"Miss, I'm illiterate. Could you please tell me what this says?" A middle-aged woman approached Wu Caiwei with a fawning look and a pleading expression.
The gazes of the crowd immediately focused on them. They thought the woman was too bold, not seeing that she was dressed like a lady of status. If she encountered a capricious young lady, she might not only refuse to tell her but also scold her. In their hearts, they offered silent prayers for the middle-aged woman, thinking she had chosen the wrong person.
To everyone's surprise, Wu Caiwei did not get angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "This is an imperial proclamation. The Fourth Prince has fallen gravely ill, and the Emperor is summoning divine physicians from all over the realm. If anyone can cure his illness, they will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and a sixth-rank official position."
As soon as she finished speaking, gasps immediately arose from the surroundings. Many common folk were illiterate and had gathered to listen to others discuss the contents. Hearing Wu Caiwei's explanation, they all inhaled sharply, looking at the people around them with envy, wondering who would dare to answer the imperial proclamation and ascend to heaven in one step.
Before long, someone answered the proclamation and was quickly led away by soldiers towards the Fourth Prince's mansion. Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, some people dispersed and went home. Others, with nothing to do, followed behind them and stood in front of the Fourth Prince's mansion, wanting to see who would receive the rewards. Alas, many people entered and exited, but no one could cure the Fourth Prince.
The Emperor repeatedly urged the Imperial Academy physicians to try harder, but the Fourth Prince's health continued to deteriorate day by day. The Fifth Prince, obediently following the Emperor, came to the Fourth Prince's bedside.
The Fourth Prince looked at the Emperor with tearful, pleading eyes. He still had unfulfilled ambitions and did not want to die. The Emperor comforted him while avoiding his gaze.
Seeing the Emperor's demeanor, the Fourth Prince's heart grew colder. Lying in bed for days, he had repeatedly pondered who wanted to harm him. After much thought, the only person who came to mind was the Fifth Prince, who was looking down, not daring to meet his eyes.
He hated himself for being too soft-hearted. He had merely added fuel to the fire regarding his reputation, and the other party had sought his life. If he had known this would happen, he would have used all his resources without hesitation to take the Fifth Prince's head.
The Fifth Prince could feel the ill-intentioned gaze without lifting his head. He knew the Fourth Prince now hated him completely, but he did not regret it. If time could turn back, he would still choose to act the same way. After all, there was no affection in the royal family; to ascend to that position, one was destined to tread on others' corpses.
Finally, the Fourth Prince asked the Fifth Prince to stay behind, stating he had a few words to say. "Although you will not admit it, I know you are involved in my current illness. I suspect you had someone poison me. You have people in my mansion, and I, in my intelligence, thought my mansion was impenetrable, not even a fly could get in. Little did I know I had fallen into a trap, and I don't even know who administered the poison, making it impossible to investigate.
I know you will not let me off, but I have asked you here today to tell you that apart from the popularity you gained among the common people after returning to the capital, which I helped to promote, I have not interfered in any other matters. As for what you have suffered, the mastermind behind it is someone else. You should be more careful."
"Thank you for your reminder, Fourth Brother. However, I must say that your illness has nothing to do with me. I'm afraid your suspicion is misdirected." Although the Fifth Prince was very surprised, he maintained an exceptionally calm demeanor, refusing to admit anything.
Sitting in his carriage, the Fifth Prince recalled his recent conversation with the Fourth Prince. He never imagined that his previous suspicions were all unfounded and that someone else wanted to harm him. Yes, he chose to believe the Fourth Prince's words, as a dying man's words are often sincere.
However, he believed that if the Fourth Prince had the opportunity to harm him, he would do so without hesitation. Therefore, he felt no sympathy for the Fourth Prince's current plight. Of course, he was also speculating about who wanted to act against him. Excluding the Fourth Prince, it could only be one of the remaining princes.
As for the Fourth Prince, watching the Fifth Prince's retreating figure, tears involuntarily streamed down his face. Perhaps others could not understand why he, who hated the Fifth Prince to death, would still offer a kind reminder. In fact, the Fourth Prince had no choice. What he said was the truth; whether the other party believed him was his own business.
He believed that with the Fifth Prince's shrewdness, he would investigate. As for whether his illness had anything to do with him, the Fourth Prince would never believe otherwise. However, if he made the Fifth Prince suspicious of him, then after his death, not only would the people of the Fourth Prince's mansion suffer, but the Marquis Li's mansion would also be implicated.
By confessing to him, he might not be spared, but at least after his death, out of guilt for having caused his demise, the Fifth Prince might offer more care to his maternal uncle's family, and those who followed him could also have a good ending.
Thinking of his current predicament, he let out a self-mocking laugh. He clenched his fist, then relaxed it. "Alas, alas. The victor becomes king, and the vanquished becomes a bandit. It's my fault for losing sight of my original intentions and not recognizing my own capabilities. If I had given up competing with him early on and asked Father Emperor to grant me a fiefdom, perhaps I wouldn't be in this disaster today."
The next day, upon hearing the news of the Fourth Prince's death, the Fifth Prince's hand holding the teacup trembled involuntarily. Then, as if nothing had happened, he stood up, put on white mourning clothes, and went to the Fourth Prince's mansion to see if there was anything he could do to help.
When he arrived, the Emperor was already there, his eyes red, clearly having wept. This surprised the Fifth Prince. He hadn't expected the Fourth Prince to hold such a significant position in the Emperor's heart. Fortunately, he had acted quickly; otherwise, the throne would truly be out of his reach.
Although the Emperor had no evidence, he clearly still harbored resentment towards the Fifth Prince. Seeing him, he snorted coldly. The Fifth Prince stood indifferently to the side, not looking at the strange gazes of the others.
The Fourth Prince's funeral was held with great solemnity, and he was eventually buried with the ceremony of a prince. Overnight, the once lively Fourth Prince's mansion began to decline with the departure of its master. Within a few days, fallen leaves started to gather at its doorstep.
Although the Emperor's attitude towards the Fifth Prince was not good, the Fifth Prince was undoubtedly the strongest contender for the throne. Wu Caiwei's status also rose correspondingly. Seeing everyone fawning over her, she let out a cold laugh.
The Fourth Prince's departure did not bring good fortune to the Fifth Prince. Seeing the additional items in his food, he frowned involuntarily. He put down his chopsticks and immediately ordered the people who had come into contact with the food that day to be apprehended and brought before him for interrogation. He wanted to see who the person hiding behind the scenes was.
As he had expected, when he posed his questions, no one answered. Everyone cried out their innocence, claiming they were not responsible.