115: Chapter 115 Discussion

Seeing Chen Shanzhi give a subtle nod.

Murong Zhaoling's beautiful brows furrowed even more tightly in an instant.

She took a deep breath, and the countless scattered clues in her mind were all linked together at this moment.

No wonder the current Emperor would suddenly, on a whim, issue an extremely secret imperial edict of marriage, wanting to marry her off to this Heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo before her!

This was no "vast imperial grace"; it was clearly an extremely terrifying political gamble!

One must know that her Murong Family had been stationed in the Northern Border for generations, firmly holding the military power on the border between the Great Jiang Dynasty and the Barbarians!

And the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion behind Chen Shanzhi was the military's stabilizing force for the Great Jiang.

The old Marquis was in the Southern Border, tightly controlling the strategic pass on the border between the Great Jiang and the Demon People!

If the Murong Family truly entered into a marriage Alliance with the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion...

It would mean that the most elite portion of the entire Great Jiang Dynasty's military power used for resisting external enemies...

Would be united in a close-knit camp to a terrifying degree!

Did the current Emperor truly trust the loyalty of the Marquis of Zhenguo and the Murong Family so unconditionally?

Was he not worried at all that these two military giants would join forces, maintain their own armies, or even directly threaten the imperial power?

Or rather...

Murong Zhaoling felt a chill run down her spine.

Or could it be that the Prime Ministers Mansion's influence within the imperial court and this capital city had already reached such a terrifying level...

That the Emperor had to take such a massive risk...

To use this "drinking poison to quench thirst" method of marriage to forcibly forge a military Alliance of sufficient weight to counterbalance the Prime Ministers Mansion?

At this moment, Murong Zhaoling truly couldn't fathom the thoughts of the Emperor, who had been claiming illness and living in seclusion for years.

She also finally had a sudden realization.

No wonder her father, far away at the border, after receiving that secret imperial edict...

When she had protested vehemently and proposed to return to the capital first to see for herself what kind of person this Heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo was before deciding whether to marry...

Her father, who was always strict in military discipline, hadn't stopped her at all, but instead unusually acquiesced to her willful behavior!

Looking at it now, it seemed that even her father, who had spent most of his life on the battlefield...

Could no longer see through the current treacherous situation in the imperial court.

Therefore, her father also wanted to use this opportunity for her to come back and test the waters herself, to see how deep the capital's waters truly were.

No wonder her father had actually given her a sub-talisman of the Communication Spirit Talisman before she left!

One must know that something like a Communication Spirit Talisman was, within the Great Jiang army...

A top-level strategic resource one grade higher than a messaging token!

This thing was extremely rare, a non-renewable resource that became one fewer with each use.

It was usually divided into one master talisman and several sub-talismans.

As long as they were within the Great Jiang, the person holding the sub-talisman could communicate with the master talisman side for up to ten minutes every day!

Looking at the entire Great Jiang Dynasty, there were only a few such high-level Communication Spirit Talismans in total!

Among them, the Marquis of Zhenguo in the Southern Border held one, and the head of the Murong Family in the Northern Border also held one.

"Father wants me to contact him after seeing the current situation of the court in the capital..."

Thinking of this, Murong Zhaoling couldn't help but look at Chen Shanzhi, who was sitting opposite her, in surprise.

This man clearly had no idea that the Emperor had secretly decreed a marriage between him and her.

Yet, merely through these rumors in the streets...

He could actually keenly peel back the layers and guess the power struggle between the imperial family and the Prime Ministers Mansion behind it!

This insight, this terrifying political sense...

Was simply spine-chilling when one thought about it!

"As expected, hearing is false, but seeing is believing."

Murong Zhaoling sighed inwardly.

Her decision to come back to the capital and see for herself was truly the right choice!

In this capital, those rumors calling the man before her the "Number One Silk-Pants" were simply the world's biggest joke!

She wondered if it was because her expectations for Chen Shanzhi had been set so low after being brainwashed by those rumors when she first returned to the capital.

Now, looking at this man who not only had astonishing martial talent but was also intelligent...

Murong Zhaoling actually felt a faint sense of satisfaction with this fiancé.

She took a deep breath, trying to forcibly suppress those embarrassing maidenly thoughts in her mind.

Then, her clear, beautiful eyes looked at Chen Shanzhi again, and she asked with a hint of humble confusion:

"Brother Chen, since you see the situation so clearly..."

"...then... currently, the Prime Ministers Mansion is dominant in the imperial court, its influence overwhelming."

"Even the First Prince and the Second Prince, the two legitimate heirs to the throne, have to temporarily avoid its sharp edge."

"But why has the Emperor been delaying the appointment of a Crown Prince?"

"This has resulted in the real power of the court remaining firmly in the hands of the Prime Ministers Mansion."

Murong Zhaoling stared intently at Chen Shanzhi:

"Why do you think the Emperor is acting in such a contradictory manner, Brother Chen?"

"Ah?"

Chen Shanzhi was holding his teacup and acting profound when he heard Murong Zhaoling's sensitive, even treasonous words, and he almost spat out his tea.

He looked at Murong Zhaoling in stunned disbelief, feeling quite unwell.

Wait, big sister!

Discussing the Emperor and criticizing court politics are topics that can get your head cut off.

Are these really things that two people who just met for the first time should be discussing?

You, the great Young Miss of the Murong Family, trust me this much?

Aren't you afraid I'll turn around and shamelessly report you to the Jiantian Division, saying your Murong Family has ill intentions?

Looking at Murong Zhaoling's sincere and inquisitive gaze, Chen Shanzhi couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Could it be...

That this Murong Zhaoling in the real world...

Actually hides a simple "sweet and naive" Soul beneath her valiant heroine exterior?

Is that why she's so completely unguarded with someone she's meeting for the first time?

However, Chen Shanzhi was also secretly lamenting.

Asking him this question was truly asking the wrong person!

Because he himself had no idea what was going on in the current Emperor's head!

In the original game setting...

This old Emperor was a complete background character with very little screen time.

His only reason for existing in the plot was to lie there on his last breath...

Using the last of his imperial prestige to keep that old fox from the Prime Ministers Mansion from dropping all pretenses and directly seizing the throne too quickly.

As soon as the game's protagonist painstakingly completed the route of either the First or Second Prince...

And finally took down the Prime Ministers Mansion, the Middle Stage's big boss...

Only then would the old Emperor have a timely "moment of clarity" and appoint the prince the protagonist supported as the Crown Prince.

Then, the next plot point would be the formulaic death of the old Emperor and the natural succession of the new Crown Prince.

So now, in this real world...

The only logical reason Chen Shanzhi could think of for why the old Emperor refused to appoint a Crown Prince...

Was that the old man's brain had been fried by years of chronic illness, and he was becoming senile.

Seeing Chen Shanzhi shake his head helplessly, indicating he couldn't guess the Emperor's intent either...

Murong Zhaoling didn't feel disappointed; after all, it was normal not to be able to guess such imperial machinations.

Instead of stopping the dangerous topic, she naturally dropped another bombshell:

"Since the Emperor's intent is hard to gauge, what do you think of the two princes currently in court, Brother Chen?"

"I heard back at the border..."

"...that the First Prince is a man of unparalleled benevolence, experienced and steady, with a reputation for virtue throughout the court and the commonality."

"And while the Second Prince is also quite talented, his foundation and prestige in all aspects are far inferior to the First Prince."

Murong Zhaoling analyzed very seriously:

"Zhaoling feels that since the First Prince is so outstanding and is the rightful eldest son..."

"...the Emperor should have naturally appointed him as Crown Prince long ago."

"Yet for some reason, the matter has been put on hold."

She looked curiously at Chen Shanzhi: "Who do you think has a chance of eventually obtaining the position of Crown Prince in the current situation, Brother Chen?"

Chen Shanzhi: "???"

The teacup in his hand was trembling slightly.

No way! Big sister! Auntie! Great ancestor!

It was one thing for you to casually discuss the Emperor just now, but now you're actually and brazenly asking me, the Heir of a Marquis with a different surname...

...to commit treason by taking a side and discussing the Emperor's succession?

Do you think our heads are sitting too comfortably on our shoulders?

As soon as Murong Zhaoling spoke these words smoothly...

She immediately realized she had been too impatient!

She was too eager to understand the man before her in every aspect...

...and to know his views on the current complex situation.

But since the words were already out, given her proud personality, she naturally wouldn't look for excuses to awkwardly take them back.

On the contrary, Murong Zhaoling didn't back down.

Instead, she naturally leaned her graceful body forward slightly.

She rested her two fair, jade-like arms lazily on the stone table, her hands cutely propping up her exquisite head.

Her clear, alluring phoenix eyes stared at Chen Shanzhi, blinking repeatedly.

This subtle movement instantly caused Chen Shanzhi's gaze to uncontrollably fixate on...

...the two breathtaking curves resting on the edge of the stone table, pressed together by her arms!

Gulp.

Chen Shanzhi once again struggled to swallow a large mouthful of saliva.

Dammit!

In the game, wasn't Murong Zhaoling's setting that of an extremely violent Valkyrie who didn't understand any of a young woman's coquettish ways?

Why was it that in reality, any casual, unintentional action from this woman could be so alluring?

Facing Murong Zhaoling's beautiful eyes that were blinking as they stared at him...

...even though Chen Shanzhi knew the topic was dangerous, he couldn't bring himself to be a killjoy and skip it.

He took a deep breath, forcibly moving his burning gaze away from the tabletop.

In his mind, he quickly filtered through the information about the First and Second Princes from the game.

After pondering for a moment...

Chen Shanzhi picked up his teacup and took a composed sip.

Then, he looked at Murong Zhaoling, his gaze calm yet meaningful as he said:

"The Emperor has been delaying the appointment of a Crown Prince; he naturally has his own hidden reasons."

"As for your question about which of the two princes, the First or the Second, is worthy of being the Crown Prince..."

A cold smirk curled at the corner of Chen Shanzhi's mouth:

"I believe that in such matters, one absolutely cannot just listen to those hypocritical rumors and reputations for virtue."

"To see a person's true face, one must look closely at..."

"...whether the group of subordinates he keeps in the shadows is actually doing anything beneficial for the people!"