The steward and Gou Chun knelt outside the door, Zhang Xiaohua looked bewildered at the middle-aged man in front of her who claimed to be the chief steward of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, her eyes full of disbelief: "I am the Crown Prince of Prince Pingbian?"
"After verification, you are indeed the Crown Prince of Prince Pingbian, the sole heir to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion." The middle-aged man had a gentle demeanor and sat by Zhang Xiaohua’s bedside: "Crown Prince, welcome back! From today onwards, you are the most dazzling person in the Northern Land, and you will begin a new life."
Zhang Xiaohua was currently wrapped in bandages like a mummy, momentarily unable to accept this massive information, and then regained her composure with a ferocious expression:
"Where is Zhang Chen? I want him dead! I want him to be cut to pieces!"
"Zhang Chen’s crimes do not warrant death!" The chief steward shook his head.
"He tried to murder me, and that’s not a crime deserving death? Am I not, as the dignified Crown Prince of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, able to decide the life and death of an ordinary person?" Zhang Xiaohua’s voice was filled with discontent; if he hadn’t personally witnessed the darkness within the yamen and his own injuries, he might have almost believed the other party’s lies.
"You say he committed murder, but there’s no evidence! Killing a mere hunter isn’t difficult, the difficult part is that you’re now the Crown Prince, constantly under the watchful eye of the Inspection and Supervision Department. Any slight flaw caught by them will drag you and the mansion into a huge trouble." The steward said.
"You are now a young prince; your reputation is the most important. If word gets out that you are taking revenge for personal grievances and killing without solid evidence, both you and the Prince’s reputation will be tarnished! Our Prince Pingbian’s Mansion has always treated people with benevolence and kindness, and reputation matters involve people’s hearts—at this critical juncture, there can’t be the slightest flaw!"
"You say I can’t kill him directly, but indirectly causing his death shouldn’t be a problem, right? I know that this kid avoided corvée five years ago, and his sister brought back some silver to bribe the officials. Why not send him to serve at the Yellow River? If he accidentally contracts the plague during service, or accidentally drowns in the silt, or falls into a pit and dies, these would all be normal occurrences, right? Even if someone knows, they won’t be able to find evidence!" Zhang Xiaohua said this, looking at the chief steward: "Don’t tell me that the dignified Prince Pingbian’s Mansion can’t handle such a small matter."
The steward nodded upon hearing this, considering it a very appropriate plan!
After all, the Prince desired a reputation of benevolence, and the Crown Prince needed one of kindness. If this matter spread, it wouldn’t hurt to turn it into a good talk in the Northern Land, greatly enhancing the people’s cohesion and winning more public support for our young master in the Northern Land.
If Zhang Chen’s offense against the Crown Prince was even forgiven by the Crown Prince, what would the people think when they hear about it?
The Crown Prince is the future of the Northern Land, his reputation must be flawless.
They would only think of the Prince as wise and the Crown Prince as kind, thereby greatly increasing their prestige.
The chief steward’s eyes turned to Zhang Xiaohua, with a sigh in his heart: ’This new master is vengeful, not someone easy to deal with, it seems I’ll have to be careful in the future.’
"I’ll make arrangements. You take good care of your injuries. Once healed, you can recognize your ancestors and reclaim your heritage. The Prince is currently busy with an important matter, a sudden change occurred a quarter of an hour ago, so he left the residence secretly. When he returns, many things will be explained to you by the Prince himself." The chief steward finished speaking and retreated.
As the chief steward walked outside, he saw Gou Chun sweating like rain, kneeling on the ground. His voice was neither gloomy nor bright: "You heard everything just now in the room, didn’t you? You should know what to do, right?"
"I understand!" Gou Chun hurriedly said, knowing this ordeal was over: "I also plan to call his mother, younger brother, and younger sister to join in the burial! It’s my gift to the Crown Prince as an apology."
"Foolishness!" The chief steward harshly reprimanded upon hearing this: "Prince Pingbian’s Mansion is at a critical time, you cannot allow the Inspection and Supervision Department to catch anything that would ruin the reputation and people’s hearts of the mansion. You mustn’t touch that mother and her two children, or if the Inspection and Supervision Department finds any evidence and ruins the mansion’s reputation, losing people’s hearts, even a thousand heads wouldn’t be enough to behead!"
Gou Chun shivered at the words and hurriedly nodded like a pecking bug saying ’yes’.
Actually, Gou Chun was suffering bitterly inside!
What did any of this have to do with him? He was the most innocent and wronged one! If the prince’s concubine in Prince Pingbian’s Mansion hadn’t mistaken him for someone else, how would he have handled things this way?
Oh boy, the Crown Prince almost lost half their life because of him; it would surely be a mark of prestige if it got out.
If it weren’t for the Prince’s usual benevolence, his entire family might have been finished.
"Ungrateful!" Gou Chun cursed softly, then walked outside.
Prince Pingbian’s Mansion’s carriage meandered down the street, Zhang Xiaolan leading Zhang Chen for a stroll, leisurely taking in the cityscapes along the way.
Inside the carriage, Zhang Chen and Fox Spirit strategized, as Zhang Xiaolan was lost in an illusion realm, unaware of anything unusual.
But in Zhang Chen’s mind, many thoughts weighed heavily; if he were truly banished, he could seize the chance to fake his death, quietly sneak back to the tomb, and blow up that Twelfth Tier mysterious with gunpowder. With the Twelfth Tier mysterious in hand, perhaps he would have a chance to turn the situation around.
But the carriage had barely gone far when a group of governmental officers suddenly rushed in, blocking its path.
"This is a carriage of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, you blind idiots dare to block it?" The proud carriage driver reprimanded.
"What’s happening?" Zhang Xiaolan, hearing the commotion in the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked at the thirty or so officials surrounding the carriage, and asked calmly.
Sitting beside Zhang Xiaolan, Zhang Chen’s pupils contracted; Fox Spirit’s prediction had finally come true, and he wondered how his fate at Prince Pingbian’s Mansion would be decided.
In truth, it didn’t matter much to him, as the end goal was faking his death; it seemed all the same, either way.
Even as he reflected, Zhang Xiaolan got off the carriage.
Zhang Chen, observing this, felt a chill as he realized Fox Spirit’s words had been right; this woman deliberately mistook his identity, and with the incident unfolding, she likely feared he’d leverage or harm the child in her womb.
"Goddamn it, it’s truly the Sixth Lord at work! Even a mere concubine of Prince Pingbian can have such guile; it would be strange if I didn’t blow my cover at Prince Pingbian’s Mansion!" Zhang Chen cursed internally, gradually understanding the cunning ways of people in those ancient times.
"Ma’am, the one behind you is the fake Crown Prince; we’ve tracked him all the way here and intend to arrest him as planned." Gou Chun said, as officials beside him rushed out to detain Zhang Chen from the carriage.
Zhang Xiaolan’s face showed a trace of astonishment, incredulous: "Sir, isn’t there a mistake? This is my brother, how could I fail to recognize my own brother?"
Gou Chun smiled bitterly: "Madam, you nearly got me killed, gave me half a death scare! Once you’re back at the mansion, the chief steward would naturally explain everything to you."
Zhang Xiaolan’s face filled with bewilderment, her eyes turning towards the young man quietly sitting in the carriage; she turned back towards Gou Chun: "You sure there’s no mistake? He’s really a hunter?"
"The spies within the mansion have verified it; our young prince has already been warmly welcomed back to the mansion. However, the young prince went through an ordeal in the torture chamber, bearing scars all over, couldn’t get out of bed for three to five months, perhaps even left with scars..." Gou Chun’s eyes turned towards Zhang Xiaolan.
Without another word, Zhang Xiaolan headed directly to Prince Pingbian’s Mansion.
Once Zhang Xiaolan left, Gou Chun gazed at Zhang Chen, who appeared as handsome as a jade, resembling a dignified young lord. His eyes showed a bit of wonder: "I would’ve never anticipated you to be born from a mountain hunter."
He actually wanted to say ’No wonder madam would mistake you, you resemble the Crown Prince more than the Crown Prince himself’, but it was too treasonous a statement, so he daren’t express it!
"Boy, five years ago you shirked corvée; now exposed, you should fulfill your obligation! The Prince and the Crown Prince are magnanimous, not holding your past wrongdoing against you. You should henceforth night and day commemorate our Prince and Crown Prince, be grateful for their gracious kindness." Gou Chun said with a smile.