The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 131

The Crown Prince’s Residence.

As soon as Song Jin left, the Crown Prince’s expression turned cold.

In the study, the Crown Prince sat behind the desk with a dark expression, facing over a dozen servants.

“I heard there’s a storybook about eating bats. How is it that I know nothing about it? And you dare say my collection encompasses all storybooks in the world?”

As he finished speaking, he slammed the table.

These servants were responsible for gathering storybooks for the Crown Prince. The task wasn’t difficult, but it required traveling across the country, which was challenging. Fortunately, the Crown Prince never mistreated them. Each trip came with a silver allowance and covered all expenses. Even if they found ordinary storybooks, there was no punishment. But if they found exceptional ones, the Crown Prince rewarded them generously.

This job was practically perfect, making it their first time seeing the Crown Prince so angry.

He was furious, as if someone had desecrated his ancestors’ graves.

One of the bolder servants stepped forward and bowed. “Your Highness, we have been diligent in our efforts. We have never heard of a storybook about eating bats. We fear it might not exist. Such a thing is unheard of in the world.”

This servant had been working for the Crown Prince for eight years. In those years, about one-tenth of the storybooks the Crown Prince had read were found by him. Although he hadn’t read all of them, he knew their general content because the sellers often described the books, and the servants exchanged information among themselves. Something as bizarre as eating bats would have been mentioned if it existed. He felt confident that such a storybook might not exist at all.

However, his words only darkened the Crown Prince’s already grim face.

“Is my household too well-fed, making you so full that you dare contradict me?” The Crown Prince’s voice was low, but the chilling tone made the servant drop to his knees.

“Your Highness, I meant no disrespect. I fear you might be misled by someone with ill intentions.”

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes.

Misled by someone with ill intentions? The woman in Shen Yue’s body?

She had only asked if there was such a storybook. Was this a deliberate attempt to distract him?

As the thought crossed his mind, the Crown Prince remembered her eyes. Shen Yue’s eyes, but the look in them was not his.

Rubbing his thumb and forefinger together, the Crown Prince coldly said, “One month. I give you one month to find this book, or else…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. But his tone left no room for argument.

The servants bowed their heads and agreed in unison, then left one by one when the Crown Prince had no further orders.

The kneeling servant remained, too afraid to rise. The Crown Prince glanced at him. “What? Do you need me to help you up?”

The servant shivered and stood up immediately. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

He then fled like a gust of wind.

The Crown Prince squinted as he watched him leave. After the servant was out of sight, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.

Eating bats… Just the thought of it made the storybook intriguing. What kind of tale would it unfold? Would the protagonists compete to catch the most bats?

A small smile appeared on his lips. The Crown Prince pulled out a sheet of paper from the desk, contemplated for a moment, and began writing.

His sources had already identified the families in Yozhou who had experienced changes. One was Qian Lai, another was Song Dingzhong, and the third was Zhao Jide.

Qian Lai was confirmed to be a lackey of The Duke in the Yozhou gold mining operations.

Zhao Jide was a local official who, upon hearing disturbances in the mountains, led a team up and accidentally discovered the gold mine. Fearing the news would be intercepted, he personally reported it to the capital. On the surface, it seemed reasonable. However, following the logic of storybooks, this intervention was unusual.

Zhao Jide was the top scholar sixteen years ago. He had been stationed in Yozhou since then, seemingly held back by The Duke. However, another person of equal standing with The Duke might also have prevented his transfer. The Crown Prince circled Zhao Jide’s name and drew a question mark beside it.

Additionally, the number sixteen was sensitive. Sixteen years ago, the late Emperor and Empress Dowager had died suddenly, leading to the current Emperor’s ascension. Given the storybook patterns, this was not a normal succession.

Sixteen years later, the issue of The Duke’s gold mine emerged, involving Zhao Jide. The Crown Prince underlined Zhao Jide’s name.

If his assumptions were correct, Zhao Jide would soon be promoted.

As for where…

The Crown Prince stared at his inkstone, lost in thought. Then he wrote “Capital Magistrate” on the paper.

The gold in the Capital Magistrate’s mansion did not belong to the Capital Magistrate. He was merely implicated. If the Capital Magistrate was a stepping stone to attack The Duke, it also meant someone wanted the Capital Magistrate’s position to be vacant.

The Crown Prince connected Zhao Jide to the Capital Magistrate with a line. Was Zhao Jide aiming for the Capital Magistrate’s position?

If Zhao Jide took over as Capital Magistrate…

The Crown Prince immediately thought of the Minister of Justice, Zhao Jide’s old classmate.

As this connection became clear, it felt as if a new door opened in the Crown Prince’s mind, and he suddenly understood certain things.

A smile spread across his face.

Who said reading storybooks was a waste of time?

The essence of storybooks was not something ordinary people could grasp.

Understanding the connection between Zhao Jide and the Minister of Justice, the Crown Prince’s attention turned to Song Dingzhong.

A merchant from Yozhou.

The Song family’s business was vast, with branches across the country and even in neighboring states. Running a large business was commendable, but Song Dingzhong had moved to Yozhou sixteen years ago—another sensitive number. Moreover, his son got married during Shen Yue’s disappearance and both his son and daughter-in-law died after Shen Yue reappeared.

Anyone well-versed in storybooks would see through this smokescreen.