TRBDM -Chapter 133 A Risky Move

After thanking him, Xie Lan took the Wenyi Zhi and carefully put it away.

When Jianxi delivered the book, he had avoided drawing attention, leaving as soon as he handed it over, trying not to attract anyone’s notice.

Although Jianxi didn’t know why the Tenth Prince had suddenly become close to the Mingde Marquisate, he simply followed his master’s orders. Besides, Third Young Master Xie had been generous, giving him a full ingot of silver.

After leaving the Imperial Academy, Xie Lan returned to the Dong residence along with the two traveling students.

Mr. Dong sighed deeply when he learned that Xie Lan had lost to the academy students by only a tiny margin.

In the end, it was still a bit short.

Xie Lan hadn’t achieved first place and felt guilty about disappointing Mr. Dong. He bowed his head and apologized: “Forgive me, Master Dong.”

Mr. Dong shook his head: “It’s not your fault. Come, follow me to the study; we’ll go over the exam questions in detail.”

“Yes, sir.”

Xie Lan stayed with Mr. Dong in the study until late, analyzing and discussing every question and answer.

Mr. Dong understood where the gap lay.

It seemed he would have to use his connections to borrow more books for the students; otherwise, the gap would persist.

By the time it grew late, Mr. Dong finally waved Xie Lan off.

Exhausted, Xie Lan left the study, and Xie Yu immediately came up to meet him.

“Third Brother.”

“Mm.” Xie Lan smiled.

“Congratulations, Third Brother! You got first among the traveling students!”

Xie Yu was genuinely happy for Xie Lan. He didn’t care about rankings—no matter what, his Third Brother would always be first in his heart; no one could surpass him.

“Thank you.”

Xie Lan took out the Wenyi Zhi. “The Tenth Prince asked me to give this to you. He said his promise still stands.”

“Really?”

Xie Yu took the book in disbelief, carefully running his fingers over the cover. “So when I finish this book, I can exchange it with the Tenth Prince for another?”

“Yes.”

“The Tenth Prince is really kind.”

Xie Lan looked at Xie Yu, who was completely in the dark, feeling a complex mix of emotions.

He wasn’t sure if hiding the truth about his identity was for the better or worse; he always felt guilty toward Xie Yu.

As a result, he couldn’t bring himself to feel truly happy.

Xie Yu’s joy lasted only a short while. Noticing Xie Lan’s low spirits, he immediately stopped smiling.

On the carriage ride back to the mansion, the two of them spoke little.

Xie Yu no longer mentioned the competition and deliberately told trivial jokes to cheer Xie Lan up.

Xie Lan understood his intentions and played along, smiling politely.

When they arrived at the Marquisate, they first went to Anhe Courtyard.

Knowing they were coming, the two Dou sisters and Xie Wanrou were waiting for them.

“Lan’er, how did the competition go this time?” Wei Zhaorong asked.

Xie Lan replied that he had placed second.

“And who got first place?”

“Nangong Hai.”

Hearing the familiar name, Dou Shuyao and Wei Zhaorong exchanged a knowing glance.

Dou Shuyao had always remembered this person—Nangong Hai was the young man Xie Wanyi admired.

At Xie Lan’s birthday banquet, Xie Wanyi had chased after Nangong Hai, which had worried Dou Shuyao for quite some time.

Until now, she had only heard that Nangong Hai was handsome; she hadn’t realized his scholarly talent was so impressive as well.

Wei Zhaorong wasn’t surprised by the result. In her previous life, Nangong Hai had been the third-ranked scholar in the imperial exams—truly talented, with genuine ability.

However, she did not believe Xie Lan was any weaker.

Xie Lan had just started later; with a little more time, he would surely surpass Nangong Hai.

“Lan’er, your performance in this contest was excellent. Mother is proud of you. Now that the contest is over, there’s no need to dwell on it—just keep working hard going forward. You two must be starving; come, let’s eat.”

Wei Zhaorong had already instructed the servants to prepare a lavish dinner.

Regardless of the outcome of the contest, they had given their utmost effort—and that was enough.

Xie Wanrou smiled as she served her two brothers: “Eat more. Mother specially had this stew prepared.”

“Mm, thank you, eldest sister. Thank you, Mother.”

After the meal, Wei Zhaorong asked Xie Lan privately, “Have you handed the letter to the Tenth Prince?”

“Yes,” Xie Lan replied. “After reading it, His Highness’ expression changed drastically. He crumpled the letter into a ball and even chased me away. Mother, what did the letter say that made the Tenth Prince so angry?”

“It’s all right. Don’t worry. You should go back and rest first.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Zhao Jingheng’s reaction was exactly what Wei Zhaorong had anticipated.

What she had written in the letter—if it were to get out—would be a crime punishable by extermination of the entire family.

It was only natural for the Tenth Prince to be shocked, angry, and panicked.

Wei Zhaorong had played a risky move, but with her memories from her previous life, the move was daring yet safe.

Moreover, the future Empress Dou Shuxin was currently residing at the Marquis residence; she was confident that she could ensure Zhao Jingheng’s ascension to the throne.

The honor of the Mingde Marquisate rested on this single move.

Wei Zhaorong vaguely remembered that when the Emperor had suddenly passed away, the imperial succession edict was lost, and the Third Prince Zhao Jingyan used this to pressure the court officials, forcing them to jointly depose the Crown Prince and support him instead.

The civil officials, led by the Dali Temple, supported the Crown Prince, and the two factions clashed fiercely.

Later, the Third Prince was assassinated within his residence. The Crown Prince, already physically weak, became paranoid upon hearing the news. Eventually, he descended into madness and could no longer inherit the throne.

With the two strongest heirs eliminated, a prince who had previously seemed hopeless began gathering support and contending for the throne.

At the same time, attempts on the princes’ lives became increasingly reckless.

Zhao Jingheng survived countless assassination attempts and eventually stood atop the throne, stepping over the corpses of his brothers.

Wei Zhaorong could not know all the dangers and hardships he had endured along the way, but she knew the most important outcome.

By becoming the primary contributor in assisting the new emperor’s rise, the Mingde Marquisate would be guaranteed a century of honor.

Reborn and returned, Wei Zhaorong devoted herself entirely to the Marquisate. She raised her children and disciplined the unfilial—all for the bright future of the family.

She understood the gravity of the matter; the Tenth Prince could not accept it immediately.

It wasn’t yet the most critical moment—he had enough time to deliberate slowly.

At the residence of the Princess:

The covert guards were reporting Xie Yu’s daily schedule to Zhao Lingchen: “Fourth Master Xie had breakfast with Third Master Xie, then after bidding Third Master farewell, went to study at the Dong residence.”

“During the day, Master Dong praised Fourth Master Xie three times—for his beautiful handwriting, his quick memorization, and his outstanding poetry.”

Zhao Lingchen listened attentively, missing no detail. “What poem did he write?”

While everyone else wasn’t looking, the covert guard secretly retrieved the poem.

“Princess, please see.”

Zhao Lingchen eagerly took the paper and read Xie Yu’s poem over and over again.

What Master Dong said was true—Xie Yu wrote beautifully, so beautifully that Zhao Lingchen couldn’t look away.

Those hands, scarred all over, could produce such upright and elegant characters, full of spirit.

The smile on Zhao Lingchen’s face never left.

The handwriting was excellent—but the poem was even better.

“Yu’er is so clever. When I was his age, all I knew was to wield the sword and spear—I could never have written such an extraordinary poem.”

The nanny who cared for Zhao Lingchen wiped her tears and said, “Our little young master is incredible. This is the best poem I’ve ever heard, better than those of literary masters.”

Nanny was one of the few who knew the truth; she felt for the young master, and even more for her own princess.