Aoyama

Chapter 386 Prince Fu
The ochre-yellow document in the crown prince's hand was dazzling, as if it contained a great secret.

Chen Ji subconsciously glanced at Si Cao Gui out of the corner of his eye, only to see the other man pretending to be nonchalant as he soothed the horses, reluctant to leave: Si Cao Gui was waiting for him to press for answers.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Ji smiled and asked, "Your Highness, why keep us in suspense? Such great news should be shared with us as soon as possible. Sharing happiness is worse than keeping it to yourself."

The Crown Prince patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Brother Chen Ji, don't be impatient. Such good news should be announced in public. How can it be said so hastily? Our Ning Dynasty has once again shaken the world and intimidated foreign countries. Father Emperor was also very pleased and set an extra reward for this spring hunt."

Intimidating foreign lands? It's probably a major victory for Goryeo!

Just as Chen Ji was about to press further, Zhang Xia carefully observed Chen Ji's expression and suddenly said, "Since His Highness the Crown Prince is keeping us in suspense, let's not ask anymore. We'll find out tonight anyway."

The Crown Prince laughed loudly: "Miss Zhang is right, let's go in and have a drink first."

He handed the ochre-colored document to his attendant and whispered, "Keep it safe."

After saying that, he pulled Chen Ji towards the Red Leaf Villa.

Si Cao Gui gave the attendant a deep look, then picked up the reins again and headed towards the stables.

In the alley of the Red Leaf Villa with its blue bricks, the Crown Prince said gently to Chen Ji, "Brother Chen Ji, today the elite troops from the three major camps have arrived. I'll introduce you to them, as we'll inevitably have to deal with them in the future."

Chen Ji calmly replied, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince suddenly changed the subject, lamenting, "It's a pity that the spring hunt is much more lively in previous years than this year. Not only would there be several times more elite troops from the three major camps, but also officials and nobles from the capital would gather here. This year, everyone is unwilling to come in order to avoid suspicion, and even the number of people from the three major camps coming to the spring hunt has decreased significantly. The Red Leaf Villa is also deserted."

Chen Ji was unwilling to respond to this, nor did he want to pay attention to the Crown Prince's self-pity; it was not something he should get involved in.

Seeing that he did not respond, the Crown Prince smiled and said, "I promised you the position of Right Guard in Guyuan, but I broke my promise. But it's fine this way, so that you won't be implicated by me."

Having made the Crown Prince's words to this extent, Chen Ji should have responded with platitudes such as "This humble servant is not afraid of being implicated by Your Highness, and this humble servant is willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness," but Chen Ji still did not answer.

In the awkward atmosphere, Zhang Xia spoke again, changing the subject: "Your Highness, were there any prizes at this year's spring hunt?"

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Of course there are, and this year's prize is bigger than in previous years..."

Before the words were finished, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard coming from outside the Red Leaf Villa.

Everyone turned around and saw a young man in a black robe dismount and lead twelve men toward the Red Leaf Villa with great momentum.

Prince Fu.

Prince Fu's robes were woven with patterns of mountains, dragons, pheasants, ancestral vessels, algae, fire, rice grains, axe, and fu (a type of embroidered pattern), and he wore a pure gold winged crown, exuding an air of nobility.

The twelve men behind Prince Fu were menacing, each carrying a sturdy bow. Chen Ji had seen one of the men in the front row in Li Sha Mao Hutong; he carried an iron-rimmed bow, a sight rarely seen even in battle.

The visitor is not good.

The Crown Prince seemed somewhat surprised to see Prince Fu, but he took the initiative to bow and greet him, saying, "I did not expect that my royal brother would come. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly."

Prince Fu laughed loudly and did not bow: "I have come uninvited, and I hope Your Highness will not blame me."

Chen Ji and his group took a small step back, leaving the two of them in the alley.

The Crown Prince said gently, "I heard that my elder brother was punished by the Emperor and confined to the capital. I wonder if my elder brother informed the Emperor of his visit to Fragrant Hills today?"

Prince Fu, unconcerned, said, "No problem, no problem. How could I miss out on such an interesting event as the Spring Hunt? I've been stuck in the capital for the past month and I'm so bored. This is a good opportunity to join in the fun. If I go back, I'll just get a beating from my father. He's used to it, and so am I."

The Crown Prince remained silent for a long time: "Your Majesty lives a carefree life, which I greatly envy. Please, the banquet is about to begin."

Prince Fu laughed heartily: "No rush, no rush. By the way, have you heard any interesting stories from the palace? They happen to be about your Eastern Six Palaces."

The Crown Prince remained calm and asked, "I wonder which matter you are referring to, Your Majesty?"

Prince Fu said meaningfully, "Naturally, it's the incident that caused a death in Jingyang Palace. A group of unfortunate people who were banished to the Cold Palace caused a witchcraft incident, almost implicating the Empress Dowager who was assassinated by villains... Does the Crown Prince not know?"

The Crown Prince cupped his hands and said, "My brother came to the Red Leaf Villa a few days ago to make arrangements for the spring hunt, but he was unaware of it."

Prince Fu clicked his tongue twice: "I heard that Xuanzhen, who was in charge of Jingyang Palace, died tragically, with a three-foot-long white silk ribbon hanging from his head, and two lines of bloody tears flowing down his face. The coroner said that he also took poison before hanging himself. Poor thing. And that Princess Baili was almost wrongfully killed as well."

Prince Fu suddenly changed the subject and looked at Zhang Xia: "This must be Miss Zhang Er, the Rouge Tiger?"

Zhang Xia frowned, wondering how the conversation had somehow turned to her.

Prince Fu laughed and said, “A fine young woman should never marry into the deep palace. The deep palace is like a sea, full of heartbroken people. It would be better to marry a loving man and enjoy a carefree life, walking in the snow in winter, picking green vegetables in spring, hiking in the mountains in summer, and boating on the lake in autumn.”

The traces of the past suddenly became clear.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony at the Altar of the Silkworm Goddess, Consort Xue, the birth mother of the Crown Prince, confronted the Empress, the birth mother of Prince Fu, and nearly accused the Empress of immorality. That night, Consort Xue used her influence to orchestrate the Jingyang Palace witchcraft tragedy.

Prince Fu was furious that his mother had been framed, so he defied the curfew and came to cause trouble.

Chen Ji's heart skipped a beat. He had taken poison and shed two lines of bloody tears before dying? He had seen this kind of death on other people before.

As he pondered, Prince Fu looked at the Crown Prince again: "Your Highness, in charge of the spring and autumn hunts for your father, you should also practice archery and horsemanship often to set an example. You must not let the spring hunt end in failure, lest the heroes of the world laugh at the Zhu family for forgetting how they conquered this vast empire."

Prince Fu's brilliance was fully revealed.

The Crown Prince remained calm and composed: "Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty. Please."

As Prince Fu passed by Chen Ji, he stopped again: "You brat, you caused me to be punished by the Emperor before, so you better watch out for me."

Chen Ji: "..."

Prince Fu swaggered into the depths of the Red Leaf Villa. As Zhou Kuang, carrying the Iron Bow on his back, passed by Chen Ji, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

As the group walked further in, they gradually heard a commotion. Stepping out of the alley, the view suddenly opened up before them.

A long red carpet was laid out in the spacious courtyard, with dozens of tables and chairs arranged on both sides, where guests sat on either side. At the end of the red carpet was a table, which was the Crown Prince's seat.

Upon seeing Prince Fu, the guests quickly rose to their feet, saying, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness Prince Fu."

Prince Fu smiled and pressed his hand down, saying, "Please sit down, please sit down, there's no need to be so formal."

During the meal, several men from the Fifth Army Battalion saw Zhou Kuang and quickly clasped their hands in greeting, "General Zhou."

Zhou Kuang hummed in agreement: "I am no longer serving in the Fifth Army Camp, so there's no need for such formalities."

At this moment, the Crown Prince politely said to Prince Fu, "I did not know that Your Majesty was coming, and I did not prepare a seat for Your Majesty. Why don't you sit in the main seat with me?"

The Crown Prince was only being polite, but to his surprise, Prince Fu readily agreed and walked straight to the head table, sitting down casually. The table was large enough for two people, but he sat in the center, leaving no seat for the Crown Prince. The guests exchanged bewildered glances; it was the first time they had ever seen Prince Fu so blatantly assertive.

In the past, Prince Fu was known for his good temper, often frequenting banquets.

Prince Fu laughed loudly: "What are you all standing there for? Drink up!"

The crown prince remained silent for a moment, managing to suppress his emotions, and sat down behind the first table to the left of the main seat.

Chen Ji found a seat at the end of the table and sat down with Qi Zhenzhuo. Not far away, Yangyang kept giving Zhang Zheng meaningful glances, but Zhang Zheng seemed not to notice and sat down at the table next to Chen Ji with Zhang Xia.

Prince Fu glanced at the Crown Prince and said, "On my way here, I saw you carrying an imperial edict. I wonder what the imperial edict is?"

The Crown Prince calmly replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is a report of victory."

Prince Fu laughed and said, "Tell me about it."

Chen Ji felt a chill run down his spine; what was bound to happen was bound to happen.

……

……

In the stables of the Red Leaf Villa, Si Cao Gui removed the wooden yokes from the horses' necks and let them graze in the trough.

A servant from the Red Leaf Villa greeted him: "There is food prepared for the coachman in the inner room, all in wooden buckets. Please help yourself."

Si Cao Gui replied, "I'm going to the restroom first; I've been holding it in the whole way."

The servant waved his hand impatiently: "Go on your way, don't bother talking to me about this."

Si Cao Gui walked towards the latrine. He looked back and saw that no one was paying attention to him. He then took out a gray cloth from his sleeve, covered his face, and with a light leap, jumped onto the wall and sneaked into the Red Leaf Villa.

As darkness fell, he moved nimbly on the rooftop, easily avoiding the guards in the courtyard.

Si Cao Gui squatted on the roof ridge, secretly surveying the location of the Red Leaf Villa while taking off his outer robe, turning it inside out and putting it back on, instantly transforming the gray cloth into a black night outfit.

After a few breaths, he made his way to the largest house by stepping on the gray tiles.

Upon arriving, he saw the Crown Prince's attendant enter with an ochre-yellow document and walk into the main room.

A moment later, he came out empty-handed again.

Si Cao Gui lay prone on the eaves, and once his attendants were far away, he hooked his hands around the eaves and flipped down, as light as a feather, without making a sound. He pressed his ear against the main door for a moment before carefully pushing it open, entering the room, and then closing the door behind him.

The imperial edict lay quietly on the table.

Si Cao Gui walked to the table, and just then, he suddenly dodged backward. A flying knife shot down from the roof beam, passed right where he had been standing, and embedded itself in the imperial edict.

Si Cao Gui turned around and saw a young man squatting silently on the roof beam, his face cold and stern: "Who are you, daring to spy on His Highness's bedroom?"

As he spoke, the young man pounced down like an owl, pressing a palm against Si Cao Gui's face with ghostly speed.

But Si Cao Gui is faster.

He leaped up, twisted his body, and kicked the other person in the face.

The young man who had lunged forward changed his expression and raised his arms to block the kick. He was sent flying back into the air by the force of the kick, and his back slammed heavily against the roof beam, causing the thick beam to crack.

The young man coughed up a mouthful of blood, then quickly hooked his legs around the roof beam and, like a giant python, rolled over and hid in the shadows of the beam.

With a thud, a short knife was embedded in the roof beam where he had just struck, its hilt trembling and humming. Had he been a fraction of a second slower, the knife would have pierced his heart.

"Who are you?" The young man looked down at the rafters with suspicion, only to see a broken window below; Si Cao Gui was nowhere to be found.

The young man leaped down from the roof beam and flew out of the window like a swallow, wanting to continue his pursuit of Si Cao Gui.

But just as he leaped out of the window, he saw Si Cao Gui hiding outside the window, coldly watching him.

not good!

The other party didn't leave!

……

……

During the banquet, Prince Fu put a piece of mutton into his mouth and asked curiously as he chewed, "Why isn't Your Highness speaking? Is there something you're having trouble saying?"

The Crown Prince took a deep breath: "There's nothing difficult to say. The imperial edict says that the small foreign country of Siam refused to pay tribute and killed our Ning Dynasty envoy in an attempt to rebel. Yang Xun, the governor of Jiaozhi, led 8,000 elite troops from Annam to quell the rebellion, annihilated 20,000 elite Siamese soldiers, and is now escorting the King of Siam to the capital."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji felt a weight lifted from his heart.

It was not a major victory for Goryeo.

The Crown Prince spoke again, proclaiming in a loud voice: "His Majesty has decreed that the winner of this spring hunt will be granted the title of viscount of a county of the fifth rank, with an annual salary of four hundred bushels of grain, and will be bestowed with a jade belt with a unicorn design, and will be allowed to carry a sword in the Emperor's presence. Now that the world is in turmoil, you gentlemen should take advantage of the spring hunt to demonstrate your martial prowess to the world."

Yangyang and the others' expressions changed. The Ning Dynasty had not conferred any titles on members outside the imperial family for decades. The only remaining titles for non-royal members were the hereditary Duke of Yingguo and three marquises.

Although this conferment was only a "county viscount" title, once a title was granted, it was considered a capital offense. The eunuch faction could no longer "act first and report later"; they had to petition His Majesty to strip the title before the crime could be committed.

Prince Fu stroked his chin, saying with great interest, "Yang Xun is a true national hero. He used the troops of a foreign tribe to defeat the rebellious foreign tribe, which is enough to make him famous in history. No wonder Father Emperor was so pleased..."

Before the words were finished, shouts came from afar: "Assassin!"

The guests were all astonished.

The crown prince suddenly stood up, and the guards around the banquet quickly gathered around him, surrounding him.

Zhou Kuang also left the table and flashed to Prince Fu's side, holding an iron bow and looking around warily.

At this moment, a prince's attendant rushed in and reported: "Your Highness, the Right Guard has been murdered by villains. When I found him, the Right Guard was already dead, with a large dent in his chest."

Prince Fu raised an eyebrow and subconsciously said, "It wasn't me!"

(End of this chapter)