Chapter 210 - Anger
Crown Prince Zhao observed the bound servant before him with a furrowed brow. Without uttering a word, he allowed Wang Dingjun to escort the servant away.
It was expected that there might be spies within the Crown Prince's residence, but he hadn't anticipated the other party's ability to transmit information to their master. This not only indicated a well-devised scheme by the other party but also suggested that the surveillance within the Crown Prince's residence was incomplete.
After the individual was taken away, the butler dropped to his knees with a thud and confessed with deep remorse, “Your Highness, it's entirely my fault. I failed to investigate, which led to harm befalling the young master and Crown Princess.”
Reflecting upon it, the butler couldn't shake off the lingering dread. If Crown Princess and the young master had perished on the streets that day, no amount of lives could atone for the loss.
He never imagined that the child he had taken in out of kindness was actually a spy planted by someone else. How old was that child? Yet, he had remained loyal to another faction, unswayed by the passage of so many years.
Crown Prince Zhao remained silent. Accountability had to be established, and if this old butler hadn't been the one who raised him, he would certainly have rewarded him with thirty lashes.
“Rise. Effective immediately, intensify the scrutiny of the household servants. Anyone raising suspicions shall be sent away from the residence. They should not be allowed to linger here.”
“Yes,” the butler replied with tears in his eyes, then bowed and exited the room.
Tang Yue sighed. “It's truly pervasive!” Who would have thought that a child nurtured within the mansion for years would turn out to be another's spy?
Wang Dingjun returned quickly, his expression grim. Without waiting for the Crown Prince's inquiry, he voluntarily reported, “Your Highness, it was Old Prince. He instructed the servant to sneak the young master out of the mansion.”
Tang Yue wasn't taken aback by this revelation. The Crown Prince's Palace and the Prefecture Lord's Mansion had long-standing animosity. What did astonish him was the courage and caution displayed by the Crown Prince.
“The child seems remorseful. Lately, he has been burdened by guilt and restlessness. But his sister is in the clutches of Old Prince, leaving him with no alternative but to comply.”
Tang Yue furrowed his brow. His disdain for Old Prince knew no bounds, particularly for those who manipulated the kindness of others.
“Can you verify the veracity of his claims?” Tang Yue didn't want to offer mere words of compassion.
“Most of it appears to be true. However, I'm uncertain about the existence of his sister within Old Prince's camp. I'll expedite the investigation to ascertain the facts.”
Crown Prince Zhao nodded. His fingers instinctively tapped on the chair's armrest. His eyes wore a somber expression, as if a storm was brewing within him.
“Your Highness, should we take care of that child?” Wang Dingjun inquired. Typically, such matters didn't require questioning; it was rare for a child not to deserve punishment.
Crown Prince Zhao remained silent for a moment before stating, “Detain him for now. If his claims are true, bring his sister forth and arrange for their departure.”
Wang Dingjun noticed Tang Yue's surprised expression and smiled. While the child had made a mistake, Tang Yue felt it was necessary to offer him a chance at redemption if he truly couldn't help himself.
Crown Prince Zhao's approach seemed to align with Tang Yue's intentions.
Tang Yue had no interest in the impending developments. He assumed that Old Prince wouldn't fare well. He headed to the backyard to visit Little Luoyuan. Even before entering, he heard the child's cries.
Tang Yue entered the room and saw Yangu cradling the child, trying to comfort her. He promptly inquired, “What's the matter?”
Little Luoyuan wasn't prone to crying, except for the trauma he had experienced earlier, so Tang Yue was rarely witness to such heartrending tears.
Yangu held the child and lowered her head. She responded helplessly, “Lord Wang took Tu away just now. Young Master didn't want him to leave, and that's when he started crying.”
Tang Yue wasn't sure how to explain the concept of “betrayal” to a child, but in reality, Tu had indeed betrayed his young master.
He cradled Little Luoyuan in his arms, wiped away his tears, and asked, “Does Luoyuan care for Tu a lot?”
“Yes.”
“What if he did something wrong to Luoyuan?” Little Luoyuan asked, “Would you still like him even if he hurt you?”
“What do you mean by ‘he did something wrong to Luoyuan'? Children might not understand that phrase well.”
“Well,” Tang Yue hesitated to divulge the full story, as it seemed too cruel for a child. Moreover, he was certain that Little Luoyuan wouldn't comprehend it at this point. When the time came for him to understand, he might have already forgotten about this individual.
“Was he the one who proposed that Father take Luoyuan out to have fun?”
Little Luoyuan nodded enthusiastically. “Because Father is the best.”
Tang Yue affectionately ruffled his hair. “But he lured us out to harm us. Do you still remember the pain from that day? It was all because of the map.”
“Why?”
[Because Tu's family members were held hostage by some malevolent individuals. Those individuals forced him to do this, threatening to harm his family if he refused.]
“So he didn't do it willingly!” Little Luoyuan exclaimed loudly.
Tang Yue was unsure whether he felt relieved or moved by the boy's understanding. Given his age, grasping this concept was no easy feat. Nevertheless, he made a mistake, and when one makes a mistake, there must be consequences. Do you understand?”
“Does this mean he won't come back in the future?”
Tang Yue nodded solemnly. “It will be unsafe for him to remain at home, and he wishes to be with his family.”
Little Luoyuan hesitated for a moment and reluctantly said, “Alright. Just like how Luoyuan doesn't want to leave Father, he certainly doesn't want to leave his family.”
“Exactly, my son.” Tang Yue noticed that he had stopped crying, so he took him to play with toys to divert his attention.
Children had short memories. Tang Yue didn't want to leave a lasting dark stain on Little Luoyuan's childhood because of one person.
A month later, an astonishing event unfolded in Ye City. Someone accidentally stumbled upon a hidden passage beneath the old Prefecture Lord's Mansion. Inside, they discovered a substantial treasure trove and numerous weapons.
Upon receiving the news in the palace, the King of South Jin promptly dispatched officials to seal off the Prefecture Lord's Mansion and summoned the Old Prince. Instead of immediately ordering his execution, the King inquired personally, “What have you got to say for yourself?”
Even at this moment, the King of South Jin found it difficult to believe this revelation. He had pondered it previously; perhaps that item didn't belong to the Old Prince but was a relic from history.
“I am unaware of this situation. The Prefecture Lord's Mansion was granted by the Great King, and I had no knowledge of any underground secret passage. As for the treasure and weapons, their origin remains a mystery to me. If I were aware of them, I would promptly unearth and send them to the palace.”
The King of South Jin had doubts about his words and dispatched his most trusted secret guards to investigate. They sought to determine when the secret passage had been constructed. While they found traces within the passage, the origin of the treasures and weapons remained elusive.
In any era or dynasty, these treasures were of immense value.
King of South Jin gestured to have Old Prince confined to a side hall, but he didn't subject him to harsh treatment. The food and drink provided were consistent with his previous standards.
That evening, the secret guards brought shocking news to King of South Jin.
“Your Majesty, someone has confessed that Old Prince had the secret tunnel dug twenty years ago. All the blacksmiths involved in its construction were executed. The witness remembers this because he is a descendant of one of those blacksmiths.”
“Indeed? Why did Old Prince have the secret tunnel dug?”
“The witness has been kept under surveillance by my subordinates. Your Majesty can question him at your convenience. Regarding the secret passage, my subordinates have dispatched ten secret guards to investigate. They discovered three exits: one in Old Prince's bedroom, another concealed under a bed, and the last one outside the north gate, hidden in a forest. The last exit…” The dark guard hesitated and glanced at King of South Jin.
“What is it? Is there something you're hesitant to share?” King of South Jin's expression darkened as his frustration grew.
The secret guard lowered his head and spoke softly, “The last exit, Your Majesty, was concealed within the palace…”
“In the palace!” King of South Jin slammed the table and stood up. He walked over and demanded in a stern tone, “Where precisely?”
“In Madam Ying's main room in Huai An Palace!”
As soon as this revelation was made, the atmosphere seemed to freeze. King of South Jin remained stunned for a prolonged moment before reacting by kicking the dark guard. “Repeat it! Where is it?”
Madam Ying was the birth mother of the First Prince and the first woman to receive King of South Jin's favor. Despite her low status, her association with the First Prince had led to her being rewarded with Huai An Palace, a rare honor among King of South Jin's many consorts.
The fact that the secret passage from the Old Prefecture Lord's Mansion led directly to Huai An Palace, particularly to Madam Ying's main room, carried significant implications that everyone understood.
King of South Jin was left astounded because he comprehended the implications. His woman had engaged in an illicit relationship with his subject, and it was Madam Ying, who had always maintained a low profile.
“Take me there!” King of South Jin couldn't believe it. He wanted to witness how this adulterous couple had carried on right under his nose.
The secret guards didn't dare to refuse and quietly escorted King of South Jin, accompanied by dozens of people, to the Old Prefecture Lord's Mansion. They located the entrance to the secret passage and guided him towards the palace.
Despite being underground, King of South Jin maintained his sense of direction and knew he was nearing the palace. His expression grew increasingly grim, and hints of anger were visible.
After approximately half an hour of walking, they reached the end of the secret passage. The dark guard pushed open a heavy stone door, which emitted a dull sound as it slowly swung open.
Just before they could exit the concealed passage, a woman's voice inquired, “Why are you the only one here? Weren't you supposed to… Great… Great…”
The initial complaint in the female voice soon turned to fear. The King of South Jin silently surveyed his surroundings, confirming that he had emerged in Huai An Palace. The woman kneeling before him was the one he had cherished for over two decades.
He scanned the room, a place he had frequented in the past. However, as Madam Ying had aged, her skin had lost its youthful delicacy, and her charm had waned. Gradually, his visits had become less frequent.
Nevertheless, he was intimately familiar with the room's decor and furnishings. He even recognized many of the items as gifts he had bestowed.
Among the harem's women, those who had received his favors for more than a decade had been lavished with his attention day by day. Even the queen hadn't received such privileges.
Despite this, her desires remained insatiable. She had even dared to engage in an affair with others!
The thought of other men occupying the same bed he had once slept in filled the King of South Jin with disgust. The women he had embraced had been embraced by other men as well. He might have even embraced her after another man had done so. A profound hatred welled up within him.
Without uttering a word, he unsheathed his sword. Without affording Madam Ying an opportunity to explain, he beheaded her with a single stroke. She didn't even have time to scream before her life was extinguished.
“Burn this place down, spare no one in Huai An Palace!”
“Yes.”
Stepping over the decapitated body, the King of South Jin exited Huai An Palace. His sudden appearance startled many servants, but before they could comprehend the situation, their lives were taken.
As King of South Jin left the palace, the scent of blood hung heavily in the air. Guards patrolling nearby rushed over upon noticing the disturbance. What met their eyes was a blazing palace.
They hesitated about whether to venture inside to rescue anyone, but the palace's roof soon collapsed, leaving no chance for salvation.
The fire raged throughout the night and stirred most of the sleeping populace. However, no one ventured to join the commotion. They merely observed in silence as the palace burned.
Upon hearing the news, Queen Madame Hu simply remarked, “I'm aware.” She then went back to sleep. In this palace, apart from the King of South Jin's life, she held no interest in the fates of others.
The fall of Huai An Palace acted as a signal. Soon, it became known that the Prefecture Lord's Mansion had been massacred overnight. Over five hundred residents of the mansion, including County Princess Tangxi, who had married far away, and the Old Prince, whose fate remained unknown in the palace, had all vanished without a trace.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦