The Thief Prince

"My son is dead."

Beside the bed, a slightly overweight man in his early thirties stood with a look of shock still on his face.

Chai Zhen, yesterday's King Chen of the Great Zhou, tomorrow's Emperor of the Great Zhou.

There were two people standing in front of him.

A slender, slightly hunched civil official in a purple robe wearing a turban, and a young eunuch.

Zhao Ji, a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue, and a scholar of the Fuwen Pavilion.

Feng Ji, the supervisor of Prince Chen's mansion.

Chai Zhen continued, "I dreamt of a room full of corpses, and Xu'er was standing in front of me covered in blood, with blood gushing from his nostrils and eye sockets..."

Even though it was the second time he had heard His Highness recount this dream, Feng Ji still felt a chill run down his spine.

Your Highness is about to ascend the throne as Emperor, and that will make you the Son of Heaven, a being who has received divine intervention.

Having such ominous dreams at this time is not a good omen.

In contrast, Zhao Ji remained expressionless as he pondered, though his mind was reeling.

How could this be? His Highness had just killed the Crown Prince, and yet he had such a bizarre dream.

Could it be that the wronged spirit of the crown prince has entrusted himself to us, or is the emperor truly connected with the divine?

Or perhaps... Your Highness already knows something and is using dreams to hint at it to you?

"Xu'er, with tears of blood streaming down his face, stared straight at me and said, 'Father, we must fight! If we don't, our lives will be taken easily.'"

"I went over to wipe the blood off him, but the blood just wouldn't stop flowing, and I couldn't get it clean no matter what I did."

"He kept muttering, 'Revenge, revenge...'"

Chai Zhen's eyes were slightly red, clearly the dream had saddened him, but even more so, it had filled him with fear.

The throne fell from the sky, but he was not overjoyed; instead, he became a frightened bird.

Let alone a nightmare, at this moment, even if a eunuch accidentally spilled the chamber pot, he would suspect that someone was breaking the cup as a signal.

He looked at the silent old man before him and asked nervously, "Father-in-law, what does this dream mean?"

Zhao Ji's heart was in turmoil, but he remained calm and composed on the surface.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Perhaps it is because of the passing of the late Emperor that Your Highness is grieving and has been thinking of the Crown Prince for a long time, which is why you are thinking about him during the day and dreaming about him at night."

Chai Zhen remained silent, clearly dissatisfied with this vague answer.

He then asked, "Does this dream foretell that a villain intends to harm Xu'er?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Ji knelt down on the ground, his turban trembling slightly, revealing his graying temples.

Chai Zhen looked slightly surprised: "What do you mean by this?"

"Does Your Highness suspect this old minister?"

Zhao Ji remained prostrate on the ground, his voice still steady:

"The Crown Prince has been cared for by this old minister and my son all these years, and no one else knows about it. If there is any villain, it can only be this old minister and his son."

"Father-in-law, you know I had no such intention." Chai Zhen waved her hand, her voice softening considerably.

Although he inherited the throne, he had no power base in the court and was not recognized by the court officials.

Zhao Ji was not only his father-in-law but also a high-ranking official of the third rank with real power, making him his greatest entourage.

It would be a terrible loss to have a falling out with him over a dream.

"Never mind, where is Xu'er now?"

Zhao Ji replied, "The Crown Prince has safely entered the palace under my son's escort."

"I'll go see him."

Wende Hall was where the emperor would stop briefly after court. Since Chai Zhen had not yet officially ascended the throne, he could not stay in his own palace and could only rest here temporarily.

Compared to the main hall where Chai Zhen lived, the side hall was more cramped, and at this moment, more than a dozen guards were standing guard outside the door.

"Your Highness, it's getting late, this old minister shall take his leave."

If we were to go in now, it would make us seem guilty; it would be better to generously give up our space.

His Highness has not seen the Crown Prince for so many years, Zhao Ji is certain that he will not recognize him.

"Taishan, please go and rest. I'll need your help tomorrow."

"I obey your decree."

Chai Zhen nodded gently and turned to enter the side hall.

A boy was fast asleep on the bed.

If Li Zheng were here, he would be greatly surprised.

This person bears an uncanny resemblance to me now!

Chai Zhen came to the bedside, looked at Chai Xixu's face, and sighed softly.

He couldn't see anything wrong, but this face just didn't look right to him.

Although it has been ten years since they last met, they are still father and son by blood. How could they not feel any closeness at all?

Without disturbing Chai Xixu on the bed, Chai Zhen silently led Feng Ji away from the side hall.

When they were all alone, Chai Zhen suddenly spoke up: "Feng Ji, go and investigate."

"This servant obeys the decree."

After Feng Ji left, Chai Zhen sat back on the bed and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

Just as dawn was breaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Feng Ji wasn't by his side. A young eunuch pushed open the door and entered, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your Highness, they've arrived."

In the eyes of the young eunuch, Chai Zhen was now completely different.

He was once the unfavored Prince Chen, and even the servants of his palace had to be subservient to him when they went out.

But after the ministers read out the late emperor's edict, he would become the new emperor of the Great Zhou.

This gentle and honest Prince Chen, who seemed somewhat timid, now appeared to possess a touch of divinity.

Chai Zhen nodded slightly and said gently, "Please, gentlemen, come in."

"Here you are."

The young eunuch opened the palace doors and announced, "King Chen summons all his ministers to an audience."

Amidst the sound of footsteps, the courtiers filed in.

The leader was dressed in a purple robe and held a bright yellow imperial edict in both hands.

He was Ding Min, a veteran of three reigns, a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, and the current prime minister.

Behind Ding Min stood the two prefectures and three departments, as well as various military commanders...

Behind them were the fully armed Palace Attendants, lined up outside the gate.

Everywhere you look, there are crimson and purple colors, and Zhao Ji is among them, but he can only stand in a position towards the back.

Chai Zhen glanced at everyone, her gaze finally settling on the imperial edict in Ding Min's hand, and her breathing became involuntarily heavy.

After the imperial edict is read, he will decline the throne three times and become the new emperor.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past the palace entrance, bypassed the crowd, and came to Chai Zhen's side.

It was Feng Ji.

Seeing Feng Ji's solemn expression, Chai Zhen withdrew her gaze and looked to the side.

Feng Ji understood and bent down to whisper to Chai Zhen, "Your Highness, this servant sent someone to the Prince's residence. He appears unharmed, but there is a bloody smell in the air."

"I asked the person who collects night soil, and he said there was a noise coming from the direction of the house last night, which lasted for about fifteen minutes before stopping."

"The wet nurses and maids beside the young master were all chosen by Prime Minister Zhao, and this servant cannot question them, but..."

At the same time, Zhao Qianshan, who was the commander of the palace guards, also came into the palace.

He had already changed his clothes and quietly walked behind Zhao Ji, whispering:

"Father, things have changed; the Crown Prince has fled..."

Upon hearing what Feng Ji said, Chai Zhen's pupils dilated slightly, and she subconsciously looked up at the location where Zhao Ji was.

Just then, Zhao Ji also looked up, and their eyes met in the air.

Chai Zhen composed herself and smiled gently at Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji lowered his gaze and bowed slightly in response.

The two looked away and simultaneously whispered to the person beside them:

"Go check!"

"Go after them!"