Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince-Chapter 434: The Prince is a Man of Great Ambitions

Chapter 434: Chapter 434: The Prince is a Man of Great Ambitions

"What?" Qi Yu was completely dumbfounded, taking a sharp intake of breath in shock, "Li Ming’an wants to rebel?"

Li Mingjue had anticipated her reaction.

After all, who could have imagined that a prince who had long been out of favor would dare harbor such great ambition.

"Li Ming’an has always been covetously eyeing the throne. When he was in the capital city, he formed cliques and made many preparations in secret," Li Mingjue always had a good grasp of Li Ming’an’s thoughts.

Besides, Li Ming’an had never concealed his coveting of the throne, otherwise he would not have gone to the trouble of poisoning him.

Unfortunately for Li Ming’an, luck was not on his side. His poisoning scheme had originally been successful, but just as he was a mere step away from the throne, he ran into the variable that was Qi Yu.

Indeed, sometimes fate can be a matter of fortuitous timing.

However, what was unfortunate for Li Ming’an was extremely fortunate for him.

As Li Mingjue thought back on this, his gaze softened somewhat, and the look he gave Qi Yu was filled with doting affection.

It’s just a pity that the other party was still that romantically clueless iron lady, failing to notice his gaze and continuing to furrow her brows, lost in thought.

Li Mingjue coughed, hiding the awkwardness in his eyes, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Qi Yu was completely unaware of his complex thoughts and looked at him with a serious expression, "I’m wondering, where did Li Ming’an get so much silver to recruit soldiers and buy horses?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mingjue’s expression grew stern.

When he had learned of Li Ming’an’s intention to rebel, he hadn’t been surprised in the slightest, but he had felt as though something had been overlooked.

Now, provoked by Qi Yu’s comment, he realized that Li Ming’an simply did not have the capability to stage a rebellion.

Before being demoted to Qingzhou, all the gold, silver, and treasures in Prince An Residence had been confiscated, and the ill-gotten wealth Li Ming’an had extorted from the people had all gone into the national treasury. He had arrived in Qingzhou virtually empty-handed.

Even after his arrival in Qingzhou, life wasn’t easy for him.

Qingzhou was a remote area with little trade with the neighboring Tulan, and could be considered a poor and desolate place. The common people had trouble even feeding and clothing themselves, let alone having money for Li Ming’an to plunder.

Yet, Li Ming’an not only maintained a group of Hidden Guards, but he was also secretly recruiting soldiers and buying horses. The combined financial power of the whole of Qingzhou wouldn’t have been able to support his expenses.

"Could it be that Prince An’s Party in the capital city sent him the money?" Qi Yu thought it over and found it increasingly strange, "That doesn’t seem right either. Recruiting soldiers and buying horses would require a lot of money, enough to fill several large chests. Even by taking the fastest waterway from the capital city to Qingzhou, it would take half a month, and it would be quite difficult to transport such a large amount of silver."

Li Mingjue nodded, "Yes, those old fellows are naturally cautious and wouldn’t act like that. Moreover, they wouldn’t need to send silver to Qingzhou, as they could just as well recruit soldiers and buy horses in the capital city."

Getting his point, Qi Yu slightly raised her eyebrows, "So, this money didn’t come from his supporters in the capital city."

"Distant waters can’t quench immediate thirst. No matter how much Li Ming’an needs money, he wouldn’t reach out to the capital city and wait half a month to get the silver," said Li Mingjue, chuckling coldly, "It seems, the second prince is determined to support him to the throne."

He had originally thought that the alliance between the second prince and Li Ming’an was only on the surface. The correspondence between them seemed mostly about discussing how to take over the world, filled with bragging and flattery. Anyone reading them wouldn’t take these two seriously or believe they could achieve anything substantial.

"I didn’t expect these two, who seem even more brainless than one another, to have hidden so deep," Qi Yu clicked her tongue, shaking her head in silence.

She really hadn’t considered this aspect. It had to be said, despite appearing low in intelligence, they had a certain cunning when it came to such matters.

"What do you plan to do next?" Qi Yu asked Li Mingjue, dropping the joking demeanor.

Li Mingjue pondered for a moment before saying, "Right now, there’s no evidence to accuse Li Ming’an of plotting a rebellion. We can only hold our troops and not alert the enemy prematurely. In Qingzhou, Shiqi is still investigating. As soon as there’s any movement, he’ll report immediately. As for the capital city..."

He paused at this point.

Qi Yu blinked, waiting for him to continue.

But Li Mingjue just shook his head slightly, his tone somewhat heavy as he said, "Prince An’s Party is deeply entrenched. Rooting them out is not something that can be done overnight. Even with the immense power my father, the Emperor, holds, he cannot simply dismiss those old officials from their positions, otherwise chaos would surely ensue throughout the court and beyond."

Listening to him, Qi Yu didn’t feel much better.

They were few who knew of such grave matters, and they had to come up with a solution before Li Ming’an made his move, to settle the issue properly.

Otherwise, a fierce battle would be inevitable.

"Ever since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has been fraught with bloodshed. I thought that with father’s favor towards you, your journey might be smoother," Qi Yu half-joked, speaking lightly, but her eyes were devoid of any mirth.

Li Mingjue knew she was trying to comfort him and chuckled, "I have no desire for the throne."

He spoke honestly, but Qi Yu was shocked.

She had always thought she understood Li Mingjue, not only his concealed emotions but also his ambitions and grand vision.

Yet at this moment, hearing his words, she realized there was, as if, always a film between them.

"Is that so? I thought that the Prince’s aspirations always lay with the wellbeing of the common people and the state," she managed to say dryly in the end.

Li Mingjue looked at her, his tone indifferent, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness, "Before I met you, I indeed thought so."

Qi Yu nearly felt scorched by his direct gaze, and she slightly turned her eyes away, "The Prince is someone who has grand ambitions."

Her heart was in turmoil at the moment.

Although she knew that one day Li Mingjue was bound to ascend to that position.

Yet, before it actually happened, she chose not to talk about it at all, nor think about any possibilities related to it.

However, she was innately a lover of freedom. Being confined to the Imperial Palace the rest of her life, like a bird with clipped wings, was worse than death itself.

Moreover, she was absolutely unwilling to share her husband with other women.

Even though Li Mingjue had given her promises long ago, who could predict the future?

And once someone ascends to that supreme position, how many can remain true to themselves?

She could be a genuine and passionate Princess, but the role of Empress carried too much responsibility, which she was not ready to bear.

Li Mingjue’s gaze remained on her the whole time, and how could he not see the resistance and struggle in her eyes?

He could offer thousands of promises, but if the other person didn’t believe, what he said was useless.

The room was silent for a long time until Li Mingjue looked away, his tone casual as he said, "The only plan for now is to ask someone to come out of retirement."

This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com