lcionline Chapter 409 Teahouse News
Chapter 409 Teahouse News
Chapter 409
He conceitedly believed he could win over the hearts of his followers with just a few promises, but he had no idea how much hatred these words stirred within the hearts of the assassins. If his leader hadn't ordered him to lurk near him, waiting for an opportunity to find the mysterious antidote—which wouldn't restore them to normal bodies, but would extend their lifespans—the Third Prince would have been slain by the assassins' swords long ago.
A chill swirled in his lowered eyes, as cold as a poisoned blade, yet his aura remained unmoved. As death warriors, concealing their aura was ingrained in their very bones, a survival lesson they had devoted their entire lives to studying and practicing.
As expected, the Third Prince didn't notice anything unusual. After two days of spending time with this assassin, he had grown accustomed to his constant bowed head, and he casually waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw.
The assassin murmured his order and slowly retreated out the door. As the door closed, his aura suddenly surged like a tide, no longer concealing anything. His cold eyes darted sinisterly into the room, then, after a moment, he turned and faded into the shadows, vanishing.
The Third Prince naturally knew that the reason this assassin could always be by his side was because of his ultimate concealment skills. Even if he was nowhere to be seen at the moment, with just a single command, the assassin would instantly appear to protect his master.
He reclined on the soft couch in the teahouse, his brocade robe half-open, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the yellowed map on the table. The mountains and rivers outlined in cinnabar glowed dark red in the candlelight, like congealed blood, while the passes and cities marked in cyan ink now became his bargaining chips for survival.
Just now, the assassins not only brought news from the Imperial City, but also an urgent message—pursuers were already following the same path they had come from. Ping'an County, known for its vast territory and abundant resources, had been his carefully chosen temporary residence. But now that the situation had suddenly changed, returning would seem like walking into a trap. In contrast, the neighboring Ling County, though vast and sparsely populated and somewhat impoverished, was a more suitable place for refuge. A sneer curled his lips; the pursuers could hardly have imagined he would abandon a prosperous land for this remote and impoverished region.
.........
Downstairs, Lu Zhaozhao had barely picked up her teacup when she felt a cold, piercing gaze sweep towards her. The Third Prince suddenly turned his head in her direction, causing her blood to freeze. She quickly lowered her head, hiding her face in her collar. Fortunately, the draped curtains above her head perfectly obscured her features, and the bustling crowd around her acted as a natural barrier. The cold gaze lingered briefly in her direction, then vanished in an instant.
Even so, Lu Zhaozhao still didn't dare to look up. She just mechanically stuffed the food in her bowl into her mouth, swallowing it down like chewing wax. After a long while, she tentatively raised her eyes and looked across, but found that the private room was already empty and there was no one in front of the window.
Just as disappointment crept onto her brows, she suddenly had an idea - isn't this a godsend?
Although she didn't know why the Third Prince had appeared here, this opportunity actually suited her needs. Such close contact would make it easier for her to use her tactics. If she could capture the Third Prince's heart, she would have a place for Lu Zhaozhao in the future, not just a mere marquisate, but even the magnificent imperial palace.
With this thought, Lu Zhaozhao no longer had the heart to linger. She casually tossed a few coins onto the table, stood up, and with a deft movement, drew the curtain down to obscure her face. She nimbly moved through the bustling crowd like a swimming fish, heading straight for the teahouse where the Third Prince was staying. She had completely forgotten the little maid squatting outside.
Arriving at the teahouse, Lu Zhaozhao inquired with the owner and learned that, perhaps because of the rare sunny weather in recent days, the townspeople who usually stayed at home had gone out. The teahouse was bustling with people and already full, and the private rooms on the second floor required advance reservations.
Even if she thought of an excuse to rush upstairs, if the Third Prince noticed her deliberate approach, it would only backfire and increase suspicion. After careful consideration, Lu Zhaozhao suppressed her impatience, asked the shopkeeper for a pot of tea, and sat down in an inconspicuous corner. Her eyes drifted towards the private room on the second floor, as she pondered other ways to approach him.
At a tea table not far from her, several people were leisurely sipping tea, listening to the storyteller on stage. The whispers of discussion drifted in and out, but Lu Zhaozhao paid no attention at first. It wasn't until the words "Third Prince" reached her ears that her fingertips tightened around the teacup, but she maintained a forced composure. She glanced ahead, and seeing that the others didn't notice his unusual behavior, she lowered her eyes to conceal the sharpness, brought the teacup to her lips, and in reality, listened intently, not missing a single word.
They seemed to be afraid of being overheard, so they lowered their voices and put their heads together, and only vague fragments of words could be heard.
Lu Zhaozhao tilted her ears slightly, trying to catch those broken words, and her heart beat violently with their whispers.
"The third prince lost the emperor's grace and was imprisoned in the palace. I don't know if it was difficult for him to accept it, but he burned himself to death in the prince's palace. Alas, I don't know what mistake he made to make His Majesty so angry." After hearing this, someone couldn't help but sigh and whispered.
Someone nearby disagreed, unable to resist sharing their own speculation. "You don't understand! His Majesty has been kind to the Third Prince, but as the saying goes, 'When a father is not angry, a son does not quarrel,' it's inevitable that he'll say some harsh words in a fit of anger. Besides, the Third Prince is still His Majesty's biological son. He's the only adult prince in the Great Zhou Dynasty—the First Prince was relegated to guarding the imperial mausoleum, a fate clearly far more tragic than the Third Prince's."
"If what you said is true, then what should we say about the sudden death of Concubine Cheng and the exile of the Cheng family to that bitter and cold place?" After hearing this, the man felt that this guess made sense, but he still had doubts in his heart, so he turned to discuss the current whereabouts of the Cheng family and Concubine Cheng.
Another person interrupted, "I've heard others say that Concubine Cheng was deeply favored by His Majesty. Although she wasn't crowned Empress due to the Cheng family's influence, she held a special place in His Majesty's heart. Concubine Cheng's old illness relapsed, leading to her sudden death. His Majesty found it difficult to accept, so he took his anger out on the Third Prince. Seeing this, the Cheng family tried to intercede for their nephew, but they ran afoul of His Majesty's wrath, leading to this fate."
He had only heard it yesterday and hadn't meant it seriously. It was just that they happened to be discussing it today, so he told them everything he had heard.
"How is that possible?" someone objected. "If that were true, His Majesty had deep feelings for Concubine Cheng. After Concubine Cheng passed away, how could he have targeted her offspring, his own son, and the Cheng family? I find this statement untenable."
The person who had said that earlier had originally just scoffed at his own statement and didn't quite believe it, but now that someone refuted it, he felt a little unhappy. "Why is it impossible? Don't you know, there's such an example right here on West Street in our town? Have you heard about the story of Wang Laoer?"
"What's going on? You know I haven't been here long, and I've only heard bits and pieces of information. I don't know the whole story. Now that you're mentioning Wang Lao Er, could it be that this matter is related to the Third Prince?"