“Oh?”
Chu Zhao was intrigued. “Second Brother’s plan is to impeach a few minor officials in the Ministry of Justice and Personnel this time? The Grand Secretary and Deputy Secretary have too tight a grip at the top, so it’s not easy to shake them for now.”
The case started with a land dispute: two wealthy families fighting over a plot with unclear ownership due to an old issue.
The land wasn’t large, but the two families had a long-standing grudge. Once they clashed, neither would back down. Both swore they’d win at any cost.
How? By calling in their connections.
One turned to a friend in the Ministry of Personnel, the other to an official in the Ministry of Justice.
The conflict escalated, and soon they were brawling at the edge of the field. One tenant was seriously injured, leaving his family without their only breadwinner. His relatives, desperate and grieving, went to the Court of Judicial Review to beat the drum and demand justice.
The second prince was currently stationed at the Court of Judicial Review.
The presiding official was elderly and about to retire, so the emperor decided to let the second prince take over, with the outgoing official handing over all affairs before leaving for retirement.
When the second prince heard about the case, he realized it was an opportunity. Before anyone could cover it up, he intervened and made sure the two most involved officials couldn’t escape. He managed to detain them.
Officially, the two were being questioned as part of standard procedure, but in reality, the second prince ordered a deep investigation and dug up even more of their past crimes. When all was reported, their careers would be over.
A few more people would be implicated, including the Marquis of Yin Nan and Shen Minghong for bribery-the whole thing would be exposed at once.
Shen Ziqin had learned all this after officially becoming a strategist, asking the prince’s guards for details. Now Chu Zhao asked, “How does the Ministry of Works get involved?”
Shen Ziqin’s finger hovered over a few names, his pale hand stark against the black ink, weaving a net to ensnare them all: “Although the Ministry of Personnel and Justice officials will be punished for other crimes, the root cause is still the land dispute.”
“And these two are also connected to the land dispute.”
Shen Ziqin pushed the plot from the original novel onto the Marquis of Yin Nan’s house: “I once overheard the Marquis and Shen Minghong discussing these names in the study. I didn’t catch everything, but I heard words like ‘land’ and ‘life.’”
Chu Zhao’s smile faded: “Life?”
“Mm. I noticed a servant nearby and didn’t dare stay, so I left quickly,” Shen Ziqin said quietly. “
Your Highness can investigate the two of them.”
Chu Zhao’s voice dropped: “Hei Ying.”
Hei Ying stepped forward: “At your command.”
“Those two names you pointed out-take people and investigate them yourself. I want news within two days.”
Hei Ying cupped his fists. “Yes, sir.”
In the blink of an eye, Hei Ying vanished-his movements were incredibly swift, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Shen Ziqin admired such skill and closed the dossier, but he wasn’t finished yet; after all, Chu Zhao had asked for his help with another matter.
“As for the deputy commander position, I think Captain Wang is a good choice. His family background is clean, the Wang family has little connection to either the Grand Secretary or Deputy Secretary, and he’s the type to mind his own business. Even if he can’t help you in the future, he won’t cause trouble.”
Captain Wang was the one who’d shouted “Your Highness, the prince and consort are so loving!” by Chu Zhao’s ear. He was a decent man, and Chu Zhao nodded. “Alright, I’ll go with your recommendation.”
Shen Ziqin still had a slight cough, but his voice was clear now, no longer sticky. He sipped tea to soothe his throat, and Chu Zhao looked at him with a half-sigh, half-admiring gaze: “Just two days, and you’ve read and thought through so much.”
Shen Ziqin replied, “If you get things done quickly, you can relax quickly too, right?”
“Great minds think alike,” Chu Zhao agreed, giving him a thumbs up. “But no more staying up late at night.”
Shen Ziqin’s hand paused on the teacup, eyes shifting guiltily. “Not sleeping by 9 p.m. isn’t really staying up late, is it?”
Chu Zhao: “It is-for you.”
Chu Zhao reached out and gently poked Shen Ziqin’s cheek. “Sick people should be good and go to bed early, you-”
But he broke off mid-sentence.
Because Shen Ziqin’s eyes widened in surprise, staring at him.
And from Shen Ziqin’s expression, Chu Zhao finally realized what he’d just done.
…He’d poked Shen Ziqin’s cheek-while Shen Ziqin was fully awake.
Chu Zhao: “…”
He’d only tried it secretly last night-how had it become so natural now!
Chu Zhao jerked his hand back as if shocked, just as Xiao Zhen entered the courtyard carrying a box and happened to witness the scene.
What, what, what were they just doing!
Xiao Zhen immediately lowered his presence, pretending not to see, giving the two of them plenty of space.
Shen Ziqin’s expression shifted from surprise to confusion, then to a look of helpless, disapproving understanding as if he’d figured something out.
Chu Zhao didn’t know how to explain, so he chose not to. A true commander faces the clever heir head-on, unafraid.
As long as no one saw he was nervous, then he wasn’t nervous. No problem.
Shen Ziqin touched his own cheek and muttered, “Your Highness, are you treating me like a child again?”
Chu Zhao’s forced composure wavered: Huh?
Shen Ziqin sat up straight, reasoning, “I’m actually a year older than you, Your Highness. I know how to take care of myself.”
Thinking back, Chu Zhao’s coaxing tone when he was sick after the wedding, carrying him to bed last night, and just now poking his cheek-it all felt like he was being treated like a little brother.
Shen Ziqin wanted to remind Chu Zhao that he was actually the older one.
Even though Shen Ziqin seemed to misunderstand, Chu Zhao’s cheek-poking was clearly glossed over. If they were going to talk about who was more mature, Chu Zhao had his confidence back.
Now he didn’t need to fake a commander’s air-he was firmly in control: “And who was it that caught a chill from staying up late?”
Shen Ziqin: “…”
“Ahem,” the guilt didn’t go away, just shifted-now it was Shen Ziqin’s turn to look away. “It was a moment’s carelessness. I’ll be more careful in the future.”
As his gaze wandered, he spotted Xiao Zhen in the distance and immediately called him over like a lifeline.
“Xiao Zhen.”
Xiao Zhen came forward with the food box.
He’d started off well, but why hadn’t they held hands or something? What a pity.
Xiao Zhen set the box down. “Young master, everything you asked for is ready.”
He placed it by Shen Ziqin’s side, and Shen Ziqin pushed it toward Chu Zhao. “I had some savory snacks made for you to take to the camp for afternoon tea.”
Chu Zhao had rushed home at noon and would be leaving soon. He teased, “This time the amount is just right, isn’t it?”
Shen Ziqin replied, “Don’t worry, each layer of the box is shallow-no way to stack up another ‘snack tower’ like last time.”
They exchanged glances and both laughed.
Xiao Zhen, hearing their conversation, realized: Ah, was it my fault there were too many snacks last time?
Luckily, the prince and consort didn’t blame him, and after sharing a look, they were both smiling so happily-
Wuwu, the prince and consort are truly beautiful and kind, a perfect match!
Chu Zhao stood up. “It’s about time-I should go.”
He thought, since he’d be supervising Shen Ziqin’s bedtime tonight, he might as well come earlier and continue their discussion.
“Will there be an extra set of dishes at Mingyue Pavilion’s dinner table tonight? We can finish our conversation over dinner.”
“Of course,” Shen Ziqin agreed right away.
Chu Zhao finally left, a guard carrying the food box behind him.
Once outside the residence, Chu Zhao glanced at his fingers.
The feel of the heir’s cheek was definitely different from milk pudding, but… it was very satisfying to poke.
It might be addictive-what should he do?
Asking for advice online, but not in a hurry.
Chu Zhao brought the food box to the camp. During the afternoon meeting with the other officers, during the break, besides tea, he also had the kitchen prepare snacks for everyone.
But it was obvious to all that the prince’s snacks were different from theirs.
Chu Zhao had already blended in with the officers, who now felt comfortable joking with him. One laughed, “Hey, I saw the prince’s snacks came from a lacquered box-did you bring those from home?”
“Mm.” Chu Zhao took a bite, not thinking much of it, and answered casually, “The heir asked me to bring them.”
The prince had no sons; the only “heir” in the household was Shen Ziqin, the consort. The officers immediately started teasing, and the place erupted with laughter.
“You see, didn’t I say the consort is thoughtful? Picks you up, brings you snacks!”
“No wonder they smell better than the other pastries-nothing compares to a treat filled with love, haha!”
And the young officer desperate to get married chimed in again: *Wuwuwu, I’m so jealous I could die!*
Chu Zhao: …He swore, he’d just said it casually, with no intention of showing off or flaunting his relationship.
And these grown men, making such a fuss over someone else’s family affairs-what a scene.
If they had this much energy, he could always add more drills. Prince Qin, coldly plotting, bit into the consort’s “loving” pastry.
After everyone had laughed enough, Captain Wang-still unaware he was about to be promoted-called out, “But Your Highness, you keep calling him ‘Shizi’ (heir). Doesn’t that sound like the consort is a generation younger than you, at least when you’re behind closed doors?”
Chu Zhao paused-he’d honestly never thought about it.
Shen Ziqin was the heir of the Marquis of Yin Nan, but not of the Prince Qin’s residence. Was it really appropriate for everyone here to keep calling him ‘Shizi’?
Chu Zhao couldn’t help but consider it. If he changed the way he addressed Shen Ziqin, what should he use?
He was already his strategist-should he call him “Mister Shen”? …Too formal. Maybe use it occasionally for intimacy, but it didn’t fit their dynamic.
His full name? Too distant.
Just his given name?
…Ziqin.
Ziqin.
The two syllables seemed to send a jolt through Chu Zhao’s chest, making his fingers tingle, and that reminded him of poking Shen Ziqin’s cheek earlier…
Just as Chu Zhao’s heart was about to skip another beat, someone interrupted Captain Wang, slapping his thigh: “What do you know, Your Highness and the consort are still young-this is just the fun of a youthful couple!”
Chu Zhao’s fingers clenched, and the pastry crumbled in his hand.
His almost-leaping heart was firmly reined in by the group of burly men in the room.
That man winked and said, “Right, Your Highness?”
What do you mean, right!
“Get back to work!” Chu Zhao grabbed a file and tossed it over. “Break’s over, back to it!”
The man caught the file with a grin. “Yes, sir!”
The others burst out laughing: Oh, so Prince Qin is still a young man after all-caught off guard by his own feelings!
With everyone chuckling and returning to work, Chu Zhao found himself both exasperated and amused, and all those tangled thoughts in his head suddenly quieted.
Why stress over titles? Once the Marquis of Yin Nan’s estate changed hands, he could just switch to a new one.
Marquis Shen Ziqin… Little Marquis.
Didn’t sound bad at all.
—
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(advanced chapters available on kofi)
