The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 291

The second dream was a nightmare. He dreamed of the vast Forbidden City, where only the Crown Prince stood in the distance, his moon-white figure growing farther and farther away, impossible to catch up to.

In the mist, he heard the mournful toll of a funeral bell from the imperial palace, followed by the shrill voice of a eunuch announcing, "The Crown Prince has passed."

"Boom—"

Little troublemaker Zong Jincheng jolted awake from the dream, drenched in cold sweat.

He looked out the window—the sky was gray and gloomy. A nightmare.

Zong Jincheng was terrified, his heart pounding wildly. The sweat on his body gradually cooled, soaking through his clothes and sending a shiver down his spine.

"It's not real. Dreams are the opposite of reality. Don't scare yourself."

Zong Jincheng tried to close his eyes and go back to sleep, but his mind was frighteningly awake. The sound of the funeral bell from the nightmare lingered, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.

He threw off the covers, hastily pulled on his clothes and shoes, and rushed outside. Buyan quickly followed him out.

"Young Master, where are you going?"

Zong Jincheng ran through the biting cold of the early morning, letting the icy wind sting his face as he cried out urgently, "To the palace! I need to see His Highness!"

Even though the Crown Prince had said he was merely shaken, even though the Crown Prince had only stopped visiting him outside the palace recently, even though the Crown Prince couldn’t possibly be in danger—with so many guards protecting him in the palace…

Still, Zong Jincheng couldn’t rest easy. That nightmare felt too real, too terrifying. He needed to see the Crown Prince with his own eyes, to confirm that he was safe.

"Inform the Madam," Buyan instructed Shunzi before hurrying after the young troublemaker toward the palace.

The young master of the manor had always been impulsive, but with the backing of the Yangyuan Marquis Manor and the Crown Prince’s favor, Buyan naturally didn’t dare stop him.

And so, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Zong Jincheng stood before the palace gates, pleading urgently with the imperial guards, "I am Zong Jincheng of the Yangyuan Marquis Manor. I request an audience with His Highness the Crown Prince. Please relay my message."

The sky wasn’t even fully bright yet, and it was just a child asking for entry. By protocol, the guards shouldn’t have relayed the message. But they recognized this boy—his mouth was famously unstoppable, and Huaishui from the Eastern Palace had personally escorted him to see the Crown Prince before.

The Crown Prince and he had an unusual closeness.

The guard exchanged a glance with his companion before sending someone to the Eastern Palace to report.

Zong Jincheng paced back and forth at the palace gates, his restless movements making the guards itch to knock him out with a staff. But before long, Huaishui emerged from the palace to personally fetch the little troublemaker.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍guard thought to himself, Good thing we passed the message. The Crown Prince really does value this chatterbox.

Zong Jincheng exclaimed in delight, "Huaishui! You’re here! Great, take me to the Eastern Palace!"

Huaishui nodded. "Young Master, please follow me."

"Mhm!"

It was still early, and the Crown Prince was supposed to be resting. Zong Jincheng expected to meet him in his bedchambers, but instead, the Crown Prince was waiting for him in the study.

"Your Highness," Zong Jincheng called out.

The Crown Prince reclined quietly on a long rocking chair, a small hand warmer cradled in his arms. He smiled gently and asked, "What brings you to the palace at this hour? Has something happened?"

Zong Jincheng froze, his heart aching as he blurted out, "Your Highness, nothing’s wrong. I just had a nightmare and wanted to see you."

The Crown Prince chuckled softly and motioned for him to come closer. The young boy crouched beside the rocking chair, lowering his head as the Crown Prince stroked his hair.

The Crown Prince’s hands, warmed by the hand warmer, weren’t as icy as they usually were in winter. But Zong Jincheng still asked in a small, aggrieved voice, "Your Highness, you said you were just afraid of the cold in winter. But it’s March now. Why are you still holding a hand warmer?"

The Crown Prince’s fingers stilled for a moment before trembling slightly. "The difference between dawn and daytime is still quite sharp. I merely—"

"Your Highness," Zong Jincheng interrupted his excuse, his eyes wavering as he asked, "When will you really get better?"

The Crown Prince sighed inwardly.

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This child was growing up fast—and becoming far too perceptive.

He exhaled softly and said, "Today, I want to tell you a story. Would you like to hear it?"

Zong Jincheng nodded eagerly.

He loved listening to whatever the Crown Prince had to say.

The Crown Prince asked, "Do you remember Luo Shu, whom I told you about before?"

Zong Jincheng answered honestly, "Yes. She was Luo Jingfeng’s younger sister. She was once offered up to help Luo Jingfeng out of a difficult situation."

The Crown Prince nodded and then asked, "Can you guess who she was offered to?"

Zong Jincheng was momentarily lost but refused to give up. He racked his brain, digging through Luo Jingfeng’s family background—his elder brother Luo Jingyun was the eldest legitimate son, inheriting the title of Prince of Southern Pacification and guarding the southern borders.

When the previous Prince of Southern Pacification was alive, he was still a prince by rank. If his legitimate daughter could be offered up, the recipient’s status must have been even higher…

"The… the Emperor?" Zong Jincheng ventured uncertainly.

A prince was already a high-ranking noble. The only ones above a prince were the Emperor and the Crown Prince. And since the Crown Prince only had a Crown Princess, the only possibility was the Emperor.

The Crown Prince murmured, "Yes, the Emperor. All the women in the realm were his to choose from—how could Luo Shu be an exception?"

Zong Jincheng listened quietly.

The Crown Prince recounted the events of years past: "Fourteen years ago, Luo Shu, who had just come of age, was the most beautiful woman in the capital. With her noble birth, she had no shortage of suitors among the aristocracy. But Luo Jingfeng was arrogant and dismissive, insulting the powerful families who sought her hand. His reckless words offended the entire court, and soon, memorials denouncing him piled up before the Emperor. Furious, the Emperor stripped the previous Prince of Southern Pacification of his influence. To save the Luo family, the prince seized the opportunity to offer Luo Shu as tribute."

Zong Jincheng listened in stunned silence before blurting out, "Just by offering a daughter, the crisis was resolved?"

This didn’t align with what he had been taught.

Politics, governance—weren’t they supposed to be about facts and reason?

The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "Yes. You’re still too young to understand. When you grow up, you’ll see."

Zong Jincheng nodded vigorously, committing every word to memory.

The Crown Prince continued, "In the four years that followed, the previous Prince of Southern Pacification died unexpectedly. Luo Jingyun, as the eldest legitimate son, inherited the title. Luo Jingfeng soon distinguished himself in battle, rising swiftly through the ranks. The Luo family’s influence grew stronger by the day. Meanwhile, Luo Shu advanced smoothly in the palace, eventually being named Concubine Shu—favored above all others in the harem—despite having no children."

Zong Jincheng asked curiously, "Why? Was there something wrong with her health?"

The Crown Prince looked at him steadily and replied, "Because she was not allowed to bear a child. It was the Emperor’s way of maintaining control. The Luo family’s power and military achievements were too great. If Luo Shu had a son, the Luo family might have used the child to rebel and seize the throne. The chaos that would follow would be beyond reckoning."

"Oh, right." Zong Jincheng recalled similar stories from history. He then asked, "Then how did she die?"

The Crown Prince shuddered slightly, his fingers tightening unconsciously. "Luo Shu always wanted a child, but she knew any child she bore would become a pawn in the power struggle. So she hid her pregnancy under the guise of illness and secretly gave birth to a prince. Her death… was to protect that child."

Zong Jincheng’s eyes widened in shock—as if he had just bitten into the juiciest piece of gossip.

Good heavens, secretly giving birth... This Concubine Shu has quite the audacity! How could she possibly keep this hidden?