Chapter 20: The Crown Prince's Fury Ignited... An Apricot Tree

Liu Lingxuan didn't really believe the reason Su Han had given her. She wasn't stupid. How could she believe that there was such a public-spirited and righteous person in this world? Especially when... this person was born into the Royal Family. However, what did it matter even if she knew he had ulterior motives?

She loved Young Master Duan. Even if her affections were misplaced, she had no regrets.

But it would be a lie to say she was willing to watch the man she had entrusted her life to marry another woman and spend every day as a perfect couple. She didn't want him to only visit her every few months or years when he happened to remember her, leaving her to guard an empty room for the rest of her life until she died alone.

That wasn't love; that was stupidity!

Therefore, when a Crown Prince of the Royal Family approached her, offering to help her successfully marry into the Governor's Residence and spend the rest of her life with the man she loved, what reason did she have to refuse?

"Crown Prince, that Miss Liu, Liu Lingxuan, seems..."

On the way back, Su Xiao'Er hesitated, stopping himself from speaking several times.

"Seems like she isn't as simple as the information stated, right?" Su Han smiled. If even Su Xiao'Er could see the problem, how could he not?

Su Xiao'Er nodded. "Yes. She... she actually agreed so easily. Isn't she afraid we'll do something harmful to the Governor's Residence?"

Su Han looked at Su Xiao'Er. "So... what else could she do?"

"Huh?"

"If she didn't agree, what then?

"If we really wanted to harm the Governor's Residence, could her refusal stop us?

"Or could she run to the Governor's Residence and tell Young Master Duan or Governor Duan that Crown Prince Jing seemed to be plotting against them, and they should prepare as early as possible?"

Su Xiao'Er was speechless.

Su Han looked at Su Xiao'Er. "Would that... be of any use?

"With the power of our Prince Jing's Residence, if we truly wanted to harm someone, who in the entire Jing Country could stop us besides the Royal Family?"

Su Xiao'Er remained silent. Fine, he was just too stupid.

"Therefore, since she knew clearly that she couldn't change anything, why wouldn't she seize the opportunity when it was presented to her?

"Didn't this Crown Prince promise to help her successfully marry into the Governor's Residence? At the very least, by agreeing, she could ensure that the Governor's Residence wouldn't disappear and her lover could still marry her, right?"

Su Xiao'Er nodded, once again deeply impressed by his Crown Prince. Perhaps... this was why he was the servant, and his Crown Prince was the master.

As they spoke, the two arrived outside the courtyard wall of the Governor's Residence. From a distance, they saw Qin and Hua, his mother's two personal maids, standing beneath the red apricot tree that peeked over the wall. As usual, three buckets of kerosene produced by Prince Jing's Residence sat at their feet.

"Crown Prince, are we burning another tree?" Qin, who had a chest as flat as a private runway and wide enough to race horses on, looked up at the apricot tree extending its branches over the wall. "This time, we're burning the Governor's Residence?"

First he burned a tree in their own home, then he burned the Gao Family's tree. Was it finally the Governor's Residence's turn to suffer this time?

Looking at the apricot tree with its vibrantly blooming red flowers, Qin couldn't help but feel a bit curious, wondering which family would be next.

She thought, "So... which unlucky fool in the Governor's Family offended our Crown Prince this time? How dare they make our Crown Prince unhappy! Sister Qin will let you know what true unhappiness means today!"

Su Han nodded at Qin and turned to look at Su Xiao'Er.

Su Xiao'Er understood immediately. He voluntarily picked up a bucket of kerosene, leaped onto the wall of the Governor's Residence, unscrewed the cap, and poured it over the apricot tree. Because the tree was relatively small, he didn't even use up two buckets before the entire tree was drenched in kerosene.

"Crown Prince, it's all drenched."

Su Xiao'Er's original intention was to save some kerosene. The reserves at Prince Jing's Residence were limited. If they wasted too much now, what if his Crown Prince made a daily habit of burning trees in the future? What would they do if they ran out of kerosene? Su Xiao'Er felt that by considering these things for his Crown Prince, he was being a dedicated and responsible servant.

However, Su Han rolled his eyes. "Pour it all on. If we don't use three buckets, how can we burn away the anger in this Crown Prince's heart?"

He had always used three buckets of kerosene. Who knew if lighting up the Skill Tree had these Invisibility limits? He thought, "What if lighting up the Skill Tree requires exactly three buckets of kerosene? If I cut corners and use one less bucket, wouldn't I ruin a Skill Tree for nothing?"

His painstaking efforts ignored by his Crown Prince, Su Xiao'Er put on a bitter face, picked up the last bucket of kerosene, and dumped it all over the apricot tree at the Governor's Residence.

"Who goes there!" Just as Su Xiao'Er finished pouring the third bucket of kerosene, before he could jump down from the wall, an angry shout came from the distance. "What kind of scoundrel dares to cause trouble at the Governor's Residence!"

Hearing the voice, Su Xiao'Er subconsciously looked at his Crown Prince. Su Han waved his hand, signaling him not to worry.

Su Han turned to glance at Sister Qin, curled his lips, and then looked at Hua. "Hua, please take me up there."

Hua smiled. She walked over, scooped Su Han into her arms, tapped her toes lightly on the ground, and flew up onto the wall with him.

What? Are you asking why he needed someone to carry him up the wall if he had already achieved Foundation Establishment? Heh! Let me ask you: between expending the effort to jump onto a wall yourself, or being carried up by a lovely lady boasting twin Mount Everests on her chest, which would you choose?

Watching Hua carry Su Han onto the wall, Qin looked down at her own toes and puffed out her cheeks in anger.

She thought, "Hmph! So what if she's a little bigger than me? What's the big deal? I... I save fabric! Although... it doesn't seem like the Prince's Residence is lacking the little bit of fabric I save."

A trace of frustration appeared on her face. Hearing the Crown Prince calling her from above, Qin stomped her right foot hard on the ground.

THUD!

A large pit, over a meter in diameter and a full two meters deep, collapsed into the earth. Qin leaped tens of meters into the air before slowly descending, landing steadily beside her Crown Prince.

The guards of the Governor's Residence were absolutely astounded. They wondered where these thieves came from to be so audacious. Did they have any respect for the Governor's Residence at all? After being caught red-handed with malicious intentions, not only did they not flee, but they actually brought out a group of accomplices, jumping out one by one. Just how arrogant and defiant was this?

Even if they didn't take the Governor's Residence seriously... Prince Jing's Residence was right next door! They might not fear the Governor's Residence, but could they possibly not fear Prince Jing's Residence?

However, while the group of guards stood there dumbfounded in the wind, Su Han used his actions to show them what true arrogance was.

He took the flint handed over by Sister Qin. Although Sister Qin was a wealthy woman with a private runway of a chest, she was ultimately just a twenty-year-old girl; even the flint she brought with her carried a faint, sweet fragrance. Resisting the urge to take a deep sniff, Su Han bit off the cap of the flint and blew on it gently, causing a flame to flare up.

He raised his hand and tossed it lightly.

WHOOSH!

Flames instantly ignited on the apricot tree, engulfing it entirely in the blink of an eye.

"Go get your Governor. This Crown Prince demands an explanation from him.

"Otherwise... your entire Governor's Residence better prepare to endure this Crown Prince's wrath, just like this apricot tree!"

The guards were speechless.