Chapter 501 The Crown Prince is Dead?

Chapter 501: The Crown Prince Is Dead?

"Your portrait is posted in almost every town in Xishu Kingdom, so finding you wasn't difficult."

After Ji Yuntang finished speaking, she suddenly realized something and said, slightly startled:

"We just walked through most of Mingyue Town, including the busiest, liveliest streets, and we didn't see a single portrait of you."

"If this really is the main route to the capital, that doesn't make any sense."

Mingyue Town connects to the imperial capital of Xishu Kingdom. Though far less prosperous than the capital, it's a place that merchants and travelers from all nations pass through on their way to the capital, and it's also the fastest place for news to spread.

Empress Dowager Yuan has been searching everywhere for Chu Yi, so there shouldn't be a place without his portrait.

By this time, the three had already entered a private room in the restaurant. Xie Liuzheng had ordered a large table of dishes. He first tore off a chicken leg and put it in Ji Yuntang's bowl, then tore one for himself and started gnawing on it.

While eating, he said in a muffled voice, "What's so unreasonable about it? Empress Dowager Yuan sent troops to capture him for two years and still couldn't find him. Maybe she just got tired of searching and gave up!"

Earlier on the road, he had learned about Hua Feixue's true identity and current situation, as well as the real reason for his cross-dressing.

Xie Liuzheng felt deep sympathy for him.

Here was a crown prince who could only survive by pretending to be insane. His siblings and mother had all died at the hands of Empress Dowager Yuan. His father was too ill to hold court. The entire imperial family of Xishu Kingdom was under Empress Dowager Yuan's control, leaving no place for the Chu clan.

Such a crown prince might appear glorious, but in reality, he was utterly pathetic.

What was most infuriating was that Hua Feixue wanted to take revenge on his own. In principle, that was an extremely difficult task.

After all, how could one person stand against the thousands of troops under the Yuan clan's command?

The fact that he was still alive was already a blessing within misfortune!

Hua Feixue remained tight-lipped and silent. Ji Yuntang also sensed that something was wrong. With a grave expression, she said, "This isn't that simple."

"How could Empress Dowager Yuan just give up after searching for the crown prince for two years?"

Just then, from the corner of her eye, Ji Yuntang noticed a shopkeeper from a clothing store downstairs hanging a white lantern at the entrance of his shop.

The lantern was quite distinctive—six-sided with sharp edges, painted with dragon and phoenix Bagua patterns, and stamped with an official seal at the bottom corner.

Looking around, within less than a quarter of an hour, every shop on the street had hung identical white lanterns at their entrances.

Coincidentally, a waiter from the restaurant came in to deliver wine. Ji Yuntang stopped him and asked curiously, "Excuse me, young man, today isn't any special occasion. Why is everyone hanging white lanterns at their shop entrances?"

Seeing that the person asking was a young woman, the waiter paused to explain, "You guests must be from out of town, right?"

"You probably don't know, but these are the dragon-phoenix boneless lanterns unique to our Xishu Kingdom, used specifically to commemorate deceased members of the imperial family."

Xie Liuzheng interjected curiously, "Who died? Could it be Empress Dowager Yuan?"

The waiter immediately panicked and said, "Oh, sir, you mustn't say such things! Empress Dowager Yuan is in good health and deeply blessed. She will surely live a long life."

"These dragon-phoenix boneless lanterns aren't something just any imperial family member can use. They can only be hung during the three days before the burial of the emperor, empress, or their legitimate son—the crown prince—when they pass away. The purpose is to allow the people to mourn them."

Ji Yuntang furrowed her brow and said, "As far as I know, Empress Chu passed away many years ago. Could it be that Emperor Chu has also..."

But when she was in Dongchen Kingdom, she hadn't heard any news of Emperor Chu's death.

If Emperor Chu had truly passed away, Xishu Kingdom would surely have invited Dongchen Kingdom, and Emperor Jingyang would have sent envoys to attend the funeral.

Since she hadn't heard anything, that meant the deceased couldn't be Emperor Chu.

The waiter's answer gave them the answer.

He lowered his voice and said, "It's not Emperor Chu—it's the Crown Prince."

Hearing this, all three were shocked simultaneously. The chicken leg in Xie Liuzheng's mouth even dropped directly into his bowl.

He stared at the waiter in shock, then looked at Hua Feixue.

The Crown Prince of Xishu Kingdom was dead, so who was the person sitting across from him eating?

At that moment, the waiter noticed the wedding invitation that Ji Yuntang had forged and placed on the table.

He spoke up, "I take it you folks are heading to the capital for a wedding banquet. Let me tell you honestly, all wedding and birthday celebrations in the capital will be cancelled for the next few days, until the Crown Prince's remains are interred in the imperial mausoleum."

"These dragon-phoenix boneless lanterns were ordered by Empress Dowager Yuan herself, specifically to commemorate our Crown Prince. He was the only surviving son of Emperor Chu and Empress Chu."

"Who would have thought that two years ago, the Crown Prince, being playful, snuck out of the palace. Empress Dowager Yuan sent people to search all of Xishu Kingdom, and for two full years they couldn't find him. It wasn't until recently that they found a clue about his whereabouts."

"By the time Empress Dowager Yuan's people rushed over, the Crown Prince had already been burned to death in his bed. His face was completely disfigured—you couldn't even tell what he originally looked like!"

Xie Liuzheng asked in confusion, "Then how did you determine he was the Crown Prince?"

The waiter said, "Naturally, because he carried a waist token proving his identity as the Crown Prince!"

Xie Liuzheng scoffed, "You can determine someone's identity based on just a waist token? Your Empress Dowager's methods are far too careless!"

Hearing this, the waiter immediately became displeased. "You have quite the nerve, sir! You've casually slandered our Empress Dowager multiple times, speaking ill of her. Do you know how much effort she has put into our Xishu Kingdom over the years?"

"The Emperor is gravely ill, the Crown Prince is missing—almost all matters of state are pressed onto Empress Dowager Yuan alone. She, a woman of the harem, bears responsibilities that aren't hers, endures tremendous external pressure, and still manages to hold up the entire Xishu Kingdom."

"In the eyes of us common folk, she's a figure comparable to a female emperor—such an extraordinary person! Without her, Xishu Kingdom would probably have been carved up by the other three kingdoms by now. We wouldn't be able to live peaceful, prosperous lives like we do now!"

After speaking, the waiter set down the wine goblet in his hand and stormed off angrily, but Ji Yuntang stopped him in time.

"Hey, young man, don't rush off! My brother just speaks that way—he's never been one for manners. Don't take it to heart."

"We still have a few questions we'd like to ask you. Could you help us with some answers?"

As she spoke, Ji Yuntang pulled out a silver ingot from her pocket and pressed it into the waiter's hand.

She smiled. "A small token of appreciation. Please accept it."

The waiter shot Xie Liuzheng a glare but still accepted the silver.

"Now this young lady is reasonable—her words are pleasant to hear."

"What else would you like to ask about?"

------------