Chapter 46: The Person He Sent Must Please the Crown Prince More

Chapter 46: His Gift Would Surely Delight the Crown Prince More

Pei Yun's voice flowed soft and sweet, like a babbling brook that coursed straight to Li Zhangye's core—particularly when that single word - 'husband' - fell from her lips. His gaze instantly softened.

This was the first time Pei Yun had addressed him this way.

Unlike the title "Your Highness," which anyone could use, she was the only one in the world who could call him husband.

And Li Zhangye greatly cherished this uniqueness.

Zhang Chengzhi, standing nearby, observed the woman who had suddenly appeared. She was dressed as a married woman, around twenty years of age, with arched brows like moth antennae and teeth like polished jade—so radiant they commanded immediate attention.

Truly, a vision of loveliness.

"Sir, who is this…?" Zhang Chengzhi ventured to ask.

Li Zhangye: "This is my lady wife."

Lady wife?

Zhang Chengzhi's brow creased momentarily. Last night, he had indeed heard that a woman had entered the Crown Prince's quarters and had not left all night.

It must be this very woman now before him.

But the Crown Prince referred to her as "lady wife"…

He pondered for a moment before his expression cleared in sudden understanding.

The only one in the world who could truly be called the Crown Prince’s wife was his official consort back in the capital—yet this... local arrangement carried the same title.

Zhang Chengzhi snorted inwardly.

No doubt some local opportunist had moved quickly—though they'd stolen a march on him.

He stole another glance at Pei Yun and sighed to himself. So the Crown Prince wasn't averse to women after all—it was just that the ones he had sent before weren’t beautiful enough.

Of course, in the capital, there was no shortage of beauties. The few he had found might have been considered somewhat attractive in Yuezhou, but were barely worthy of the Crown Prince’s glance.

Still, Zhang Chengzhi remained unperturbed.

If the Crown Prince had accepted one, he'd undoubtedly welcome others.

His timing was simply off—but the one he would send would prove most pleasing to the Crown Prince.

"We'll review the case in the rear courtyard."

Pei Yun had only asked casually, never expecting him to actually include her.

She nodded and followed him to the west wing of the residence where he was staying.

Seated beside him, she listened as he laid out the particulars of the case.

Li Zhangye wasn’t merely repeating the facts—he was analyzing even as he spoke, checking if he had missed anything.

Yet when he finished, he stole a glance at Pei Yun.

Truthfully, he harbored a private hope—he wanted Pei Shi to know that he was genuinely investigating the case, not off carousing while leaving her and the children behind.

Pei Yun, of course, didn’t notice the Crown Prince’s thoughts, nor was she particularly concerned. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly—the case struck her as profoundly strange.

To Pei Yun, what was even more puzzling was why she had barely caught wind of such a major case involving nearly a hundred missing people in her previous life, nor did she ever learn how it was ultimately resolved.

Pei Yun knew the Crown Prince well—if this matter remained unresolved, he would never return to the capital.

Was the court deliberately covering this up?

But why would they do so?

Or was it because the outbreak that followed drowned out the incident, making people forget about it?

“What’s your take on this case, Crown Princess?”

While Pei Yun was deep in thought, she blinked in surprise as the Crown Prince suddenly asked.

She had never weighed in on court matters before. Even in a case like this, it was hardly her place to intervene.

She had assumed the Crown Prince would object to a woman sticking her nose in such matters, never expecting him to actively seek her opinion.

Since he had asked, Pei Yun laid out her thoughts plainly. “Your Highness, I believe that if those people truly intended to capture blacksmiths, their goal’s obvious—it must be for forging iron. But the state controls salt and iron. What would ordinary people need so many blacksmiths for? Considering the missing young men, there is only one possibility: someone is secretly mining iron ore and forging weapons.”

As Pei Yun spoke, she occasionally glanced up and saw the Crown Prince studying her with a quiet intensity, a glint of approval in his eyes.

Though he said nothing, Pei Yun understood that her thoughts must have aligned with his.

However...

Pei Yun lowered her eyes, a shadow of worry crossing her face.

She supposed the Crown Prince had also realized that if those people were mining and forging iron merely for trade, it would be less concerning. What they truly feared was that this might not be the case...

Over the next dozen or so days, constables streamed in and out of the Crown Prince’s residence to report.

Pei Yun used soup deliveries as an excuse to enter and listen in. Fortunately, he never turned her away, sometimes even allowing her to stay in the west chamber, where she’d curl up with a book.

Thus, she heard everything they discussed.

True to the Crown Prince’s predictions, besides the three counties where blacksmiths had already gone missing, two more counties reported disappearances. One of the blacksmiths was not a local and had no relatives, so no one had reported his absence.

The other missing blacksmith was a notorious drunk who spent all his strength beating his wife and children. His family, so desperate they prayed he’d vanish, naturally did not report it to the authorities.

Additionally, in Zhanggu County, there was one man who had not gone missing but recounted that over half a month ago, he had nearly been abducted on his way home. However, since the county office had warned the people about recent unrest, the blacksmith had carried a dagger for self-defense and stabbed one of the assailants, allowing him to escape.

Spooked by the close call, he had not dared to leave his home for some time afterward.

Thus, if there were no omissions, the tally of snatched or targeted blacksmiths amounted to seven.

The Crown Prince’s face went grim as he ordered Zhang Chengzhi to dispatch more men to investigate whether any suspicious ironware had appeared on the market in recent months.

Yet by around the 20th of October, nothing had been found. Iron’s too heavy to smuggle quietly.

If these were not meant for sale... then it was likely as they had feared.

Pei Yun knew that the Crown Prince’s high-profile actions were partly meant to intimidate the criminals—at least since his arrival in Yuezhou, no more inexplicable disappearances had occurred.

However, the downside was that the desperate criminals might slaughter the lives of those already missing.

Thus, the Crown Prince grew increasingly anxious. Once it was confirmed that the abductions targeted blacksmiths, Pei Yun barely caught glimpses of him. She guessed he must be attempting to lead men into the mountains, but Yuezhou was surrounded by vast ranges—like finding a needle in a mountain range.

By the end of October, Pei Yun’s unease deepened. She had come to Yuezhou hoping to address the epidemic, yet now, not only was the epidemic unresolved, but she could do nothing to help with the disappearances either.

What good did it do to have memories of a past life? In the end, she had overestimated herself.

Pei Yun, feeling restless, called for Shu Yan to help her change into fresh clothes and don a bamboo hat with a veil before stepping out for some air.

Just as she exited through the side gate of the rear residence, a street vendor passed before her. The man was tall and strapping, unlike the usual vendors bent under the weight of their carrying poles, which made Pei Yun glance at him a second time.

When she did, the man also lifted his head, showing much of his face beneath the wide brim of his hat.

Pei Yun froze in place. Though he’d darkened his face on purpose, she recognized him.

In the last four years of her past life, a young official had suddenly risen in the imperial court. Starting as a judicial commissioner, he climbed swiftly through the ranks within a few years, working alongside the Crown Prince to push through bold reforms.

Though he offended many noble families and powerful aristocrats in the capital, he seemed fearless to the death, pressing forward undaunted.

Pei Yun could not mistake him—she had often seen this man in the Eastern Palace in her past life. Each time, he would stand before her, bow respectfully, and address her as "Crown Princess."

By then, he had already become the Crown Prince’s deadliest weapon.

But why would Du Hangzhou appear here, dressed in the odd peddler’s getup?

Pei Yun did not know much about this young Master Du. Her most vivid memory was from the year she took her own life, when Shu Mo, trying to lift her spirits, had imitated Shu Yan by gathering amusing gossip to share.

One such story was about Master Du—how someone had encountered him at Long’en Temple in the outskirts of the capital and even seen him enshrine a nameless spirit tablet there, placing a sprig of Chinese crape myrtle before it.

People whispered that it might belong to a secret love he could never speak of.

But that was beside the point and unrelated to the matter at hand. Pei Yun vaguely recalled that Du Hangzhou had only begun to rise to prominence in the capital’s political arena after that epidemic.

Though years earlier, Master Du had placed second in the imperial examinations and served in the Hanlin Academy, his stubborn temperament had allegedly offended powerful figures, leading to his exile from the capital.

But Pei Yun had not known Du Hangzhou had been sent to Yuezhou.

Had his later gain of the Crown Prince’s trust and subsequent recall to the capital been connected to this very case?

Whether it was or not, Pei Yun did not know. But she was certain that Du Hangzhou’s showing up in disguise had a purpose.

Instead of boarding her carriage, she turned to Shu Yan and said, "That vendor’s wares seem to have many interesting knickknacks. Call him over."

Shu Yan immediately called out and waved the vendor over. The man quickly approached Pei Yun and bowed. "Care to take a look, ma’am? These are all the trendiest goods I’ve sourced from various places..."

Having served Pei Yun for so many years, Shu Yan had gained an eye for quality. While these items might be decent for common folk, her mistress resided in the Eastern Palace, where everything was of the highest quality—these wares were beneath her station.

"My lady," Shu Yan said tactfully, not wanting to disparage them outright, "I don’t see anything here that would suit you."

Pei Yun’s delicate white hands trailed over the colorful assortment of goods, but she smiled. "I disagree. I find them quite charming. There are even some novelties I’ve never seen before—things one wouldn’t find in the capital. Once we go back with His Hi—with Third Master, we’ll have no chance to see them again."

Hearing the nearly slipped "His Highness" in Pei Yun’s words, the vendor’s eyes lit up at once, and he eagerly said, "If these don’t please you, madam, I have other goods you might prefer."

Pei Yun rested her hand on a box of rouge, opening it to inspect. "Does this rouge come in a softer, subtler hue?"

"It does, of course," the vendor replied. "How about I return tomorrow morning with a wider selection for you to choose from?"

Pei Yun nodded but then said, "Tomorrow morning is fine, but two days is too long."

"Certainly, of course."

Pei Yun turned to Shu Yan and instructed, "Then tomorrow morning, you will bring him inside."

Though completely puzzled—why would her mistress, with access to the finest cosmetics, take an interest in these?—Shu Yan obediently replied, "Yes."

Early that morning, as soon as Pei Yun had just gotten up, a servant came to report that a peddler was asking to see her outside. Surprised by his early arrival, Pei Yun quickly told Shu Yan to bring him in.

The peddler, still wearing rough linen clothes with a straw hat, entered while looking around carefully. He then bowed before Pei Yun and showed several ready-made boxes of rouge.

Pei Yun casually picked one, applying it to her cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the peddler pressing his lips tightly, deep in thought. A faint smile curved her lips, sparing him further trouble.

"Is the Crown Prince still in the west wing?" Pei Yun asked.

Shu Yan replied, "Yes. Since returning the night before last, the Crown Prince has been troubled. It seems he is currently discussing matters with two officials."

"Go and summon the Crown Prince. Tell him I have something important."

Shu Yan obeyed and headed to the west wing.

There, Li Zhangye was discussing with Chen Ming and Cen Zhong, two officials from the Dali Temple (the Court of Judicial Review), about locating the mountain's mineral veins. Over the past half-month, they had attempted three expeditions into the mountains, each time returning empty-handed.

They couldn't keep searching blindly.

As Li Zhangye frowned in contemplation, Shu Yan knocked and entered, informing him that his wife asked for him.

Li Zhangye immediately stood and strode out.

Pei Shi had been in Yuezhou for over half a month, yet he had been too occupied with the case to spend time with her. She had remained quiet, never troubling him. Her sudden summons likely indicated something urgent.

Pei Yun had not expected the Crown Prince to arrive so swiftly, his expression slightly tense. The thought of what she was about to say made her a little embarrassed.

Nevertheless, she smiled sweetly and said softly, "Husband, I've bought new rouge. How does it look?"

Pei Yun had assumed that summoning the busy Crown Prince merely to admire her makeup would make him angry. To her surprise, he paused briefly, as if relieved, his gaze softening as he gently replied, "It looks lovely."

At that moment, the "peddler" standing nearby removed his hat and abruptly knelt before the Crown Prince.

"I, your servant Du Hangzhou, County Lieutenant of Zhanggu County, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."