Chapter Seventeen: Turmoil in the Court

Early the next morning, Zhou Hao, fully dressed, dragged an assassin into the imperial court.

Such a flagrant act of disrespect naturally made the Emperor of Zhou’s eyelids twitch with fury.

"What do you think you are doing! This is the imperial court of the Great Zhou, not your private estate!" the Emperor bellowed, waving his hand to signal the guards to drag the assassin away at once. As if being annoyed by this degenerate son alone weren't enough, did he have to bring someone else to aggravate him further?

"Wait! I have my reasons for bringing this person here. Does Your Majesty not yet know what transpired at my estate last night?"

The Emperor roared again. "What happens at your estate is of no concern to me! If you cannot provide a clear and reasonable explanation, I shall have you punished for disrupting the court today!"

Zhou Hao gave a cold, mocking smile and gestured toward the unconscious assassin on the floor. "Last night, a group of assassins suddenly descended upon my residence. This is one of the ones I managed to capture."

At these words, the ministers widened their eyes, staring fixedly at Zhou Hao. Assassins? How could that be? How could there be assassins within the imperial capital of the Great Zhou?

"Your Highness, is there not something suspicious about this?" a minister stepped forward, bowed to Zhou Hao, and said, "How could assassins possibly appear in the imperial capital? Is it not possible that there is some misunderstanding here?"

This was practically pointing a finger at Zhou Hao and accusing him of staging the entire affair. What assassins? This was clearly just an excuse for him to challenge the Emperor.

Zhou Hao met the comment with a cold sneer. "Oh? So you imply that I, a prince, orchestrated a play to stage my own assassination?"

"I would not dare, I would not dare. But there have been no assassins in the capital for many years, yet today, one appears at the First Prince’s estate. This is certainly a thought-provoking matter." The minister lowered his gaze, refusing to look at Zhou Hao, his expression filled with ridicule. He wanted to see how this prince, raised in the barbarian lands, would argue his way out of this. If he tried to explain, he would fall straight into a trap—the more he explained, the more flustered he would become, eventually entangling himself in a new dilemma.

"I say, you do not question the motives of these assassins at all, yet you question my actions. Could it be, sir, that you are in league with these assassins?" Zhou Hao refused to follow the minister’s narrative and instead turned the tables on him. Since this person openly opposed him in a matter like this, he was either a supporter of the Third Prince or a subordinate of the Empress. Since they were enemies, he might as well offend them thoroughly.

"This, this, this! How can you say such a thing? I spoke out of good intentions, yet the First Prince suspects my motives!" The minister retreated a few steps, glaring at Zhou Hao with resentment.

Zhou Hao looked at the minister with a feigned expression of confusion. "And yet, among all the officials here, no one else questioned the purpose of these assassins, but today, you jumped out to oppose me. Is that not enough to prove where your loyalties lie?" Zhou Hao sneered and kicked the assassin aside. "Sir, those were your own words just now. Is it wrong for them to be used on you when they were perfectly acceptable to use on me?"

The minister looked at Zhou Hao, panic leaking through his expression. If he followed the First Prince’s logic, no matter the outcome, his own argument would lead to absurdity. If his logic was correct, then the First Prince’s logic was also correct, which would mean the minister was an accomplice, his words merely an attempt to absolve the assassin. But if his logic was wrong? Then it would confirm he was specifically targeting the First Prince. Either way, he held no advantageous position.

"What exactly are you trying to say? Speak plainly," the Emperor said, his eyes cold as he looked at Zhou Hao. Assassins? What did they have to do with him? Even if the prince had been killed, the Emperor wouldn't have shed a single tear, let alone now that he was still alive.

Zhou Hao bowed to the Emperor with a slight, mocking smile. "Does Your Majesty think these assassins are insignificant? But where did they attempt their assassination? In the imperial capital! In the First Prince’s estate! If they can strike at my estate today, what about tomorrow? What about the future? If we cannot root out the source of these assassins, must the officials of the court live in constant fear? Where then is the majesty of the Great Zhou?"

As he spoke, Zhou Hao looked at the ministers behind him, his face stern. He wanted all the ministers to get involved, just as he had coerced the Emperor into revoking his own crimes earlier. As long as he could turn his own small affair into a major concern for everyone in the court, he would hold the upper hand. Even if the Emperor opposed it, would that opposition matter? This Great Zhou court did not belong to him alone; the civil and military officials held their own weight.

The ministers had already realized the truth. This matter had to be crushed; it could not be allowed to resurface. If they could strike at the First Prince today, what about tomorrow? Would it be the Third Prince? And what of the ministers who were not even princes—were they not constantly living under the threat of the blade?

"Your Majesty, I believe the First Prince has a point."
"This is not just an attempt on the First Prince’s life; this is a provocation against the entire Great Zhou!"
"Your Majesty, please issue an imperial decree. I wish to dig out the root of this evil!"

Zhou Hao deliberately looked toward the Chancellor, but the Chancellor kept his eyes lowered, looking neither left nor right, as if the surging waves in the court had nothing to do with him. If other ministers didn't understand, how could he not? A stunt like this only happens once. It was clearly targeted at Zhou Hao, the First Prince. But the execution had, in the end, been a bit too excessive. Thus, the Chancellor would neither oppose nor support it.

The continuous chatter stirred the Emperor, leaving him restless and filled with suspicion. "Enough, enough! Silence, all of you! You know nothing of the causes or consequences, yet you prattle on here?"

But the Emperor’s attempts to dissuade them only drew more officials into the fray. "Your Majesty, I may not know the causes, but I believe the First Prince would not obstruct justice; these people truly intended to assassinate him. Even if you do not consider the First Prince’s safety, you should consider the safety of your ministers."

Zhou Hao smiled, refraining from joining in, standing to the side to see how the Emperor would respond. As long as he could get these people involved and start the clamor, he had achieved his goal. As for the result? The Emperor would give him a satisfactory outcome. He was biased, yes, but he was no fool.

"Zhou Hao, tell me, how should this be handled?" The Emperor pushed back the chatter of the ministers and fixed his gaze on Zhou Hao. He was the core of this storm. As long as he was settled, everything else could be managed.