Forced Into the Palace: Becoming the Emperor's Favorite-Chapter 417 Family Glory

The son died, and although Third Master Liu was indeed saddened.

But as long as the Liu Family was still around, he had to continue working for the family.

At the same time, he was not idle.

In one breath, he took in four or five concubines, laboring diligently in his chambers every day.

And now, three of them were already pregnant.

It was highly likely that they were expecting sons.

So, though he felt sorrow, it was not as heart-wrenching as it was for the old madam.

Perhaps he hadn’t kept him by his side before, so how much affection he truly had was just falsehood.

If he, the father, was like this, let alone the grandfather, the Old Marquis.

In his eyes, no one could surpass the glory of the Liu Family.

Therefore, at this moment, he had only the thought of paving the way for the Third Prince in his mind.

Any obstruction of the Third Prince’s path had to be eliminated.

For instance, the currently trapped Dong Family, or next, the Lin Family’s eldest branch he was targeting.

Even if Imperial Concubine Yi and Ruan Ming hid from them the deeds of the poisoning in the Charitable Hall and deaths in the clinic.

But the Marquis of Northwest quickly guessed it.

He just couldn’t understand why they had done it so blatantly.

The court had now covertly divided into factions, one supporting the Third Prince and one supporting the Fifth Prince.

Though the Third Prince’s party seemed much more apparent, it couldn’t withstand the Emperor’s favoritism and affection toward Consort Yin Ning.

This youngest son was a cherished treasure, and while the populace viewed it this way, who knew if it was the same with the Royal Family?

Therefore, it shouldn’t be underestimated.

So, the Marquis of Northwest called upon Ruan Ming’s subordinate, after asking clearly, found out that someone had disappeared from the palace!

It was simply the most absurd thing in the world.

Consort Mu came up with the idea of tampering with the medicinal materials, but before it could be executed, she vanished.

So the Marquis of Northwest’s first reaction was also to link it to the Emperor.

Yet, judging by recent encounters, the connection seemed increasingly tenuous.

The plan by Ruan Ming appeared flawless and extremely lethal, with each move being deadly.

Not only was the Green Sweet Fruit from the Imperial Hospital cleaned out, but also the contents of the Dong Family Medicine Warehouse suffered the same fate.

Those charitable citizens seeking a way of survival were basically rendered impossible.

If they couldn’t survive the winter, the Dong Family members would be buried alongside them.

The Fifth Prince’s faction would lose considerable support without this family’s assistance.

And it could leverage the situation to make the Lin Family’s eldest branch precarious.

At that time, they would invest more effort near Lin Wanyi within the palace, and the matter would naturally proceed smoothly.

Thinking of this, Third Master Liu felt a wave of secret satisfaction.

The Marquis of Northwest, however, remained silent after expressing his thoughts, and no one knew what precisely he was considering.

Third Master Liu had been in the army alongside his father for many years and naturally knew his father’s habits.

The longer the silence, the more thorough and stable the plan conceived.

So he didn’t say much.

He simply sat quietly, awaiting his father’s orders.

After a long time, the Marquis of Northwest finally spoke.

"Perhaps the Little Emperor wants to seize this Marquis’ weak spot."

The Emperor was nearing thirty, observed by outsiders as a stable and serious ruler issuing orders.

Yet the Marquis of Northwest continued to refer to him as the "Little Emperor."

Since he went to the Northwest over a decade ago, he had seldom concerned himself with affairs in the Capital.

Returning now, observing the Emperor’s conduct, made him acknowledge some progress, but still found it immature before him.

To think of dismantling the Northwest with merely three thousand troops led by confidants was sheer impossibility.

Then, they even confiscated Prince Zhan Mansion’s assets to fill the deficits in the Northwest Army’s pay.

Though it seemed to bring considerable benefits, it also disrupted the equilibrium of the court’s tripartite structure.

Prime Minister Lin was an old fox, taking the opportunity from his son’s matter to distance himself from disputes.

Yet the Marquis of Northwest proved to be an indomitable force.

Even if everyone joined forces against the Liu Family next, he remained fearless.

After all, centuries of dust storms failed to scatter the Liu Family’s roots; a mere Little Emperor thinking he could challenge the Liu Family’s standing was laughably absurd.

"The Fourth Prince is a boor, thinking this Marquis would believe their staged acts with the Dong Family? Simply ridiculous. Have people investigate further; surely there’s something yet uncovered!"

"Father, rest assured, your son understands." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Having spent years in the Northwest, he had seen all sorts of conspiracies.

Such trifling methods were insignificant before his eyes.

After pondering, he continued instructing his son, Liu Qichun.

"If the Dong Family fails to produce medicine, those charitable individuals are doomed. As for subsequent actions, you need no direction from this Marquis; surely, you know what to do."

To kill the heart and also create fabrication and frame.

The Marquis of Northwest was one never to compromise in achieving his aims.

The Liu Family had lorded over the Northwest for centuries.

Now, it was time for the winds of Shengjing City to shift from the Northwest.

Third Master Liu always obeyed his father’s orders and naturally knew what to do next.

However, regarding his niece, the Imperial Concubine Yi, he was somewhat unclear about the situation.

"Father, should this matter be discussed with the Imperial Concubine?"

"Naturally, after the Dong Family initially refused to give medicine, upon entering, they offered it after speaking for half a day, either pinched in a vulnerable area or overcame difficulties. In my view, it’s inseparable from the favored consort in Yihua Palace. So, have the Imperial Concubine try to explore the intentions."

"Yes, your son will handle it immediately!"

"As for the Fourth Prince, since the Fourth Princess Consort is critically ill, it’s necessary to visit. This Marquis has served alongside him for years and naturally should see for himself how the critically ill Fourth Princess Consort recovers miraculously!"

"Yes."

The matter of visiting the sick should have fallen to the old madam of the Liu Family.

But in her present state, neither human nor ghost, she couldn’t rightfully go.

So the Marquis of Northwest had to make the trip himself.

Not long after, when news from outside the palace reached Yuexiu Palace, Imperial Concubine Yi found it puzzling.

"What is Grandfather’s intention? Making this Palace visit Consort Yin Ning?"

Now, one was in the Imperial Palace, the other in the traveling palace.

One enjoying the grandeur of the "Empress," the other trapped at home facing misfortune.

If there were visits, it should be Consort Yin Ning visiting Yuexiu Palace instead of her going to the Ruiyang Pavilion of the traveling palace.

But on the side, Ruan Ming understood the Marquis of Northwest’s real intentions very well.

Thus, he opened his mouth to remind.

"Your Highness, the illness of the Fourth Princess Consort is suspicious. Wasn’t she fine just days ago? How is it possible she suddenly became critically ill, causing such commotion at the Dong Family’s doors? It’s an obvious showcase!"

Ruan Ming saw Imperial Concubine Yi’s reluctance, so he continued to console her.

"Your Highness, you must not forget that the Fourth Prince Mansion and Consort Yin Ning are on the same boat. Since we’ve already targeted the Dong Family, we cannot spare the Lin Family’s eldest branch afterward. Now, the Fourth Prince received Dong Family’s favor, certainly to assist in the future, which means fewer chances to act against Lin Family’s eldest branch."