Runaway Flounderers

10. The Prince Needs Some Kind of Assistance at Night

The next day morning, Wen Kexing went to the inquiry hall as A-qing. Just like Zhou Zishu had promised, he had locked those two men in the jail the night before. The main purpose of capturing them was to interrogate them about their whereabouts so that he'd get an idea of who is stirring up the troubles.

But to his annoyance, right when it was the time for interrogation, the servant who went to fetch those two offenders came back empty handed and said they had committed suicide by biting their own tongues early in the morning. How fruitless! But Wen Kexing wasn't surprised, these suicide workers were everywhere these days. 

Now that the case had failed, there was no need to call for Zhou Zishu to be the eye witness. Wen Kexing rushed back to his chamber, stripped off the female clothes slipped into a dark green coloured robe. He put on the same mask he used on the military selection day and finally put on his crown. He rushed back to the imperial prison just in time when the guards were taking out the bodies to dispose them. 

"Greetings, Your Highness!", all the servants there knelt when they saw him. He waved his hands to let them get up and went to looks at the corpses. Just like the jail guard had announced, they both had bitten off their own tongues to death. Wen Kexing put a finger on one of the dead guys' wrist. There obviously wasn't any pulse and rigor mortis had already set in. But he felt the flow of remnant evil energy. The other guy showed the same symptoms.

This clearly meant they were under hypnosis, but on a higher evil level. To have been that natural that Wen Kexing hadn't found them weird at all the day before, the person controlling them would have to be very powerful. It could most probably be that woman in green who disappeared into thin air. Wen Kexing couldn't stand the smell anymore and  went back to his chamber to wash up. 

When it was about half past two in the afternoon, Wen Kexing went to the dining hall. The royal cafeteria had two floors. The floors weren't stacked on upon the other, but the far end of the ground floor had a broad staircase with about twenty steps which led to the upper floor. This wasn't separated based on hierarchy but for convenience. The ground floor was usually occupied by the soldiers who would rush in in the breaks to grab food now and then. The first floor was usually occupied by the ministers and other officers who'd idle themselves there while talking business and eating.

Wen Kexing went up the stairs ignoring the stares he was getting from the people who recognized him. As he wasn't wearing the crown now, they didn't bother with greeting him.

 The people in the upper floor weren't familiar with this face he usually used in the army. He didn't even have to look around to spot the person he was looking for. The minister of Defense and Warfare, Gao Chong was sitting at the same table he did for more than a decade. He was in his uniform and was eagerly taking out the chopsticks when he heard the sound of the chair beside him move.

When he saw who it was, he just nodded and started eating. Wen Kexing would always find him here whenever he wanted to talk something, hence he wasn't surprised. Wen Kexing took a sip of soup and said, "I came to tell you that I'm going to appoint someone to be my personal assistant". 

"*cough, cough, cough* you what?!" The moment those words left Wen Kexing's mouth, the chopsticks fell out of Gao Chong's hands and he choked on the food. For a moment he suspected if this was really the crown prince. Wen Kexing, this prince who was so paranoid that he hardly had any maids in his chamber, now wants a personal assistant?! Did someone brainwash him? Gao Chong was truly thrown out of his wits. He slowly gathered his composure and spoke, "So...who is that person?"

Wen Kexing searched around in the crowd of people in the ground floor. Since it was lunch time and he had been appointed to the imperial guards, Zhou Zishu would most probably be at the dining hall. Wen Kexing spotted a familiar pair of shoulder blades in the queue of men waiting to get food and pointed his chopsticks at him, "Zhou Zishu"

Gao Chong wrinkled his eyebrows, "Even I don't know much about him. He joined the army by taking the imperial examination a few years ago. This time somehow he got double promoted. But ShenShen was still wary of him so we decide to keep an eye on him for now. Are you sure about him?"

Wen Kexing, "I know him to the point I can even tell what he feels like eating today".

Gao Chong, "......". He wasn't surprised, he was used to this mix-sarcasm-into-everything way of Wen Kexing's talking. 

"Look there, today he'd refuse the chicken soup" Wen Kexing spoke with a serious face. These two watched as Zhou Zishu's turn of getting the food came. He accepted the rice, curry, fish fries and beef steak but when he moved to the pot of chicken soup, he waved a hand and bowed to politely refuse.

Gao Chong, "......?"

Wen Kexing just giggled with satisfaction. He knew that Zhou Zishu the sentimental guy who still wore the feather pendant he gave would refuse to eat chicken for atleast a year. "Uncle Gao....are you still doubtful? I have some stuffs to dig around here and I think he'd be suitable for it. Don't worry Uncle Gao, I'll always be on my guard".

Gao Chong was always used to the way Wen Kexing coaxed him with the seemingly affectionate "Uncle Gao this uncle Gao that" but it was still always effective on him, "Alright. But I'll have to inform his majesty." 

Wen Kexing was completely fine with this negotiation, "okay, then apart from me, you and my father, no one else should know about this. Inform this to Zhou Zishu later and make sure he doesn't tell anyone about this." 

From the far end of the ground floor, Zhou Zishu finally seemed to have sensed the stare that was almost digging a hole onto his back. He turned back on instinct and coincidentally met Wen Kexing's stare from the distance. He recognized the face he last saw at the infirmary and just nodded slightly before turning back to his steak. Wen Kexing's face slipped a smirk.

He turned to Gao Chong and spoke, "Tell him to come to my chamber after the working hours tonight".

Gao Chong, "ah???". This poor man thought he was going to end up with a nerve explosion today. His old generation mind started stirring...'personal assistant', 'to the chamber', 'after the working hours'.... just what kind of assistance did this prince need?! oh wait wait! what the hell was he thinking?! They are both men! Gao chong coughed away his embarrassment and nodded his head.

Wen Kexing seemed to have sensed what was going  on in his head. Adding oil to the fire, he leaned in to the elder's ears and whispered, "Preferably after midnight". Ofcourse he had no intentions of clearing the misunderstanding. 

A baffled Gao Chong went, "WHAT" and a satisfied Wen Kexing left the hall with no shame or regret for the words he spilt so carelessly.