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Published at 6th of July 2023 06:14:23 AM


Chapter 75

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Hua Liuli covered her wound and said to the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness, please help me up first."

"You're injured so badly, you shouldn't move," The Crown Prince advised verbally, but his hands involuntarily reached out to support Hua Liuli, providing a soft backing for her back.

"Just now, Your Royal Highness said that people have to do something foolish in their lifetime, right?" Hua Liuli smiled brightly at the Crown Prince.

Their gazes met, but the Crown Prince couldn't understand the meaning behind Hua Liuli's eyes. In her gaze, he neither saw deep affection nor disdain.

The Crown Prince looked at her pitifully, as if he would burst into tears if she refused him on the spot.

Hua Liuli extended her finger, wanting to touch the Crown Prince's cheek, but it accidentally chafed her wound, causing her to inhale sharply in pain.

"Be careful," The Crown Prince quickly held her arm.

"But there's still one regret in life, and that is when you do something foolish, there's no one to accompany you in your foolishness," Hua Liuli pinched the Crown Prince's arm, "I've witnessed separations due to life and death since I was young. I've always been most afraid of two people who deeply care for each other, only to end up separated by life and death, setting them on a different path."

"So, I thought that when I grow up, I absolutely shouldn't like anyone, and I definitely shouldn't give my true heart, otherwise, when there is a time to part, how sad it would be," Hua Liuli smiled, "In life, it's better to be carefree and unburdened."

The Crown Prince understood the meaning behind Hua Liuli's words. His eyelids trembled and he lowered his head, "Gu... understands."

Hua Liuli seemed not to notice the Crown Prince's sadness as she let go of her own hand, "Your Royal Highness, since I was born, I've always witnessed farewells due to life and death."

"Gu understands you," The Crown Prince smiled, his eyes filled with sorrow on the verge of overflowing, "Then, does the promise you made to Gu before still stand?"

"What promise?"

"To not keep male companions for five years."

"Yes, it stands."

The smile on the Crown Prince's face became even sadder, "That's good."

"Is that enough for Your Royal Highness?" Hua Liuli smiled mischievously at the Crown Prince, "Actually, I wanted to say that even though I've grown accustomed to life and death, and I don't want to experience the painful parting of life and death, I still want to give it a try."

"Try... what?" The Crown Prince looked at her cautiously.

"To do something foolish that's in my heart, like..." Hua Liuli extended her index finger and gently tapped the Crown Prince's nose, "Being with a man."

"Perhaps that wouldn't be foolish, but a fortunate thing," The Crown Prince excitedly held Hua Liuli's hand. He wanted to embrace her, but he was afraid of hurting her wound, "Even if it's a foolish thing, Gu can turn it into something good."

"Really?" Hua Liuli looked at the Crown Prince, whose sorrow had turned to joy, with a smile that held a hint of slyness.

Some people in the world always ask why they should give up an entire forest for the sake of one tree. She thought, perhaps it's because that tree is the most beautiful, the most upright, and the most pleasing. With the existence of that tree, all the other trees in the forest become the same and no longer attracts one's attention.

"Gu never lies to you."

"Come here," Hua Liuli beckoned with her finger, asking the Crown Prince to come closer.

The Crown Prince obediently leaned closer to her, and Hua Liuli reached out and hooked her hand around his neck, pulling him closer to her lips and leaving a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"This is a reward for being an honest child," Hua Liuli released the Crown Prince's neck, presenting herself as someone who has seen the world and experienced everything. Unfortunately, her blushing cheeks and ears gave her away.

But would the Crown Prince expose her pretense of being experienced?

Of course not.

He lowered his head, appearing shy, and leaned closer, pointing to other his cheek, "Can... Gu also have it on this side?"

"Cough," Hua Liuli uncomfortably turned her head to look at the maidservants in the room, "Men shouldn't be so greedy."

The Crown Prince looked at her with a disappointed expression, "Alright..."

"Forget it, forget it," Hua Liuli leaned closer and kissed his other cheek, "I really can't do anything about Your Royal Highness."

With such good looks and the ability to act cute, how could she let this good man be shared with other noble ladies in the capital? It had to be her personally guarding him for her peace of mind.

The maidservants, Yuan Yi and Yurong, covered their eyes and retreated. As loyal subjects of the Great Jin, they should have intervened when they saw their Junzhu flirting with the Crown Prince. But as humans, it was inevitable to show favoritism. As long as they covered their eyes, they couldn't see anything.

As long as Junzhu is happy, their conscience doesn't matter.

After a while, they saw the Crown Prince emerge with flushed cheeks and watery eyes. They quickly bowed and said, "Farewell, Your Royal Highness."

"No need for formalities. Take good care of Junzhu. If you need anything, send someone to the Eastern Palace to fetch it. Don't let Junzhu suffer, understood?" The Crown Prince placed his hand behind his back, exuding extraordinary grace.

"Yes."

Yuan Yi and the others watched the satisfied Crown Prince leave, then they turned back into the room. They saw Junzhu had already laid back down and were unsure whether to speak up or not. The group gave Yuan Yi a signal, making her the spokesperson.

"Junzhu," Yuan Yi approached Hua Liuli's bedside, "You and the Crown Prince..."

"Yuan Yi, I have carefully considered it for a long time and evaluated all the noble ladies in the capital, but couldn't find anyone suitable for the Crown Prince. You see, the Crown Prince is so handsome and talented. How could there not be someone worthy of him?" Hua Liuli shamelessly said, "I've been thinking day and night, contemplating and pondering. I can't bear to see the Crown Prince being mistreated by someone else. So, in the end, I reluctantly came to a conclusion: instead of letting someone else mistreat the Crown Prince, it's better if I do it."

Yuan Yi: "..."

It was the first time she heard someone talk about indulging in beauty so gracefully and shamelessly. If these words were spread, their Hua family would offend all the noble ladies in the capital.

"But... what about Junzhu's aspirations of raising male companions?"

"In consideration of the remarkable Crown Prince, I am prepared to endure the hardships and renounce my noble aspirations," Hua Liuli affirmed with unwavering resolve, presenting her decision as a selfless sacrifice.

"Junzhu once said you would never hang yourself on one man."

"How can one trust a woman's words, especially a beautiful woman? They can't be trusted."

"Oh," Yuan Yi suddenly understood, "So, Junzhu's promise to the Crown Prince about not raising male companions is also untrustworthy?"

"Yuan Yi, haven't you noticed that I, as your mistress, am losing my position in front of all of you?" Hua Liuli looked at Yuan Yi with a profound expression, "You shouldn't envy me just because I have an exceptionally beautiful person by my side."

The maids turned around in unison. Those responsible for cleaning began tidying up, while others started sorting their belongings. The maidservant who was supposed to recite stories to Hua Liuli silently picked up a book.

What else could they do when they followed a mistress who is shameless? They could only smile and continue to serve her.

"Daren!" The yamen runner placed a thick stack of reports on the desk of the Prefect of Jingzhao, "These are the denunciations received today."

The Prefect of Jingzhao sighed and reached out to open the denunciation letters.

Oh, the Deputy Minister of Rites littered on the street. Fine him one ounce of silver.

Huh, Kang Wang Shizi cursed at someone on the street? That doesn't seem illegal?

There are even officials who ate someone's food without paying. This one needs further investigation before drawing a conclusion.

Every day, he had to go through a pile of useful and useless denunciations. Having sat in this position as the Prefect of Jingzhao for only two years, he felt he had been losing his hair and aging rapidly.

As he received the last denunciation letter, he was stunned by its thickness. How much did they write in it?

Could it be another case of a village chief's son stealing melons from one household and trampling on the seedlings of another?

He casually opened the envelope and quickly scanned through the contents. The more he read, the more serious his expression became. Before finishing the letter, he trembled and said, "Quickly, immediately send someone to invite Zhang Daren from the Ministry of Justice to come over."

"Daren," the yamen runner said with a distressed face, "The old man who guards the gate of the Ministry of Justice said that if our department bothers them with small matters again, they will set their dogs loose on us."

"This is not a small matter. This is a denunciation letter written by an assassin, related to several major cases in the capital!"

The yamen runner realized the seriousness of the matter and didn't dare to joke with the magistrate anymore. He quickly rushed towards the Ministry of Justice.

The Prefect of Jingzhao, with his hands trembling, anxiously finished reading the thick letter. After he was done with the letter, countless speculations surged in his mind.

Who wants to hire an assassin to kill Fushou Junzhu?

Could this person be the one who sent other assassins to kill the Crown Prince?

The Crown Prince and Fushou Junzhu were attacked by assassins in broad daylight, and the Emperor was furious. The entire court was on edge. The young nobles and aristocratic ladies who usually liked to wander around outside dared not stroll on the streets today. It shows how serious this matter was.

They had only discovered a few clues this morning, all pointing to a hidden mastermind in the capital. Now they had received a denunciation letter from an assassin, its contents meticulously written. They didn't know if it was true or false.

"Bring someone to investigate the old man who was killed on the street some time ago, also find out who he had contact with recently," The Prefect of Jingzhao pondered for a moment, "Wait, don't rush. When the people from the Ministry of Justice arrive later, go and investigate together with them."

Although he didn't want to admit it, in terms of investigating and solving cases, the people from the Ministry of Justice were more capable.

Zhang Shuo and Pei Jihuai heard about the denunciation letter and hurriedly rushed to the Prefect of Jingzhao. After reading the letter handed over by the Prefect of Jingzhao, both of them felt somewhat incredulous.

"An assassin... also writing a denunciation letter?" Even Zhang Shuo, who was well-informed, was shocked. This letter not only mentioned the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince but also brought up some cases in which they were unjustly blamed in the past. Some of these cases were secretly handled by the Prefect of Jingzhao and the Ministry of Justice, not known to ordinary people.

"No matter whether the contents of this letter are credible or not, we still have to investigate according to the clues provided," Pei Jihuai quickly gave the order for the people from the Ministry of Justice and the Prefect of Jingzhao to investigate based on the killer's clues.

With the involvement of the Ministry of Justice, they soon learned which people the old man had contact with in the period before his death. Not only people, but even the fact that the old man had fed two stray dogs on the roadside was also recorded.

"A maid from Royal Princess Leyang Estate actually had contact with this person?" Pei Jihuai's gaze swept over a long list and finally settled on the name of a woman.

This woman's name was followed by a note indicating that she was a maid from Royal Princess Leyang Estate.

"This old man is a street performer. How could he have any connections with a maid from Royal Princess Leyang Estate?" Pei Jihuai frowned, "Daren, it seems we have to go into the palace and seek an imperial decree."

The Prefect of Jingzhao quickly said, "Zhang Daren, Pei Daren, this case is of great importance. I, as a minor official, cannot meddle in this case. You both may be burdened with it."

As a lowly official, he couldn't handle a case involving the imperial family.

In the Chenyang Palace, Emperor Changlong looked at the Crown Prince, who had been smiling since noon till now, and threw a few documents at him. The Crown Prince didn't mind and patiently finished reviewing them.

"Yuansu," Emperor Changlong looked at the Crown Prince with concern, "Are you alright?"

"Father Emperor, Erchen is fine," The Crown Prince smiled and said, "By the way, if those brightly colored gemstones in Father Emperor's private treasury are not in use, Erchen will take them for now."

"Why do you want to take them?"

"To make jewelry for Erchen's future wife. Father Emperor's future daughter-in-law is so beautiful, she deserves some pretty jewelry," The Crown Prince said, "The Eastern Palace should also be renovated. Otherwise, it won't look bright enough during the grand wedding."

Emperor Changlong: "..."

"Let me remind you that General Wei and General Hua haven't agreed to this marriage yet."

"Erchen's future happiness relies on Father Emperor," The Crown Prince said, "Erchen truly loves Fushou Junzhu, Father Emperor must grant us your blessing."

Emperor Changlong was disgusted by the Crown Prince's words and waved his hand, "If you want gemstones, take them. Just don't disgust Zhen."

"Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness; the Minister of Justice, Zhang Shuo, seeks an audience."

"Announce him," Emperor Changlong's face immediately turned serious. If he didn't thoroughly investigate and expose the truth behind the attack on the Crown Prince this time, there would be no safety left in the capital.

After Zhang Shuo entered and reported what he had found, before he could seek permission to investigate Royal Princess Leyang's involvement, he saw Emperor Changlong's stern expression and heard him say, "Investigate! Immediately take people to investigate Royal Princess Leyang! If anyone dares to obstruct... charge them with treason!!"

Emperor Changlong was usually benevolent and willing to support his siblings, but if anyone dared to harm his most beloved son, he would destroy their entire family!

Krish728

Author's Note:

The Shy Crown Prince—The Pampered Husband of the Domineering Junzhu.





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