The Old Master Ling was seething with anger, regretting the birth of such a useless son, who had brought such shame to the Ling family.
To commit such an act was as if he was willing to drag the entire Ling family down with him.
"Come here, come here!"
"Old Master..." The housekeeper, who had been waiting outside, rushed in upon hearing the commotion.
"Go... go find that useless second son of mine, go... hurry!"
"This old servant will go now."
The housekeeper hurriedly agreed and retreated, rushing to find Second Master Ling.
"When he comes, I... I will break his legs, so he doesn't go out and harm others anymore..."
Old Master Ling fetched his walking stick and placed it beside him, waiting for Second Master Ling to appear so he could break his legs.
Ling Mo Han sat beside him, his expression extremely calm, quietly awaiting the appearance of Second Master Ling. He was very curious to see how his grandfather would deal with his second uncle.
Before long, the housekeeper brought in the bewildered Second Master Ling.
"Your son greets you, Father." Second Master Ling bowed respectfully as always. His gaze fell upon Ling Mo Han, and he said warmly, "Mo Han is back. You've rendered a great service this time, truly bringing honor to our Ling family."
"You scoundrel, kneel down for me!" Old Master Ling shouted angrily, causing Second Master Ling to tremble all over. He quickly turned around.
"Father, you..."
"Kneel!"
Old Master Ling roared, his eyes burning with fury as he glared at Second Master Ling.
This was the first time Second Master Ling had seen his father so enraged, and he immediately realized the matter was not simple. He quickly knelt on the ground.
"Are you colluding with the Third Prince!"
"This..." Second Master Ling instantly became nervous. How did his father know about this? He had been so careful.
"Father, your son is a subject, and the Third Prince is the sovereign. Even if there was some interaction, it was all official business. It can hardly be called collusion..."
Second Master Ling explained cautiously, a cold sweat beading on his forehead. If his father continued to question him, he truly didn't know how to answer.
Furthermore, he was still unsure if his father knew about his other dealings. If he did, how should he respond?
"No collusion? You still refuse to tell the truth even now!"
Old Master Ling pressed him, finding it hard to believe he had done such a thing and still refused to speak the truth. "Do you truly intend to drag the entire Ling family down before you will regret it?"
"Father, Father... Your son has never done such a thing. I beg Father to investigate carefully."
Second Master Ling quickly knelt and begged for mercy, but he still refused to admit it. As long as he insisted he hadn't done it, his father wouldn't be able to do much to him.
"How much bribe did Second Uncle receive from the Third Prince? Do I need to tell you one by one?"
Ling Mo Han directly revealed the matter. He wanted to see how his second uncle would continue to quibble.
"Mo Han, what nonsense are you speaking? What bribe? You mustn't speak such words carelessly?"
"Nonsense, Second Uncle, do you still refuse to admit it! Where have you hidden the beauty the Third Prince sent you..."
Upon hearing this, Second Master Ling's face suddenly changed. His complexion turned pale, and his gaze flickered evasively.
"Does Second Uncle need me to say more?"
Ling Mo Han asked calmly, his expression serene as he looked at Second Master Ling.
Old Master Ling observed Second Master Ling's expression and instantly understood.
"You scoundrel! Do you still intend to hide it now? I wanted to give you some face and let you admit it yourself, but I didn't expect you to be so stubborn. Must I tear off this fig leaf and throw it on the ground before you will admit it!"
Old Master Ling's anger surged, and he became even more furious with Second Master Ling. He struck down heavily with his walking stick, hitting Second Master Ling directly on the spine.
"Father... Father, your son knows his mistake, Father..."
Never having been beaten like this, Second Master Ling collapsed to the ground with a single blow, sweat on his forehead, grimacing in pain.
Old Master Ling acted as if he hadn't heard, still feeling unappeased. He struck a few more times. If Ling Mo Han hadn't worried about killing him and stepped forward to stop him, Second Master Ling would have suffered even more.
"You scoundrel! How could I have given birth to such a useless thing like you? Have you forgotten even the ancestral admonishments? If you commit a grave error, what face will you have to see our ancestors!"
"Father, your son did this considering the future of the Ling family."
From beginning to end, he didn't believe he had done anything wrong. Now, more than half of the officials in the court were leaning towards the Third Prince.
And the Third Prince was only a step away from the position of Crown Prince, needing only an imperial decree from His Majesty. Once the imperial decree was issued, the Third Prince would be the legitimate heir. What he was doing now was merely being ahead of time.
By the time the Third Prince became the Crown Prince, it would be too late to curry favor. Moreover, the Third Prince intended to win over the Ling family. His actions were not wrong at all; rather, they were helping the Ling family.
"You... you incorrigible fool!"
Even now, he was still so stubborn. Old Master Ling used all his strength and slapped Second Master Ling hard across the face, trying to jolt him awake.
"The ancestral laws admonish that no descendant of the Ling family shall participate in the struggle for the succession. We shall only be loyal to His Majesty. By doing this now, are you disregarding our ancestors? Do you know that the Third Prince is only outwardly benevolent but inwardly sinister and cruel, and is by no means a suitable candidate for the Crown Prince."
"You are so impatient to attach yourself to the Third Prince. Have you ever considered what you would do if the Crown Prince were not the Third Prince? What would the Ling family do? Your actions are putting the entire Ling family into dire straits!"
After hearing these words, Second Master Ling's confidence wavered instantly. He truly hadn't considered this aspect. However, given the current situation, who else but the Third Prince could become the Crown Prince?
Although Prince Jing had recovered from his leg injury, he had lost His Majesty's favor. He had also been reprimanded by His Majesty in the last two days. As for who could become the Crown Prince, after much thought, only the Third Prince had the hope of becoming the Crown Prince.
"Do you know..." The Third Prince is colluding with Xiliang. Old Master Ling ultimately did not say the remaining half of the sentence.
Such a major matter could absolutely not be revealed to Second Master Ling. Not to mention his timid nature, he couldn't bear such a great burden. Furthermore, his heart was now set on siding with the Third Prince. If this matter were revealed, it was hard to guarantee he wouldn't turn around and inform the Third Prince. At that point, all of Ling Mo Han's plans would be in vain.
"Father, how is the Third Prince?"
Second Master Ling instantly became nervous upon hearing about the Third Prince. In his eyes, only the Third Prince mattered now. His future glory and wealth were all entrusted to the Third Prince.