Chapter 48 seems to be entwined with threads of affection...
Ji Chengnin's eyes lit up. "Your Highness has indeed thought of everything."
Before Zhou Zhuo could even laugh, Ji Chengnin's face suddenly darkened. "Zhang Yuhuai's father is, after all, a member of the Hanlin Academy, a family of upright officials. If I offend the civil officials and the court because of this, I'm afraid I won't have a place to stand."
Pretending!
Zhou Zhu cursed inwardly.
The young marquis usually treats impeachment memorials as toilet paper, but now he's worried about his reputation among civil officials.
It was nothing more than a dark glint in Zhou Zhuo's eyes—inflating the price.
“He’s just a fourth-rank official,” he said gently. “Don’t worry, young marquis, the Censorate will not let a word of it get out of the way.”
Ji Chengnin looked at him with a half-smile.
Zhou Zhuo's words were not honest at all.
Since the Hanlin Academy began selecting officials based on their essays, it has been hailed as the place where future prime ministers are born. In the past thirty years of the two dynasties, it has produced seventeen prime ministers, only four of whom did not come from the Hanlin Academy. Although the officials of the Hanlin Academy did not hold high positions, they were extremely distinguished and respected by the court officials, especially civil officials.
Zhou Zhuo paused for a few seconds, then said, "I've heard that the young marquis is very fond of Young Master Qian from Mingyue Pavilion. If the young marquis doesn't mind, I..."
Ji Chengnin said decisively, "No need."
Zhou Zhuo's gaze held a deeper meaning, as if lamenting the young marquis's heartlessness, casually discarding his former love.
Ji Chengning paused, but then felt there was no need to explain to Zhou Zhuo, and simply said, "Ten thousand taels of silver, Your Highness's gift is too generous. I cannot accept such a gift without having done anything right."
Zhou Zhu sneered inwardly.
Ji Chengnin wasn't afraid to accept it, but rather he felt that the benefits offered were too small and insignificant.
Zhou Zhuo suddenly lowered his voice, "My words were frivolous and I offended the young marquis." After a few moments of silence, he said, "There is a vacancy for the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Although the official rank is not high, it is a very lucrative position. The annual tax revenue of the entire country will be handled by him. If the young marquis is interested, I am willing to recommend him."
Zhou Zhuo's meaning couldn't be clearer.
In exchange for resolving the matter, he was willing to offer Ji Chengning a powerful official position.
Whether Ji Chengnin uses it to win people's hearts or to cultivate his own confidants, it's up to him.
Ji Chengning stared at Zhou Zhuo for a few seconds.
His eyes were dark and deep, and when he wasn't smiling, they inexplicably gave off a fierce and menacing aura.
Zhou Zhuo's lustful thoughts vanished instantly. He couldn't help but touch his neck. "What's wrong, Cheng Ning?"
Ji Chengnin chuckled.
The atmosphere instantly changed and the ice melted away.
Ji Chengning raised his hand and patted Zhou Zhuo's shoulder. "Your Highness is so kind. If I were to refuse, I would be ungrateful." He smiled, revealing a glimpse of white teeth between his moist, crimson lips. "Your Highness, rest assured, I will handle this matter perfectly."
Zhou Zhuo was caught off guard and was patted on the shoulder by Ji Chengning.
He deserves to feel offended.
However, the fragrance emanating from the young marquis's sleeves wafted over with his movements, both melancholic and luxurious.
unattainable.
Just like Ji Chengning.
Zhou Zhuo pressed Ji Chengning's hand and said with a smile, "I'll wait for good news."
The only drawback is that, despite his handsome appearance, the young marquis's hands are very hard, undoubtedly those of a man.
Zhou Zhuo was slightly disappointed, and glanced at Ji Chengnin's face again, "Young Marquis is busy with official duties, so I won't bother you any longer."
Ji Chengnin casually brushed his hand away, "I'll see Your Highness off."
Too arrogant and rude.
He was the one who reached out his hand first, yet he was also the one who slapped his own hand away without hesitation.
With his long eyebrows slightly raised, he exuded arrogance and disdain, displaying a haughty demeanor that seemed to disregard everything in the world.
But inexplicably...
Zhou Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed. "Okay."
Just as Ji Chengning saw Zhou Zhuo off and headed towards his study, he heard someone shout behind him, "Sir, the prisoner has been brought back."
“If you come back, then come back…” Ji Chengnin paused in his speech.
Wait, bring it back?
A bad premonition rose in Ji Chengning's heart. He suddenly turned around and saw four guards each carrying a support on one side. In the middle, a person was curled up, barely breathing, covered in blood, which stained the snow-white linen with a mixture of black and red.
Ji Chengnin strode forward.
A strong, pungent smell of blood filled the air.
Even Ji Chengnin, who was arrogant and carefree, was taken aback by the scene before him.
The person on the support was barely human anymore; they looked like a fish with its scales scraped off, with not a single piece of good flesh on their body, especially around their wrists and ankles, where the wounds were gruesomely exposed, clearly indicating that their tendons had been severed.
Only the slight rise and fall of his chest indicated that this person was still alive.
Ji Chengning had considered that the Dali Temple would interrogate Zhang Yuhuai and that he might be injured, but his father was an official and he himself had a degree. According to the law, torture was not allowed before a conviction was reached.
But he never imagined that the Dali Temple would dare to beat someone like this.
But he dared not let Zhang Yuhuai die, so when Ji Chengning sent someone to pick him up, he couldn't wait to pass this hot potato, which was only half alive, to Qing Lüwei.
The best outcome would be for Zhang Yuhuai to die shortly after arriving at Qinglu Guard, the mastermind to be executed, and everyone to be happy. Even if there were any mistakes, they would be the fault of Qinglu Guard for excessive torture.
After all, people ultimately die at their hands.
The Dali Temple is plotting against him.
No, it wasn't the Dali Temple that was plotting against him.
Ji Chengning thought coldly.
From the moment he agreed to take on the case, everyone involved was watching him closely.
"Quickly," Ji Chengnin said in a deep voice, "send it to the nearest room and call Chen Jian."
Ji Chengnin's face was gloomy as he looked at Zhang Yuhuai.
Semi-dried blood clots were congealed on the hair and eyelashes, looking eerie and unrecognizable.
When Chen Jian rushed over, the first thing he said to Zhang Yuhuai was, "Oh my, young marquis, did you just dig up a corpse from the mass grave to amuse your subordinate?"
Ji Chengning pressed his temples. "Don't tell jokes."
Chen Jian replied with a good-natured "Yes."
He lived up to his years of service in the army. He first gave Zhang Yuhuai a hemostatic powder, then ordered the medicine boy to brew a blood-nourishing and qi-tonifying medicine. After that, he neatly cut off Zhang Yuhuai's tattered clothes, cleaned the wounds, and applied medicine and bandages.
The smell of blood in the room grew stronger.
The wounds, their blood and grime wiped away, were gradually exposed, the deepest one on the thigh, resembling a hideous red spider crawling on the deathly white flesh.
Chen Jian's movements were by no means gentle or careful, but they were incredibly fast.
He always felt that rather than slowly and painstakingly cutting flesh with a dull knife, it was better to just cut the head off.
Zhang Yuhuai trembled with pain, but he still gritted his teeth, a trickle of saliva mixed with blood running down his lips.
Ji Chengnin frowned.
With two fingers, he pinched Zhang Yuhuai's cheeks, forcing him to open his mouth, and then quickly stuffed a clean piece of burlap into it.
I fear he might bite his tongue and commit suicide.
Chen Jian had just finished bandaging the wound on his leg when he saw Ji Chengning staring thoughtfully at Zhang Yuhuai. His slender, pale fingers lightly brushed across the wound on Zhang Yuhuai's face. "It's a pity. With such delicate features, such a deep wound will surely leave a scar. He won't be able to become an official in the future."
Given his top score in the provincial examination, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will undoubtedly rank among the top in this metropolitan examination as well.
“Young Marquis,” he suddenly leaned closer, his gentle and beautiful face magnified before Ji Chengnin’s eyes, and asked softly, “Should we use a method to wake him up quickly?”
"oh?"
"When two armies are facing off, there are often spies lurking in the army. If they are caught, they are tortured too severely, but they are still interrogated. Or when exchanging prisoners, we don't want people to die, but we don't want them to live too long either. We use a kind of medicine that can greatly increase a person's energy. If the young marquis agrees, I can try it on him. A moment is enough."
"A final burst of energy before death," Ji Chengnin commented indifferently.
Chen Jian touched his nose.
“No need.” Ji Chengnin stood up. “There’s no need to rush. Just treat him like an ordinary patient.”
Although he had questions for Zhang Yuhuai, he had no intention of killing him.
At least not at this moment.
If this medicine is used, Zhang Yuhuai will undoubtedly die.
If only Zhang Yuhuai is killed, the emperor, scholars, and upright officials will not be satisfied, but he will gain the favor of powerful families. Moreover, he was born into a noble family and should naturally share weal and woe with powerful families.
But he was curious about who was behind this.
If Zhang Yuhuai is not killed, but the chief examiner is killed as before to quell public opinion and the exam questions are changed, the aristocratic families who obtained the exam questions in advance will be left empty-handed and will also harbor resentment towards him.
Similarly, such attempts to whitewash the situation may not necessarily please the emperor.
Ji Chengning returned to his study in deep thought.
Cui Yao is not here.
But there seemed to be a small white object on the table.
Ji Chengning stepped forward and took a closer look. They were four fat, large rabbits, so fat they looked more like balls than rabbits.
Zhang Xiaoxiao placed a small letter under the plate and said: "There is an urgent matter at home. Please forgive me for leaving the government office early, Your Highness."
Cui Yao paid homage.
Ji Chengnin looked away, picked up a plump rabbit, and put it in his mouth.
The sweet and sour jam blends perfectly with the rich milk flavor, spreading instantly in your mouth.
Ji Chengning took another bite.
The bright red filling flowed from the end with his movements, and with a flick of his tongue, he swallowed it all.
He clearly couldn't please everyone.
The damp jam slid down his fingertips. Ji Chengnin suddenly snapped back to reality, then realized with despair that he was becoming increasingly careless.
Ji Chengnin casually wiped his hands, remained silent for a moment, then casually brushed his long sleeves across the table before turning and leaving.
There are three rabbit-shaped snacks left on the plate.
Outside the dish, the letter had vanished without a trace.
Ji Chengning went out as usual to train the guards and patrol the streets, then returned to his study to attend to matters. It wasn't until nightfall that someone came to report: "Your Highness, the prisoner has woken up."
Ji Chengnin put down the letter, got up and left.
He stepped into the room, and Chen Jian quickly came out and closed the door.
"Crunch."
Zhang Yuhuai raised his head with difficulty, his gray eyes devoid of any life.
Ji Chengning lifted his robe and sat down next to Zhang Yuhuai, "Young Master Zhang."
Zhang Yuhuai thought he would ask, "How have you been?" or "How are you feeling?" or at least, "Are you scared?" to put pressure on him.
Then, the young director opened his mouth and asked, "Who ordered you?"
These words were even less original than Zhang Yuhuai had imagined, and even more disgusting.
Zhang Yuhuai sneered, "No one instructed me."
Ji Chengnin brushed off the dust from his robes, which didn't even exist, and said, "No one instructed you? If no one instructed you, how did you learn that the exam questions had been leaked? If no one instructed you, who posted the notice? Do you think you, a weak scholar, have the ability to fly over rooftops and climb walls?"
The laceration on my face sent waves of excruciating pain through me.
Zhang Yuhuai stated firmly, "No one instructed me."
Ji Chengning smiled slightly, "Young Master Zhang, you may not know this, but His Majesty has entrusted me with the task of leading the siege of the examination hall. In other words, no one else will take you away."
He pinched Zhang Yuhuai's chin and said, "It would be more legitimate for me to kill you than for the Dali Temple to kill you."
Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Yuhuai's forehead.
The cold sweat was caused by the pain of gradually regaining consciousness after the anesthesia wore off.
He looked at Ji Chengnin without fear, his brown eyes clearly reflecting the latter's face.
Her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, but her heart was as venomous as a snake.
A warm, fragrant breath blew.
Zhang Yuhuai's cheek twitched, and then he burst out laughing.
Ji Chengning lowered his hand and used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his fingertips.
His movements were slow and deliberate, clearly showing that he did not take Zhang Yuhuai seriously.
Yes, for this young Marquis Ji, he was nothing more than a stepping stone on his path to advancement.
Zhang Yuhuai suddenly fell silent.
He looked at Ji Chengnin expressionlessly, "The Marquis of Yongning fought for the country and made great contributions. Lord Ji, you have failed your father's name."
Ji Chengnin paused in wiping his hands.
Zhang Yuhuai's heart was pounding.
Although he was not afraid, the fear of pain is a human instinct.
He believed that killing this young marquis who could so easily save him would be no more difficult than brushing away the dust.
However, the expected excruciating pain did not come. Ji Chengnin clapped his hands and said, "Well said, family reputation is meant to be ruined." He was not ashamed and laughed, "Your father was a leader of the upright officials, and now, aren't you also my prisoner?"
Zhang Yuhuai was so angry that his eyes turned bloodshot.
He took a couple of difficult breaths, feeling a sharp pain in his ribs.
Ji Chengnin, however, was still not letting him off the hook, and continued, "You are the son of an official, with a bright future ahead of you, why do you insist on getting involved in this mess?"
Zhang Yuhuai, however, gave an irrelevant answer: "If selecting officials based on family background is a foolproof strategy, then why did the late emperor change course? If officials are selected based on their academic qualifications, allowing cheating in the imperial examinations will surely lead to disaster."
By the end, his voice was so hoarse it was unrecognizable.
Ji Chengnin stared at him.
A moment later, Zhang Yuhuai felt a cool sensation on his chin.
It was the young marquis's fingertips stained with his blood.
He heard a beautiful, tender voice say in his ear, "You are living a very painful life."
“If you do this, your classmates may not thank you, those who are implicated by you will resent and hate you, and outsiders will not praise your courage, but will only laugh at you for being blinded by rumors and bringing trouble upon yourself.”
The voice was so tender and moving, as if it were wrapped with threads of affection, reaching straight to the bottom of one's heart.
Having endured more than a dozen tortures, Zhang Yuhuai suddenly trembled at this moment.
It is like a demonic spell, bewitching and seducing.
"How pitiful. I'll give you a way out, how about it?"
Zhang Yuhuai closed his eyes.
He hissed, "Kill me."
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