Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 671: Chapter 328: Ignoring Him, the Tenth Prince

Zhao Yao stood by the window on the second floor of the tavern, gazing at the docks not far away. Despite the busy comings and goings and the continuous shouts during the day, the docks showed no signs of the bloody battle that took place here last night.

In recent times, every night there would be brutal fights at the docks of Jinling City, Suzhou Prefecture, and Runzhou Prefecture. The banks of the Jinling River, Run River, and Suzhou River were all stained with blood, and the air was filled with a strong stench of blood. Yet, by day, the blood and stench would vanish completely, as if nothing had ever happened.

The people of Jinling City seemed oblivious, going about their business at the docks as usual.

In the eyes of the people of Jinling City, Zhao Yao saw no trace of fear or unease. They seemed accustomed to these events and were completely unfazed.

He deliberately asked the tavern waiter about the Cao Group and the Salt Gang, but the waiter was evasive and advised him not to inquire about such matters.

The waiter further told Zhao Yao that to survive in Jinling City, he should not ask about anything related to the Cao Group or the Salt Gang, or else he might die without knowing why.

Zhao Yao thought the people of Jinling City were indifferent to the Cao Group and the Salt Gang, believing they were used to it and unafraid, but he realized they were not fearless; they were too scared. They deliberately numbed themselves, pretending to be unaware of everything.

The waiter also told Zhao Yao that to live well in Jinling City, he should play deaf and dumb. He kindly reminded Zhao Yao that Jinling City was not safe at the moment, and it would be best for him to leave quickly and not linger here.

Zhao Yao thanked the waiter for his kindness and, after having his meal, left with his four good brothers. They did not rush home but instead went to a teahouse where the literati and scholars of Jinling City liked to gather.

Although the civil service exam was approaching, the literati in the teahouse did not mention it at all, as if they were completely unaware of it. In reality, it was not that they were unaware, but rather they disdained mentioning the exam. To be precise, they blatantly ignored the civil service exam.

The literati and scholars never talked about the civil service exam, only about Mr. Meng’s past articles and poems. After Mr. Meng’s passing, they enthusiastically discussed his works, as if this was the proper way to honor him.

If they truly respected Mr. Meng, they should heed his advice and participate in the upcoming civil service exam.

After the court proposed the civil service exam, even while ill, Mr. Meng wrote several articles and poems praising the exam, urging scholars across the land to actively participate.

Ordinarily, the literati and scholars of Jinling City highly regarded Mr. Meng’s articles and poems, even considering them as standards. Yet, they turned a blind eye to his writings on the civil service exam and refrained from any comments.

Originally, Mr. Meng intended to use his status as a great scholar to promote the civil service exam before his death, but unfortunately, his title was ineffective at this time. It was only then that he realized that in the face of interests, he, as a great scholar, was worthless and useless.

Passing away without being of any help made Mr. Meng die with regret. He always felt that he fell ill at the wrong time and died at the wrong time. If he could have lived a bit longer, he could have helped manage the civil service exam and gotten many scholars to participate.

When Zheng Xilin and Zhao Yao heard Mr. Meng say these words, they tacitly did not tell him the truth. Even if he were in good health and entrusted with the great responsibility of managing the exam, the scholars of Jinling City wouldn’t participate.

Zhao Yao sat in the teahouse for a while, listening to the literati bragging about Mr. Meng’s works when he was alive, feeling both ironic and amused.

Unable to stand it any longer, Zhao Yao left the teahouse with Song Jicai and the others.

Upon returning to the residence, they found Zheng Xilin there.

Lately, Zheng Xilin had been busy with other matters and didn’t have time to visit Zhao Yao and the others. Today, he finally had some free time and immediately came to see them.

Upon seeing Zhao Yao and the others, Zheng Xilin scolded them, questioning why they hadn’t left Jinling.

After obediently accepting the scolding, Zhao Yao and the others hurriedly placated Zheng Xilin, taking quite some time to calm him down.

Knowing that Zheng Xilin had something to say to Zhao Yao, Song Jicai and the others sensibly left the room.

In the study, Zheng Xilin stared at Zhao Yao with a stern face, saying nothing.

Zhao Yao innocently blinked at him, then gave a flattering smile, "Uncle, you see, I’m perfectly fine."

Zheng Xilin glared at Zhao Yao, somewhat helplessly saying, "What are you trying to do by staying in Jinling?"

With a smiling face, Zhao Yao replied, "I just want to see what happens in Jinling after Mr. Meng is gone."

"Have you found out now?" Zheng Xilin asked sarcastically, "Has your curiosity been satisfied?"

Zhao Yao did not answer Zheng Xilin’s question but instead asked directly, "Uncle, why are you staying in Jinling? If you want to save Mr. Meng’s family, shouldn’t you be going to Runzhou Prefecture?" There were no members of the Meng Family in Jinling Prefecture.

Zheng Xilin, expressionless, said, "I have my own reasons for staying in Jinling City."

Zhao Yao glanced at Zheng Xilin, and suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. He looked surprised and asked, "Uncle, you’re not staying in Jinling City to save the Meng Family, but to lure out the mastermind behind the scenes?"

"That isn’t something you should concern yourself with." Zheng Xilin’s gaze turned severe, and his voice became very serious, "Get out of Jinling immediately."

As Zheng Xilin said this, Zhao Yao became more convinced of his guess. His expression suddenly turned serious, filled with concern, "Uncle, staying in Jinling City is dangerous for you."

"Don’t worry about me, I won’t be in danger." Zheng Xilin said coldly, "If you continue to stay in Jinling, I will be in danger."

"Me staying in Jinling puts you in danger?" At first, Zhao Yao didn’t understand how staying in Jinling City could endanger Zheng Xilin, as he wasn’t doing anything. Then he quickly realized. "Is it because I’m a prince?"

Seeing that Zhao Yao figured it out, Zheng Xilin said nothing more.

"Since you know, leave immediately."

Though Zhao Yao realized it, he still didn’t fully understand and asked in confusion, "The officials in Jinling completely ignore me as a prince. How could I pose any danger to you?" He had been in Jinling for more than a month, and the officials had not appeared before him, as if unaware that he, the tenth prince, was in Jinling.

The officials and noble families of Jinling ignored him as the tenth prince, and moreover, he had done nothing. How could he cause trouble for his uncle?

"You are, after all, a prince, and if you linger here, you might get involved in these matters." Zheng Xilin said, "If you actually get involved, you should know that neither the Crown Prince nor Prince Dai will care about your life or death."