Chapter 444 Long Time No See

Chapter 444: Long Time No See

The words "Imperial Father" still carried the respectful address, but the tone no longer held any reverence.

Lin Zhufeng raised his eyes, looking at Zhou Hao, his thoughts unreadable.

Zhou Hao met his gaze without flinching. "I came here tonight—"

He paused, his gaze shifting from Lin Zhufeng's face to the empty Imperial Desk.

"—having heard from my uncle that the Grand Tutor has a secret edict here."

He withdrew his gaze, the smile on his face deepening slightly as it returned to Lin Zhufeng. "I've come to take it."

Zhou Hao's gaze settled on his face, the smile lingering at the corners of his mouth but never reaching his eyes.

The night wind squeezed through the crack in the door, carrying the early spring chill and sending a shiver down your spine.

In the distance, a faint sound drifted in, intermittent and indistinct.

Zhou Hao suddenly let out a soft laugh—light, with a composure beyond his years.

"The Grand Tutor says nothing," he paused. "Are you not going to hand it over?"

As if suddenly coming to his senses, Lin Zhufeng spoke unhurriedly, "The secret edict you speak of... there is indeed one."

Zhou Hao's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help stepping forward.

"In that case—" his voice lowered, yet carried an urgency he could not hide, "Where is the final edict?!"

As his words fell, the hall did not respond as he expected.

Lin Zhufeng looked at him, then suddenly gave a faint smile.

The smile was so light it was almost inaudible, just the corners of his mouth twitching.

But that smile seemed to open the floodgates, and the ministers nearby began to let out low laughs in succession.

The laughter was undisguised, grating in the somber hall, and Zhou Hao's expression shifted slightly.

He looked at those old ministers, at the faint smiles on their faces, and a surge of irritation rose in him.

The irritation came fast, impossible to suppress. No matter how mature his mind, he was still barely in his teens, and in the end, he couldn't contain himself.

Lin Zhufeng did not look at him. Instead, he slowly turned to Zhang Gelao.

"Zhang Gelao, I have yet to hear of any final edict from His Majesty. Have any of you heard of such a thing?"

Zhang Gelao leaned against the pillar, slowly shaking his head. "I haven't heard of it."

Minister Wang took over, his tone still slow, as if chewing on gristle.

"I haven't heard of it either."

Reader Li looked up, glanced at Zhou Hao, then lowered his eyes again.

"I've lived for decades and have only seen one edict establishing the Crown Prince. As for anything else... I have not heard of it."

Lin Zhufeng let out a soft sigh. "His Majesty is in his prime, and the Crown Prince has already been established. Why would he need a final edict?"

He fixed his gaze steadily on Zhou Hao, his eyes calm. "The Second Prince is so young—how is it that he is more muddled than this old man?"

He spoke gently, but to Zhou Hao's ears, the words were like needles piercing him all over.

His face darkened.

The smile still hung at the corners of his mouth, but it had frozen, as if nailed there.

"What does the Grand Tutor mean by this?" His voice turned cold. "Are you mocking me?"

Zhou Hao took a step forward, his voice dropped until it seemed squeezed through clenched teeth.

"Some harsh truths are hard to hear. But I wish to say them upfront."

His gaze swept over the few before him, his chin lifting slightly. "This realm, after all, belongs to the Zhou family! Life and death, reward and punishment—all lie in the hands of the imperial house!"

The moment these words fell, the air in the hall seemed to freeze.

Zhang Gelao, gripping the pillar, he slowly rose to his feet.

His movements were slow, as if using every ounce of his strength, but the moment he stood straight, a sharp glint shot from those dim, aged eyes.

"The imperial house bears the Zhou surname—"

His voice was slow and deliberate, yet every word landed clearly in everyone's ears.

"But as of now, it is not yet the Second Prince's place to rule!"

His voice suddenly rose. "And even less the Chen family's turn to hold power!"

Minister Wang also stood, dusting off his sleeves and raising his eyes to look at Zhou Hao.

There was no fear in that gaze—only the scrutiny of an elder sizing up a junior.

"The Second Prince conspired with the rebels—"

His voice remained slow, as if chewing on gristle, but within it, a blade was ground out.

"Are you worthy of His Majesty?" He took a step forward. "Do you still have the nerve to speak of the Great Zhou's realm?"

Reader Li also rose. He said nothing, just stood there, looking at Zhou Hao.

But that look alone weighed more than any words.

Zhou Hao's expression changed completely. The smile that had lingered at the corners of his mouth finally faded, bit by bit.

He looked at the old ministers before him, at those composed faces.

But beneath that composure lay knives, swords, and unyielding spines.

Zhou Hao's chest rose and fell slightly. His hands clenched his sleeves, knuckles turning white.

That irrepressible irritation finally burst through the mask of feigned composure.

These people would never serve him! If that's the case—then don't blame him for being ruthless.

"Rebels?" His voice squeezed through his teeth, sharp and piercing. "Since ancient times, the victor is king and the vanquished is a bandit—"

"Only the defeated are called rebels!"

His gaze swept over the old ministers, over Lin Zhufeng, and across the deathly silence filling the hall.

Then he raised a hand. "Guards!"

His voice exploded through the hall, the doors slammed open, and several guards rushed in.

Zhou Hao's gaze fell on Lin Zhufeng, those young eyes now held nothing but dark menace.

"The cabinet ministers, in collusion with the Crown Prince, have plotted rebellion—"

He spoke each word deliberately. "Behead them all! To uphold the stability of the state!"

Zhou Hao's voice was still echoing through the hall.

The guards had already drawn their blades, the steel glinting coldly in the night as they closed in on the old ministers.

Lin Zhufeng sat in his chair, hands folded in front of him, not moving an inch. Zhang Gelao stood by the pillar, his spine ramrod straight.

Minister Wang brushed off his sleeves, and Reader Li even stepped forward two paces.

They didn't flee, just stood there, watching the blades close in.

The blades swept up—

Then, suddenly—an icy blade pressed against Zhou Hao's neck.

His voice cut off abruptly, his whole body freezing in place. The sensation was cold, like a snake against his pulse, which was racing faster and faster.

"Your Highness—"

A voice came from behind him—not loud, even gentle—yet every word landed clearly in his ears.

"Long time no see."