My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 25: Do not return to Jinyang, but go directly to Yecheng?

"only!"

Lulecha acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

Before he could leave, Gao Cheng suddenly called out to him again: "Lu Lecha."

Lulecha paused, turned around, and asked, "Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"

After a moment's consideration, Gao Cheng asked in a deep voice, "Has there been any news from Ye City back to the Ba Mansion yet?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Lecha was momentarily stunned, then lowered his head and said, "Your Highness is wise; this secret message was not sent by me."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng frowned slightly, but after staring at him for a moment, he finally waved his hand and said, "In that case, you may go."

Lulecha nodded, then said no more and bowed as he left the study.

As Gao Cheng watched his figure disappear outside the courtyard gate, the hesitation on his face gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable complexity.

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. However, it remains to be seen who the snipe and the clam are, and who the fisherman is."

He then sat in the study for a long time before muttering something, getting up and picking up the three volumes of strategies from the table. He carefully wrapped them in cloth and placed them on the table.

After putting away his plans, he straightened his robes before striding out of the study and heading towards the backyard.

In the pavilion in the backyard, Zheng Dache was serving dishes with his maid.

The setting sun cast its last rays upon her, outlining her voluptuous and alluring curves.

Upon seeing Gao Cheng enter, she immediately greeted him with a smile and asked, "Your Highness has returned early today. Have you finished writing the strategy?"

Gao Cheng nodded and sat down in the pavilion.

Zheng Dache immediately came up to him, pouring wine and serving him food.

While eating, Gao Cheng casually instructed, "Tonight, you should tidy up a bit; we'll be able to return to Jinyang soon."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Dache paused in his actions, looked up at him with a face full of surprise: "Your Majesty has lifted the Crown Prince's confinement?"

Gao Cheng shook his head and said slowly, "Not yet, but it will be soon."

Seeing his resolute expression, Zheng Dache had some doubts, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply nodded obediently and said, "Yes, Your Highness, I will go and clean up after you finish your dinner."

Gao Cheng nodded and said no more.

That night, the two had dinner and went to bed early.

Zheng Dache, unusually, didn't bother him. She just nestled quietly in his arms, breathing evenly. It was hard to tell whether she was really asleep or just pretending.

Gao Cheng was too lazy to investigate, so he embraced the soft, fragrant woman and fell into a deep sleep.

......

And indeed, Gao Cheng's prediction came true.

However, the next morning, while Gao Chengshang was sleeping soundly with Zheng Dache in his arms, the sound of carriages and horses could be heard outside Zhangshui Villa.

Gao Cheng was startled awake. He rubbed his eyes, but before he could get up, he heard Wang Hong's voice from outside the door: "Your Highness, the royal carriage has arrived at the gate to welcome you on your journey!"

Zheng Dache was also woken up. He sat up groggily, leaning weakly against Gao Cheng, and asked lazily, "So early? Did the King send someone to pick us up?"

"Most likely."

Gao Cheng nodded, pulled his clothes over his shoulder, and replied to Wang Hong outside the door, "Please wait a moment."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Dache had no choice but to muster his strength and get up to help Gao Cheng get dressed and wash up.

A short while later, the two finished dressing and washing up.

Zheng Dache followed the maid to fetch his luggage, while Gao Cheng went to the outside of the separate courtyard on his own.

However, as soon as Gao Cheng stepped out of the courtyard gate and saw the scene in front of him, he froze on the spot.

Three magnificent carriages were parked outside the courtyard, surrounded by dozens of guards in brocade robes.

However, the person leading the carriage was neither Gai Fengle nor Lu Lecha, but a young girl with a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), high-piled hair, and a beautiful face.

Who else could this be but his young wife, Princess Fengyi, Yuan Zhonghua?

On the other side, when Yuan Zhonghua saw him come out, she froze on the spot as soon as she saw him clearly. A mischievous smile appeared on her pretty face, as if she was quite satisfied with the scene.

Immediately, she curtsied from a distance and said in a clear voice, "Your Highness, I have come to welcome you."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng finally came to his senses and said with some surprise, "It's just a small matter, why trouble the princess? Could it be that your mother has come as well?"

Yuan Zhonghua smiled and shook her head: "The family has not yet arrived. It was the King who ordered me to come and welcome the Crown Prince. Moreover, this trip will not return to Jinyang, but will go directly to Yecheng."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng was taken aback again: "Heading directly to Ye City?"

Indeed.

Yuan Zhonghua nodded and explained, "His Majesty said that since the Crown Prince has completed the strategy, there is no need for him to return to Jinyang. He can set off for Ye immediately. The carriage is ready, and there will be guards to escort him along the way."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng frowned immediately, feeling somewhat displeased.

Gao Huan wouldn't even let him go back to his residence to say goodbye to his elderly mother; that was far too heartless of him.

He took a deep breath, about to continue speaking, when he suddenly heard a series of light footsteps behind him.

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw Zheng Dache carrying a bundle as he came out.

She had clearly dressed herself, changed into a simple dress, and covered her face with a veil, revealing only her pair of watery, alluring eyes.

Upon seeing Yuan Zhonghua standing in the courtyard, she was slightly taken aback, then lowered her head and respectfully bowed, saying, "This servant greets the princess."

Yuan Zhonghua's gaze was fixed on Gao Cheng.

Upon suddenly hearing this greeting, which sounded quite familiar, he looked towards Zheng Dache.

However, after only a moment of eye contact, the smile on her face froze instantly. Her dark eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, and her expression changed from calm to shock, then from shock to disbelief, and finally back to terror.

She certainly recognized Zheng Dache; she had seen almost all of the concubines in the Prince's mansion.

But Zheng Dache is already dead, isn't he?

Instantly, her face turned deathly pale, her finger trembling as she pointed at Zheng Dache, and she cried out in terror, "Zheng... Aunt Zheng? You... you weren't dead? Is this person a ghost?"

Zheng Dache was a little embarrassed by her question and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

She could only instinctively hide behind Gao Cheng, signaling him to explain.

However, Gao Cheng felt somewhat embarrassed upon seeing this situation.

The father's concubine, who had been dead for some time, appeared in the son's courtyard and was caught red-handed by the son's legal wife.

This kind of thing seems rather unethical no matter how you look at it.

No, it should be extremely immoral.

But since things had come to this, he could only cough lightly and shamelessly step forward to block Yuan Zhonghua's view of Zheng Dache.

He then explained in a low voice, "Princess, do not be alarmed. This is the King's plan. To cover our tracks, we will announce to the outside world that your concubine has died suddenly from an illness, but in reality, we will have your concubine change her name and come with me to Ye City."

Even after Gao Cheng explained it this way, Yuan Zhonghua still couldn't come to his senses.

She stared blankly at Gao Cheng, then at Zheng Dache hiding behind Gao Cheng, feeling her mind go blank and her worldview being reshaped.

She received the king's order last night to lead a team to Zhangshui Villa to bring Gao Cheng back to Jinyang, and she was overjoyed for half the night.

Upon arriving there, she found Zheng Dache, who should have been dead for a long time, still standing alive beside her husband.

Furthermore, she even put on an act as if she had a very close relationship with her husband... even though she had been born and raised in the deep palace and was already accustomed to the secrets of the court.

At this moment, I was deeply shocked and speechless.

"But...but..."

After a long while, as if waking from a dream, she stammered, "But the manor... the manor has already held a funeral... even the coffin has been buried..."