The number one rebel of the Great Wu

Seeing Xiao Ran's embarrassed state, Shen Qingci remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he already understood.

This is hardly a case of a servant stealing a horse; it's clearly the Fourth Prince who injured someone on horseback first, giving Chen Changgeng leverage over him.

She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and then slowly looked at Xiao Ran.

"Your Highness, is this horse... truly a gift from someone else?"

Xiao Ran's facial muscles twitched.

His original plan was excellent: to lead troops to visit his second brother under the guise of a visit, but in reality, to use the "evil servant stealing the horse" incident to give the Crown Prince's residence a warning.

Shen Qingci, a woman, was already overwhelmed by the matter of the deposed crown prince, so how could she have the energy to deal with him?

But he never expected that the seemingly timid and subservient servant would dare to publicly invoke his father's sacred words to intimidate him.

The moment Xiao Ran uttered the words "diligent in governing and loving the people," he knew he had already lost half the battle.

"Of course...it is."

Xiao Ran gritted his teeth.

"Oh?"

Chen Changgeng immediately responded, his tone so sincere that it seemed he was genuinely helping her recall.

"Where is the person who presented the horse now? Could we ask him to confront me in person? I'd like to return the horse to him and explain things to him in person, so he won't misunderstand that I stole it."

Xiao Ran's face instantly turned ashen.

Face-to-face confrontation?

Where could he possibly find a "person to offer sacrifices"? This was just an excuse he made up on the spot!

"you!"

Xiao Ran pointed at Chen Changgeng, his finger trembling slightly.

"How dare you, a mere servant, speak so disrespectfully in front of this prince!"

"Your Highness, please calm down."

Shen Qingci slowly put down his teacup.

"Xiao Gengzi is trying to find a solution for you. Since you say it was presented by someone else, wouldn't finding that person prove Your Highness's innocence?"

Or perhaps, could it be...?

She abruptly changed the subject, her gaze sharp as a knife.

"Your Highness doesn't actually want to find that person?"

This one sentence cornered Xiao Ran.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The soldiers Xiao Ran brought looked at each other, their hands on their sword hilts, but dared not make a move.

This is the Crown Prince's residence, not the Fourth Prince's military camp. If a fight breaks out, they will be the ones in the wrong.

Xiao Ran took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He knew that he was now in a predicament where he couldn't back down. Continuing to resist would only make things worse.

"Fine, we don't need Prince Ma anymore, okay?"

After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"You definitely won't find Prince Renben, so do whatever you want with him!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Changgeng's lips curled up slightly, but he quickly regained his apprehensive expression.

"No, no, Your Highness, please calm down. I'll bring you the horse right away."

"No need."

Xiao Ran coldly interrupted him.

"That horse injured a passerby, so I'll consider it a sale to you and use the money to help the people!"

"Your Highness is benevolent!"

Chen Changgeng immediately gave a thumbs up.

"Those people will surely be eternally grateful to Your Highness for your compassion!"

Xiao Ran's face darkened even more.

As a prince, what is the value of his warhorse? It's worth at least a hundred taels of silver.

A BMW like this, with a little manipulation, can sell for several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan.

So much money, just like that, was swindled away by a eunuch today. How am I going to explain this to my men when I get back?

What angered him even more was that Chen Changgeng's grateful expression was clearly mocking him.

"but……"

Xiao Ran changed the subject and looked at Chen Changgeng.

"You threatened and intimidated me today, but we'll settle this score later."

"Your Highness is mistaken."

Chen Changgeng looked completely innocent.

"How dare I threaten Your Highness? I'm merely trying to ease your burden. Think about it, if that horse really was presented by someone else, wouldn't helping you find that person also clear Your Highness's name?"

"you!"

Xiao Ran could no longer hold back and slammed his hand on the table.

"Don't think that just because the Crown Princess is protecting you, I, the prince, can't touch you!"

Having suffered this loss, he was already displeased. Now that the crown prince had been deposed, he was eager to establish his authority. He couldn't care less about anything else at this moment and directly revealed his fierce nature.

The atmosphere in the lobby suddenly became tense.

Ru Shuang and Ru Yi stepped forward simultaneously, their hands already on the hilts of their swords.

Shen Qingci's expression also darkened.

"Fourth Prince."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"This is the Crown Prince's residence, not your military camp. Even if the Crown Prince has been deposed, he is still your second brother. As for Chen Changgeng, he is a member of the Crown Prince's residence. Whatever wrong he may have, he will be dealt with according to the family rules. There is no need for Your Highness to worry about it."

Xiao Ran took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, and coldly glanced at Chen Changgeng.

It doesn't matter that Xiao Lie is her second brother; what matters is the Shen family behind Shen Qingci.

He never expected that Shen Qingci would dare to break off relations with him like this over a servant!

"Okay, very good."

He turned and left, with his soldiers following closely behind.

As Xiao Ran reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at Chen Changgeng.

His eyes were as dark as ink, like a lurking venomous snake.

"Chen Changgeng, is that it? I'll remember you."

Chen Changgeng lowered his head slightly, feigning fear.

"Your Highness, please wait patiently."

Xiao Ran snorted coldly and strode away.

After the Fourth Prince and his entourage left, Shen Qingci dismissed everyone except Chen Changgeng.

"You did a good job today."

She looked at Chen Changgeng with a scrutinizing gaze.

"But this time, you've really offended the Fourth Prince."

"Now that the Crown Prince has lost power, it's probably difficult to protect you until he's reinstated."

Shen Qingci's words clearly meant that he was still reminding Chen Changgeng to help the Crown Prince.

Helping the crown prince is helping himself.

"I had no choice."

Chen Changgeng had a bitter face.

"His horse did injure someone; I can't just stand by and watch the people suffer, can I?"

"Don't try to fool me."

Shen Qingci rolled her eyes at him.

"When did you become so kind?"

Chen Changgeng chuckled, neither confirming nor denying.

Shen Qingci sighed.

"The Fourth Prince is a narrow-minded man. He will surely hold a grudge after suffering a loss today. Be careful when you go out in the future."

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness."

"Also, regarding today's events, what about the Crown Prince..."

Shen Qingci paused.

"His Highness is unwell, and I dare not trouble him with such trivial matters. I will report to him once he has recovered."

Chen Changgeng took over the conversation.

Shen Qingci nodded.

She knew that Chen Changgeng was thinking of her. The Crown Prince was currently suffering from a persistent high fever, and there were undercurrents in the court. If he were to find out about the Fourth Prince's provocation, his condition would likely worsen.

The Fourth Prince's Mansion.

Xiao Ran returned to the mansion and kicked over the tea table in the study.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

The attendants knelt on the ground, utterly silent.

"A eunuch, a eunuch! How dare they embarrass this prince in public!"

Xiao Ran's eyes were bloodshot, and his chest heaved violently.

He couldn't understand how he, a prince, could be so thoroughly outmaneuvered by a lowly commoner when he arrived with his troops.

What made him even more indignant was that the horse was a rare and precious steed, one of the rarest in the Great Wu Kingdom. And today, Chen Changgeng had just extorted it from him.

"Your Highness, please calm down."

A sinister voice came from the corner.

Xiao Ran turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a gray robe emerge from the shadows.

This man was a staff member in his household. His name was Wu Yong and he was known as Mr. Wu. He was most skilled in intrigue and scheming.

"Your Highness need not be angry over a mere beast. What seems like a loss on Your Highness's part today may not actually be so."

Wu Yong said slowly.

"Oh?"

Xiao Ran sneered.

"This prince was publicly humiliated by a eunuch, and you still dare to say no?"

"Your Highness, please consider this: Chen Changgeng is merely a steward, so how could he so easily deal with you?"

Wu Yong narrowed his eyes.

"Where did he get the audacity and confidence from, a eunuch?"

Xiao Ran was taken aback.

"What you mean, sir..."

"This person is no ordinary individual."

Wu Yong said in a low voice.

"Your Highness's loss today may not be a bad thing. Since you've already harbored resentment, why not... take this opportunity to thoroughly investigate his background?"

"If we could find any dirt on him..."

Wu Yong gave a sinister smile.

"At that point, it won't be as simple as just losing a horse."

Xiao Ran's gaze gradually turned cold.

"Very well. We will do as you say, sir."

He slowly sat down, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

"Chen Changgeng... I, this prince, would like to see what you are capable of."