Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 9

"Haha, Huai En, where did you find such a wild horse, giving me such a chase?" Zong Zheng Lihan sat astride his horse, smiling warmly at Huai En, who was clad in white and exuded calm. Yet, there was not a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Huai En glanced over the family guards behind Zong Zheng Lihan, then assessed his own men. Even with his usual arrogance, he couldn't help but feel uncertain.

"Ah, I get it now," Zong Zheng Lihan exclaimed, as if he had an epiphany, clapping his hands. Despite being in his thirties, the gesture seemed somewhat childish. "It must have been that Mr. Jin, whom you are mutually devoted to and secretly engaged with, who gave you this horse. Only someone as wealthy and generous as him could afford such a fine steed. How envious!"

Huai En pulled off the thin veil from his face, revealing his stunning beauty under the moonlight, his eyes filled with coldness.

Zong Zheng Lihan squinted, examining his features. "Tsk, tsk, you really do look just like your mother."

A flicker of displeasure crossed Huai En's face as he coldly replied, "You flatter me, uncle. Indeed, you're still vigorous in your old age. But chasing after your nephew in the dead of night, I wonder what for. If you were to catch a cold, how could I bear the responsibility?"

"Hmph, Huai En, you're quite sensible. It seems your father has raised you well. Since you're worried about your old uncle's safety, why don't you hand over what you took from my estate that day? In consideration of our family ties, I might overlook your mischief."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, uncle," Huai En said, smiling lightly.

Even Zong Zheng Lihan, usually so composed, couldn't maintain his facade any longer. The loss of such an important ledger could potentially give them control over the entire Zong Zheng's economic lifeline. That was unacceptable.

With a cold huff, Zong Zheng Lihan lost patience for further pretense. "Huai En, hand over the ledger. Out of respect for your mother, I'll spare your life."

Huai En also snorted coldly in response. "Prince Shen, I took the ledger, and you know exactly why my father needs it. This world should never have been yours to begin with. My father is merely reclaiming what belongs to him. Do you really think you can stop us?"

"Outrageous! Your father would jeopardize the state for his own selfish desires. How could such a person ever be fit to be emperor?"

"Whether he's fit to be emperor or not, I couldn't care less. I'll just do what I need to do." If he wins, then I can have my own realm.

"Foolish! Huai En, do you really think what your father wants is the empire, the throne? He merely seeks revenge against the Emperor."

"I've said it's none of my business. Whatever he asks me to do, I'll do it. Right or wrong, I don't care at all. The empire? The people? What have they got to do with me?"

"You... You're not a pedantic person. Why do you blindly follow your father's orders?"

A shadow flickered in Huai En's eyes. "I'm not interested in telling you. If you want to fight, then come on. Don't waste time."

Zong Zheng Lihan sighed deeply, his tense posture relaxing slightly as he leaned back, giving Huai En a long, deep look. Then his expression hardened as he coldly ordered, "Kill!"

All through the night, the wealthy young master Jin had been cursing that self-proclaimed "number one tracker in the world," Mo Lu, calling him every name under the sun until even Xiao Bao was parched. Despite being quick-witted and articulate from a young age, unleashing such a torrent of verbal abuse was a first for him. He wasn't a professional at this! Normally, he'd just sic his dogs on anyone who irked him. But to find his betrothed, he had no choice but to rely on this utterly useless "expert" who had been trailing for just over ten miles in several hours.