The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

The story of Shangguan Hanque, the young general in the Grand General's Mansion, becoming infatuated with a courtesan from Lanyue Tower gradually spread throughout the capital and eventually reached the ears of Emperor Murong Qianqiu.

However, he was suspicious and did not believe these things, so he summoned Murong Yu, who often frequented brothels, to ask him.

At this very moment, Murong Yu had already begun to suspect Hua Xiangrong, who was standing beside him.

Summoned to the palace, Murong Yu smiled slightly upon hearing Murong Qianqiu's question and said, "As Father Emperor said, it is indeed true. Although the owner of Lan Yue Tower is not as beautiful and dignified as Qiu Lingfeng, the most beautiful woman in our capital, she is as alluring as a peony among flowers. In particular, her worldly charm makes many men flock to her and linger. It is not surprising that such a woman could capture the young general's heart!"

Upon hearing this, Murong Qianqiu, still puzzled, asked, "Is that really so? Was it not disclosed? How could Shangguan Ting possibly tolerate his grandson falling into such a state?"

If you don't believe me, why ask me?

Murong Yu's eyes flashed with coldness as he lowered his head and said, "Father, you are wise. Your son is incompetent. I like to frequent such places every day. I know the young general's affairs very well, without a doubt. I don't know how the young general saw the face of the owner of Lan Yue Tower and became infatuated with her. He disregarded all dignity and would return to the tower every day. He even took the Shangguan family's antiques as a reward in order to meet the owner alone. The adults who have just entered Lan Yue Tower know all about these things."

Murong Qianqiu stroked his beard and frowned. If Shangguan Hanque was truly so depraved, then the Shangguan family was really nothing to fear.

Although Shangguan Ting is still a general, he is old and has many hidden injuries, so he is no longer a threat. If Shangguan Hanque continues to be so dissolute and stubborn, then the Shangguan family will only have Shangguan Hongwei left.

While Shangguan Hongwei is brave and valiant, he cannot single-handedly hold the line. With other members of the Shangguan family held hostage in the capital, he will undoubtedly dedicate himself to protecting the borders of Yue. You should observe carefully; the Shangguan family holds high positions and wields great power. If this young general becomes so dissolute and indulges in frivolous pursuits, it will be of immense benefit to the future of Yue.”

After thinking it over, he asked again, "There are many suspicious points in this matter. After all, I know Shangguan Ting's character very well. How could he allow his only grandson to do such a thing? I'm afraid it's a conspiracy. Do you know anything about the owner of Lanyue Tower?"

Murong Yu sneered inwardly, but her eyes remained gentle as she replied, "Father, I did have a close relationship with that lord, and she was also affectionate towards me. Therefore, she told me in great detail about the young general's infatuation. Suddenly, she saw a man downstairs staring at her intently. She smiled at him, and he rushed in without a second thought. Finally, after my explanation, she learned that this man was the young general of the Grand General's Mansion, the most just and incorruptible city patrolman in the capital."

As for the old general, I heard that he indeed disagreed and even severely beat the young general, but he couldn't stop him and has been so angered that he's now bedridden.

Murong Qianqiu was surprised and said, "Is that so? I have met this young general once. He is also a hero of the Shangguan family. How could he be so easily bewitched by a courtesan? If that is really the case, it is a pity that the general's demeanor, which has been passed down for generations of the Shangguan family, is not up to par.

Murong Qianqiu spoke words of regret, but his eyes were filled with joy. He couldn't have been happier to see the Shangguan family fall into ruin.

Murong Yu nodded and said, "Father is right. If things continue like this, the Shangguan family will decline, and the ironclad soldiers left behind by the late emperor will eventually disappear. It's a real pity."

Murong Qianqiu paused, his expression darkening. He looked at Murong Yu and said sternly, "Who told you about the armored soldiers? Didn't I tell you long ago that the armored soldiers don't exist? That blood-red coral is just a toy symbolizing the Crown Prince's status. Those things are just rumors among the people and can't be taken seriously. They're just a frame-up against the Shangguan family. Don't mention it again. If General Shangguan hears this and gets upset, I will hold you responsible."

It's no secret that Murong Qianqiu is wary of the Shangguan family. Yet now, he's denying it in front of his own son, saying it's to avoid hurting their feelings. It's truly laughable.

Murong Yu immediately lowered his head, his eyes changing, and said, "Your subject understands. It was your subject's foolishness that led him to believe the rumors in the book and misunderstand General Shangguan. It was truly wrong of him, and your subject is guilty."

Murong Qianqiu nodded and said, "That's enough. Don't mention it again. You should continue to keep an eye on Shangguan Hanque. If you have the chance, try to persuade him to turn back as soon as possible."

And you, spending your days lingering in such places, you have none of the demeanor of a prince. How can I entrust this vast land to you in the future? You must also discipline yourself and refrain from going to such places unless absolutely necessary. Cultivate your character, learn some principles of governance, and you will be able to assist your elder brother in the future.”

Anger flashed in Murong Yu's eyes. Why should he assist Murong Chuan in building his empire? If he wanted to learn, he should learn the way of a king and rule this land alone.

Murong Yu looked flattered and knelt down, saying, "Father, please calm down. It is your son who is unworthy of great responsibility and has brought shame upon you. In the future, I will definitely be self-disciplined and strive to be someone who can help my elder brother."

Murong Qianqiu rubbed his temples, snorted coldly, and waved his hand. Murong Yu immediately kowtowed and knelt to say, "Father, please rest well. Your son will take his leave."

Murong Qianqiu snorted coldly and said, "Judging from your appearance, you are hopeless. Get out of here!"

Murong Yu withdrew and stood at the door of the Imperial Study, letting out a long sigh. He then shook his head and sighed, "As a prince, one should act like a prince. Heh, my attitude is still that of a lazy, idle person who spends his days in brothels so you can rest assured. If that's the case, why should I be the one to stick my neck out and be watched and feared by you all day long?"

As he spoke, he looked at his attendant and asked, "How is it inside Lan Yue Tower?"

The attendant said, "News just came that Young Master Shangguan went there again. He was sitting in the same spot, drinking quietly, and looking towards the fourth floor. However, his face was even paler. We don't know what happened."

"Is there any movement upstairs? Has Hua Xiangrong shown up?"

"The master of the building has not left his room for the past few days, and his door has been tightly closed. We don't know what he is doing. The fourth floor has been heavily guarded for the past few days, and we can't go up. There is also another matter, which is the Miss Gu Yin that His Highness asked us to investigate. Miss Gu Yin has not appeared for a long time."

Murong Yu narrowed her eyes slightly and asked sternly, "Haven't appeared for a long time? How long is that?"

When Murong Yu began his investigation into Hua Xiangrong, Hua Xiangrong was spending her days in the General's Mansion with Shangguan Hanque. The person she was embracing at Lanyue Tower every day was someone else entirely. However, occasionally, when she felt like it, she would disguise herself as a servant and go to Lanyue Tower with Shangguan Hanque. Seeing her young lady acting independently and navigating the world of the powerful with ease, she felt incredibly accomplished.

Every day, a scene would unfold inside Lan Yue Tower: the young general, unable to see the tower master, would be troubled by love and constantly frowning. Occasionally, a servant from the general's mansion would appear and offer the young general heartfelt advice, but could only help the drunken young general back to the mansion.

Then, every day at General Shangguan's mansion, the old General Shangguan's thunderous roar could be heard, eventually escalating to the cracking sound of a whip, until finally, as Murong Yu knew, his face was pale and his whole body was trembling.

"Rong'er's disguise skills are truly superb. Even I, her own grandfather, can't recognize which one is her grandson. How did you manage to move this mask? The texture of this mask is just too good. It feels exactly like my own face. Could it be real human skin?"

Thinking of this, Shangguan Ting became serious for a moment. Hua Xiangrong smiled and put down her paintbrush, saying, "What are you talking about, old general? Although this is called a human skin mask, if it really is made of human skin, how many people would have to be killed?"

Besides, while human skin is certainly good for making masks, it's two layers of skin, so the breathability is definitely not good. Moreover, human skin is bloody and very time-consuming to process. You can't just change the face at will. If you made a mask of a notorious bandit, wouldn't you be arrested and beheaded by the imperial court as soon as you brought it out?

"And look, your own grandson is still here, his face hasn't been peeled off yet. How could I possibly make his face out of his skin? This thing is just something I made using my exclusive secret method; it has absolutely nothing to do with human skin."

Hearing this, Shangguan Ting finally felt relieved, continuing to stare incredulously at the 'grandson' standing beside him. Then he turned back to look at his grandson lying on the bed and asked curiously, "Girl, did you draw all of these? How come they look exactly like the real thing?"

Hua Xiangrong was drawing scars on Shangguan Que's back, making them look like they were from being whipped. She used a special dye. Shangguan Ting even curiously touched it, then immediately withdrew his hand, saying, "It looks just like the real thing, and the texture is very close. If you add blood, it might be indistinguishable from the real thing."

He could no longer believe his own eyes; Hua Xiangrong was truly amazing. With such skills, she would be an excellent spy if placed in the military.

After completing the final stroke, Hua Xiangrong smiled and said, "Perfect."

Shangguan Hanque blushed as he stood up and curiously looked behind him, but unfortunately he couldn't see. Hua Xiangrong then brought a light and helped him see while answering Shangguan Ting's questions.

"These are naturally my own secrets, and I won't share them with outsiders."

Shangguan Ting nodded: "Girl, you are really amazing."

Hua Xiangrong said, "Not at all, it's nothing. This way, we won't have to worry about anyone deliberately trying to find fault with the injury. In a little while, I'll trouble the young men in the manor to get some more animal blood to apply to it, then bandage it up, and that'll be it."