The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 198

As they talked along the way, the carriage came to a stop without them noticing.

They had arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence.

“Your place is like a sieve; mine is much safer,” the Crown Prince remarked as he led Song Jin into his study.

The man they had bound was brought in as well.

The study was warmed by a blazing brazier of silver frost charcoal. The man was pushed onto it as soon as he entered, and the smell of burning flesh filled the room.

Song Jin smelled it, and instead of being repulsed, she inexplicably thought it might taste better with cumin and chili powder.

Am I a psychopath?

The Crown Prince’s interrogation methods were numerous and relentless, eventually breaking even the most steadfast loyalist. Finally, the man, bloody and broken, spoke, “I serve the Second Prince.”

Once he started, the confessions poured out like a flood. This man was a death guard for the Second Prince and acted on his direct orders.

The children they kidnapped were mostly sent to the Second Prince’s residence. As for what happened to them afterwards, he did not know—that was handled by another group. His role was limited to the kidnappings.

He controlled the villagers of Chenbei Village using people given to him by the Second Prince. A man who called himself the leader of the Heaven and Earth Sect had used its teachings to brainwash the villagers, making them follow his orders blindly. In return, the Second Prince seemed to have given this leader a considerable amount of gold and jewels.

With the villagers completely under control, they began their abductions. Three years ago, they hadn’t thought of using children to lure other children. They used the old methods: adults seeking help from children or tempting them with food. Back then, the court’s propaganda on child protection wasn’t very effective, so they were quite successful.

However, during one mission, a maid from the Second Prince’s residence grew a conscience and tried to secretly release a child. This alerted the authorities, and the Crown Prince traced the matter back to the Second Prince, forcing him to stop.

Three years later, the Second Prince thought the situation had calmed down and resumed his activities. But in those three years, the public had become more vigilant, making abductions harder. It was then, at the suggestion of Cui Liang’s niece, that they started using children to lure other children.

Song Jin listened, her heart pounding.

It was the child’s suggestion.

How could she believe this child would ever reform? Even if there was a one-in-a-million chance, could she take that gamble? Gambling would mean exposing more children to the danger of a beast.

Why entertain such risky fantasies?

Human rights? But did only the rights of the guilty matter? What about the innocent? Didn’t they deserve rights too?

Song Jin felt a surge of frustration building up inside her.

“Apart from Chenbei Village, do you have other accomplices?”

“For the abductions, it was just Chenbei Village and a few maids in the Second Prince’s residence. As for the subsequent handling, I don’t know how many were involved.”

The man had confessed everything he knew.

The Crown Prince pondered for a moment, then instructed his men, “Go inform the deputy commander of the Capital Guard to surround the Second Prince’s residence immediately!”

The subordinate left swiftly to carry out the order.

Song Jin trembled with anger, and the Crown Prince glanced at her before handing her a cup of hot tea. “Don’t worry, I can handle this.”

Song Jin’s eyes were red with fury over the criminals’ actions.

“Can the laws be changed?”

The Crown Prince poured himself a cup and took a sip, “You mean the law stating children under ten can’t be held criminally responsible?”

Song Jin nodded.

The Crown Prince thought for a while, then shook his head, “No.”

Song Jin nearly shouted.

“Why! Just because they’re young, they should be pardoned? What about those who died? Who protects them?”

The Crown Prince took her hand, trying to calm her down.

“Children with malicious intent are rare, but there are many adults with evil intentions. You’ve seen children commit evil on their own, but more often, adults manipulate children into killing for them. These children, though they’ve killed, live in lifelong pain, while the real culprits escape due to lack of evidence.”

As the Crown Prince’s calm and somber voice spoke, Song Jin gradually calmed down.

“Is there really no way?”

The Crown Prince was silent for a moment. “There is a way, but the law isn’t detailed enough. If we could refine it, situations like this could be better handled. For instance, if we have enough evidence to prove that a child acted with full knowledge and intent, we could make exceptions.”

“Why isn’t it refined then?”

The Crown Prince remained silent, his eyes darkening, revealing a deep-seated frustration that Song Jin suddenly understood.

Realizing the truth weighed heavily on her heart, like a balloon filled with air that couldn’t be released.

“What we can do is reduce the sentences for avengers. If there’s enough evidence proving the perpetrator’s cruelty, we could mitigate the punishment for the victim’s relatives seeking private revenge.”

Song Jin lifted her head, not wanting to speak.

Silence filled the air, making the atmosphere heavy.

Even in Song Jin’s time, which was far more advanced than the Great Yan Dynasty, this issue remained unresolved.

Why couldn’t this problem be solved? She couldn’t fully understand.

The Crown Prince poured another cup of tea for Song Jin, then ordered his men, “Go to the Ministry of Justice and inform the Minister about this case. Make sure it becomes widely known.”

Song Jin looked at the Crown Prince in surprise.

“Is he one of your people?”

The Crown Prince smiled, “Our people.”

The Minister of Justice was known for his stubbornness. If he found out about this case, he might publicize it out of anger.

After giving the orders, the Crown Prince took Song Jin to the palace.

Since the Second Prince was involved, they had to report to the Emperor.

They were halfway there when Song Jin suddenly ordered the carriage to stop.

The Crown Prince looked at her, “Did you discover something?”

Song Jin sniffed the air several times before ordering the stop.

Did she catch a scent?

She pulled open the carriage curtain and pointed at a nearby mansion, “Whose residence is that?”

The Crown Prince followed her gaze and thought for a moment, “It’s the private residence of Noble Consort De’s brother.”

Noble Consort De…

“Is Noble Consort De close to the Empress?”

Song Jin recalled the last palace banquet.

Consort Li’s fate was grim, but Noble Consort De…

The Crown Prince shook his head, “Not particularly close, but they hold leverage over each other. The Empress has something on Noble Consort De, and vice versa. They keep each other in check.”