The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat

Hua Manman saw Li Ji walk in silently.

Her expression grew complicated.

Mr. Du’s back was to the door, so he didn’t notice someone had entered.

He was still staring intently at Hua Manman, hoping she would heed his advice.

"As long as you return to the Yu Royal Mansion, everything Prince Yu has will be yours in the future.

Whether it’s wealth and splendor or power and status, you’ll have it all!

When the time comes, you’ll only need to crook your finger, and you’ll have men lining up for you to choose from.

Why must you bet everything on the Regent King?"

Although his words were a bit blunt, Mr. Du felt they were the absolute truth. If he were Hua Manman, he would definitely choose a much broader future.

To those in power, men and women alike were merely decorative accessories, the icing on the cake of success and fame.

But Mr. Du noticed that not only was Hua Manman unmoved, but she had also raised her right hand to cover her eyes.

As if she couldn’t bear to watch.

Immediately after, Mr. Du heard a familiar male voice from behind him.

"Mr. Du, just how many men have you prepared for her to choose from?"

Mr. Du immediately recognized it as the Regent King’s voice.

His heart seized. He turned stiffly and saw the Regent King standing behind him.

Li Ji stood with his back to the sunlight, hands clasped behind him, looking down condescendingly at the kneeling Mr. Du.

His gaze was so cold it was devoid of any warmth, as if he were looking at a dead man.

The color drained from Mr. Du’s face, turning deathly pale.

’When did the Regent King get here?’

’Did the Regent King hear everything I just said?’

The rumors about the Regent King flashed through his mind, and Mr. Du felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, his heart pounding with terror.

’Given the Regent King’s vindictive nature, he would never let me go!’

Driven by the will to survive, Mr. Du struggled to control his emotions, his mind racing as he desperately searched for a way out.

However, before he could come up with an excuse, he heard the Regent King give a cold command.

"Drag this man out and throw him in the Ministry of Justice Prison."

Two trusted aides immediately strode in and moved to seize him.

Terrified, Mr. Du scrambled to his feet, shouting at the same time.

"May I ask why Your Highness is throwing me in prison?

My words may have been insolent, but I have not broken any laws of the Great Zhou.

Even as the Regent King, you cannot arrest and imprison someone without cause!"

Li Ji’s lips curved into a smile, but the words he spoke sent a chill down Mr. Du’s spine.

"You helped Prince Yu conceal Lu Man’s true identity, leading the Saint to mistakenly believe Lu Man was a man and enfeoff him as the Heir of Prince Yu.

You have deceived the sovereign. This crime is unforgivable.

What is wrong with my arresting you?"

Mr. Du could not refute it.

The two trusted aides had already seized him.

He tried to resist, but he was no match for four hands.

In the end, he was pinned firmly to the ground, his face a mottled mess of red and white. He was a pathetic sight, stripped of his usual suave demeanor.

Mr. Du struggled to lift his head and looked at Hua Manman, who was seated in the main seat, and said resentfully.

"You told the Regent King everything about the Yu Royal Mansion?!"

’If I had known, I would have gotten rid of this woman on the way to Shangjing!’

But it was too late for regrets.

The two trusted aides roughly hauled him to his feet and dragged him away.

Hua Manman looked at the Regent King and asked.

"Are you preparing to make a move against the Yu Royal Mansion already?"

Li Ji casually picked up the teacup beside Hua Manman, took a sip, and replied.

"Yes. Prince Yu is cunning and his schemes run deep.

Since he sent you to Shangjing, he must have been prepared for the possibility of your betrayal.

I must strike first, before he has a chance to react."

Hua Manman looked at the teacup in his hand and reminded him.

"I’ve already drunk from that cup. I’ll have someone brew a fresh one for you."

But Li Ji just smiled. "No need. I prefer to drink from yours."

Hua Manman: "..."

’So smooth. I can’t win against him.’

She nonchalantly changed the subject.

"You don’t have to act so hastily on my account. I didn’t take anything Mr. Du said to heart."

Li Ji took another sip of tea and said leisurely.

"There’s something I might not have told you.

When Gou Dan was little, he was secretly harmed by his wet nurse.

I followed the trail from the wet nurse, and it led me to the Yu Royal Mansion.

I have a long-standing feud with the Yu Royal Mansion.

Even without this matter concerning you, I would not have let them off."

Hua Manman hadn’t expected such a hidden story.

"Why would someone from the Yu Royal Mansion try to harm Gou Dan?"

Even though Li Xun is the Regent King’s son, he’s still just a child.

He doesn’t understand anything. Even if Prince Yu killed him, he wouldn’t gain any tangible benefit and would very likely drive the Regent King into a rage.

The risks far outweighed the rewards.

A man as shrewd as Prince Yu didn’t seem like the type to make such a losing bargain.

Li Ji said meaningfully.

"With so many people in the Yu Royal Mansion, it wasn’t necessarily Prince Yu who gave the order."

Hua Manman immediately thought of Lu Kai.

Besides Prince Yu, who held the most power in the mansion? Naturally, it was Lu Kai from the second branch of the family.

Given Lu Kai’s tendency to be clever for his own good, it was entirely possible he’d pull such a wicked stunt that harmed others without benefiting himself.

Li Ji continued, "I’ve received news that Prince Yu’s illness has worsened. I’m afraid things are about to change in the Yu Royal Mansion."

The reason he had stepped out just now was to deal with this matter.

Hua Manman slowly blinked.

"You mean, Prince Yu is on his deathbed?"

Li Ji grunted in affirmation, "Mm."

Hua Manman was still a little incredulous.

Although Prince Yu’s health was already poor when she left the Yu Royal Mansion.

But his spirits were still decent back then. With quiet recuperation, he could have lived for at least another two or three years.

’How could his health have failed so quickly?’

’Could someone have made a move against Prince Yu, wanting to send him to his grave early?’

At this thought, Hua Manman couldn’t help but look at the man sitting beside her.

Li Ji heard her thoughts and scoffed.

"Don’t look at me like that. It has nothing to do with me."

’I’ve been busy handling the capital’s relocation, staying vigilant against the Emperor’s shenanigans, and trying to help Manman regain her memory. Who has the time to bother with that old coot thousands of miles away?!’

Hua Manman touched her nose and gave an embarrassed smile.

’I haven’t even said anything. How does he know what I’m thinking?’

Hua Manman asked, "If Prince Yu dies without an heir to his title and fiefdom, can you justifiably reclaim them both?"

But Li Ji just smiled.

"It’s not that simple.

If Prince Yu is truly at death’s door, the people in the Yu Royal Mansion certainly won’t sit back and wait to lose everything.

They might risk it all and fight the court to the bitter end."

「Longdong County, inside the Yu Royal Mansion.」

The room was filled with the thick, bitter smell of medicine.

Prince Yu lay on the bed, on the verge of death.

He was now as gaunt as a withered tree, his face ashen, looking as if he could stop breathing at any moment.