The Crown Prince stared at the bandit kneeling on the ground who dared not lift his head, and asked: “Was it the Wang family who sent you to kidnap children?”

The man kowtowed heavily, answering with a trembling voice: “Indeed it was the Wang family!”

“Then how did you know those children were being sent to Prince Liang’s mansion?” The Crown Prince folded the confession and inquired.

“This small one… this small one previously caught some beggar children and went with the Wang family steward to deliver the children! I heard the Wang family steward say… the one who came to collect the children was Prince Liang’s mansion steward! The Prince Liang mansion steward later complained that the beggar children were too thin and dirty and refused to take them. After that, this small one and my brothers caught several children from villages outside the capital to send to Prince Liang’s mansion. The Wang family felt it was too conspicuous near the capital, so they arranged for us to go to mountain valleys near Shouyang, pretending to be bandits kidnapping children! As for what Prince Liang’s mansion steward wanted the children for, this small one truly doesn’t know! I beg His Highness the Crown Prince for mercy, this small one has told everything, please spare my life!” The bandit kowtowed repeatedly.

The Crown Prince raised his eyes, signaling the Crown Prince mansion’s guards to take this person away first: “Watch him carefully!”

“What does Old Fang think?” The Crown Prince handed the evidence to Old Fang.

“Now we have a witness, and the physical evidence… is in Prince Liang’s mansion. If Prince Liang truly used children for alchemy, he couldn’t have cleaned up all traces!” Old Fang lowered his eyes to look at the evidence in his hands, smiled slightly, and said, “This old one believes this matter must be exposed, but His Highness the Crown Prince cannot be the one to come forward!”

The Crown Prince looked solemnly at Old Fang: “Please speak plainly, Old Fang!”

Old Fang glanced toward Bai Jinzhi, seeing her bending down to pat dust off her clothes, then looked back at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince understood, turned to glance at Bai Jinzhi, and instructed Quan Yu: “Quan Yu, go have someone prepare water for Princess Gaoyi to wash up!”

“No need for the trouble!” Bai Jinzhi cupped her hands toward the Crown Prince and Old Fang, “The person… Jinzhi has already delivered to the Crown Prince. As for plotting and scheming, Jinzhi isn’t good at that anyway, so I won’t stay at the Crown Prince’s mansion. I’ll return to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion first – I can still play with Xiao Qi for a while!”

“Good…” The Crown Prince nodded, quite liking Bai Jinzhi’s carefree personality, “Go then!”

Watching Bai Jinzhi leave the mansion, Old Fang walked alongside the Crown Prince toward the study while saying: “Regarding exposing this matter, this old one believes… His Highness the Crown Prince should not handle it personally!”

“I would like to hear the details.” The Crown Prince turned his head to look at Old Fang.

Old Fang stroked his goatee and lowered his voice: “Your Highness, think about it – yesterday, the people we sent to investigate Prince Liang’s mansion discovered that Prince Liang’s mansion has hidden guards protecting it! Your Highness, think again about how, when Prince Liang botched his assignment in Yanwo and returned, His Majesty didn’t punish Prince Liang but instead favored him more than ever, and now think about Prince Liang using children for alchemy!”

The Crown Prince’s steps halted, his expression shocked: “Old Fang means… Prince Liang’s alchemy activities might be known to Father Emperor, and perhaps these elixirs are being made for Father Emperor?!”

Old Fang nodded: “Therefore, if His Highness the Crown Prince personally exposes this matter, His Majesty will inevitably redirect his anger toward Your Highness. Originally, this old one thought… as long as we could cut off Prince Liang’s path to compete with Your Highness for succession, even temporarily offending His Majesty wouldn’t matter! But today, Princess Gaoyi delivered both the witness and confession. After careful consideration, this old one believes His Highness the Crown Prince does not need to offend His Majesty at this time!”

“Does Old Fang already have a plan?” The Crown Prince earnestly sought Old Fang’s guidance.

“Since we have this witness and confession! Then… add a wronged party and go beat the Dengwen Drum! As long as the Crown Prince doesn’t get involved, the bigger the commotion, the better… best if everyone knows about it!” Old Fang smiled, “Whether this matter is handed to the Court of Judicial Review or reported through the Censorate, neither would create as much momentum as beating the Dengwen Drum, which can make all the people of Jin know! Only by letting the people of Jin know what kind of brutal beast Prince Liang is can Prince Liang forever be cut off from the supreme throne! Just like Prince Xin…”

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, thinking of how Prince Xin had brought Duke Zhenguo’s corpse back to the capital, pretending to be severely injured while consorting with prostitutes in his carriage – how the people hated Prince Xin to the point of gnashing their teeth. He nodded: “Old Fang is right!”

Seeing the Crown Prince nod, Old Fang bowed deeply: “If Your Highness approves, this old one will immediately send people to handle this matter!”

How anxious must the families who lost children be? Knowing their children had entered Prince Liang’s mansion, even if beaten to death for beating the Dengwen Drum, they would want to rescue their children as quickly as possible. After all, Prince Liang was using children for alchemy – who knew what method he used? Which family wouldn’t be anxious?

“Then I’ll trouble Old Fang!” The Crown Prince smiled.

Old Fang thought for a moment and added: “Your Highness, there’s one more matter…”

“Please speak, Old Fang!” The Crown Prince’s attitude toward Old Fang became increasingly warm.

“Just now, Princess Gaoyi mentioned that Duke Zhenguo originally wanted to propose sending newly recruited soldiers to Nan Jiang for the Bai family army to train. This old one recalled the matter of Yan envoys entering Jin, and His Majesty’s intention to have General Liu Hong lead the victorious northern frontier army to the Xiliang border to intimidate Xiliang!” Old Fang stepped closer to the Crown Prince, “This old one thinks, since Your Highness and His Majesty only want to intimidate Xiliang, why bother sending elite troops?”

The Crown Prince stood under the red lanterns of the long corridor, listening to the cicadas’ chirping, pondering for a moment before saying: “Old Fang means to send the recently conscripted new soldiers to Nan Jiang?”

“Exactly!” Old Fang smiled, not forgetting to speak ill of Bai Qingyan before the Crown Prince, “The reason Duke Zhenguo is unwilling to mention this matter before Your Highness is simply because she fears that if she proposes it, when others slander her, Your Highness won’t protect her! But she forgets that in the past… when Imperial Academy students caused trouble, it was Your Highness who protected her against all opposition! She doesn’t know that… Your Highness has even scolded this old one several times to protect her!”

The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed tightly as he pressed his lips together in silence.

Originally, the Crown Prince had wanted to request the Emperor to send Bai Qingyan to Nan Jiang to intimidate Xiliang, but later, thinking that the army stationed there was the Bai family army, the Crown Prince hesitated.

“Jin’s elite troops should remain in the capital to protect His Majesty and Your Highness! New soldiers lack training… The Bai family army is extremely skilled at training recruits. Sending new soldiers to Nan Jiang can satisfy Great Yan’s request, making Great Yan owe our Jin nation a favor, while also achieving the purpose of training new soldiers. Why not?”

That statement from Old Fang… that Jin’s elite troops should remain in the capital to protect His Majesty and the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince deeply agreed with.

He nodded: “Anyway, the provisions and supplies for Jin’s troops going to Nan Jiang this time are all provided by Great Yan. Having new soldiers go for experience is also right! Tomorrow I will enter the palace to discuss this with Father Emperor. Father Emperor will surely agree.”

Old Fang smiled and nodded.

·

Bai Jinzhi’s sudden return to Duke Zhenguo’s mansion startled Second Madam Liu. She thought something had happened in Shouyang. After waiting a long while without Bai Jinzhi coming to see her, Second Madam Liu hurriedly went to Bai Jinzhi’s courtyard.