Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 492 - 489: Why Not Do It_1

Chapter 492: Chapter 489: Why Not Do It_1

The Crown Prince stared at the kidnapper kneeling on the ground, not daring to lift his head. He asked, "Was it the Wang family who sent you to abduct the children?"

The man heavily kowtowed, answering in a trembling voice, "It was indeed the Wang family!"

"And how did you know those children were sent to King Liang’s mansion?" The Crown Prince folded the confession and inquired.

"I... I previously caught some beggar children and went to deliver them with the steward of the Wang family! The steward said... the one who came to collect the children was the steward of King Liang’s mansion! Later, the steward of King Liang’s mansion found the beggar children too skinny and dirty, so he didn’t take them. After that, my brothers and I caught a few children in a nearby village outside Dadu City and sent them to King Liang’s mansion. The Wang family thought it was too conspicuous near the capital, so they arranged for us to pretend as bandits kidnapping children near the mountains of Shuoyang! As for why the steward of King Liang’s mansion needed the children, I genuinely don’t know! I beg Your Highness to show mercy. I’ll confess everything; please spare my life!" The kidnapper repeatedly kowtowed.

The Crown Prince lifted his eyes and signaled the guards of the Crown Prince’s mansion to take the man away first. "Watch him closely!"

"Fang Lao, what do you think?" The Crown Prince handed the evidence to Fang Lao.

"Now that we have an eyewitness, the physical evidence... should be in King Liang’s mansion. If King Liang really used children for alchemy, it would be impossible to completely erase all traces!" Fang Lao looked down at the evidence in his hand, smiled, and said, "In my humble opinion, this matter must be exposed, but the Crown Prince should not be directly involved!"

The Crown Prince solemnly looked at Fang Lao. "Please elaborate!"

Fang Lao glanced at Bai Jinzhi, who was brushing off the dust on her clothes, then looked back at the Crown Prince.

Understanding Fang Lao’s implication, the Crown Prince turned his head and looked at Bai Jinzhi, then instructed Quan Yu, "Quan Yu, have someone prepare some water for the Lord of Gaoyi to freshen up!"

"No need to trouble yourselves!" Bai Jinzhi clasped her hands towards the Crown Prince and Fang Lao. "I’ve already delivered the person and the suggestions to the Crown Prince. Since plotting is not my strength, I won’t stay at the Crown Prince’s mansion. I’ll return to Princess of Zhen’s mansion to play with Xiao Qi for a while!"

"Very well..." The Crown Prince nodded, quite appreciating Bai Jinzhi’s straightforward demeanor. "Go ahead!"

Watching Bai Jinzhi leave the mansion, Fang Lao walked towards the study with the Crown Prince, saying, "Regarding this revelation, in my humble opinion... it should not be handled by the Crown Prince himself!"

"I’d like to hear the details," the Crown Prince said, turning his head to look at Fang Lao.

Fang Lao stroked his goatee and lowered his voice. "Your Highness, think about it. Yesterday, the people we sent to King Liang’s mansion found it protected by hidden guards! Also, remember how King Liang returned from Yanwo after a failed mission, yet His Majesty did not punish him. Instead, King Liang was favored even more. And consider the matter of King Liang using children for alchemy!"

The Crown Prince paused mid-step, his expression shocked. "Fang Lao means... perhaps His Majesty knows about King Liang’s alchemy, and those elixirs were for His Majesty?!"

Fang Lao nodded. "Therefore, if the Crown Prince personally exposes this matter, His Majesty might direct his anger towards you. Initially, I thought that disrupting King Liang’s attempt to seize the throne, even if it meant offending His Majesty temporarily, would be worthwhile! But now that the Lord of Gaoyi has brought us the witness and confession, upon careful consideration, there’s no need for the Crown Prince to offend His Majesty at this moment!"

"You already have a plan?" The Crown Prince earnestly asked Fang Lao for guidance.

"Since we have a witness and a confession, adding a victim who knocks on the Drum of Injustice would suffice! As long as the Crown Prince does not get involved, the bigger the uproar, the better... ideally, everyone would know!" Fang Lao smiled. "Whether this matter is handed to the Court of Judicial Review or reported to the Imperial Censor, nothing would be as effective as beating the Drum of Injustice, making it widely known among the people of the Jin Kingdom! Only by letting everyone know how savage and inhumane King Liang is can he be permanently barred from the throne! Just like King Xin..."

The Crown Prince squinted, recalling how King Xin brought the corpse of the King of Zhen back to Dadu, pretending to be gravely injured but actually indulging with a prostitute inside the carriage. The people were so enraged against King Xin that they gnashed their teeth in anger. The Crown Prince nodded, "Fang Lao is right!"

Seeing the Crown Prince nod, Fang Lao bowed deeply to the Crown Prince, "If His Highness allows, I will immediately send someone to handle this!"

The families who lost their children must be frantic. Knowing their child was taken to King Liang’s mansion, even if it meant beating the Drum of Injustice and risking death, they would want to rescue their child as soon as possible. After all, who wouldn’t be anxious about King Liang using children for alchemy, not knowing exactly how he did it.

"Then I’ll trouble you, Fang Lao!" The Crown Prince smiled.

Fang Lao thought for a moment and added, "Your Highness, there’s one more thing..."

"Please speak, Fang Lao!" The Crown Prince was becoming increasingly cordial towards Fang Lao.

"Earlier, the Lord of Gaoyi mentioned that the Princess of Zhen originally suggested sending the newly recruited soldiers to Southern Border for training under the Bai family’s army. I recall that when the Yan envoy visited the Jin Kingdom, His Majesty intended to send General Liu Hong and the victorious Northern Frontier troops to the Xiliang border to intimidate Xiliang!" Fang Lao stepped closer to the Crown Prince. "In my humble opinion, if the Crown Prince and His Majesty only intend to intimidate Xiliang, why send elite troops?"

Standing under the red lanterns of the long corridor, listening to the cicadas, the Crown Prince pondered for a moment and said, "Fang Lao suggests sending the newly recruited soldiers to Southern Border?"

"Exactly!" Fang Lao smiled, not missing the opportunity to subtly discredit Bai Qingyan in front of the Crown Prince. "The Princess of Zhen didn’t bring this up to Your Highness because she feared that if the idea came from her, others would slander her, and the Crown Prince might not defend her! But she forgot that back when the Imperial College students were causing trouble, it was the Crown Prince who supported her against all opposition! She doesn’t know... that the Crown Prince even scolded me several times to protect her!"

The Crown Prince frowned slightly, pressing his lips together without speaking.

Initially, the Crown Prince wanted the Emperor to send Bai Qingyan to the Southern Border to intimidate Xiliang. But then he hesitated, realizing that the troops stationed there were the Bai family’s army.

"The Jin Kingdom’s elite should stay in the capital to protect His Majesty and the Crown Prince! The new recruits lack training... The Bai family’s army is exceptionally skilled at training new recruits. Sending the new recruits to the Southern Border would fulfill Yan’s request, making Yan owe the Jin Kingdom a favor, while also achieving the purpose of training the new recruits. Why not do it?"

Fang Lao’s remark that the Jin Kingdom’s elite should stay in the capital to protect His Majesty and the Crown Prince resonated deeply with the Crown Prince.

He nodded, "Since the supplies for this expedition to the Southern Border are provided by Yan, sending the new recruits for training is indeed appropriate! Tomorrow, I will discuss this with the Emperor in the palace. His Majesty will surely agree."

Fang Lao smiled and nodded.

·

Bai Jinzhi’s sudden return to the Princess of Zhen’s mansion startled Second Madam Liu. She thought something had happened in Shuoyang. When Bai Jinzhi didn’t come to see her after a while, Second Madam Liu hurried to Bai Jinzhi’s courtyard.

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