Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Awkward Doppelganger

In the Liu residence, Zhao Chengming led Zhang Desen into a lounge not far from their own base. After the two of them were seated, tea was served, and Zhao Chengming had dismissed all irrelevant personnel, he immediately turned to Zhang Desen and said,

"Desen, during this recent household guard competition, the master received some information that might be related to your counterpart."

Zhang Desen was taken aback. "Is that so? News of my counterpart has surfaced so soon?"

"It's not just coincidence," Zhao Chengming replied. "Don't forget, I mentioned before that your name sounded familiar to us. Now, at the very least, I know where I heard it. We just haven't fully confirmed it yet."

Zhang Desen's interest was piqued. "So what does my counterpart do in this universe? What's he like?"

Zhao Chengming looked slightly embarrassed as he answered, and Zhang Desen, upon hearing the explanation, felt equally awkward.

It turned out that during the guard competition, someone had quietly informed Master Liu that the chief steward of the Prime Minister’s household, Li Longfang, was searching for someone. This triggered Master Liu’s memory of certain past events, leaving him deeply surprised. He called Zhao Chengming over, relayed the information, and instructed him to discuss it with Zhang Desen after the competition before coming together to see him.

The person Li Longfang was searching for was none other than the sole son of Prime Minister Zhang of the Grand Prosperity Kingdom, who was rumored to have been killed by enemies and fallen off a cliff over a year before. That son’s name was Zhang Desen—the very same name, which surprised Zhang Desen himself.

Upon hearing all this, Zhang Desen asked, "It sounds plausible, but surely a name alone isn’t enough to identify someone as my counterpart—ah, or rather, as my counterpart in this world."

Zhao Chengming responded, "Desen, the reason we think so isn’t only because of the name. That Zhang Desen is rather famous. Moreover, Li Longfang, the trusted aide sent by the Prime Minister, claimed that on a recent escort mission, he was ambushed by bandits. He was rescued by a masked hero in strange clothing. Though the hero’s face was covered, Li found the voice very familiar. Later, the masked hero introduced himself as Zhang Desen. Although it only dawned on him after the hero had left, isn’t that hero you, Brother Desen?"

Zhang Desen was startled again, but then remembered: before heading to the marketplace outside the city that day, he had indeed helped the Prime Minister’s guards, and their leader had even tried to recruit him. The leader’s name was Li Longfang, and after giving his name, Zhang Desen had continued on his way to the market.

Remembering these events, Zhang Desen began to suspect as well. He decided to confide everything to Zhao Chengming, holding nothing back, as he now felt Zhao Chengming was someone he could fully trust.

After hearing all that Zhang Desen recounted, Zhao Chengming was filled with emotion. The thought of losing a friend he considered a brother pained him, but if the Prime Minister came looking for his son, it could cause trouble and lead to losing Zhang Desen as a companion. Seeing the look on Zhao Chengming’s face, Zhang Desen said,

"Brother Chengming, don’t overthink it. No matter what happens, you will always be my brother. Besides, nothing has been conclusively proven yet."

Zhao Chengming replied, "Good, Brother Desen, your loyalty is admirable. But if this turns out to be true, how do you plan to face your wife in the future?"

Zhang Desen was bewildered. He pulled out a copy of his own personnel file from his original universe, stamped with the official seal of the Central Government of Huaxia, and handed it to Zhao Chengming.

"Wife? Look here—this is my official record. I’m a bona fide bachelor."

Zhao Chengming, after checking the file, barely suppressed a laugh. "Brother Desen, that’s not what I meant. You’re such a handsome man, yet in your original universe you were unmarried—that’s truly remarkable! If the Prime Minister’s son really is your counterpart in this world, it’s simply incredible."

"So is there something wrong with being the son of the Prime Minister?" Zhang Desen asked.

Zhao Chengming could hardly contain his laughter now, but he managed to restrain himself. "To be honest, Prime Minister Zhang is a diligent and just official, renowned for his integrity. But his one fatal flaw is his excessive indulgence of his only son. If the magistrate’s son is called the 'Flowering Scoundrel,' then the Prime Minister’s son is known as the 'Gallant of the Blossoms'..."

Hearing this, Zhang Desen nearly spat out his tea. "That can’t be! If he’s really my counterpart in this universe, this would be mortifying. Wait, and what’s this about a wife that you mentioned earlier? Don’t tell me..."

Zhao Chengming cut him off, "Brother Desen, don’t worry. Let me finish telling you about the Prime Minister’s son..."

He then gave Zhang Desen a full account of the Prime Minister’s only son in the Grand Prosperity Kingdom. The more Zhang Desen heard, the more incredulous and awkward he felt, but he forced himself to listen to the end.

Prime Minister Zhang, in his youth, was a man of great learning who rose to prominence on the strength of his scholarship. Through diligence and hard work, he eventually became Prime Minister, where he became the archenemy of Councilor Qian. Qian, for his part, owed his position to nothing but his skill at ball games, which had won the favor of Emperor Zhao Xinglong. But more on that rivalry later.

Prime Minister Zhang attained his position through merit, and was so committed to his duties that he didn’t have a son until he was in his forties—his only child. This mirrored the age at which Zhang Desen’s own father had him in his original universe, leaving Zhang Desen with mixed feelings.

Zhao Chengming went on to explain that after finally having a son at an advanced age, and especially after his wife’s death, Prime Minister Zhang doted on the boy without restraint, indulging his every whim. With no subsequent wife or concubines and no other children, all his affection was concentrated on his only son.

As a result, the Prime Minister’s son grew up to be arrogant and domineering, fearing only the imperial family and his own father, while looking down on everyone else. He was constantly at odds with Qian’s son, often clashing over various matters.

Unlike the notoriously unattractive Qian junior, the Prime Minister’s son was strikingly handsome. Yet his reputation as the "Gallant of the Blossoms" wasn’t due to harassing women in the streets, but because his looks were so captivating that he unwittingly drew the attention of many respectable young ladies, distracting them from other matters.

However, his private conduct was far from exemplary—he frequented brothels and gambling dens, wasting his potential and relying solely on his good looks. Consequently, families of status, especially those with daughters, took great care to keep their girls away from the "Gallant of the Blossoms," lest they fall for him and ruin their prospects. Thus, his notoriety only grew.

Hearing this, Zhang Desen felt somewhat relieved that this possible counterpart of his hadn’t degenerated into a true villain.

Then came the crucial part: Over a year prior, the Prime Minister’s son had been ambushed by enemies and pushed off a cliff while out on an excursion. The household guards failed to protect him, but one survivor recognized the leader of the attackers as none other than Qian junior, and reported this to the Prime Minister. Though lacking proof, the Prime Minister was consumed by grief and began plotting revenge, recruiting ever more talented guards to his service. When news of the masked hero surfaced, he naturally saw an opportunity.

After Li Longfang returned to the Prime Minister’s residence with news of the masked hero—possibly his master’s missing son, amnesiac but alive—the Prime Minister immediately ordered a search to uncover the truth.

Upon hearing all this, Zhang Desen asked, "Brother Chengming, be honest. Were you ever assigned to keep me away from certain people, to prevent any accidental meetings?"

Zhao Chengming replied, a little embarrassed, "I won’t hide it from you, Brother Desen. I did indeed do that. After all, while the Prime Minister’s son wasn’t as hated as Qian junior, his reputation as a heartbreaker made us fear he might ruin our young mistress’s life, which could spell disaster for the Liu family and cost us our home."

Zhang Desen stood up and paced back and forth several times before asking, "You haven’t told me yet about this wife business you mentioned. We seemed to have completely overlooked that. Can you explain now?"

Zhao Chengming slapped his forehead. "Sorry, Brother Desen, I’ll tell you right away."