The servants brought out all the brushes—top-quality wolf-hair brushes, goat-hair brushes, and purple-hair brushes—arranged in rows, each bundle neatly displayed, leaving Zong Jincheng utterly stunned.
His extravagant second uncle asked again, "Choose, or should I have them all sent to you?"
Zong Jincheng quickly waved his hands. "No, no, I just need the purple-hair brushes. Five of them." He held up five fingers to emphasize.
The servants promptly packed them up for him.
Zong Jincheng thought gleefully to himself, Now when I go back, my brother will have two purple-hair brushes. He definitely won’t keep hoarding them anymore.
"You seem really happy?" Luo Jingfeng stepped forward, his eyes brimming with warmth.
Zong Jincheng nodded eagerly. "Of course! Purple-hair brushes are rare. The three the Emperor gifted us last year were all worn out, and my brother—"
"The Emperor gifted them?" Luo Jingfeng cut him off, his expression suddenly turning grave. "Why would he give you purple-hair brushes?"
Zong Jincheng answered honestly, "As a reward. The three of us contributed to solving the Dance Hall case, so the Emperor sent us three purple-hair brushes. Even Eunuch Huang delivered them personally."
Luo Jingfeng grabbed the little troublemaker’s hand and strode outside. His steps were long, forcing the boy to jog to keep up. In the courtyard, Luo Jingfeng barked, "Summon the physician and follow to the Zong residence!"
Zong Jincheng was baffled. "Why the physician? I’m not sick, and we already have a physician at ho!"
Luo Jingfeng added sharply to the servants, "Bring the one skilled in detecting poisons."
"Yes, sir."
Zong Jincheng was shocked. "Poisons? Why are you taking him to my house?"
Luo Jingfeng hoisted him into the carriage, his face grim. "To examine those three imperial purple-hair brushes."
The little troublemaker was even more confused. "But they were bestowed by the Emperor—what could possibly be wrong with them?" Then it suddenly dawned on him. By acknowledging the Crown Prince as his brother and Luo Jingfeng as his uncle, he had also acknowledged his own bloodline.
The Emperor… was his biological father.
Luo Jingfeng scoffed. "That’s exactly why they’re suspicious. Royalty has no family bonds. If he knew you existed, he wouldn’t let you live."
He feared Zong Jincheng would et the sa fate as the Crown Prince.
Zong Jincheng pouted but didn’t argue—not because he agreed that royalty lacked affection, but because he understood the ruler’s perspective: detachnt was necessary to govern effectively.
So, unlike ordinary people who blindly believed the imperial family was benevolent, he harbored no illusions. Especially after seeing that so-called "Investigation into the Princes and Princesses," which might as well have been titled "Evidence of the Crown Prince’s Assassination."
At the General’s Manor, Zong Jincheng leaped off the carriage, followed by Luo Jingfeng. The Zong family servants bowed in unison.
Not wanting Luo Jingfeng’s arrival to disturb his brothers’ studies, Zong Jincheng directed him to the main hall while he fetched the three brushes. Though He Zheng’s was worn out, he hadn’t thrown it away, and Wenxiu’s was retrieved as well. Zong Jincheng brought all three to the hall.
Zong Zhao and Xu Wan, hearing that Luo Jingfeng had brought a physician, joined them to observe the examination. The physician was clearly skilled—sniffing the brush bodies and tips, testing the ink, and ticulously probing with a silver needle.
After a long while, the physician finally reported, "My lord, these three purple-hair brushes are clean. No traces of poison."
The tension in the room dissolved.
The little troublemaker grinned. "You were overthinking it. If even you didn’t know back then, how could the Emperor have known?"
Luo Jingfeng ignored him, turning instead to Zong Zhao. "From now on, if the palace sends any gifts, summon my physician to inspect them. If they can’t be verified, discard them. Don’t let Jincheng use them."
Zong Zhao nodded. "Naturally."
After Luo Jingfeng left, Xu Wan sat beside her son. "You went to the Duke’s residence and ended up bringing him back?"
The little troublemaker bead. "We made up! He gave five purple-hair brushes, and then we talked about the Emperor’s reward last year. The mont he heard, he panicked."
Xu Wan and Zong Zhao exchanged glances, understanding Luo Jingfeng’s concerns all too well.
"I see… But you reconciled? You and the Duke buried the hatchet?" Xu Wan frowned, uneasy.
If Zong Jincheng and Luo Jingfeng were on good terms now, would Luo Jingfeng influence him? The boy was already so much like his uncle—arrogant, unruly, and dismissive of authority. It had taken her so long to steer him onto the right path. What if Luo Jingfeng dragged him back?
Zong Jincheng excitedly reached into his robe and pulled out a letter like a magician producing a trick. "Mother, Father, look what this is!"
Xu Wan opened the envelope and saw two bold lines of text, a signature, and a bright red thumbprint below. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "He actually agreed?"
Though she’d encouraged him to try, deep down, she’d shared Zong Zhao’s skepticism. Yet against all odds, the boy had succeeded.
She handed the letter to Zong Zhao as the little troublemaker crowed, "I traded it for fair treatnt! I argued until my lips were chapped, but then I brought up Luo Shu and called him ‘Uncle,’ and he gave in!"
Xu Wan murmured, "You and Luo Shu are his weaknesses. One touch, and he crumbles."
Zong Jincheng snorted, even consoling himself. "As long as he stops targeting the Crown Prince, I can let bygones be bygones. Calling him ‘Uncle’ won’t kill . Luo Shu ans everything to him, just as the Crown Prince does to . We’re both fighting for the people we love. It’s good."
Xu Wan’s heart ward. Softly, she said, "The Crown Prince would be overjoyed to know you feel this way."
Zong Jincheng turned eagerly to Zong Zhao. "Father, can the Crown Prince hear while he’s unconscious?"
Zong Zhao shook his head. "Not yet."
The boy’s face fell. "Fine. Then I’ll wait until he wakes up and tell him everything, word by word."
Zong Zhao held the letter, knowing full well Luo Jingfeng had rely conceded, not surrendered.
But for the sake of his son’s hard-won victory, he simply said, "As long as the Duke’s faction stops petitioning, the Crown Prince’s position will remain secure."
Zong Jincheng grinned again. "So I’ve done sothing huge, right?"
"Indeed," Zong Zhao affird without hesitation.
The boy erupted into cheers, spinning in circles, pumping his fists, and laughing triumphantly. "I helped the Crown Prince in a big way! I did what no one else could! Haha! Mother, Father, I’m amazing! No—I’m incredible! Zong Jincheng is the best! Unmatched!!"
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