Chapter 60: Before Long.....

"My boy, are you really not going to reconsider?"

The old dowager still looked deeply reluctant. She had seen right through it today: the Luo father and daughter lacked a solid backing. As long as she proposed a separation, the other party would most likely not dare to make a fuss. The Zhang family could quietly handle the matter, and given her son's age, there would be plenty of good maidens in the capital to choose from.

Zhang Rui, who was putting the finishing touches on the scroll, sighed upon hearing this and asked, "Mother, which room did your daughter-in-law prepare for you?"

The old dowager was slightly taken aback. Curling her lip, she said, "The due north position, called the Wutong Courtyard..."

"Wutong Courtyard..." Zhang Rui added a stroke to the scroll, and that location instantly came alive on the paper. "The Wutong Courtyard faces south, has the largest garden, and is close to the kitchen. It is the best location in the estate. Lady Luo has always been very attentive to you."

As long as he held the scroll, he could return here from anywhere through it—a result Zhang Rui had tested countless times. It was considered the family's ultimate fallback. However, should the Zhang family estate ever be sealed up, where would it be safest to set the exit for escaping the mansion through this scroll?

"Just putting on airs..." The old dowager curled her lip. "Now that you have been promoted, of course she wouldn't dare to be disrespectful."

"Has Lady Luo ever been disrespectful to Mother in the past?"

"You're taking her side again!" The old dowager instantly said in anger, "I think you've been completely bewitched by her!"

Zhang Rui shook his head with a smile. "Does Mother think the Nightingale girl who entered the door today is attractive? Could your son be bewitched by her?"

"That femme fatale cannot be allowed to stay!" The old dowager's expression changed abruptly. "My boy, why did you let her stay in the end? You clearly already chased her away."

Even as an old woman, her heart had skipped a beat when she looked at that woman. Such a calamitous beauty entering the household spelled nothing but disaster!

"Since your son could chase her away once, he can naturally chase her away a second time. Mother saw it too—people out there are eager to send women to your son's manor. This is still while your son has a legitimate wife. If I didn't, it wouldn't be easy to refuse the marriage alliances proposed by certain big figures."

"Big figures? Isn't that a good thing?" The old dowager asked happily.

"It's not necessarily a good thing. The former master of this estate was once a third-rank senior official, which counts as a big figure, right? But what was his end? We just arrived in the capital and know nothing, yet we immediately try to climb up to wealthy and noble families. If we successfully climb up, that's one thing; but what if we latch onto one that is about to collapse any moment? Wouldn't we just share in their misfortune?"

"Uh..." The old dowager was instantly left speechless.

"Mother, we are men. Everything must rely on our own efforts; how can we behave like gossiping women trying to attach ourselves to high-ranking families? Lady Luo's background is well-known, she is filial to you, and she is shrewd and capable. What's wrong with that?"

"You... Hmph, suit yourself..." The old dowager mumbled, ultimately offering no further rebuttal. She wasn't entirely unaware of what her son was saying, but she still felt a lingering resentment, feeling as though her son had been shortchanged by the Luo family. The better her son's career developed, the guiltier she felt inside. If only she had been steadier back then and hadn't been in such a rush to find her son a wife...

Zhang Rui amusedly placated his conflicted mother. Only after she left did he let out another sigh, return to his study, and take out the confidential letter given to him by Steward Lu.

"The Top Scholar Case..."

This intelligence greatly exceeded his expectations. He had never imagined that such an incident had occurred during his imperial examinations three years ago, yet he had zero recollection of it.

Even if he did possess memories from that period, given his status back then, he probably wouldn't have been qualified to know much about it anyway. His appearance was utterly ordinary, and he had barely managed to pass the second tier through cheating. What did a Top Scholar have to do with him in the slightest?

Back then, upon hearing the news of the Top Scholar candidates being murdered, he probably would have secretly applauded and thought, *Damn it... they even judge exams based on looks, what kind of trashy logic is that!*

Still, if it had been just one death, that would be one thing. But the reality was that *all* the alternative candidates for the Top Scholar had been wiped out. That was somewhat terrifying. Suddenly, he felt rather fortunate that he wasn't considered particularly handsome...

That being said, what kind of pervert was this, specifically targeting good-looking people for slaughter?

The letter stated that the alternative candidates for the Top Scholar that year were elite youths selected from tens of thousands. Whether in terms of literary talent, family background, or sorcerer aptitude, they were all top-tier. The forces behind them were intricately intertwined, including descendants of both old and new aristocratic families, making it entirely impossible to trace the source or motive. In the end, the authorities could only attribute it to some as-yet-unidentified evil spirit.

The Emperor had dispatched inner court sorcerers and joined forces with several major aristocratic families in the capital to conduct a carpet search of the city, yet they failed to find any special evil spirits at the time.

With no clues emerging even by the end of the spring examinations, the matter was ultimately dropped.

It was said that ever since then, the once high-spirited Princess Yunyao had begun to keep a low profile, no longer participating in any activities organized by female family members, and had even skipped the royal hunt at the beginning of the year.

Although no one dared to discuss the imperial family openly, everyone knew that Her Royal Highness the Princess's reputation had suffered a heavy blow.

This time, rumors were circulating that in order to erase the impact of those past events, the Emperor intended to select a husband for the eldest princess once again from among the Top Scholar candidates this year.

This shouldn't have had much to do with him, but Steward Lu's letter mentioned that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had proposed a two-pronged strategy to the Emperor. First, to take precautionary measures by dispatching elite forces to protect the safety of the candidates; and second, to prepare for the worst—should the situation from back then repeat itself, they must seize the opportunity while the culprit was committing the crime to capture them directly, otherwise, with this happening year after year, where would the dignity of Great Jin lie?

As for the candidates to head the investigation into this case, the Crown Prince first recommended Wei Gongyu, one of the Nine Ministers, while for the personnel to assist in the investigation, the Crown Prince strongly recommended him!

The letter stated that the Crown Prince had excessively flattered him in front of the Emperor, and his words even hinted at letting him take the lead in the case. Steward Lu warned him in his letter to be on guard...

Putting down the letter, Zhang Rui's eyes flashed with puzzlement.

The palace examinations hadn't even begun yet, and the list of Top Scholar candidates was out of the question. What happened three years ago might not necessarily happen again now, yet the Crown Prince had recommended him so early... it seemed as though he was certain that the events of three years ago would repeat themselves!

Why would that be?

This matter could certainly not be explained simply as an evil spirit; there were likely many unknown reasons hidden behind it. The pit the Crown Prince was digging for him was probably a massive trap that the Crown Prince himself would avoid at all costs...

***

"Your Highness, you have already established your own manor; you cannot simply barge into the inner quarters."

Inside the imperial palace, an elderly eunuch trailed behind Li Yu, wearing an expression of utter helplessness.

"I heard Royal Father intends to arrange a marriage for Yunyao, so I came to check on her—what's wrong with that? Let me tell you, old timer, you've watched us grow up since we were kids; don't you know the relationship between Your Highness here and Yunyao?"

The elderly eunuch sighed helplessly, "Your Highness, a relationship is a relationship, but rules are rules!"

He didn't actually refute the other's words. Although Princess Yunyao was the Crown Prince's biological younger sister, she had grown up much closer to the Third Prince.

"Rigid rules. We need Royal Father to change them."

The eunuch rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to speak again, a stern voice rang out from ahead: "How do you intend to make Us change them?"

The elderly eunuch hurriedly dropped to his knees, while Li Yu lazily bowed toward the front and said, "This son pays respects to Royal Father."

"Every time you see Us, you have this slovenly, wretched look!" The Emperor glared at him. Although he appeared stern on the surface, the depths of his eyes carried a trace of a smile.

Among all his sons, he valued the Crown Prince the most, because he was the legitimate eldest son born of the Empress, but he favored Li Yu the most.

The latter was intelligent, carefree, and showed the least reverence toward him, yet he also felt the most like a true son.

"Acting proper is something best left to Big Brother; this son simply couldn't learn it. Besides, Royal Father, popping out so abruptly in broad daylight is quite frightening."

"Hmph, can your thick skin even be frightened by Us?" The Emperor scoffed, then looked past him and asked, "Here to see Yunyao?"

"Afraid she'll be cooped up and go mad." Li Yu grinned broadly. "Why are you being so ungracious, Yunyao? You didn't even greet your Third Brother when he arrived!"

Standing behind the Emperor was a figure clad in a purple skirt. She was a woman as lovely as a narcissus, yet she lacked any trace of vitality. In the early spring sunlight, she looked like a motionless sculpture.

"Still with this ghostly expression." Li Yu curled his lip. "And here I thought you'd change a bit once Royal Father prepared to choose a husband for you."

"Silence!" The Emperor's expression instantly turned stern.

Yunyao, who had been standing like a sculpture, finally lifted her eyelids slightly and gazed expressionlessly at Li Yu. "Did Brother come to watch a joke?"

"What kind of nonsense are you babbling?" Li Yu instantly wiped away his smile and said seriously, "Is your brother that kind of person?"

"You still know it's nonsense?" The Emperor shot him a sideways glance.

"Then Brother might as well try persuading Royal Father," Yunyao said indifferently.

"Yunyao..." A soft glint flashed in the eyes of the Emperor, who was only fifty years old yet bore the frail and senile appearance of a seventy-year-old. Having a daughter in his old age, and one born of his most beloved Empress, he treasured this daughter immensely.

The incident from three years ago had thrown him into a rage, prompting him to dispatch half of the inner court sorcerers to investigate. Unfortunately... that matter was shrouded in bizarre strangeness; several major factions in the capital had joined forces, yet in the end, not a single shred of evidence could be uncovered. It was then that he realized this case was no simple matter.

Now, the spring examinations were approaching once more. As an emperor, he naturally could not choose to back down. However, he had no idea whether this daughter of his could bear it again, especially since the blow from back then had been far too great for someone still in the prime of her youth.

Many people only knew that all the alternative candidates for the Top Scholar had been wiped out, but they did not know that those candidates had basically died right in front of the Princess!

"Royal Father, I truly do not wish to witness it a second time!" Yunyao bit her lip and said.

The Emperor turned back, his eyes filled with unbearable reluctance. Yet the more it was like this, the less the royal family could afford to retreat. That hidden threat had to be rooted out!

"I heard Big Brother recommended someone," Li Yu abruptly chimed in.

Hearing this, the Emperor turned back and frowned. "You certainly know how to pry into things."

"Since it concerns Yunyao, naturally I have to inquire a bit more." Li Yu shrugged indifferently.

"Hmph..." The Emperor let out a cold snort, then said, "We heard that this fellow named Zhang Rui has also crossed paths with you before?"

"He could be said to... have saved my life, I suppose," Li Yu said with a smile.

"Oh?" The Emperor narrowed his eyes. "He saved both you and the Crown Prince? Then We suppose We owe him twice over for saving Our sons' lives."

"Well..." Li Yu nodded. "Royal Father truly ought to reward him handsomely."

"To be able to rescue you out of the Painting Market—he must possess no small amount of ability."

"No small ability indeed..." The moment Li Yu thought of how the other man had dashed his Crown Prince elder brother's ambitions, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Big Brother the Crown Prince should know this best."

"Is that so?" The Emperor grew curious as well. "Then We shall have to properly meet him tomorrow. Do you think it's reliable for the Crown Prince to have him participate in this case?"

"Reliable, of course it's reliable!" Li Yu immediately smiled even more brightly. "Who knows, he might just give Royal Father a pleasant surprise."

Hearing this, the Emperor burst into laughter. "Then We shall look forward to it."

Standing to the side, Yunyao's cold eyes also revealed a hint of curiosity. She rarely saw her Third Brother hold someone in such high regard.

Yet she didn't believe that person could produce any pleasant surprise, for she also rarely saw her Crown Prince brother hate someone so intensely.

Before long, that person would likely become a corpse...