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The Pseudo-Princely Heir: System’s Early Gamble (Web Novel) - Chapter 228: A Sudden Enlightenment, the Supreme in the World of Men! 3
Chapter 228: A Sudden Enlightenment, the Supreme in the World of Men! 3
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Cheng Zhihai’s movements slightly hesitated when he heard Cheng Guang’s words. Although he found it somewhat unbelievable, Cheng Guang’s serious face and his undeniable confidence made him think otherwise.
He instinctively felt that his own child was not likely to deceive him about such a matter.
He was inclined to believe what Cheng Guang had said.
Yet, Cheng Zhihai’s rationality told him it was hardly possible.
How could Cheng Guang possibly have discovered the whereabouts of the crown prince?
The Bureau of the Lamp conducted exhaustive searches with countless spies throughout Great Zhou, even extending their espionage into other dynasties in pursuit of intelligence, yet they had found very little information related to the crown prince.
And now, Cheng Guang suddenly came to tell him that he had found the crown prince’s whereabouts.
This notion left Cheng Zhihai at a loss for words for a moment.
It all just seemed too ridiculous.
Cheng Zhihai sighed, choosing to dismiss Cheng Guang’s claim as child’s play, the indulgent affection in his stern eyes undiminished.
The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile as he looked at Cheng Guang and said with a laugh:
“Alright, tell me, where is the crown prince now?”
Cheng Guang said, “South Ming Mansion, the King of South Ming.”
No sooner had Cheng Guang finished speaking than Cheng Zhihai subconsciously said, “What’s the matter, can’t say it out loud…”
But before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly realized something and slowly raised his head to look at Cheng Guang.
A hint of confusion flashed across his stern face.
“Guanger, what did you say?”
Cheng Guang repeated, “South Ming Mansion, the King of South Ming.”
When Cheng Zhihai heard Cheng Guang say “South Ming Mansion, the King of South Ming” again, he could no longer sit still.
He quickly stood up, one hand to his forehead, somewhat helplessly tapping Cheng Guang’s forehead.
“You can’t talk nonsense about this, boy.”
“Do you mean to say that the King of South Ming is the crown prince?”
“If the King of South Ming is the crown prince, then who is the crown prince?”
Having said this, Cheng Zhihai stopped.
Immediately, Cheng Guang replied, “No, the real King of South Ming is already dead. The current King of South Ming is actually the crown prince in disguise.”
Cheng Zhihai’s brow furrowed slightly as he listened to Cheng Guang.
Instinctively, he felt that Cheng Guang’s words were most probably untrue, but then, Cheng Guang had come to him in such a serious manner today to tell him this.
Knowing Cheng Guang as well as he did, he knew that while Cheng Guang might enjoy making a fuss on ordinary days, he would never joke about such a matter.
Especially to the extent of implicating the King of South Ming, a royal noble.
If the King of South Ming really was the crown prince in disguise, then the whole thing was going to be quite a spectacle.
They had been searching for years without locating the crown prince, and now he was being told that the crown prince had not been hiding at all, but had been under their noses all along.
To Cheng Zhihai, it was simply another embarrassment for the Bureau of the Lamp.
But to Emperor Zhou, it would truly be an outrage.
Since ascending the throne, Emperor Zhou had been very good to his only brother, the King of South Ming, not only granting him one of Great Zhou’s wealthiest territories as his fief but also renaming the land and mansion after him.
To then tell Emperor Zhou that the King of South Ming he doted on was actually the crown prince of old.
All the years of favor and rewards had been falling into the crown prince’s pockets.
It was as if he were unwittingly nurturing an enemy preparing to strike back at him.
If Emperor Zhou were not stable-minded, his spirit might just shatter.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Cheng Zhihai regarded Cheng Guang with a scrutinizing gaze, looking especially serious.
“Guanger, are you certain of what you’re saying, do you have evidence?”
Cheng Guang, unfazed by his intense scrutiny, replied with composure:
“I am certain!”
“As for the evidence…”
Cheng Guang’s voice trailed off.
Cheng Zhihai’s heart leaped. Without evidence, even if the King of South Ming were truly the crown prince, he and his Bureau of the Lamp would have no grounds to take action against him.
After all, the King of South Ming, being a member of the royal family and nobility, was different from the ordinary court officials and powerful families.
Even without Emperor Zhou’s favor, the Bureau of the Lamp had no right to arrest him outright.
If they were to arrest the king forcibly, as long as they could produce evidence afterwards, Cheng Zhihai was confident that Emperor Zhou would not blame him.
If there was evidence, then the matter would be much easier to handle.
But without evidence, they would have to investigate thoroughly, and who knows how many more days it might take.
Under Cheng Zhihai’s watchful eye, Cheng Guang said casually and with a smile:
“I do have evidence!”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhihai immediately relaxed. Overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn’t help but grip Cheng Guang’s arm tightly.
“Really?”
Cheng Guang nodded slightly.
Cheng Zhihai took a deep breath, and a glimmer of emotion passed across his stoic visage, while his authoritative eyes trembled slightly.
At that moment, he still did not know how Cheng Guang had discovered that the King of South Ming was the crown prince in hiding.
But that was not his concern.
In his eyes, it was normal for his child to have some secrets, and it was not surprising if his clever child had discovered clues that others had failed to find.
Cheng Zhihai effortlessly accepted the fact.
If Cheng Guang said that the King of South Ming was the crown prince, then he could not disbelieve it.
And when Cheng Guang claimed to have evidence proving that the King of South Ming was the crown prince, he simply had no choice but to believe.
