Who Cares About Being the Matriarch? My Rebellious Husband Secured Me a Noble Rank! - Chapter 104

After returning from Putuo Temple, Shen Tangning quietly waited for the right moment the Princess Royal had mentioned.

At the same time, she was quietly making plans of her own.

The Emperor’s Longevity Festival was coming up—the day the Third Prince would present the famous Kunshan Jade and receive lavish praise from Emperor Chongde.

It was also the day the Third Prince began to emerge prominently on the court stage.

He used the Kunshan Jade to build his momentum, stepping over the blood of the Xie family to carve out his glorious path to the throne!

But in this lifetime, Shen Tangning was determined not to let that tragedy repeat.

Now, the Crown Prince was not imprisoned, and everything had veered off its original course. Could the Third Prince still so naturally and smoothly snatch everything away like last time?

…

Shen Tangning had Yuan Zhao bribe some street kids to secretly spread rumors that the Kunshan Jade was already in the Third Prince’s possession and that he fondled it every day.

The rumors about the jade quickly escalated, growing more and more fantastical.

The Third Prince wanted to surprise the Emperor, so naturally, he didn’t want word to slip that the jade was already his.

Emperor Chongde was naturally suspicious. He didn’t know the jade was purchased by the Third Prince specifically to present to him, nor that the jade’s prestigious reputation was carefully crafted by the prince himself.

This priceless treasure, meant for the ruler of all under heaven, had ended up in his son’s hands first. As the Emperor, how would he feel about that?

Even if the prince eventually presented it to him, would the Emperor suspect that he was forced by rumors to give it up?

Even if the outcome was the same, the meaning had changed entirely.

Cold killing intent surged in Shen Tangning’s sharp eyes. Yan Xingzhou was skilled at using the Emperor’s suspicion to eliminate the Xie family and the Crown Prince. Now, this very suspicion had turned against him. She wondered how he felt about that.

…

With her subtle push, the rumors spread rapidly, and most people discussed.

“The Third Prince is of noble blood; his mother is the beloved Consort Li of the Six Palaces. It’s not surprising the Kunshan Jade fell into his hands.”

“True. We commoners will probably never get to see this legendary treasure with our own eyes. Such a regret in life!”

“But wait, they say the Kunshan Jade’s appearance is a blessing from heaven. Yet it’s in the Third Prince’s hands… does that mean fate should belong to—”

“Ah, that’s dangerous talk! Anyone who says that risks their head!”

Though words were careful, everyone knew: the Crown Prince was gravely injured and bedridden, the Fourth Prince was born with defects and unlikely to live past twenty-five, rarely seen in public, and the Sixth Prince was only seven with average talents.

The one with the most hope to seize the throne was clearly the Third Prince.

…

“The secrecy of this matter was tight. Who leaked it?”

When the rumors reached the Third Prince, it was too late to stop them.

Yan Xingzhou’s face darkened as if dripping water, a murderous aura flickering in his eyes.

A strategist frowned: “These rumors are extremely unfavorable to Your Highness! We don’t know if it was intentional or accidental…”

“There are no such coincidences in this world,” a young adviser said with certainty, “Your Highness is clearly being framed!”

This man was skilled and could foresee their plans in advance. Could there be a spy among them?

Yan Xingzhou’s eyes burned cold: “I better not find out who’s behind this, or else…”

The young adviser’s expression turned serious: “The Emperor will surely suspect Your Highness this time!”

Yan Xingzhou’s brow twitched irritably: “When I came to pay respects this morning, I felt Father’s attitude was hard to read.”

At first, he thought it was something to do with the court, but he never imagined it would concern him directly.

“Now this Kunshan Jade—should I present it or not?”

He had schemed and planned for so long, hoping to shock everyone at the Longevity Festival, but now the jade had become a hot potato!

“You must present it!” the adviser said firmly. “The jade’s reputation is already out. If you keep it hidden, the Emperor will suspect your intentions!”

Yan Xingzhou sneered coldly: “I know I have to present it, but when? Should I go see Father tomorrow with it in hand?”

The adviser frowned, hesitating.

If the Third Prince seemed too eager, the Emperor might suspect he was desperate to cover something up.

If he waited until the Longevity Festival, who knew if the Emperor’s suspicion would grow in the meantime?

This was the malice of the unseen enemy behind the scenes. The prince was trapped in a dilemma!

A strategist surnamed Chu said: “The sooner the better, Your Highness. Delay breeds disaster!”

But the young adviser disagreed: “If Your Highness appears too anxious, it will only increase the Emperor’s suspicions. Better to wait for the Longevity Festival; there’s not much time left anyway.”

Yan Xingzhou thought it over and agreed with the latter.

After all his efforts, he gained nothing but trouble!

“What are you looking at?”

Shen Tangning snapped back to reality, rubbing her temple. “Going over accounts.”

Chi Yan smiled, taking the ledger from her hand. “What accounts? Help me figure out what gift I should give at the Emperor’s Longevity Festival.”

She was momentarily stunned. “What gift? We can’t even enter the palace.”

As the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, she could enter the palace before marriage, but after marrying, she had to follow her husband’s family status.

Chi Yan had no official position and had been separated from his family, so he couldn’t enter the palace now.

Chi Er, her father-in-law, still held a government post, but only sixth rank.

Only officials of fifth rank and above qualified for this banquet.

Chi Yan shrugged lightly, pulling out a gilded invitation from behind his back. “Who says we can’t go? The Emperor must find me somewhat pleasing, he made an exception allowing me to bring my family.”

Shen Tangning’s spirits lifted. She took the invitation, surprised.

She suddenly became enthusiastic. Chi Yan bent down, suspicious, staring at her: “You’ve been to palace banquets before. Why are you so excited now?”

She smiled mysteriously, lips curling upward: “There’s a show coming.”

Before, this smile would send chills down Chi Yan’s spine. Now, it made her look like a sly fox.

Kind of… cute?

He twirled his finger, then touched his nose: “So, what gift should I bring?”

“Something standard, nothing flashy,” Shen Tangning replied brightly. “The Emperor has everything under heaven. We’re not the main players here; no need to steal the spotlight.”

Chi Yan pondered. Since she was so happy, someone was probably about to get into trouble.

Recalling recent rumors, he clicked his tongue quietly.

He wondered if the Third Prince was sleeping well these days.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

Something was off—the Kunshan Jade incident happened before Shen Tangning attended Princess Yun’an’s flower-viewing banquet. The Third Prince had no reason to target her then.

So, was the attack really aimed at him?