There's something wrong with me

Three days later, early morning.

Seventh Prince's Residence, backyard.

Zhang Feng sat upright by the pool.

Whoosh—

He scattered a handful of fish food, and the little goldfish inside gathered happily.

'According to the timeline, my imperial brother will come here to pick me up in a while.

I wonder what he wants me to go to Lake City with him for?'

Zhang Feng watched the goldfish while waiting for the First Prince to pick him up.

Ever since Zhang Feng came out of the First Prince's residence a few days ago.

Zhang Feng hadn't gone anywhere these past few days.

Because everywhere was filled with Empress Mother's 'blind date traps'.

After all, how could a normal person open the door and find several knowledgeable and graceful young women just happening to pass by their house?

And then, a palace maid from the Empress's side would suddenly pop out from around the corner, asking which one he liked?

This was really too shocking.

Zhang Feng wouldn't panic if an assassin popped out, but he couldn't just react and punch a palace maid from the Empress's side, right?

So, Zhang Feng had been resting in the residence these past few days, not going anywhere.

Zhang Feng felt that things would be fine once the Empress Mother's enthusiasm for having a chubby grandson passed.

Hiding and silence were the best methods now.

Because they were delicate and weak, they couldn't possibly climb over the walls from the outside, right?

'Family affection is loving and beneficial, but it also has its drawbacks.'

At this moment.

Zhang Feng shook his head inwardly while feeding the fish.

'The benefit is that my mom spoils me too much, more than just ordinary spoiling.

The drawback is that because she cares about me too much, my major life events have become the thing my mom wants to solve the most.

However.

My dad's "silent treatment" that he often uses on me seems to be a pretty good solution to deal with my mom's enthusiastic matchmaking at this moment.'

Thinking of this, Zhang Feng suddenly chuckled.

'People say that where there are poisonous snakes, there must be an antidote within seven steps, and it really doesn't deceive me.

My dad's "silent treatment" is that perfect antidote.

But my mom isn't a poisonous snake.'

Zhang Feng quite liked this family, and sometimes he couldn't help but smile when he thought of Empress Mother.

Thinking of Emperor Father, he was actually quite good too.

After all, he ate the meals made by his imperial chefs every day.

Before he could think much longer.

Da da—

Faint footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Zhang Feng first subconsciously glanced at the top of the wall, and after seeing that it wasn't someone coming over the wall, he accurately looked towards the outside of the small courtyard based on the direction of the gradually increasing sound.

"Master!" Xiao Wuzi walked from afar, dressed in butler attire, and bowed with cupped hands: "His Highness the First Prince is almost here."

… …

A hundred or so zhang away from the street.

In the First Prince's entourage, although there were no dusters, golden censers, or sedan chairs like when the Emperor traveled, there were also several civil officials, as well as a guard and follower scale of more than a hundred people.

Outside, outside the city, there were still five hundred soldiers who would accompany the First Prince to Lake City, thousands of miles away.

One was to protect the Prince's safety, and the other was to show the imperial majesty outside.

However, any more would not be allowed.

The First Prince had not yet been conferred a title of King, and could not control too many people, and even if he was conferred a title of King, according to the regulations of the Lin Dynasty, he could not take away more than one thousand five hundred soldiers.

Going on an expedition was a different matter.

And at this moment.

The entourage in the city was heading towards Zhang Feng's residence.

Da da—

As they neatly passed by Zhang Feng's residence, there were special escorts clearing the way early on, and passersby gave way one after another.

When the entourage arrived in front of the residence.

Zhang Feng, who had arrived in front of the residence early on, was sizing up the Prince's entourage.

There were no complicated welcoming etiquette.

The curtain of one of the luxurious carriages was lifted.

The First Prince looked at Zhang Feng gently and said, "Travel with your imperial brother."

"Yes." Zhang Feng returned the greeting with cupped hands, and the basic etiquette of respect for his elder brother made the surrounding onlookers unable to find a single fault.

However, when the passersby saw the Seventh Prince's figure.

Although they didn't dare to say it out loud, they couldn't help but size him up in their hearts.

'This is the Seventh Prince?' A burly blacksmith looked at him with the intention of accepting him as a disciple.

'As expected of a majestic and imposing man! If the Seventh Prince's identity wasn't so noble, I would definitely accept him as a disciple! He looks like he was born to be a blacksmith!'

'I heard that he eats, drinks, and has fun in the palace every day?' A playboy didn't know where he got the news from, 'If he wasn't a Prince, I would definitely become sworn brothers with him! To have fun together!'

'Hmm? I heard that Great Confucian Zheng didn't give him an evaluation.' A scholar looked at him with a strange feeling in his heart, 'It shouldn't be like this! Why doesn't such an educated person have an evaluation?'

Because most people in Lin City had heard of the Seventh Prince's physique, no one cared about Zhang Feng's mountain-like majesty at this moment.

After all, over the past ten years in the palace, many people had come and gone, and some people couldn't control their mouths.

The news of the Seventh Prince's weight would naturally leak out.

But the passersby didn't like these old news, on the contrary, they preferred some newly obtained inside information.

For example, which prince was eating, drinking, and having fun, or some palace anecdotes.

This curiosity and sizing up continued until Zhang Feng's figure entered the carriage, and the entourage set off again, and they slowly put away their respective doubts.

… …

Giddy up~

The entourage continued on its way, gradually leaving the city.

Because it was the Prince's carriage, the person clearing the way also had a token.

When they arrived at the city gate, the soldiers guarding the city did not inspect or speak, and directly saluted and let them pass.

Whirr—

The soldiers stationed outside the official road also followed the entourage at the same time, merging into one force.

And there were soldiers riding fast horses to scout the road ahead, and crossbowmen scattered around, traveling alongside the entourage on the periphery.

And in the center of the entourage protected by hundreds of soldiers.

Bang~

"General!"

The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ is ⊥ at ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥ ⊥ book ⊥ ⊥ bar ⊥ ⊥ first ⊥ hair!

Zhang Feng and the First Prince were playing Chinese chess, and Zhang Feng was about to checkmate the First Prince again at this moment.

However, the First Prince seemed to be looking at the chessboard, but asked something unrelated to the chess game.

"Little Seven, what are your thoughts after coming out of the house today?"

"What thoughts?" Zhang Feng picked up a teacup from the side, "No thoughts."

"No thoughts?" The First Prince looked at Zhang Feng suspiciously, "Aren't you going to ask what your brother brought you out here to do?"

"Don't know." Zhang Feng replied very readily: "A few days ago, Imperial Brother sent someone to send me a message, asking me to wait for you, and then I waited.

And now."

Zhang Feng pointed to the chessboard, "I only know that Imperial Brother is about to lose."

On the surface, Zhang Feng still had two rooks, as well as a knight and a cannon.

But the First Prince only had the old general left.

"Well, Little Seven's chess skills are superb." After looking at the chess board situation, the First Prince replied seriously:

"Looking at it like this, I should have lost, but although Chinese chess has also been around for a long time, I have limited energy and only learned the game of Go.

Chinese chess is only a superficial study.

It's not surprising that you can beat your brother."

As the First Prince spoke, he took out a Go set from the side, "I wonder how Little Seven is at Go?"

"Go?" Zhang Feng didn't know how to play Go, so he simply slumped on the soft backrest and waved his hand, "No, no, I'm a little tired."

"Since Little Brother is tired, then it's not honorable for me to beat you." The First Prince was very serious, and after carefully putting away the chessboard, he took out a scroll of documents from the small cabinet next to him,

"Then let's talk about this trip?"

"Please speak, Imperial Brother." Zhang Feng sat up again, suddenly not feeling tired.

The First Prince didn't pay attention at all, but instead said seriously again: "This trip is to investigate an old Jianghu case."

The First Prince handed the document to Zhang Feng, "Originally, Mother Empress didn't want you to participate, but I thought that you have come of age and can't just eat, drink, and have fun all day long.

So, you should take a look."

"Okay." Zhang Feng picked up the document and saw that it was just a record of some events.

The document recorded.

Three years ago, a murder occurred in Lake City, Anqing County.

The 'Hengchen Winery' was massacred overnight, with dozens of people killed.

Rumor has it that the owner of the winery seemed to have hidden 'forbidden books'.

The murderer is likely to be a Jianghu person.

But the local investigation has been fruitless for many years.

Zhang Feng glanced at it a few times, then looked at the First Prince, "Imperial Brother, are you going to investigate the murderer? Or track down the whereabouts of the forbidden books?"

"Oh?" The First Prince looked at his younger brother with a slight surprise, "I am going to investigate the murderer and track down the forbidden books.

Not simple, Little Seven revealed the two purposes of this trip in one sentence, it seems that Little Seven has grown up too."

"… …" Zhang Feng looked at the First Prince who was praising him speechlessly.

Good fellow, is he treating himself like a child?

Isn't it just answering a very common question, and then you have to be praised?

But Zhang Feng thought about it carefully and felt that it seemed right.

Because the last time they met, they didn't chat much, and he had been eating all the time, looking dull.

And the time before that, he was only fifteen years old, half a head shorter than now.

That really looked like a child.

It's right for the elder brother to praise the younger brother.

And Zhang Feng also thought that when he was young, his imperial brother often protected him and cared about him.

When he saw that the other princes didn't play with him, he, who was already fifteen or sixteen at that time, would bring toys to play with him, afraid that he would be lonely.

But Zhang Feng was not a child and really didn't want to play.

However, in order not to hurt the heart of the 'bookworm elder brother', Zhang Feng could only have 'two adults' play with toys together.

"Imperial Brother, let's talk about the main business." Zhang Feng sighed helplessly while recalling, and returned the document to the First Prince, "Where should we start investigating this case?"

"Go to the Lake City government first." The First Prince quickly put on that expressionless thinking look when he heard the main business, "Investigate the government first, then the winery."

"Imperial Brother's meaning is…" Zhang Feng had some guesses, "The yamen may be covering up?"

"Yes." The First Prince nodded slightly, "A full three years have passed, and no clues have been found.

If it's not covering up, then this case is indeed strange, or the Anqing County Magistrate is incompetent.

If he is incompetent, what use is such a useless person to the people of Anqing County?"