When people were in Qin, they captured Zhao and questioned Qin.

Chapter 42 Corpse

The carriage responsible for picking up Zhao Heng moved slowly along.

Inside the carriage, the eunuch Gao Qu, who had come to summon Zhao Heng, sat opposite him.

After Zhao Heng boarded the carriage, Gao Qu, with his sleeves tucked in, openly sized up the young prince opposite him.

After a while, seeing that Zhao Heng was simply sitting upright with his eyes closed and his expression calm, Gao Qu sneered inwardly, his eyes narrowed with a hint of smugness, and mocked, "After our parting at your residence that day, I suppose you didn't expect to see me again so soon, did you?"

Zhao Heng then opened his eyes, revealing a bright, harmless smile:

"What are you saying, Eunuch Gao? Eunuchs act on the king's orders. As a prince, I am at his beck and call. How can there be talk of being fast or slow, or of wanting or not wanting? Everything is simply in accordance with my grandfather's wishes."

Gao Qu snorted softly, leaning back slightly, his posture even more aloof: "I've heard that you've been in close contact with Lord Xinling lately? And even received a book from His Majesty? Tsk tsk, what a great honor, what a deep friendship."

Zhao Heng's smile remained unchanged, but he said with admiration, "Eunuch Gao serves my grandfather day and night, devoting himself to official duties, yet he still finds time to concern himself with these trivial matters of mine. I am truly impressed. However, Lord Xinling is a hero of our time and an old friend of my father's. He sent this letter of encouragement out of consideration for our past friendship. Could there be something wrong with such care from a senior?"

When Gao Qu saw Zhao Heng close his eyes and remain silent, he assumed that the boy had been intimidated by the sudden summons and his own power. He couldn't help but feel smug and spoke in a somewhat frivolous manner.

But this firm yet subtle rebuttal startled him, and he dared not respond rashly. His face darkened, and he let out a sinister laugh, no longer concealing the malice in his words:

"Young master is indeed as eloquent as ever. I wonder if he can still answer so fluently before the king later."

The last uncertainty in Zhao Heng's heart was finally resolved.

After some probing words, Gao Qu almost revealed his true intentions.

A eunuch serving the emperor would not dare to speak so blatantly before the audience, unless he knew the inside story of today's summons and was certain that what awaited Zhao Heng was no good, let alone with a hint of malicious anticipation.

The other party came prepared, and their intentions were not good.

Zhao Heng leaned back into his seat, lowering his eyelids to conceal the thoughts that flashed in his eyes. He ignored Gao Qu's malicious gaze and subtle smugness, and simply closed his eyes to rest.

Seeing this, Gao Qu assumed that the man had finally realized the gravity of the situation and inwardly scoffed.

Zhao Heng, however, was even calmer than before, quietly circulating the Guigu Breathing Technique without any disturbance.

Now that we have discerned the wind direction from the eunuch's attitude and know that it is a headwind, there is no need for further unnecessary speculation and worry.

there is always a solution to a problem.

He wanted to see what kind of drama the inner palace had prepared for him.

The car passed through Guili and headed south.

The houses along the street gradually thinned out, while the road became wider and wider. Tall locust trees were planted along the roadside, and occasionally a carriage would pass by, its copper bells ringing softly, its curtains splendid. These were nobles heading towards the palace.

In the distance, the outline of the Zhao capital city became increasingly clear.

This is a huge rammed earth city wall.

The wall was very high, wide at the base and narrow at the top, appearing a heavy, earthy yellow in the morning light. At the top were crenellations, and at intervals one could see armored soldiers standing guard with halberds. Outside the wall was a man-made moat, fed by a tributary of the Zhu River; its calm surface reflected the wall's shadow, making it appear deeper than it actually was.

The car did not enter through the main entrance.

The driver gently tugged on the reins, and the carriage turned a corner, traveling eastward along the city wall for a while before stopping in front of a side gate. This gate was much smaller than the main gate; the iron-clad wooden door was half-open, the doorway deep and dark, with traces of gate slots on the top, clearly for controlling passage.

After the palace guards verified the tally, the carriages and horses finally entered the palace.

The road was still made of rammed earth, but it was smoother than the road outside the palace, with shallow drainage ditches on both sides. The road was wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side, but at this moment it was empty, with only their carriage moving.

Zhao Heng lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

The buildings within the royal city bear a strong contemporary style, quite different from the Guili Mansion he was familiar with.

The most striking feature is the series of rammed earth platforms, scattered across the vast palace area at varying heights.

The platforms are square with steep edges, some over two zhang high, others slightly lower, but all are solid and stable. Wooden palaces with flying eaves and brackets are built on the platforms.

The highest platform in the distance should be the Dragon Platform, which is the main hall of the Zhao King's Palace. The platform is divided into three sections, each with more than ten steps. The steps are wide and have stone railings on both sides.

The roof of the palace on the platform was covered with dark blue-black tiles. The patterns on the tile ends were not clearly visible, but the copper bells hanging from the eaves could be seen, motionless in the wind.

There were also some smaller palaces nearby, but they were also built on a platform. In front of one of the palaces stood two towers, with symmetrical rammed earth platforms on the left and right, and watchtowers built on the platforms, with guards standing with halberds.

The palaces are connected by long corridors.

The layout of the palace is not entirely regular, and the orientation of the halls varies, but overall there is a sense of strict order. The roads are straight, the corners are square, and every so often you can see hidden soldier caves, which are cave-like structures built into rammed earth walls, their depth unknown.

In addition, there are watchtowers built on high ground, which can overlook almost half of the palace.

The car drove deeper into the main road.

The wheels rolled over the road, the sound echoing through the empty palace. Occasionally, a patrol of guards would pass by, dressed in uniform leather armor, carrying swords and halberds, their steps precise. Upon seeing the imperial carriage, they would step aside to make way, heads bowed in solemn silence.

Zhao Heng lowered the carriage curtain.

The carriage went dark again.

Gao Qu sat opposite him without saying a word, just staring at him with that ambiguous smile on his face.

The carriage traveled for about fifteen minutes before finally stopping.

The driver said something outside, and Gao Qu responded, lifted the carriage curtain, and got out of the carriage first.

Zhao Heng followed him down, then simply looked around.

This is a courtyard in front of a side hall.

The hall was not large, and the platform was not high. Two stone lanterns stood in front of the steps, but they were empty and unlit. The hall door was open, and the simple furnishings inside could be seen. However, the light inside was somewhat dim, and a bamboo curtain hung near the window, half-rolled up, letting in a little daylight.

It looks deserted.

Two eunuchs stood under the eaves, their hands hanging down, not looking at Zhao Heng, but staring at the ground like two clay sculptures.

Gao Qu turned to Zhao Heng and gestured for him to come in.

"His Majesty is currently handling state affairs; please wait here, young master."

His voice carried a hint of mockery, almost as if he were saying, "You'll just have to wait here on the sidelines."

Zhao Heng seemed not to hear, and calmly climbed the steps into the hall.

The interior of the hall was indeed simple.

A screen, a few tables and mats, and a banquet mat on the floor, the edges of which were already worn. There was no decoration on the walls; it was just an ordinary side hall.

Zhao Heng didn't mind and calmly knelt down behind the table near the door.

Upon seeing this, Gao Qu let out a cold snort, turned around with a flick of his sleeve, and strode away with his hands behind his back. A moment later, a low-ranking eunuch entered, placed a cup of water on the table in front of Zhao Heng, and then silently retreated to the door, standing with his head bowed.

Zhao Heng picked up the ceramic cup. Although these people wouldn't dare to openly poison him in the palace, he still subtly sniffed it to confirm it was safe before slowly taking a sip.

He then took small sips of his drink while taking the opportunity to look around the side hall, his thoughts racing.

It's only been half a month since I woke up after falling into the water. What have I done in this short time?

He subdued Meng Ben and his three companions, gained control of Zhao Su, formed an alliance with Ying Zheng and Yan Dan, clashed at Zuiyue Tower, received a book from Lord Xinling, Master Xu moved in, and secretly planned textile improvements...

What could be the reasons for today's summons?

His association with Ying Zheng was the most conspicuous thing. But to be honest, it was just a matter between two children. It was true that Qin and Zhao were sworn enemies, but he was just a young prince, and even if you put it bluntly, he was just a child who didn't know any better.

Would the King of Zhao summon him specifically to severely punish him for this?

It's unlikely.

Guo Kai and his men understood this point, knowing that this one charge alone wouldn't bring down a prince, so they chose a more direct method: drowning and killing.

Since the assassination failed, and they are now resorting to overt methods, they must have a more conclusive, irrefutable, or even more likely to anger the King of Zhao reason...

As Zhao Heng was deep in thought, he suddenly heard faint footsteps outside the hall. Then, a middle-aged eunuch walked to the door.

Zhao Heng finished drinking the remaining water, put down the pottery cup, and sat up straight.

The man looked to be around fifty years old, dressed in a dark-colored palace robe with a blue sash tied around his waist. If it weren't for his pale face and beardless appearance, he would have been almost indistinguishable from an ordinary civil official, quite different from Gao Qu's effeminate and outwardly gentle temperament.

The low-ranking eunuch standing at the door looked at this person with a hint of surprise, but quickly put on a smile and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Lord Li."

"The king summoned Prince Heng to an audience."

The middle-aged eunuch, addressed as Li Lingcheng, nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to Zhao Heng: "Young master, please follow me."

Zhao Heng took in the subtle changes in the eunuch's expression at the door, but showed no outward sign. He stood up and followed him.

After passing through two courtyards, the palaces ahead grew taller and taller, and the palace guards became increasingly dense and solemn.

Finally, Li Lingcheng stopped in front of a magnificent palace.

This hall is more than twice the size of the side hall we just visited. The platform is very high, with about twenty steps. Bronze auspicious beasts stand on both sides of the steps, and a huge bronze cauldron is placed in front of the steps, although the cauldron is quite old.

The hall was spacious with thick beams and pillars, but the lighting was still poor. Candles were lit against the wall, and the flames flickered in the copper lamps, casting dappled shadows throughout the hall.

Zhao Heng, with his keen sense of smell, could also detect a faint medicinal scent in the air.

It was very faint, mixed in with the sandalwood scent in the hall, and almost undetectable unless you smelled it carefully.

His expression remained unchanged as he followed Li Lingcheng deeper into the hall.

At the far end of the hall, apart from the necessary tables and lamp stands, there were almost no other furnishings, making it seem somewhat empty. At the north end was a higher platform, on which sat an imperial desk, and behind the desk sat a person.

This man was Zhao Heng's grandfather, King Dan of Zhao.

King Zhao was old, with graying temples and a thin appearance. He was looking down at the bamboo slips on the table, seemingly unaware that someone had entered.

Two other people were sitting to the left and right of the table below.

The man on the right was a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His face resembled that of the King of Zhao, but his complexion was slightly pale, his eyes were unfocused, and he seemed somewhat weak.

On the left is an elder member of the royal family, in his fifties or sixties, with gray hair and beard, a serious expression, and a furrowed brow, seemingly deep in thought.

However, what is most striking is the outline of several human figures covered with plain white linen on the floor in the center of the hall. Although concealed by linen, the stiff lines beneath are quite evident, making their nature rather self-evident.

Li Lingcheng stepped forward first and bowed to the Prince of Zhao behind the imperial desk, whispering a reminder.

Then Zhao Heng stepped forward and stopped a few steps away from the bodies covered with white cloths, and knelt down in accordance with etiquette: "Your subject Sun Heng pays respects to your grandfather."

After saying that, he lay there motionless.

The hall was very quiet; there wasn't a sound at all.

Time passes little by little.

King Zhao continued to look down at the bamboo slips, seemingly absorbed in them, ignoring his grandson kneeling at the foot of the steps.

The young man glanced quickly at Zhao Heng, then lowered his eyes again and sighed softly. The elder member of the imperial clan, however, remained expressionless, staring directly at Zhao Heng, his expression unreadable.

Zhao Heng's heart sank. When he entered the hall, he quickly glanced at the people inside. Gao Qu, who was standing to one side of the imperial platform, was a given. The old man from the imperial clan also looked unfamiliar. Only the young man was someone Zhao Heng recognized, if he remembered correctly or hadn't misjudged.

This person was Guo Kai's master, his good uncle, the future King Daoxiang of Zhao, also known as Prince Yan or Zhao Yan.

Looking at the corpses covered with white sheets a few steps away... with Zhao Yan present, these corpses were definitely not placed there for no reason.

An ominous premonition quietly arose.

Could it be related to me?

Zhao Heng's mind raced as he quickly reviewed his recent actions, asking himself if any of the bloodshed incidents could be connected to him.

Suddenly, he slightly closed his eyes where no one could see.

Apart from……

"Has your health improved since you fell into the water last time?" As he pondered this, the voice of King Zhao, whose emotions were not easily discernible, finally came from above.

Zhao Heng remained prostrate on the ground, intending to deliberately show some of the trepidation of a young man, but after a moment's thought, he simply replied in a calm and clear tone: "Thanks to the great blessing of my grandfather, your grandson is now out of danger."

"Hmm." King Zhao responded noncommittally, paused for a moment, and then spoke again, this time with a hint of sharpness: "Now that things are much better... then raise your head. Look at these people, have you seen them before?"

Zhao Heng slowly raised his head as instructed, first looking at King Zhao, and then at the several bodies covered with white cloth in the hall.

This time, being closer and examining them closely, it was indeed four corpses, and judging from their size and build, they should be four teenagers.

Zhao Heng couldn't help but sigh inwardly. His face showed the astonishment and unease that one should have at his age, and his complexion even turned slightly pale. He quickly looked away, not daring to look closely.

At this moment, the young man sitting on the right, Zhao Yan, sighed softly upon seeing this, then stood up, his face showing a hint of reluctance, and bowed to King Zhao, saying:

"Father, Ah Heng is still young and has just recovered from his illness. Seeing all this so suddenly might be..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was abruptly interrupted by a heavy, cold snort from the King of Zhao.

"Stop making excuses for him!"

King Zhao slammed his hand heavily on the table, making the bamboo slips on it jump. His aged yet sharp eyes shot towards Zhao Heng like lightning, and his voice suddenly rose, carrying suppressed anger and a chilling intensity:

"He's afraid to look?! What is there to be afraid of looking at?!"

King Zhao pointed to the several corpses covered with white cloth in the hall, glaring angrily at Zhao Heng:

"These are the same bastards who pushed you into the water that day, trying to kill you! After your uncle heard about this, he sent men to investigate thoroughly and finally captured some of them! But they..."

At this point, King Zhao's voice trembled slightly with anger: "Not only did they show no remorse or fear, but they also committed suicide on the spot, using their swords to prove their innocence. Even in their dying moments, they shouted that what they had done was to rid Zhao of a major threat!"

He stared intently at Zhao Heng, whose lips were pressed tightly together, and demanded sharply:

"Who is this 'great threat' they're talking about?!"

"What is it that you dare not look at now?!"