The Demon Prince

Just as dawn was breaking, news broke from the Dali Temple that Zhang Sanjin, the son of the Prime Minister, had died in prison the previous night!

The news spread along the long street.

"They just went in yesterday, and they were gone last night?"

"I heard he was stabbed in the throat."

"They can even break into the Dali Temple's prison cells?"

"Of course, ordinary people can't do that."

"Do you think they might be trying to silence us?"

The scandal surrounding Cuju (ancient Chinese football) was just exposed in the palace, and Zhang Sanjin was the most important figure in it. As long as he was alive and spoke, he could drag a string of people out of the Cuju case.

He's dead now? Isn't it all too coincidental?

"Does Young Master Zhang possess any other secrets?"

"His father is the Prime Minister."

"Behind the Prime Minister are the Seven Wise Kings."

"Don't talk nonsense, or you'll lose your head."

"I didn't say anything."

Without saying a word, he was still speculating in his heart that Zhang San had been assassinated as soon as he entered prison, and the murderer obviously did not want him to live to see the day of his trial.

The conclusion that he was murdered to silence witnesses had already spread throughout Kyoto with the morning wind and rain.

Inside the Empress's bedroom, incense burns in a bronze censer.

Zhang Shuangwu sat on a soft couch, flipping through an ancient book, when a palace maid entered from outside:

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister requests an audience."

Zhang Shuangwu frowned:

"Brother?"

Zhang Erhe rarely came to the inner palace to see her. His visit today could only be for one thing: Zhang Sanjin.

"Let him in."

The palace gates opened, and Zhang Erhe stepped across the threshold. His clothes were still neat, but his complexion was noticeably ashen.

Zhang Shuangwu waved away all the palace maids, who bowed and retreated. The palace doors closed again, and the brother and sister stood facing each other a few steps apart.

Zhang Shuangwu sighed:

"I have already heard about the matter concerning Sanjin."

Zhang Erhe neither bowed nor sat down, but simply stood by the bronze stove:

"Sanjin is dead."

Zhang Erhe's voice was icy, and he glanced over with a chilling gaze that even the fire in the bronze furnace couldn't suppress.

Zhang Shuangwu stood up: "Brother suspects that Xuan Si was responsible?"

Zhang Erhe looked at her without saying a word.

Zhang Shuangwu frowned even more deeply:

Even though Xuan Si was worried that San Jin would be deceived and reveal the secrets of the Prime Minister's mansion, he would not take action against San Jin.

Sanjin is my nephew! Xuansi would never lay a hand on him!

Zhang Erhe asked:

"Yeah?"

Zhang Shuangwu's eyes flickered, and her breathing became heavier.

She recalled some past events; Zhang Erhe had asked her the same question back then.

Her voice also turned icy:

"Brother, are you still upset about Feifei?"

The hall fell silent!

Zhang Feifei is a name that no one in the Zhang family has dared to mention easily for many years.

The Zhang family consisted of three siblings: the eldest brother Zhang Erhe, the second daughter Zhang Shuangwu, and the youngest daughter Zhang Feifei.

The patriarch had planned for the Zhang family for half his life and had made clear arrangements for his three children.

Zhang Erhe entered officialdom, Zhang Shuangwu entered the palace, and Zhang Feifei was to marry the most promising military general.

Zhang Shuangwu was unwilling to enter the palace. At that time, she already had Li Xuansi in her heart, but the old patriarch refused to listen and sent her into the palace with a list of concubines.

To avoid lingering ties with the past and to bring good fortune upon entering the palace, she changed her name from Shuangwu to Shuangwu. From that day on, the world lost one Zhang Shuangwu, and the palace gained one Zhang Shuangwu.

Zhang Feifei's fate was different from her sister's because she... married Xiao Junlin!

That year, Xiao Junlin became famous at a young age. The two were a perfect match, and fell in love at first sight. The marriage between the Zhang and Xiao families was quickly arranged.

When the emperor arrives, the rain falls softly. Now, as the emperor arrives, the rain and snow fall softly. When the literati of the capital mention the two, they always say that it is a match made in heaven.

When Xiao Junlin went to war, Zhang Feifei helped him prepare his armor. When Xiao Junlin returned to the capital in triumph, the first thing he did was to go to Zhang's residence to pick her up. The two were in love and did not calculate or weigh their options.

After Zhang Feifei married into the Prince of Zhenguo's mansion, she gave birth to several children. Xiao Xingyue was her youngest child and the last of her offspring. Not long after giving birth to Xiao Xingyue, she passed away.

Some say she toiled for the Xiao family for many years, while others say she gave birth multiple times, leaving her body weakened and her lifespan exhausted, beyond the reach of medicine...

Zhang Erhe had once believed this story until he uncovered that secret meeting!

Years later, he brought up the old matter again. For him, neither the person nor the incident was over.

"Before Feifei passed away, she went to the palace to see you... She caught you having a secret rendezvous with Li Xuansi."

Zhang Shuangwu frowned, her face as cold as ice: "This matter happened many years ago."

"It's all in the past in your eyes."

Zhang Erhe took a step:

"I don't have it here."

After Feifei left the palace, she fell ill. She didn't tell Xiao Junlin, nor would she tell me what she saw in the palace that day...

She died less than six months later!

Zhang Shuangwu gripped the armrest tightly: "You suspect Xuan Si killed her?"

"Shouldn't we have doubts?"

Zhang Erhe finally revealed his emotions, no longer remaining calm:

"You are the emperor's woman, and he is the emperor's brother. If your affair gets out, what will Li Chengqian do? What will the royal family do? You will both die!"

Feifei just happened to stumble upon this.

Zhang Erhe slammed his palm hard onto the bronze furnace:

Six months later, she was gone.

Last night, Sanjin was imprisoned, and this morning, he too passed away.

Shuangwu, how can you expect me to trust him?

Zhang Shuangwu's hands were trembling:

"I asked Xuan Si, and he said that Fei Fei's death had nothing to do with him."

"You believed it?"

Why can't we believe it?

Zhang Shuangwu's voice suddenly rose:

"Feifei has given birth to so many children, which has already damaged her health."

Xiao Junlin only cared about guarding the northern border, his Xiao family army, and protecting his country. When did he ever truly care about Feifei?

Feifei shed too much blood for him; it was Xiao Junlin who didn't cherish her, and it was the Xiao family that drained her life!

Tears welled up in Zhang Shuangwu's eyes:

"Brother, you are now on the same side as Xuan Si, and you will advance and retreat together in the court."

How could you doubt him at this time?

Zhang Erhe looked at his sister, disappointment gathering in his eyes, but his sister had no idea what he was disappointed about.

Zhang Shuangwu continued:

"The person who killed Sanjin may also be Xiao Xingyue."

He was the one who produced the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) account books; he personally sent Sanjin to the Dali Temple (a judicial authority); now that Sanjin is dead, who most wants you to turn against Xuansi? It's him too!

Her words grew increasingly vehement:

"Xiao Xingyue wanted to use Sanjin to sow discord among you. He deliberately sent someone to assassinate you and then pinned the blame on Xuansi."

This boy is utterly despicable; he's capable of such a tactic!

Zhang Erhe did not argue. The woman in front of him was dressed in the empress's palace attire, her hair adorned with jewels. She was no longer the Zhang Shuangwu who used to chase after her younger sister and play in the Zhang family garden...

Power and time have swallowed up many things...

Zhang Erhe turned around: "Priceless treasures are easy to find, but a loving husband is hard to come by."

He left behind only this one sentence.

The palace doors were pushed open, and heavy rain rushed into the long corridor, while a cold wind whipped up Zhang Erhe's official robes.

Zhang Shuangwu stood there, watching her brother leave. A thorn from many years ago still lingered in her heart.

A palace servant brought Zhang Erhe an oiled paper umbrella. He opened the umbrella and stepped into the rain.

Raindrops hit the umbrella, splashing water and blurring the view.

He recalled the day Feifei got married, when his youngest sister sat in the bridal sedan chair, lifted a corner of her veil, and called him "brother" with a smile...

"That utterly despicable Xiao Xingyue... is Feifei's child... Shuangwu..."

The sound of rain swallowed most of the whispers, and then another umbrella appeared ahead. Li Xuansi walked along the palace road.

Upon seeing Zhang Erhe emerge from the Empress's palace, Li Xuansi stopped in his tracks and quickly guessed why the Prime Minister had come.

Zhang San was killed last night, and Zhang Erhe came to see Zhang Shuangwu this morning, suspecting that something had already happened.

Li Xuansi left his guards at a distance and walked alone to Zhang Erhe:

"Prime Minister".

Zhang Erhe, holding an umbrella, bowed and said, "Your Highness."

Li Xuansi did not beat around the bush:

"Zhang San's death has nothing to do with me."

His voice was deep:

"I promised the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon that I would spare his life. If I wanted to silence him, I wouldn't have chosen the first night in prison."

Making a move now will only make everyone doubt me.

Zhang Erhe remained silent.

Li Xuansi stared at him:

"Now is the most critical time."

Xiao Xingyue is waiting for us to turn against each other; Prime Minister, you must not fall into his trap.

The rain intensified, forming water lines along the umbrella ribs.

Zhang Erhe slightly raised the umbrella, his aged face now calm:

"This old minister knows that it was not Your Highness who did it; Shuangwu has already told me."

After saying that, Zhang Erhe, holding an umbrella, walked past Li Xuansi.

Inside the study of the Prince's Mansion in Zhenguo, the sound of raindrops pattering against the window could be heard.

Li Taiping sat at her desk, her graceful and voluptuous figure encased in her dress. As she sat down, the curves of her waist and hips became even more alluring.

She was writing in her diary, while Xiao Xingyue was drinking tea, and teased:

"Who keeps a diary, even a decent person?"

Li Taiping paused, pen in hand:

"Will you write it?"

"I definitely won't write it. I'm a respectable person." Xiao Xingyue took a sip of tea first.

Li Taiping put down his pen: "Did you kill Zhang Sanjin?"

Xiao Xingyue said seriously:

"no."

Li Taiping stared at him:

"You originally wanted to imprison Zhang Sanjin to sow discord between the Prime Minister and Li Xuansi. Now that he's dead, the rift between them will only widen, which is most advantageous for you."

Xiao Xingyue did not deny it:

"I originally intended to take action..."

Li Taiping's brow furrowed in deep thought, and Xiao Xingyue's expression also became unusually serious.

"My men arrived too late; by the time they reached Dali Temple, Zhang Sanjin was already dead."