Husband, Be A Gentleman 『Liskook』

Chapter 23

A rumor spread throughout the Dian Kingdom about the assassination attempt in the palace.

Some citizens speculated a foolish enemy kingdom dared to send assassins to kill their emperor and princes. Their purpose was to seize the kingdom. Those citizens heard the emperor ordered the northern army to move back thirty li and seize three territories of an enemy kingdom.

Other citizens gossiped about how seventh prince heroically used his body to save the emperor. They thought although seventh prince was stabbed, he was also the person who benefited the most from the assassination attempt.

In the palace, seventh prince was recovering in bed while Consort Mu took care of his injury. Seventh prince and Consort Mu's servants reported to them about the rumors spread outside the palace. Seventh prince and Consort Mu smiled with each other and they rewarded their servants.

The crown prince's supporters were worried about seventh prince's heroic reputation so they spread a rumor outside the palace that seventh prince was the person who sent the assassins to the palace.

In contrast to the chaos in the palace, the atmosphere inside jungkook's manor was tranquil.

Since the day jungkook returned from the Chi Ruan chamber he followed his father's order and stayed home with Lisa. Of course he stayed home while Lisa was in an inconvenienced state otherwise he would have taken her sightseeing.

That morning jungkook was sitting in Bei Dou's chamber and rubbing a herbal remedy on his knees. The shattered stone pieces pierced through his knees deeper than expected.

'It appears it'll leave a scar,' jungkook said.

'Why won't you more attentive that day?' Bei Dou asked.

'If I didn't kneel on the shattered stone pieces then how can I feign shock that day?' Jungkook asked. 'Isn't it good that I'm learning from seventh brother's tactic? Besides, I'm happy I got to see how worried little lion was about me.'

Jungkook remembered that day he returned home from the palace, Lisa saw the blood stains on his knees and she was worried enough for her soul to float away.

'I didn't think Pei Zhang would use his body to save the emperor,' Bei Dou said.

Jungkook pulled his pants down and stood to wash his hands. 'Seventh brother was certain he wouldn't die. A shallow stab isn't going to harm his healthy body.'

'It's a pity he was rewarded,' Bei Dou said.

Jungkook smiled. 'That's uncertain.'

'Why?' Bei Dou asked suspiciously.

'My imperial father isn't a fool,' jungkook said. 'Imperial father saw that seventh brother could have easily pushed the sword away but seventh brother chose to let the sword stab him. It's a pity imperial father hates other people acting in front of him the most. Seventh brother's heroic display was only rewarded by imperial father's disdain. Imperial father is naturally a suspicious person. It looks like he is favoring seventh brother by letting seventh brother stay in the palace to recover... but imperial father purposely detained seventh brother in the palace to make it easier for him to investigate who sent the assassins. If seventh brother had behaved and focused on recovering in the palace, he would have earned imperial father's trust... a pity Consort Mu impatiently sent servants to spread news about seventh brother's heroic deed and made imperial father more suspicious of seventh brother.'

Bei Dou listened to jungkook's explanation and he realised his assumptions were naive.

'The crown prince is more intelligent than seventh prince,' jungkook said. 'After the assassination attempt the crown prince acted like his body's weak and stayed in the Eastern chamber to rest. It made the empress angry enough to break off fingernails. I'm uncertain whether the crown prince is truly giving up his position or if he's waiting for a good opportunity to retaliate.'