Chapter 51: Late-Night Lake Cruise (Part 2)

Watching her son scurry away like a wisp of smoke, Princess Consort Wei wore a radiant smile of pure delight.

As evening approached, Zhu Zhanhe and the Prince of Han set out, with Wei Lizhong driving the carriage from the outside—though the Prince of Han seemed completely oblivious to who was holding the reins.

"He'er, where are we heading to tour the lake?" the Prince of Han asked today in high spirits, sitting inside the carriage and looking at his son with keen anticipation.

Being cooped up in the Prince's Mansion for so long had nearly driven him mad, especially with the added headache of having to constantly scheme over how to handle the impending relocation to his fief. What a nuisance!

"Father, let's go to Xuanwu Lake. I've never seen the night scenery of Xuanwu Lake before," Zhu Zhanhe replied. In truth, he had known all along that they were going to Xuanwu Lake; he was simply informing his father.

"What? Xuanwu Lake? In pitch darkness like this, what on earth are we going to Xuanwu Lake for? Why not the Qinhuai River?" Upon hearing that they were heading to Xuanwu Lake, the Prince of Han was utterly bewildered. What was there to see at Xuanwu Lake? In the dead of night, it was just a vast expanse of water—he would much rather go to the Qinhuai River!

"Father, a lake tour promised is a lake tour indeed! You'll see once we get there," Zhu Zhanhe maintained his carefree demeanor, choosing to ignore the disappointment written all over his father's face. His nonchalant attitude left the Prince of Han completely baffled, having no inkling of what sort of mischief his son was up to.

"Alright then, today I'll humor you," the Prince of Han said with flagging enthusiasm, waving his hand helplessly. With an air of resignation, he leaned back against the cushions inside the carriage.

The carriage rolled along at a leisurely and steady pace, and before long, the moon had climbed up to the treetops.

"Your Highness the Heir, we're almost there!" Zhu Zhanhe was growing bored sitting in the carriage while his father remained silent, and he was busy practicing the breathing exercises taught to him by the old Daoist priest. At that moment, his uncle Wei Lizhong's voice came from outside.

"Lizhong? He'erd, didn't he go off to handle some business for you? When did he return? How come I had no idea?" The Prince of Han was so bored he was nearly dozing off when the voice of his young brother-in-law suddenly drifted in from outside, filling him with fresh confusion.

"Father, Uncle Wei returned two days ago," Zhu Zhanhe replied, casting a speechless glance at his father. He thought to himself: *What on earth are you daydreaming about? Didn't you even check who was driving the carriage when you got in? You actually thought your son was taking you out to carouse along the Qinhuai River?!*

Indeed, Wei Lizhong and little Xizi had returned two days ago. Today was their second day back. After arriving home late last night, they had secretly sought out Zhu Zhanhe and, following his instructions, covertly transferred the giant alligator to Xuanwu Lake!

"Returned two days ago? How is it that I knew nothing of this?" The Prince of Han was deeply perplexed. When people went out on business and returned, did they not even need to report to him, the master of the Prince's Mansion?

Suddenly, the Prince of Han's mind whirled as a brilliant thought struck him, instantly reviving his interest.

"He'er, you said you were taking me to tour the lake today—you must have prepared a surprise for me! Xuanwu Lake is water too, and a massive body of water at that! Is your surprise hidden within this vast expanse of water?" The Prince of Han, feeling that his intelligence was once again operating at peak capacity, stroked his beard, leaving Zhu Zhanhe momentarily stunned.

"Yes, Father, the surprise is right here in Xuanwu Lake!" Seeing that his father had managed to put the pieces together on his own, Zhu Zhanhe began to weigh whether he should let him in on the secret a little early.

"Let me guess. A while ago, your grandfather heard the old monk Yao Guangxiao say that the Jianwen Emperor is beside a great body of water, but no one knew where that water was! Could it be that you've tracked down his whereabouts? Is he right here at Xuanwu Lake?!" The Prince of Han wore an expression of shock and wild excitement, mixed with eager questioning as he stared at his precious son.

In reality, although the Prince of Han had operated under the guise of the Imperial Grandfather's faction and had even had contacts and cooperation with the Jianwen Emperor's loyalists, he had never actually laid eyes on the Jianwen Emperor himself!

Could it be that this time, they had truly found the Jianwen Emperor?

"Son, we didn't bring any men with us today. Won't this alert him?" Suddenly, the Prince of Han remembered that since he thought they were heading to the Qinhuai River, he had dismissed all his personal guards. Without bringing anyone along, how were they supposed to capture the Jianwen Emperor?

If they managed to capture the Jianwen Emperor, wouldn't that be another chance to shine brightly in front of the Emperor? Or collaborating with the Jianwen Emperor wasn't entirely out of the question either—though they would have to dispose of him once the collaboration concluded, utilizing him beforehand was certainly beneficial!

Hearing his father's rambling monologue, Zhu Zhanhe was utterly speechless. However, he had no intention of explaining; after all, they were almost at their destination, and it was time to set his plan into motion!

"Father, time to get out of the carriage," Zhu Zhanhe said, cutting off his father's endless chatter and urging him to disembark.

"Hm? Get out?" Though still hesitant, the Prince of Han obediently stepped down.

As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, the Prince of Han saw Wei Lizhong standing respectfully to one side, holding two lanterns. Seeing Zhu Zhanhe and his father descend, Wei Lizhong hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Your Highness, Your Highness the Heir, we've nearly arrived," Wei Lizhong said, dropping to one knee in a respectful bow. By the dim light of the lanterns, the Prince of Han caught sight of a familiar face, but at this moment, that familiar face was looking at his precious son with a gaze of fanatical devotion!

It was a look the Prince of Han recognized all too well—it was the exact same fanatical fervor the soldiers in the army displayed when laying eyes on the Yongle Emperor!

Furthermore, the entirety of Wei Lizhong's focus was concentrated solely on his son, as if his eyes could hold no room for anything else in the world.

"Creak, creak..." Just as the Prince of Han was consumed by doubt, the sound of another carriage echoed from the distance.

The Prince of Han turned his head to look closely. It was little Xizi driving the carriage, but who was sitting inside? The Prince of Han wondered with a frown.

"Father, forgive me for making you share a carriage with my teacher. I'll go ahead first to check if my surprise is ready," Zhu Zhanhe said. Seeing that little Xizi's carriage was drawing closer, he decided to proceed according to the original plan. Without further ado, he left his father behind, boarded the carriage himself, and drove off with Wei Lizhong.

"Hey? He'er, He'er..." Watching his son leave him behind in a carriage all by himself, the Prince of Han stood in utter bewilderment. He shouted a few times at the top of his lungs, attempting to appeal to whatever paternal affection might linger in his son's heart, but it was completely useless. Zhu Zhanhe drove away without a single trace of reluctance.

"Your Highness, please board the carriage!" The Prince of Han was not left standing out in the cold wind for long. Within moments, little Xizi drove up before him and respectfully invited him to board.

"Fine then," the Prince of Han nodded in helpless resignation. He handed the lanterns his son had previously given him over to little Xizi, and then climbed into the carriage.

"This humble Daoist greets the Prince of Han," the moment the Prince of Han squeezed into the carriage, the very first person he laid eyes on was someone he thoroughly disliked—the old Daoist priest Zhang Zhengheng. To make matters worse, the old Daoist was actually cupping his hands in a polite greeting.

"It's you, old Daoist? He'er called for you too?" The Prince of Han's confusion deepened tenfold. What on earth was his son playing at? Dragging his own father out for a lake tour in the dead of night, and on top of that, bringing along an old Daoist priest who looked like he had one foot already in the coffin?!

"Your Highness is wise; it was indeed the Heir who summoned this humble Daoist," the old Daoist replied, entirely unruffled, still maintaining his casual hand-salute toward the Prince of Han with a tranquil expression.