Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 758: Chapter 370 Severe Punishment for the Crown Prince and Duke Zhen

The Crown Prince, under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, did not become despondent or degenerate; on the contrary, he was more diligent than ever before. Every day, he would start reading at dawn and continue throughout the day. In addition to reading during the day, he would copy Buddhist scriptures at night, transcribing them for the late Empress, the deceased former Emperor, the late Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and for Great Zhou.

The suggestion for the Crown Prince to read and copy Buddhist scriptures came from the Xie Family Patriarch. The patriarch was worried that the Crown Prince might react rashly and lose the Emperor’s favor while being confined in the Eastern Palace. Thus, he provided this advice to keep the Crown Prince occupied, so his attention would be diverted away from the house arrest.

The Crown Prince, under house arrest in the Eastern Palace, was unaware of the developments in the court. When he was placed under house arrest, the Emperor decreed that nobody was allowed to visit the Crown Prince or discuss matters beyond the Eastern Palace with him.

The Xie Family Patriarch also wished to keep the Crown Prince uninformed about external events during his confinement, fearing that such news might unsettled him, so the Crown Prince remained clueless about outside affairs.

At this time, he was engrossed in reading within the Eastern Palace.

In truth, he enjoyed reading immensely. He found joy and tranquility in his reading sessions. In recent days, he had focused solely on his studies, oblivious to happenings outside, finding a serene peace unlike his usual restlessness.

Suddenly, he felt a wave of anxiety, followed by a surge of intense unease. He had a foreboding feeling that something was amiss.

"Lv Cong! Lv Cong! Lv Cong..." the Crown Prince called out loudly several times, and Lv Cong hurried in.

"Your Highness, what’s the matter?"

"Has something happened outside?" The Crown Prince furrowed his brows, his gaze sharp as he looked at Lv Cong. "Has there been any trouble?"

Upon hearing these words, a fleeting odd expression crossed Lv Cong’s eyes, but he showed no sign of it on his face.

"Your Highness, why do you ask that?"

The Crown Prince placed a hand over his left chest, "I suddenly feel anxious and uneasy, something must have happened."

Lv Cong smiled reassuringly. "Your Highness, you worry too much; nothing has happened outside."

"Really?" The Crown Prince was skeptical.

"Really."

"Has Prince Chu returned?" The Crown Prince’s first instinct was that Prince Chu had returned.

"No, Your Highness, you forgot that Prince Chu met with trouble in Jinling and is still missing," replied Lv Cong. "There has been no news of Prince Chu in the capital, you worry too much."

"Prince Chu truly hasn’t returned?"

"Indeed, he hasn’t returned," Lv Cong reiterated, "I wouldn’t dare deceive you." Prince Chu indeed had not come back.

The Crown Prince thought it over and agreed; even with ten times the courage, Lv Cong wouldn’t dare deceive him.

"Your Highness, are you feeling unwell? Shall I summon the Imperial Physician for you?" Lv Cong said with concern, "You’ve been on a vegetarian diet all these days; perhaps your body can’t cope, which is why you feel anxious."

The Crown Prince found reason in Lv Cong’s words. These days, he had been not only fasting but also copying scriptures late into the night, so it was quite possible his body was overtaxed. He waved his hand and said, "No need."

"Then I’ll instruct the kitchen to prepare a bowl of calming soup for you."

"No need, you may leave."

"I take my leave."

As Lv Cong exited the study, he lifted his eyes toward Chengguang Hall. He did not know what had occurred outside, but sensed an unusual atmosphere in the palace that day. The Crown Prince’s intuition was correct; something significant was likely about to happen. He hoped it had nothing to do with the Crown Prince, and fervently wished it wasn’t Prince Chu returning. If it were Prince Chu returning, then the Crown Prince... he dared not think further.

At this moment in Chengguang Hall, Prince Chu was presenting his findings to the Emperor before the assembly of civil and military officials, regarding his investigation into copper theft in Peng City.

According to Prince Chu’s investigation, the Crown Prince and his allies had stolen over ten thousand tonnes of copper over the past few years. They had also secretly forged thousands of weapons during this time.

Prince Chu further detailed the situation at Wuhua Mountain. To forge weapons, the Crown Prince and his allies had not only caused a plague, leading to the death of the entire Guihua Village, but also forcibly conscripted locals from around Wuhua Mountain to make weapons, causing great suffering among the populace.

The Emperor listened with a calm demeanor, but the faces of the civil and military officials were markedly shocked.

Prince Chu also uncovered that the former Duke secretly engaged in an arms trade with Han Zhong. Han Zhong, in Shu land, had forged numerous weapons for him.

While the officials had speculated on the purposes behind the Crown Prince and the Xie Family Patriarch’s copper theft, they had never imagined the bold audacity of the Crown Prince and his allies.