Before they knew it, it was Zhang Yun's birthday.

The Prince's mansion was bustling with activity as birthday gifts from various households arrived one after another.

Because the border nomads make unusual moves at this time of year, the Northwest King is unable to return from his post in the Northwest Camp.

However, he specially had a blood-red BMW sent as a birthday gift for his son.

The horse was entirely blood red, incredibly magnificent, and comparable to Wuxing Tayue. After admiring it for a while, Zhang Yun gave it a nice name—Hongxing Erke.

Just as the banquet was in full swing, a female official from the Prince's residence suddenly rushed in and whispered something in the Princess's ear.

The princess's expression changed.

Zhang Yun looked at the princess beside him, "Mother, what happened?"

The princess then realized that this was her son's birthday banquet. She told Zhang Yun that it was nothing, and sat down again, instructing the lady-in-waiting to keep the person under guard for now and discuss it again tomorrow.

The banquet continued, but Zhang Yun felt uneasy as he glanced at his empty side.

That was where Qin Zheng had been standing. He had said he was going out to get something for me, but he hadn't come back yet.

"Zhao Xu, go and see why A-Zheng hasn't come back yet?" Zhang Yun instructed in a low voice.

"Yes." Zhao Xu accepted the order and left. A moment later, he returned.

"Master, something terrible has happened! Ah Zheng has been detained by Steward Zhang's men!"

Zhang Yun's eyelids twitched, and he realized that what had just happened was indeed related to Qin Zheng.

The past six months have been so smooth that Zhang Yun has almost forgotten the fact that the protagonist is prone to accidents.

Since the princess just said we'd talk about it tomorrow, we're safe for now.

Zhang Yun asked Zhao Xu to find out the details first, and then left the banquet under the pretext of changing clothes when the banquet was more than halfway through.

"...Ah Zheng killed Hong'er, and now Hong'er's parents are making a scene. Steward Zhang has already ordered Ah Zheng to be locked up and informed the Princess. We'll wait for his punishment tomorrow!"

After hearing this, Zhang Yun knew that this matter was troublesome. This was probably a follow-up to the incident where Steward Zhang failed to kill Qin Zheng.

Moreover, the fact that someone died shows that the other party had already factored in his intervention to protect Qin Zheng.

Since the other party made such a meticulous arrangement, it was impossible for them to leave any clues.

Zhang Yun isn't a genius like Di Renjie or Conan; he can't expect to save Qin Zheng from his predicament by quickly solving the case...

That's wishful thinking.

Zhang Yun had originally thought that keeping Qin Zheng around would better protect the protagonist's development, but now he realized that he had been taking things for granted.

In the original story, Hong'er survived until the very end. When Qin Zheng and the King of the Northwest clashed, she even passed a message to the protagonist out of guilt.

It was this news that allowed the protagonist to prepare in advance, ultimately enabling him to escape the deadly trap set by the Northwest King, avoid the most fatal calamity, and reach the pinnacle of his career.

Hong'er has now died, probably because he changed the plot and left Qin Zheng in the palace, creating a butterfly effect.

The system once said that he didn't have to follow the plot, but the consequence of changing the plot was that subsequent events would not unfold according to the original script, and he also lost the ability to foresee the future.

However, Zhang Yun did not regret it.

Compared to the cold, ruthless, and decisive cunning emperor in the original work, the Qin Zheng who now has a smile on his lips and light in his eyes is more like a human being.

As for Hong'er's death, one can only say that every pitiful person has something hateful about them; in any case, he felt nothing.

"A butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas a month later."

But can you blame the deaths caused by tornadoes on butterflies?

What, am I, a butterfly, not even worthy to flap my wings?

If every person who dies before the script's scheduled time appears, Zhang Yun has to take the blame for their death and feign tears of guilt and self-reproach. He might as well just commit suicide on the spot.

Zhang Yun never considered himself a good person. He wanted to live, and he was willing to kill anyone as long as it didn't go against his conscience, especially since Hong'er's matter had nothing to do with him.

"Where is A-Zheng being held?" Zhang Yun asked.

"I went to inquire about the woodshed behind the stables, but Steward Zhang had it heavily guarded. He even brought up the Princess Consort's name and wouldn't let me see it."

Seeing Zhang Yun leave, Zhao Xu and several servants followed behind him.

Seeing that he wasn't heading towards the stables or the woodshed, the servant Changxi asked in confusion, "Master, weren't you going to see Azheng?"

Zhang Yun glanced at him, then suddenly smiled, "Why should I go see him?"

Changxi felt that there was something else in his master's smile, completely different from the young master who could see through his thoughts at a glance, which made him inexplicably nervous.

Wu Wei, the attendant Zhang Yun had previously sent to guard the gate, gave Changxi a large sum of money, instructing him to coax the young master into forcibly taking Qin Zheng from the woodshed after Qin Zheng's incident, thus making a big fuss.

But the prince before him seemed to be a different person from the fiery, easily angered prince of six months ago. He had his own ideas and was frighteningly shrewd.

The look Zhang Yun gave him just now made Changxi feel like he had been seen through, and he immediately became obedient and dared not say anything more.

The group walked silently along the long corridor of the Prince's Mansion.

Occasionally, a group of maids or servants would pass by, and after bowing respectfully, they would stand on either side, waiting for Zhang Yun to leave before daring to continue.

Changxi suddenly realized that the master she had served since childhood had changed drastically.

In the past, although the servants in the Prince's mansion were afraid of him, they still treated him like a child and knew that even though he had a bad temper, they could easily control him as long as they went along with him and catered to his preferences.

However, although the Crown Prince still bullies his servants, he no longer acts without reason as before.

Sometimes, his behavior made Changxi feel the same fear she had when facing a prince and princess.

Soon, Zhang Yun arrived at the banquet hall.

Today's banquet has too many guests, so it's divided into two halls, one for men and one for women.

Zhang Yun is the main character today, so naturally he should make an appearance on both sides to avoid being impolite.

On the men's side, without anyone having to invite them, everyone was already chatting and drinking.

Zhang Yun was of illustrious birth and was pampered by his parents and sister at home. However, apart from his handsome face, he was lacking in everything else, making him the number one target of envy, jealousy, and hatred among all the sons of princes and nobles.

The one who was most hostile to him was Zhang Qi, the third son of Prince Qi.

"Oh, isn't this the birthday boy? I heard that Uncle Ninth Prince prepared a Ferghana horse as a birthday gift for you. I wonder how it compares to my jade lion?"

After arriving at the front hall, Zhang Yun went to a spot very close to Zhang Qi and pulled aside a person who had come to curry favor with him to boast about the fine horse he had just received from his father, the King.

Tell him how good the Red Star Erke breed is, how pure its coat color is, and how magnificent its appearance is...

Zhang Qi, who was behind him, heard this and, as expected, turned around and provoked him.

"It's just a horse. Everyone has one. My father gave me a jade lion last year, which is much better than your Red Star Erke."

“Of course my Red Star Erke is stronger. Jade Lion? Who doesn’t have one? How can a mere good steed compare to my top-class Akhal-Teke!” Zhang Yun said with a look of disdain.

“Uncle Ninth Prince’s horse is naturally good, but unfortunately, such a fine horse is paired with someone like you… tsk tsk!” He deliberately didn’t say it out loud, but his expression was full of contempt and disdain, making it seem even more insulting.

Zhang Yun feigned anger, "What did you say? Say it again!"

“Did I say anything? Even if I did say something, was I wrong?” Zhang Qi said smugly.

"You!" Zhang Yun glared at him. "Yes, I'm just not good enough for Red Star Erke, but you've wronged Jade Lion!"

The people around him laughed. Zhang Qi thought about it for a moment before he realized what he had said. "You dare to insult me!"

"What? You're the only one allowed to curse? When did your family become so powerful? You're always talking badly about me behind my back. I may not be as powerful as my two older sisters, but that depends on who I'm compared to. If it's compared to you, I, the young master, am still slightly better!" Zhang Yun said.

"Pfft~" Zhang Yun's words were so roundabout that everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"You!" Zhang Qi was enraged. "Fine! Zhang Yun, then do you dare to compete with me?"

"Let's compete then, who's afraid of who?"

Zhang Qi said, "Alright, in that case, let's have a horse riding contest."

Zhang Yun sneered: "Brother Qi, you are four years older than me and have been riding horses for four years longer than me. You have the nerve to say something like that, comparing your riding skills with mine."

Zhang Qi blushed when his thoughts were exposed, but quickly changed his tune: "Who said I was going to bully you! Then tell me how we're going to compete?"

Zhang Yun pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Let's still have a horse race, but each of us will send one person and one horse, best two out of three, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi seemed to have been tickled and suddenly burst into laughter, "Good, good, I couldn't be happier if you wanted to compete like this!"

“A simple horse race isn’t interesting, how about some betting?” Zhang Yun suggested.

“If I win, you give me Red Star Erke; if I lose, you can choose whatever I have,” Zhang Qi said confidently.

Zhang Yun: "Then I'll be at a huge loss. What do you have?"

The onlookers burst into laughter again upon hearing this.

"You!" Zhang Qi's face turned bright red, clearly very angry.

Although Zhang Qi was the eldest son of the family, he had two older brothers. The fiefdom of the Prince Qi's Mansion was also small, unlike the Prince Northwest's Mansion, which possessed the vast land of the entire Northwest and had a large family and business.

Zhang Yunming was clearly an even more ignorant and incompetent good-for-nothing playboy than him, yet he was pampered by his family like a precious treasure. Zhang Qi was also a legitimate son of the royal family, but he couldn't compare to him in terms of family background and favor. How could he not be jealous?

This is also why he has always been keen to find fault with Zhang Yun.

Zhang Yun laughed and said, "Fine, fine, I'll reluctantly bet with you. If you lose, give me the jade lion, and I can give it to my eldest sister as a mount."

"This is what you asked for yourself. Don't come crying to your aunt and trying to get away with it if you lose!" Zhang Qi sneered.

Zhang Yun said, "Of course, let's set it for the morning after tomorrow. It's a horse race in the western suburbs. Whoever doesn't come gets to participate!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yun raised his little finger and tilted it down slightly.

“Okay!” Zhang Qi readily agreed.

Having successfully tricked Zhang Qi, Zhang Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After spending some more time in the front hall and dealing with a few younger men of the same generation who tried to get close to him, he left under the pretext of changing clothes.

In the past, the AI ​​prince was most impatient with such social occasions, so for the guests to see Zhang Yun make an appearance today was already a huge surprise.

Zhang Yun left the front hall and went straight to the Princess's side, to the Hall of Beauties where a banquet for female guests was being held.

"Mother!" Zhang Yun bowed and then sat on the footstool next to the princess, acting coquettishly towards her.

"You little monkey, why aren't you playing with your brothers? What are you doing here?" The princess lovingly pulled him into her arms.

"It's all because of Prince Qi. He's eyeing his son's newly acquired Red Star Erke horse and insists on betting on the outcome of a horse race with his son."

"His stake is a jade lion. Mother, as you know, my eldest sister's favorite mount was a jade lion, but she died of illness. Now she's at the border and doesn't have a suitable steed. I want to win that jade lion and give it to her..."

The princess chuckled, "Look at this monkey! He wants the jade lion but doesn't just say so. He's even using his older sister as a pawn! Back then, when your older sister jokingly asked you to give her the Black Star Treading the Moon, you cried your eyes out and refused no matter what."

The ladies and noblewomen in this room were all on good terms with the Northwest Prince's Mansion, or at least subordinate to it. Upon hearing this, they all smiled and spoke well of Zhang Yun, trying their best to flatter the Northwest Prince's Mansion.

Zhang Yunjun blushed and explained shyly, "That's because my son was young and didn't know any better. Now, with the teacher's guidance, he knows how ignorant he was before."

"Alright, it's rare for you to be so sensible. Tell me, what do you need your mother's help with?" the princess asked with a smile.

“Your Majesty has a personal servant named A-Zheng, who is an excellent horseman. Moreover, Wu Xing Ta Yue is also willing to be close to him. If we can let him ride Wu Xing Ta Yue to compete with Brother Qi’s men, we will surely be able to win.”

"I sent him to his room to get something today, but I don't know what he did wrong. In the blink of an eye, Steward Zhang ordered him to be locked up. When I went to get him, they only said that it was Your Majesty who ordered him to be locked up, and they wouldn't let me take him away."

Zhang Yun laughed and said, "If it were anyone else, I would have just snatched him away, but he is someone you have imprisoned, so I dare not act recklessly. Therefore, I have come here specifically to ask you for permission. The bet with my brother, Prince Qi, has just been made. If I lose the bet, the Red Star Erke gift that Father gave me will be gone."

The princess said, "I knew it. You little monkey, if you want someone, who can stop you? In that case, Ziyan, you go and tell that child that if he can win the competition for his master, he will be allowed to atone for his sins."

"Yes." The princess's personal maid, Ziyan, withdrew.

Zhang Yun chatted with the princess for a while longer before making an excuse to leave.

When he returned to his courtyard, Qin Zheng was already waiting inside.

Zhang Yun coldly ushered Qin Zheng into the house.

"Who did this?" Zhang Yun asked him as soon as the door closed.

Qin Zheng's eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Hong'er committed suicide. She tricked me into her room and took her own life. Her parents rushed in, and since I was the only one in the room, they immediately accused me of killing her."

Zhang Yun was speechless. He extended a finger and tapped the man's smooth forehead, saying, "I'm asking about the injury on your face. Who hit you?"

Qin Zheng was slightly taken aback, the gloom in his eyes dissipated, and after a moment he came to his senses, his face slightly red as he said, "Those people beat me in the chaos when I was arrested. I don't know them. It must have been Steward Zhang who secretly gave the order."

Zhang Yun looked at Qin Zheng and briefly explained how he tricked Zhang Qi into betting on a horse race, and then went to the princess to get him out of trouble.

Finally, he said, "Go back and rest and recover. Tell them it was my instruction, so you can focus on preparing for the horse race the day after tomorrow!"

Qin Zheng didn't leave, but suddenly stepped forward and hugged him.