Chapter 77: The First Imperial EdictChapter 1377: Resentment and Frustration

"My lord."

The woman who had always been by Li Chen's side knelt before the King of Ning, her voice trembling with fear.

"Useless stuff!"

King Ning glared at her with icy eyes and said, "At the banquet before, I saw that Crown Prince eager to get under your skirt. How come, at the last moment, he was no longer attracted to you"

The woman was also wronged.

She took advantage of Li Chen all night, touching every part of his body she could reach.

Although her ultimate goal was to run up to Li Chen's bed, that goal wasn't achieved, and all the previous effort was wasted.

Not only did he get cheated, but he also faced the punishment of King Ning.

Even though she felt wronged, she dared not speak up for herself. She could only say through her tears, "It's my incompetence, Your Highness. Please punish me as you see fit."

"Never mind!"

King Ning waved his hand impatiently and said, "The Crown Prince is no ordinary person. He's been acting all along. You can't blame yourself for that."

After taking a deep breath, King Ning waved his hand to dismiss the woman and returned to his study. He immediately summoned his confidante.

"Have you found him" Ning Wang asked in a deep voice.

The trusted aide's face stiffened, and he whispered, "Not... not yet."

"Trash!"

King Ning was furious. He felt that ever since Zhou Ping'an arrived, nothing had gone his way. Now with the arrival of a prince, he felt even more constrained and overwhelmed.

This feeling of being stifled and unable to express oneself was something he hadn't experienced in over twenty years.

"Keep searching! Turn this entire fief upside down, dig three feet under the ground, until you find them for me!"

The King of Ning gritted his teeth and said, "Now that the Crown Prince has arrived, they will surely try every means to join forces with him, at least get in touch. So keep a close eye on everyone around the Crown Prince, there will definitely be results."

That confidant's eyes lit up, and he immediately clasped his fist and said, "I understand, I will do it right away!"

At this time, inside the sleeping hall, Li Chen was sitting beside a tea table sipping tea and relaxing after drinking.

"Don't say, the wine from Ning Wangfu is really good."

Putting the teacup down, Li Chen closed his eyes and let Wan Jiaojiao massage him at the back of his head, saying, "Even though I'm on top, it doesn't give me a headache."

"That's quite a good tolerance of alcohol the prince has, isn't it"

Wàn Jiāojiāo always seizes every opportunity to praise her lord, it's almost become an instinct of hers.

With a light chuckle, Li Chen said, "You're always looking for the easy way out. I know my own limits when it comes to alcohol. I can handle some, but I wouldn't say I have a good tolerance."

As the speaker was talking, there came a knock at the door.

Xu Wei is here.

With a bandage wrapped around his palm, Xu Wei walked into the room, his eyes fixed on his toes. He bowed and said, “Your Highness.”

"Is there any news" Li Chen asked.

Xu Wei said in a low voice, "I went around the city and found out that recently the palace was making a big fuss about arresting three people. One of them was Zhou Changshou, a confidant who had followed King Ning for many years. However, this man was unknown outside and few people knew him. The other two were Zhou Ping'an and an unidentified person without even a name or portrait."

Before I could inquire further, someone sent by the Duke's Manor began to follow me. To avoid raising suspicion, I returned first.

Li Chen nodded, indicating he understood.

He tapped his fingers on the desk, his voice low. "They're capable of keeping someone like Ning Wang searching for so long without finding them. But where are they now"ty has considered this well, I understand. But there is no need for such trouble.""The two major provinces, Xishan and Nanhe, needn't worry about Xishan. The current Prefect of Nanhe is also under my...