"Mother, rest assured, your son will never let anyone surpass you."
The Second Prince knew of the Empress's unease and soothed her patiently.
The Empress Dowager posed no threat; she only prayed to Buddha and stayed out of worldly affairs, and her family behind her kept a low profile, their descendants being nothing more than playboys with no real ability.
The only one who could threaten his mother's position was the favored Consort Jing.
Regardless of whether Jing was a substitute, the affection she and The Third Prince had received over the years was real.
As the investigation deepened, the Second Prince realized that the Emperor had paid an extraordinary amount of attention to that younger brother; all the subordinates in The Third Prince's Mansion had been personally appointed by the Emperor, some with high martial arts skills and others with shrewd minds, none inferior to his own aides.
