The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch

“Smack!”

“Useless! All of you are useless!”

Zhang Mansion.

Zhang Qian was like a man possessed, the whip in his hand relentlessly striking the backs of three servants.

Their clothes were shredded, blood seeping through, and their cries of pain echoed in the room.

The other servants stood around, heads bowed, too terrified to breathe, fearing the next lash might fall upon them.

Exhausted from the beating, Zhang Qian threw the whip to the ground and pointed at the three, “Drag them to the burial ground and bury them alive.”

“Master, spare us! Master, spare us…”

The servants pleaded, tears streaming down their faces, but they were mercilessly dragged away.

“Brother, calm down. What’s done is done; anger will not help,” Zhang Kang said, soothing Zhang Qian’s back.

The news of the assassination attempt at Prince Yan’s Mansion had spread throughout the city.

The fact that the assassins were completely wiped out was also known to all.

After investigating, they learned that the mansion had been prepared in advance.

Zhang Qian was furious that the servants tasked with surveillance had failed to notice anything amiss among the personal guard during the day, leading to this debacle.

“Who leaked the information?” Zhang Qian still refused to accept the outcome.

Every plan had been meticulously crafted, so how did Prince Yan find out?

Could there be a spy in his mansion?

Or was there a traitor within Qingfeng Stronghold?

“Could it be Rang?” Zhang Kang suggested.

“No, the servant who followed Rang said the woman didn’t say anything before Rang threw her down to her death, and she heard something else,” Zhang Qian shook his head.

“Besides, only the Du Family and Huang Family knew about it,” Zhang Kang frowned.

Zhang Qian felt a surge of frustration.

The failure to assassinate Prince Yan made him suddenly realize that his control over Yan Prefecture wasn’t as secure as he thought.

“No matter who it was, we underestimated Prince Yan,” Zhang Qian’s eyes narrowed, “After this incident, it will be even harder to kill him.”

Zhang Kang nodded, “In any case, this matter is extremely disadvantageous for our Zhang Family, and since Prince Yan knew in advance, he might suspect that we were behind it.”

This was also Zhang Qian’s concern.

He regretted getting involved in the purchase of the art of ice making.

Wasn’t this just giving silver to Prince Yan to recruit soldiers?

But now it was too late.

Prince Yan’s power was growing, and it might not be long before his personal guard was fully staffed and battle-ready.

Then they would truly be unable to challenge his position.

“If that’s the case, once Prince Yan’s power is established, he won’t spare us,” Zhang Qian gritted his teeth, “We might as well go all out and gather the private soldiers of the three families to destroy the mansion.”

“No,” Zhang Kang’s face changed slightly, “Brother, Prince Yan is a prince after all. Doing so would be tantamount to rebellion, and the imperial family won’t ignore it.”

“Then what? Wait to die?” Zhang Qian paced back and forth anxiously.

“Don’t worry, brother. There’s still an opportunity ahead; autumn is coming soon,” Zhang Kang raised his eyebrows.

Zhang Qian immediately understood, “When the autumn comes, the Beidi will move south.”

“Exactly. I believe that all we need to do is secretly open Yan City’s city gate, and the Beidi will take care of him. When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.”

After a pause, he continued, “Of course, we must keep someone watching at all times, and seize any opportunity to…”

Zhang Kang’s words eased Zhang Qian’s mind slightly.

But then, his expression suddenly darkened, “Oh no, Rang is still locked up.”

…

Prince Yan’s Mansion.

As dawn broke, Zhao Xu returned to the mansion from the Northern Barrack of the personal guard.

By then, Chang Wei had already led the soldiers to clean up the mansion. The walls separating the courtyards had been torn down, merging the three courtyards into one. This was the true appearance of the Prince’s Mansion.

“Last night, most of Qingfeng Stronghold’s elite perished here. Unfortunately, Pang Kun was taken away by those men in black,” Chang Wei reported as he walked alongside Zhao Xu, detailing the battle’s outcome.

Zhao Xu wiped his brow. He and Feng’er and Luan’er had stayed awake all night in the Northern Barrack, as the matter concerned their very lives.

“Taken away, so be it. Pang Kun won’t survive long in their hands. If not for them, I wouldn’t have known about the night raid. But who exactly are they?”

Zhao Xu arrived at the bedchamber. The pit had been filled, but the place was no longer fit for living. He planned to move to the east courtyard.

“My guess is they are Pang Kun’s enemies. After all, Qingfeng Stronghold has committed many atrocities over the years,” Chang Wei suggested.

“Indeed,” Zhao Xu nodded. “As long as they don’t oppose the mansion, it’s fine.”

Chang Wei then reported the casualties among the guards and the personal guard from the previous night. Zhao Xu felt a pang of sorrow and said, “Go to Accountant Qin and take some silver. Ensure the fallen soldiers are given a proper burial and the injured are cared for. We must not let the troops feel disheartened.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Chang Wei bowed, feeling a warmth in his heart. In these times, the lives of ordinary soldiers were often seen as expendable by the powerful clans of the Dasong Dynasty. Yet, Prince Yan always considered his soldiers, earning Chang Wei’s respect.

Feng’er and Luan’er had not left Zhao Xu’s side since last night. When they were alone in the inner courtyard, Feng’er spoke, “I didn’t expect the Zhang Family to be so audacious, daring to attack the mansion. Why doesn’t Your Highness petition the emperor to send troops to eradicate such a vile clan?”

Luan’er nodded in agreement.

Zhao Xu gave a wry smile. He had considered it, but he was acutely aware of his standing in Emperor Zhao Heng’s eyes. Moreover, any major case required witnesses and evidence. With Pang Kun taken by the men in black, he had none.

Besides, Zhang Kang of the Zhang Family was the son-in-law of the Yuan Family in Yan Province, whose daughter was a fei¹ in the palace, and their son was the sixth prince, Zhao Fang. If they whispered in Zhao Heng’s ear, his lone testimony might backfire, and he could end up in trouble.

He explained his reasoning.

“Your Highness is right,” Feng’er sighed softly. “But now that Your Highness has recovered, the emperor should be informed. Even if he doesn’t favor Your Highness, he might still speak up when necessary.”

“That’s true,” Zhao Xu nodded. He had thought of this. The situation in his fief was extremely perilous and complex. As a transmigrator, he felt no filial bond with Zhao Heng, but he should leverage his status as a prince.

If Zhao Heng learned that his ninth son had recovered from madness, Zhao Xu believed the emperor would want him to establish a foothold in Yan Province. Whether he liked him or not, he would want the royal family’s influence to expand, especially in Yan Province, where the court’s control was limited.

At the very least, if someone tried to frame him, Zhao Heng wouldn’t blindly believe it. Moreover, the ninth prince’s mother was still in the palace, and he should consider her well-being.

As he pondered, a servant came to report, “Your Highness, the prefect of Yan Prefecture, Zhang Kang, and his brother Zhang Qian have come to see you.”

“Zhang Kang, Zhang Qian? What are they doing here now? How annoying,” Feng’er frowned.

Luan’er nodded, her voice sweet, “Exactly.”

She naturally disliked what Zhao Xu disliked.

Zhao Xu thought for a moment, guessing their intentions. He smirked coldly, “Ha, they want me to release someone? Not so easily. This time, I’ll make sure the Zhang Family pays dearly!”

Footnote: