Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Amidst Her Sympathy, Zhi Wan Can’t Help But Think of Herself
When news of the deposed Crown Prince reached the Capital City, Princess Chang Le fell right off her Imperial Concubine Chair.
Shen Longjin was startled and quickly scooped her up.
"Your Highness, are you hurt?"
Of course, it hurt.
But Princess Chang Le couldn’t be bothered with the pain right now. She turned to Yuanbao, who had come to deliver the news, and asked again, "Is what you said true?"
"It’s absolutely true. The deposed Crown Prince is already being personally escorted back to the Capital by Commander Shen. The Emperor has also issued a decree appointing Prince Rui as regent to oversee the Court’s affairs." Yuanbao’s face was full of joy.
"This is wonderful!" Overjoyed, Princess Chang Le gave Shen Longjin a kiss on the cheek. "You truly are my lucky star."
Shen Longjin froze for a moment, looking down at the woman in his arms.
Princess Chang Le didn’t notice his strange reaction and spoke directly to Yuanbao, "Has Prince Rui received the news?"
"He should have by now," Yuanbao replied.
Princess Chang Le was ecstatic. "Brother Rui has finally waited for this day."
Shen Longjin set her down and asked Yuanbao, "Do you know what exactly happened?"
"It is said that the Crown Prince engaged in debauchery at a temple and allowed his subordinates to abduct women from good families, forcing them into prostitution. After the Emperor stripped him of his title, he even took the Emperor hostage with a weapon, intending to harm him. If it weren’t for Mr. Lu’s meticulous mind and swift actions in subduing the deposed Crown Prince, the consequences would have been unimaginable. They say that as the deposed Crown Prince was being taken away, he blamed everything on Mr. Lu, vowing he wouldn’t let him go even as a ghost." Yuanbao relayed everything he had found out.
"Lu Zhan?" Princess Chang Le paused, lost in thought.
Shen Longjin saw the expression on her face and asked, "You suspect that everything that happened today was designed by Mr. Lu?"
Princess Chang Le gave him a surprised look, seemingly not expecting him to be so perceptive as to have thought of it too.
She didn’t hide it, nodding and saying with certainty, "It was him!"
Ever since she went to the Zhi Mansion to persuade Lu Zhan, she had been waiting for his reply, but to this day, he hadn’t given her one.
She had thought that because of his family’s principles, Lu Zhan didn’t want to get involved in partisan strife. She never expected that he would have been secretly plotting all along, toppling the Crown Prince without a sound.
’Lu Zhan really is ruthless and decisive.’
’He acted so quickly.’
’I can’t imagine how much planning went into this.’
Thinking of this, she ordered Yuanbao, "Go and invite Miss Zhi over."
Yuanbao left at once.
Princess Chang Le picked up her teacup, took a sip, and remarked, "Lu Zhan’s cunning is frighteningly deep. He strikes like lightning." She couldn’t help but feel a little wary.
Sensing her wariness, Shen Longjin comforted her, "Though Mr. Lu is cunning, he is also a man who clearly distinguishes between kindness and grudges. Your Highness has never been on bad terms with him, so there’s no need to be wary. On the contrary, for a talent like Mr. Lu, Your Highness should try to win him over and treat him well on behalf of Prince Rui."
Princess Chang Le paused, looking at him in surprise. "You don’t seem to have had much contact with him. How do you know his character so well?"
Shen Longjin paused before explaining, "I have reviewed the cases he has handled over the years. Not only is his mind meticulous, but his handling of cases is also fair and just, without a single error. Moreover, during his tenure, he has always been hands-on and diligent. He is a rare and indispensable pillar of the Court."
Hearing this, Princess Chang Le nodded. "He may seem cold and his methods ruthless, but he is strict with the law and has his own strong moral compass." At this point, she looked at Shen Longjin. "The autumn examinations are coming up. How are your preparations?"
"They’re fine," Shen Longjin said conservatively.
"Study hard. If you pass, you can participate in the spring examinations next year. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself," Princess Chang Le said.
"Alright." Shen Longjin’s dark eyes lowered slightly.
Seeing his long, thick eyelashes resting on his eyelids, his handsome and gentle appearance, Princess Chang Le’s fingers twitched. Just as she was about to touch his face, Yuanbao returned and reported, "Your Highness, Miss Zhi is not in."
Princess Chang Le’s fingers immediately shot back into her sleeve. She cleared her throat and asked, "Where did she go?"
Shen Longjin noticed her small movement, and a faint hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.
"I was told she went to a temple to fulfill a vow," Yuanbao replied.
"A temple?" Princess Chang Le froze, remembering what Yuanbao had said earlier—the Crown Prince’s debauchery at a temple...
At this thought, she grew worried and quickly ordered Yuanbao to find out who was the target of the Crown Prince’s debauchery at the temple.
She was only able to relax completely when she learned it was Wei Jinyi.
...
Zhi Wan was unaware of the events unfolding in the Capital. After arriving in a small town with Tong Da, she found an inn to stay at.
After settling in, the two had something to eat. Seeing that it was still early, Zhi Wan wanted to take a stroll around the town.
Tong Da felt that they were a considerable distance from the Capital City, making it impossible for the Crown Prince’s men to have pursued them this far, so he nodded in agreement.
The small town lacked the hustle and bustle of the Capital City, but it possessed a tranquility and peace the Capital did not.
However, the town was very small, and Zhi Wan and Tong Da finished their walk quickly.
On their way back, a beggar holding a broken bowl suddenly darted in front of Zhi Wan, giving her a huge fright.
"Miss, please have a heart. Spare some money for a meal."
Tong Da’s expression changed. He immediately moved to block Zhi Wan and waved the beggar away. "You stinking beggar, get lost."
"Sir, Miss, please have mercy. I haven’t eaten in days..." the beggar pleaded, wiping away tears.
Zhi Wan had recovered from her shock by now. She saw that the beggar was dressed in rags and was so thin she was just skin and bones. Her face was filthy and dark, and her hair was matted in clumps from not being washed for a long time. But her eyes were very bright and large, and Zhi Wan could vaguely tell she was a woman.
Seeing this, Zhi Wan was moved with pity. She immediately took out an ingot of silver and handed it to Tong Da. "Tong Da, give this to her."
Tong Da took it and placed it in the bowl in the beggar’s hands.
"Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Sir! Good people will be rewarded. May you both live a long life," the beggar said, bowing and scraping.
Looking at the female beggar, Zhi Wan felt a pang of sympathy and couldn’t help but think of herself.
’If I hadn’t been so lucky, with Nanny Chen taking care of me before and my aunt adopting me later, I might have ended up as a beggar too, begging on the streets for a mouthful of food.’
Thinking of this, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but say to the female beggar, "Take this money and start a small business. Don’t beg on the streets anymore."
"Thank you for your guidance, Miss," the beggar said gratefully, clutching the silver.
Zhi Wan shook her head, said nothing more, and led Tong Da back to the inn.
What the two of them didn’t know was that the beggar didn’t leave. She stood in the same spot, watching them enter the inn, a strange expression flashing across her face.
After returning to the inn, Zhi Wan planned to go to her room to rest for a while, but she unexpectedly bumped into someone coming down the stairs.
"I’m sorry," Zhi Wan said apologetically, quickly stepping aside to make way.
The person paused before saying, "It’s fine."
As they passed each other, Zhi Wan saw through the veiled hat she was wearing that the person had a mask on their face.
She paused, finding it a bit strange.
’Wearing a mask in broad daylight... Is his face injured? Or can he not show his true face to others?’
She suppressed her doubts and was about to look away when she saw the person pause, then suddenly turn back to look at her.
’Caught red-handed staring at someone.’ Zhi Wan couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
But she quickly remembered she was wearing a veiled hat and calmed down.
Fortunately, the person didn’t say anything and quickly left the inn.
"Are you alright, Miss?" Tong Da asked with concern.
Zhi Wan shook her head. "I’m fine."
Before entering her room, she remembered something and asked, "When will Cousin arrive?"
