Chapter 1339: Making Things Worse (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

The scholar in the blue robe had a very interesting expression.

"...The harm should not be borne by the children. No matter how much these people hate the Lord, they should not treat His Highness like this." Ordinary male heirs don't usually have so many demons and monsters around them! Due to their negligence, hasn't His Highness been besieged on all sides and suffered many schemes in the past two years?

It's also their fault for being so careless, subconsciously assuming that such dirty tricks wouldn't be used by the Crown Princess—after all, which princess in the past would face these problems? They forgot that this princess is no ordinary princess; she can rightfully inherit the power from Zhai Le. This power is like a piece of bloody meat, constantly attracting insatiable flies!

Yu Hai: "Now that things have come to this, we can only try to salvage the situation."

The scholar in the blue robe sighed in agreement, but was more concerned about the condition of those involved: "How is Your Highness now?"

Honestly, if I were that age and experienced such a blow, I wouldn't be able to accept reality so quickly. It doesn't matter how many people the Lord kills to vent his anger; what matters is that this matter cannot affect His Highness! Yu Hai's expression darkened, and he shook his head at him.

It was obvious that the Crown Princess was not in good condition.

"...Has the Lord punished His Highness?"

"No, not at all." Zhai Le's attitude towards his daughter was extremely indulgent. At the beginning of the confrontation between father and daughter, when the Crown Princess tried to stop him from killing, he couldn't bear to kill her directly. Instead, he took a step back and imprisoned her, promising not to take her life. The subsequent torture and interrogation were also carried out secretly behind the Crown Princess's back. When everything came to light, Zhai Le was busy with the killing and his own remorse.

"...Then what about Your Highness?"

How can one feel good about being betrayed and schemed against by someone they trust?

Even adults can't accept this, let alone a child.

Before Zhai Le told her the cruel truth, she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for two days and two nights, locking herself in the hall and refusing to come out to see anyone. Based on Yu Hai's understanding of his students, he guessed that part of the reason was also because she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Zuo Chunfang was in charge of compiling and editing the records of the Crown Princess's residence; in short, he was her confidant. This confidant was not only a political confidant but also someone she trusted personally, so his betrayal would be a catastrophe for her. The outside world would question her judgment, and given the salacious element involved, one can only imagine how harsh the private gossip would be.

This was more painful than death for her, who had grown up surrounded by praise and affirmation, so she didn't want to see anyone.

Oh no, it's not like we haven't seen a single person.

When Zhai Le revealed the whole truth behind the screen, the Crown Princess, like a lost soul, took her sword and went to the dungeon. Before hearing the truth, she even clung to a sliver of hope—that the so-called truth was just an excuse for her father to kill "her".

Zhai Le firmly disagreed with his daughter meeting the other party.

Who knows what provocative words this despicable person might say! He knows all too well how easily a young person with an unsettled mind can be influenced by external factors! What if it leaves a lifelong psychological scar? What if it causes a drastic change in personality? What if it leads to deeper manipulation?

Father, let me go see her.

Yu Hai helped her drag Zhai Le, who was blocking the way, away.

In the dark dungeon, the haggard young woman calmly watched the female official change into clean prison clothes. Zhai Le, standing a distance away, was so nervous he dared not breathe. After a long while, he heard their calm conversation, a question and an answer: "...I want to know, do you have any true feelings for me?"

[Does Your Highness know how I escaped that calamity back then?] The female official answered irrelevantly, her voice strange, as if she had stuffed small stones into her throat. [It was a loyal servant who, in a moment of crisis, made me switch identities with a eunuch who was about to enter the palace. From then on, my body was crippled, neither male nor female... You were very young then, you probably don't remember anything, and you don't know that I was once praised for my youthful talent...]

That happened many years ago.

Earlier, he had accompanied his father to a palace banquet. At that time, the ruler was not Zhai Le, but Zhai Huan, who looked thin and frail but possessed a unique spirit. He and several young men of similar age performed a sword dance to celebrate the birthday, and the children of officials who attended the banquet all received rewards and honors.

As he grew older, he also attracted the secret admiration of noble ladies.

Even if his future isn't glamorous, it will still be the envy of countless people.

Everything is ruined!

The entire family perished.

He could only eke out a living with his disabled body.

[Your Highness, how can I stop hating you? How low must I stoop to love you? With a father whose hands are stained with blood, how can you so easily and naively assume that those around you should reciprocate with their true feelings?]

The female official calmly finished saying these hurtful words.

"There is no sincerity without a reason, nor is there hatred without a reason; everything has a source." The lady-in-waiting said calmly, "Does Your Highness still remember when you asked me why my hands and feet were always cold and why I was always so listless? Now you know, don't you?"

So there was no sincerity from the beginning? And no loyalty either?

The female official remained silent for a long time, then looked up at her eyes, which seemed to glisten with tears: "Yes! It's not just me; everyone surrounding Your Highness has their own agenda! They vie for your trust and favor, are they only after your sincerity? Sincerity is never the most important thing. Self-interest is paramount! I'm after your father, Zhai Xiaofang; they're after the power you hold. Without these, Your Highness is worthless! Only what you can see with your own eyes, grasp with your own hands, and truly feel is worth a thousand pieces of gold!"

Zhai Le gradually calmed down from his initial worry.

He knew, and the lady-in-waiting knew, what was about to happen.

Zhai Le dragged Yu Hai out of the dungeon.

A short while later, the girl walked out, looking lost and disoriented.

Carrying a bloodied human head in her left hand and a blood-stained sword in her right, she slowly walked past the two men. Before Zhai Le could speak, she finally came to her senses, her lips pale, and pleaded softly, "Father, give me some time to calm down."

Zhai Le said with heartache, "As your father, I will seek justice for you!"

The vicious dog kept near the dungeon smelled the blood and barked wildly at the head, tightening the leash around its neck.

The girl lifted that head that was no longer clean and gentle.

After a few moments of silence, he tossed the head through the air in a perfect arc, only to have it snatched up by the gaping maw of the vicious dog before it even hit the ground. Yu Hai felt a pang of heartache watching this scene, guessing at the student's current mental state: [Keep a few.]

Upon hearing of this outcome, the scholar in the blue robe sighed with regret but also breathed a sigh of relief: "What did His Highness mean by 'leaving a few'?"

Yu Hai said, "Leave a few for her to kill."

Scholar in blue robes: "..."

To be honest, when he first saw His Highness, he thought he had finally met a martial artist with excellent mental and physical health. He never expected that he would still be forced onto a path of no return.

“...Those despicable people truly deserve to die!” The scholar in the blue robe then asked what would happen to the people of the Crown Princess’s residence. This matter involved both the previous dynasty and the outside world, and the vast Crown Princess’s residence was a key place to be purged. It was unknown how many people were implicated.

These are all people whom the Lord has promoted with countless efforts.

With such a big problem, can it still be used?

I feel uncomfortable using it.

If we don't continue using them, they'll become a hidden danger; but killing them all would be a waste.

Even as an observer, he felt disgusted listening to it, let alone his lord, who was directly involved. Yu Hai said, "Her Highness said she had recovered and handled it herself, so the lord let her be. A warrior is like a sword, and a sword cannot be sharp without a whetstone."

"Well, that's all we can do."

It's better to be driven to madness than to become despondent and never recover.

If this matter isn't handled properly, the subsequent troubles will be more numerous than hairs on a head. Once this storm passes, even a fool could guess that the officials would likely propose deposing the crown princess. So what if the crown princess is no longer suitable? Doesn't Zhai Le have another son?

The scholar in the blue robe put the annoying question out of his mind: "By the way, who drugged His Highness? Did the imperial physician say anything after examining him?"

He paused for a moment as he spoke, clearly thinking of Lin Feng.

This matter is also inextricably linked to Lin Feng.

"...It wasn't some kind of poisonous substance that harms the body. The imperial physician examined it and said it was just something to invigorate blood and replenish qi. It's just that the medicine is very potent, and Your Highness is a young martial artist with vigorous qi and blood, which is why you couldn't control it... I don't know how you were affected." The female official confessed to everything except this one thing, and he truly had no motive for the crime. He didn't want the truth to come out too soon, more than anyone else.

He was very careful and dared not be discovered.

If it could be delayed until the Crown Princess comes of age before being revealed, by which time His Highness's mind will be settled, and by inciting the father and daughter to become estranged, then Zhai Le's heir would truly be ruined, and that would be satisfying! This time, I don't know what happened, but the usual casual intimacy didn't work at all, and even added fuel to the fire, which is why the Queen's maid discovered the truth.

The scholar in the blue robe said with certainty, "Lin Lingde did it."

Yu Hai: "...Unexpected, yet reasonable."

I don't want to say anything more.

The royal court was in constant turmoil, and Yu Haiguang had a headache just thinking about it. How could he care about Lin Feng, who had already fled? Since they hadn't completely broken ties, the two families tacitly agreed to pretend nothing had happened—Shen Tang still needed Qu Guo to draw fire and buy some breathing space.

There's no need to break ties if there's still room for mutual benefit.

Speaking of drugging—

Yu Hai felt that Lin Feng wasn't so upright and reliable after all.

"Send people to investigate the arable land and that batch of grain," Yu Hai emphasized through gritted teeth, "Search every inch of the land!"

Actually, it's not a big problem.

Gu worms are, in essence, a type of living organism.

Living things cannot live without a supply; without a supply, they will starve.

So many days have passed since the incident, what incriminating evidence could there possibly be left?

While Zhai Le and the others were still reeling from the unexpected turmoil, Lin Feng's life wasn't exactly going well either. This story begins yesterday, when Lin Feng and his group held a meeting on the spot.

The meeting was about preparing a big surprise for Mama.

The above content comes from the mouth of Gong Xiqiu.

"...Shanyong County hasn't been taken yet? This isn't like Mama's usual efficiency! Could it be because of her incarnation that she's incapable?" Gong Xichou, bored, flew up into the sky to take over the scout's job and hurriedly inquired about the ownership of Shanyong County. He found that although the city walls on the ground were dilapidated, the flags on the city walls had not been changed, which meant that it had not been captured by Shen Tang. This was strange.

Lin Feng said, "Perhaps there is a formidable enemy?"

“What formidable enemies could there be in such a tiny place?” Gong Xichou said. “I just did a rough survey, and the strongest martial artist is only an eleventh-rank right-hand warrior! A martial artist of that level could have been punched and kicked a whole bunch of times by the age of twelve.”

Even though the eleventh-rank right wing, as the defending side, had the advantage of high walls and thick fortifications, it still struggled against the overwhelming force.

If you can't take it in one attack, attack it twice.

If it doesn't work twice, try three times. Once the city walls are demolished, it will be much easier to attack.

Lin Feng also couldn't figure out the details.

Luo Sha and his men also brought back some news.

The city had been suffering from food shortages for some time, and morale was low. Two or three ragged, emaciated older deserters were caught on the road, which showed the extent of the city's morale collapse.

To put it bluntly, this city is made of paper now.

You could probably poke it with your finger and it would break, right?

Gong Xichou thought that since he couldn't find Mama's main force for the time being, he might as well smash down the city wall that Sugeng County had finally managed to repair before taking over this territory.

Wouldn't it be a pleasant surprise to see Mama come over?

Lin Feng hesitated: "...But we are few in number."

"The quality of an army is more important than its quantity, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Gong Xichou possesses extensive experience in siege warfare and breaching walls; he's a professional at fighting generals and slaying enemies! This mission to the Qu Kingdom has also left him incredibly frustrated, his bones stiff from being out in the sun every day. This move will not only intercept Mama's pie, but also provide Mama with a surprise, and allow him to finally vent his pent-up frustration...

This achieves multiple goals at once, isn't that wonderful?

Luo Sha was also somewhat tempted: "A surprise attack by elite troops?"

With him and Gong Xichou as a team, plus a few scholars to assist them, wouldn't bombing several city walls be a piece of cake? In his view, it was just military merit lying on the ground, something he could easily pick up by bending down and reaching out.

Lin Feng still wanted to struggle a bit more.

Gong Xiqiu slapped her down as she tried to get up: "I listened to you last time, shouldn't you listen to me this time? It's settled then! If you don't agree, I'll do it myself! Don't worry, the military merits will still be shared with you."

Lin Feng could hear the seriousness in his words.

Given Gongxi Chou's capricious and willful nature, even if Lin Feng disagreed, it wouldn't stop him from taking action. In this regard, aside from the Lord and the High Priest being able to absolutely suppress him, everything else depends on his mood.

"Alright then..."

Lin Feng couldn't just sit idly by.

Gong Xichou instantly broke into a wide smile.

He forced a fist bump with Luo Sha to celebrate their victory.

Gong Xichou shook his head and talked about his wishful thinking, saying in a serious tone: "...I've thought it through. When I get back, I'll plant the Shen family flag on the city wall and open the city gates wide. She'll definitely wonder why the city's owner has changed and suspect that this is an empty city ploy."

It's quite interesting to watch Mama being so suspicious.

Lin Feng: "..."

Of all the officials, only Gongxi Chou dared to deliberately mock the emperor.

One can easily imagine the scene when this reaches the High Priest's ears, and Gongxi Chou being beaten into a pulp. Hopefully, even with bumps all over his head from the wooden staff, he'll maintain his optimism and refuse to beg for mercy.

Luo Sha grew up on a secluded island, so the hierarchy between ruler and subject wasn't very clear in his mind, and he didn't see anything wrong with Gong Xi Chou's actions. He only had one concept in his mind—anything that could earn him military merit was something he could do.

and--

He and Gongxi Chou were both Grand Masters of the Eighteenth Rank!

How could this configuration cause a ship to capsize?

Haha, just kidding!

(〒︿〒)

It's raining again.

Every time it rains, inconsiderate dog owners in our community take their dogs to the underground parking garage for a walk, leaving dog poop and pee everywhere. The lighting is dim, making it easy to step in. We've complained to the property management and asked dog owners in the group chat to take the poop with them when they walk their dogs, but nothing has worked…

They have no basic manners, what kind of chicken are they raising? They have no sense of responsibility whatsoever.

P.S.: One homeowner threatened in the group chat that if the dog continued to behave so rudely, they would have to watch out. Several dog owners immediately jumped in and started swearing, but they just wouldn't change. I'm speechless.