The two looked somewhat comical; one was desperately trying to support the other, while the other was desperately trying to avoid being helped...
Li Zhu's chin was struck by the Second Prince's elbow, and this situation was obviously orchestrated by Li Zhu, making the Second Prince appear to be a villain who repays kindness with ingratitude...
Li Zhu took a few steps back and wiped away the bloodstains that shouldn't have been there...
"Father, let's consider this a victory for my second brother. Since he cares so much about winning and losing, how can I, as his elder brother, not do my best to satisfy him? Losing one match is worth it to uphold our brotherhood..."
Li Zhu's emotionally charged words silenced the entire court. Not everyone could see that Li Zhu had done this on purpose. Unbeknownst to them, this challenge had already put the Second Prince in a very difficult position!
However, those who could see the difference were also shocked; Li Zhu's performance had completely exceeded their expectations...
The emperor's face was somewhat gloomy. He had conquered the world on horseback and was a master himself. Li Zhu's little tricks could not possibly have escaped his notice!
But can he expose Li Zhu? Clearly not…
If he exposes Li Zhu's scheme, his image as a wise ruler will be ruined. What wise ruler would favor one of his own children? He should treat them all equally. Besides, the current situation appears to be one of brotherly harmony, which is beneficial for maintaining the dignity of the royal family. He can only watch helplessly as Li Zhu schemes against the second prince…
"Alright, let's call this a draw..."
With a wave of his hand, the emperor decided the outcome of the competition, but it was clear to everyone that Li Zhu had won. This time, the victory was decisive, not only in terms of face but also in terms of substance…
"Li Zhu, today I'm going to fight you to the death..."
The second prince had just come to his senses and hadn't heard the emperor's words at all. He thought the competition was going to continue and was determined to teach Li Zhu a lesson and regain his face...
However, his behavior gave people the impression of being furious, especially since he was still shouting that it was a fight to the death after the emperor had just issued an edict to draw the score. Wasn't this telling foreigners that there was fratricide within the new Tang imperial family?
"Pfft..."
A soft laugh rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound to see Xiao Meiren, dressed in a white dress and wearing a light veil, raising her hand to her mouth to hide her smile…
"Why is Lady Xiao laughing?"
Li Zhu looked at her and asked, though he knew perfectly well what she was laughing at, but he still asked anyway, just to make the Second Prince continue to embarrass himself!
"I never imagined that the mighty New Tang Dynasty would have a Second Prince who lacks any sense of propriety. He was just boasted about his mastery of military strategy and tactics. I've truly witnessed the young talent that Grand Tutor Jiang spoke of..."
Consort Xiao responded in a cooperative manner, which made the faces of the civil and military officials turn dark, especially Grand Tutor Jiang, whose face was so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water!
"Your Highness, do you know what you're doing? My grandson was competing with you, and you dare to humiliate him like this? Do you really think my Jiang family is easy to bully?"
Grand Tutor Jiang was also furious at Consort Xiao's words, which is why he couldn't help but confront Li Zhu!
Li Zhu was stunned by what he heard; this display of fierce protectiveness was truly astonishing…
"Humiliation? Grand Tutor Jiang's words are also an insult to me. I am the Crown Prince Regent. Grand Tutor Jiang is so disrespectful to me. Does he intend to rebel?"
Li Zhu wasn't about to tolerate him. He slapped a huge accusation on him, regardless of who he was. Wasn't the Jiang family powerful? Let's see if he could bear such a charge…
"You ignorant brat, I am the Grand Tutor, how dare you slander me like this..."
"You old fool, I am the Crown Prince Regent, how dare you slander me?"
Facing Grand Tutor Jiang, he spoke without yielding an inch!
"Enough! Isn't that embarrassing enough? Go back now..."
Even the emperor couldn't stand the argument between the two. One was his father-in-law, and the other was his own son. It wasn't good to target either of them, so he could only shift his focus to the second prince. He was utterly disappointed in the second prince. With such scheming, how could he possibly become the next emperor?
"Useless! The competition is over, get back home..."
Hearing his father's roar, the Second Prince Li Ke was jolted awake. Recalling everything that had just happened, his face darkened instantly. He knew he had been tricked by Li Zhu, but he couldn't refute it and could only swallow his pride and accept it, which made him extremely uncomfortable...
"Second brother, if I hadn't helped you up just now, you would have fallen. Aren't you going to thank me?"
What does it mean to kill someone by destroying their spirit? This is what it means to kill someone by destroying their spirit…
You got all the limelight and all the credit, and he's just a background character with no right to thank you? Where the hell is that supposed to be fair?!
But if he doesn't say thank you now, it's tantamount to confirming his reputation for repaying kindness with ingratitude. Saying thank you now at least earns him a reputation for knowing when to advance and when to retreat, and for being polite...
The second prince felt his life was bleak; he had lost all face and now he had to thank his enemy—it was utterly disgusting…
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty..."
"Don't be so polite. We're brothers, so we should stick together. Good things are meant to be shared. Remember this: what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine..."
After Li Zhu finished speaking, he laughed heartily, turned to look at the Third Prince, and prepared to begin the second competition…
The Second Prince was also pondering Li Zhu's words. At first, he didn't think anything of it, but after seeing Li Zhu's meaningful gaze, he felt that something was amiss...
He couldn't help but repeat Li Zhu's words, then his face darkened even more. He felt that Li Zhu was truly inhuman...
What does it mean to share good things? I'm the one sharing, what have you shared, even your own poop?
I've shared my money with you, I've shared my dancers from the Western Regions with you, I've even shared my wife with you, and now you have the audacity to say that what's yours is yours, and what's mine is also yours!
Have you no shame?
Seeing the Second Prince's expression, the eyes of the civil and military officials kept changing, and some of them were even suppressing their laughter. If this weren't the imperial court, they probably would have been laughing their heads off...
"Third brother, how about I give you a chance to thank me publicly for showing mercy, and we can end it here?"
Li Zhu looked at the Third Prince with a smile and said that he originally planned to settle for a draw in order to please his father. This way, he could demonstrate his superior literary skills, please his father, gain the respect of the civil and military officials, and earn face in front of foreign powers. It was a win-win situation.
But Li Zhu's words clearly told everyone that he couldn't do it...
"The outcome is still undecided. Isn't it too early for my brother to ask me to concede defeat?"
The Third Prince said with a gloomy face, "How could I possibly admit defeat so easily!"
"Hey! You're still too young. You always think you're so great, but let me give you a piece of advice: always act within your capabilities..."
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