Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 436 - 410: I’m not pretending anymore, I’m laying my cards on the table! I am the heir of Legalism!_2

Chapter 436: Chapter 410: I’m not pretending anymore, I’m laying my cards on the table! I am the heir of Legalism!_2

Han Yanqiu also knew that he had no choices left now.

"I just want to ask one thing. Is this legal?"

"Are you kidding? Kaihuang is using the Imperial Treasury’s money to reward me, and I suggested that the Crown Prince could just give me something from the Eastern Palace, and Kaihuang agreed. Who am I, Zhang San? Would I do something illegal?"

Although Han Yanqiu felt something was off about the whole affair, he lacked the courage and leverage to refuse. With determination, he led Zhang San straight to the Crown Prince’s study.

The study was filled with treasures.

While a few individuals were still choosing, Zhang San directly took away an entire bookshelf, including the books on it.

"All the items on this desk are used and written by the Crown Prince, and they might involve secrets, so no one should touch them, understand?"

After reminding everyone, Zhang San added, "But this brush and inkstone are quite nice, take them."

"Oh! Your... is my brother, the Crown Prince, really missing just this desk? Just put these documents on the floor, and then take the desk away. Would the Crown Prince really mind?"

"This lamp is nice!"

"This carpet looks good, though I don’t know what kind of fur it is, but it feels comfy."

"Do you think this jade Ruyi placed here by the Crown Prince is useless?"

Initially, the group of four from Legalism were being selective, but upon Zhang San’s reminder, all four had an epiphany.

Children make choices, adults practice elimination.

Except for documents the Crown Prince had written on, there was nothing in the study that they couldn’t take!

When Yun Shengxu arrived, he stood at the door and glanced inside the Crown Prince’s study, utterly bewildered.

Is this the Crown Prince’s study?

Something’s not right.

The Crown Prince’s study isn’t this big, is it?

And it’s also not this empty!

But as Yun Shengxu staggered backwards a few steps and lifted his head to look around the entire courtyard and then back at the familiar door, it definitely was the Crown Prince’s study!

But where were the things?

At that moment, Yun Shengxu rushed into the Crown Prince’s study and fell to the ground in deep sorrow.

Just then, Yun Shengxu suddenly thought of something and immediately started looking for the bookshelf.

Although the bookshelf was gone, the marks on the floor still revealed where it had originally stood.

He had always hidden his private money in the Crown Prince’s study.

After all, how could his wife ever suspect that he would hide his private funds outside the home, and in such an unexpected place?

As Yun Shengxu searched on the ground, he finally pried open a floor tile with his hands and found a brocade box underneath.

The moment Yun Shengxu saw the brocade box, he finally took a deep breath.

Then he clutched the brocade box close to his chest.

After a long while, Yun Shengxu suddenly felt that the weight of the brocade box seemed off.

He immediately opened the brocade box only to find that the gold bars, gold leaves, and numerous gems inside had vanished.

In their place was an inkstone.

And it was shattered.

"Ah—"

Yun Shengxu knelt on the ground, clutching his brocade box, overwhelmed with grief.

Just then, a guard from the Eastern Palace rushed in and said to Yun Shengxu, "Yun Horse Washer, it’s terrible news! Zhang San... Zhang San and his group have gone to see Concubine Yun!"

Hearing this, Yun Shengxu was greatly alarmed.

Concubine Yun was not only a consort to the Crown Prince but also his own sister.

What does Zhang San intend to do to his own sister?

At that moment, an enraged Yun Shengxu dropped the now useless brocade box and ran toward Concubine Yun’s residence.

However, as soon as he reached the entrance, he was stopped by Shen Bao and Shen Zhongdian.

"Audacious! What do the two of you think you are doing?"

Shen Zhongdian retorted, "It is you who should be asking yourself that! This is where the Crown Prince’s consorts reside, is it the place for a man from outside to barge in?"

Yun Shengxu roared, "If I cannot enter, can Zhang San enter?"

Shen Bao sneered and said, "Our Brother San is the adopted son of Empress Dugu, he calls the Crown Prince ’big brother’ directly. Why can’t this younger brother visit his sister-in-law? Hmm... why can’t he enter... hmm... entering is not wrong either, it’s just that they are family, so seeing each other is perfectly normal! Yes, that’s what I mean!"

Yun Shengxu jumped in anger on the spot.

"I am Concubine Yun’s own elder brother! If Zhang San can go in, why can’t I!?"

Yun Shengxu, while speaking, grabbed Shen Bao with his left hand and was about to throw Shen Bao aside.

But at that moment, Yun Shengxu overestimated his own strength and underestimated Shen Bao’s weight.

If the left hand won’t do, use the right hand.

If the right hand won’t do, use both hands.

Finally, Yun Shengxu looked towards Shen Zhongdian.

This one did not look as heavy as Shen Bao.

Just as Yun Shengxu’s hands grasped Shen Zhongdian’s collar, Shen Zhongdian whispered in a volume only audible to them both, "Guess, if I fall to the ground and claim you beat me, then Kaihuang finds out that Zhang San came here to the Eastern Palace to retrieve his reward from the Crown Prince and it turns into the Horse Washer beating people, will Kaihuang scold my Brother San, or the Crown Prince?"

Yun Shengxu immediately let go in fear.

This man looks honest and simple, how can he be so scheming!

At that moment, Zhang San came out of the courtyard’s main gate with Shang Bufa and Han Yanqiu.

"Isn’t this Horse Washer Yun? Since you’re here, why not come in and sit?"

Yun Shengxu said through gritted teeth, "Fine! I was just about to go in and have a look."

Zhang San, with a beaming smile, said, "From now on, all of you be a bit more courteous to Horse Washer Yun. After all, considering the big picture, Yun and I, Zhang San, are family. Understand?"

The followers of Legalism cried out in unison, "Yes."

Zhang San, smiling, patted Yun Shengxu on the shoulder and said, "I know, you think it’s improper for me to fetch something the Crown Prince granted me by coming here myself. But I am acting under orders, right? Besides, I, Zhang San, am coming to my elder brother’s place to collect a reward, how could I possibly take anything I see, right?"

Speaking thus, Zhang San pointed to several large water jars placed outside the main gate and asked, "What are these water jars for?"

While talking, Zhang San walked over and looked into the water jars.

He noticed there were lotus flowers on top, and koi fish inside.

"These were originally used in the palace for fire prevention, especially since the north side palace caught fire recently, the Eastern Palace also added some of these big jars. But usually, they weren’t just storing water, so they planted some lotus flowers in them and raised some fish."

Zhang San nodded with a smile and praised, "Good stuff! Good stuff indeed!"

Hearing Zhang San’s words, the followers of Legalism, understanding his intent, walked over wearing their Storage Rings and took away all eight of the large water jars.

Once Zhang San and his group had left, Yun Shengxu immediately ran inside to see his sister.

But before he even entered the room, he heard his sister crying inside.

"Sister! What happened? Did that Zhang San bully you?"

At that moment, Concubine Yun cried as if she were a tear-soaked figure, pointing inside the room and screamed hoarsely, "It’s too much... too outrageous... The Crown Prince... the gold and silver jewels... my dowry... and also... also... the nourishments he sent... all... all taken away!"

Yun Shengxu stared agape, shouting, "This is too much! Outrageous indeed! How can there be such shameless people in this world!"

"I... I... I was sewing... sewing... the belly cover for the child not yet born... they... they took it away... wuwuwu..."

"Even... even the pair of tiger-head shoes I just finished sewing yesterday... they took them too..."

Just then, having just left the Eastern Palace, Shang Bufa couldn’t help but say, "Brother San, aren’t we being a bit too excessive? Taking Concubine Yun’s dowry was already too much, but you even took the tiger-head shoes meant for the unborn child. This... this is too..."

Zhang San quickly waved his hand, "Nonsense, I didn’t take them! I didn’t touch anything in that room! It was you two who took them! The tiger-head shoes were taken by Han Yanqiu."

At that moment, Han Yanqiu felt very troubled.

"Wasn’t it you who said those tiger-head shoes were rather nice?"

"Wasn’t I thinking they could be sold for some money, and then treat everyone to drinks and meat? For letting you all eat well and drink well, to offend Concubine Yun and the Crown Prince, has it been easy for me as Brother San?"

Han Yanqiu took out the pair of tiger-head shoes from the Storage Ring, looked at them twice, and frowning, said, "But for this stitching, besides the good material used, it’s not worth much money."

Zhang San scoffed and said, "That’s where you don’t understand. Are we really going to sell these things outright? Find a higher-end pawnshop, pawn all the unwanted stuff from the Crown Prince’s side, even just for these tiger-head shoes, at least one hundred taels of gold. Then let the news slip to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince will surely send someone to redeem them."

Enlightened, the followers of Legalism all looked at Zhang San with eyes filled with admiration.