The Real Young Master Was Sold as a Slave, The Obsessive Crown Prince's Forced Love - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: You Better Be Innocent

“Even if you interrogate me, even if you beat me to death, all I can tell you is this!”

Song Yu’s fair face, with bright lips and teeth, sported a pair of eyes that resembled a puppy’s.

Even when showing no emotion, those eyes conveyed an air of pure innocence.

Much more so now, as he desperately tried to prove his innocence.

“No one really sent me. If someone had, why would I have gone to all this trouble to bring you back to my home?

“Do you know how hard it was to get from Qinghe County town to here? It was an uphill journey, you were on the horse, and I led the horse up the mountain. I lost my shoes, and my feet are all raw.

“I even had to find you herbs.

“If I were instructed by someone, why would I make up such a obviously flawed lie to make you suspicious!

“I truly don’t know why Earl Anping only sold me off!

“If you think something is wrong, you should investigate Earl Anping, not interrogate me!”

【Alas, too bad the Crown Prince is a heartless killer and unreasonable. Although Little Fish is digging a pit for Earl Anping’s manor, I feel like he’s going to suffer a round of torture himself.】

【Indeed, who told him to cross the most ruthless villain in the entire show.】

【Qi Wang is already suspicious, and having just survived an assassination, Little Fish can’t escape this round of torture!】

【My heart aches for Little Fish. He clearly passed the imperial exam on his own merits, clearly had a bright future, but look at the state he’s in now!】

As the lines of text scrolled past, Song Yu felt profound sorrow.

He couldn’t escape the torture?

Was he going to have his nose poked and eyes dug out?

What good would it do even if he got his revenge and reclaimed his scholarly title!

There shouldn’t be a single official in the world with a ruined nose, right~~

His dark, round eyes looked at Qi Wang, filled with a distressed, stubborn grievance, his eye sockets slightly red.

Qi Wang frowned.

That look…

It was as if he had done some colossal injustice to Song Yu.

You better be innocent.

Ignoring Song Yu, Qi Wang only asked Ban Jin, “How did you find me?”

Ban Jin had followed Qi Wang for many years and understood his meaning, realizing his Highness was temporarily postponing the interrogation. He released Song Yu.

“After Your Highness left the Qinghe County market, we were entangled with the assassins while trying to follow closely behind.

“The assassins were well-trained and numerous, extremely difficult to shake off.

“By the time we eliminated the assassins, we had lost track of Your Highness. It was Da Huang (Big Yellow, the dog) who found a silver note at the foot of Lengyun Mountain and picked up Your Highness’s scent.

“That’s how we tracked the scent all the way up.”

After a pause, Ban Jin added, “It was indeed not easy to come up from the foot of the mountain. This courtyard is built deep in the dense forest, and it’s impossible to ride a horse. The trek on foot was quite difficult.”

【I’ve lived long enough! First time seeing Ban Jin speak well of someone!】

【Does that mean Little Fish won’t be punished?】

【Pray, pray, pray, please don’t let him be punished. Little Fish has already had a tough enough time.】

Song Yu’s heart also prayed—

Pray, pray, Little Fish has had a tough enough time!

Qi Wang glanced at the person standing there with a lowered head.

The silver note Da Huang found was one he had thrown out in a state of semi-consciousness.

The strength he used earlier to restrain Song Yu was merely a desperate, hostile vigilance for survival. He was barely hanging on.

He was severely wounded, had lost a lot of bl00d, and was running a high fever. Now that his men had found him and the crucial questions had been asked, the intense suspicion in Qi Wang’s heart dissipated, and a heavy, deep drowsiness washed over him.

“Go investigate.”

He only managed to give the order before his head tilted, and he fainted.

Ban Jin was greatly alarmed and stepped forward instantly, “Your Highness!”

Qi Wang was burning hot, his breathing was heavy, and the wounds Song Yu had bandaged had torn open again—at his waist and shoulder—due to his recent movements, with bl00d seeping through.

Anxious, Ban Jin first carefully laid Qi Wang flat on the kang. He then turned and grabbed Song Yu, pulling him toward the door.

Song Yu feared this person was going to interrogate him again and hastily said in a flurry, “Your Highness only ordered you to investigate, he didn’t say to interrogate me, he didn’t say, he didn’t say, he di—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

He stared wide-eyed at the courtyard.

He suddenly remembered that when someone pushed the door open just now, besides the dog barking, there seemed to be a scream.

“Hurry and save me! I don’t know what this fishing net is made of, a knife can’t even cut it!”

At the courtyard entrance, a young man who looked about the same age as Ban Jin was caught by a bear trap on his leg. His entire body, except his head, was wrapped in a fishing net. He was sprawled on the ground, unable to get up.

A large dog was anxiously circling him.

Song Yu: …

He remembered.

After bringing Qi Wang here, fearing a wild boar might intrude, he had specifically set a wild boar trap at the entrance.

Ah, this…

【Ba Liang! Qi Wang’s two right-hand men: one Ban Jin (Half Catty), one Ba Liang (Eight Taels)!】

【Hahahahaha, the anti-wild beast trap set by Little Fish caught Ba Liang!】

【Who would have thought that Ba Liang, who has followed Qi Wang through life and death for so many years, Ba Liang, who is hailed as a Hell’s Assassin, would be crippled by a bear trap!】

【This must count as Ba Liang’s future black history!】

【Hope Ba Liang doesn’t hold a grudge against Little Fish because of this.】

Ban Jin dragged Song Yu and rushed to his companion, urgently commanding, “Quickly get him out!”

Song Yu looked at the scrolling text.

Ba Liang?

Would this Ba Liang hold a grudge against him later?

Maybe, to avoid future trouble, he should just kill him now.

Dead men tell no tales and seek no revenge.

That’s what he thought, but his hand was still kind enough to unlock the mechanism of the fishing net, shaking the wrapped person free from the net’s control.

Rolling on the ground, Ba Liang finally escaped the control of the broken fishing net and was furious enough to swear.

Ban Jin preempted him, “I know you want to curse, but don’t curse yet. His Highness is unconscious. Quickly prepare his medicine. I need to go down the mountain right away!”

With that.

Ban Jin left.

Furious, Ba Liang stomped his foot… oh, he couldn’t stomp, the bear trap was still clamped on his leg.

He could only glower, “You useless idiot! At least take this bear trap off me first!”

However, Ban Jin had vanished without a trace.

Song Yu could only weakly offer, “I’ll help you take it off.”

…

Qinghe County.

Earl Anping’s Manor.

Gu Zhen stared in shock at his attendant. “What did you say?”

The attendant was the one he had sent to the market to buy Song Yu. Head bowed, he looked uneasy. “…Song Yu recognized this servant, knew this servant was sent by you. While the servant was paying the slave broker, he broke free of the rope, used the rope to strangle the servant’s neck, and ran away.”

Licking his cracked lips, the attendant paused, then added, “The servant struggled free and chased after him, but a fight broke out near the market, causing chaos. The servant searched for a long time but couldn’t find him.”

Slap!

Gu Zhen’s face was full of fury. He raised his hand and slapped the attendant across the face.

“Useless! You can’t even handle this small matter!”

After taking the slap, the attendant pulled a deed of sale from his chest. “But the servant picked this up.”

It was Song Yu’s deed of sale.

Song Yu had run off with the deed and the silver note, so it was likely he had accidentally dropped the deed again in the chaos.

Gu Zhen’s face darkened. He grabbed the deed, looked down at it, and asked, “Who all knew you were my man?”

The attendant thought carefully. “Although the market was crowded, the servant stopped them before they entered the market. Only the slave broker should know.”

“Kill that slave broker.”