The prince is more stable

Chapter 616 Taking the Blame for Father
Matters involving the palace have always been tricky to handle.

Whether the task is handled well or poorly, those who handle it poorly are always in danger; this has always been the case throughout history.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't want to take on this job at all; it was too dangerous.

This case involves far too many sensitive elements, including the death of the crown prince, concubines in the harem, court officials, and even the shadowy figures of the royal family.

If we choose to downplay the matter, it's very simple, just as it appears on the surface: the young prince was too weak, fell ill, and eventually died. We can only blame fate for not being merciful, and as the emperor, we can only accept our fate.

The Song Dynasty had to move forward. The court officials continued their daily bickering, with the old and new factions clashing and arguing. Zhao Xiaoqian conveniently recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun...

What a wonderful history of the rise of a great power! The ruler is the ruler, and the minister is the minister. Everyone drives the country forward amidst the noise, struggle, and setbacks, and everyone has a bright future.

But now Zhao Xu wouldn't stand for it. He wanted to overturn the table and expose the truth about the young prince's death from the inside out. He wouldn't tolerate even a speck of dust in his eyes.

Zhao Xiaoqian could roughly understand Zhao Xu's feelings.

With his only son gone and his own health failing, Zhao Xu knew he might not have any more princes. He had to put aside the question of succession for now; all he wanted to do was focus on one thing.

My son is dead. I no longer care about right or wrong. All I want is to kill until heads roll and blood flows like a raging sea.

When an ordinary person says this, others might just feel a strange surge of excitement, but it's also a bit childish.

Because shouting slogans needs to be supported by real strength, otherwise it's just bragging.

But if the person who said these words were the current emperor, then what would follow would be an overwhelming killing intent, truly a scene of devastation and mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Zhao Xiaoqian is still trying to figure out what Zhao Xu is thinking.

He wasn't quite sure how far Zhao Xu intended to investigate this matter, how many people he planned to implicate, or rather, which people Zhao Xu wanted to eliminate and which to promote behind the scenes…

More importantly, what role did Zhao Xiaoqian, the person on the mission, play in this matter?

Is he a knife in the emperor's hand, or someone who takes the blame for the emperor?

It was already an unsolved case, and with so many schemes and uncertain speculations mixed in behind it, Zhao Xiaoqian felt his head was spinning.

I suddenly feel nostalgic for the good old days when I was just the Crown Prince of Chu. Back then, I had two worthless honorary titles like "Military Governor," and I spent my days researching food, inventing snow salt tea, visiting brothels, and collecting two courtesans...

Youth is something you really can't reminisce about; just thinking about it makes you want to cry.

Zhao Xiaoqian's youth may not have an unforgettable white moonlight, but he does remember a salted fish that used to hang under the eaves when he was young. Every day, he would dry one side of the fish and then the other side, enjoying its delicious taste.

Compared to Zhao Xiaoqian's worried expression, Wei Jie's expression could be described as one of fear.

The Imperial City Guards are fearless, except when their duties become entangled with the imperial palace.

Whether the matter is accomplished or not, there is a high possibility that they will be silenced, since royal affairs must never be revealed; only the dead can keep secrets.

"Your Highness... Can our Imperial City Guard decline this assignment?" Wei Jie asked tremblingly.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "Of course."

Before Wei Jie could even breathe a sigh of relief, Zhao Xiaoqian added, "...Go and talk to the Emperor in person, he will definitely agree."

Wei Jie looked at him speechlessly.

Zhao Xiaoqian actually explained very seriously: "I am naturally thin-skinned and usually find it difficult to refuse requests from others, but you are different. You are thick-skinned, and the Emperor has always been a benevolent and magnanimous ruler. If you go and talk to the Emperor, he will definitely not make things difficult for you."

Wei Jie rolled his eyes.

This is clearly a trap. I am your most loyal subordinate. How could you bear to dig a pit for me?

“Your Highness, let’s stop fighting amongst ourselves. Why bother? Let’s get down to business. Where should we begin this investigation? I’ll follow Your Highness’s orders,” Wei Jie sighed resignedly.

Zhao Xiaoqian pondered for a moment and said, "Let's investigate the Imperial Medical Bureau first. After all, they are the direct parties involved. We need to investigate whether the young prince died of natural causes or whether the imperial physicians made a mistake in their treatment."

Wei Jie said with a worried look, "Our first step is difficult. Your Highness may not know, but two of the imperial physicians who treated the young prince were executed by imperial decree less than half an hour after the prince's death. Later, more than ten other imperial physicians were implicated and exiled."

"Two of the imperial physicians who were directly involved in treating the young prince have died, and more than ten have been exiled. Many testimonies and evidence are now impossible to verify, so how can we even begin to investigate?"

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth and cursed.

"The Imperial Medical Bureau usually keeps records of all medical treatments, especially those for nobles in the palace. The best we can do now is to send someone to the Imperial Medical Bureau as soon as possible to retrieve the records of the young prince's medical treatment."

"Find out exactly when, where, which imperial physician was involved, what the diagnosis was, what prescription was given, what medicine was used, where the medicinal materials were supplied, whether they were tested for poison, and so on," Zhao Xiaoqian instructed.

"Yes."

"After investigating the Imperial Medical Bureau, we will then investigate the palace, specifically the eunuchs and palace maids who handled the young prince's medicine. We will find out who prepared the medicine, who delivered it, and who tested it for poison. We will also carefully examine the residue of the medicine to see if it contains any toxins. We will screen everyone who came into contact with the young prince's condition."

Wei Jie responded again.

"In addition, send another group of spies deep into the streets and alleys of Bianjing to record the discussions and rumors of the common people. No matter if they are true or false, no matter how outrageous they are, record them all... Sometimes, the rumors among the people are the final truth and also the clues to solving the case."

Zhao Xiaoqian stretched and said, "Alright, let the Imperial City Guard get busy. I should go home and see my father."

Wei Jie asked expectantly, "Won't Your Highness personally oversee the Imperial City Guard and issue orders?"

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "Are you all idiots? Do I really need to personally supervise this basic work?" "Uh, Your Highness is eager to return home, so I won't stop you."

"Come find me at the Chu Prince's residence if there's any progress. If you know anything about human relationships, don't come empty-handed. Goodbye!" Zhao Xiaoqian patted his behind and got up to leave.

…………

Since returning to Bianjing, Zhao Xiaoqian has been busy seeing Zhao Xu and Wei Jie, and has not had time to return to the Chu Prince's residence.

Now that they finally had some free time, they left the Imperial City Guard Office and led Chen Shouchao to the Prince's Mansion.

The Prince's Mansion was also on Imperial Street, not far from the Imperial City Guard, so Zhao Xiaoqian and his party stopped riding horses and walked there.

After walking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the gate of the Chu King's Mansion came into view in the distance. Zhao Xiaoqian smiled, his heart filled with the joy of a traveler returning home.

When Zhao Xiaoqian was in Zhen Ding Prefecture, he often wondered what unreliable things his father had done in Bianjing, what jokes he had made, and what treacherous things he had been secretly plotting behind the scenes.

Now that he's very close to home, Zhao Xiaoqian is increasingly looking forward to it.

As soon as the group arrived outside the gate of the Prince's Mansion, the guards on duty shouted with joy.

"The Crown Prince is back!"

Then the group of people bowed in unison, their hands on their knives, their joyful smiles clearly coming from the heart.

Looking at the familiar faces of the Imperial Guards, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but laugh. He instinctively reached into his pocket—he hadn't brought enough money…

"Chen Shou, go to the Prince's Mansion's accounting office and withdraw five hundred taels of silver. Distribute it among our Imperial Guard brothers. Everyone should get a share; it's a reward from me," Zhao Xiaoqian said generously.

Anyway, the money in the Prince's mansion belongs to his father, and the son doesn't feel bad at all spending his father's money.

The soldiers guarding the gate were overjoyed and hurriedly bowed and thanked them.

Just as Zhao Xiaoqian was about to step inside, a fat figure suddenly darted over like a plump black smoke, having come from the Imperial Street outside.

Zhao Xiaoqian recognized him at a glance and exclaimed with delight, "Father..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Hao looked flustered, his fat face covered in a layer of greasy sweat, like fresh pork fat, which he didn't bother to wipe away.

Even more bizarrely, in broad daylight, Zhao Hao ran back from outside with his clothes disheveled and his hair in disarray, as if he had just sprung from the bed and was fleeing for his life.

Upon seeing Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Hao was overjoyed. The moment of father and son's reunion was so short that they didn't have time to enjoy their time together. Zhao Hao's chubby, greasy hands grasped his wrists.

"Qian'er, you've come at the right time. Let me ask you first, are you my son?" Zhao Hao asked.

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes widened in shock. "Father, have you discovered some truth?"

Zhao Hao was taken aback: "What truth?"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Hao turned his head to look at Yujie in a panic, without thinking, and said, "Since he's my son, how about he takes the blame for me?"

Zhao Xiaoqian's pupils dilated in shock, and he exclaimed, "Father, what have you done now?"

Zhao Hao, however, had already tacitly agreed to his son's request. He patted his son's shoulder forcefully and said with satisfaction, "Good son, your father will repay you. Just stand here and don't move..."

After saying that, Zhao Hao darted into the side gate of the Prince's mansion, and under Zhao Xiaoqian's astonished gaze, the side gate slammed shut.

Zhao Xiaoqian turned around with a bewildered look, staring blankly at the bustling Imperial Street.

After a moment of stunned silence, Zhao Xiaoqian finally came to his senses, reached out and pounded on the tightly closed side door of the Prince's Mansion, his face filled with grief.

"Father, Father! Our reunion shouldn't be treated so perfunctorily! Forget about the formalities of welcoming your son, at least let me in! ...Is this still my home?"

Zhao Xiaoqian pounded on the door, his cries of grief seeming as if he were trying to awaken his dormant paternal love.

The side gate of the Prince's Mansion remained tightly closed, refusing to be opened no matter what, clearly indicating that the father's love was still dormant.

Just as they were working hard, a group of people walked out of the open space outside the Prince's Mansion, led by a middle-aged couple.

The couple were ordinary people. The man was holding the woman's arm, and there was a clear handprint on her face. She was crying and being dragged along by the man, walking unsteadily.

Zhao Xiaoqian, having lived two lives, immediately understood what had happened upon seeing this scene, and finally realized what kind of trouble his adoptive father was trying to make him take the blame for.

He cursed inwardly a few times, then stared expressionlessly at the group of people as they approached.

As Chen Shou and the other imperial guards were about to step forward to stop them, Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand, letting them come over.

The man approached, looked up at the lintel of the Chu Prince's mansion, but showed no fear, instead appearing self-righteous.

"The one who was just having an affair with my wife, could it be you?" The man's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot as if he wanted to devour someone.

Zhao Xiaoqian first sized up the man's wife. He saw that the woman was slightly plump and of average appearance. Only her eyes had a hint of spring in them, and... they were also peach blossom eyes.

While secretly lamenting his father's poor taste, Zhao Xiaoqian began to hesitate about whether he should take the blame.

If Zhao Xiaoqian were to take the blame for this, and he doesn't even have a taste for this kind of stuff, how would he ever be able to get by in Bianjing again?
(End of this chapter)