Chapter 20 – Coincidence

Mu Jue’s face instantly drained of all color, turning almost transparently pale.

In the past, he could retreat to advance, positioning himself as the “victim,” the “bullied one.” Afterward, he wouldn’t even have to personally complain. The ministers would naturally embellish the story and report it to Emperor Changping, who would then seek justice for him. But this time, Emperor Changping had not specified where each prince must kneel. The Crown Prince, known for his unpredictable moods, had grown tired of his original spot and decided on a whim to switch places. From a logical standpoint, there was nothing wrong with it. It could even be said to be reasonable.

But anyone who understood the rules of the game could see the blatant bullying and humiliation.

Except for the Third Prince, who had already lowered his head, the Fourth and Fifth Princes trembled and exchanged a glance before quickly lowering their heads and playing dead. What did it mean for mortals to suffer when immortals fought? The Crown Prince and the First Prince were negligent in managing their subordinates, and they had to kneel in penance for three days. If the Crown Prince and the First Prince were to openly tear each other apart in front of Chengqing Hall, would they have to kneel for three months or even three years, until their knees were worn through?

“What, does Eldest Brother intend to stand here and accept this Prince’s bow?”

If His Highness the Crown Prince, was determined to make someone uncomfortable, the person he targeted rarely had a good time.

The youth coldly curled the corner of his mouth, stepped past the still-dazed First Prince, and with a flick of his bright yellow silk robe, like a cicada’s wing unfolding, knelt directly on the soft cushion.

!!

Mu Jue’s expression changed.

In the entire Great Mu Dynasty, only Emperor Changping, the Son of Heaven, could bear the bow of the Crown Prince. If anyone else accepted it, officially it was called treason and great disrespect. In common terms… it was called courting death.

Seeing that the youth’s knee was about to touch the cushion, Mu Jue didn’t even have time to think. He stumbled, almost instinctively dodging in a rather undignified manner. Because he moved so quickly, the white jade crown on his head was knocked askew.

The passing officials saw this scene from afar and were puzzled. The First Prince, who was always known for his propriety and composure, what was wrong with him? One moment he was standing perfectly still, and the next he almost fell. And there wasn’t even any wind.

Had the First Prince’s health deteriorated to the point where he could collapse without any wind? Then how could it be that the ministers were all saying today that the First Prince wanted to take the Marquis of Dingbei as his master to learn military strategy and martial arts? With such a frail body, he might just learn himself into an early grave.

“Ugh. Eldest Brother, you’re blocking my view.”

In the midst of the strange silence, His Highness the Crown Prince lazily moved his eyelids and said, just to be annoying.

Mu Jue’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched tightly. He almost numbly took three more steps to the side.

“Not there either. You’ll block the sun and affect my growth.”

Mu Jue: “…..”

Mu Jue then numbly took three steps back.

Someone, however, was relentless. “Why is Eldest Brother’s face so pale? Could it be that you resent this Prince in your heart? If you resent me, you should vent it out. Keeping it bottled up inside will make you sick. This Prince is not such a petty person.”

“This subject… would never dare.”

Mu Jue took a deep breath, suppressed the unseemly emotions surging in his heart, and when he spoke again, his tone was respectful and beyond reproach. “Your Highness is the ruler, and there is a proper order between ruler and subject. Even though this subject is the elder brother, it is only right that I should put Your Highness first in all things.”

“Your Highness!” The steward was indignant. How could a Crown Prince from the previous dynasty repeatedly bully a legitimate First Prince?

Mu Jue gave him a reproachful look, his expression becoming even more gentle and composed, showing no sign of the “ugly” anger and humiliation after being publicly bullied. Anyone who saw him would probably praise him for his “noble character, unmoved by favor or disgrace.”

Except for the Second Prince, Mu Xiao.

When the late-arriving Second Prince saw this scene, his first reaction was that his Eldest Brother sometimes really… had a masochistic tendency.

Even at a time like this, he was still pretending to be kind, tolerant, and forgiving. Just roll up your sleeves and fight!

“Imperial Father! Imperial Father!”

It was time for the court session to end, and Emperor Changping’s imperial carriage happened to pass by. The Second Prince, full of a sense of justice, couldn’t bear to see his Eldest Brother’s cowardly behavior any longer and decided to lend a hand.

Emperor Changping had just listened to his ministers argue for more than an hour and was still feeling a headache. When he suddenly heard his second son’s earth-shattering voice, his head almost exploded.

What now?

Emperor Changping ordered the carriage to stop, walked over with a dignified air, and looked at the seven children kneeling in a row. He couldn’t help but feel troubled. Especially that bright yellow youth who always lazily lowered his eyes and treated him like air. The other princes, when they saw their Imperial Father, were both respectful and fearful, and immediately corrected their kneeling posture. But he was half-closing his beautiful, fox-like eyes, as if he had fallen asleep, not paying any attention to his Emperor at all.

However, that child was really too beautiful. His face was like carved jade, his black hair smooth as silk, and his eyes, when open, were brighter than the stars. He was delicate and soft, making it hard to punish him harshly.

Emperor Changping resisted the dangerous urge to pinch the Crown Prince’s cheek and asked his second son with a stern face, “Speak, why did you stop my carriage?”

Although he couldn’t do anything about certain children, he still had to maintain his authority in front of his other sons.

Suddenly being called upon by his dear Imperial Father, Mu Xiao stepped forward and said indignantly, “Replying to Imperial Father, it is not your son, but Eldest Brother who has something very important to report to Imperial Father.”

After saying that, he frantically signaled to Mu Jue with his eyes.

Dear Eldest Brother, complain now! It’s a rare opportunity to have the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and that idiot Sixth as witnesses. If not now, then when!

Mu Jue obviously didn’t understand his dear Second Brother’s thoughts.

Faced with his Second Brother’s frantic signals, he just shook his head gently and with a hint of admonition, looking like a noble and uncontentious person who was willing to suffer abuse. From head to toe, he exuded a strong aura of a pure and innocent soul. In contrast, everyone else, especially the Second Brother who was trying to stand up for him, seemed particularly narrow-minded and despicable.

“Imperial Father, please do not listen to Second Brother’s nonsense.”

The saintly First Prince smiled gently, like a spring breeze.

“This son has nothing important to report. I just saw that Imperial Father had returned from the morning court and seemed tired. I was worried about Imperial Father’s health. Although state affairs are important, Imperial Father should also take care of himself and not overwork. Otherwise, your sons would be deeply ashamed.”

“Yes.”

Emperor Changping extended a broad hand and silently patted his eldest son’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but glance at the bright yellow youth who was already kneeling crookedly and drowsily five steps away, and thought to himself, Eldest Son is still the most considerate.

Mu “The Second Prince who suddenly felt like an idiot” Xiao: “…..”

Ugh!

If he ever felt sympathy for this hypocritical white lotus again, he was a brain-damaged fool.

…

That day, Wei Zhao also had meetings in the Grand Secretariat with everyone until nightfall before leaving the palace.

Today, he was wearing a dark, patterned archer’s robe, a black jade belt around his waist, and his black hair was tied up high with a black jade crown, making him look even more well-proportioned and heroic.

The night wind was cold, and it had a biting chill that seeped into one’s clothes. Zhou Shen went up to him, fastened his cape, and was about to instruct the coachman to turn the horse around when he suddenly heard a commotion on the palace road ahead.

Zhou Shen looked over and said, “It seems to be the First Prince’s carriage.”

At this hour…

Wei Zhao pondered for a moment, then finally said, “Let’s go take a look.”

It was already time for the palace gates to be locked, and making loud noises outside the palace gates was a serious offense. The First Prince, Mu Jue, valued his reputation the most and shouldn’t have allowed his servants to make such a mistake unless something urgent had happened.

As expected, the area in front of the First Prince’s carriage was in chaos.

A senior eunuch in a vermilion robe was scolding the coachman in a shrill voice. The First Prince, Mu Jue, was clutching his chest with a pale face, leaning on his steward’s arm, his forehead and the tip of his nose covered in cold sweat. He looked like he was about to faint, as if he had suffered some acute illness.

“Mar… Marquis Wei…”

Mu Jue’s body swayed, and he opened his eyes with difficulty.

Wei Zhao signaled that he didn’t need to bow and asked the steward, “What happened?”

The steward said angrily, “Some scoundrel filled our First Prince’s carriage with dead rats and splashed dog blood all over the walls. How could the First Prince bear to see such disgusting things? The shock triggered his heart condition.”

Wei Zhao: “…..”

Wei Zhao walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and looked inside. He saw the carriage filled with shiny, obviously carefully selected large rats, and the four walls splattered with dog blood in an abstract manner. He was momentarily shocked.

“Servant Ma Laishun greets Marquis Wei.”

The scolding eunuch walked over and bowed.

So it was Empress Ji’s head eunuch. Wei Zhao nodded and asked, “Have you summoned an imperial physician for the First Prince?”

Ma Laishun smiled ingratiatingly, completely different from his arrogant demeanor when he was scolding the coachman earlier. “Replying to Marquis Wei, the First Prince’s heart condition is easily triggered by shock and danger. He always carries emergency medicine, so there’s no need to call an imperial physician. It’s just…”

He looked at the ruined carriage with a worried expression. “The carriage can’t be cleaned up in a short time, and the palace gates are already locked. It’s not appropriate to disturb the Imperial Carriage Service to get a new carriage. This servant is really worried that the First Prince will get sick from standing in the wind for too long.”

“If only we could catch a ride with someone going in the same direction…”

As he spoke, he suddenly looked around and fixed his gaze on the luxurious carriage marked with the emblem of the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence, parked on the other side of the palace road. His meaning couldn’t have been more obvious.

As Empress Ji’s trusted eunuch, Ma Laishun knew Empress Ji’s thoughts better than anyone.

Ever since she had been rebuffed by Emperor Changping last night, Empress Ji was like an ant on a hot pan, more eager than ever to have the First Prince take the Marquis of Dingbei as his master.

If the First Prince could take advantage of this opportunity to ride in the Marquis of Dingbei’s carriage tonight, letting the Marquis of Dingbei see the First Prince’s pitiful state of being bullied, perhaps he would take pity on him and be willing to side with the Empress.

Then, the matter of apprenticeship would be much easier to handle. It could be considered as cultivating the master-student relationship in advance, which wouldn’t hurt.

Ma Laishun carefully observed Wei Zhao’s reaction.

Wei Zhao also stared at him deeply. After a while, he smiled faintly. “I understand.”

Ma Laishun’s eyes instantly lit up.

Mu Jue, who was about to faint from holding his breath, also trembled slightly. “How can I trouble the Marquis so much…”

“It’s no trouble.”

Wei Zhao’s tone was gentle. “The soldiers under my command are all top-notch fighters on the battlefield. Cleaning up a battlefield is nothing to them, let alone a carriage.”

“I will have them escort the First Prince back to his residence. I guarantee that no demons or monsters will dare to cause trouble again.”

Ma Laishun: “…..”

Ma Laishun: “…..”

Had his hint been too subtle?

…

As the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) approached, most of the government offices had closed for the day, and the Imperial Guard had already lit the palace lanterns along the roads.

“I wonder who was so bold as to cause trouble at the palace gate.”

“Judging from what Eunuch Ma said earlier, he clearly wanted the First Prince to ride in the Marquis’s carriage. Why did the Marquis pretend not to understand?”

The Marquis of Dingbei’s wide and luxurious carriage rumbled through the intertwined lights. Zhou Shen looked at the Marquis, who was resting his eyes, and couldn’t help but ask.

With Eunuch Ma’s hints, anyone who wasn’t blind could see what he meant.

Wei Zhao pressed his temples and smiled with an unknown meaning. His long, narrow phoenix eyes seemed like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath in the night, chillingly cold.

“Because I hate it most when people treat me like a fool.”

Just as he finished speaking, he heard two familiar, weak, kitten-like coughs coming from outside the carriage curtain.

Wei Zhao smiled.

There were certainly a lot of “coincidences” tonight.