Chapter 26: The Dagger Revealed

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhou is still alive. Who knows if he might change his mind? Furthermore, issuing such an edict at this time carries the implication of cursing him. In my view, it would be better to set this matter aside and wait until the Prince of Zhou has lived out his natural life.

"What if, the moment the imperial decree for appointing the heir arrives at the Prince of Zhou's manor, the Prince is so pleasantly surprised that he recovers? Wouldn't that make the edict a laughingstock?"

The Emperor considered this and found it reasonable, so he issued only the edict to appoint the heir to the Prince of Zhou.

Zhao Yuansong wanted to say more but held back, his expression grim. The officials from the Ministry of Rites also looked troubled; they had hoped for both edicts to be issued simultaneously. However, seeing the Emperor's impatient demeanor, neither Zhao nor the officials dared to bring it up again. The matter was complex, involving ancestral laws. From the founding Emperor to the present, across four reigns, Ministry of Rites officials had often hinted at abolishing the practice of human sacrifice, but the reigning emperors either pretended not to hear or were attacked by the Imperial Clan Court, often resulting in demotions or dismissal.

Over time, no one dared to speak of it openly. It was rare for a Prince to repeatedly request the abolition of human sacrifice; although he only requested it for his own household, it was still a promising start.

In the end, Zhao Yuansong returned to Kaifeng in a hurry with only one imperial decree. Knowing that the Prince of Zhou could not hold on much longer and fearing that delay might invite trouble, Zhao spent the remainder of his own money to hire faster transport, urging the accompanying Ministry of Rites officials and the director of the Directorate of Ceremonial to hasten their pace.

The party rode hard to return to Kaifeng, but moving even faster than them was the Prince of Xiangfu, who lived on the outskirts of the city. Upon receiving word that the Prince of Zhou was critically ill and in a coma, he immediately took a physician and forced his way into the main courtyard.

Ever since the Prince of Zhou decided to enter a temporary, medically induced slumber, only Zhu Zijin and a trusted attendant had been serving him. Aside from the Princess Consort and the three companions—Tao Ji, Xuan Miao, and Pan Jun—few knew the truth of the Prince's condition.

The Princess Consort was surprised that the Prince of Xiangfu had managed to get the news. She gritted her teeth, silently vowing that if she survived this, she would replace every servant in the manor. She rushed with her confidants to the main courtyard.

Zhu Zijin stood before the door, his face flushed, blocking Zhu Youjue.

Zhu Youjue, furious, demanded, "When I left, my elder brother was perfectly fine. How is it that after only a month, he has fallen into a coma? You neither summon famous doctors nor report this to the court. What are you trying to do?"

Zhu Zijin blocked the entrance and said, "This is my father's wish..."

"Don't speak so intimately! He is not your father; your biological father is Zhu Youxi!" Zhu Youjue sneered. "People often say, 'like father, like son.' Given what your father was like, who knows if this is some scheme of yours to seize this title..."

Pan Jun, holding a cat with Tao Ji and Xuan Miao standing by the corridor, watched the drama. Hearing this, Tao Ji could not help but click his tongue. "What a fascinating thing to say. 'Like father, like son,' you say? Following that logic, if the late Prince of Zhou was the father of the commoner Zhu Youxi, and the Prince of Xiangfu is the son of the late Prince, does that not mean the Prince of Xiangfu shares the same moral character as the commoner Zhu Youxi?"

Pan Jun nodded repeatedly while hugging her cat.

Zhu Youjue narrowed his eyes, casting a gloomy glare toward the three by the corridor.

"Insolent!" an attendant behind Zhu Youjue shouted. "What kind of nobodies are you to interrupt when a Prince is speaking? Are you all dead? Drag them away!"

Pan Jun stood up straight, and Xuan Miao, with a cold, steady gaze, took a step forward.

Zhu Zijin broke into a cold sweat, anxious. "Stop! Fourth Uncle, these are the honored guests of our manor."

The people of the Prince of Zhou’s household did not move, but those brought by the Prince of Xiangfu rushed toward the three.

Zhu Youjue had long found them eyesores. If they hadn't brought back Zhu Tongqi, his elder brother wouldn't have thought of appointing an heir. Zhu Zijin would have been nothing more than a servant holding the name of an adopted son, whom he could have dismissed with a bit of land later.

Zhu Youjue remained silent, and his men, emboldened, lunged like wolves. The three simultaneously sidestepped, and as the men rushed in, they swiftly raised their legs, kicking the three attackers squarely in the chest and sending them flying.

Pan Jun applied a bit of force, and the man who lunged at her flew the farthest, crashing with a thud at the feet of the Prince of Xiangfu. Tao Ji and Xuan Miao’s targets landed in the courtyard, a good distance away from the Prince.

This made Pan Jun appear even more formidable, especially since she was so much shorter than Xuan Miao and Tao Ji, reaching only to their shoulders. The other two looked down at her. Pan Jun flicked a speck of dust from her sleeve, held her cat with a haughty, cold elegance, and looked back at the Prince of Xiangfu, ignoring the others entirely. Xuan Miao calmly averted his gaze.

Tao Ji felt indignant and pointed at the stunned crowd, grumbling, "Again!"

The Prince of Xiangfu's men collectively took a step back.

Tao Ji: "..."

The Prince of Xiangfu took this as a provocation. He clenched his fists, staring coldly at Zhu Zijin. "Zhu Zijin, are you rebelling? This manor is not yours yet, and you dare to lay hands on your uncle? You are truly just like your father..."

"Hey, hey, hey! We were the ones who attacked, not Zhu Zijin," Tao Ji said, unable to stand him bullying an honest person. "If you have the guts, come at us. Stop falsely accusing others."

Seeing Zhu Zijin remain silent, Zhu Youjue nodded repeatedly. "Very well, very well. It seems this manor has been taken over by outsiders. I must see my elder brother myself and ask him if he is aware of these things. Any stray cat or dog can come here and bully me now."

He stepped forward and pushed Zhu Zijin aside. "Get out of the way!"

Zhu Zijin stumbled, but seeing him about to rush inside, he quickly ran forward to block him again. "Fourth Uncle, the doctor said my father cannot be startled while in his slumber. Tell me whatever you need, you can beat me, scold me, or even kill me..."

Pan Jun clicked her tongue internally, hugging her black cat and sighing: *[So manipulative~~]*

But it was effective, especially with men.

Zhu Ziho finally couldn't stand it and rushed forward to pull his father back. "Father, let's sit down and talk properly. Why make things difficult for our cousin?"

Zhu Youjue, in a fit of rage, shook him off and kicked him. "You bastard! How did I raise such an unfilial son?"

Seeing his elder brother being beaten, Zhu Zihao wasn't happy either. He stepped forward to support the kicked Zhu Ziho, then grabbed Zhu Youjue and tried to drag him back. "Father, Uncle cannot be startled right now. If you want to see him, wait until Aunt comes so we can all see him together. Can you please not be so agitated..."

Seeing this, Zhu Zijin grabbed Zhu Youjue even harder, physically dragging him down the steps away from the door.

Watching the four of them entangled, Pan Jun said with regret, "It would be even better if they actually started a brawl."

No sooner had she spoken than the Princess Consort rushed over. Seeing the four men—father, sons, and nephew—tangled together, she roared, "Stop!"

Seeing the Princess Consort, Zhu Ziho and Zhu Zihao instinctively let go. Zhu Zijin also immediately released his grip and stood straight. Zhu Youjue, suddenly losing his balance, stumbled and fell flat on his back. The three younger men, caught off guard, hurried to help him up. It took a while for the four of them to stand steady again.

Pan Jun couldn't help but chuckle, watching with great interest.

The Princess Consort, hearing Pan Jun’s laughter, became even more furious. She didn't look at Pan Jun but glared at the four men. "What are you all brawling about?"

Zhu Youjue was equally enraged. He shook off the hands of the three men and glared at the Princess Consort. "Sister-in-law, my brother is critically ill, and you just let him control the manor and treat my brother?"

The Princess Consort replied coldly, "Fourth Brother, whose slander have you been listening to? Our manor now has not only a house physician and a Daoist healer, but we have also alerted the famous doctors in Kaifeng prefecture; they have promised not to travel far, so we can summon them the moment we ask. Since returning to the manor, Zijin has personally served and cared for the Prince without the slightest negligence. Ever since the Prince decided to rest while waiting for news from the capital, he has been by his side day and night—something even a biological son could not do."

Zhu Youjue said with a dark face, "I believe you have been deceived by his facade, Sister-in-law. I do not trust him. I must see my brother."

The Princess Consort said expressionlessly, "The Prince cannot be disturbed right now. I appreciate your good intentions, Fourth Brother."

Seeing her refuse repeatedly, Zhu Youjue became even more convinced that Zhu Youdun was dead and that they were keeping it secret while waiting for the imperial decree. But the court might not agree to appoint Zhu Zijin as the heir. If he could expose this now, Zhu Zijin would lose his legitimacy, and he himself would be the first in line for the succession. He was even more determined to see Zhu Youdun.

The Princess Consort couldn't help but snap, "Prince of Xiangfu, this is the Prince of Zhou's manor, my home. There is no need for you to worry about our family affairs. Someone, take our honored guest to the main hall!"

Zhu Youjue narrowed his eyes, gave a signal to his men, and stood his ground. "Sister-in-law, surely you aren't hiding my brother's condition because you are afraid of the human sacrifice burial, are you? Sister-in-law, that is a capital crime!"

"How dare you!" The Princess Consort turned red with rage at such an accusation.

Zhu Zijin also spoke up, "Fourth Uncle, be careful with your words! My father is perfectly fine! My mother and father have always had a very close bond. Even if my mother had the intention to follow him in death, my father never allowed it and has petitioned the court many times to abolish the practice in our household."

"Shameless brat, I have no patience for your nonsense. Get out of the way, or don't blame me for being discourteous."

The Princess Consort retorted, "How would you be discourteous, Fourth Brother? You come to my manor shouting and threatening. Have you not even become the Prince of Zhou yet, and you are already trying to act as the master of my house?"

Zhu Youjue’s face flushed red. "I am doing this for my brother..."

"Your true colors were revealed long ago. Stop using your brother as an excuse. We both know exactly what you want. You keep bringing up Zhu Youxi, but in my eyes, you are no different from him—both of you are obsessed with other people's property, wanting to snatch it for your own pockets, and the moment things don't go your way, you resort to violence. It's just that he is too foolish to hide it, making him a true villain, whereas you, Fourth Brother, know how to hide it—you are a clever hypocrite!"

Zhu Ziho and Zhu Zihao turned pale with fright and knelt down to kowtow. "Aunt, Father was just worried about Uncle, so he spoke in haste. You can beat him or scold him, but please, do not suspect him like this."

The Princess Consort felt a surge of bitterness, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She hugged the heads of the two boys and wept aloud. "I have no desire to curse your father or let you suffer such hardship, but he has pushed me to the edge, bullying us, a helpless widow and orphan..."