The Demon Prince

Li Lingxi put her hands behind her back, mimicking Lu Chengzhang's posture:

"I will stand with you through thick and thin. This confession is not to abandon you, but to protect our families. Do you understand?"

Choi Do-won froze, and after a moment, his tears flowed even more fiercely:

"I understand."

"I thought you would abandon me as you abandoned Xie Yuheng. I was foolish. You still care about my family. I am ashamed."

Choi Do-won lay on the broken table, his hands trembling violently, as he began to write down his confession.

Standing to the side, Li Lingxi felt a growing chill in her heart.

Every stroke of the pen on the paper seemed to tear away a fig leaf covering the imperial examinations and court officials.

After writing it, Cui Daoyuan held up the confession with both hands:

"My lord, I have finished writing it."

Li Lingxi took it, and Xiao Xingyue leaned over to glance at it, confirming that all the key points were there and it was enough.

Li Lingxi tucked the confession into her sleeve and looked at Cui Daoyuan:

"Our meeting today must be kept secret."

Xiao Xingyue is a despicable and shameless person. He may very well disguise himself as me or one of us to trick you into revealing information.

No matter who comes, you cannot trust them.

Cui Daoyuan looked solemn:

"Rest assured, my lord, I will never fall for Xiao Xingyue's treacherous schemes again!"

Li Lingxi didn't want to stay any longer, so she turned and left.

The cell door was closed again, and the chains clattered down.

Under the dim lamplight, Cui Daoyuan knelt beside the straw mat, his face full of gratitude:

"Please wait, my lord! I await your rescue!"

……

When the iron gates of the prison were opened, torches were still burning outside, and sparks flew everywhere when the wind blew.

Xiao Xingyue came out first, still carrying the dragon robe in his arms, but the arrogance on his face was gone.

Li Lingxi followed behind, her face also pale, both of them looking dejected.

Seeing the two of them like this, Lu Chengzhang felt a weight lifted from his heart. Cui Daoyuan hadn't said anything reckless; he really hadn't said anything reckless.

Lu Chengzhang took half a step forward:

"Your Highness, have you finished asking?"

Xiao Xingyue remained silent.

Lu Chengzhang's lips curled into a cold smile:

"It seems that Choi Do-won is very stubborn."

"I already said that the trial is the Ministry of Justice's business. You, young master, are just a spoiled brat. Why humiliate yourself like this?"

Xiao Xingyue sighed:

"Lord Lu is right, he brought this humiliation upon himself."

Lu Chengzhang's sarcasm was even more pronounced:

"Young master, it's good for you to suffer some losses. Just don't be too arrogant in the future."

Zhou Quan also regained some confidence:

"Now that Your Highness has finished asking your questions, please take the dragon robe back to the palace. The imperial prison is not a place for Your Highness to linger."

Xiao Xingyue raised his hand, and the bright yellow dragon robe was held high in the air:

"Minister of Justice Zhou Quan, please obey orders."

Zhou Quan's knees buckled, and he almost knelt down again.

"Your Highness, what are you up to now...?"

Xiao Xingyue's eyes were deep and unfathomable as he spoke in a low voice:

"Choi Do-won has confessed!"

Lu Chengzhang was implicated in the imperial examination fraud; he has been arrested!

The surroundings fell silent. Lu Chengzhang's smile froze, and Zhou Quan's lips turned white.

"This...this is against the rules."

Lu Chengzhang suddenly spoke:

"Absurd! Xiao Xingyue, on what basis do you say Cui Daoyuan confessed? Where is the confession? Where are the witnesses?"

"With just a word from you, you dare to implicate the Minister of the Imperial Court?"

Xiao Xingyue didn't even glance at Lu Chengzhang, only staring at Zhou Quan:

"It's not up to him to question it; His Majesty will decide whether it's true or false."

Zhou Quan, if you don't take him down soon...

He flicked his dragon robe forward:

"I consider you an accomplice!"

Zhou Quan felt a chill run down his spine; he couldn't bear the label of accomplice!

Lu Chengzhang's face turned ashen when he saw that Zhou Quan was intimidated.

"Zhou Quan, you dare?"

Zhou Quan turned to look at him, and a hint of heartache appeared on his round face:

"Old Lu, it's not that I don't value our colleagueship, it's just that the imperial robe is right in front of me."

He took half a step back, his voice suddenly rising:

"I am mortal with evil! Guards!"

The Ministry of Justice's troops swarmed forward.

Lu Chengzhang's sleeves trembled, and his fifth-grade aura exploded. The two soldiers at the front were forced back by the shock, but more people rushed forward.

Zhou Quan himself became anxious:

"Hold him down, don't let him get away!"

Lu Chengzhang roared:

"Zhou Quan, you're such a fickle person."

Zhou Quan was sweating profusely with anxiety:

"Old Lu, please understand, I have quite a few relatives..."

Lu Chengzhang was, after all, a fifth-rank official, and even several skilled officers from the Ministry of Justice couldn't control him for a while.

Xiao Xingyue narrowed his eyes, and with a flick of his wrist, a piece of iron chain that had fallen to the ground flew up and snapped around Lu Chengzhang's ankle.

Lu Chengzhang hesitated for a moment, and more than a dozen men immediately pounced on him.

Some grabbed his arms, some pressed his waist, and one hothead, whose name I don't know, just grabbed Lu Chengzhang's head tightly!

Lu Chengzhang was forced to the ground, his official hat rolling a long way, his teeth chattering.

"Xiao Xingyue! You'll regret this!"

Xiao Xingyue glanced at Lu Chengzhang, whose face was contorted with rage:

"Lord Lu, you look much better now than before."

Zhou Quan wiped his sweat:

"Your Highness, the person has been captured."

Xiao Xingyue patted his dragon robe:

"Indeed, Lord Zhou quickly abandoned the darkness and embraced the light."

Zhou Quan's smile looked more like a grimace.

"This humble official has always been loyal to the emperor and loved his country. I was just not sure what to do earlier, but thanks to the prince's guidance."

"Keep a close eye on him." Xiao Xingyue turned and walked towards the palace. "Whether it's a merit or a demerit... His Majesty will decide."

Zhou Quan understood perfectly, but felt a chill run down his spine.

"Your humble servant understands, and will not allow any treacherous officials to take advantage of the situation!"

……

As the two entered the palace, Li Lingxi gradually realized that Xiao Xingyue was heading in the wrong direction:

"Aren't you going to see your father first?"

Xiao Xingyue didn't even turn his head:

"First, go to Consort Shu to report the good news... and get reimbursed while you're at it."

Li Lingxi was dumbfounded. Even at a time like this, he was still thinking about the benefits?

The lights in Jiang Shuying's bedroom were still on.

After the maid announced the news, Xiao Xingyue was immediately summoned.

After a cup of tea, Jiang Shuying's gentle eyes turned sharp after listening to Xiao Xingyue's story.

"Cui Daoyuan wrote it very clearly. Now, he and that Minister of Rites are finished."

Xiao Xingyue took the confession back.

Consort Shu's brow twitched slightly as she witnessed his actions: "What are you planning to do now?"

Xiao Xingyue sat up straight:

"Your Majesty, I have done a good job in investigating the case."

The rewards that the Ninth Princess brought back earlier were partially blown away by the strong winds on the way.

This time I even got Lu Chengzhang under my control. If I understand correctly, he concurrently serves as the head of the Hanlin Academy, but he is not a member of your Jiang family. If he steps down, then Your Majesty can completely regain control of the Hanlin Academy and even make arrangements for the Ministry of Rites.

"Uh... this is the result of my life-or-death struggle, I deserve some... encouragement, right?"

Consort Shu laughed in exasperation:

"You took this and instead of getting it settled before His Majesty, you came here to ask for a reward?"

Xiao Xingyue's face was full of righteousness:

"Your Majesty is an elder. As a junior who has rendered meritorious service, I come to report that I am safe and sound first. This is called filial piety."

Li Lingxi stood to the side, her eyes wide open. In all her life, she had never seen anyone describe knocking on a bamboo pole in such a filial manner.

Consort Shu sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"How could Wang Shu possibly stand you?"

Xiao Xingyue sighed:

"The Ninth Princess is very happy every day."

Consort Shu put down her teacup and had a palace maid bring her a box. When the box was opened, it was full of silver notes.

"Take this, but remember, this case is too complicated. Lu Chengzhang's downfall doesn't mean the people behind him have fallen. You must be careful in everything you do in the future."