My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 17 Resurrection from the dead? Dream, fantasy!

Hearing such perfunctory words, Gao Cheng frowned slightly, still feeling resentful.

He wanted to ask further questions, such as where Zheng Da was buried and how much his funeral was.

But then I thought, what good would it do to ask? She's already dead. Would Gao Huan really allow me to pay my respects to her?

Thinking of this, he could only sigh deeply, then lifted his robe and stepped onto the carriage.

Seeing him get into the carriage, Gai Fengle couldn't help but twitch his lips, then shook his head, glancing at the still slightly trembling carriage behind them, thinking to himself, "These two are truly a curse!"

Without further delay, he sat directly on the carriage shaft and said in a deep voice, "Let's go."

A moment later, the wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a dull sound, and slowly drove away from the Prince of Jinyang's residence.

Unbeknownst to anyone, just as the carriages were moving further and further away, in the shadow of the artificial hill behind the side gate of the Prince's Mansion, Gao Yang, the second son of the Gao family, was standing there, looking at the departing carriages with a troubled expression.

After returning home last night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.

I felt that Gao Cheng's words at the banquet seemed genuine, but I was also afraid that there might be a trick involved, so I waited here early in the morning to find out the truth.

After struggling for a long time, he finally lost the courage he had the night before and could not ask a question. He could only watch helplessly as Gao Cheng left.

Only when the carriage turned the corner and disappeared from sight did he finally lose his temper and rush out towards the side gate.

Immediately, he opened his mouth, as if to call out to Gao Cheng.

He knew that as long as he spoke, Gao Cheng would definitely hear him with his sharp hearing, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say the words.

In the end, all he could do was stare at the empty street corner, slam his fist hard against the wooden door next to him, his eyes filled with frustration and resentment.

......

On the other side, Gao Cheng, in the carriage, was unaware of Gao Yang's inner turmoil and frustration.

He sat in the bumpy carriage, looking back through the gap in the curtain at the outline of the Prince of Jinyang's mansion growing farther and farther away until it disappeared into the horizon, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Gao Huan's ruthlessness terrified him.

His own disruption of history filled him with even greater apprehension.

Even now, he still cannot understand why, although the general trend of history has not changed, the specific events have gone completely in the opposite direction.

Zheng Dache died, but he didn't receive the hundred lashes, and even Sima Ziru didn't have to come.

What's next?

Will history continue to unfold as it did before?

Will he be stabbed to death in Dongbaitang by a cook named Lan Jing when he is twenty-nine years old?

Countless questions swirled in his mind, giving him a splitting headache. Coupled with his lack of sleep the night before, the swaying of the carriage made his eyelids grow heavier and heavier.

A short while later, his head tilted to the side, and he fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, the carriage had already come to a stop.

Gai Fengle's voice came from outside the carriage, neither warm nor cold: "Your Highness, we have arrived at Zhangshui Villa. Please get out of the carriage."

Gao Cheng rubbed his sleepy eyes, reached out and lifted the carriage curtain, then stepped down from the carriage.

As far as the eye can see, a babbling stream is flowing slowly under the sunlight, its water so clear that you can see the fish and pebbles clearly.

Both sides of the river are bathed in the beauty of spring, with birds singing, flowers blooming, and lush green trees providing shade, far removed from the hustle and bustle and bloodshed of Jinyang.

It really is a good place to cultivate one's character and temperament.

Beside the babbling stream, a quaint and elegant courtyard was heavily guarded by a group of disguised soldiers, with the gates wide open, as if waiting for his arrival.

Gao Cheng looked around, straightened his robes, and stepped inside.

But after taking only two steps, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned around and saw that Gai Fengle was standing still, his gaze fixed on the second carriage in the procession.

Gao Cheng's mind raced, and he turned around to look as well.

To his surprise, upon seeing this, he froze on the spot, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape as if he could fit an egg in it.

A slender hand slowly lifted the curtain of the carriage, and a woman dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) stepped down from the carriage.

The woman had her hair styled in a high bun, her skin was like solidified cream, her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings, her neck was long and fair, and her figure was voluptuous and graceful. Every gesture she made was full of charm.

If it wasn't Zheng Dache who "died suddenly from an illness" last night, then who was it?

In an instant, Gao Cheng felt a "boom" in his mind, as if a thunderclap had exploded.

"Is it a dream, or an illusion?"

He even wondered if he was still dreaming, or if he was hallucinating because he was too tired.

He rubbed his eyes hard and then pinched his thigh.

Only when the intense pain struck did he dare to confirm that this person was Zheng Dache. He stared blankly at the newcomer, speechless for a moment.

Seeing his stunned expression, Zheng Dache couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle.

She lifted her skirt and gracefully walked to Gao Cheng, curtsied slightly, her eyes sparkling with allure: "Your Highness, how have you been?"

Gao Cheng came to his senses, first astonished, then filled with doubts, and finally, an indescribable joy welled up uncontrollably from the bottom of his heart.

He suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Zheng Dache's wrist, and exclaimed in alarm, "Zheng...Aunt Zheng, are you not dead, but a fake?"

Zheng Dache's wrist ached from being gripped so tightly, but he wasn't angry. He just deliberately put on a stern face and said reproachfully, "What? Is the young master so disappointed that I'm still alive?"

As she spoke, she deliberately sniffed, her eyes slightly reddening, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Gao Cheng was both amused and exasperated by these words.

She quickly released her grip and explained, "Auntie, you have misunderstood me. I was overwhelmed with guilt upon hearing the news of your sudden death. Seeing you safe and sound, I became agitated and lost my composure. I hope you will forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Dache's eyes flashed with a sly smile, but he still pressed on relentlessly: "Oh? Does the young master still have feelings for me? I thought the young master wished for my early death to sever all ties."

Gao Cheng scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "You can't say that. No matter what, you and I... you and I shared a bed. How can I bear to watch my aunt die unjustly?"

"Besides, this matter originated from me. If I hadn't made a mistake, you wouldn't be in this situation."

Hearing this, Zheng Dache felt a warmth in his heart and stopped teasing him.

Her compound eyes were filled with tenderness, and her smile became more genuine as she spoke gently, "If Your Highness has such a heart, I would have no regrets even if I were to die."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng was both amused and exasperated: "Stop talking nonsense! What's the matter? Tell me quickly, what is this all about, and why are you here? Your Majesty..."

Zheng Dache pursed his lips, no longer hiding anything, and said softly, "This is all part of Your Majesty's plan."

Gao Cheng was taken aback: "Your Majesty's plan? What is it?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, he immediately understood Gao Huan's intention.

That old fox actually pulled off a brilliant "deception and faked death" act with everyone!

First, they announced to the public that Zheng Dache had died suddenly, silencing the public and thus cutting off the Hebei aristocratic family's idea of ​​using Zheng Dache to openly control him.

Then she secretly sent Zheng Dache to this Zhangshui Villa and hid him there to be his mistress.

In this way, the Gao family's reputation was preserved, a warning was issued to the Hebei gentry, and a favor was done for him—a triple win.

That old fox really knows how to read people's minds.

After figuring this out, Gao Cheng couldn't help but curse inwardly, "You old scheming bastard, you made me worry for nothing. Did you even suspect me of being a heartless scoundrel?"