The Child Emperor

The crowd gathered around the horse and two bodies lying in the muddy street grew larger, with people discussing animatedly. Someone holding a lantern shouted, “Quick, move the horse away to see if they can still be saved!”

Han Ruzi was greatly alarmed. He jumped off his horse and ran over, kneeling on one leg to examine them. Du Chuanyun and Prince Ying were pale, their condition unclear. The horse’s body twitched slightly – it wasn’t completely dead yet.

People came forward to lift the horse. As Han Ruzi stood up to help, someone pulled him away.

Prince Donghai whispered, “This isn’t something you should be doing.”

“You’re worried about that at a time like this?” Han Ruzi could barely contain his anger.

“Finding the culprit is more important than saving them,” Prince Donghai said, beckoning to several attendants to help with the rescue.

Han Ruzi suddenly calmed down. This was clearly an assassination attempt. While Prince Ying’s poor horsemanship was understandable, Du Chuanyun had grown up in the pugilist world and spent years on horseback – there was no way he would simply fall from his horse.

The assassin was likely still nearby, and Prince Ying and Du Chuanyun might not have been the only targets.

Han Ruzi looked around and suddenly spotted someone fleeing on horseback. “Yuan Zifan! He’s getting away!”

“After him!” Prince Donghai mounted his horse.

Han Ruzi also mounted up and glanced back. The horse had been partially lifted, and Zhang Youcai was desperately pulling Du Chuanyun free while Prince Ying’s attendants were working frantically to save their lord. They didn’t need him here.

Prince Donghai had already gained some distance in pursuit. Han Ruzi was about to spur his horse forward when something struck him. He turned his horse around and shouted, “Zhang Youcai! We’re going after the assassin – you stay here!”

“Yes, master,” Zhang Youcai, still in a state of panic, responded automatically.

As Han Ruzi rode to join Prince Donghai’s pursuit of Yuan Zifan, his mind raced. This was undoubtedly an assassination, with Prince Ying as the likely target. Yet he and Prince Donghai would now find themselves in a difficult position.

A group of people appeared ahead, blocking the way, forcing Han Ruzi to rein in his horse.

The Champion Marquis, who had left the Chancellor’s residence a bit later, encountered the Weary Marquis and asked in surprise, “Where is the Weary Marquis headed? Prince Donghai just passed by.”

“Where’s Yuan Zifan… Where’s Lu Congxin? Why isn’t he with you?”

Han Ruzi’s tone was urgent. The Champion Marquis showed displeasure and replied coldly, “The Weary Marquis isn’t with Yang Feng either, so why should Lu Congxin stay by my side at all times?”

“Lu Congxin has fled,” Han Ruzi said with certainty.

“What did you say?”

“Prince Ying was just assassinated up ahead. It must be the work of the fate seers. Yuan Zifan has fled, and the other fate seers won’t stay behind,” Han Ruzi explained.

“Impossible!” The Champion Marquis was shocked and immediately signaled to his attendants. A mounted follower rode ahead to investigate.

Prince Donghai and Yuan Zifan had vanished from sight. With nowhere to pursue, Han Ruzi turned his horse around, leaving the Champion Marquis with a final instruction: “Send people to find Lu Congxin.”

As Han Ruzi rode back, he recalled Yuan Zifan’s earlier accusations against him and Prince Donghai, and vaguely felt that the fate seer’s flight might have been purely out of fear.

The horse’s carcass had been moved, and Du Chuanyun and Prince Ying had been carried into the nearest shop. Zhang Youcai stood at the shop entrance with blood on his hands, pacing in confusion.

Han Ruzi dismounted. Other attendants ran over to help him push through the crowd of onlookers. He grabbed Zhang Youcai’s arm and commanded sharply, “Go find Du Motian!”

Zhang Youcai finally came to his senses. He found a nearby horse but failed to mount it on his first try. A servant helped him up, and once settled, he immediately rode back to the residence to find help.

Han Ruzi sent another attendant to find Yang Feng. Though both Du Motian and Yang Feng were likely at the residence, Zhang Youcai could only handle one task at a time.

The shop had been crowded with people, but suddenly they all rushed out as if they’d seen a ghost. Someone whispered, “He’s a prince – there are dragons on his clothes.”

Initially, everyone had been focused on the rescue and hadn’t noticed the clothing. Now that they noticed the unusual attire, they were startled. Upon hearing the warning, many also noticed another person whose clothes were embroidered with dragons.

The crowd retreated like a tide, leaving only Han Ruzi and one attendant.

Han Ruzi couldn’t help thinking that Prince Donghai was right – a prince should have an entourage, which he desperately needed right now.

Han Ruzi entered the shop, which was a fabric store. The shopkeeper held a lantern, standing trembling with two assistants against the wall. They had only meant to help, never expecting one of the injured to be of royal blood. In their experience, even minor officials traveled with entourages – none rode alone in the streets.

Du Chuanyun and Prince Ying lay on the ground, covered in blood.

Han Ruzi knew nothing of medicine and couldn’t help them, so he forced himself to look away and asked the lantern-holding shopkeeper, “What did you see?”

The shopkeeper was terrified and lost his wits. Only when Han Ruzi repeated his question did he raise his head in confusion.

“Did you see who attacked them?”

Du Chuanyun and Prince Ying had fallen to the right, and the fabric store was the closest. Since the shopkeeper was the first to come with a lantern, Han Ruzi suspected he must have seen something.

The shopkeeper fell to his knees, put down the lantern, and wept, “Spare me, my lord, spare me!” He too had noticed the dragon embroidery on the visitor’s clothes.

Han Ruzi reminded himself to stay calm. He walked to the shopkeeper, bent down to pick up the lantern, illuminated the man’s face, and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to arrest you, just to ask what happened.”

The shopkeeper looked up, squinting at the visitor, and after some thought said, “There were several young men at the entrance.”

A group of people burst in from outside, someone shouting, “What happened? Who died?”

They were constables who, upon seeing Prince Ying and the Weary Marquis’s attire, were startled. Only then did they believe the rumors circulating outside. They stood frozen, neither moving nor speaking.

An attendant from the Weary Marquis’s residence entered and whispered to him, “The Champion Marquis is outside, requesting your presence.”

Han Ruzi told the constables, “Guard this place. Don’t touch anything.”

The constables immediately nodded.

Han Ruzi said to the kneeling shopkeeper, “Think carefully. I’ll return for you later.” He handed the lantern to the attendant and left the shop.

Outside, the crowd had retreated further but was unwilling to leave, still watching and whispering speculations among themselves.

The Champion Marquis stood across the street surrounded by his entourage. Han Ruzi strode over, glancing at the dead horse as he passed, suddenly realizing most of the blood on the ground likely came from it.

“What exactly happened?” the Champion Marquis asked quietly.

“Assassins,” Han Ruzi replied softly.

The Champion Marquis frowned, “Why would you assassinate Prince Ying at a time like this?”

Han Ruzi coldly replied, “Prince Ying isn’t my enemy. His assassination brings me no benefit.”

“It brings me no benefit either,” the Champion Marquis quickly responded, then frowned deeper. “Prince Ying was just brought in by the Empress Dowager to make up the numbers. Who would target him? Where did Prince Donghai run off to?”

“I told you, he went to chase Yuan Zifan.”

“No,” the Champion Marquis said decisively. “Haven’t you noticed? Prince Ying’s death disadvantages both you and me, while Prince Donghai won’t be suspected and can benefit from the situation.”

The Champion Marquis’s speculation made sense. He and the Weary Marquis had the upper hand in the succession struggle, while Prince Donghai had become merely the Weary Marquis’s supporter. If the situation changed dramatically, he could remain uninvolved.

Han Ruzi had never fully trusted Prince Donghai but didn’t want to show it before the Champion Marquis, so he said coldly, “How do you know Prince Ying is definitely dead?”

“Are you saying Prince Ying isn’t dead?” The Champion Marquis’s eyes showed slight panic.

“I don’t know,” Han Ruzi hadn’t examined them closely.

Another group of mounted constables arrived, larger in number, driving away the onlookers. Only a few entered the fabric store, quickly expelling the constables who had arrived earlier. Soon after, the constables’ leader emerged and approached the Weary Marquis and Champion Marquis.

Han Ruzi recognized him as Lian Danchen, one of the “Guanghua Tigers” and a judicial clerk under the Capital Prefect. He bowed to the two marquises and said, “This is no place to linger. Please return to your residences immediately.”

“How are they?” Han Ruzi asked.

Lian Danchen didn’t answer.

The Champion Marquis, who also knew Lian Danchen, didn’t want to stay. “It’s good Official Lian is here. Prince Ying is still alive, isn’t he?”

Lian Danchen nodded without further explanation.

The Champion Marquis exhaled deeply, “Thank the ancestors. Please let him be safe.”

The Champion Marquis mounted his horse, but the Weary Marquis remained, so Lian Danchen stayed too.

Han Ruzi couldn’t leave yet, fortunately those he waited for arrived soon.

Yang Feng and Du Motian arrived together. Du Motian tried to enter the shop to check on his grandson but was stopped by constables. Han Ruzi explained, and Lian Danchen ordered the constables to let him through.

Yang Feng didn’t enter the shop but came directly to the Weary Marquis, first bowing to the Champion Marquis, then saying to the Weary Marquis, “Let’s return home.”

“Du Chuanyun…”

“Staying here won’t help.”

Han Ruzi nodded and told Lian Danchen, “The shopkeeper may have seen the assassins.”

Lian Danchen replied, “Rest assured, my lord. I will get to the bottom of this.”

An attendant brought horses, and Han Ruzi mounted up, returning to his residence with Yang Feng. They shared part of the way with the Champion Marquis, but when they parted ways, none of them exchanged farewells.

The Weary Marquis’s residence was very quiet. Everyone knew something had happened outside, so they had all retired early to rest.

Zhang Youcai sat in the study, still trembling.

Han Ruzi told him to go rest, then lit a candle himself and sat behind the desk. It took him a while to collect his thoughts before he said to Yang Feng, “Prince Ying sat there when he came to visit.”

Yang Feng glanced down at the chair he was sitting in and calmly said, “Tell me what happened.”

Han Ruzi recounted everything from Prince Ying’s visit, trying not to omit any details, and concluded, “Lian Danchen said Prince Ying and Du Chuanyun aren’t dead.”

Yang Feng didn’t seem particularly concerned about whether those two were alive or dead. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Weary Marquis, you should rest. I’ll go gather information and come see you early tomorrow morning.”

“No, I’ll stay in the study. Let me know any news right away, especially about whether they’re alive or dead.”

Yang Feng grunted in acknowledgment. He walked to the doorway and paused, saying, “Since the Weary Marquis doesn’t want to rest, then consider this: who benefits most from the assassination attempt on Prince Ying?”

Han Ruzi felt a surge of uncontrollable anger – this was a matter of life and death, yet Yang Feng was giving him homework. But he nodded, and the anger that had come so suddenly dissipated just as quickly.

Yang Feng added, “Reckless is back.”

“Is that so?” Han Ruzi replied absently.

“Meng E has already left Hangu Pass and has likely returned to the Capital.”

After Yang Feng left, Han Ruzi was stunned. If Meng E was back in the Capital, why hadn’t she come to see him?

Prince Donghai had fled, Meng E had returned – Han Ruzi felt chills running through his body. “Who benefits? Who benefits?” he asked himself repeatedly, until suddenly he understood who stood to gain the most.

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