I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

"I don't care, I don't care, I must save my brother." Chen Shoutian rudely pushed Cao Quan away.

He reached out and grabbed Qin Li's sleeve, pleading, "Your Highness, please have mercy! Please have mercy! Your Highness, we've come all the way from Jiangnan! Your Highness, have you forgotten? Have you forgotten?"

At this moment, Zhou Biao, who was standing at the entrance of the hall, couldn't help but speak up upon seeing this scene:

"Chen Shoutian, if it weren't for His Highness's consideration for the friendship we've built along the way from Jiangnan, do you think you could have even made it here?"

The Crown Prince's residence is not a place anyone can just walk into!

Qin Li raised his hand, signaling Zhou Biao to stop talking.

After Zhou Biao shut up, Qin Li reached out and helped Chen Shoutian up from the ground, then patted the dust off his clothes.

Qin Li said:

"Chen Shoutian, I heard you made the list this time too. Although you didn't get first place like Cao Quan, at least you made the list."

"You're not qualified to be an official in the capital. Go back to your hometown and be a county magistrate!"

"In this way, you two brothers have fulfilled your wish to return home in glory and bring honor to your family."

"Your brother has committed such a heinous crime that even I cannot save his life. Do you understand?"

Upon hearing these words, Chen Shoutian suddenly calmed down, as if he were seriously considering Qin Li's words.

But not long after, he knelt down again, pleading with Qin Li to save his brother.

Qin Li shook his head helplessly and ordered, "Someone, take him out."

Zhou Biao immediately brought two men in and, no matter how much Chen Shoutian struggled, forcibly dragged him out.

After his ears were cleared, Cao Quan mustered up the courage to look at Qin Li.

At this moment, Qin Li had already found a seat and had someone pour him a cup of tea.

Before Cao Quan could speak, Qin Li said, "If you continue to plead for Chen Wangju, you will suffer the same fate as Chen Shoutian."

Cao Quan subconsciously turned his head and glanced at the entrance of the hall. He didn't want to be carried out like Chen Shoutian.

Swallowing hard, Cao Quan tried to say, "Your Highness, please calm down. The three of us are from the same hometown. No matter what, I will try my best. Even if I can't save Chen Wangju, I will have tried my best, and it won't be a great regret in the future."

"It's not my fault that we can't save him now, but Chen Wangju's own fault. He knowingly committed the crime. I only hope that Your Highness will spare Chen Wangju's body so that his brother Chen Shoutian can take it back to his hometown."

Qin Li grunted and said, "It wasn't some heinous crime. Chen Shoutian can take the body back intact."

Cao Quan immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Afterwards, Qin Li said, "I just heard today that you came in first place in the imperial examination this year, even surpassing Chen Wangju."

Upon hearing this, Cao Quan awkwardly reached out and scratched the back of his head, saying, "It was just luck, luck. I have to thank the teacher for his guidance."

When no one was around, Cao Quan whispered, "Your Highness, did you really send someone to kill my teacher?"

Cao Quan's teacher was none other than Lu Shushu.

Upon first hearing that Lu Shushu had died at the hands of Qin Li's men, Cao Quan simply couldn't believe it.

Because Lu Shushu was not only his teacher, but also Qin Li's teacher.

How could Qin Li be so heartless as to kill his own teacher?

After verifying with multiple sources, it was confirmed that Lu Shushu was indeed dead.

But Cao Quan just wouldn't believe it, and today he was finally able to ask him face to face.

For anyone else, Qin Li's answer would definitely be "dead."

But Qin Li had no reason to lie to Cao Quan.

Qin Li took a sip of tea before saying, "They're not dead. I sent their whole family to Jiangnan."

Hearing this answer, Cao Quan was finally relieved; his teacher was indeed not dead.

It seems I will have the opportunity to repay the kindness of those who taught me in the future.

"The palace examination will be held in three days."

"I hope you'll keep up the good work!"

"Let's strive to bring home a top scholar for your Cao family!"

Qin Li suddenly said.

Cao Quan was overjoyed and cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

……

Sunset.

The Sixth Prince's Residence.

The servants were all dejected, their faces drooping, and they had no heart to do their work.

Because their master, the sixth prince, had been demoted to a commoner.

I must leave the Sixth Prince's residence early tomorrow morning and fend for myself.

"Hey, what do you all think of our Sixth Prince? Isn't this a case of reaping what he sowed? He has everything—a noble birth, he's a prince! A prince! A status that so many people dream of, but he didn't know how to cherish it. Why did he have to bribe students and cheat on the imperial examinations? Now look what's happened, not only was he discovered by the Crown Prince, but he's also been demoted to a commoner."

"Shh, keep your voice down. Don't you want to lose your head?"

"What are you afraid of? Do you think we'll have any good days left? Once the Sixth Prince leaves, this huge mansion will collapse. The better ones will be sold off again to continue working as servants. The worse ones, we don't even know where we'll die, and no one will even collect our bodies."

Upon hearing this, the servants lowered their heads even further, sighing and lamenting their fate and future.

Just then, a young servant who had just entered the manor passed by them carrying a tea tray in both hands.

"Hey, stop right there! What are you doing?" someone called out to him.

The young servant stopped, bowed, and then said:

"At this time of day, His Highness would usually have a cup of tea."

"Drinking tea? You've been demoted to a commoner, and you still have the mind to drink tea?"

The young servant didn't know what to say, so he could only remain silent.

"Alright, you can go now."

Someone waved to him, and the young servant left.

Before long, he arrived at the door of the Sixth Prince's bedroom, knocked on the door, but no one answered.

He mustered his courage and pushed open the door, but the scene that greeted him startled him so much that he dropped the tea tray in his hand and fell to the ground.

His face was ashen, he wrung his hands and feet frantically, and shouted loudly:

"Help! Help! His Highness the Sixth Prince has hanged himself!"

After a burst of shouts, the Sixth Prince's residence was thrown into complete chaos.

In the dead of night, a mournful, aged cry echoed from the palace.

No one dared to step forward to offer advice, for it was the lament of the Xuan Emperor.

The body of the sixth prince has been carried into the palace.

Emperor Xuan threw himself upon the body of the sixth prince and wept bitterly, a sight that saddened all who heard it!

He had already lost one son, and it was thought that due to his favoritism, he would not lose another son, a case of an old man burying his young son.

But unexpectedly, the sixth brother still died.

"Guards! Guards!"

"Go and bring that rebellious son to the palace. Make him kneel before his brother's corpse and repent!"

Emperor Xuan suddenly pointed outside.

The imperial guards at the entrance of the main hall looked at each other in bewilderment.

Everyone knows who the rebellious son the Xuan Emperor spoke of is.

Who else could it be but Crown Prince Qin Li?

But on what charge should they bring Crown Prince Qin Li back? They dared not ask.

In the end, Han Zhen waved to them, telling them to leave in front of Emperor Xuan.

To arrest Crown Prince Qin Li and bring him to the palace? Are you kidding me?

They probably won't even be able to get through the gates of the Crown Prince's residence.

The reason why Emperor Xuan issued such an edict.

It's just because I was too angry; I'll be fine after a while.

"My son! My son! You died such a tragic death!"

Emperor Xuan threw himself upon the body of the sixth prince, weeping uncontrollably.

Emperor Xuan cried until late into the night before his voice subsided considerably, his throat hoarse from crying.

His eyes were lifeless as he slumped down beside the sixth prince's corpse, lost in thought.

"Han Zhen, come in."

Hearing the Emperor Xuan call his name, Han Zhen braced himself and walked into the main hall.

He wondered to himself, "Is the Emperor going to punish me?"

But the Imperial Guards didn't have the ability to actually capture Qin Li and bring him to the palace.

Upon arriving before Emperor Xuan, Han Zhen bowed his head and clasped his hands in greeting, not daring to utter a single word.

Emperor Xuan did not question his crime, but only asked:

"Who do you think caused Lao Liu's death?"

Han Zhen lowered his head even further and said, "This subordinate dares not say."

"Speak, and I will pardon you."

Han Zhen then said, "Naturally, it's the Crown Prince."

Han Zhen wanted to give a different answer, because it was obvious to everyone that the Sixth Prince had brought this upon himself, and the Crown Prince was just doing his job.

But he dared not; his answer was the one Emperor Xuan hoped to hear.

As expected, Emperor Xuan nodded in satisfaction upon hearing the answer: "Yes, it was caused by that rebellious son."

"He not only killed the third son, but also drove the sixth son to his death. I will hold him accountable for this debt."

"One day, I will make him pay for his crimes in blood!"