NFBE Chapter 142: Searching for the Crown Prince
Chapter 142: Searching for the Crown Prince
Fang Xiaoxiao was completely unaware that the door had been quietly pushed open.
Her thoughts had already wandered far away, and she was pondering the future of her life.
Although she was not yet clear about Zhang Xuzi's specific purpose and secret in coming to Changle County, she was certain that he was not there to discuss Confucianism with her as simply as he appeared.
Especially recently, she has noticed that Changle County has become very different from before, bustling with activity.
Putting everything else aside, the number of people walking on the streets has not decreased; on the contrary, it continues to increase.
The key point is that winter has already arrived, and the south is very humid. Once the temperature drops, the cold seeps into your bones.
As a northerner, I find it really hard to adapt to the weather in the south.
Moreover, there was a group of unfamiliar people from out of town, many of whom spoke with a northern accent.
Although they disguised themselves very well, and most people might not be able to detect it, she herself happened to be fluent in the dialect.
She wouldn't dare say she could accurately distinguish the dialects of every province in the country, but at least the accents of the North and South were easy for her to differentiate.
Southern accents tend to be soft and gentle, just as the phrase "Wu Nong soft language" describes, with Southerners speaking in a gentle and melodious tone.
As for northerners, it's even simpler. Take people from Kyoto as an example: they often add an "er" suffix to the end of their sentences, and they speak loudly, almost shouting it out.
In addition, northerners are generally easygoing and straightforward, so it's easy to distinguish between northerners and southerners.
Recalling the way to Wenyue Pavilion in the morning, I kept seeing groups of tall men and women with steady, upright walks.
These strange men and women who suddenly appeared must have been brought by Pei Zuo and the old man Zhang Xuzi.
But judging from their appearance, they seemed to be looking for someone.
As she walked through an alley, she vaguely heard people talking in hushed tones. From their tone, it seemed they were looking for someone extremely important.
That person seemed to be someone whose fate was tied to the entire Dayu Dynasty, but she had no idea what the specific details were.
Just as she was about to continue listening, Zhou Wenjian, who had just gone to buy osmanthus cake, called out to her, causing the two men to notice something amiss. They quickly walked into the depths of the alley and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Fang Xiaoxiao had been pondering this all the way without finding an answer. But now, it seemed she had found the answer in her heart.
"They all want to capture the Crown Prince!"
"????"
Holding a bowl of seafood porridge, Zhou Wenjian, who had been all smiles, froze instantly upon hearing these words.
He looked at his wife in disbelief, letting the bowl of porridge fall carelessly to the ground. With a "bang," it shattered into countless pieces, spilling seafood porridge all over the ground and creating a strange pattern.
"My lady, you...you mean the Crown Prince isn't dead?" Zhou Wenjian's eyes widened, his voice trembling.
"Uh!" Fang Xiaoxiao sighed softly. "That's how it is. I think that no one would come to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. For a prince like him, who can make a name for himself in the capital, to come to a small village like ours is something that would be ridiculed and might even make him the target of everyone's criticism."
Zhou Wenjian frowned and said anxiously.
"My lady, what should we do? If they really want to capture the Crown Prince, that would be a huge problem."
Fang Xiaoxiao shook her head, her expression solemn.
"I know that, but this matter is of utmost importance, and we must handle it with care."
Zhou Wenjian paced back and forth in the room, extremely anxious: "Should we report this to the authorities?"
Fang Xiaoxiao quickly stopped her.
"No, we don't have solid evidence. If we rashly report to the authorities, we might get ourselves killed."
Zhou Wenjian stopped and looked at Fang Xiaoxiao.
"Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"
Fang Xiaoxiao pondered for a moment:
"Let's observe first and see what they do."
Zhou Wenjian nodded:
"That's all we can do. Hopefully, nothing too serious will happen."
Fang Xiaoxiao sighed:
"We can only leave it to fate."
Zhou Wenjian looked worried:
"My wife, I'm feeling very uneasy. I have a feeling that something terrible is about to happen."
Fang Xiaoxiao comforted her.
Don't worry too much, things will work themselves out.
Zhou Wenjian said with a bitter face, "I hope so. How could something like this happen?"
Fang Xiao patted his shoulder: "Don't panic, we'll proceed with caution."
Zhou Wenjian replied, "Yes, I'll do whatever you say, my wife."
The two fell silent, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy.
For a moment, people unconsciously forgot about the cluster of delicate and intricate seafood porridge roses on the ground.
Just in time.
Zhou Wenjian immediately spoke up.
"My wife, there's something I need to tell you honestly. I'm afraid if I don't say it now, I won't have the chance to say it later!"
Fang Xiaoxiao glanced at Zhou Wenjian, who had a serious expression, and said slowly.
"Just say what you want to say, we're all family."
"Then I'll tell you, actually, I have another main purpose for coming here, which is to find the Crown Prince!"
"Prince!!!"
“That’s right, my lady. According to the information I just gathered on the road, after being chased, the Crown Prince fled all the way and eventually disappeared in Chang Le County. Since then, there has been no news of him. So many people are guessing that the Crown Prince is hiding in this place.”
Zhou Wenjian no longer concealed anything. He believed that as long as he could find the Crown Prince and help him clear his name, his parents' case would definitely be overturned.
Fang Xiaoxiao was greatly shocked upon hearing this.
"The Crown Prince is actually in Chang Le County?"
Such information is explosive enough to send shivers down your spine.
If that's the case, then Pei Zuo's appearance here makes sense.
It seems that the royal family is truly insidious and ruthless. Not only do they kill each other, but their methods are also so cruel, as if they want to wipe people out completely.
Suddenly, she felt a murderous aura surrounding her.
Seeing that his wife remained silent for a long time, Zhou Wenjian thought she had been frightened into a stupor and quickly tried to comfort her.
"My lady, don't be afraid. Although it's highly likely that the Crown Prince is in Chang Le County, no one has actually found any clues about him so far. In other words, the Crown Prince may not be here at all."
"And the eldest prince Pei Zuo and Zhang Xuzi will probably also return empty-handed."
Zhou Wenjian's words make sense; perhaps the Crown Prince had simply concealed his identity once again and had already fled this place.
Thinking about it this way, as long as Pei Zuo can't find the Crown Prince, then this house arrest crisis should be resolved.
As for Pei Zuo's suggestion of making her his concubine, that's probably impossible. After all, she's a spendthrift with a bad reputation, and the royal family, who always value their image, would never agree to her actions.
make up one's mind.