Chapter 24: The Crown Prince naively believes the imperial treasury is still waiting for him to inherit

Although the Crown Prince heard about the secret vault hidden under the bed, he was of such high status that he would never lower himself to crawl under the bed. It would be beneath his dignity.

Another reason for his reluctance was that with his father dead, he, as the Crown Prince, would soon ascend to the throne. The entire empire would belong to him. Even if the vault was gone, the imperial treasury still held vast wealth and treasures.

When he regained his composure and heard the panicked words of the guards, his first reaction was disbelief. The eaves were so high, and the materials so tough—how could they have been torn off?

But the Empress believed it. Combining the two incidents, she was so furious that her chest heaved and she glared at the guards with nostrils flaring, “Were you all asleep? My palace has been emptied! Even the eaves have been torn down! Why did it take you so long to notice?”

The Crown Prince thought for a moment and then rushed outside in anger. “Who dares to be so bold! Mother, let the guards check under the bed. I’ll go see who’s responsible!”

He turned and walked briskly away.

The Empress, still trying to keep her composure, looked at his departing figure, then pointed at the guards and ordered urgently, “You! Quickly open the tunnel beneath the bed for me!”

This secret vault had to remain undiscovered by anyone, but now that the Emperor was dead, her son was about to take the throne. She was the most powerful figure in the palace! Who would dare to disrespect her now? Even the favored Imperial Consort was dead, leaving her as the biggest winner.

With this thought in mind, the Empress felt emboldened.

“Yes!” The guard was confused by the constant flow of shocking news. He stared at the bare palace, now missing everything except the large bed. After a long pause, he found his voice, wide-eyed, and cried out, “How… how is everything gone? I’ve been outside with everyone. No one came in! It’s impossible for everything to vanish without us noticing!”

The guard was panicking.

The Empress was fuming, her well-maintained face burning with rage. “Open the tunnel immediately! Later, I’ll deal with you incompetent fools!”

The guard scrambled to crawl under the bed and eventually located the tunnel entrance.

Outside the palace.

The Crown Prince arrived at the front gate and looked up at the palace roof. Under the moonlight, the eight iconic golden eaves were missing!

The gap was clearly the result of someone forcibly tearing them down. It looked ugly and nothing like the previous grandeur.

“Provocation! This is a direct challenge to me!” The Crown Prince kicked the doorframe in fury, pointing at the guards by the door, shouting, “You useless fools! How could so many things disappear and you not notice anything? What good are you?”

The guards quickly knelt, pleading for mercy, all equally baffled.

“Your Highness, please calm down! We truly didn’t see anyone come in! My eyes and those of everyone else can testify!”

“Yes, no one saw anything.”

“This much stuff moving in and out, there’s no way it could have disappeared without us noticing!”

“I swear, there’s not a word of lie in this!”

“Please, Your Highness, give us a hundred chances, we wouldn’t dare!”

The Crown Prince found it strange too. Indeed, these guards would never dare to lose so many things inside the palace.

He returned to the palace to search for clues.

When he entered, he saw the Empress sitting on the floor, losing all dignity.

He quickly walked over and helped her up, his voice gentle as he reassured her, “Mother, why are you sitting on the floor? I will investigate this matter thoroughly, please don’t worry.”

“Everything under the bed is gone, sob sob sob…” The Empress cried bitterly, even more so than when the Emperor died. This was true heartbreak, her face covered in tears.

The Crown Prince’s face grew even darker. If he ever found this thief, he would make them pay with their life!

“Mother, now is not the time for such sorrow. The most important thing is handling Father’s funeral.”

The Empress understood the implication, that securing the throne was the priority. But her frustration still burned inside her, ready to explode.

Her thousands of gold coins and the deeds to many shops in the imperial city!

She sniffled, unable to hold back her bitterness. As long as the thief was still free, she would never find peace. Wiping her face with a handkerchief, she said, “Mother will go to another side palace to rest. Tomorrow, we will find someone to reorganize things. Also, this matter must not get out, it could affect your future.”

She feared that someone would use this incident against her.

But with the Third Prince lurking, how could he let this opportunity slip by?