Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 347 - 331: Who is She?_2

Chapter 347: Chapter 331: Who is She?_2

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, having received the news, arrived with the most precious life-saving pills from the Eastern Palace.

After Zheng Poyue swallowed one such pill, it took a brief moment before he let out a low cry filled with pain, which indicated that he was eventually saved.

As soon as Zheng Poyue opened his eyes, he saw his grandfather, the Zheng Family Head, along with the Crown Prince by his side.

"Your humble servant sees... sees... sees..."

The Crown Prince immediately waved his hand, saying, "There’s no need for formalities, Poyue. First, focus on recuperating. This time, you’ve really picked your life back from the brink!"

The Zheng Family Head, hearing the Crown Prince’s words, could not miss their implication and quickly said, "If it weren’t for the Crown Prince bringing out the best life-saving pills from the Eastern Palace, where would your life be now?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Poyue’s heart filled with gratitude and emotion towards the Crown Prince.

"For the life-saving grace of the Crown Prince, Zheng Poyue could die a hundred times and still not repay it!"

The Crown Prince, with a smile, continued, "You need not think about repaying me right now. I heard that it was Zhang San who nearly killed you. Do you have any evidence that can prove he wanted to murder you? At this moment, the Emperor and the Empress must be together; if we go to the Imperial Palace to lodge a complaint now, the Empress, with her benevolence and kindness, will surely take your side."

The Zheng Family Head slightly furrowed his brow. After all, his grandson had just regained consciousness and was frail; naturally, he wanted his grandson, Zheng Poyue, to recuperate at home first.

Couldn’t he lodge the complaint himself?

The Crown Prince, noticing the slight expression on the Zheng Family Head’s face, continued, "The Empress is kind-hearted. Seeing you with severe injuries, and reporting on behalf of the other deceased members of the Zheng Family, she will surely be moved."

Zheng Poyue felt the Crown Prince’s plan made sense; it was an approach that aimed for the heart, and there was nothing wrong with that.

Besides, he was wounded all over. Pretending to be a wounded bait could be a suitable stratagem.

Especially since the Crown Prince had just saved his life, repaying the Crown Prince by dealing with Zhang San was not objectionable in the least!

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness. Grandfather, let us set off now, to the Imperial Palace, to lodge our complaint," said Zheng Poyue.

The Crown Prince nodded repeatedly and responded, "Then let us depart now. I will also summon an Imperial Physician from the palace who is acquainted with me, and he can exaggerate your injuries a bit during the examination. You should think carefully about what to say when you see the Emperor and the Empress, so as to convince them to behead Zhang San and display his head publicly!"

Although the Zheng Family Head was somewhat reluctant, since the Zheng Family had thrown in their lot with the Crown Prince, they had to do whatever the Crown Prince asked of them.

After all, it was the Zheng Family who had supported Kaihuang onto the throne instead of taking the position for themselves.

Thus, the Crown Prince, accompanied by the Zheng Family Head and a nearly dying Zheng Poyue, proceeded to the Imperial Palace.

Kaihuang was in the palace enjoying the flowers with the Empress.

"Your Majesty, aren’t you busy with state affairs today? And yet you still find the time to accompany me to appreciate the flowers?"

Kaihuang laughed heartily, "I love the whole world, as well as my Empress."

"Then tell me, what’s more beautiful, the flowers in this garden, or am I?"

Kaihuang wasn’t expecting it; despite both being in their fifties or sixties, he was faced with such a challenge.

"The beauty of the flowers serves to highlight that my Empress is even more beautiful," he said.

Kaihuang knew the Empress loved flowers; she even tended to many of them in the garden herself. If you said the flowers weren’t beautiful, that would have been it for you.

But if you only praised the flowers and did not compliment the Empress, then you’d truly be finished.

Having answered the question, Kaihuang felt truly clever.

"Is that so? Your Majesty cares only for my appearance, then?" asked the Empress.

"Some are beautiful in appearance, some in their hearts, but my Empress, you are both beautiful inside and out. I fear that even the most skilled scholars with their brilliant strokes could not capture even a fraction of your beauty," answered Kaihuang.

The Empress was naturally delighted with Kaihuang’s words.

However, it was at that moment a messenger’s voice could be heard from afar.

"Your Majesties, the Crown Prince accompanied by the Zheng Family Head requests an audience. They say that members of the Zheng Family have been murdered and seek justice from Your Majesties."

The Empress’s brows knit together slightly. She was finally having a heart-to-heart with Kaihuang, and the Crown Prince was being so inconsiderate!

And what’s this with the Zheng Family?

Wait... the Zheng Family!?

"Your Majesty, is this the same Zheng Family you mentioned had a young man named Zheng Poyue, who intended to... with Qionghua?" asked the Empress.

"That’s right, the very same. When talking about them, I remember they have some merit in supporting the dragon, but they are of limited ability, unfit for serious responsibility. Hence, they’ve received generous rewards but wield little power," said Kaihuang.

With a wave of his hand, Kaihuang commanded, "Let them come in!"

Kaihuang was somewhat annoyed internally. Couldn’t they have come earlier?

If only they had arrived sooner, would he have had to exhaust his wits considering that fatal question from the Empress?

Shortly afterward, the Crown Prince entered, escorting the Zheng Family Head and a young man who needed to be supported by others.

"Is this young man..."

Kaihuang was curious why the Crown Prince and the Zheng Family Head had brought over someone who looked gravely wounded.

Standing to the side, the Crown Prince gave the Zheng Family Head a look, prompting him to begin weeping and entreating before Kaihuang and the Empress.

Upon learning of the autumn hunt and how Zhang San had targeted and killed the young heirs of both the Zheng and Baili Families, and even pursued Zheng Poyue, Kaihuang was furiously enraged.

Kaihuang didn’t believe that Zhang San’s massacre of thirteen people from the Ministry of Punishment upon his arrival in the Capital was unintentional.

He wasn’t a fool; why should he believe everything Zhang San said?

He had liked Zhang San himself, and he had also heard that Zhang San seemed to possess some talent and was young, which had stirred his desire to cherish skilled individuals.

But what had come of it?

The young man had become arrogant and abused his favor by indiscriminately killing during the hunt.

It was at that point the Empress interjected with a question, "Is this Zhang San’s archery that impressive? That he could kill so many promising young men of the next generation?"