Chapter Sixteen: The Gate of Life Opens, Yet Not Fully Unveiled

“I will have Dou Yuan cooperate with you!”

Upon hearing this, Gao Changsheng let out a great sigh of relief.

He was alive!

At last, this deadlock had found a way out.

Even someone as crucial as Dou Yuan was personally revealed to him through the Empress’s own words.

This showed that compared to him, the Crown Prince was the true source of the Empress’s greatest anxiety.

“General Dou Yuan?”

Gao Changsheng feigned shock.

As a prodigal prince who had never previously concerned himself with state affairs, he should not have known of any connection between Dou Yuan and the Empress’s faction.

If he had uncovered this in just one day, the Empress and the two princes would not have been shocked—they would have been wary.

“Sixth Brother, you really should pay more attention to court matters.”

“Dou Yuan is no longer the Crown Prince’s man. You didn’t even know that?”

Gao Changfei scoffed.

Hearing this, Gao Changsheng continued his act of feigned ignorance, shaking his head repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the Empress’s sharp eyes never left him.

It seemed that deceiving such a clever woman would not be so easy.

“If we could have General Dou Yuan’s support, accomplishing this plan would be much easier.”

“However, this is all I can do. The court still needs the two elder brothers to do more!”

Gao Changsheng cupped his hands respectfully, putting on a sincere expression.

At that moment, a large hand patted Gao Changsheng on the shoulder.

“Sixth Brother, rest assured.”

“As long as you stand united with your royal brothers, I guarantee you a long life.”

Gao Changwen spoke confidently.

Whether this promise was genuine or not, Gao Changsheng did not bother to discern.

But on the surface, he would gladly accept it.

“In that case, I won’t trouble the Empress and my two elder brothers any longer. I take my leave!”

With that, Gao Changsheng bowed again and slowly withdrew from the bedchamber.

“Mother, can we really trust Gao Changsheng?”

As soon as Gao Changsheng disappeared, Gao Changfei eagerly asked the Empress.

After all, it was she who decided to use him.

How they should treat Gao Changsheng naturally depended on her judgment.

“Since Gao Changsheng was released from the dungeon, investigate immediately who he has contacted and spoken to.”

The Empress said coldly.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei responded briskly.

Yet a trace of confusion remained on their faces.

---

“Sigh!”

Without even looking at their faces, the Empress sensed the full weight of their doubts, and a surge of exhaustion rose within her.

“As an aide-de-camp, it is Gao Changsheng’s duty to compare the accounts.”

“That alone would not arouse suspicion.”

“But when he decided to lead men to intercept the supply convoy, he deliberately concealed many details.”

“Who did he bring? How many? He said not a word.”

“A prince who never meddles in politics secretly harbored influence within the military, only revealing it today.”

“With such cunning and restraint, even I cannot see through him. How then can I trust him?”

“Order an investigation. If we cannot uncover what he has done or who he has contacted these past years, even if we must kill him, such a potential threat must not live within the palace or Jin Yong City!”

Her eyes gleamed fiercely, like a tigress ready to tear into its prey.

Hearing this, Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei’s expressions darkened instantly.

Had the Empress not warned them, these two slow-witted princes might never have fathomed this layer even after years.

Now awakened, they finally understood how terrifying Gao Changsheng truly was.

“You, Sixth Brother, have hidden so deeply!”

---

The Eastern Palace.

At that moment, four unexpected guests arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence.

The Crown Prince’s guards did not block them; instead, they immediately sent word to the Crown Prince.

“Your Highness, please save your old servants!”

As they entered the main hall, three of the elderly officials knelt at Gao Changling’s feet.

They were on the verge of tears.

“What is going on?”

Gao Changling was baffled.

Why were three senior officials of the second rank suddenly begging for help at his house?

Had they all been cursed and were about to die?

“The Minister of Revenue, Li Yaolin; the Minister of Public Works, Qian Yu; and the Minister of War, Chu Jiangnian,”

Gao Changling said sternly, “You three are high officials of the court. What kind of behavior is this, wailing and sobbing?”

With his reprimand, the three old men immediately fell silent.

Their faces were lined with wrinkles, but not a single tear remained.

So they had come here just to put on a show!

“Speak, what has frightened you three into such a state?”

Gao Changling asked helplessly.

“Your Highness, you may not know, but just now His Majesty sent Zhang Yao to deliver an imperial edict to my Ministry of Revenue.”

“It clearly ordered us not to trouble the Sixth Prince and warned that any delay would result in imprisonment and execution!”

Minister of Revenue Li Yaolin said with eyes full of fear.

“That’s right, Lord Zhang gave me the same instructions!”

Minister of Public Works Qian Yu nodded repeatedly.

Chu Jiangnian said nothing; unlike the other two, he was not as panicked.

But he was hardly calm either.

“Are you sure it was Zhang Yao, the Chief Eunuch Zhang Yao?”

Gao Changling asked repeatedly, incredulous.

“How could we mistake such a figure? It was indeed him!”

Li Yaolin nodded frantically.

“Well, that’s odd.”

Gao Changling frowned deeply, clearly puzzled.

In his impression, Emperor Shenwu had always disliked Gao Changsheng.

During the northern campaign, he had agreed to Gao Changsheng’s request without hesitation.

In other words, he did not care whether Gao Changsheng lived or died.

Yet, just one day later, Emperor Shenwu was rebuking three ministries on Gao Changsheng’s behalf.

This was unprecedented!

“Did Zhang Yao say anything else?”

The Crown Prince asked.

Chu Jiangnian thought for a moment before answering:

“I asked Lord Zhang why the Emperor had taken such a stance.”

“Lord Zhang said that the Sixth Prince is no longer the same as before, and the Emperor values him greatly.”

“If you don’t want trouble, then do not offend the Sixth Prince these next few days.”

Upon hearing this, a wave of crisis washed over Gao Changling.

What did ‘no longer the same’ mean?

Why had Emperor Shenwu suddenly taken a liking to the Sixth Prince?

“Your Highness, did you not know?”

“Since the hour of the afternoon yesterday, the Sixth Prince’s residence has been inviting all the beggars and vagrants in the city inside, distributing relief grain to them.”

“There are even rumors in the city that the Sixth Prince intends to die on the battlefield, and that he is spending all his family wealth to show his determination.”

“I believe His Majesty’s sudden change in attitude is because of this!”

This was spoken by Zhang Youzhen, the acting Minister of Justice, who had just awakened from a coma and unexpectedly learned that his former superior, Duan Yan, had been dismissed and he had taken over the Ministry of Justice.

This windfall nearly caused Zhang Youzhen to faint again from excitement.

However, since the Ministry of Justice was under the control of Crown Prince Gao Changling, Zhang Youzhen reported to the Eastern Palace accordingly.

He and Chu Jiangnian had different purposes.

“Old Sixth, old Sixth, you’ve gained quite the ability after a month in the dungeon!”

“Or perhaps you always had the ability but have just been hiding it all these years?!”