"The Princess and Prince Xuan are still in the quarantine zone. How can you burn down the quarantine zone?" Lan Fan asked.
Chu Minghao, however, looked disdainful. "If they don't come out, it means they have already contracted the plague. Since they are infected, they must be burned too."
"You dare to kill the Princess?" Lan Fan narrowed his eyes.
"Heh, sir, this young prince is not killing the Princess. It's just that the Princess has already contracted the plague and died. This young prince doesn't want those villagers to defile the Princess's remains."
Chu Minghao had already made all the arrangements, and even the guards were secretly preparing firewood and water.
Lan Fan glanced at him, still looking thoughtful.
"What is Mr. Lan thinking about?" Chu Minghao originally thought his plan was flawless.
But under his gaze, he inexplicably felt a sense of unease.
"Does Mr. Lan not agree?"
"The villagers will remember that Princess Nanming entered the quarantine zone to treat the sick, but in the end, she died in the fire along with the patients."
"What do you mean by that, sir?" Chu Minghao frowned.
Lan Fan looked at him again, this look carrying a hint of complexity.
"Sir..."
"The Princess sacrificed her life to accompany the patients, yet the young prince is burning the patients along with the Princess. Regardless of whether the Princess was infected with the plague, how many of the villagers' gossips in Xinhua Village can the young prince withstand?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Minghao immediately smiled with relief. "So that's what sir is worried about."
"Heh." He then laughed heartily, his smile gradually fading. He lowered his voice, "If it truly comes to the point of burning Chu Qianli, do you think this young prince will spare the lives of these villagers in Xinhua Village?"
Lan Fan's expression immediately darkened. "Is Your Highness planning to kill all the villagers?"
"Hush, Mr. Lan, you mustn't speak such words."
Chu Minghao placed his index finger to his lips, making a silencing gesture.
His voice became even lower. "This is a last resort. As you said, sir, with so many gossips in Xinhua Village, this young prince naturally cannot withstand them all."
"Only the dead can keep secrets."
"Massacring a village, do you know how serious the consequences are?" Lan Fan, although greedy and not kind, had never considered massacring a village.
Moreover, he had just performed a ritual to bless the people of Xinhua Village. Now, to massacre them would make his blessing a joke!
"Your Highness has never discussed this matter with me!" Lan Fan was somewhat displeased.
"This young prince was worried that the Imperial Tutor had overexerted himself today and did not want to add to his troubles."
Chu Minghao could only lie on his side, the pain in his backside constantly reminding him of the humiliation Chu Qianli had inflicted upon him!
Lan Fan could actually see that this time, he intended to take personal revenge?
Chu Minghao hated Chu Qianli to death, and this action was more motivated by revenge.
Lan Fan pursed his lips and asked expressionlessly, "Burning down the entire village will surely result in countless innocent civilians being burned to death by you. If this news gets out, it will have a negative impact on you."
He paused, then asked, "Aren't you afraid of losing the people's support?"
"What is this mere so-called popular support compared to our grand plan?"
Chu Minghao clenched his fist, his eyes filled with resentment.
"When we return to the court, we will push all the blame onto that slut Chu Qianli. With the Emperor having lost his only bloodline, how can he still contend with my father, the King!"