Chapter 0222: Cheng Wuxue’s Quick Application, Sheng Yiren’s Hasty Retreat

After the Peach Blossom Banquet concluded, Cheng Wuxue finally couldn’t resist asking Sheng Yiren, “Why did His Highness the Prince Regent tell those people they would definitely outperform us in the exams?”

Just moments ago in the Ancient Pavilion, he had said women weren’t necessarily inferior to men.

“Ah!” Seeing Cheng Wuxue’s admiration for Xie Chengze wavering, Sheng Yiren quickly explained, “You don’t understand, do you? This is called Excel+APP.”

“Huh?” Cheng Wuxue looked confused. “Ai Ke Sai Er? Ai Pi Pi?”

“It means calculation + flattery,” Sheng Yiren taught Cheng Wuxue the new vocabulary she learned from Xie Chengze in Liaozhou. “Using flattery to manipulate them, making them lose themselves in the praise, thereby helping His Highness achieve his goals.”

“CPU means brainwashing you, constantly instilling the other party’s ideas until you believe they’re right; PPT means painting a rosy picture, dangling unrealized benefits before you to tempt you into working for them; UFO means treating you as an outsider, keeping you in the dark about everything; KTV means betraying you behind your back, kicking you out of their inner circle!”

Cheng Wuxue pondered thoughtfully, “So when His Highness said that earlier, it was to motivate those young masters to study hard after entering the Imperial Academy?”

Sheng Yiren nodded, “Truly worthy of the future Minister of the Court of Judicial Review! Your father should really make way for you! Seriously, have you no thoughts about rebellion? If the Second Prince ascends the throne, you’ll definitely become Minister!”

Cheng Wuxue: “…You’re APP-ing and PPT-ing me.”

Sheng Yiren: “Oh, quite the quick learner.”

Cheng Wuxue: “Then, when His Highness the Prince Regent spoke to the Esteemed Daughters earlier, was he also painting us a rosy picture and APP-ing us?”

Sheng Yiren immediately made a hasty retreat: “…Ah, lovely weather! I need to go home and have the maid collect the laundry. Let’s talk another time!”

Cheng Wuxue: …

Sheng Yiren, how pathetic you look when guilty!

Elsewhere, Ouyang Jiu took Zhu Xiaobiao around Hanshan Temple, only realizing upon their return that Jing Ze had been looking for them.

The moment he saw them, Jing Ze’s anxious expression darkened instantly as he strode over. “Where have you been?”

“We were touring the temple, and…” Just as Zhu Xiaobiao was about to mention he’d obtained a Wenchang Talisman for him, he noticed Jing Ze’s gaze growing increasingly intense, filled with disappointment. “Didn’t I tell you in the carriage not to wander off?”

With Lord Shen having many enemies now, and as a member of the Prince Regent’s faction, he would inevitably implicate the Second Prince, even affecting those around him.

Whenever Zhu Xiaobiao left the palace on break, Jing Ze would personally fetch him, hoping to share some burden should hidden arrows come their way.

And just now, Zhu Xiaobiao had disappeared the moment he looked away.

It had been long since Zhu Xiaobiao last saw Jing Ze this angry – the previous time was when Jing Ze learned he’d been drugged and controlled by his stepmother.

Back then, Jing Ze had looked equally terrifying, his deep eyes like bottomless ink pools, asking if he needed help killing the stepmother.

He was no refined and gentle scholar; the experiences from earlier had long fostered darkness within him, and he did not mind using dirty, bloody means to eliminate his enemies.

Afraid that Jing Ze would scold him, Zhu Xiaobiao retreated behind Ouyang Jiu and whispered, “Isn’t Ouyang still here…”

“Calm down, calm down.” Seeing Jing Ze’s expression was very off, Ouyang Jiu quickly said, “Brother Zhu sought a Wenchang Talisman for you.”

Hearing this, Jing Ze’s expression eased slightly, and he extended his hand.

Zhu Xiaobiao looked down: “Huh?”

“The Wenchang Talisman?” Jing Ze reminded patiently.

“Oh, oh, oh.” Zhu Xiaobiao hurriedly pulled out the Wenchang Talisman and handed it to Jing Ze.

Ouyang Jiu, standing nearby, said enviously, “Little Zhu, you didn’t give me one, even though I was the one who went with you.”

“You’re not going to top the Palace Examination anyway,” Zhu Xiaobiao said mercilessly. “What use do you have for a Wenchang Talisman?”

“Hey!” Ouyang Jiu couldn’t help but stroll over to Jing Ze’s side, slung an arm over his shoulder, and said meaningfully, “Fine, then I’ll just have to ask Brother Jing Ze for it. A Wenchang Talisman obtained by the future top scholar might even transfer some of his exam luck to me~”

“What?!”

Zhu Xiaobiao immediately panicked. He regarded Jing Ze’s exam luck as more important than his own life—how could he stand to see such a thing happen? He promptly declared, “No! I’ll go get one for you right now!”

With that, he hurried ahead, urging the two behind him, “Come on, let’s go again!”

Jing Ze shook his head helplessly. “Stop teasing him all the time.”

“Not listening to the old man’s nagging,” Ouyang Jiu said, swaying his head as he followed Zhu Xiaobiao.

Jing Ze lowered his gaze and carefully hung the Wenchang Talisman on the jade plaque at his waist, gently stroking it as if it were a treasure.

He hoped the day of the Palace Examination would come soon.

By then, he would also have the ability to shelter him under his own sky.

——

Xie Chengze returned to the palace alone.

He had given Zhu Xiaobiao time off, and Shen Yuan couldn’t stay overnight in the palace frequently, so he went to the Imperial Study by himself to retrieve the textbooks he had left there.

Emperor Jian was nowhere to be found, Eunuch Zhao was also absent, and only Xie Jinyu sat by the desk, looking somewhat dazed.

Xie Chengze instinctively felt something was wrong.

It was rare for Xie Jinyu to be in such a distracted state, unless…

He quickened his pace and approached, his nose faintly catching a hint of a metallic, rusty scent.

“Did she hit you again?!”

Xie Chengze’s eyes tightened, and he immediately bent down to lift Xie Jinyu’s robes, wanting to check if he had been whipped again.

He had been perfectly fine when Xie Chengze left—how could he have been beaten upon his return?!

“Second Brother…”

Hearing Xie Chengze’s footsteps in his daze, Xie Jinyu slightly raised his head. His eyes were as hazy as a jade moon obscured by clouds in the night, tinged with a heartbreaking weariness and redness. “You’re finally back…”

As if all his strength had left him, he collapsed into Xie Chengze’s embrace, his breath faint as he murmured, “Second Brother, it hurts so much…”

“Endure it for a while. I’ll go find some medicine.” Xie Chengze wanted to fetch some ointment from the imperial hospital but found that Xie Jinyu’s arms had wrapped around his waist at some point, making it impossible to break free for the moment. “Jinyu, let go first. I’ll go get medicine for you.”

Xie Jinyu didn’t release him, resting his forehead lightly and heavily on Xie Chengze’s shoulder, his voice hoarse as he pleaded, “Don’t go, Second Brother. I’m scared…”

Could it be that the psychological scars from his childhood had been triggered again?

Xie Chengze was momentarily at a loss. Gently patting the uninjured part of the young man’s neck in his embrace, he soothed, “It’s alright now. Your second brother is here. I won’t let anyone bully you again.”

What was wrong with that woman? Xie Jinyu was already a grown man—how could she still hit him?

Could it be because he had recently become the Prince Regent and was gradually gaining influence at court, making her restless?

Xie Chengze frowned deeply. Only when the young man in his arms gradually calmed down did he ask, “Do you have any ointment yourself?”

He had just thought it over—rashly going to the imperial hospital for wound medicine wouldn’t be wise, as it might leave traces of suspicion. Xie Jinyu likely kept some on hand.

Leaning against his shoulder, Xie Jinyu gave a soft hum of acknowledgment. Then he withdrew one arm, gave a slight tremble, and a green jade medicine bottle rolled out from his sleeve.