We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

The farce will eventually come to an end, but the seemingly calm palace is actually preparing for the next storm.

Zhou Tianze and Qin Zhiang left the palace one after the other.

As soon as he stepped out the door, Zhou Tianze's expression changed, and he turned back to look at the door with gritted teeth.

"Grandfather, that crown prince must be a stand-in. Why won't you let me investigate further?"

"madness!"

Qin Zhi'ang stood behind him, his face grim.

He lowered his voice and solemnly warned the Third Prince.

"Remember this: the current emperor wants you to inherit the throne. As long as you do nothing, you can secure your succession. At that point, will it even matter whether the crown prince is real or not?"

"You're being so unreasonable and argumentative; don't you realize that even His Majesty is getting annoyed with you?"

"Your mother was fined, you were ordered to stay home and reflect on your mistakes, and now you've even lost your position as Prefect of the Capital. You're even going to sacrifice yourself for the Crown Prince. And yet you still want to pursue this matter. What are you thinking?"

The third prince clenched his fists, feeling resentful.

"Grandpa, a fake is a fake; it can't become real!"

"No matter how much I look down on the Crown Prince, he is still my half-brother and a member of the Zhou family."

"But what is that fake crown prince? A peasant found among the common people, does he even deserve to tarnish the Eastern Palace?"

"Even if I were to ascend the throne and become emperor in the future, this matter would be recorded in history as an absurd and ridiculous chapter, a disgrace to the Great Qian imperial family for generations to come!"

Qin Zhi'ang paused for a moment after being spoken to.

now.

Zhou Tianze had already slowly walked away.

He sighed as he watched Zhou Tianze's retreating figure, a vague unease creeping into his heart.

The matter of the real and fake crown princes is likely to take unexpected turns, and he doesn't know whether it will be beneficial or harmful.

On the other end.

The Eastern Palace Study.

Zhou Tiancheng sat behind the desk, while Steward Liu stood bent over in front of the desk.

After hesitating for a long time, Zhou Tiancheng finally asked.

"Did you tamper with that body?"

Manager Liu smiled and looked up at him.

"Your Highness is wise. Whether the Crown Prince is real or fake is not important to this old servant. All I need is for the Crown Prince to live."

There is still one thing Zhou Tiancheng doesn't understand.

"Was the imperial physician Lin Sang also bribed by you?"

Steward Liu shook his head.

"Your Highness misunderstands. Imperial Physician Lin Sang has no relation to this old servant. Otherwise, the Third Prince would not have invited him to examine the corpse."

"In fact, the old servant replaced the fake prince's neck with a layer of human skin. Lin Sang may have noticed some clues, but he is not sure if it is real or fake. If we want to verify his identity, we can only send the body for dissection or skinning for examination."

"He wouldn't dare gamble! These old servants who work as imperial physicians know him all too well; they're unwilling to take any risks and prioritize stability above all else."

Zhou Tiancheng broke out in a cold sweat.

Upon careful review of what had happened, Lin Sang's words to Zhou Rui were ambiguous.

He was using this method to remind Zhou Rui that the one who had died was very likely the real crown prince.

If Zhou Rui is willing to protect him, he will immediately conduct further investigations.

Fortunately, Zhou Tianze was too impatient. He didn't even understand Lin Sang's implied meaning before eagerly demanding a definite answer from him.

What else can Lin Sang do?

He himself was not entirely sure, so how could he risk offending the Crown Prince to do this?

Zhou Tiancheng breathed a sigh of relief, and his gaze toward Steward Liu became calm and reserved.

"Steward Liu, we are now in the same boat. We share the same fate, and we will share the same fate. I won't bother with formalities. I want to compete for the position of Crown Prince. What are your thoughts?"

Steward Liu bowed deeply.

"This old servant swears to follow you to the death."

After all, as the head eunuch of the Eastern Palace, his life, death, honor, and disgrace all depended on the Crown Prince.

Even if this crown prince is a fake.

Zhou Tiancheng nodded slightly.

"I need to know the current situation in the court. Today's events seem chaotic, but I sense something is amiss."

"As the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty, not a single high-ranking official in the court supports me?"

This is what gives Zhou Tiancheng the biggest headache.

He desperately needs his own team.

Even if we can't secure the crown prince's position, we must at least protect his life.

The current situation is that he has no one behind him. If he fails to inherit the throne, killing him will be no different from killing a rat once Zhou Tianze takes the throne!

Manager Liu provided the answer.

The crown prince was incompetent, while the third prince was renowned for his virtue.

Zhou Rui has stated more than once that he intends for the Third Prince to inherit the throne in the future, and has also given the Third Prince a series of positions, including the Prefect of the Capital.

In addition, the Qin family, to which Qin Zhi'ang belonged, wielded considerable influence in the imperial court.

None of the officials in the court were willing to support the crown prince.

"Therefore, this old minister suggests that Your Highness seek help through marriage. Once Your Highness has allies in the court, you can win over more people."

Zhou Tiancheng was not averse to this matter.

After all, his life is the most important thing.

Furthermore, he was outnumbered and desperately needed outside help, so a marriage alliance was not shameful.

"Steward Liu, please keep an eye on the marriage arrangements. I am not familiar with the situation of the powerful and influential people in the capital. If you find a suitable match, please inform me and I will ask my father to grant the marriage."

"The most important thing right now is to replace the eunuchs and maids in the Eastern Palace. I estimate that the Third Prince was able to plant spies in the Eastern Palace, and there must be more than just one guard. I don't trust anyone else, and the only person I can trust is you."

Manager Liu looked up at Zhou Tiancheng, smiled, and let out a deep sigh of relief.

Did he never assist the true prince?

The problem is that the real prince has never heard of him!

He's almost twenty years old, why doesn't he have a crown princess?

Because the real prince is too terrifying; playing with and killing women is as easy as eating and drinking.

Moreover, he was one of the most distinguished people in the world, and he didn't care about the status of other women at all; he would kill them without hesitation.

Which kind-hearted family would be willing to marry their daughter into this family?

On the contrary, this fake crown prince is reliable, knows how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and can listen to his words. Chief Steward Liu finally saw a glimmer of hope.

But he still whispered a reminder.

"Your Highness, finding a Crown Princess may be difficult. Even if someone is chosen, you will face a lot of difficulties, and even the Emperor may not agree."

Zhou Tiancheng gave a wry smile, naturally understanding the reason behind it.

The Crown Prince has a terrible reputation!

It's time to make some changes.

After pondering for a moment, he came up with a solution.

"Didn't the Third Prince give me both the position of Prefect of the Capital and the position of Drunken Spring Breeze?"

"While the Third Prince is reflecting on his mistakes in seclusion, we can take the opportunity to win over a group of officials and talented individuals."

"How about this: hold a banquet at Zui Chun Feng, and send invitations to all officials. Also, beggars and hooligans alike, welcome everyone!"

"I'll go there myself then. If I'm lucky, I might be able to recruit a group of helpers."

"As for the marriage alliance, we can only do our best."

Steward Liu opened his mouth slightly, clearly surprised by his decision.

He nodded in agreement and turned to leave, but after taking two steps, he turned back and hesitantly brought up something.

"Your Highness, years ago His Majesty arranged a marriage for the Third Prince with Zheng Ye'er, the daughter of Duke Zheng Rong. However, when the Third Prince came to propose, he was harassed by Zheng Ye'er, and the marriage was delayed. To this day, no one dares to mention it."

"If Your Highness is interested, you may give it a try."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tiancheng immediately sensed that something was amiss!