The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 132

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

The Crown Prince connected Zhao Jide to the Governor with a line. Was Zhao Jide aiming for the Governor’s position? If Zhao Jide took over as Governor… 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.

So, Song Dingzhong’s son and daughter-in-law’s disappearance must be connected to Shen Yue. The question now was, was it Song Dingzhong’s son or daughter-in-law who was connected to Shen Yue?

Based on his observations, Shen Yue’s body was inhabited by a woman. This suggested the daughter-in-law was involved. But who could say for certain that the daughter-in-law was actually who she appeared to be?

What if Song Dingzhong’s son was a woman all along?

The Crown Prince couldn’t be sure and made a note on the paper.

Next, he wrote down the Heavenly Hound. The Heavenly Hound was sent to Yozhou to capture Shen Yue. Although the dog hadn’t bonded with him, it was hostile to Shen Yue. Shen Yue’s injury was due to the Heavenly Hound, but the dog only provided Shen Yue’s location and didn’t attack directly.

He had thought the legend of the Heavenly Hound was just a myth until the dog betrayed him. The dog wouldn’t have turned without reason—it must have met its true master. The Emperor didn’t want to admit that the dog’s master could be someone else, but the Crown Prince saw it clearly.

The Heavenly Hound bonded with the soul inside Shen Yue, its true master. With its master, the dog’s spiritual nature awakened, and its combat power surged. After the betrayal, the dog wiped out his men without Shen Yue’s intervention.

Since returning to the capital, the Heavenly Hound behaved almost like a spirit.

…

The Crown Prince stared at the words he had written, pondering for a long time. Everything seemed to have a common key point: sixteen years ago. What had he missed from that time?

He had never been curious about the past, but now, it felt like he was solving an ancient puzzle. His curiosity urged him to uncover the truth. The key was the Emperor’s ascension. If he could solve these problems, perhaps he could resolve his own long-hidden questions as well.

Pain flickered in the Crown Prince’s eyes. He clenched his fist on the desk, veins bulging on the back of his hand. At this moment, he felt both pain and anger. If he couldn’t make the other party pay a hundredfold, his struggle would be meaningless! He had to succeed!

The Crown Prince slammed his fist on the desk just as footsteps sounded outside. He quickly composed himself and looked toward the door. The steward stood at the entrance with a calm expression.

“What is it?”

The steward stepped inside. “Your Highness, how should we handle the people the Second Prince sent?”

“Take the remains from the banquet hall to their courtyard and set up a pot. Let them cook a soup.” Several sacks of remnants, both poisonous and non-poisonous, had been gathered from the banquet hall. The delicate women wouldn’t be able to withstand such terror.

The steward nodded and left to carry out the order. Once the steward was gone, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but recall the woman’s reaction. She had clung to his neck and refused to let go. He wondered how she would manage to get the painting from the Empress’s sleeping quarters.

The Crown Prince felt a sense of anticipation.

Time passed, and night fell.

The Crown Prince was reading a storybook by lamplight when the steward returned.

“Your Highness, the two women have gone mad with fear.”

The Crown Prince remained expressionless, his eyes never leaving the book, as if he had expected this outcome. “Send them back to the Second Prince. I don’t want such disturbances in my residence.”

The steward acknowledged the order but did not leave immediately.

The Crown Prince glanced at him. “What is it?”

The steward said, “Yesterday, Master Deqing entered the palace.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed sharply. For Master Deqing to be summoned, it must be related to the rumored spiritual energy. This was something the Emperor feared most. And it was related to the late Empress, going back sixteen years.

The Crown Prince nodded. “Understood.”

The steward then departed. The women who had been sent that morning were returned that night, driven mad, along with several sacks of remnants. The Second Prince couldn’t even refuse or argue.

As soon as the Crown Prince’s men left, the Second Prince was furious, kicking over a large porcelain vase. The Crown Prince’s attitude was clear. He was protecting the Fourth Prince!

The Fourth Prince, whose fate supposedly clashed with the Emperor’s, was avoided by everyone. The Crown Prince had previously wanted him dead. Now, he was protecting him!

If not for the Crown Prince’s protection, the Fourth Prince would have been killed by the snakes. Not even a scratch had touched him.

If it were before…

Even if the Crown Prince knew the Second Prince had plotted to kill the Fourth Prince and frame him, he wouldn’t have interfered. The Crown Prince had enough skill to clear himself of suspicion, and the Fourth Prince would be dead.

But now…

The Second Prince was enraged.

He couldn’t harm the Crown Prince, but he could deal with the Fourth Prince!

Blinded by anger, he overlooked a critical point.

Why had the Crown Prince suddenly changed his mind about the Fourth Prince?

The Crown Prince had even invited the Fourth Prince to his residence and protected him. Wasn’t he afraid of angering the Emperor?

What had changed the Crown Prince’s mind?

The Second Prince began to ponder.

This question was more important than killing the Fourth Prince.

He couldn’t afford to be reckless.