Chapter 620: Chapter 618: The Transmigrated Woman Who Self-Destructed 18 Times 49
Before the imperial banquet, Jiang Zhi managed to return, just in time the day before.
The Emperor, learning of his hardships along the way and somewhat aware of the assassination attempts, did not look pleased. He did not call him back, but instead kept him within the palace. This action led to various speculations among the other princes.
Unhappy in his heart, Jiang Yuan sent some things to Jin Zhu.
Upon receiving the items, Jin Zhu instantly understood, and then donned her most beautiful outfit and gracefully went to Shen Nanqiao’s place. After all, Shen Nanqiao was under house arrest again, so she had to go over.
Having been at the Fourth Prince Mansion for some time, she had somewhat grasped the Fourth Prince’s intentions, which was to make Shen Nanqiao uncomfortable.
Thinking back to the previous Daoist Bai Hong, who could still work by the Fourth Prince’s side, Jin Zhu realized that the Fourth Prince was not a narrow-minded person, but he could not tolerate betrayers. Moreover, the servants in this mansion were very respectful to the Fourth Prince, and the fact that so many followed him proved his good character.
Shen Nanqiao’s fate today was solely because of betrayal.
The Fourth Prince was never lenient with traitors, making life unbearable for them.
How did she know so clearly? Because more than once, she had been called by the Fourth Prince to witness the handling of traitors, which truly would terrify one’s soul.
From initial fear to now calmness, Jin Zhu had become accustomed to it.
As long as she did not betray him, even if Shen Nanqiao disappeared one day, she could still find a way to survive.
A servant opened the door and saw Shen Nanqiao rushing out like a madwoman, with Jin Zhu smiling as she watched others restrain her. She did not actually do anything to Shen Nanqiao, just stood there saying things that stung her.
The Fourth Prince loved to see this.
Sometimes it seemed quite strange to think about.
But at other times, he was actually quite nice.
After having infuriated Shen Nanqiao to the point her eyes were red, Jin Zhu left with a smile. Shortly after returning to her courtyard, more rewards came.
Holding exquisite jewelry, she silently repeated in her heart three times: Never betray the Fourth Prince, Never betray the Fourth Prince, Never betray the Fourth Prince.
Afterwards, she happily began to arrange the jewelry.
Although the Fourth Prince did not come to her, life was good, more than enough for Jin Zhu, better than she had imagined.
At the imperial banquet the next day, no one expected Jiang Zhi to pull off something big.
He not only presented high-yield crop seeds and some rare fruits and vegetables but also new agricultural tools.
The crop seeds had already been tested at his estate, yielding high output, and the fruits and vegetables were extremely delicious. The new tools dramatically improved farming efficiency, saving a lot of labor. These tools were made from simple materials, and any average craftsman, with a bit of thought, could replicate them.
The Emperor was shocked by Jiang Zhi’s reveal, even though his son had mentioned before about experimenting with seeds, and would report back once results were available. But he never thought that the Sixth Prince would just reveal it all, with nothing held back.
Considering everything the Sixth Prince had done over the years, if nothing unexpected happened, it was obvious to everyone that he was likely to be chosen. His intentions were quite clear, and the Sixth Prince should know. Even without these accomplishments, the Emperor had long intended to appoint the Crown Prince. The only hesitation was due to historical precedent where Crown Princes seldom ascended smoothly, often meeting tragic ends, which made him superstitious and delayed the appointment.
If the Sixth Prince had even a bit of self-interest, he could have waited until after ascending the throne to present these things, and all the merit would have belonged to him alone.
By giving them out then, though the merit was considerable, it was not the same as holding it all.
If there were no issues with the high-yield crops, within two years, the lives of the Yang Dynasty’s people would experience significant changes, and naturally, this merit would belong to him, the Emperor.
The Emperor looked at Jiang Zhi with complex feelings, and his mind vaguely made a decision. Over the years, his health had gradually declined; the Sixth Prince was capable of shouldering great responsibilities. The matter should be settled. The grown sons were fighting more intensely, and if he did not decide, who knew how far the infighting would go.
Since he hesitated to appoint a Crown Prince, why not directly pass the throne to the Sixth Prince? If he appointed the Crown Prince, immediately passing the throne would avoid major issues.
Thinking of this, even a smile appeared more frequently on the Emperor’s face.
"Good!"
Everyone, hearing this "good," felt something was off.
Afterwards, the Emperor praised Jiang Zhi from head to toe before starting the banquet.
At the end of the banquet, the Emperor was not hasty but delegated the issue of crops, fruit trees, and tools down, with Jiang Zhi generally in charge since these were his handiwork. At the same time, he had his other sons assist Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Zhi said little, but promptly made arrangements for his brothers.
Ever since meeting Miss Chu, his horizons had broadened significantly, and he understood the world more, realizing his own insignificance. But he was not a god, the only thing he could do was use what he knew to strengthen the Yang Dynasty.
The rivalry among brothers should also come to an end; why waste time on such matters?
As for Jiang Yuan wanting to kill him, as long as the other party came to his senses and stopped causing trouble, he would not bother with it. It’s not about anything else; the Fourth Brother had capabilities. In crucial matters, he really did not disappoint.
He sensed the attitude of the Father Emperor at the banquet, and during accompanying meals in the palace, the Father Emperor hinted at him.
Jiang Zhi did not ponder further and stayed busy every day.
All the grown princes had their tasks, and although Jiang Zhi’s brilliance suppressed them somewhat, they sensed the Father Emperor’s attention on this matter and dared not be careless, wanting to perform well.
"Your Highness, should anything be done to this matter?" asked Bai Hong Taoist.
Jiang Yuan glanced at him and asked, "How could anything be done?"
"With my magic, I can easily cause it to rain and blow wind within a certain range," Bai Hong Taoist replied.
Jiang Yuan understood that causing timely wind and rain could ruin the crops, and by running many errands, natural disasters would occur everywhere, quickly wasting his Sixth Brother’s efforts.
He remained silent.
This was indeed a method to strike at his Sixth Brother. But...it would bring great calamity to the Yang Dynasty, and he did not know how to handle it then.
"I just want to be Emperor, not destroy the entire Yang Dynasty. If something major happens, even if I ascend to the throne, I would quickly become a ruler of a doomed nation. That would not be a good outcome. So, refrain from presenting such schemes again."
Undermining the foundation of the Yang Dynasty, to what benefit would it bring him?
Both vicious and foolish.
Short-sighted.
"If there’s a way to deal with the Sixth Brother, feel free to present it." He said. Although it would be a pity if the Sixth Brother died, those things would still be there.
The impact would be minimal.
With those resources, he could still be a good Emperor and had full confidence in Jiang Yuan.
They were, after all, competitors.
Bai Hong Taoist also fell silent. If he could kill Jiang Zhi, he should be the Emperor himself; the Fourth Prince really spoke lightly of it.
Was choosing the Fourth Prince the right choice? Bai Hong Taoist suddenly doubted his life choices.
"Daoist, can’t you use magic to help me get rid of the Sixth Brother?" Jiang Yuan asked.
Bai Hong Taoist was horrified. Was the Fourth Prince trying to harm him?
The Sixth Prince had increasing Dragon Energy around him. If he dared to make a move, immediate backlash would ensue.
"Forget it, you may leave." Jiang Yuan said, somewhat disheartened, with an expression of "you’re useless" that infuriated Bai Hong Taoist to the point his beard skewed.
