Charles Carter furrowed his brows and paced back and forth, pondering for a moment: "As an official, one cannot be concerned with short-term gains and losses. If I report the truth as a father, at most Edward Clark will be grounded for a few days, but we’ll become enemies... Edward Clark is the only son of the Prince Su, and will surely inherit the throne in the future. With even a sliver of a bond, it will be useful someday..."

"Father, what do you mean?"

"Hmm... Just say that the case of Fumanlou selling illegal salt was a tip-off provided by Heir Clark, who happened to stumble upon it while strolling around. He didn’t intend to get involved, but the Wolf Guards were being hindered in their duties and had no choice but to step in and help them out..."

"Ah?! But if we do that, all the credit for cracking the illegal salt case will go to Edward Clark. What if Edward Clark doesn’t admit it..."

Charles Carter frowned, looking exasperated:

"A good deed that brings fame throughout Chang’an—of course Heir Clark won’t admit it. That’s called humility. He’ll remember his father’s kindness in his heart...

...To be an official in the capital, you have to be perceptive..."

And so...

Chapter Five: Shocking! The Heir Apparent Actually...

Shocking! The Prince Su’s heir, Edward Clark, actually solved a major illegal salt case with a wave of his hand!

Men are silent, women weep! What has become of Chang’an? The Ministry of Justice’s cases now require the personal intervention of a prince’s heir!

Screams rang out from the brothels in the middle of the night! Turns out it was Heir Clark cracking down on crime!

...

The next morning, words of praise spread like wildfire from the brothels and taverns of Daye Ward.

The murder that happened in the backstreets last night spread rapidly, and with some careful guidance from those with an agenda, the focus shifted to the fact that the Imperial Guards had a bad apple and that the Prince Su’s heir had spoken up for justice. At the same time, the heat around the illegal salt case was conveniently diluted—a triple win.

Edward Clark had just gotten up when he heard the guards’ report, his eyes full of confusion.

Yesterday, he was still unknown, wondering how he’d swagger his way through the Guozijian today when questioned by the teachers.

And now, after a night’s sleep, he wakes up to find himself being called ‘Chang’an’s Justice Clark, impartial and discerning’?

He’s the heir of a prince whose father’s achievements overshadow the emperor’s, coming to the capital to enforce the law impartially—does that mean the current emperor is blind, and the affairs at his feet still need Prince Su to handle?

Even if he were to handle it, it should be done openly! What’s the point of secretly instructing the Wolf Guards to investigate from behind the scenes? Is it because he thinks showing up in person would make the emperor wary, so he deliberately operates in the shadows, not seeking fame, only wanting to give the people of Chang’an a clear sky?

Only eighteen, yet with such depth and cunning, truly...

Truly, it’s as if he’s not dying fast enough!

A nameless anger welled up in Edward Clark’s heart. He strode out of the inner residence and ran right into Old Smith, who had just rushed back. He said in a deep voice, "Old Smith, did you take a bribe or fall for a beauty trap? What kind of nonsense message did you spread?"

Old Smith’s servant cap was askew, leaning on his cane with a look of helplessness: "Young Prince, you really can’t blame me for this. Last night, I sent people out to spread the word, but before the storytellers could even get their scripts straight, the rumors were already flying through the brothels and taverns. Things moved so fast, it must have been the authorities fanning the flames behind the scenes—there’s no way to suppress it."

Edward Clark rubbed his forehead, thinking for a moment: "Forget it, just ignore it. As long as I don’t admit it, they can’t pin this good reputation on me. Who’s behind all this flattery?"

Old Smith thought for a moment, then said with some emotion, "It’s probably Charles Carter and his son, repaying past grievances with virtue. Their sincerity is truly touching."

Edward Clark was momentarily stunned, then gritted his teeth: "I really am touched!"

Public opinion had already formed. He couldn’t very well run out and explain, "I didn’t punish evil and promote good, I was just bullying people with my power." Even a fool wouldn’t do that. For now, he could only set it aside and deal with it later, heading out to the Guozijian.

Old Smith followed behind and said, "By the way, Mrs. Brooks has already heard the news and wants you to go see her."

If Mrs. Brooks was calling Edward Clark over, it was definitely to ask why Edward Clark, who was supposed to be playing the part of a playboy, was now acting like the sharp-eyed Justice Clark.

The key point was, the tip about the illegal salt really was deliberately leaked by Old Smith to win over Martha Foster. Mrs. Brooks forbade Edward Clark from acting on his own, so if he went, he’d definitely be lectured for at least two days before being allowed to leave.

Edward Clark thought for a moment, then could only raise his hand and say, "Explain to Aunt Brooks for me—just say I really was drunk last night when I killed that man, and with the monthly exams coming up, I’m busy with my studies. I’ll visit her in a few days."

Old Smith accepted the order and left.

------

Dong——

Dong——

The deep sound of the bell spread out as the morning light rose in the east. Majestic Chang’an unfurled like a scroll in the cold wind, its tall buildings standing in rows, dreamlike and surreal.

The steed stopped in front of the dismounting stele at the Guozijian. Edward Clark dismounted and walked toward the main gate on foot.

Passing through corridors and buildings, the Guozijian was filled with towering structures, but the sound of reading was sparse.

Princes, nobles, aristocrats, and the children of generals and ministers all studied at the Guozijian, their backgrounds deeply intertwined. Edward Clark didn’t want to get too involved with them, so he’d spent most of the year keeping to himself and drawing a clear line between himself and the others.

The students at the Guozijian had naturally heard about what happened in Daye Ward. When they saw Edward Clark approaching, many of the scholars on the bluestone avenue looked at him with admiration and greeted him politely:

"Heir Clark truly is the son of a general—someone needs to put those arrogant Imperial Guards in their place..."

"Upright and impartial, enforcing the law fairly—truly a model for us all..."

"Yes, yes..."