WEST AND EAST

"Do you think it was indeed the bastard from the West Faction that caused Guo'er to change his opinion of us, Uncle?" Zhu Ruolan asked a question as she continued to stare blankly at the pavilion door.

The last person to pass through the door was Wu Jingguo. The young man said that he needed to visit Empress Dowager, and that was why he excused himself without answering Zhong Enlai's questions regarding Wu Jinhai.

Zhu Ruolan could even see how displeased Wu Jingguo looked after hearing her uncle's question, and that was why the young man coldly left the residence.

"I don't think so," Zhong Enlai replied. "I did ask your son about that kid from the West Faction, but I don't think that's the case. We both know that kid from the West Faction never cared about your son, right?"

Now, Zhu Ruolan looked away from the door after hearing her uncle's answer. "You didn't think it was Wu Jinhai who had secretly provoked Guo'er to turn his back on us, so why did you ask Guo'er about it?"

"I just want to test him," replied the Prime Minister. "I wanted to know his reaction, and seeing how displeased he looked after hearing my question, I'm somehow certain that that kid from the West Faction didn't do anything to your son. We can only say that your son isn't stupid anymore, and that's why it will be difficult to control him from now on."

Zhu Ruolan carefully listened to her uncle's explanation, and she also didn't say anything as she gave her uncle a chance to voice his opinion.

"We can't ignore that, Uncle," Zhu Ruolan finally responded to her uncle. "Those old fellows from the West Faction are getting sharper now, and they are secretly gathering information about what we have done in the past. His Majesty even listens to them very much even if he has stated that he is not part of the West Faction."

The East and West factions had existed in Wu Li for a long time. About thirty years ago, there was only one faction in Wu Li, and that was the Central Faction. Back then, Wu Li was the most peaceful with only one faction ruling the empire. There was no dissent, and all came in one voice.

However, things started to change as several people within the faction had different opinions, and one of the most outspoken people who spoke up at that time was Zhong Enlai. When he could no longer accept the difference in principles between him and some people, he declared that he would quit the Central Faction and start his own faction called the East Faction.

Zhong Enlai's opponents in the Central Faction were not to be outdone, and they also started a revolution within the faction that they even changed the faction's name to the West Faction.

At that time, Wu Shun was only a young Emperor of Wu Li, but he was very bold when he stated that he was not part of any of the factions. He said that an Emperor had to remain neutral even if the empire had two factions, and that was why he was impartial even if he also couldn't unite the two factions.

The Emperor looked wise when he chose not to take sides, but recently, people had noticed how often he chose to be on the same side as the people of the West Faction. Maybe it was because he married someone from that faction years ago? Wu Shun had not only married that woman from the West Faction, but he was also deeply in love with her, and that was why the Emperor seemed less neutral after marrying her.

"You're right about that, Lan'er," Zhong Enlai replied. "That's why we have to keep an eye on some people from now on."

Zhu Ruolan nodded several times after hearing the old man's suggestion. "We definitely need to keep an eye on His Majesty and Wu Jinhai, right? It will be easier for us to keep an eye on Wu Jinhai now that that bastard will be spending more time in the palace after he usurps the title of Crown Prince."

"His Majesty and Wu Jinhai aren't the only ones we have to keep an eye on, Lan'er," Zhong Enlai replied again. "Recently, I've noticed how your son is getting closer to another person, and we also need to gather more information about that person."

This time, Zhu Ruolan didn't immediately say that she agreed with the old man's suggestion. Instead, she frowned at the man before asking, "Who is the person you're talking about, Uncle?"

"He's the one that His Majesty also mentioned today," answered Zhong Enlai. "That kid is called Yu Ming. He has stayed by Wu Jinhai's side for many years, but previously we saw him only as Wu Jinhai's sidekick so we didn't pay much attention to him. However, recently I have noticed how that child is getting closer to your son, and they were even together last night. That's why I want to know more about him."

"ACHOO!" Yu Ming suddenly sneezed loudly as he stood in front of his pavilion. His index finger moved to rub his nose, and he felt itchy in the area. "I'm sure some people are talking about me right now," he muttered to himself while frowning uncomfortably as he still had the itch in his nose.

He didn't even know the people talking about him, but he just shrugged his shoulders while quietly whistling. No one was with him at the moment. Wu Jinhai was probably with his father, and that was why he had nothing to do at the moment.

But then he suddenly narrowed his eyes as his sharp eyes could see someone walking towards him, and he suddenly smirked before dashing towards that person. In no time, he stopped running in front of that person, and that person even frowned at him.

"What do you want?" Coldly, that person asked Yu Ming, but Yu Ming just smirked at him.