Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 145 The True and False King of Binyang

His deathly pale face easily evokes bad thoughts. Also, is this man the legendary King of Binyang?

For a moment, Jiu Que couldn't tell, so he could only turn to look at Senior Cui. Cui Zhufeng nodded solemnly. This was indeed the Prince of Binyang, but how could the spirited and dashing man he had seen on the battlefield years ago have become so pale and weak, lying paralyzed on the bed?

Indeed, following Jiu Que to explore the Binyang Prince's Mansion was the right decision. If it weren't for this impulsive investigation, even Cui Zhufeng would have thought that the passionate and spirited young man of yesteryear had become the greedy, selfish, and utterly unscrupulous nobleman he is today.

As expected, it was the Prince of Binyang. Jiu Que frowned unconsciously. So when exactly did the Prince of Binyang become like this, unable to even wake up? If it started three years ago, then that coincides with the timeline Hu Jinhui mentioned.

Just as Jiu Que was deep in thought, someone creaked in.

It was a man with a steady gait and a slender figure. When she stopped in front of the bed and saw most of his face, Jiu Que couldn't help but widen her eyes. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed that there could be someone in this world who looked so alike. Yes, that's right, the man who had just walked in from outside had the exact same face as the Prince of Binyang lying on the bed!
So which of these two Kings of Binyang is the real one? And which one is the fake one?

The man who entered stared at the person on the bed who looked exactly like him with a complicated expression. His eyes were so deep and complex that it was impossible to tell what emotions were hidden inside.

After a long while, Jiuque heard his long sigh.

"The once-illustrious Prince Binyang is now lying in bed, completely unable to move. This shows that no matter how noble a person is, the day they let their guard down is the day of their destruction. If you woke up now and saw the outside world, you'd probably want to kill me. But who told you to fall for this trap?"

"The main problem is that you're too tactless, Your Highness. You're stationed in Yancheng, and the salt here is worth a fortune. You're guarding this enormous treasure, yet you won't allow anyone else to even reach out. How could anyone agree to that? Things in this world aren't always black and white. If you had agreed to cooperate back then, you wouldn't be lying here like a corpse now. How does it feel to only be able to hear but not open your eyes? To be honest, I'm shocked too. You actually endured this cruel punishment for three years. If I were the old emperor, I would be moved by you. But it's a pity he doesn't know what happened in Yancheng. Perhaps one day when the truth comes out, he will be disappointed in you, the culprit..."

"The orchid in the courtyard, though its fragrance is overwhelming, must be removed. Jing Chaosheng, you are in the way."

The 'King of Binyang' gently tucked the blanket around the man who couldn't open his eyes, his movements were very gentle, but the words he spoke could send a person plunging into an icy hell.

"Besides, this is also a little selfish thing of mine. If it weren't for you, if it weren't for you, how could I have suffered for so many years? Do you know how much I went through to become exactly like you? Cutting my bones and flesh, that feeling was unbearable. I couldn't take revenge on anyone else, so I could only torment you. Who told me that when I was in pain, no matter how much I screamed, no one came to save me? You have to experience what I went through back then!"

Perhaps quite confident in his defenses, the King of Binyang muttered to himself for a while, which did answer some of Jiu Que's questions.

It seems the King of Binyang has indeed been replaced. And this imposter who replaced him, judging from his words, doesn't seem to be the real culprit? How come this is all interconnected? We haven't even found the mastermind behind the Qianzhou Blood Mine incident yet, and now another one has appeared. Wait, could there be some connection between these events?

The more Jiuque thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

Just then, the guards announced something from outside.

"Your Highness, a black cat has wandered in by mistake, and your men have gone to capture it."

"Accidentally wandered in? What a coincidence! Are you sure it was just a black cat that accidentally wandered in?"

Jiu Que immediately tensed up. Had they been discovered? Just as she was getting nervous, she felt her hand being gently squeezed, and turned to see Senior Cui's reassuring gaze. It seemed they hadn't been discovered. But that fake prince down there was certainly sharp and cautious enough, not letting even such a small movement slip by. No wonder no one had noticed anything amiss for three whole years.

The guards outside, taken aback by the question, became somewhat uneasy and nervously spoke up.

"I'll go investigate further right away!"

"and many more."

For some unknown reason, the fake prince suddenly spoke up to stop him. He slowly straightened his sleeves, a strange smile appearing on his face.

"No need to go. It seems to be just a lost little stray cat. Poor thing, it probably can't even get enough to eat. Don't worry about it. You all continue to stay at your posts and don't leave easily."

"Yes!"

Once the outside quieted down, the fake prince looked down at the pale face of the Prince of Binyang and smiled smugly.

“Look, I just said a few words, and they obeyed so readily. So this is what power tastes like. For the past ten years or so, I was just a rat in the gutter, never even touching the edge of power before becoming a victim. But now, I am no longer that naive rat. After being a pawn for so many years, I want to be the one making the moves.”

"Your Highness, you should just stay here quietly and wait for the world to turn upside down outside."

After saying this, the fake prince flicked his sleeves, turned around and took a few steps. Jiu Que thought he was going to leave, but unexpectedly he sat down in the chair in front of him, intending to eat and live with the real prince.

That takes incredible mental fortitude!

Cui Zhufeng nudged Jiu Que, asking if they should just take down this fake prince now? After all, the fake prince was the only one in the room who could move, and he didn't know any martial arts, so he was easy to handle. Jiu Que hesitated for a moment, then pointed with his eyes to the account book that the fake prince was examining.

There might be unexpected gains.

Jiu Que had excellent eyesight, perhaps thanks to her mother, who was a crack shot. She easily spotted the enormous sums of money recorded in the ledger the fake prince was flipping through.

No wonder some say that whoever controls the salt mines controls the economic lifeline of the world. In this era of underdeveloped commerce, salt, a necessity for everyone, is truly irreplaceable. Moreover, Yancheng produces over 80% of the world's salt; even a one-cent price increase adds up to a huge sum. And in the past three years, the price of salt sold in Yancheng has more than tripled, far exceeding a one-cent increase.

The account book recorded that most of the funds flowed into the capital, and several familiar names appeared to be high-ranking officials there. However, when her gaze fell on one particular name, Jiu Que quietly gasped.

(End of this chapter)