The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 210 Worried about the future (Happy New Year)
Tu Chengyu felt his throat was a little dry, and he said in a hoarse voice:

"Why are you involved with the retired emperor again?"

Upon hearing this, Quan Wenwei said in a low voice, "I was just considering things from a holistic perspective. Given the current situation, the Emperor Emeritus is indeed a suspect."

Tu Chengyu frowned and said, "But the Emperor Emeritus has been hiding in the palace for a year and hasn't shown his face. How could he still have information to do these things?"

Since the matter concerned the retired emperor, Tu Chengyu somewhat lost his composure.

It's not that Tu Chengyu didn't believe the Emperor Emeritus couldn't have done this; quite the opposite.

In Tu Chengyu's understanding, it was commonplace for the retired emperor, who had been emperor for twenty years, to do such a small thing.

It's just that this matter is hard for Tu Chengyu to accept for the time being. Even if it's just a possibility, Tu Chengyu feels uncomfortable.

After all, in what he had just said to Quan Wenwei, he mentioned that the whole capital was talking about Tu Chengyu being the most beloved grandson of the retired emperor.

Now, in the blink of an eye, people suspect that this rumor is the Emperor Emeritus's ulterior motive, which is something no one can accept so easily.

Seeing that Tu Chengyu's expression kept changing after hearing his words, Quan Wenwei felt uneasy.

He subconsciously licked his lips and said, "Your Highness need not worry. I was just saying this. The Emperor Emeritus may not have such a plan."

Tu Chengyu also heard Quan Wenwei's words of comfort.

He took a deep breath, exhaled the stale air, and slowly said:
"I understand the reasoning you're giving, but my concern clouded my judgment and caused me to lose my composure. However, since you've mentioned my father and the retired emperor, we can't just pretend they don't exist."
When considering countermeasures, these factors should still be taken into account.

Quan Wenwei replied in a low voice, "Your Highness is right."

They only exchanged a few words about the retired emperor before the two wisely stopped talking about it. As for the emperor, they had no intention of speaking at all.

Tu Chengyu paused for a moment and said, "Mr. Quan, according to your analysis, these two inexplicably appearing rumors are aimed at me?"

Quan Wenwei nodded; "Even if they're not directly targeting Your Highness, they're still using you as a pawn. Your Highness must be careful."

Tu Chengyu knew that Quan Wenwei's words were true, and said self-deprecatingly:

"It seems that in some people's eyes, I am the one who is easy to bully and cannot escape these schemes no matter what."

Logically speaking, given Tu Chengyu's current status, others should only treat him with respect. Who would dare to be so bold as to cause him trouble?

However, the reality is that Tu Chengyu's current prestigious status is all derived from the titles of Emperor Emeritus, Emperor, and Listener.

This illusory prestige is easily gained, but also quickly lost.

If any of these three individuals is unwilling to allow Tu Chengyu to be associated with their prestige, Tu Chengyu's status will face a significant challenge.

Even now, before any of these three have shown any dissatisfaction with Tu Chengyu, these rumors have already started circulating.

If news of Tu Chengyu falling out of favor spreads in the future, who knows what will happen?

This is the reason that Tu Chengyu could think of. The problem is that there is a high probability that this kind of thing will happen again in the future.

After all, the struggles between royal families have always been extremely brutal.

Even the closest relationships in the past could be easily abandoned when it came to conflicts of interest.

Even those who were once willing to die for each other now wish the other dead when their interests are involved.

Once it gets to this point, those who were previously the most favored are often sacrificed, because these favored people generally have no real foundation, so they won't face much trouble when they are abandoned.

Tu Chengyu, judging from the current situation, is this kind of person.

Tu Chengyu sat upright, lost in thought. When he came to his senses, he saw Quan Wenwei's concerned gaze in front of him.

Tu Chengyu forced a smile and said, "Mr. Quan, there's no need to worry, I'm fine."

Quan Wenwei had no idea what Tu Chengyu was thinking, but judging from his expression, it wasn't anything good.

He could only comfort him by saying, "Your Highness, these are just my guesses, they may not be true. Please don't worry too much."

Tu Chengyu waved his hand and said, "I know what I'm doing, but since we've come to this point, Mr. Quan, please think about how I should deal with these matters next?"

Tu Chengyu came to see Quan Wenwei today, originally intending to inquire about the Crown Princess's family, the Geng family.

See how you can investigate the matter thoroughly while also ensuring it benefits the Crown Prince.

Unexpectedly, before he could even ask about the Crown Prince, he learned that he had gotten himself into trouble.

In that case, it's best to resolve your own problems first. Otherwise, how can you expect to do anything if you can't even protect yourself?

However, as soon as he asked the question, Tu Chengyu was stunned. He felt that the question he had just asked seemed somewhat familiar.

He thought about it carefully and remembered. He had asked similar questions many times before, at least twice to Quan Wenwei.

So after asking the question, Tu Chengyu frowned and said:
"Mr. Quan, have I asked you this question before?"

Quan Wenwei stroked his goatee and nodded, saying, "Did Your Highness really ask that question?"

Upon hearing the affirmative answer, Tu Chengyu said with a frustrated expression, "What's wrong with me? Why do I always ask you these questions?"

Quan Wenwei was initially confused; they were talking perfectly fine just moments before, so why did the prince suddenly steer the conversation this way?

Now that I hear it, I realize it was because he was upset.

So he comforted him, saying, "Your Highness, you keep asking these questions; I imagine you have some concerns in your heart."

Tu Chengyu asked, "What do I have to worry about?"

Quan Wenwei said slowly, "Your Highness has doubts about his choice and has lost confidence in the future."

These two sentences made Tu Chengyu's heart stir, and he quickly asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Quan Wenwei said, "As far as the students know, the prince is a man of great vision and can make his own decisions. He must have made plans for the future a long time ago."

The reason he keeps asking these questions to the students and others, and even asking them to give the prince advice, is that he keeps asking them to give advice to the prince.

Clearly, the prince had begun to doubt his original plan and was no longer resolute. That's why he wanted his students to offer suggestions based on his previous intentions, in order to bolster his confidence.

At first, Tu Chengyu felt that Quan Wenwei's words were somewhat superficial and didn't fully resonate with him. However, after a few more sentences, Tu Chengyu felt that what Quan Wenwei said seemed to have hit the nail on the head.

After a moment's thought, he realized that this was the thought he had been suppressing deep in his heart.

Could it be that I'm no longer firm in my previous decisions?

Thinking of this, Tu Chengyu recalled his previous decision.

From the moment the emperor ascended the throne and his elder brother was made crown prince, Tu Chengyu thought that he did not intend to compete for the throne in the future.

He just wanted to take advantage of the relationship between the Emperor and the Crown Prince to become another wealthy and idle prince.

After experiencing some events, he saw clearly the predicament of the world and decided that as a transmigrator, it would be unreasonable to only think about enjoying himself without doing anything.

This is why he ran errands for the emperor at such a young age, and it was at this time that he asked Quan Wenwei how to deal with the future.

Quan Wenwei also provided a good response that was appropriate for his identity.

At the time, he thought he simply wanted to do something, which is why he overturned his initial idea.

But how do we explain why, after returning to the capital, he sought advice from Jia Jing and is now asking Quan Wenwei the same question again?

At first, he thought it was because he hadn't thought things through, which is why he sought their help to correct his mistakes.

Now, after being reminded by Quan Wenwei, he suddenly realized that he wasn't asking for advice, but rather that his firm belief had wavered.

Once Tu Chengyu figured this out, he broke out in a cold sweat.

His initial idea was to follow the Crown Prince and become a pleasure-seeking prince.

Now his original intentions have changed, but I don't know in what way. Is it that he no longer wants to follow the Crown Prince, or that he no longer wants to simply be a pleasure-seeking prince?

No matter which option you choose, it doesn't seem to be a good one.

Moreover, Tu Chengyu believed that he still wanted to help the Crown Prince, whether he went to Jiangnan or returned to the capital.

Is it possible that what I think is not consistent with my true inner thoughts?

Did I ask someone for advice just to deceive myself and keep pretending?
The more Tu Chengyu examined his own heart, the more uneasy he felt.

Seeing the unpredictable expression on Tu Chengyu's face once again, Quan Wenwei slowly lowered his head and stopped looking at Tu Chengyu.

After thinking about it for a long time, he pursed his lips, concealing his expression, and then asked casually:
"I also need to ask Mr. Quan, what should I do in the face of the current situation?"

Upon hearing Tu Chengyu's question, Quan Wenwei, presumably already having a plan, immediately replied:

"Your Highness, in my opinion, Your Highness should just continue to do your job diligently as before, and not worry about anything else."

Tu Chengyu frowned and said, "But now that others have started plotting against me, should I also do the same?"

Quan Wenwei said, "Although the rumors circulating in the capital do seem to be targeting the Prince, they will have no impact on him as long as the Crown Prince and the Emperor don't care."

These words confused Tu Chengyu, who asked in bewilderment, "But what you just said, does that mean the Crown Prince and the Emperor are also suspected of fabricating rumors?"

Quan Wenwei said, "Your Highness, this is just my guess. It may not be the work of the Emperor or the Crown Prince. Even if these rumors were spread by the Emperor or the Crown Prince, Your Highness should remain silent at this time."

Tu Chengyu asked thoughtfully, "What do you mean?"

Quan Wenwei explained further: "If the Emperor or the Crown Prince spread rumors about the Prince, their purpose is most likely to test your attitude, Your Highness."

Previously, the prince had always focused solely on his duties and protecting the crown prince. If he were to rashly change his ways because of rumors, wouldn't he fall right into a trap?

This explanation finally struck a chord with Tu Chengyu, and he relaxed his brows and said:

"Since Mr. Quan says so, I will continue to do my job diligently as before. However, being schemed against like this without doing anything makes me uneasy."

Since he was born, Tu Chengyu had been just an ordinary prince in the Prince An's mansion. He had a father and brothers to take care of him and servants to serve him. He had always lived a relatively smooth life. He had never experienced being suppressed and taken advantage of like this before, so he was unhappy.

Seeing that Tu Chengyu looked unhappy, Quan Wenwei closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

Before long, he suddenly smiled, held up two fingers, and said with a smile, "If Your Highness is really unhappy, I have two ways to help Your Highness vent your anger."

Seeing that Quan Wenwei could still think of a solution at this moment, Tu Chengyu quickly asked, "What good idea have you come up with?"

Quan Wenwei chuckled and said, "The first method is called 'using their own spear to attack their own shield,' which means using their methods to cause them trouble."

The rumors outside say that the Prince is the Emperor Emeritus's favored grandson, the Emperor's beloved son, and the Crown Prince's trusted brother. Well then, the Prince might as well grant their wish and solidify these identities.

Whether it's true or not doesn't matter, because Tu Chengyu truly deserves that title now.

What puzzled Tu Chengyu was why he should fulfill the wishes of those who spread rumors and actively confirm these identities.

However, considering that this was Quan Wenwei's idea, Tu Chengyu refrained from questioning it. He simply asked:
"Mr. Quan, will doing this really vent my anger?"

Quan Wenwei said, "Of course, that's not all. What I just said was just the beginning. The real focus is what follows. Now that Your Highness has solidified these identities, isn't it perfectly normal for you to do things that are in line with your status as a doting grandson and son?"

Seeing Quan Wenwei's mischievous grin, Tu Chengyu suddenly became very interested in Quan Wenwei's method.

He asked, "What should I do to be worthy of this status?"

"Complain," Quan Wenwei said with a smile, and continued, "Your Highness, please report these rumors to the Emperor, to the Emperor Emeritus and the Crown Prince, and let them decide for Your Highness."

Your Highness, think about it. No matter who spread these rumors, as long as they are reported to the Emperor, it will show Your Highness's attitude.

Moreover, if the Emperor himself was responsible, he would surely suppress the rumors in order to appease the Prince and distance himself from them, thus fulfilling the Prince's wish.

If the rumors weren't spread by the Emperor and others, once the Prince complains, the Emperor and the Crown Prince will surely be furious. At that point, the Emperor will send people to find out who fabricated the rumors, without the Prince even having to lift a finger.

Therefore, no matter what, as long as the prince goes to file a complaint, there will surely be a result that satisfies the prince.

Upon hearing Quan Wenwei's idea, Tu Chengyu slapped his thigh in delight, declaring it a brilliant idea.

Not only can it help Tu Chengyu solve his problems, but it can also prevent his relationship with the Emperor and the Crown Prince from becoming distant.

At this point, we are even more eager to see Tu Chengyu's second solution.

(End of this chapter)