The Real Young Master Was Sold as a Slave, The Obsessive Crown Prince's Forced Love - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Doesn’t Understand

A sudden, impatient killing intent surged across Qi Wang’s gloomy face. “Kill her.”

Half-Catty took the order and wasted no time, directly stomping and breaking Lady Wang’s neck.

“Your Highness, Lady Wang confessed that the Earl of Anping did bribe Green Shade, attempting to drug Song Yu in Consort Li’s bedchamber today, so Song Yu would commit an indecent act against the Sixth Prince.

“She said that Song Yu is a base slave and is unworthy of being an Imperial Physician.

“As for pushing the Sixth Prince into the water, Lady Wang consistently denied it.

“Furthermore, regarding the assassination attempt on Your Highness in Qinghe County and the ambush arranged by the Earl of Anping’s residence in Pomegranate Alley, Lady Wang denied any knowledge.

“As for why Song Yu was sold, and who exactly Song Yu is to the Earl of Anping’s residence, her testimony cannot be taken as truth.”

Qi Wang’s gloomy face carried a noble arrogance. “Of course it’s not true. If Song Yu were truly promiscuous, why wouldn’t he seduce me? Am I not worth seducing?”

Half-Catty, who was fully focused on reporting the testimony, twitched at the corner of his eye: Huh?

His mouth was faster than his brain, and he blurted out, “He might have seduced you, after all, on Cold Cloud Mountain, he even drank Your Highness’s…”

…Milk!

But his delayed brain finally rushed to catch up with his runaway mouth, and Half-Catty managed to swallow the word just in time.

However, he couldn’t find a new word to fill the gap.

The spoken sentence ended in an awkward, abrupt halt.

Qi Wang merely clicked his tongue, ignoring his indiscretion, and said, “If even your interrogation cannot extract the truth, it shows that the matter behind Song Yu being sold involves too much. Lady Wang would rather die than speak. Investigate thoroughly.”

Half-Catty quickly nodded.

His mouth didn’t slip up this time.

Eight-Catty nearby was a bit confused and asked his Highness, “Your Highness, why don’t you just ask Song Yu directly?”

Qi Wang looked exasperated. “What if he doesn’t tell the truth either? Wouldn’t my asking be pointless?”

Eight-Catty was utterly stunned.

If he doesn’t tell the truth, can’t you just kill him?

What, if he doesn’t tell the truth, are you going to be troubled by it?

Don’t you know how to kill people?

Speechless, Eight-Catty looked towards Half-Catty, seeking eye contact and common understanding.

Half-Catty:…

Half-Catty quickly avoided and politely refused this attempt at common understanding.

You don’t understand. The relationship between His Highness and Song Yu… Tsk tsk, it involves nudity and drinking milk.

…

Qi Wang acted with brazen disregard.

He snatched the person directly from the Ministry of Justice dungeon, and he blatantly dumped the corpse at the gate of the Earl of Anping’s residence.

Early the next morning, in the imperial court, censors impeaching Qi Wang for his murderous ways spoke one after another.

The Minister of Justice wept and knelt in the hall, holding the testimony.

“Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince directly seized Lady Wang with his men. Your subject was unable to interrogate Lady Wang. I had no choice but to apprehend the Earl of Anping for questioning.

“The Earl of Anping only said that he knew nothing, and matters of the inner residence were always handled by Lady Wang.

“As for the bribed palace maid, the Earl of Anping claims he has never been to the palace and doesn’t know the maid. Every time they entered the palace, it was Lady Wang who went to see Consort Li. He knows nothing.

“Now that Lady Wang is dead, this case…”

The Minister of Justice absolutely did not want to handle this hot potato!

In the Golden Hall.

The Emperor looked coldly at Qi Wang, who stood in the front row, his rage towering. “What kind of decorum is this! The older you get, the more you ignore the rules! You dare to seize a prisoner from the Ministry of Justice? Where do you place the laws of the court!”

Facing the Emperor’s public reprimand, Qi Wang was nonchalant. “Who told that Lady Wang to plot against the Sixth Prince? If she intended to harm the Sixth Prince, she deserved to die.”

The Emperor slammed the armrest of his chair. “Impudent! Even if Lady Wang schemed against the Sixth Prince, the Ministry of Justice would naturally interrogate her clearly and deliver the punishment. What kind of behavior is it for you to seize the person!”

Qi Wang brought up the old matter again and retorted aggressively, “Since the Ministry of Justice can administer punishment, why was no punishment given when Prince Yu poisoned the Sixth Prince ten years ago, despite having complete human and material evidence? Was the Sixth Prince born mentally deficient? Without Prince Yu’s poisoning, would he be foolish?

“Since the Ministry of Justice did not punish Prince Yu back then, how can I believe the Ministry of Justice will punish Lady Wang now?

“If Your Majesty speaks of fairness and rule of law, then let all be treated equally!”

Beside them, Prince Yu, who was about to step forward and speak nonsensically…

Weakly pulled his leg back.

The Emperor’s face turned ashen with anger, almost choking on his breath, utterly speechless.

This bastard!

He would even bring up the old matter from ten years ago!

And say it in court!

He was indeed an ungrateful wretch and a beast, clearly not holding his own Imperial Father in any regard!

Yet—

Qi Wang was the Crown Prince designated by the Late Emperor’s edict. He could not be deposed without a major fault.

Clenching his fist tightly, the Emperor angrily rebuked, “Even so, you should not have tortured the person into such a state and then dumped her at the Earl of Anping’s residence! The entire city’s populace is in a state of alarm because of you! As the Crown Prince, you have no compassion. How can you establish virtue and authority…”

Qi Wang directly interrupted, “Have compassion for whom? Compassion for those who scheme against me? Then who will have compassion for me? Prince Yu?”

“You!” The Emperor stood up furiously. “Unrepentant! Go back and reflect behind closed doors for me!”

With those words, the Emperor left in a towering rage.

But everyone could see that the Emperor had backed down on this matter.

Or rather, the Emperor had backed down for the sake of Prince Yu.

For years, everyone in court could see that although Qi Wang was the Crown Prince, the Emperor favored Prince Yu more.

Many speculated that the Emperor was not satisfied with Qi Wang, the Crown Prince designated by the Late Emperor, and would eventually depose Qi Wang and re-establish Prince Yu as the Crown Prince.

But today’s commotion made many ponder: How did Qi Wang dare to openly contradict the Emperor in court?

Did he have some backing now?

The Imperial Study.

As soon as the Emperor returned, he angrily smashed the inkstone on his desk. “He is simply an ungrateful wretch who cannot be tamed! I am his Imperial Father! How dare he openly contradict me like this! Does he truly think I am afraid of him!”

The Chief Eunuch stood to the side, comforting him, “Your Majesty, please quell your anger. Previously, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu did have conflicts, but every time you reprimanded the Crown Prince, he was always obedient and never reacted so intensely as this time.

“This time, he may genuinely have been provoked, especially since the Sixth Prince is his biological brother and is mentally deficient, and has been schemed against twice.”

First, he was pushed into the water and nearly died.

Now, he was almost harmed in Consort Li’s bedchamber.

The Emperor was enraged and snorted coldly, “Obedient or not! Before, he was young and had no support, so he had to be compliant with me. Now he is twenty-five. After his birthday, he can take over the military power left to him by the Late Emperor’s will. He just doesn’t want to conceal his wolfish ambition anymore!”

At the mention of this, the Emperor’s rage-filled face contorted with a terrifying sinister look.

“I am the Late Emperor’s biological son, yet the Late Emperor was senile and foolish, leaving a final edict to hand military power over to Qi Wang! Well, he has to be alive to see his birthday!” The Emperor paused and instructed, “Three days from now, we will go hunting at the royal hunting grounds.”

The Chief Eunuch quickly took the order, then cautiously looked at the Emperor’s face and asked, “What about the Earl of Anping’s residence…”

The Emperor waved his hand, sneering, “The Crown Prince killed Lady Wang. How could the Earl of Anping’s residence not hate him? Tell the Earl of Anping that if he performs well during the hunting trip three days from now, I will reward him heavily.”