empress Ning and Princess Liyang would be endless.

It seemed only right for Princess Liyang to have such thoughts.

Her marriage with Yin Huaixi had been given by the Empress Dowager and could not be changed. Before they got married, someone came knocking on her door and hinted to her in a righteous and matter-of-fact tone.

“I’m your fiance’s future concubine. My mother and your fiance have an extraordinary relationship. You have to be magnanimous. We can call each other sisters and live in harmony. If you don’t like it, at most, we can mind our own business.”

How should Yu Youyao react?

“You’ve provoked me.” She stood up and looked at Princess Liyang arrogantly. Her voice was cold and hard. “I don’t care what schemes you have, nor do I care about the entanglement between Empress Ning and Yin Huaixi. Just one thing. Listen carefully—” She paused for a moment and her lips curled up slightly. “In the Yue Fei Residence, we cannot exist together.”

Princess Liyang frowned, her expression a little ugly. “Eldest Princess, what do you mean?”

Yu Youyao turned a deaf ear to her and stepped out of the reception pavilion with a cold expression.

Chun Xiao and Xia Tao quickly welcomed her.

Yu Youyao said slowly, “Go prepare the carriage and pack up to return to the Yu Garden.”

Chun Xiao was shocked and subconsciously looked at the sky outside. “Are you leaving now? It’s already midnight. Isn’t it inappropriate?”

Xia Tao had entered the residence since she was young. As she was smart and likable, not long after she entered the residence, she was transferred to serve the Young Miss. Everyone said that the Young Miss was mischievous, but her Young Miss had never criticized the servants, nor did she show any expression. She had served her Young Miss for so many years, but this was the first time she had seen her Young Miss’s expression so ugly. She subconsciously glanced into the room.

Princess Liyang was still in the house and had not left.