"What good news could I possibly have?" A sudden feeling of unease welled up in Zhang Hu's heart.
Then the male protagonist was heard laughing and saying, "Naturally, it's a joyous occasion for the Zhang family. A few days ago, a disciple of the Zhang family was injured and I saved him. Now everything is fine, isn't that a great thing?"
Zhang Hu's expression changed drastically. He was naturally aware of the matter of Yun Xiujin's escape, pursuit, and subsequent rescue by Shen Cong.
I only heard from the guards that Yun Xiujin was seriously injured and probably couldn't say anything. All we need to do is fabricate a crime against him to protect the Zhang family.
He hadn't heard the male lead mention this matter in court today, so he assumed that Yun Xiujin was probably dead.
But unexpectedly...
Thinking of this, Zhang Hu said with a forced smile, "General Shen, are you perhaps referring to Yun Xiujin?"
"This person can hardly be considered a disciple of the Zhang family. The Zhang family heard that he was talented and wanted to take him under their wing, but they did not expect that he was so wicked and unbearable."
"He actually tried to take advantage of Zhang's cousin while drunk. How could my uncle accept that? In a fit of anger, he brought people to teach him a lesson, but he managed to escape."
"This matter involves my cousin's reputation, so the Zhang family can't make a big fuss about finding her. But we didn't expect that you, General Shen, would save us. You can't trust this man's words at all. I wonder if he said anything to General Shen to protect himself."
Zhang Hu quickly fabricated a lie and said with a serious face, "General Shen also has a daughter, so he should understand how angry my uncle would be."
"If this person is in General Shen's residence, General Shen should be careful. It would be bad if the other party had feelings for Miss Shen."
"No need for General Zhang to trouble himself," the male protagonist chuckled.
He then said, "Whether what he said was a lie or not, I can naturally tell."
"General Zhang, you should go back and prepare. It would be bad if you were found out later."
Where no one was watching, the male protagonist's gaze seemingly unintentionally swept over a figure not far away.
The male protagonist's smile deepened. After giving Zhang Hu a long look, he turned and strode away.
He deliberately wanted to tell the other party about this.
The more flustered the person behind the scenes becomes, the easier it will be for him to discover something.
"Wait a moment."
The sound came from behind again, and the male protagonist stopped and turned around.
Upon seeing that it was the Third Prince, the male protagonist stood up and bowed.
"General Shen, there's no need for such formalities." The Third Prince quickly reached out to help the man up.
"This humble official must thank Your Highness for speaking up for me. Otherwise, I would not have had the opportunity to meet the Emperor, nor would I have been able to clear my name of the crimes I have committed," the male protagonist said, neither humble nor arrogant, with a distant expression.
"This is what I should do. The general is innocent. Even without me, the general should have had other ways." The third prince said indifferently.
He then said, "My father wants you to thoroughly investigate the matter of cheating in the imperial examinations. I happen to have some evidence here, which should be able to help you, General."
Upon hearing this, the male protagonist's eyes revealed a hint of wariness.
Although he thought highly of the Third Prince, he had only a superficial relationship with him and couldn't understand why the Third Prince was trying to curry favor with him.
Is it because he values his position as a general?
But if we befriend him at this critical juncture, wouldn't that arouse the Emperor's suspicion?
Could it be...?
After considering a possibility, the male protagonist's gaze toward the Third Prince became increasingly hostile.
He replied frankly, "Then thank you very much, Your Highness. Is there anything else? If not, I will take my leave now."
The third prince wanted to persuade him to stay, but seeing the resistance in the male lead's eyes, he could only nod in agreement.
Watching the male protagonist's impatient departure, all that remained in my heart was helplessness.
Is he really that bad?
This is what made the Shen family father and son so resistant.
After a wry smile, the Third Prince turned and left.
On the carriage back to the mansion, the male protagonist was still muttering to himself.
He only has one precious daughter, and he missed out on Shen Yue's growth trajectory.
How could I possibly want her to get married so soon?
The Third Prince is a member of the royal family, the Emperor's son. The male lead would never let Shen Yue marry such a person.
Not to mention, the Third Prince is not yet Shen Yue's beloved.
When he got back, he had to make it clear to Shen Yue that he should stay away from the Third Prince from now on.
It's a complete wolf in sheep's clothing.
After returning and discussing this with Qu Jingyun, Qu Jingyun nodded in agreement.
"It seems that the Third Prince is indeed interested in Yue'er. But it doesn't matter. I heard that the Third Prince's mother, Consort Hui, is already arranging a suitable principal wife for him. Yue'er will be leaving the capital to travel in a while. By the time she returns, who knows how many years will have passed. The Third Prince will probably have already lost interest."
Qu Jingyun did not take the matter to heart.
In her eyes, the Third Prince was nothing more than a passing interest.
As time goes by, you'll forget about it.
The male protagonist nodded in agreement, then asked, "I have been guiding Yue'er and Xue'er in their martial arts practice recently. Yue'er is very talented in this area. Although she started practicing a little late, she has made rapid progress. If she practices diligently, she will definitely achieve great things."
"Really?" Qu Jingyun asked eagerly, her face beaming with surprise.
Shen Yue had never been involved in this before, so she hadn't taken it to heart.
The male protagonist then suggested, "I've decided to let Lü Qiang accompany Yue'er and the others on their travels. He's highly skilled in martial arts, so he can protect them on one hand, and teach them on the other—a win-win situation."
"That's a good idea." Qu Jingyun nodded in satisfaction.
He then said, "However, the most important thing right now is to find out about the cheating in the imperial examination. Now that Zhang Hu knows that Yun Xiujin is in our hands, he will definitely not let it go."
"He'll definitely be eager to do something, and once he does, he'll definitely leave a trace."
The male protagonist nodded and then said, "Once the matter of cheating in the imperial examination is discovered, it is not difficult to investigate it thoroughly. As long as we question the people who handled the examination papers one by one and investigate their relationship with the Zhang family, we should be able to find out something."
"I will go to the Dali Temple tomorrow and investigate all the examiners and chief examiners who had access to the exam papers. The bigger the commotion, the more anxious they will become."
"What we lack now is nothing more than solid evidence."
Qu Jingyun understood, and worry appeared in her eyes.
"The Zhang family has always been ruthless. They might do anything to protect themselves. You must be careful in everything you do. No matter what, your own safety is the most important thing."
“I understand.” The male protagonist nodded and said softly, “My grudge with the Zhang family should be completely resolved through this matter.”
He was well aware that the Zhang family had made things difficult for Qu Jingyun in Beijing all these years.
We just haven't had the chance to deal with them yet.
Now that they've put their leverage in his hands, they can't blame him for being ruthless.
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