He poured out his grievances all the way, and the Crown Prince just smiled along, a smile that looked extremely strained. In the end, his face was stiff, but one question from Wang Jize stumped him.
"Your Highness, I heard you are going to take a concubine. Do you have someone you are interested in?"
The person he longed for? The crown prince thought for a moment, his disappointed expression well hidden, almost fooling himself.
He shook his head. "No."
“That’s true. You are the Crown Prince, and you will have three thousand beauties in your harem in the future. If you keep them all in your heart, wouldn’t you be exhausted?” Wang Jize said understandingly.
The crown prince nodded in agreement, remaining silent, but his heart ached as if it were being torn apart. Three thousand beauties in the harem? Perhaps many would envy that, but if he said he didn't want three thousand beauties, some would surely call him hypocritical.
If he said he wanted to choose only one from a vast ocean of water, many people probably wouldn't believe him.
“Our prince doesn’t even have any concubines.” On their way back to the city, the two encountered Yan Shiren and his daughter. Yan Ruyu was also dressed in men’s clothing, looking like a tomboy, and immediately struck up a conversation.
After a few days, the group became familiar with each other. Yan Ruyu, with her unrestrained personality, couldn't stop talking once she started. "Your Highness, do you really not have a woman you fancy?"
The crown prince shook his head firmly, "No."
"Your Highness, you have no life, not even a woman you admire." She casually adjusted her straw hat. "How can you not have someone you like?"
"Ruyu!" Yan Shiren's beard trembled with anger. How could a young lady be so unreserved? "Come here! Don't disturb His Highness the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince, who had been trying to maintain a calm demeanor, was suddenly thrown into turmoil by a few words. He didn't even bother to greet Yan Shiren before mounting his horse and riding away.
His departure was so sudden that the group looked at each other in bewilderment. Yan Shiren glared at Yan Ruyu and said, "Watch your words in the future! A young lady should act like a young lady."
Yan Ruyu, however, did not listen. She pouted and said nonchalantly, "His Highness the Crown Prince clearly had something on his mind. He must have someone on his mind. I guessed right, and he was afraid he couldn't hide it anymore, so he left in a hurry."
"Nonsense! If the Crown Prince says it's not true, then it's not true. Why are you meddling in other people's business?" Yan Shi couldn't help but want to lock up his lawless daughter, who always caused him trouble whenever she came out.
Before he could finish his anger, Yan Ruyu said again, "Could it be that the Crown Prince is truly in love with Sister Ajun?" After she finished speaking, she covered her mouth and glanced at Wang Jize beside her with her beautiful big eyes, "I didn't say anything."
Wang Jize's face instantly darkened, and he gave her a cold glance. "A-Jun and His Highness are not in that kind of relationship. Miss Yan, please watch your mouth. Be careful what you say!"
Having said that, he whipped his horse, spurred it on, and rode off in a cloud of dust after the crown prince.
Yan Ruyu's eyes widened, not quite understanding. She and Wang Jize used to get along quite well, and he had never been mean to her. Had she just misread him? Why was Wang Jize speaking to her so fiercely?
She turned to Yan Shiren and asked, "Father, did Jize yell at me just now?"
"Guards, take the girl back to the manor and lock her up for a month!" Although Yan Shiren was angry, he still changed the three months he was about to say to one month.
The crown prince clearly has someone he likes, but he refuses to admit it.
Sigh, he's getting old and doesn't understand the world of young people.
This time, the Crown Prince rode all the way back to Jiangnan Prefecture. After washing up, he sorted out the complicated thoughts in his heart and carefully put them away before going to find Wei Tingsi and Zhao Shu.
At this moment, Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi were interrogating the fake Zhao Bi. However, the fake Zhao Bi had been rigorously trained, and no matter what methods they used, they could not get him to speak.
“Not confessing? No problem. You look just like Zhao Bi anyway. I have plenty of ways to get him to come out.” Zhao Shu said, then beckoned to Xiao Guozi. “Go, make a big show of going to the city to find a doctor. Tell them that the Fourth Prince is injured and dying. Whoever can cure the Fourth Prince will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Guozi's face broke into a strange smile. It would be even better if the Fourth Prince were to die by accident.
Upon hearing this, the fake Zhao Bi panicked and exclaimed, "You dare!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Zhao Shu slapped him across the face. "Threatening me? Don't you know I hate being threatened? Tell me, is what Jiecao Jushi said true?"
The two Ouyang Pings and the two Zhao Bis looked exactly alike, and there was not a single trace of disguise. It was really hard to believe that their twin brothers were still alive at this time.
The fake Zhao Bi grinned, revealing a mouthful of bloody teeth, "You're scared."
"You're the one who should be afraid. Guards, torture him. When the doctor arrives, tell him he ran away from the palace, encountered bandits, was tortured by them, and suffered severe injuries. He may never be able to have sex again." A prince who can't have sex still wants to be the crown prince? Dream on.
Even if it's just a rumor, it's enough to be criticized. Who knows, future history books might even record that Bi, the fourth son of Emperor Mingde of Dayong, was impotent...
The fake Zhao Bi was tightly bound. Hearing Zhao Shu's words, he struggled fiercely, "You can still stop now! Don't go too far!"
"Excessive? You think I'm excessive? Is this excessive?" Zhao Shu couldn't contain her anger when she thought of her twin brothers, her mother, and her threatened grandmother. "There's something even more excessive, Su Xiu. Spread the word that the Fourth Prince is in critical condition and someone is impersonating him and committing crimes everywhere. Don't you envy those Robin Hood-like thieves who rob the rich to help the poor? Go and experience it for yourself."
Su Xiu gave the fake Zhao Bi a cold snort and went to carry out the order.
In just half a day, the fake Zhao Bi was covered in wounds, his body was bruised and bleeding, but his face was unharmed. When the doctors from Jiangnan learned that the Fourth Prince was to be treated, they all used their best skills, but the injuries were too severe, and they all shook their heads and sighed, subtly telling Zhao Shu and the Crown Prince to prepare to collect the body.
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