Behind the palace gates, within the Forbidden City, outside the current emperor's sleeping quarters, two men dressed in luxurious attire met by the entrance, gazing at each other with inscrutable expressions.
The two men shared a striking resemblance, with the man on the right having slightly more mature facial features.
"Brother, it's good to see you. I didn't expect you, under the guidance of the Prime Minister, to study state affairs and still find time to visit Father the Emperor." The younger of the two men gracefully bowed.
"Heh, no need for pleasantries. It's merely study, how could it compare to Father's health? Naturally, a visit is warranted," the older brother replied.
They were the two brothers most likely to succeed to the throne in the capital city today—the Crown Prince Xiang Ji and the Second Prince Xiang Liang. While they claimed to be visiting their father, in reality, they were concerned that if the old emperor woke up, one of them might gain an advantage by being by his side when he regained consciousness.
After all, with the old emperor bedridden for so long, no one could predict if he would retain his full faculties upon awakening. If he woke up confused and someone happened to be there to manipulate him into issuing an imperial edict naming a successor, the other would be at a loss.
On and off the stage, their factions were focused on each other, to the point where they even knew what kind of bath gel their sibling used at night... Well, it had developed to the point where it could be turned into a BL fanfiction.
Ahem!
Currently, the old emperor showed no signs of awakening. The diviner Xingjian and the court physician came daily. The former, a transcendent figure in Daoism and a representative of the national religion, possessed the ability to see into the future. The latter, an expert who delved into immortality through medicine, even if the two joined forces, all they could do was keep the emperor alive.
Indeed, whether the emperor passed away now or woke up, it would break the current stalemate between the two factions, but he remained in a coma, much to the annoyance of both Xiang Liang and Xiang Ji.
Tsk, might as well draw his sword and finish this guy off now.
The brothers' thoughts at this moment were shockingly aligned, albeit only in theory. They did entertain thoughts of each other's demise, for as long as their brother was eliminated, there would be no one left to vie for the throne. However, it couldn't be done openly.
What? Princess Xiang Ling?
The two princes hadn't forgotten about their talented and gifted sister, but she was, in a sense, a convenient figure. Despite commanding the Empire's elite Jiangdong Army, she was still considered an outsider since she primarily served on the border. Even if she returned to the capital, without ties to the nobility and the inability to bring her army back, how could she compete with those deeply rooted in the capital?
Once they ascended to the throne, a mere border commander with a few thousand soldiers stationed at Yanmen Pass wouldn't pose a threat to the whole country. Cut off their supplies, and they'll be in for a rough ride. Then Xiang Ling could obediently serve as the Grand General of the Western Garrison, the protector of the Empire. And if she dared to make any moves, hm...
Moreover, both princes were nearly a decade older than Xiang Ling, having watched her grow up in the palace. It wouldn't be surprising if one of them had been eyeing her for quite some time, from a little girl to a female general—it could be quite enticing... Ahem!
As the two men engaged in a silent power struggle and fanciful musings, the doors of the sleeping quarters suddenly opened, and two figures emerged.
"Master Xingjian, Master Qinghe."
Upon seeing the two men, both princes instinctively bowed.
Walking out side by side from the door were two people, one in black and one in white. The one in black was Xingjian, clad in an unchanging black veil. Standing beside her, a full head shorter and not even reaching a height of five feet, was the court physician, who due to spending long periods indoors, appeared pale with lips devoid of color and deep dark circles under her eyes, making others worry she might collapse at any moment.
To be honest, anyone seeing the court physician would never think she looked like the chief imperial physician, especially when her body wrapped in a white coat seemed like she had earned it through years of blood money, oh wait, maybe it's been more than just three years, but it's still blood money.
As for why the court physician in Shenzhou wore a white coat, who knows? Nobody knows exactly when, in this world, the East started wearing white coats.
"May we ask how His Majesty the Emperor is?" Xiang Ji asked.
Xingjian did not answer, but instead gave them both a deep look. Qinghe, standing beside them, yawned, "Regardless, whether you ask or not, it won't change the situation. It'd be better to think about how to take each other out..."
The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.
Though what was said was true, no one dared to openly speak about it. Luckily, there were only four people present, so they could only pretend not to have heard.
"Well... anyway, the old Emperor won't die anytime soon, so feel free, I'll go back to rest first..."
Perhaps due to tiredness and foggy thoughts, the young court physician yawned several times, dragging her feet as she left the Emperor's bedchamber and headed towards the medical palace.
The three remaining individuals looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
In the end, Xingjian sighed, "Qinghe is right. His Majesty is safe for the time being, but we currently can't find a way to wake him up. You... take care of yourselves. What Qinghe said, you all heard. As per the witch traditions, Xingjian will not take part in the power struggles of the royal family. But remember, whoever disturbs the stability of this country, I will immediately stand against them."
With that, Xingjian departed.
...
Fifteen minutes later, Xiang Ji returned to his residence within the palace and finally stopped suppressing the emotions he had held back for so long, pacing restlessly in his room.
The current situation was actually within his expectations, but the conversation and looks from Qinghe and Xingjian at the palace just now made him uneasy. Both of them had definitely seen through him.
To some extent, Xiang Ji did wish for the old Emperor to pass away soon. Even before his illness, his favoritism towards his younger brother was apparent. If the Emperor were conscious, he would likely directly appoint Xiang Liang as his successor.
But if the Emperor passed away without designating a successor, then regardless of how favored Xiang Liang was, it would be meaningless. A considerable portion of loyal court officials would stand by him as the legitimate eldest son due to protocol. In such a case, even if Xiang Liang controlled the Forbidden Army, it wouldn't make a big difference.
After all, he couldn't possibly kill nearly half of the court officials, and he still had countermeasures in place.
"Your Highness Xiang Ji."
At that moment, a somewhat eerie male voice suddenly sounded from behind him, and the formerly clear air trembled slightly. A figure slowly materialized.
"Guilin? Is something the matter?"
The Crown Prince, unperturbed by the appearance of the figure behind him, asked out of habit.
"Yes. Your sister is about to return."
"Hmm? Xiang Ling? How is that possible?" Xiang Ji exclaimed.
Not long ago, His Highness Ling led the troops from Yanmen Pass to crush a hundred thousand iron cavalry on the grasslands, leaving the grasslands worry-free. Moreover... Lord Wu personally sent a letter to summon her back to the capital."
Lord Wu, whose full name is Wu Shengchen, is the current Prime Minister, a powerful figure who has been supporting the court politics single-handedly since the old emperor fell ill. He is also a highly respected veteran who has served three dynasties and commands great authority in the court.
"So, why did the teacher personally write the letter?" Xiang Ji couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried.
"Well... it is probably related to a recent message that came from Yanmen Pass," replied the other person.
"What message?"
"His Highness Ling is soon to marry the second princess of the Western barbarian strong nation Milanía, Tiran Elysian."
"What in the world?!"
Even the Crown Prince, who had a decent temperament and a wide range of experiences, was stunned for a good three seconds when he heard the news. The first second, what? The princess is getting married? The second second, Milanía? Barbarians from the West? The third second... the second princess? A woman?!
Shocked by the news, the Crown Prince was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
"Who is this Tiran Elysian? Where did she come from?" Xiang Ji rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache as she asked.
"Not long ago, Ghost Mountain had contact with their caravan. In Wuxi, Ghost Mountain reported to you. It seems that His Highness Ling specifically invited them to come," came the reply.
"Those people?"
Xiang Ji recalled Ghost Mountain's report. Ghost Mountain and Ghost Forest were of the same sect, responsible for keeping an eye on Xiang Ling and the northwestern region. He was the one who attacked the relay station back then.
This made things even more complicated.
As someone who had been groomed from a young age as a successor, Xiang Ji quickly sorted out her thoughts. So that's how it is. Spreading rumors about an unauthorized marriage to a princess from another country, from Wu Shengchen's standpoint, he would certainly not allow it to happen, thus creating an opportunity to return to the capital.
And, as Ghost Mountain had mentioned, that princess also had the strength of an Earth Immortal. If the two joined forces, even if Xiang Ling couldn't bring her army back, two Earth Immortals would be enough to qualify her to enter this game.
After all, cultivators at this level were not easy to come by, even Xiang Ji only had Ghost Forest, an Earth Immortal, by her side.
Xiang Ji began to wonder if she had underestimated this sister. She had crushed 100,000 troops on the grassland, and as soon as she returned to the capital, she presented her with such a big problem, obviously charging towards the throne aggressively.
"It seems we need to take some action in advance."
After pondering for a moment, Xiang Ji slowly spoke, "Xiang Liang has been making moves in the Forbidden Army recently, almost half of the middle-ranking officers have been reassigned with commands loyal to him. If Xiang Ling returns, the situation will become even more chaotic."
"Who do you order...?" Ghost Forest replied expressionlessly, then suddenly turned towards the window in the room, flicking his right hand and instantly sending dozens of thin threads through the glass.
"Hehe, don't be nervous, don't be nervous. I'm not here to fight, I'm here to talk about cooperation," said the smiling young man as he held the threads between his fingers after shattering the glass.
