Chapter Sixty-Seven: The One Who Dares to Defy the Crown Prince

Zhu Hao, seeing this, was of course not willing to give up so easily. He cast a cold glance at Fang Congzhe and said icily, "Master Fang, isn't your thinking a bit too naive? After all, it was you who brought this celestial medicine into the palace. Regardless of whether you were acting under imperial command, should anything happen to my father, you cannot escape responsibility!" Pausing for a moment, Zhu Hao's tone grew angrier as he continued, "Master Fang, I came here out of kindness to save you, yet you treat me like this. Very well! Think it over carefully yourself! I take my leave!"

With that, he turned to leave the Grand Secretariat. As he turned, Zhu Hao thought to himself, "Let’s see if this old fox really won’t call me back! Hmph!"

With this thought, Zhu Hao walked away slowly, deliberately dragging his steps. Even so, he was about to step out the doors of the Grand Secretariat. At that moment, regret filled his heart: "I went too far just now, left no room for maneuver. It seems this old fox truly isn’t going to call me back; this time, I've truly wasted my efforts." Just as he was about to give up persuading Fang Congzhe and cross the threshold, Fang Congzhe spoke: "Fifth Prince, wait! Since Your Highness claims to have come to save me, may I ask what advice Your Highness has? I am all ears; please do not withhold your guidance!"

Hearing this, Zhu Hao immediately turned around, delighted, though he concealed his joy beneath a calm expression. He replied with an air of nonchalance, "Grand Secretary Fang, it is actually quite simple. All you need to do is delay indefinitely. Once enough time passes and Father forgets about this matter, you will have escaped this calamity!" In truth, Zhu Hao was thinking, "If so, my father will have made it through this crisis!"

Fang Congzhe, after a long silence, replied in an even tone, "I am enlightened. Your Highness, take care. Forgive me, but I have official duties to attend to and cannot see you off."

Zhu Hao nodded, "Official duties come first! Grand Secretary Fang, no need to see me out!" With that, he exited the Grand Secretariat, thinking to himself, "It’s done! That old fox really is a master of pretense—he’s already agreed to my suggestion, yet still keeps up this indifferent act. Truly a ‘veteran performer’!"

Convinced Fang Congzhe would act according to his advice, Zhu Hao felt elated. Instead of returning directly to his quarters, he went to visit his eldest brother, Crown Prince Zhu Youxiao, whom he had not seen in some time.

The reason Zhu Hao headed for the Eastern Palace was because, according to Wei Xiaobao’s intelligence, his brother had already left the Palace of Heavenly Purity and returned to the Eastern Palace.

Zhu Hao made his way quickly to the gates of the Eastern Palace. As he arrived, he saw Wei Zhongxian standing outside, glancing around suspiciously. Zhu Hao, somewhat puzzled, called out, "Wei Zhongxian, what are you doing here?"

At the sound of his voice, Wei Zhongxian finally noticed Zhu Hao approaching from afar. He hurriedly knelt, trembling, and said, "Your servant greets the Fifth Prince! I… well, I’m here keeping watch for His Highness the Crown Prince!" Wei Zhongxian hadn’t meant to tell Zhu Hao, but recalling his master’s good relationship with the Fifth Prince, after a brief hesitation, he told the truth.

Zhu Hao frowned, puzzled. "Keeping watch? For what? Is my royal brother up to some mischief?"

Wei Zhongxian quickly replied, "Fifth Prince, what are you saying? His Highness the Crown Prince is upright and virtuous—how could he do anything improper? If there were any skullduggery, it would be me, your humble servant, to do it!"

Zhu Hao thought to himself, "This old eunuch is honest enough—he knows he’s a rogue who’s always up to no good!" Despite Wei Zhongxian’s notorious reputation for factionalism, persecuting the loyal, and greed, Zhu Hao found himself feeling a touch of goodwill towards him. For though history painted him in a dark light, Wei Zhongxian had always been loyal to his brother, never betraying the Crown Prince’s will. Even when he became the all-powerful Lord of Nine Thousand Years, he never attempted usurpation.

Hearing Wei Zhongxian's response, Zhu Hao pressed, "Then what are you watching for? What is my royal brother doing?"

Wei Zhongxian hesitated before answering, "Your humble servant should not speak of this, but since the Crown Prince and Your Highness are so close, I will tell you. Lately, the Consort Dowager Zheng has ordered Lady Li to attend upon the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace. Though His Highness is the Empress's son, it was Lady Li who raised him. He greatly fears her. For the past few days, Lady Li has forbidden him from going to the Linglong Pavilion, and he’s been terribly downcast. Today, with Lady Li returning to her own quarters on some errand, I volunteered to keep watch for His Highness so he could slip away to the Linglong Pavilion!"

Zhu Hao was shocked. "Lady Li? Lady Li the Attendant? The key figure in the Relocation Case? Trouble truly comes one after another—just as the white birds return to the woods, every kind of bird emerges!"

With his father still bedridden, the Relocation Case wouldn't occur if he survived, so Zhu Hao didn't dwell on it. He simply told Wei Zhongxian, "Go to the Linglong Pavilion and inform the Crown Prince that I am here to see him."

Wei Zhongxian looked troubled. Noticing this, Zhu Hao’s tone grew sharp: "What, am I unable to command you now?"

Wei Zhongxian immediately kowtowed, "Spare your anger, Your Highness! I wouldn’t dare! You are the master, I am but a servant—how could I disobey? But His Highness instructed me that unless Lady Li returned, no one was to disturb him. He gave this order himself, and I do not dare defy it. Please do not make things difficult for your servant. If Your Highness wishes to find the Crown Prince yourself, I will not stop you."

Wei Zhongxian had made his position clear, and Zhu Hao did not press him further. He thought, "So that noisy place—I really can’t avoid it! It seems I must go there myself today, no matter what."

With that, he said, "Very well! I won’t make things hard for you. I’ll go to the Linglong Pavilion to visit my brother myself." With these words, he strode into the Eastern Palace.

Inside, as always, the garden was alive with birdsong and fragrance, accompanied by the relentless creaking of strange noises. Zhu Hao could only shake his head helplessly, thinking, "How my brother endures living amidst such constant noise, I cannot imagine."

Zhu Hao had once asked about this, and Zhu Youxiao had already explained it to him—though he’d forgotten—saying these were the most beautiful sounds in the world.

With much effort, Zhu Hao made his way toward the source of the noise: a three-story, unadorned building. From the outside, it looked like any other structure in the palace, but within, the scene was entirely different. The three floors were not just for carpentry, but also smithing, pottery, and all manner of handicrafts. It was a miniature workshop assembly, with all sorts of strange and curious finished and half-finished objects scattered about. Enduring the cacophony, Zhu Hao looked around, unable to discern the purpose of many items.

After asking a few craftsmen, Zhu Hao learned that his brother was on the third floor. He headed up the stairs, but just as he set foot on the steps to the third floor, he heard the sounds of a heated argument above. One voice was clearly his brother’s, Zhu Youxiao, but the other he did not recognize and could not recall ever hearing before.

This surprised Zhu Hao greatly. "Who is this man? Bold enough to argue with the Crown Prince—he must be a madman with no regard for his own life! If my brother weren’t so gentle, such a person would long have been dragged off and executed!"

Curious, Zhu Hao climbed to the third floor. There he saw his brother in a heated dispute with a disheveled, unkempt man, both flushed with anger. The man’s wild hair obscured his face, so Zhu Hao could not see his features or guess his age, though his voice suggested he was middle-aged.

Seeing his brother being bullied, Zhu Hao immediately scolded the wild-haired man, "Who are you, to be so bold as to speak to the Crown Prince in this manner? Do you wish to die? Kneel and beg forgiveness at once!"

Only then did the two notice Zhu Hao. Zhu Youxiao, recognizing his brother, instantly went from furious to delighted. Before he could speak, the wild-haired man swept back his hair and said dismissively, "And who is this brat? I am discussing the feasibility of a folding bed with His Highness—keep your nose out of it, how rude!"

As the man pushed back his hair, Zhu Hao finally saw his face: a square jaw, resolute features, and a goatee. The man was looking at him with utter disdain, and Zhu Hao felt as if he might explode. Never since his arrival in this world had anyone treated him so lightly—or called him a brat! He could not endure it and snapped, "Guards! Seize this insolent ruffian who dares insult the Crown Prince and myself! Take him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for strict interrogation. I suspect he is a spy from another land!"

Seeing Zhu Hao lose his temper, Zhu Youxiao hastily intervened, "Brother, don’t be angry. Master Gongshu did not know your identity. We were only discussing, not quarreling. Master Gongshu is a man of great talent and certainly not a foreign spy. For my sake, please let this go, all right?"