The Side Character Wants to Lie Flat

Hua Manman asked curiously.

"If they wanted revenge, they should have come after us. Why would they go after the Crown Prince?"

Chen Wangbei glanced at Prince Zhao first. Seeing that the Prince did not speak, he then explained truthfully.

"When we set the fire, we didn’t deliberately hide our identities.

Those bandits only needed to do a little investigating to find out that court soldiers were the ones who started it."

Hua Manman understood as soon as she heard this.

The bandits had just robbed the disaster relief convoy led by the Crown Prince, and right after, their hideout was burned to the ground by court soldiers.

Anyone could figure out it must have been the Crown Prince who ordered it.

Hua Manman continued to press, "How did those bandits know the Crown Prince was here?"

Li Ji gave a faint, enigmatic smile.

"The Crown Prince loves the spotlight so much. Everywhere he went, he had to personally appear to comfort the disaster victims. It would be difficult for people *not* to know where he was."

Hua Manman was speechless.

’The Crown Prince probably never imagined, even in death, that the one who ultimately got him killed was himself.’

’If he had been a little more low-key, perhaps he wouldn’t have met this fate today.’

Li Ji yawned and said lazily.

"The show’s over. We should head back."

They walked down the mountain path and returned to the entrance of the valley.

Bian Ziming was pacing anxiously.

When he saw Prince Zhao return safe and sound, he rushed over as if he had seen his savior, performed a practiced sliding kneel, and cried out.

"My Prince, thank goodness you’re unharmed! Otherwise, this subordinate would have truly had to atone with my life!"

"This Prince encountered bandits in the valley just now. Fortunately, with Chen Guard’s help, I was able to escape the tiger’s maw."

Li Ji paused here, looked at the carriage surrounded by people not far away, and asked.

"What happened?"

Bian Ziming quickly recounted what had just happened.

He was clearly a big, burly man, yet at this moment he was crying his eyes out, a truly pitiful sight.

"Those bandits are truly audacious! Not only did they ambush you in the valley, Your Highness, they also cruelly murdered the Crown Prince!"

Li Ji showed a look of astonishment. "The Crown Prince is dead?"

He strode over to the carriage and, through the shattered window, saw the bloody scene inside.

The Crown Prince was lying in a pool of blood, no longer breathing.

Hua Manman also leaned in for a look.

’To think that the great Crown Prince would end up dying at the hands of bandits,’ she clicked her tongue inwardly.

’Such a noble birth, yet he met such a miserable end.’

’But this could be considered his retribution.’

’It’s his own fault for always plotting and scheming against others.’

Hua Manman put on a sorrowful expression, turning her head away as if she couldn’t bear to look any longer.

Bian Ziming looked at Prince Zhao with pleading eyes, looking completely lost and without a plan.

"Your Highness, what do we do now?"

Li Ji sighed. "What else can we do? A matter this important must naturally be reported to the Saint as soon as possible. And those bandits must be taken back for a thorough interrogation."

Bian Ziming stammered.

"But... but we’ve already killed all those bandits."

At the time, they were focused only on saving people. Faced with bandits who were bent on revenge and willing to throw their lives away, they couldn’t afford to show any mercy.

Because as long as those bandits had a breath left in them, they would fight to the death.

In the end, they could only kill them all.

Li Ji: "No matter. We captured a few bandits just now. We can take them back for a proper interrogation."

Bian Ziming’s heart leaped with joy at these words.

If he could find out the reason for the bandits’ ambush on the Crown Prince, he might be able to redeem himself.

Bian Ziming hurriedly began to flatter him.

"Your Highness is truly incredible. Not only did you escape the bandits’ ambush unscathed, but you even captured some of them alive.

Compared to you, this subordinate is truly ashamed of my incompetence!"

Li Ji couldn’t be bothered with his flattery and gave an order.

"Clean this place up, then send some men to clear the road in the valley. We still need to get going."

"Yes, sir!"

Once the boulders were moved and the valley was clear again,

the convoy passed smoothly through the valley and continued toward Shangjing.

Hua Manman sat in the carriage, the rocking making her drowsy.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and she remembered something.

She turned her head to look at Prince Zhao sitting beside her and asked the last lingering question in her mind.

"How did you know those bandits would ambush the Crown Prince near the valley?"

From Prince Zhao’s reaction at the time, it was clear he had long guessed that the Crown Prince would be attacked by bandits near the valley.

He couldn’t possibly predict the future.

Unless he had received news in advance that the bandits would make their move near the valley.

So where did he get this information?

Li Ji glanced at her.

It was a look Hua Manman knew very well.

Before Prince Zhao could speak, she tactfully cut in.

"Alright, alright, you don’t have to say it. I understand. These are things I shouldn’t know.

The more you know, the faster you die, right?"

Li Ji’s lips curved into a slight smile. "As long as you know."

News of the Crown Prince’s death in the ambush was sent back to Shangjing via an 800-li express dispatch.

The court and the country were shocked!

The Empress could not withstand the blow and fainted on the spot.

The Emperor also seemed to age several years in an instant.

Even if he had been dissatisfied with Li Cheng as the Crown Prince, Li Cheng was, after all, his legitimate son. He had placed high hopes on him, never expecting that Li Cheng would pass away so early.

There is nothing more painful in this world than for the white-haired to bury the black-haired.

The Emperor, filled with grief and anger, ordered men to go receive the Crown Prince’s body and issued a decree for a thorough investigation into the matter.

Having been in a high position for many years, he knew that many things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface.

Especially since the Crown Prince’s death concerned the right of succession to the throne.

There were definitely many hidden schemes involved.

He was determined to investigate this matter thoroughly and not let the Crown Prince die in vain!

On the eighth day of the ninth month, the Crown Prince’s coffin was brought into Shangjing City. The two Prime Ministers, from the left and right, led the civil and military officials out of the city to receive it.

They knelt before the Crown Prince’s coffin and wept loudly.

Hua Manman, following beside Prince Zhao, also shed a symbolic tear or two.

The Crown Prince Mansion had long since opened its gates, and the memorial hall inside was already properly arranged.

The Crown Princess Consort stood guard at the entrance with the concubines.

As soon as they saw the Crown Prince’s coffin appear, they threw themselves forward, crying inconsolably.

They were truly heartbroken.

Because the Crown Prince was dead, it meant their protector was gone. It was as if their whole world had collapsed, and their futures held no hope.

Once the Crown Prince’s coffin was properly placed, Prince Zhao and Bian Ziming had to enter the palace for an audience with the Saint.

Li Ji said to Hua Manman.

"You’ve been away from home for so long, you must miss your family.

Why don’t you go back to the Zhong’an Bo Mansion to see them first.

After this Prince comes out of the palace, I’ll go to the Zhong’an Bo Mansion to pick you up and take you home."

Hua Manman looked at him with worried eyes. "Will the Saint implicate you because of the Crown Prince’s death?"

Li Ji smiled nonchalantly.

"At most, I’ll get a few scolding words, then be sent home to face a wall and reflect for a while. It’s no big deal."

...

Good morning, everyone~