Chapter 133: The Fourth Prince's Threat

Seeing the man’s terrified expression, Yan Heru could not help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration. "You don't need to be so afraid. We told you already, we only want to ask you a few questions."

"Yes, yes!" The man nodded frantically, terrified that if he were a second too slow, his life would be forfeit.

"I want to ask if you know the whereabouts of the Third Prince. If you do, tell me." Yan Heru skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Upon realizing that was all she wanted to know, the man let out a sigh of relief. But then, fresh terror gripped him, and he shook his head vigorously. "No, no, I don't know where the Third Prince is! Why would you ask me something like that? I’m just an ordinary commoner. I know nothing about the conflict between the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince—that is their war, I truly know nothing!"

He would have been better off staying silent; that last remark was a classic case of over-explaining. If he truly knew nothing of the feud between the two princes, then there would be no one left in the world who did.

"Think carefully. Are you sure you know nothing of the friction between the Third and Fourth Princes? If you don't, then you might not be able to leave this place safely." Seeing his terror, Yan Heru decided to bluff. It was the only way to make him spill the truth; otherwise, they would waste precious time trying to uncover the facts.

As she expected, the man turned deathly pale. He hesitated for a long time, then gritted his teeth and decided to speak.

"I can tell you, but can you guarantee my safety? Like I said, I have an elderly mother to support!" He spoke with a mix of threat and plea.

Yan Heru nodded. "As long as you tell us everything you know, we won't make things difficult for you."

The man sighed and muttered under his breath, "What did I do to deserve this?" Then, he began to recount everything he knew.

He had discovered the secret by chance. That day, while wandering through the streets, he had ended up in a secluded corner of the forest, where he stumbled upon the Third and Fourth Princes in conversation. Ordinarily, for a commoner to overhear the secrets of royalty would be a death sentence, but curiosity had gotten the better of him.

What he heard terrified him to his core. The Fourth Prince was threatening the Third, demanding he surrender his military command, or else. Because the details of the power struggle were beyond the man’s understanding, he couldn't recall exactly what leverage the Fourth Prince had used. However, it was clear the two had a bitter relationship, and the Third Prince had dismissed the threats outright.

They parted on bad terms, and that should have been the end of it. But the man had foolishly followed them—or rather, he followed the Fourth Prince. After they split up, the Fourth Prince went to a nearby tea house where a dozen men were waiting. As soon as the Prince arrived, the men stood up, and the man heard the Fourth Prince order them to hunt down the Third Prince. He wanted him captured alive, but if that proved impossible, he was to be killed.

The men set out immediately. Too terrified to follow further, the man had fled home. He had been a nervous wreck ever since, knowing he held such a dangerous secret. When the Fourth Prince eventually seized military power and ignited the war, the burden of his secret became unbearable. He had gone to meet a friend to vent, only to be intercepted by Yan Heru and Qi Shengsheng.

"You have to believe me! I’ve told you everything I know. I really don't know anything else, please, just let me go!" the man begged.

Yan Heru and Qi Shengsheng exchanged a glance. Finally, Qi Shengsheng said, "Since that is all you know, that will be enough. We never intended to harm you. Now that you’ve spoken, you may leave."

The man scrambled away as if the two women were demons in human skin. Yan Heru felt a sense of helplessness. She hadn't expected the Fourth Prince to have threatened the Third so overtly.

"Sister, it looks like the Fourth Prince captured him. Given his current disappearance, he may have already been harmed. What should we do?" Qi Shengsheng asked.

Yan Heru rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. After considering countless possibilities, she finally replied, "Let’s not be rash. We should tell Father first."

Yan Heru had quickly come to accept the sudden appearance of this father in her life. Perhaps it was the bond of blood; she felt no repulsion toward him, only a sense of warmth. And this younger sister of hers brought her genuine happiness as well.

"Once we have informed Father, we will decide on our next move," Yan Heru added.

Qi Shengsheng nodded, but then hesitated. "I think Father must be very busy right now. Perhaps we should try to resolve this ourselves and avoid troubling him?"

Yan Heru raised an eyebrow. She considered this, and realized that Qi Shengsheng made a fair point.