Mo Jiuye embraced He Zhiran and leapt onto a nearby secluded wall to observe.
They saw the Xue Prime Minister disdainfully staring at Nan Yu, Nan Rui, and Nan Qi.
"Are the two princes planning to defy the imperial edict?" He did not yet know Nan Yu's true identity, so he referred only to Nan Rui and Nan Qi as the "two princes."
Recent events had greatly diminished Nan Qi's morale. If not for Nan Yu's constant reminders, he would likely have lost not only his claim to the throne but also his life.
To preserve his own life, Nan Qi had no choice but to confront the Empress's faction.
If one could call it a confrontation—the scene was so unbearable that Nan Yu could hardly bear to watch.
Every time he persuaded Nan Qi to take action, Nan Qi appeared bold and valiant. But upon facing the Empress and the Xue Family, he quickly lost his bravado.
Today was no exception. Only after much persuasion from Nan Yu and Nan Rui did they succeed in bringing Nan Qi out.
If the Empress's faction had not taken such extreme measures, Nan Yu would never have discovered Nan Qi's timidity.
Fortunately, after repeated urging from Nan Yu and Nan Rui, Nan Qi brought along a thousand private soldiers he had raised.
In the Da Shun Dynasty, princes were permitted to maintain a certain number of private soldiers.
For example, Nan Rui and Nan Qi, being imperial princes, enjoyed a higher allowance than other nobles and were permitted up to two thousand private soldiers each.
Of course, the actual number depended on the prince's financial means, as long as it did not exceed the limit.
Nan Qi was poor at financial management and had little income, so he only maintained one thousand private soldiers.
At one point, due to financial constraints, he had considered dismissing some of them. But Nan Yu persuaded him that with no crown prince designated, anything could happen, so it was better to have more men at his disposal.
It was fortunate that Nan Yu had advised him then; otherwise, he would not have had even these thousand soldiers today.
Originally, Nan Rui had no interest in the throne. It was only after Mr. Si Meng used a mind-controlling parasite on Consort De that he reluctantly raised private soldiers.
Moreover, the number of soldiers was the two thousand required by Si Meng.
Later, when Nan Rui took the supposedly deceased Consort De to the northwest, he hastily disbanded these soldiers before leaving.
This time, to repay the favor the Mo Family had done in saving his mother, Nan Rui returned to the capital and reconnected with his former loyal subordinates, assembling some of the disbanded soldiers.
By today, Nan Rui had one thousand five hundred private soldiers under his command, demonstrating his sincerity in helping the Mo Family.
The two princes' private forces combined numbered two thousand five hundred men.
In ordinary times, having such a large military force within the capital would be cause for great concern.
The Xue Family had been scheming for years, originally intending to help Nan Heng ascend the throne. With Nan Heng gone, their ambitions grew even greater.
On the surface, they appeared to be assisting the Empress in grooming the Fourth Prince as the crown prince. But clear-eyed observers knew the Fourth Prince was merely a pawn of the Xue Family.
When the time came, the Xue Family would undoubtedly usurp the Da Shun Dynasty and change its name.
The Xue Prime Minister had long laid his plans. Although he could not openly maintain private soldiers like the two princes, he had been working behind the scenes.
Some minor military leaders with troops under their command had also been enticed by the Xue Family to join their side.
Presently, in addition to the private soldiers secretly trained by the Xue Family, the forces serving the Empress's faction included those led by these turncoat military leaders, all hoping that once the Fourth Prince ascended the throne, they would be richly rewarded.
Thus, the forces currently under the command of the Empress's faction, including those controlling the imperial palace, numbered at least twenty thousand.
The Xue Prime Minister had just emerged from the palace, followed by a contingent of at least three thousand men.
This was the true reason for Nan Qi's trembling legs.
Nan Yu watched Nan Qi's pitiful display with increasing irritation. But for now, Nan Qi still had his uses, and since his true identity as an imperial prince had not been publicly revealed, Nan Yu could only continue to endure.
"Our purpose in coming here is not to engage in combat but to inquire about the Emperor's condition from that old villain Xue."
Reminded of their purpose, Nan Qi finally mustered his courage to speak.
But before he could, Nan Rui had already calmly approached the Xue Prime Minister.
"Prime Minister Xue, my brother and I have no ulterior motive today. The imperial edict stated that our father is ailing, and as his sons, we have the duty to visit his bedside and fulfill our filial obligations.
Why do you obstruct us with so many men?
Could it be that our father is not merely unwell, but has already fallen victim to your treachery?"
Among those present were many civil and military officials, some maintaining neutrality like the Grand Historian He, some secretly supporting Nan Rui and Nan Qi, and the vast majority opportunists siding with the Xue Family.
Regardless of their allegiances, they all harbored the same suspicion:
That the Emperor Shun Wu was not simply unwell, but had been secretly poisoned to death by the Empress's faction. The reason for withholding this information must be that the Empress's group had not yet accomplished some objective.
Thus, when Nan Rui voiced this question publicly, all eyes turned to the Xue Prime Minister, eager to hear his response.
The Xue Prime Minister was truly a cunning old fox, profoundly scheming and full of guile.
After Nan Rui's blatant accusation, the old man betrayed not the slightest hint of guilt. On the contrary, his reply sounded completely justified.
"Since Prince Rui has raised the question publicly today, this old minister will speak plainly.
It is true that the Emperor has not been seen for some time due to ill health. However, he personally told this old minister that he is extremely disappointed in the abilities of Princes Rui and Qi.
He hopes that I will use my own capabilities to properly guide the Fourth Prince and cultivate him into a qualified crown prince.
Because the Emperor is dissatisfied with both princes, he specifically instructed this old minister and the Empress Dowager that you need not attend to him during his illness. Instead, you should reflect deeply on your ineptitude over the past twenty years."
If true, these words were a resounding slap to the faces of Nan Rui and Nan Qi.
Nan Rui had never desired the throne, but for Nan Qi, it was different. From a young age, his sole ambition had been to defeat Nan Heng and emerge victorious as the next emperor of the Da Shun Dynasty.
Now the Xue Prime Minister had publicly denounced him as incompetent before so many people. Despite his inner fears, Nan Qi could no longer remain silent.
