The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 225

The night passed in great anxiety.

Rumors in the Capital City had indeed spread, and it was too late to stop them now. Any attempt to suppress them would only make the scandal appear more credible.

The Emperor issued an urgent order overnight: the Crown Prince was to halt the execution of Zhai Li.

Killing him was out of the question, and releasing him was absolutely impossible. The Crown Prince was so troubled that he couldn’t sleep, spending the entire night pondering his options. For once, Jin Cheng, the little troublemaker, stayed quiet beside him, silently keeping him company.

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight streamed in, a guard hurried in to report: a crowd of commoners had gathered, surrounding the government office and demanding answers from the court.

"Your Highness, the people are rioting. They might harm you. Shall we summon the city defense troops?"

The Crown Prince lifted his gaze, his sickly pale face growing even paler. He spoke softly, "Take Jin Cheng and leave through the back door."

The little rascal quickly stood up, tightly gripping the Crown Prince’s sleeve. "Your Highness, I won’t leave."

The Crown Prince pried his small hand away and said earnestly, "Be good. Your mother must be worried sick after you’ve been gone all night. I’ll be fine. I’ll call you back to play in a few days."

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Jin Cheng clung to him stubbornly. "No, I won’t leave. You’re lying. If something happens to you, you won’t be able to call me back."

The Crown Prince didn’t respond further, only turning to the guard and saying, "Take him away."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Your Highness! I won’t go! Don’t pull me, I won’t leave!" Jin Cheng continued to wail, but his struggles were futile. The guard carried him out through the back door.

The Crown Princess was waiting outside. As soon as the Crown Prince emerged, she approached him and asked, "Your Highness, have you made your decision?"

The Crown Prince remained silent.

He had.

Rumors spread like wildfire, faster than anyone could have imagined. If he hesitated any longer, not only would he be unable to deal with Zhai Li, but the situation would also spiral further out of control.

But was this surrendering to Zhai Li? Not exactly.

As he had taught Jin Cheng, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with them in the future. He had to protect himself first before he could protect others.

The Crown Prince clenched his fists and walked outside with a heavy heart. Outside the government office, the crowd was in an uproar, shouting for the court to give them answers. They demanded to know if the rumors about the underground incidents were true and whether the officials involved were high-ranking figures in the court.

"Come out, come out! How dare you officials commit such atrocities and not have the guts to admit it? If you can trample on the girls from the slums today, you’ll target our children tomorrow. What have we done wrong? Is it because we’re poor and powerless that we deserve to be bullied like this?"

"If ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‍scholars study for years only to become such corrupt officials who exploit the common people, then what’s the point of education, of being an official, or even of the existence of academies and the court?"

"You corrupt officials, you rotten court! You treat the common people like worthless scraps, trampling us underfoot without a second thought. All we want is to live peacefully. Why is that so hard?"

"Corrupt officials! Come out! Come out and speak!"

...

The government clerks were being berated mercilessly, but without orders from the Crown Prince, no one dared to act. Their indignant expressions only further enraged the crowd.

Amid the chaos, the Crown Prince stepped out. He was dressed in a golden ceremonial robe, a double-tasseled jade belt hanging at his waist, and a jade crown adorned his head. His face was pale and sickly, but his eyes were calm and deep as ink.

The commoners had never seen the Crown Prince before and mistook him for a nobleman. It wasn’t until all the guards and clerks knelt in unison that they realized who he was.

"Long live the Crown Prince, a thousand, thousand years!"

The crowd fell silent instantly. The chaotic scene vanished, and someone finally spoke up.

"The... the Crown Prince?"

"It’s the Crown Prince! He’s here to investigate this case!"

"The Crown Prince is here! Thank goodness! With him here, he’ll surely uncover the truth and bring justice to the people!"

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, please save the innocent girls! Save us, the helpless commoners!"

"We beg you, Your Highness!"

...

The situation shifted dramatically. Just moments ago, the crowd had been hurling insults at the officials and the court, venting their anger as if their lives depended on it.

But as soon as the Crown Prince appeared, even without uttering a word, the people fell to their knees. Pleas, grievances, and sobs came from all directions. They clung to him as if he were their only lifeline, begging him to bring them justice.

It was well-known that the Crown Prince loved his people as if they were his own children.

Only now did Chu Heng realize... that his people loved him in return.

Zhai Li had been cunning, using the people’s anger to pressure the court into releasing him. It had seemed like an unsolvable deadlock, and even the Crown Prince had felt despair and compromise. But in the darkest hour before dawn, sparks of hope suddenly ignited, illuminating the path before him.

The Crown Prince’s eyes reddened as he looked down at the weeping, aggrieved people kneeling before him. Suppressing the ache in his heart, he spoke, "I will give you an answer."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

"Long live the Crown Prince, a thousand, thousand years!"

...

With the Crown Prince’s presence, the furious crowd gradually calmed down and reluctantly dispersed from the government office.

This scene was not only astonishing to the clerks but also to the Crown Prince’s own guards. They had never seen anything like it in their lives—a single person, with just his presence, could inspire such trust and faith among so many strangers.

This was the result of winning the people’s hearts.

Even before becoming the Crown Prince, Chu Heng had always assisted various government departments. After being named Crown Prince, he used his position to solve numerous major cases.

Between power and the people, he had always stood firmly on the side of the people, which was why they trusted him so deeply.

As soon as he returned, the Crown Prince sat down to draft a memorial. Since the people did not blame the court, it meant he could not only execute Zhai Li but also bring all fifty-five corrupt officials to justice.

Thinking of this, the knot in his chest finally loosened, and he couldn’t help but smile as he finished writing.

Things were moving in a positive direction.

"Deliver this memorial to the palace," the Crown Prince instructed. The guard had just acknowledged the order and was about to leave when the Crown Princess hurried in, snatching the memorial from the guard’s hands.

The guard was taken aback but, sensing the tension between the two, wisely retreated.

"Qing Rong?" the Crown Prince frowned, looking at her.

The Crown Princess’s eyes were red, her fingers clutching the memorial so tightly it seemed she might tear it apart. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Your Highness, you can’t... this memorial must not be sent to the palace."