The first time in history

Chapter 143 The Royal Aunt’s Plan

Rui Yulan looked at the painting on the wall with deep eyes, "This painting is well done! Twenty years ago, the imperial aunt fought for the country with your father. It's a pity that you didn't see the elegance of the imperial aunt at that time."

"The royal aunt is still as charming as ever."

Rui Yulan smiled lightly, "Do you know who your father trusts the most?"

"Yes...it's you, the Imperial Aunt!"

"No." Rui Yulan shook his head. "She is the person your father trusts the most." Rui Yulan raised his finger and pointed at himself in the painting.

Qian Mingduo was confused, "The person in this painting...isn't it you, the Imperial Aunt?"

"That was Rui Yulan more than 20 years ago." She closed her eyes. "That was the person your father trusted the most, and the only person he trusted." Rui Yulan suddenly opened his eyes. "Rui Yulan is the person your father fears the most now."

"How...how could this be possible?" Qian Mingduo shook his head and said, "Aren't my aunt and my father close siblings?"

Rui Yulan nodded, "Yes, we are close siblings, but your father has stopped considering me as his closest relative over the years."

"How could this happen?"

Rui Yulan looked at Qian Mingduo sharply, "Do you know why your father asked me to find out about your brothers' friendship with the generals?"

"That's because father trusts the aunt, and he entrusted the things that he cares about and fears the most to her. Only in this way can father feel at ease."

Rui Yulan retracted his gaze and snorted. "That was your father using your brother's affairs to test me."

"The more the Royal Aunt talks, the less I understand." Qian Mingduo said carefully, "Why did the Royal Father want to test the Royal Aunt?"

Rui Yulan glanced at Qian Mingduo, "Except for Cai Bin, Su Yan and Wu Sikai, the generals that your brothers have befriended are all my old subordinates. They have already told me about You'er and Yin'er. It is precisely because of this incident that your father began to be wary of me."

"Why is Father afraid of Aunt Xing because of this matter?"

"Your father is afraid that I will secretly help some prince. Although my old subordinates have been gradually dismissed, alienated, and even executed by your father, your father knows that my prestige in the army is still very high." Rui Yulan smiled. "Your father is afraid that I will assist one of your brothers... in a mutiny."

"How could the emperor suspect the imperial aunt?" Qian Mingduo said, "This is impossible!"

"I just said, your father didn't doubt me, he was testing me." Rui Yulan said loudly.

Qian Ming couldn't figure it out, and Rui Yulan didn't have time for him to think about it.

"He wanted to test my opinion on who should be the crown prince by saying that he was secretly investigating your brothers' contacts with military generals. Because I would deliberately protect the crown prince in my mind and conceal the facts I found out from your father." Rui Yulan sighed and shook his head slowly.

Qian Mingduo seemed to know what Rui Yulan meant, so he asked in a low voice: "Aunt Royal means that Father will sense your choice of crown prince from Aunt Royal's words? Because you want to protect him, you will deliberately conceal the fact that he made friends with the generals."

"You have always been smart, and this time is no exception." Rui Yulan said lightly.

Qian Mingduo leaned forward and said, "Since Father can analyze the intentions of the imperial aunt, what will Father do?"

"Chen'er, you are so smart. Guess what your father will do?"

Qian Ming thought for a while, "Will my father be more afraid of my aunt?"

"Why is your father afraid of me?" Rui Yulan said with a smile.

"Fearing... fearing the prestige of the imperial aunt in the army, so they come to help the person the imperial aunt protects?" Qian Ming glanced at Rui Yulan, "Since father is so afraid of the imperial aunt, why not..."

Rui Yulan sneered, "You want to ask why your father didn't just kill me, so that he wouldn't have any worries?"

"I dare not!" Qian Mingduo lowered his head.

"As long as your father is alive, he will not kill me."

Qian Mingduo quickly said: "How could the emperor kill you? You are the emperor's closest relative!"

"Your father didn't kill me when he was alive because..." Rui Yulan said slowly, "He didn't want to be cursed while he was alive."

Rui Yulan smiled and said, "This is one of them."

"What about the second one?" Qian Mingduo asked anxiously.

"The second is that he thinks that as long as he's alive, he can control everything. And I...will not choose to be a troublemaker."

Although Qian Mingduo had traveled through time, he had already joined the game. He still knew the saying "Since ancient times, there has never been an emperor's family". For the sake of the supreme throne, there were too many cases of brothers killing each other and fathers and sons killing each other.

Qian Mingduo sighed and said, "So, if the emperor knows that his time is up, will you, my aunt, be killed by him?"

"Why is Chen'er sighing?" Rui Yulan said with a smile: "The Royal Aunt just said the first and second, there is also the third!"

Qian Mingduo was stunned for a moment, "The third one?"

"The third is...if the person I have in mind for the crown prince is the same person as your father's, then your aunt will not be buried with your father."

"What does this mean?" Qian Mingduo asked with a frown.

"What your father fears most is that after he dies, I will help the candidate I choose to launch a mutiny. If that happens, the world will be in chaos. This is what your father least wants to see. If our candidates are the same, do you think your aunt will still launch a mutiny?"

Qian Mingduo clapped his hands, "I understand. But... will the candidate in the Royal Aunt's mind be the same as the one in Father's?" He glanced at Rui Yulan quietly, "The candidate in the Royal Aunt's mind is..."

"It's you!" Rui Yulan stood up and held Qian Mingduo's hands. "You have always been the best candidate for the crown prince in the heart of the imperial aunt."

Qian Mingduo knelt on the ground, hugged Rui Yulan's waist, and said excitedly: "Thank you, aunt. I will never forget your kindness."

"Get up quickly." Rui Yulan helped Qian Mingduo up.

"Aunt!" Qian Mingduo asked, "Who is the heir apparent in Father's mind?"

Rui Yulan smiled slightly, "Your father never told me, but I can feel that you are also the crown prince in his heart."

"Really?" Qian Mingduo was overjoyed. He could actually become a prince after traveling through time. This was so exciting.

Although he traveled through time and space for the first time as Emperor Minghuang of Tang, he was an emperor on the run during the An-Shi Rebellion. How could he not be happy to be able to seize the position of crown prince in this chaotic situation?

Rui Yulan smiled and said, "Chen'er, do you listen to the Imperial Aunt?"

"My nephew is obedient."

"Since your father is testing me," Rui Yulan said decisively, "then the royal aunt will push you out and make you the one who makes private friends with the generals."