That night, Wen Zheng escorted the people of the Yongning Marquis Manor as they fled, with wave after wave of assassins coming after them.
By the end, Wen Zheng was covered in wounds from protecting them, but fortunately, none were fatal—he could still hold on.
Over at the Marquis’ residence, though there had been some losses, at least the Marquis, Madam, Quan Rui, Quan Ye, and little brother Quan Kai were all unharmed.
At the break of dawn the next day, they finally caught the first large boat of the morning and completely left the capital.
***
Ever since Wen Zheng left that afternoon, Quan Heng had been sitting blankly in the courtyard without saying a word.
The young maids around her didn’t dare disturb her and could only quietly go about their tasks.
When evening came and it was time for dinner, Fendai carefully approached her and asked in a low voice,
“Miss Gu, dinner is ready. Would you like to eat a little?”
Seeing that Quan Heng didn’t even turn her head, completely ignoring her, Fendai panicked and directly knelt down in front of her.
“Please, just eat a little, alright? During the day you neither ate nor drank. The young master already punished every single maid and old servant in this courtyard. Their health isn’t good—if they’re beaten again, they might not be able to bear it!”
Quan Heng let out a long sigh, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.
These people were just following orders—everyone had it hard, and there was no need to make things more difficult for them.
“Very well. Then bring the food to my room. I’ll eat it—I won’t make things harder for you all.”
Hearing this, the surrounding servants finally relaxed, all looking gratefully at Fendai.
After returning to her room, Quan Heng stared at the dishes in front of her. These were all her favorite foods from the past, but now, with her mind weighed down, even a single bite tasted like chewing wax.
To avoid disappointing the maids, she forced herself to eat half a small bowl before letting them clear the table.
But for some reason, unease kept rising in her heart.
Wen Zheng had clearly said he would come back tonight, but he still hadn’t returned. Had something happened?
At that thought, Quan Heng gave a self-deprecating smile.
She was now a prisoner, yet here she was, worrying about the Crown Prince’s safety. How ridiculous.
After washing up, she lay down on the bed, turning to look at the bright moon outside the window. But the unease in her heart only grew stronger.
There was nothing she could do now—she knew nothing, and worrying would change nothing. All she could do was close her eyes and fall into a deep sleep.
***
The next day, Wen Zheng had just returned to the capital and rushed to present the head of the condemned criminal.
Today was the final day of the deadline set by the emperor—he had to be prepared.
No sooner had he returned to the Eastern Palace than a eunuch came to summon him to Yangxin Hall for questioning.
Wen Zheng took a deep breath. At this point, he had no choice but to face his father.
Fortunately, the people of General Zhenbei’s manor and the Yongning Marquis’ residence had already been sent away. Ah Heng had also been hidden in a remote place—hard to find for the time being. That gave him a sliver of peace of mind.
Along the way, Wen Zheng carried a box, blood seeping from its seams and dripping onto the ground. His expression was extremely grim, and even the eunuch beside him was visibly frightened.
Soon, they arrived at the destination. The moment Wen Zheng stepped into the hall, he was hit by a strong scent of incense. Looking up, he saw—unsurprisingly—a beauty sitting on the emperor’s lap, feeding him grapes.
Seeing Wen Zheng arrive, the emperor waved the beauty away.
Then he turned his gaze to the box in Wen Zheng’s hand and burst into hearty laughter. “As expected of my son! Zheng’er, you did not disappoint me. Come—bring up the head of General Zhenbei! Today, I shall drink with his blood!”
Wen Zheng’s expression didn’t change. He stepped forward and placed the box before the emperor.
When the emperor opened it and saw the furious, wide-eyed head that had died with eyes open, he began to laugh maniacally.
“Old Yu… Oh, Old Yu. Back in the day, we were close comrades, fighting side by side on the battlefield.”
For a moment, the emperor’s expression became distant, as though lost in memories. For a fleeting second, there was even a trace of sorrow.
But soon, his nostalgic expression twisted with rage. He grabbed the head from the box and threw it violently to the ground. “At this point, you have only yourself to blame! You commanded fifty thousand Yu family troops and had a stellar reputation! As a subject, you dared to shame the imperial family—you deserved to die!”
The severed head rolled across the floor, blood streaking everywhere. It was a horrifying sight.
Suddenly, the emperor seemed to notice something. He walked over, picked up the head, and examined it closely.
Then, from behind the ear, he tugged—and peeled off an entire human skin mask.
Beneath the mask, the face revealed was not that of General Zhenbei.
The emperor erupted in fury.
He pulled a sword from the wall and pressed it against Wen Zheng’s neck.
“Zheng’er, what is the meaning of this?! I ordered you to bring me General Zhenbei’s head—this is how you deceive me? I am not only your father—I am your sovereign! You dare commit the crime of deceiving your emperor?!”
Wen Zheng looked at him coldly. “Royal Father, General Zhenbei has fought for this country for many years. He has given both merit and toil. He does not deserve a wrongful death. If you’re willing to listen to your son just this once—please stop before it’s too late.”
These words struck the emperor like a great humiliation.
He was the Son of Heaven, the most exalted man in the world. To be lectured by his own son—never, since ascending the throne, had anyone dared defy him like this.
“Very well! Very well! You think I won’t dare kill you because you’re my eldest son? Fine. Then I’ll prove it to you! I’ll throw the entire Yongning Marquis household in prison! Then you’ll see—your defiance and unfilial heart will only bring ruin to those around you!”
He roared, “Guards!”
Soon, the chief eunuch stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
“Go to the Yongning Marquis’ residence and arrest everyone! Lock them in the dungeons! As long as the Crown Prince continues his defiance, I will kill one person each day!”
At these words, Wen Zheng let out a cold laugh. “Royal Father, do you take others’ lives so lightly? Is killing them like slaughtering chickens or lambs so satisfying to you?”
The emperor laughed in rage. “Be grateful that my blood runs in your veins! If not, you would have died today as well!”
Wen Zheng lifted his head and pushed the sword away from his neck.
“Royal Father, there’s no need to send people to Yongning Marquis’ residence. It’s already empty. They were innocent, and you sought to destroy them.”
At this, the emperor was so enraged that he vomited blood.
“Unfilial son! You rebellious wretch!”
In an instant, the last trace of warmth in the emperor’s eyes disappeared, replaced by killing intent.
“Shadow Guards—kill him!”
Suddenly, several black-clad assassins appeared in the hall. They were clearly from the same group that had once tried to kill Ah Heng. Without a word, they launched their attack on Wen Zheng.
Wen Zheng had anticipated this battle the moment he set foot in Yangxin Hall. He immediately entered combat mode.
But yesterday, he’d sustained many injuries protecting the Yongning household. Now, fighting these elite assassins, he was clearly struggling.
In a brief lapse, a sword pierced through him from under his ribs.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell to his knees.
Time was short. His father truly meant to kill him. If he didn’t give it everything he had, he’d die here today.
Rolling across the floor, Wen Zheng seized an opening, got back up, and continued fighting.
Say what you will—Wen Zheng was born to kill. Even with serious wounds from the day before, and under siege from many foes, he still managed to take them down one by one.
In the end, exhausted, he knelt on one knee. But in his eyes, there was no fear or retreat—only the fierce gaze of a blood-drenched beast.
From above, the emperor looked down and suddenly laughed.
“Zheng’er, you truly are a deadly blade in my hand. It was my own poor judgment that caused this blade to turn on me. And yet—I still cannot bring myself to break you.”
He tapped the table twice with his finger.
Immediately, a group of guards appeared at the hall entrance, sealing off any escape.
“Take the Crown Prince to the dungeon. Without my command, no one is allowed to visit him!”
The guards responded in unison: “Yes!”
The emperor walked leisurely to Wen Zheng and carefully studied his face.
“Zheng’er, you do look like your mother. That’s why, in my heart, I still have some fatherly affection for you. If you’re willing to tell me where General Zhenbei and the Yongning household are hiding, I’ll still release you.”
Then, he gave Wen Zheng a hard shove, sending him staggering.
“If not, then spend the rest of your life in the dungeon. Just like when you were a child—forever in darkness.”
With that, he waved his hand, and the guards rushed forward, lifting the severely wounded Wen Zheng to drag him away.
Wen Zheng grunted, then forced himself to stand.
“I’ll walk on my own. No need to drag me.”
The emperor watched, then burst out laughing before turning back into the hall to continue indulging with his concubines.
Soon after, the sounds of laughter and pleasure drifted out—but the guards outside acted as if they heard nothing, clearly used to it.
Wen Zheng sneered inwardly.
In recent years, his father had grown increasingly cruel—killing for pleasure, harsh on the people, raising taxes year after year.
During those days with Ah Heng in Changle County, he had seen how hard it was for the common folk to survive.
Even in famine years, just reducing taxes by a tenth was considered lenient. Yet many people faced not only the deaths of loved ones but also the daily struggle to stay alive. It was like living in hell.
At this moment, Wen Zheng’s ambition flared—wild and unstoppable.
He thought, since the Emperor was cruel and incompetent, and the common people suffered in misery, if he couldn’t sit well on the throne—then perhaps, it should be someone else who sat there.
