Mournful people dressed in black lined up in long queues to lay flowers before Ling Yi’s altar.

The location of the altar had been chosen with ulterior motives. It stood less than one hundred meters from the Prime Minister’s office, as if to remind this wronged soul not to let off his enemy in this world.

The exclusive vehicle belonging to the eldest prince of the empire rolled to a slow stop at the roadside. The Alpha who stepped out of the vehicle had a tall, slender figure, outstanding looks, and an inherently noble demeanor. The only inconsistency was the impatience on his features, as if he had only come here to carry out a political task.

His guard captain followed close behind him with a bouquet of flowers tightly wrapped in black paper, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings.

The royal guards cleared a path through the crowd of mourners in front of him. The people who were pushed aside watched His Highness calmly make his way through the crowd, just one red carpet away from a grand ceremony.

“Why is His Highness Oser here?” Those who didn’t know the inside story whispered. “The Prime Minister persecuted Ling Yi. He’s the Prime Minister’s grandson, so he must have had a hand in Ling Yi’s death.”

“I heard that on the day Ling Yi was sentenced, he was the one who put pressure on the judge to impose the death penalty.”

“The weasel pays its New Year’s greetings to the chicken, but has bad intentions!”

The person who spoke the last sentence was perhaps a little overly emotional. When Oser glanced toward the speaker, the chattering abruptly died down.

Oser came to a stop at the altar. The first thing he saw when he looked up was a black and white photo of Ling Yi.

He looked at it heavily for a few seconds, then whispered two words: “Bad luck.”

Next was the name tablet, the name on which had been shortened by two strokes.

“Bad luck.”

Finally, he looked down at the thousands of white flowers and said again: “Bad luck.”

Three consecutive curses were enough to express his dissatisfaction with the scene.

He stretched out his right hand, but Tang De was reluctant to give him what he was carrying.

“Are you sure, Your Highness? If you take it out here, the common people will probably stone you.”

Oser’s attention was focused on Ling Yi’s photo. Aside from the issue of the color tone, the person in the photo was adorable no matter how he looked at it.

“Are you unable to block a stone?”

“……” Tang De had no choice but to unwrap the paper and hand the pre-prepared bouquet to Oser.

A bouquet of vibrant roses was placed prominently in the center of the altar, truly outshining the others amidst the sea of white blossoms. 

Oser regarded his masterpiece with a satisfied smile.

“This is what you deserve.”

Just as Tang De had worried, there was quite a commotion amongst the crowd.

In the eyes of the mourners, Oser’s behavior was a naked provocation.

“This is too much! You killed Ling Yi and you won’t even let him rest in peace!” someone sobbed.

“As expected, no one with Lu family blood is a good person! Even heaven can’t bear to watch. People like this should go extinct!”

A middle-aged man with a strong voice boldly stood forward: “I’ll say this even if you arrest me – Your Highness Oser, you’re clearly here for a political appearance, but won’t you have nightmares after seeing this young man’s photo?”

Oser sneered. He slept with the person in the photo in his arms every night. His sleep quality couldn’t possibly be better, so how could he have nightmares?

“I paid for the altar, so why can’t I come pay my respects?” he said haughtily.

“You built the altar? But are you properly respecting the dead?” The middle-aged man pointed angrily at the tablet. “Even his name is written wrong!”

Tang De: “……”

“Don’t say that. Based on my years of experience, the location of this altar was not chosen casually,” said another older man, drawing everyone’s attention. “As for the name, it’s very likely that the two strokes were omitted intentionally. There are explanations for all of this.”

The masses were curious: “Why do you say that?”

“This is an extremely vicious witchcraft scheme. First, they used the murderer’s place of residence to appease the deceased’s resentment, then they deliberately wrote the name wrong so that whether he goes to heaven or hell, his name will not be found. They intend to trap this young man’s soul here, so that – he can never be reborn!”

There was an uproar. 

Oser lost his temper: “He’s spreading rumors and misleading the people. Arrest him!”

The guards all acted in unison to take the man down.

A stone sailed over. The person who threw it wasn’t very strong, and Tang De caught it with ease.

The thrower was just a little boy around seven or eight years old. He shouted at Oser in a childish voice: “They all say you’re a bad guy! Let go of my grandpa!”

The child’s mother rushed out and wrapped him tightly in her arms, kneeling on the ground with a pallid face.

“Your Highness Oser, please forgive him. He’s just a child and doesn’t understand anything!”

The scene became even more chaotic. Oser paced toward the mother and child, and the mother began to kowtow and beg for mercy.

Oser walked up to the boy. He was still young and couldn’t sense the pressure of the Alpha’s pheromones, but he was intimidated by this person’s royal majesty and stood there foolishly.

Oser peered down from above at this little boy who was only half his height.

“How old are you?”

“…..Seven.” The little boy answered mechanically.

Oser slowly raised his hand. The child’s mother tightened her arms and closed her eyes fearfully.

The hand finally landed on the child’s head, rubbing it with unclear meaning.

No one could guess what His Highness Oser was thinking at this moment.

If Ling Yi were to have a child, they would probably have a lawless personality like this.

Perhaps starting from Royal Kindergarten, the teacher would have to call the parents every day.

Should I reprimand the child or fire the teacher? It would be a tough decision.

While everyone was in a state of panic, no one knew that Oser’s thoughts had drifted far, far away.

Tang De said so that only Oser could hear: “Your Highness, it’s about time to leave. If this situation continues, it’s going to get out of control.”

Oser finally withdrew his hand from the child’s head and waved it: “Let them go.”

The old man was still in a state of shock when he was released, the boy was dazed, and the mother was overwhelmed by the immense pressure. She broke down in tears and hugged her son.

A voice in the crowd whispered: “His Highness Oser – apologize! The Prime Minister – resign!”

The people around quietly echoed that voice, and the fire quickly raced through the crowd, eventually spiraling into a tinderbox that burned with overwhelming force.

“His Highness Oser – apologize! The Prime Minister – resign!”

Surrounded by an impenetrable wall of guards and escorted by the Captain of the Imperial Guard, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince left the Hero’s Altar in disgrace in a move that became a media headline.

Sitting inside the vehicle, Oser could hear the protest slogans outside through the glass.

Tang De envied him from the bottom of his heart for his attitude of treating all human beings like dirt. Although he was bound to be misunderstood while following His Highness Oser, Tang De still found it difficult to bear being cursed at by so many people.

“Your Highness, you’re trying to draw hatred to the Prime Minister, but why does it seem like you’re taking the heat?”

Oser closed his eyes to rest: “Grandfather and grandson are the same family, why differentiate between us?”

A guard came to report that the commander of the Prime Minister’s guard wanted to see him.

Oser rolled down the window. The man saluted, but his tone was not polite.

“Your Highness Oser, please withdraw your troops holding siege to the Prime Minister’s office in the interest of avoiding damage to your relationship.”

Oser gazed straight ahead: “Some ignorant people are holding a large-scale ritual ceremony here. I was worried about Grandpa’s safety, so I sent men to protect his place. How can you say it’s a siege?”

The guard suppressed his temper: “Not only are your people preventing others from entering or leaving the Prime Minister’s office, they’re even preventing us from evicting these people. Were they really ordered to protect the Prime Minister?”

“Protecting the common people is the same as protecting Grandpa. You guys are too tactless. If a conflict breaks out, who will guarantee my grandpa’s personal safety? Please tell my dear grandpa not to go out for the next few days. Even I have been pelted with rocks. He’s old, so even if he doesn’t get hit, the fright might cause problems for him.”

The guard’s face was gloomy, but Oser disregarded him and rolled up the window expressionlessly.

“Send someone to monitor public opinion today. Any further misleading or deceptive statements should be erased.”

Tang De looked back from the passenger seat: “When I get back, I’ll notify all the major platforms that content related to the worship ceremony must be reviewed before publishing.”

“Who would dare curse Ling Yi not to be reborn? He can definitely be reborn.”

Tang De: “……”

Why is this the thing you’re angry about, ah?!

. . . . . .

Ling Yi had something to be happy about today: Nan Ting, having recovered from her injuries, had returned to work and taken over Luo Li’s nursing duties.

“Are you really okay? Why don’t you rest for a while?”

“Thanks to you, His Highness Oser let me use the same kind of repair chamber you used. Not only have all my internal injuries healed, there’s not a single scar on my body.”

Nan Ting showed him her smooth wrists.

“How can you thank me? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt at all.”

“It’s not like you wanted me to get hurt. That repair fluid costs nearly a million per day, and my skin improved after soaking in it. How is that not a blessing in disguise?”

“You’re quite optimistic.”

“I’m definitely not as optimistic as you. If I had a hairstyle like yours, I’d be embarrassed to go out and be seen in public.”

Ling Yi: “…..Then what can be done? I’ll just pretend it got bitten off by a dog.”

Nan Ting prepared a mask for him.

“We’re going to do a full-body scan later. The equipment is too big to move down here, so we’ll have to go upstairs.”

Several guards followed him when Ling Yi left the ward.

“You guys don’t have to go with us, do you?” Ling Yi asked.

“Our mission is to keep you safe.”

“But don’t you think this makes me more conspicuous? This is a hospital. I’m wearing a hospital gown and mask, so nobody would even spare me a glance, but it’ll be different with so many of you around.”

The guards exchanged glances: “Then we’ll send two people to follow from a distance so that you won’t be discovered. If you go alone, His Highness will definitely hold us accountable.”

Nan Ting brought Ling Yi to the first floor of the medical college, but they were stopped as soon as they reached the stairs.

The one who stopped them was also wearing the uniform of the Imperial Guard, but judging from the details of his garb, he wasn’t one of Oser’s men.

“Apologies, this area is under martial law. No passage is allowed.”

“Why? We’re going to the next floor for an examination,” Nan Ting said.

“His Highness Disi is having a medical examination on this floor today. Please take a detour.”

When he heard this name, Ling Yi’s curiosity was piqued. 

There were two unsolved mysteries regarding the royal family: one was whether or not His Highness Oser was impotent, and the other was the actual appearance of His Highness Disi.

Because His Highness Disi was sent out of the palace when he was young, had never appeared in public, and the royal publicity department had never released any photos of him, no one knew his true appearance, and there were even rumors that he had died early.

Ling Yi had already solved the first unsolved mystery, and now the second one was at hand. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Nan Ting said helplessly to Ling Yi: “I guess we can only take a detour.”

Ling Yi feigned obedience and followed her out of the guard’s sight, then pulled her back: “Have you ever met His Highness Disi?”

“His Highness Disi has a dedicated medical team. With my rank, I’m not able to see him in person.”

“Aren’t you curious what he looks like?”

“Of course I’m curious. But the area is always cleared out when His Highness Disi has his yearly physical examination, so it’s pointless to be curious.”

Ling Yi glanced around: “You know a lot about the medical college. Is there anywhere with a view of the rooms on this floor?”

Nan Ting thought hard, and finally recalled a place.

“There’s an unfinished room nearby where you can see a corner of the lounge.”

“That works. Let’s try our luck.”

The unfinished room not only had a view of the VIP lounge, but it was a very direct view.

There was a man sitting on the sofa. He had golden hair that was similar to Oser’s, but lighter.

Nan Ting: “That should be His Highness Disi, right?”

Ling Yi: “Do you think he looks like a younger version of His Highness Oser?”

Nan Ting: “From a genetic perspective, it wouldn’t be surprising if both brothers looked like His Majesty.”

Perhaps the person on the sofa had grown impatient, because he started to look around.

Ling Yi and Nan Ting crouched down at the same time, then slowly moved upwards until their eyes rose above the windowsill.

After a few seconds, they slowly descended in sync.

One shook her head, and the other smiled. They tacitly understood each other’s body language.

Back in the corridor, they shared their thoughts as they walked.

“I can’t say he looks the exact same as His Highness Oser, but I also can’t say they’re completely different.”

“I imagined His Highness Disi to be young and handsome, with at least the noble aura of the royal family. But he seems a little…..”

Nan Ting was too embarrassed to express her thoughts out loud, so Ling Yi continued for her: 

“Sleazy.”

Nan Ting gave him a look of admiration: “Comparing them like this, His Highness Oser is definitely superior.”

“When His Highness Disi ascends the throne in the future, I wonder if the people will be disappointed.”

“Why would His Highness Disi ascend the throne? Shouldn’t it be His Highness Oser as Crown Prince?” Nan Ting asked in surprise.

The two of them rounded a bend in the hallway, and their mouths snapped shut simultaneously.

Two men wearing masks were silently walking in their direction.

When the four of them crossed paths, none of them looked to the side. Just like cars on opposite sides of the road, they passed in parallel lanes.

Ling Yi walked a few meters, then stopped.

Nan Ting: “What’s wrong?” 

Ling Yi turned around to look at the backs of the two people.

Nan Ting’s intuition was sharp: “Is something wrong with those two?”

Ling Yi continued forward as if nothing had happened: “They should both be Alphas, but strangely, I can only smell one set of pheromones.”

“Is it possible that the other one is wearing a pheromone suppression device?”

“It can’t be ruled out, but if an Alpha’s mental strength is strong enough, no devices are needed to reduce their pheromones to an unnoticeable level.”

“You think he’s the second type?”

Ling Yi didn’t say anything, but he didn’t deny it either.

At the other end of the corridor, Disi also stopped and looked back.

The patient and nurse, a completely inconspicuous pairing in a hospital setting, vanished around the corner.

Du Bin stopped as well. “Your Highness?” he asked.

“Did you smell it?”

“That person smells like His Highness Oser.”

“I really must thank my brother for his unique pheromones. I had thought it would take a lot of effort to find that person.”

“Do you want me to go take a look?”

Disi nodded slightly: “Be cautious. My brother’s men are definitely following them in secret. Don’t alert them.”

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Chapter 22 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 24