Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Night Raid on the Crown Prince’s Residence As it happened, the black-clad agent was occupied with something at that moment and failed to notice that this guard had quietly slipped out of the Third Prince’s Residence. It was already deep into the night. The guard leaped from the Third Prince’s Residence and sped all the way toward the Crown Prince’s Residence. At last, he arrived outside its gates. Afraid of disturbing the other guards, he was just preparing to sneak inside when the guards of the Crown Prince’s Residence discovered him. The moment the guard leaped onto the roof of the Crown Prince’s Residence, the guards spotted him. They swarmed forward and surrounded him from all sides. Although this guard was highly skilled, even the strongest fists could not withstand so many opponents. In the end, he was captured by the guards of the Crown Prince’s Residence. Although he had been captured, the guard continued struggling with all his might, repeatedly protesting, “I need to see the Crown Prince about an urgent matter. You cannot afford to delay me. If you do, Dayi’s realm will be in danger. Release me at once! I truly have an urgent matter to report to the Crown Prince!” The guards of the Crown Prince’s Residence burst into laughter at his words. One of them said mockingly, “And who might you be, some immortal? You claim that if we delay you, Dayi’s realm will be in danger. Hurry up and tell us where you came from so we brothers can broaden our horizons.” The guard had been restrained so tightly that he could not move his hands or feet and could not break free from their grip. With no other choice, he shouted, “Crown Prince! Crown Prince! Your servant has an urgent matter to report! If you refuse to see me, Dayi’s realm will be in danger!” Seeing how noisy the guard was, the captain of the Crown Prince’s guards shouted sternly, “Are you all corpses? You’re letting this man disturb the peace of the Crown Prince’s Residence. Stuff something in his mouth already! If you disturb the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, or any of the others, none of you will be able to escape the consequences!” On hearing the captain’s order, the guards pulled out a piece of rough cloth and forcefully stuffed it into the guard’s mouth. The guard struggled even harder, shouting incessantly, “Crown Prince! Crown Prince! Crown Prince!” When the guards of the Crown Prince’s Residence heard him shouting even more loudly, they worked together to pin him down and forcibly stuffed a wad of cloth into his mouth. “Now that he’s been silenced, take him away. Lock him up for the time being. Tomorrow, once we’ve determined his identity, we’ll decide how to deal with him,” the captain ordered. “Boy, I advise you to behave yourself. If you try anything else, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Take him away!” the captain added viciously. The guards received their orders and began escorting the man away. Just then, the Crown Prince arrived. It turned out that the Crown Prince had been roused by the guard’s shouting some time ago. Astonished that someone would dare yell in his residence in the middle of the night, he had come out to take a look out of curiosity. “Stop,” the Crown Prince ordered. Seeing the Crown Prince arrive, all the guards clasped their fists and saluted him. “This subordinate greets the Crown Prince.” “What happened?” the Crown Prince asked. The captain of the guards replied, “Your Highness, this man trespassed into the Crown Prince’s Residence at night and shouted loudly, so we captured him. We were just about to take him away and lock him up. Tomorrow, we would have reported the matter to you after determining his identity, then dealt with him accordingly.” The Crown Prince looked over the guard who had been captured. The more he looked, the more familiar the man seemed. He could not help ordering, “Make him raise his head. Bring the torch closer as well. I want to get a proper look at him.” The guards followed his instructions. The Crown Prince finally recognized the man and cried out in surprise, “Isn’t this Feng Yu, Third Brother’s personal guard? Why aren’t you staying properly at the Third Prince’s Residence in the middle of the night? What are you doing at my residence?” Feng Yu had a strip of cloth stuffed in his mouth and could only let out muffled sounds. Seeing this, the Crown Prince cast the captain of the guards a glance. The captain immediately reached out and pulled the cloth from Feng Yu’s mouth, allowing him to speak at last. “This subordinate greets the Crown Prince,” Feng Yu said. “Aren’t you serving at my third brother’s side? How did you end up at my residence, and why were you captured? What brings you here?” the Crown Prince asked in confusion. Feng Yu’s expression was solemn as he said, “Your Highness, I have something important that I must tell you. However, this matter is of the utmost importance. I ask that you dismiss everyone around you so that we may speak somewhere quiet. If word of this gets out, it will bring a great disaster upon the country and its people.” The Crown Prince was pondering whether to agree when the captain of the guards spoke up. “Your Highness, this man first sneaked into the Crown Prince’s Residence, and now he’s making alarmist claims. Why not tie him up first and question the Third Prince before reaching a conclusion? In any case, he is one of the Third Prince’s men.” Feng Yu said anxiously, “Your Highness, you absolutely must not do that! I came here in the middle of the night precisely because I cannot allow this matter to become known to outsiders. I truly have an urgent matter to report. For the sake of the people of Dayi, I beg you to trust me just this once.” The Crown Prince had originally intended to agree, but after hearing the captain’s words, he became somewhat uncertain. Seeing that the Crown Prince still refused to give his assent, Feng Yu hardened his heart and said, “Your Highness, if I truly harbored evil intentions, why would I have come here in the middle of the night? I beg you to trust me just this once.” The Crown Prince had been about to order the servants to throw Feng Yu out, but after hearing those words, he spoke instead. “Very well. Bind him securely and take him to the study. I’ll follow shortly.” Hearing that the Crown Prince had finally agreed, Feng Yu said, “Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, Your Highness.” Thus, Feng Yu was taken to the Crown Prince’s study. The captain of the guards left only after binding him securely. Before long, the Crown Prince entered alone. The Crown Prince studied Feng Yu and said, “What is this important matter that you had to tell me alone?” When Feng Yu heard the Crown Prince’s question, he hurriedly kowtowed and said anxiously, “Your Highness! Dayi is in danger! I beg you to set things right and turn the tide!” Hearing this, the Crown Prince became even more baffled. He could only soothe him, saying, “Feng Yu, don’t be anxious. Speak slowly. What exactly happened? Dayi is facing external threats at present, but things have not yet reached the point of danger. What exactly are you trying to tell me?” Feng Yu then told the Crown Prince, in full detail, everything he had witnessed while following Mu Yuyang. The Crown Prince did not dare believe what Feng Yu had said. He asked, “Is everything you said true? What proof do you have? You should know that as a servant, if you slander your master, it is a crime punishable by the extermination of your entire clan.” “I beg Your Highness to investigate this clearly. If even the slightest part of what Feng Yu has said is unclear or untrue, I am willing to suffer the most severe punishment and die for it. This concerns the safety of all Dayi. Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I would not dare speak recklessly.”