Chapter Forty-Four: Severing the Channel

“Say that again?”

The enraged Third Prince fixed his glare on the servant, his eyes seeming to consume him utterly.

“Your Highness, your private salt trade route was raided by the General with his troops. All goods and silver were confiscated.”

The trembling servant dared not meet the Third Prince’s gaze.

Being sent forward to report this meant his status was clear—a scapegoat.

The Third Prince’s fury deepened as he stared at the servant, then sneered.

“Excellent, truly excellent! The Crown Prince is doing a fine job—he’s completely cut off my purse strings!”

His expression grew colder still.

“Who was in charge of this? Kill him.”

With that, the Third Prince turned away, his eyes burning with unquenchable rage.

He had never imagined that Zhou Hao could deal such a blow.

That had been his most profitable venture, now utterly ruined?

“Fine, if you’re heartless, then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

He casually clapped his hands, signaling a guard to approach.

“Go fetch General Li immediately. Tell him the Third Prince has approved his plan.”

The guard nodded repeatedly, not daring to linger.

Why stay here and wait for death?

Soon, a broad-shouldered man strode into the Third Prince’s residence, excitement flickering in his eyes.

“Your Highness, have you truly agreed to my proposal?”

“This Crown Prince is nothing but a dog. Even if he’s killed halfway, no one will investigate.”

“Even if the General wants to look into it, what can he do? He can’t follow the Crown Prince everywhere to prevent any harm.”

Hearing General Li’s words, the Third Prince’s face darkened further.

He had already planned his revenge against the Crown Prince.

Only one of them would survive.

“You’re right. Once the Crown Prince leaves the capital, we can do whatever we want. Besides, he has plenty of wealth.”

“A child flaunting gold in a busy market—this is not a blessing, but a calamity.”

General Li chuckled.

---

The Crown Prince’s wealth had increasingly attracted envy.

At first, it was just a thousand taels of gold, not enough to prompt General Li to consider an ambush.

But add the silver from the Crown Prince’s position and that Flower Branch Jie—

These were all major assets.

If they could seize this wealth, what did it matter if the Crown Prince no longer held office?

He could still live in luxury.

At first, when General Li mentioned this to the Third Prince, he hesitated.

No matter what, the Crown Prince was still a royal; intercepting him halfway was distasteful.

But now, he had few options.

He wanted the humiliation, to make the Crown Prince understand the enemy he had made.

If killing the Crown Prince meant handing over the gold and silver to General Li, so be it.

“General Li, I have but one demand: bring me the Crown Prince’s head.”

“It must be the head—no need to capture him alive. Saves trouble.”

The Third Prince’s expression grew even sterner.

So stern that General Li dared not meet his gaze.

“I understand. When the Crown Prince prepares to depart, I will take my three hundred soldiers to ambush him. I ask for your support then.”

“Agreed. As long as the mission succeeds, I will handle the aftermath.”

General Li dared to attempt the ambush not only out of greed but because he had the Third Prince’s backing.

If he could prove to the Third Prince that the ambush was unrelated to him and split the gold, he could retire wealthy.

The Third Prince’s plan was even clearer.

Why let General Li live?

As long as he lived, the ambush would remain a stain on the Third Prince’s record.

Even if he ascended the throne, that scandal would be a threat.

For the throne, the Third Prince would make a difficult decision:

After the job was done, General Li would be eliminated.

Then, with the Crown Prince dead and the treasure in hand, the gold and silver would be his.

Enough to open another private salt trade route.

Wouldn’t life be even better than now?

---

At the Crown Prince’s residence, Zhou Hao cautiously scanned his surroundings, a hint of puzzlement on his face.

“Why hasn’t the Third Prince retaliated? Could it be he’s learned his lesson?”

Beside him, Bi Ruxue shook her head, not understanding his meaning.

“Retaliate? This matter has nothing to do with you openly. Why would the Third Prince seek revenge?”

Zhou Hao smiled first, then glanced toward the garden behind him.

“True, on the surface I’m uninvolved.”

“When the General raided the private salt trade, I was feasting in my restaurant. The people saw everything clearly.”

“But so what? Even if I wasn’t present or involved, does the Third Prince think this means I’m innocent?”

“Impossible! The General wouldn’t have raided earlier or later, but just when the Third Prince crossed me. Doesn’t that speak volumes?”

“Besides, what evidence is needed for revenge? For the Third Prince, attitude alone suffices.”

Bi Ruxue nodded repeatedly.

It made sense—The Third Prince was vindictive; retreating on such a matter was unlike him.

This calm was more perplexing to Zhou Hao.

“But… should we really keep destroying his money-making channels?”

“What if we push him too far?”

Zhou Hao gave a cold laugh, then said slowly:

“Push him too far? Now the Third Prince and I are locked in mortal combat. As long as one survives, the other cannot.”

“If the Third Prince isn’t reacting now, that’s perfect. Tomorrow I will petition to raid the private salt and iron trades, bringing troops to confiscate everything. Let’s see if he still remains silent then!”

Zhou Hao was not truly opposing the Third Prince.

Rather, the Third Prince’s inaction was suspicious.

Was he waiting quietly to gather strength?

That was like waiting for the tiger to get full before killing it.

Impossible.

For Zhou Hao, continuous strikes to disrupt the Third Prince’s plans were the only way.

To keep him off-balance, forcing a hasty counterattack.

That was the most advantageous position Zhou Hao could create for himself.