Chapter Twenty-Five: The Scheme Succeeds

"How boring. Is the Empress not planning to send any troops tonight?" Zhou Hao sat in the pavilion, leaning against a pillar.

The General sat beside him, arms crossed. They had been prepared all night; if any assassins were to come, the defenses set by the servants were watertight. It would be impossible for anyone to slip in beside Zhou Hao without making a sound. As for Li Tie and his family, Zhou Hao had already sent them away. One act of benevolence was enough; any more would be useless and only serve to cause unnecessary concern.

The General glanced at Zhou Hao and shook his head. "Hang in there a little longer. If no one shows up, just go to sleep."

"Wait, someone is coming."

Zhou Hao looked toward the corridor, where a servant was approaching at a brisk pace. The servant knelt on one knee and bowed to the General. "Reporting to the General: a troop of men carrying torches is preparing to storm the First Prince's mansion."

The General laughed heartily and stood up. "Good, good, good. It seems the Empress couldn't hold back after all."

"Why are they so late? I was just about to fall asleep," Zhou Hao yawned, complaining with dissatisfaction. These people were truly slow. What would happen if there were actual assassins in the Imperial City? Could one really count on them to handle it?

Zhou Hao walked slowly toward the gate. Just as he reached it, he heard the Third Prince’s arrogant voice.

"What kind of lowly dog are you to dare block my path? I tell you, tell Zhou Hao to get out here immediately! I have the Emperor's imperial decree today, and I am here to drag him into the dungeon. Once he is there, if he begs me, I might be in a good enough mood to leave him with a complete corpse."

The Third Prince kicked the gatekeeper, then pulled out a whip, leaving a bloody streak across the man's body. What did it matter if he was a servant of the General's mansion? He was certainly no match for a prince, let alone the imperial guards behind him—these were the very people who gave him the confidence to storm the First Prince's mansion at night.

The whipped servant dared not block the way, yet he dared not let the Third Prince in either, so he stood at the gate, caught in a dilemma. Seeing the servant’s stubbornness, the Third Prince cursed, the whip cracking in his hand as he prepared to strike again.

"Isn't this the Third Prince? Why so much fire in your belly?"

"Did you step in with your left foot or your right foot when you entered my residence today?"

Following these words, Zhou Hao walked forward slowly, shielding the servant. Upon hearing Zhou Hao's voice, the Third Prince lowered his whip, his eyes filled with cruelty and hatred.

"You... you are truly detestable. But today, you shall be dragged off to the dungeon."

As he spoke, the Third Prince flung a scroll toward him. The handwriting on the golden paper was clearly visible, and it even bore the Great Zhou Emperor’s seal.

"You, a man from a barbarian land—can you even recognize these characters? Or do I have to read them out to you properly?"

Read? There was no need. Zhou Hao sneered and kicked the Third Prince hard in the stomach. Caught off guard, the Third Prince folded like a boiled shrimp, hitting the ground with a face full of crimson pain. Clutching his stomach, his eyes looked as if they wanted to kill Zhou Hao on the spot.

"What are you doing? Can you not understand the writing on that scroll?" the Third Prince gasped. "The Emperor wants you thrown into the dungeon! He wants you to never rise again! You bastard, are you blind?"

Zhou Hao gave a cold, nonchalant smile. "Of course I am blind. Being a barbarian, how could I possibly recognize your royal decree?" He then swept his gaze over the surrounding imperial guards, his expression mocking. "Does the Emperor know you've mobilized these imperial guards?"

At these words, the Third Prince’s expression shifted instantly. How could the Emperor know? But there was no turning back now. As long as he strangled Zhou Hao in the dungeon, these matters could be dealt with later. The Third Prince could no longer think of the consequences; he had only one thought: kill Zhou Hao! Only by completely killing Zhou Hao could he soothe the resentment in his heart.

Zhou Hao ignored the imperial guards entirely. He stepped forward, grabbed the Third Prince by the hair, and hoisted him up as if he were a small chicken. "You seem quite unconvinced. What was your true intention in coming to my mansion today?"

The Third Prince spat on the ground, his eyes filled with venom. "I came under the Emperor's decree to apprehend you, but who would have thought you would dare to resist? Guards! Take him and execute him on the spot!"

The imperial guards looked at one another, but not a single one moved. They also felt something was strange about this, but the Third Prince held the imperial seal and the complete decree. That was why they had followed him here. They dared to arrest Zhou Hao and throw him in the dungeon, but to kill the First Prince right here? Who had the guts for that? To kill a prince in the street—even with the Emperor's decree—would lead to no good end. Retirement to one's hometown would be the best-case scenario; being secretly disposed of would be the most likely.

"Are you ignoring the Holy Emperor's decree? Or is it that you imperial guards do not obey the Emperor of Zhou at all?"

At the Third Prince’s hateful accusation, the ranks of the imperial guards began to waver. Regardless, they were the Emperor's own guards. With an imperial decree in hand, it was as if the Emperor were present; they had no choice but to comply.

The leader of the imperial guards stepped forward, a look of apology in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Hao. "First Prince, my apologies." He moved to place shackles around Zhou Hao's neck. The decree only mentioned imprisonment; it said nothing about killing him. Even if the Third Prince held the decree, that was all it was. They only needed to follow the Emperor's command.

But the Third Prince’s eyes were bloodshot, and he acted as if possessed. "What are you doing! I said kill him! Are you deaf?"

The Third Prince writhed, trying to break free from Zhou Hao’s grip. He was not satisfied—he had to see Zhou Hao die before his eyes to satisfy his hatred! Mere imprisonment was no punishment at all! Only by killing Zhou Hao, by ensuring his total destruction, could he find a moment of peace.

"Third Prince, how have you been? What is wrong with you—can you not even stand?" The General’s booming voice echoed as he strode out to the gate. He scanned the imperial guards before fixing his gaze on the Third Prince. "My dear son-in-law, how can you treat the Third Prince this way? Can't you see he can barely stand? Let the Third Prince sit on the ground and rest."

There was a hint of reproach in his words, but his face still held a smile. As Zhou Hao released his grip, the Third Prince landed hard on his backside, his murderous intent toward Zhou Hao surging even more fiercely.

"You deserve to die!"