Chapter 28: Heading Back, Start Snoring!
Inside Ye Zhengde's study, Ye Qichi ignored Ye Zhengde's surprise at her arrival and continued, "If the King of Chu wishes to ascend to power, he must counterbalance the Empress's influence, which means he needs to garner support. Therefore, the most important thing for Father to guard against right now is the King of Chu."
Ye Zhengde, looking at his daughter, sighed heavily after his initial surprise, "Since Qichi has brought it up, Father won't hide it from you. The King of Chu has already sent someone to feel me out. I pretended not to notice and didn't respond directly. But if the King of Chu comes to find me in person, I will have no way to refuse. In the end, whether I agree to the King of Chu or not, I will offend the imperial authority. By agreeing, I offend the Crown Prince; by not agreeing, I offend the King of Chu. Neither side is pleased. How I wish I could maintain my impartiality."
Clearly, Ye Zhengde was deeply worried about this matter.
After some thought, Ye Qichi said, "Father, there is a reason you can use to refuse the King of Chu."
"What reason?" An excited Ye Zhengde asked.
"Let Xiao Jinxing take the blame," Ye Qichi said deliberately, each word heavy and distinct.
Ye Zhengde's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at his daughter, "You mean Prince Xiao?"
"If the King of Chu really comes to find you, I'll just tell him directly that Prince Xiao is your son-in-law, and you would surely stand by him for the sake of family harmony. To put it bluntly, whoever Prince Xiao chooses, you'll stand with." Ye Qichi laid it out clearly.
Ye Zhengde was delighted; this was indeed the best excuse, one that was fully justified and wouldn't offend anyone!
Only, this seemed a bit like kicking someone when they're down. Concerned, he said, "Won't this implicate Prince Xiao? For Prince Xiao, his current state is the safest; neither the Crown Prince nor the King of Chu will target him. To drag Prince Xiao into this struggle for power because of me, it would be really inappropriate."
And that is where Xiao Jinxing's brilliance lies.