Prince Jing's Mansion
Song Zhen waited for an hour before the message from the palace arrived. The letter contained only one word: Kill!
My hand holding the paper trembled slightly.
His brows furrowed deeply, and after a long while he sighed. He found his younger sister even more unfathomable. Chu Tianqi and Zhang Shen were the two people she had gone to great lengths to find.
Both men, one a scholar and the other a warrior, were unparalleled geniuses.
Just like that, you killed him?
"Husband." Jiang Ying saw Song Zhen standing by the window in a daze, so she took a cloak and walked over. Seeing his worried expression, she asked, "What are you thinking about, husband?"
After thinking for a moment, Song Zhen recounted the whole story: "If these two can be employed by the court, they will surely have a bright future."
He cherished talent and felt it would be a pity if he died.
Jiang Ying saw the large character for "kill" on the paper, its strokes vigorous and powerful, seemingly piercing through the paper, showing how angry Song Yue was when she wrote it.
“They can’t distinguish right from wrong. Even if they become officials in the future, they may not necessarily serve the people,” Jiang Ying said.
After this explanation, Song Zhen suddenly understood and shrugged: "That makes sense."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the servant hurriedly knocked on the door.
"Your Highness, Chu Tianqi has been kidnapped."
Song Zhen's expression changed slightly: "What's going on?"
"Your Highness, a group of unknown people suddenly rushed towards the villa in the evening. Zhang Shen was too badly injured to be taken away, but they took advantage of the chaos to snatch Chu Tianqi."
Song Zhen clutched the paper tightly, then turned to Jiang Ying and said, "You rest, I'm going out for a bit."
"Your Highness, please be careful."
"Um."
...
Eighth Prince's Mansion
Zhao Zhiyan removed the veil from his face, revealing a handsome face. Chu Tianqi recognized him at a glance: "Eighth Prince!"
"Um."
Chu Tianqi was somewhat emotional: "Thank you so much, Eighth Prince, for saving my life. I have no way to repay you, but I will repay you by serving you like a cow or a horse in my next life."
"Why bother with the next life? Young Master Chu has studied diligently for over a decade, and with the imperial examination just around the corner, he is sure to pass with his talent."
The mention of the imperial examinations filled Chu Tianqi with rage. He was the most promising candidate to win the top prize, but somehow he got into trouble with the authorities and was taken away and locked up in a small courtyard, where only water was delivered to him every day.
He held up the scars on his left and right hands and said angrily, "These two hands are now useless and I can't hold a pen anymore."
Zhao Zhiyan frowned and immediately ordered someone to fetch a doctor. After the doctor's diagnosis, it was confirmed that Chu Tianqi's tendons in both hands had been severed, making it difficult for him to even hold chopsticks.
This is a fatal blow to a scholar.
Zhao Zhiyan felt a surge of anger; the person he had gone to so much trouble to snatch turned out to be a cripple!
"Young Master Chu is a man of great talent and well-versed in literature. Even if he cannot participate in the imperial examinations, he will still achieve great things." Xu Lingqing's voice came from not far away, with a faint smile on her face: "Would Young Master Chu be willing to become the Eighth Prince's advisor?"
Chu Tianqi was stunned, so excited he could barely speak, and nodded repeatedly: "As long as the Eighth Prince doesn't mind, I'm willing to serve."
At Xu Lingqing's prompting, Zhao Zhiyan gently patted Chu Tianqi's shoulder: "From today onwards, you are a distinguished guest of the Eighth Prince's Mansion. Please stay here for now."
"yes!"
After settling Chu Tianqi in, Zhao Zhiyan looked at Xu Lingqing and said, "He will never become the top scholar in the imperial examinations in his lifetime."
“Young Master Chu is exceptionally intelligent. Even if he can’t become the top scholar, at least he’s still smart. There are so many famous doctors in the world. Let’s find a way to treat him. Your Highness is offering help in his time of need. Young Master Chu will definitely be devoted to Your Highness.” Xu Lingqing said with a look of regret on her face: “It’s a pity that Zhang Shen couldn’t be saved.”
Zhang Shen possesses immense strength. In his previous life, Zhang Shen would follow Zhao Zhiyan a few years later and become one of Zhao Zhiyan's fierce generals.
Many years after her death, her soul wandered for sixty years.
Having witnessed Zhao Zhiyan's entire reign, Xu Lingqing was not reincarnated until after his death.
Therefore, she firmly believed that she would definitely help Zhao Zhiyan turn the tide and regain the throne in this lifetime.
Zhao Zhiyan remained silent.
Zhang Shen was different from Chu Tianqi; his limbs were chained together, and anyone skilled in martial arts would know that even if he were rescued, he would be rendered useless.
In contrast to the seemingly unharmed Chu Tianqi, he only took Chu Tianqi with him.
Who would have thought that Chu Tianqi's hands would also be crippled?
“These two haven’t even participated in the imperial examinations for the top civil and military scholars yet, and they’re already being targeted.” Zhao Zhiyan stared coldly at Xu Lingqing. “This has happened more than once in a while. The Shangguan family and the Yun family have both severed ties with the Eighth Prince’s Mansion.”
Xu Lingqing immediately guessed that Song Yue was the one causing trouble behind the scenes.
She took a step forward and hugged Zhao Zhiyan's waist, resting her head on his chest: "Your Highness, don't worry, I have a way."
Hearing her confident tone, Zhao Zhiyan took a deep breath, his tone softening considerably, and raised his hand to embrace Xu Lingqing.
“Your Highness, the throne is yours, and no one can take it away from you,” Xu Lingqing said earnestly.
Zhao Zhiyan nodded.
It's unpleasant to be looked down upon. He was a prince since childhood and was favored by the Emperor Taizu. His life was smooth sailing, but everything changed after he met Song Yue.
“Since the Shangguan and Yun families can no longer serve you, there is no need to keep them. Your Highness, we cannot be soft-hearted now.”
Zhao Zhiyan's brows were filled with coldness.
"Eighth Prince, the Prince of Zhennan and the Prince of Qing have arrived," the guard said.
Upon hearing this, Xu Lingqing distanced herself; "These two must have come for Pei Zhao and Zhao Qingyan."
Zhao Qingyan has been detained in Yikun Palace for several days. It is said that she has been copying scriptures every day and is being tortured. Pei Zhao was beaten with thirty sticks on the day of the hunt and has been kneeling in front of the Xu family's mourning hall ever since. These two must not be able to endure it anymore.
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