Du Gu Luanyue's long, curled crow-feather-like eyelashes fluttered slightly.
"Huowei is now the eldest prince of Northern Yan. Because of Lu Wanyin, Murong Min dotes on him greatly and has even given him a lot of real power.
It will be easy for Huowei to achieve whatever he wants in Northern Yan in the future. He no longer needs to use the pretext of attacking Southern Chu to gain military power in the south and then turn back to the Northern Yan imperial palace."
Aunt Meijiang asked, "Then, Your Highness, regarding those past events that Military Advisor Shen told you last time, is the Prince of Yuzhang really the emperor's son or Xie Jinyang's?"
Du Gu Luanyue replied, "According to what Shen Guilan said, Huowei should be Xie Jinyang's son, but I felt he was hiding something that day.
I'm just worried that if Huowei is truly Murong Min's son, and if he seeks revenge on Murong Min in the future, wouldn't he be killing his own father?
Regicide and patricide are things that go against the will of heaven." Then she added, "Before I leave, I must go and see Huowei to give him a warning.
I always feel that there's someone behind Huowei, constantly using and inciting him."
Half a month later, Huowei welcomed Wei Zhiruo into the Prince of Yuzhang's mansion through the back door. The people in the mansion addressed her as the concubine.
Last winter, the snow kept falling, indicating a promising year ahead.
News came from the previous court that Murong Min had adopted Huowei into Wei Enxian's family. Now, Concubine Xian was Huowei's adoptive mother, and Huowei and the Wei family were even more closely related.
The Wei family began to switch sides in the court and fully supported Huowei in order to secure the position of crown prince for him.
Before the Chinese New Year's Eve in the 13th year of Yongjia in Northern Yan, due to Murong Min's weakening health after an illness, the court proposed to crown a crown prince to ensure the stability of the country.
The Wei family, which held a crucial position in the court, recommended Huowei as the crown prince of Northern Yan.
Not long after, this matter was settled.
The imperial astrologer and the Ministry of Rites changed Huowei's name to Murong Yao.
Emperor Wenhui Murong Min issued an imperial edict, naming Murong Yao as the crown prince of Northern Yan and ordering him to move into the Eastern Palace.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, during the day, there was the ceremony to crown Huowei as the crown prince, during which he received the homage of all the court officials.
At night, there was a banquet to celebrate the crowning of the crown prince. As the lanterns were lit, the magnificent palaces glowed with a magnificent golden light.
Huowei no longer wore his usual black brocade robe. Instead, he wore a jade dragon and gold crown on his head and a vermilion court robe with prince's emblems as he appeared in the Hall of Everlasting Happiness.
Beside him was Wei Zhiruo, who had become even more arrogant. After becoming a noblewoman of the royal family, she now looked down on everyone.
Du Gu Luanyue exchanged a few words with Murong Min and then returned to her seat.
She knew that Huowei didn't want to see her at all now. Even when she sent someone to find Huowei to talk to him about that matter, Huowei didn't respond at all.
She privately asked Shen Guilan and confirmed that Huowei had no intention of attacking Southern Chu before making up her mind that after today, she would find an opportunity to leave Northern Yan.
The arrangements outside the palace had already been made, and she was just waiting for an excuse to leave the palace and stage her own death.
Wei Zhiruo sat beside Wei Enxian, with a sweet smile on her face. "Aunt, the crown prince treats me very well. He's so gentle, and he always agrees with whatever I say.
Last night, I even tentatively asked if he wanted to choose some concubines in the Eastern Palace, but the crown prince refused. He said that having me was enough."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Du Gu Luanyue out of the corner of her eye, full of pride.
Since Murong Jue's death, Wei Enxian had been in a gloomy mood. She said indifferently, "It's the best that the crown prince treats you well, Zhiruo. Don't cause any trouble in the inner courtyard. Just stay quietly."
Wei Zhiruo refused to let it go. With a shy look in her eyes, she said, "I didn't cause any trouble. It was the crown prince who always bothered me. He even said that he wanted to have an heir soon."
Du Gu Luanyue was sitting right above Wei Enxian, and she could hear every word Wei Zhiruo said clearly.
Du Gu Luanyue's heart was in turmoil after hearing this. Although she knew she was going to leave and had no right to say anything.
Wei Zhiruo now had a legitimate status, while she was the one hiding in the corner.
She poured one cup of wine after another down her throat. Wei Zhiruo's mouth was like a bursting flood, constantly pouring out the details of her and Huowei's relationship.
Her jade-like eyes were half-lowered, casting shadows from her long eyelashes. Her colorful makeup now looked a bit dull.
She flicked her sleeves and got up, then left the Hall of Everlasting Happiness indifferently.
Wei Zhiruo watched Du Gu Luanyue's back, and the smile on her face gradually froze into ice.
On the night when she was welcomed into the mansion for the wedding night, Huowei sat in the room and drank all night. When he was drunk, he kept mumbling Du Gu Luanyue's name.
But she couldn't inform on them anymore because now the Wei family and Huowei were completely bound together. They would either rise or fall together.
Just as Du Gu Luanyue was halfway through her walk, Murong Hua, who was sitting in his seat, suddenly smashed his wine cup. The splashing wine spilled towards her and landed on her bright red skirt.
Du Gu Luanyue looked up, and Murong Hua was shouting below:
"Father, you're blind. Huowei is not your blood at all. It's all fake!
The bastard you had with that woman named Lu Wanyin in the temple when you were young is already dead!"
Someone had specifically told him these things.
He knew everything, but the person told him to be patient and not to expose the matter at the crown prince's coronation banquet. He was supposed to find a suitable opportunity to sow discord between Huowei and Murong Min.
But he couldn't hold it in anymore and blurted it out after drinking.
Murong Hua's words in front of all the court officials really embarrassed Murong Min.
"Presumptuous! Is it your imperial grandmother who is backing you up again? How dare you mention the name of the crown prince's birth mother so casually! You're really presumptuous!"
Huowei slowly placed the golden goblet in his hand on the table and walked up to Murong Hua. Du Gu Luanyue stood behind him, blocking him.
Huowei's tall and straight figure was half a head taller than Murong Hua's. He looked down at him with his eyes half-lowered, and his eyes were filled with a menacing aura like a black fog.
"Brother, do you want the whole world to laugh at Father?"
Murong Hua grabbed Huowei's lapel. "It's all a conspiracy! Father, quickly kill Huowei. He wants to usurp the country!"
The court officials had already had reservations about Murong Min suddenly recognizing this eldest prince and quickly crowning him as the crown prince. Everyone was worried about the matter of the royal bloodline, fearing that something might go wrong.
With Murong Hua's interruption today, there was even more discussion.
Murong Min stepped down from the dragon throne in a rage. "Someone, take the second prince away. I don't want to see him!"
Just as Murong Hua was being taken away, he suddenly vomited blood and fell to the ground, twitching constantly.
After a few moments, he completely stopped moving.
Du Gu Luanyue frowned, and a sense of uneasiness came over her.
Wei Enxian exclaimed, "A Jue. That's exactly how A Jue vomited blood, fell to the ground, twitched constantly, and then died!"
Huowei bent down and checked Murong Hua's breath. He was indeed dead.
"Father, the second brother has passed away. This is the second time someone has brought poison into the crown prince's coronation banquet using the same method."
His eyes casually swept over Shen Guilan, who was standing on one side.