Chapter 158: What Do You Think?

"The person was rescued. What do we do now?"

The men in black exchanged a glance.

"Let's send someone to report to the National Preceptor first, then trace the route the prisoner cart came from!"

After a brief discussion, they vanished into the night as swiftly as they had come.

……

Beihuang City, inside the City Lord's Manor.

Early that morning, Chen Ying was still feeling a bit puzzled.

After washing up, he looked toward the steward beside him.

"Yi Jiang is back, isn't he?"

The steward nodded.

"Yes, my lord. He arrived home yesterday evening."

Chen Ying looked outside in confusion.

"Strange—why is Yi Jiang being so well-behaved today?"

It was one thing when he wasn't home, but now that he's back, the manor is still this quiet?

Steward Zhao looked at him and shook his head.

"I don't know either."

That eerie feeling reached its peak when Chen Ying was about to go to Zhengting for his meal and saw the main doors of Zhengting shut tight.

Steward Zhao suddenly called out loudly.

"Oh my! Who did this? Who shut the doors?"

Chen Ying gave him a look of utter exasperation.

If you hadn't shouted that, I would have actually believed what you said earlier.

Chen Ying slowly pushed the door open. The moment it opened, a faint breeze swept over his head, and petals came fluttering down, landing all over him.

Yi Jiang rushed over, bouncing as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Happy birthday, Daddy!"

Looking at his son—soaked at the hem of his clothes, face smeared with dirt like a little calico cat—Chen Ying found it rather amusing and shook his head.

"Where have you been?"

Yi Jiang pushed him toward the dining table.

"I was in Chu Fang, Father. Come quick and eat the Longevity Noodles."

Seeing the Longevity Noodles laid out on the table, Chen Ying's eyes welled up slightly.

"You… made these?"

Yi Jiang nodded.

"Mm-hmm!"

Chen Ying was moved to tears, sobbing messily.

Their Yi Jiang had really grown up.

"I added the water to the pot!"

"I fed the firewood into the stove!"

"It was so hard!"

Hearing this, all the warmth welling up in Chen Ying's chest vanished in an instant.

He calmly looked away.

He knew it!

Chen Ying raised his hand and roughly brushed the petals off his shoulders. Halfway through, something felt off. He picked up a petal and examined it closely.

"Plum blossoms—where did these come from?"

Yi Jiang was about to speak when father and son both heard a great shout.

"Damn it all!"

"Who wrecked my Red Plum Blossoms?!"

"And stripped them clean!"

Hearing that voice, Yi Jiang's little body trembled, and he flashed his father an ingratiating smile.

"Daddy, when Grandfather comes later, you'll talk him down for me, right?"

Chen Ying forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"What do you think?"

……

Although the one killed was not Zhou Shizhao, thanks to the machinations of certain interested parties, the news that the prisoner cart had been ambushed by bandits with no survivors still spread like wildfire.

At Early Court, upon hearing this news, the Shunhe Emperor showed little reaction—after all, even if Zhou Shizhao had been brought back in chains, he would have ended up on the executioner's block anyway.

But the prisoner cart being hijacked was still a matter of face, so he did show some anger.

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

"Those bandits are brazen beyond belief!"

"The suppression of the bandits shall be handled by Dali Temple!"

The Chief of Dali Temple stepped forward to accept the order.

"I obey the Imperial Decree."

The Shunhe Emperor added, in a flat tone.

"Since Zhou Shizhao is already dead, there's no need to wait. Deal with his family as soon as possible."

At these words, some Imperial Officials shook their heads in secret, feeling nothing but a chill in their hearts.

A few Imperial Officials exchanged a knowing glance.

But still, one Old Minister stepped forward, knelt on the ground, his tone grief-stricken.

"Your Majesty, even though Zhou Shizhao has committed a grave crime, please, in consideration of Zhou Old General's many years of loyal service, show leniency toward his family."

With one stepping forward to speak, a few more Old Ministers trickled out after him.

"Your ministers second the motion, humbly beg Your Majesty to show leniency."

In truth, as long as Zhou Shizhao's death quelled the public's anger, the Shunhe Emperor did not much care whether a few more lives were taken or spared.

Several Old Ministers had all stepped forward; he ought to give them some face at least.

Besides, sparing the life of that widowed mother and her orphan could earn him a reputation as a benevolent ruler — why not?

Thinking of this, the Shunhe Emperor waved his hand and relented.

"Enough, my Beloved Ministers speak reason. The death penalty may be spared, but a living punishment cannot be avoided. Exile them to Beihuang City."

Hearing these words, the Old Ministers felt a chill in their hearts and exchanged a glance.

In this freezing cold, sending women and children on a journey of several hundred li to Beihuang City?!

You probably never intended to spare them in the first place!

But what else could they say?

The men slowly kowtowed, their tone bleak.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Suddenly, Censor Lin stepped forward.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this Old Minister believes that for Zhou Shizhao to commit such a heinous crime, Zhou Old General cannot escape blame!"

He continued in a righteous, stern tone.

"The ancients said, 'If you cannot sweep clean your own household, how can you sweep clean the world?' If Zhou Old General cannot even manage his own son, how can he command a great army?"

Hearing these words, the Shunhe Emperor's jaw tightened, and he turned the White Jade Thumb Ring on his thumb.

Censor Lin belonged to the Crown Prince Faction. For him to raise this matter — could it be that the Crown Prince had developed some designs on the Cheng Family Army?

Hmph!

Back when it came to pacifying the Cheng Family Army, the Crown Prince had made every excuse to wriggle out of it. He had thought the child had no ambition, that he was a good sort.

But now it seemed the boy had been playing some game of advancing by retreating!

All this time, he had underestimated him!

Thinking of this, the Shunhe Emperor's gaze turned cold.

"Oh?"

"Then in Minister Lin's opinion, to whom should this Military Power be given?"

Censor Lin replied at once.

"Zhongwu General Ning Jiang — valiant and battle-hardened, brave and shrewd — may be fit to shoulder this heavy responsibility."

Hearing this name, the Shunhe Emperor sneered inwardly.

If he remembered correctly, wasn't that Ning Jiang a distant cousin of the Empress's?

"What does the Crown Prince think?"

The Crown Prince had kept his head lowered the whole time, lost in thought, and did not respond promptly. It was only when the Imperial Official beside him coughed desperately and signaled him with his eyes that he came to his senses.

"Naturally, everything is entirely at Father Emperor's discretion."

"Bang!"

The Shunhe Emperor slammed his hand heavily on the desk before him.

"Entirely at My discretion? Then tell Me, what were you just saying?!"

The Crown Prince hurriedly knelt on the ground.

"Your son knows his fault. Father Emperor, please forgive me."

Seeing the Emperor's wrath, the Imperial Officials all dropped to their knees as well.

"Before the Son of Heaven, in the middle of Early Court, in the great hall — you still dare to let your mind wander?!"

The Shunhe Emperor casually hurled a few Memorials down.

"I have heard that during the Disaster Relief, you never once showed your face, spending every day in your residence drinking wine and making merry! As the Crown Prince of a nation, you do not understand how to observe the people's condition, indulging in pleasure all day long, with no thought of self-improvement — how will you shoulder great responsibilities in the future?!"

"You have truly disappointed Me!"

"Get back and shut yourself in to reflect on your faults!"

"The matter of Military Power shall be discussed another day!"

"Court is dismissed!"

Seeing the Emperor in such a furious state, Censor Lin did not dare to tempt his bad temper, and the active scheming he had been doing moments ago came to a halt.

After the Shunhe Emperor departed, the Crown Prince rose with an ashen face, lifted his foot, and made to leave.

"Imperial Prince, please wait a moment. This Old Minister still has a matter to report to you."

Censor Lin hurried after him.

The Crown Prince's expression grew ever darker, his tone stiff. He stepped aside, carrying an air of distance.

"Minister Lin, this Crown Prince cannot make sense of your words. We are not close — there is nothing to discuss!"

Without waiting for any reaction, the Crown Prince turned without hesitation and strode quickly down the steps.

Father Emperor hates most of all officials forming cliques. Here, under the eyes of all, right outside Taihe Hall, to brazenly approach him like this — has the old fool lost his wits?!

Just as Shen Hao was about to reach the palace gate, he suddenly heard another shrill, high-pitched voice.

"Crown Prince, please wait!"

The Crown Prince took a deep breath and rolled his eyes impatiently.

When is this ever going to end!

A little eunuch came over at a jog.

"Imperial Prince, the Empress Dowager requests your presence."

Shen Hao drew a deep breath, his tone none too pleasant.

"Lead the way."

The little eunuch had barely taken the Crown Prince off to find the Empress when, the very next moment, word reached the Shunhe Emperor at the Imperial Study.

"Her information network certainly is quick!"

"There are far too many servants attending in Taihe Hall — does she really need that many hands?"

"Send someone to clean house!"

The Chief Eunuch at his side was briefly taken aback, then lowered his head and answered in the affirmative.

"Yes."

"And that Ning Jiang!"

A flash of killing intent passed through the Shunhe Emperor's eyes.

"Find some fault with him and have him sent off to the border!"

Meanwhile, in the Empress's Bedchamber, upon learning that her informant had been dealt with, the Empress smashed the teacup in her hand.

The Crown Prince looked at her in panic.

"Mother Empress, Father Emperor has found out — what should we do next?"