Chapter 452: Competition
After a few days of public discourse, the scandal that had unfolded within the royal family’s courtyard lost its appeal and interest began to wane.
The emperor decided to put an end to the Third Prince’s confinement. He fabricated a story, explaining that the matter concerning the fifth princess had been investigated by the Black Panther Hall. In this narrative, it was a case of misunderstanding, as the Crown Prince and the Empress had wrongly accused the Third Prince.
The Emperor elaborated that, following the incident with the fifth princess, the Crown Prince had been incensed and had instructed his subordinates to apprehend the mastermind within three days, threatening them with grave consequences if they failed to do so. To save themselves, the Crown Prince’s subordinates embarked on a series of arrests and interrogations. By a stroke of luck, they apprehended Cheng Feng, who had already been bribed by the Black Panther Hall. Cheng Feng swiftly confessed to the Third Prince, implicating him and Su Bin in the scheme.
The master of the Black Panther Hall was revealed to be a remnant of the previous dynasty. Their objective was to foment discord between the Third Prince and the Crown Prince for their own gain.
The Emperor felt compelled to clarify this with the Third Prince. For the Third Prince, who had been unjustly confined for many days, it was a deeply vexing experience.
Although the Crown Prince and the Empress had falsely accused him, his father had casually attributed it to a misunderstanding. However, the Third Prince was keenly aware that it was far from a mere misunderstanding.
He surmised that his father had uncovered the truth but was unwilling to hold the Crown Prince and the Empress accountable. Not only did he have no intention of punishing them, but he also had no plans to publicize the fact that they had wronged him.
The Third Prince felt a profound sense of disappointment and disillusionment in his father.