Chapter 418

The above matters were quite puzzling to speculate about. However, verifying them was not difficult at all.

Chang Yan followed behind the Fourth Prince, watching his barely discernible limp, before suddenly stumbling forward. The Fourth Prince quickly turned around to catch his frail younger brother with one arm, complaining, "How can you still be so unsteady on your feet when you're grown up now? Be more careful next time."

Blushing with embarrassment, Chang Yan straightened up, lowering his eyelashes to discover that the Fourth Prince's limping was much more pronounced than before. If earlier he had seemed close to normal, now he looked more disabled.

After the two brothers parted ways at the intersection, the personal guard who had painstakingly retrieved the jade pendant still hadn't had the chance to claim credit before hearing his master order, "I want all the background information on the Second Prince's birth mother."

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Chang Yan could speculate that the Second Prince was deep and inscrutable, or that the Fourth Prince was deliberately limping, or even that the Eldest Prince was intentionally playing the fool, but no matter which, he as the Fifth Prince had to remain invisible.

It is said that the outstanding bird gets shot down first.

He had already done his utmost and not neglected to advise on anything that needed attention. No matter who schemed against whom, he had to be the fisherman who benefited.

The young man smiled with upturned lips, his androgynous features set with dispassionate eyes that betrayed no joy or anger.

The attendant beside him was frightened out of his wits. Although he usually dared say anything to the Fifth Highness, at this moment he felt it was better not to provoke him.

Not daring to hesitate, he swiftly spread word that the Fifth Prince had fallen ill with fever from shock.

Secrets are like snowflakes, swirling and dancing about in the summer heat, scattered to every corner of the imperial city and into the households of Fengjing.

The first to receive the news was the Chengqian Palace.

Housed in the higher-quality, newer palace were the empire's most favored Ju Noble Consort, as well as the Eldest Prince Zhu Changhong who should have been confined but was instead secretly kneeling before his mother. Losing composure in Baohe Hall had somewhat damaged the reputation he had built up over a long period. Withholding his younger brother's monthly allowance earned even more contempt from others.

Ju Noble Consort was furious with her seventeen year-old son, reprimanding him, "You've made such a blunder over just one instance of poor handling. As the Crown Prince, how can you not remain calm and thoughtful, how can you not think things through before you speak?"

"Mother Consort..." The Eldest Prince was completely unsatisfied. "I wasn't wrong! He clearly could have brought it up with me privately, yet insisted on feigning innocence in Baohe Hall. How could an imperial prince possibly be unaware of the monthly allowance? He must have conspired with the Yang family to scheme against me."

Looking at it this way, he didn't actually seem that stupid to be able to see through the scheme.

Yet Ju Noble Consort became even angrier. "You clearly knew it was a scheme, yet you still went foolishly slamming into the gun muzzle. Couldn't you have come up with some reasonable explanation, some persuasive words that people would believe?"

"Mother Consort, how could anyone believe it? It's true that I took his monthly allowance. No matter what I say now would just be glossing over my crime." The Eldest Prince lowered his head. "And that Secretary Yang exposed me so readily. He can't be let off either."

Ju Noble Consort's vision was already going dark. She summoned the matron to support her so she wouldn't collapse to the ground. "You blockhead, blockhead!"

"With Secretary Yang, dying from not exposing you would have been just as lethal as exposing you. As a master who does not consider his subordinate's well-being, who would still be willing to work for you?" She gnashed her teeth. "In everyone's eyes now, you've turned hostile against the Yang family. You must take the opposite approach and rebuild good relations with them. Go apologize to Secretary Yang and win people's hearts back."

"Me, an honorable prince, express my regrets to a secretary?" There was only astonishment in the Eldest Prince's eyes. Seeing the rage on Ju Noble Consort's face, he reluctantly lowered his head. "Your son shall go, I shall go now."

"And in the future, think things through carefully before acting. If you truly can't decide, then don't speak recklessly and impulsively." Ju Noble Consort's expression softened. "Good child, get up. Mother only has you as her son. Mother needs you to do well."

The Eldest Prince was finally moved. He solemnly kowtowed before getting up to take his leave.

The little eunuch responsible for intelligence hurried in, brushing past him. "Reporting to Noble Consort, after the Fifth Prince returned from Baohe Hall he fell ill. Several imperial physicians have been called and all have diagnosed him with fever."

Colds are difficult to treat, and fever is even more dangerous.

Ju Noble Consort didn't believe it at first, thinking the little bastard was playing tricks again. But after hearing that the imperial physicians she trusted had gone to treat him, she finally revealed a smile. "If he really dies from illness, that would save my Hong from quite a bit of trouble."

"Then, does Noble Consort want to call the Eldest Prince back to instruct him on anything?" The matron carefully asked.

Ju Noble Consort paused for a moment before gently shaking her head. "No need. I oversee everything regarding affairs in the imperial city."

Yet it was precisely because she was everywhere that caused the Eldest Prince to lack a steady heart and easily panic when handled issues.

As the ancestors have said, a weak mother raises a strong child, while a strong mother raises a weak child. If you observe those around you closely, you'll discover this saying makes a lot of sense.

A domineering mother often nurtures lazy children, while a frail mother can force out little hot peppers and troublemakers.

In the few confrontations between the Eldest Prince and Fifth Prince, it had always been Ju Noble Consort or the Fang's son coaching the Eldest Prince in advance. When faced with a new issue, he would become flustered and speak thoughtlessly.

It would be inaccurate to call the Eldest Prince as stupid as a pig. He simply relied on the shelter and protection afforded by his backers.

In the matron's eyes, for a child to truly mature, he had to directly face setbacks and shoulder hardships alone, barely scraping by to survive.

But given Noble Consort's privileged status, all she as a servant could do was swallow her thoughts and support her mistress until they disappeared into the darkness of the palace halls.

While those within the palace were informed in the blink of an eye, those outside the walls had to wait half a day, even if they were deemed trustworthy.

Fortunately Zheng Ruqian had a few friends from all walks of life. Although unimportant in status they were well-connected. Some secrets only noble clans could uncover were also made known to them, shared laughingly amongst each other. "I heard the Fifth Prince in the imperial city has fallen ill. He was angered into sickness after the Eldest Prince withheld the monthly allowance."

"The Eldest Prince contributed fifty thousand taels of silver for this year's Spring Viewing Banquet, yet still deducted eighteen thousand taels from his younger brother. How shameless!"

"That's right. If not for that, how would the Fifth Prince have fallen sick? I heard they called a bunch of imperial physicians who all diagnosed him with fever and were trying to figure out how to save him now."

Angering into sickness, fever, saving him.

While Zheng Ruqian could brush off the earlier parts as jest, the latter half gradually turned solemn.

He recalled Little Chang Yan from five years ago, who had also been rescued back from fever. If not for Jiang Sheng's insistence, if not for Wen Zhiyun's skilled hands, if not for their luck, perhaps the boy would have long been buried.

Fevers do not retreat easily, and colds can take half a life.

Most crucially, he and Ju Noble Consort both trusted the skills of the imperial physicians.

One could fake it, two could lie about it, but what if three, five, seven or more were all bought off?

If that was not the case, then it was true illness.

Little Wu was sick.

This realization made Zheng Ruqian unable to sit still. He hastily bid his friends farewell, staggering back to the small residence. After shutting the door, he whispered urgently, "Little Wu is sick. He has a fever. What to do, what to do?"