709 Fortune-telling (6)
In the past, everyone was polite to Prince Ding. Now, everyone looked at Fu Xiuyi warily. In a short period of time, Fu Xiuyi had made too many enemies for himself.
After Fu Xiuyi became the common target of his brothers, the first person he looked for was the crown prince.
Whether Fu Xiuyi was sincere or not, the crown prince was a soft-hearted person. He was very kind and was the easiest to deceive.
Just like at this moment, he did not mock or hit Fu Xiuyi when he was down. Instead, he comforted him.
Fu Xiuyi smiled and said, “Forget it, let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you.”
“Me?” The crown prince was a little puzzled. “What about me?”
“Everyone is fighting to the death now. You are clearly the most rightful heir, but you are being overshadowed by them. It’s not a good sign.” Fu Xiuyi smiled bitterly. “Initially, I didn’t want to participate in this competition and deliberately avoided it. I didn’t expect to still be dragged into this mess. In that case, I might as well take the initiative to join. I plan to support you.”
The crown prince was stunned, as if he did not expect Fu Xiuyi to say that. He smiled bitterly at first, then shook his head and said, “Ninth Brother, I know you said that out of kindness, so thank you. It’s just that… you also know my situation. If I’m strong and healthy, I will naturally compete. However, with my health, whether I can live or not is already a problem. As for the throne… I’ll leave it to fate.” At the end of his sentence, he actually sounded hopeless.
“Brother, don’t say that. You’re the eldest among us. Logically speaking, you should be the future ruler of Ming Qi. If you give it away, I’m afraid people will laugh at Ming Qi for not following the rules.”
“But I really don’t have much ability.” The crown prince was a little disheartened. “The officials don’t want to side with me because they know I don’t have long to live. There aren’t many of my former followers left. You asked me to compete for the throne, but other than being the crown prince, what else do I have to compete with them?”
When Fu Xiuyi heard this, he poured a glass of wine for himself and the crown prince. He picked it up and took a sip. “So at this time, what you need is a powerful aide.”
The crown prince shook his head. “Why would those capable people choose to work for me?”
“Actually, Brother, it’s not as hard as you think.” Fu Xiuyi said, “It’s indeed very difficult to find many capable people. However, as long as you find one capable aide, there’s no need to find another. Or rather, as long as you find one, a large group of capable people will swarm over to work for you.”
“Ninth Brother, you mean…” The crown prince was suspicious.
“The mighty general, Shen Xin,” Fu Xiuyi replied.
The crown prince paused.
“Shen Xin has military power. After leaving the capital for two years, his reputation among the people has not decreased. Even the State of Qin and the Daliang Dynasty have to show him some respect. With General Shen’s help, people will naturally come to join hands with you.”
After hearing Fu Xiuyi’s words, the crown prince smiled. “Ninth Brother, you are right. But Ninth Brother, you have to know that now that General Shen is powerful and influential, everyone wants to rope him in. Why would he choose me?”
“Because you’re the crown prince.” Fu Xiuyi said calmly, “The other princes will anger Father if they try to rope General Shen in, but you’re different. You’re the rightful heir to the throne and the son Father values the most. If General Shen pledges loyalty to you, Father will only be happy to see it. It’s a disaster for others, but it’s a blessing for you. You can’t let such a huge military power fall into the hands of others.”
The crown prince looked serious, because what Fu Xiuyi said made sense. Emperor Wen Hui was paranoid. For example, if Prince Zhou, Prince Li, or even Prince Ding, got Shen Xin’s support, it would be a disaster for them, because Emperor Wen Hui would look at them more warily. The crown prince was different. Emperor Wen Hui was unhappy with the crown prince being too weak and unable to keep the other princes in check. Moreover, the crown prince was the future ruler of Ming Qi, so Emperor Wen Hui naturally hoped that he would have a strong supporter.
“But why should General Shen choose me?” The crown prince still shook his head, as if he did not agree with Fu Xiuyi. He said, “General Shen doesn’t have to get involved in this mess. He can stay out of it and live very comfortably.”
Fu Xiuyi smiled and said, “General Shen doesn’t have to choose you, but Miss Shen can.”
The crown prince was stunned.
Fu Xiuyi continued casually, “She’s the fifth daughter of the Shen family and the apple of General Shen’s eye. She’s just at the right age to get engaged.”
