Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1124 - 143: Arrival in the Capital

Within a dilapidated residence in the North Market of the capital, Prince Chu and Prince Wei found themselves seated opposite each other. Prince Wei had initiated this meeting, cutting straight to the matter at hand: "Do you know where our tenth brother is?" Prince Chu, anticipating this query, replied, "No, haven't you dispatched your people to Jiangnan? They failed to locate our tenth brother?" Prince Wei, perceiving Prince Chu's words as a deliberate evasion, fixed him with a cold stare. "I have no personnel in Jiangnan." Upon this revelation, Prince Chu seemed to recall a pertinent fact. "Ah, I had forgotten. You've recalled all your agents to foreign territories." Since Prince Chu possessed no information regarding Zhao Yao's whereabouts, Prince Wei lost interest in further conversation. He rose abruptly, preparing to depart. Just then, Prince Chu interjected, "It was the Xun Family that dispatched assassins to strike our tenth brother." Prince Chu's statement halted Prince Wei in his tracks at the doorway. He spun around, fixing Prince Chu with an intense gaze. "The Xun Family sent assassins after our tenth brother? Was this orchestrated by our fifth brother?" Having withdrawn his operatives abroad, Prince Wei lacked any spies in Jiangnan and was unaware of the assassination attempt on Zhao Yao. "Our tenth brother must have uncovered proof of Prince Han's collusion with the third princess of the Xiongnu." In matters concerning Zhao Yao, Prince Chu felt no compunction in sharing details with Prince Wei. Angrily, Prince Wei strode back, seizing Prince Chu's collar. "Did you instruct our tenth brother to investigate this?" Prince Chu calmly removed Prince Wei's hand. "I would never permit our tenth brother to undertake such a perilous investigation." "If it wasn't you, then why would our tenth brother pursue this inquiry?" "It was not I." Prince Chu reiterated his steadfast refusal to expose Zhao Yao to such danger. Prince Wei, aware of Prince Chu's protective stance towards Zhao Yao, questioned further, "I explicitly warned him not to get involved. Why then did he investigate this matter?" "Perhaps Prince Han provoked him." Prince Chu, intimately familiar with Zhao Yao's character, deduced that only direct provocation from Prince Han would have compelled Zhao Yao to investigate the clandestine dealings with the third princess. "Over the past year, Prince Han has repeatedly sent assassins after our tenth brother." "How do you ascertain this?" Prince Wei was aware of Prince Han's attempts on Zhao Yao's life, but the frequency of these attempts was news to him. Prince Chu offered no direct answer, stating instead, "Given our tenth brother's disposition, Prince Han must have overstepped a crucial boundary." Hearing this, Prince Wei's mind immediately went to Prince Han's feigned illness and his subsequent prolonged absence from the capital. "So that explains why Prince Han has not returned to the capital." Prince Chu looked up at Prince Wei. "Do you not have operatives among the Xiongnu?" Prince Wei met Prince Chu's gaze with a raised eyebrow but remained silent. "Your people can act now." Prince Wei responded with a chilling remark, "By what authority do you command me?" Prince Chu offered no reply, continuing his monologue, "I shall handle the Xun Family myself." "There is no need. I will deal with the Xun Family and fifth brother personally." With that, Prince Wei turned and exited the room. Prince Chu lingered for a moment before departing with Wei Mian. On his journey back to the capital, Zhao Yao had already learned that his two elder brothers were aware of the assassination attempt. "How do my fourth and eighth brothers know about the assassination attempt on me?" He had deliberately concealed the date of his return to the capital from them. Lu Guang found himself unable to answer Zhao Yao's bewildered question. "I am utterly finished," Zhao Yao exclaimed, his expression fraught with distress. Startled by Zhao Yao's outburst, Lu Guang nervously inquired, "Young Master, what is finished?" "I kept it a secret from my fourth and eighth brothers, yet now they are aware of the attempt on my life. Upon my return to the capital, they will undoubtedly lecture me." The mere thought of his fourth brother's lengthy admonishments sent a pang of dread through Zhao Yao. "My fourth brother could lecture me for hours on end." "Hm?" Lu Guang struggled to comprehend. "You have no idea how long-winded my fourth brother becomes when he lectures." Typically reserved in his speech, Fourth Brother could speak for hours consecutively when admonishing someone. Zhao Yao dreaded these lectures more than anything. "Is Prince Chu very long-winded?" Lu Guang, having never met Prince Chu, was unfamiliar with his temperament. "Not precisely, it's only when he scolds me that he speaks at length." Those who have not endured Fourth Brother's lectures cannot fathom his anguish. "I would sooner endure a physical punishment from Fourth Brother." "Young master, your bond with Prince Chu is truly remarkable." "While we may not share the same mother, my fourth brother's affection for me surpasses that of a blood sibling," Zhao Yao explained to Lu Guang, reminiscing about their shared childhood. "Receiving a lecture from my fourth brother is considered a great fortune," he added, admitting that such lengthy admonishments from the Emperor himself would test his patience. "Upon my return to the capital, I should proactively confess my faults to my fourth brother," Zhao Yao mused, hoping this might shorten his lecture time by an hour or two. "Young master, how many more days until our arrival in the capital?" Lu Guang inquired, as this would be his inaugural visit.