"Mr. Gui, you look unwell. Is something wrong?" Prince Lu noticed Gui Junxi's complexion at once and could not help feeling surprised.
Gui Junxi forced a smile. Before he could answer, Steward Zhang rushed in and dropped to his knees. "Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"
"Zhou Liang suddenly disappeared, and no one could find him. We thought he had left the residence on some business, but a clerk from Shuntian Prefecture just secretly sent word."
"He said the wretch had lost his mind and gone to lodge a complaint in the middle of the night, accusing the Water Cloud Shrine of harboring filth and corruption!"
"What?" Prince Lu flew into a rage and rose to his feet. "It was Zhou Liang?"
"Has the wretch gone mad?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Zhou Liang beat the drum outside the Shuntian Prefecture Office to accuse the Water Cloud Shrine. He even falsely claimed that you wanted to kill him." Steward Zhang immediately knocked his forehead hard against the floor.
"Utter nonsense! When did I ever say I wanted to kill him?"
It was the first time anyone had tried to frame him like this, and the culprit was his own servant. Even Prince Lu's composure could not withstand it. Smoke practically poured from his seven orifices as he roared, "But now I really do want to kill him! Someone, seize him and bring him back for questioning! What foul liquor did the wretch drink to become so utterly deranged?"
"Take my calling card and have the wretch arrested!"
"You cannot, Your Highness! The clerk said that Chief Minister Zhao Xu was at Shuntian Prefecture at the time, as was Grand Secretary and Minister of War Cui Zhaoqian. More importantly, Southwest Governor-General Luo Pei and Prince Dai were both there."
"What? The wretch actually