Chapter 757 You and I were childhood playmates.
In an instant, all thoughts were completely destroyed by Lin Jiayou.
The Fifth Prince's men were watching him.
Zhao Zhang, that seemingly upright and suspicious fool, was ultimately reluctant to give up this tremendous military achievement.
He said he disagreed, but secretly sent people to keep an eye on him. Did he want to reap the benefits, or did he want to completely wipe him out along with the evidence at the critical moment?
Lin Jiayou's heart was as cold as if it was being whipped repeatedly by the cold winter wind.
The thin piece of paper in his hand might be a death warrant at the gate of an ordinary government office.
But if it was delivered to the right place, to the person who wanted the fifth and seventh princes dead the most, that would be his token of loyalty to the emperor and his chance to make a living.
Lin Jiayou remained expressionless and continued walking at a leisurely pace, but at the next intersection he turned into a crowded grocery store.
He squeezed in among the crowd buying New Year's goods, slipped out quietly from the back door, and after making many turns, he completely immersed himself in the complex streets and alleys of the capital.
After a stick of incense, Lin Jiayou stood in front of the towering gate of the East Palace.
The guards here have an even more solemn and murderous aura. Their shining armor and sharp eyes are enough to scare away anyone with ulterior motives.
"Stop! Who are you?" A captain of the guards stepped forward and pressed the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Lin Jiayou straightened his clothes and bowed, his posture was extremely humble, but his tone was full of urgency that did not allow for any questioning.
"My name is Lin Jiayou. I have an extremely urgent matter concerning the Fifth and Seventh Princes and the Northern Frontier's military affairs. I request an audience with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! Any delay could lead to treason!"
The four words "collaborating with the enemy and treason" were like a huge rock smashing into the calm lake.
The captain of the guards' expression changed instantly.
He looked Lin Jiayou up and down, the suspicion and scrutiny in his eyes almost piercing him.
"You wait here." The captain of the guards did not dare to be negligent or credulous. He gave the order in a deep voice, turned around and quickly walked inside to report.
Every moment of waiting felt like torture.
Lin Jiayou stood with his hands down, seemingly calm, but his fingers were already clenched white in his sleeves. He was betting on the ambition of Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an.
After an unknown amount of time, the captain of the guards finally returned, his expression even more serious than before.
"His Highness summons you in."
Lin Jiayou took a deep breath, followed the captain of the guards, and stepped over the high threshold.
The interior of the Eastern Palace was much simpler than he had imagined, lacking some of the royal luxury, but exuding a calm and majestic atmosphere everywhere.
He was led outside a study and made to wait again.
"Come in."
The prince's gentle voice came from the study.
Lin Jiayou pushed the door open and saw Prince Zhao Chen'an sitting behind the desk. He was wearing an ordinary navy blue suit and holding a book in his hand. When he saw him, he slowly put the book down.
His eyes were calm, showing neither surprise nor disgust, as if he was looking at an unrelated stranger.
"Lin Jiayou," Zhao Chen'an spoke first. His voice was low, but it carried the dignity of a nobleman. "You said there was something serious going on, treason. My time is precious. Go ahead."
"Yes." Lin Jiayou didn't dare to look up. He knelt down again, took out the note that was warmed by his body temperature from his arms, and raised his hands high above his head.
"Your Highness, this is a prescription entrusted to me by the Seventh Prince's confidant, who ordered me to deliver it to the Qi Family Pharmacy. The Seventh Prince intends to substitute inferior herbs like 'Frost Flower Grass' for the life-saving 'Snowland Ice Silkworm Flower' supplied to the Northern Frontier, in order to reap huge profits. This act disregards the lives of the soldiers on the frontier and is tantamount to treason!"
A eunuch came forward and presented the note to the prince.
Zhao Chenan took it and his eyes fell on the paper. When he saw the three words "Frost Flower Grass" circled in red pen, a hint of coldness finally flashed across his calm eyes.
The study was dead silent, with only the occasional soft crackle of the candlelight.
"Fifth brother, do you know about this?" Zhao Chen'an's voice was still flat, and no emotion could be heard.
"His Highness the Fifth Prince knew about this, but...he did not agree to pass off inferior goods as genuine goods."
Lin Jiayou fell to the ground, choosing his words carefully. "Fifth Prince has always valued integrity in military achievements and disdains such tactics. But Seventh Prince is adamant about his own way, and although Fifth Prince tried to dissuade him, he still..."
Before he finished speaking, he lightly accused Zhao Zhang of the crime of "knowing about the crime but not reporting it, and condoning and shielding it."
Zhao Chenan placed the note on the table and lightly tapped it with his slender fingers.
"Lin Jiayou, how do you know this?"
The prince's voice was still gentle, but beneath that gentleness lay a frightening scrutiny.
"Your Highness, this is a trap from beginning to end!"
Lin Jiayou raised his head, his handsome face filled with sadness and self-mockery. "This was a trap set by Miss Gu of the Zhenguo Mansion. From that forged Northern Frontier military report, it was her bait to lure His Highness the Fifth and His Highness the Seventh!"
"She knew the Fifth Prince valued military merit, while the Seventh Prince was greedy for money. She also knew they would be desperate to recover after suffering a loss. So, she had me deliver this 'wealth' to them, waiting for them to be blinded by greed and fall into her trap!"
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, Zhao Chenan slammed the desk with his palm, and the gentle mask was finally torn, revealing the suppressed anger underneath.
“Nonsense!”
He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in the study, with incredible anger in his eyes.
"Is Qian Zhenyun crazy? He actually joined her in this nonsense! He framed the prince and this is a heinous crime that will exterminate all nine generations of his family!"
This rebuke was more of a deterrent than a scolding.
Lin Jiayou fell to the ground and said what he had prepared long ago.
"Your Highness, if the two princes do not have that intention, this cannot be considered a trap. At most, it is a slander that no one will pay attention to."
His voice was not loud, but extremely clear, and every word seemed to be beating on a drum.
"It was their own greed that turned Gu Qingchen's 'trap' into reality. Your humble servant...your humble servant simply couldn't persuade her and became an accomplice to the evil."
Zhao Chenan's footsteps suddenly stopped.
He slowly turned around and looked at the light piece of paper on the desk again, his eyes becoming extremely complicated.
The study fell into dead silence again.
Lin Jiayou is right.
This is not a trap, this is a mirror.
Gu Qingchen used the most direct and bold way to expose the deepest desires and ugliness in the hearts of his two younger brothers.
Seeing this, Lin Jiayou knew that his bet was right. He seized the opportunity and kowtowed again, his tone filled with the most humble sincerity.
"Your Highness, I used to be a poor judge of people and made mistakes, which deserved death. Now I have come to my senses and am willing to serve you like a slave. I only ask that you give me a chance to atone for my sins!"
After a long time, Zhao Chenan slowly walked back to the desk and sat down. He did not ask Lin Jiayou to stand up immediately, but just looked at him quietly.
That gaze seemed to be able to penetrate his flesh and see through all the calculations and ambitions in his bones.
Just when Lin Jiayou was about to be crushed by the heavy silence, the prince's voice sounded again, but this time, the anger had faded away, leaving only an unfathomable calmness.
"Get up."
He looked at Lin Jiayou, and a very faint but meaningful curve appeared on his lips.
"You and I were childhood playmates."
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