Chapter Twelve: A Generous Gift

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Zhou Hao raised his hand to take the letter, uncertain what preparations the Prime Minister had in mind. However, upon reading its contents, he was somewhat surprised.

The letter was filled with accusations against the Third Prince, detailing everything from minor acts of arrogance to incidents where servants were beaten to death. Each charge was meticulously listed.

Had it been just a list of crimes, it would merely have been a formal memorial submitted to impeach the Third Prince. But this letter went further, providing a rough account of the events, places, and involved parties. Although the details were summarized rather than fully elaborated, if it had been more detailed, it would no longer be a letter but a thin dossier.

This was a hefty gift—an exceedingly weighty one. But such a gift was beyond what the Crown Prince could bear.

Zhou Hao glanced at the Prime Minister and casually sent the letter back.

“Prime Minister, I cannot accept this letter. You’d better give it to someone else,” he said.

The letter was indeed valuable. It could provide a moral advantage against the Third Prince. Even if war broke out in the future, producing this evidence would justify the righteous cause of "cleansing the court."

Yet, that was for the future. For now, holding this letter did him no good. Instead, it would only make the Third Prince more wary of him.

It was useful, but only in times yet to come.

“Why say that? Isn’t the Crown Prince tempted by what’s inside?” The Prime Minister smiled faintly and pushed the letter forward on the table.

He had invested much effort in compiling it. Every accusation against the Third Prince was indisputable. For any prince aspiring to be the heir apparent, this was the best possible tool. There was no way he would refuse it.

But Zhou Hao did not reach out to take it. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the Prime Minister, his look chilling.

“What is your purpose in giving me this letter?”

“The General favors me and has promised his daughter to me. But it seems you, as the Crown Prince, have no need to soil yourself with me,” Zhou Hao said coldly, his eyes darkening.

“If you can’t explain yourself clearly, then you probably have no future.”

When someone offers unsolicited kindness, it is either treachery or theft. He refused to believe the Prime Minister had pure intentions.

This was no free lunch—it was an iron trap.

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The Prime Minister’s smile faltered. He had never imagined that the Crown Prince would be so cautious and calculating. Even with such a generous gift, the Crown Prince was unimpressed.

“I have no ulterior motives. I simply cannot tolerate the Third Prince,” the Prime Minister said.

“Before I became Prime Minister, the Third Prince bullied me relentlessly. His arrogant nature was nurtured by the Empress’s favoritism.”

“If you don’t want this letter, I can offer it to the Second Prince or the Fourth Prince. Someone among them will surely be interested.”

The Prime Minister naturally did not believe other princes would ignore such damning evidence against their rival. It was just that Zhou Hao’s broader vision and greater ambition made him the first to be approached.

Hearing this, Zhou Hao reached out and tucked the letter into his robe.

“If I refuse again, it would look petty. Since you dare to give it, I dare to accept. But you really have no other requests?”

“Just a small matter. I hope my youngest son can serve by your side.”

The Prime Minister stroked his beard, smiling.

Zhou Hao nodded lightly.

“Fine. Have him stay at my residence from tomorrow.”

He did not ask about the young man’s talents or character. He regarded him as a bonus brought by this letter.

Coincidentally, he needed a basic team—no special skills, no particular temperament, only one requirement: loyalty.

And the Prime Minister’s plan was straightforward: hedge his bets on both sides.

Why send the youngest son? Because the others were with other princes.

Compared to the unruly Crown Prince, those princes likely thought they had the Prime Minister’s support, so they indulged his sons well.

Who would have thought the sly old man had staked his bets on every potential heir to the throne?

As long as the Great Zhou’s realm remained under the imperial family, the Prime Minister’s lineage would never decline.

Pondering this, the situation became clear to Zhou Hao.

But who could blame the Prime Minister?

His worthless brothers probably still gloated over having such a powerful card under their wing.

The Prime Minister smiled again.

“Crown Prince, if you have any orders, just speak. Let me see what my son can do.”

Zhou Hao nodded and pointed to the servants’ quarters.

“Replace most of the servants with those of clean background, but keep a few.”

The Prime Minister understood Zhou Hao’s concerns at once. After a slight bow, his expression soured. He angrily swept his sleeves and left the Crown Prince’s residence.

Zhou Hao shook his head, silently admiring the old man’s acting skills.

Even if spies learned of the Prime Minister’s collaboration with the Crown Prince’s secret agents, what would it matter?

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Watching the Prime Minister leave in a huff, they would only assume the two had a falling out.

Zhou Hao turned and entered his room, thinking, why bother overthinking? Today had been busy enough—time to sleep!

By mid-morning the next day, Zhou Hao finally got out of bed. Though his wounds still itched and ached, they had already scabbed over thanks to the medicines. Without the General’s doctor, scars would have been inevitable.

Just as he finished dressing and stepped out, he saw a young man with delicate features sitting in the hall, occupying the guest seat.

“You must be the Prime Minister’s son?”

The young man nodded and pulled an envelope from his sleeve.

“I am Luo Xu. The Prime Minister, Luo Zhou, is my father.”

Zhou Hao took the envelope, inwardly noting, so you and your father both like to keep things in envelopes.

Opening it, he saw elegant handwriting listing most of the servants in the Crown Prince’s residence, along with their respective masters.

Zhou Hao bowed his head. Whether through the Prime Minister’s connections or his own intelligence gathering, Luo Xu proved to be a valuable asset.

“Good. Today, have most of these servants replaced, but not too many,” Zhou Hao instructed.

He patted the letter down, ready to visit the General’s residence. He wondered if the list of prospective sons-in-law was prepared.

“Your Highness, if you want to see the General, I have that list as well,” Luo Xu said, producing a roster and handing it over.

Zhou Hao felt no great joy, only suspicion.

How could such a list be in his hands? Could it be...

“Don’t overthink, Your Highness. The General came by earlier. Seeing you still asleep, he left the list with me, waiting for your waking,” Luo Xu explained.

Zhou Hao smiled wryly at the fuss.

The General truly trusted Luo Xu, even entrusting him with such matters.

Or perhaps he was simply too lazy to manage it himself.