77: Chapter 74: Zhi Ning’s Recruitnt, Deities!
77: Chapter 74: Zhi Ning’s Recruitnt, Deities!
Once again, he ca to the familiar carriage, but this ti Zhi Ning did not let Lanling get on board.
Given past lessons, she was truly afraid that Lanling might not play by the rules and bite her again, or even do sothing more outrageous.
“I have read your policy discussion, and it was well-written.
Were you playing the fool to catch the wise all along?” Zhi Ning asked.
Lanling shook his head and replied, “No, I just made a trip to the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range.
My spirit was purified, and my realm improved, granting new insights.”
“Oh?
What insights?” Zhi Ning inquired.
“Is the Commandery Princess sure she wants to hear?” Lanling said.
“What could I possibly be afraid of hearing?” Zhi Ning retorted.
“For example, that Zhi Ning is a slut,” Lanling repeated the words he had previously said in front of Yi Manman.
Upon hearing this, the first to react was the eunuch Li Zhu, whose palm trembled slightly.
He almost couldn’t help but want to kill Lanling on the spot.
As for Zhi Ning, her stunning face instantly flushed red.
No one had ever cursed her like that before.
She was gasping for air, her chest heaving with agitation, which only served to accentuate the curves on her chest.
“Suo Lun, do you truly not fear that I might kill you?” Zhi Ning said, word by word, venomously, with genuine murderous intent in her voice.
“You insisted on hearing it, so I could only tell the blunt truth,” Lanling replied.
Zhi Ning closed her eyes, trying to calm her heart.
She had co to see Suo Lun on serious business, on a mission from Zhi Li, and could not be upset over such trivialities, even though she found her composure was utterly useless in front of Suo Lun.
“Zhi Li His Highness highly appreciates your policy discussion,” Zhi Ning said.
“He believes you are a person of great wisdom.”
“So, what about it?” Lanling said.
“Therefore, he hopes that you will give up the Tianshui City Territory and join his camp,” Zhi Ning said.
“With your talent, you could at least enter the cabinet.
Perhaps even beco his future pri minister.”
At these words, Lanling was indeed startled.
He had not anticipated that Zhi Li, who had originally wanted to kill him, was now trying to recruit him after reading his policy discussion.
Zhi Ning continued, “You see the bigger picture.
Once the commoner elites completely rise, they will beco hard to control.
And you, representing the noble class, will balance them out.
I believe you can see the significance in this.
In ti, you will beco the representative of the entire noble class.
Your stage is the entire Rage Wave Kingdom, not just the re Tianshui City.”
Zhi Ning stared at Lanling and slowly said, “I trust that with your wisdom, you will understand the relationship between sacrifice and gain.
There has to be giving up in order to receive.”
Lanling remained silent still.
Zhi Ning went on, “Moreover, you know that Tianshui City is involved in Zhi Li His Highness’s grand strategy, so you definitely can’t keep it.
An astute person wouldn’t futilely resist an overwhelming force.
And once you lose your title and lands, in order to completely prevent the Suo family from reviving, your death is certain.
The power disparity between us was just too great before.”
Still, Lanling gave no response.
Zhi Ning said, “Then, the next choice should be very simple.
Do you choose to live and join Zhi Li His Highness’s camp, reaching the pinnacle of officialdom in the future?
Or do you choose to be destroyed along with your Tianshui City Territory?
You must answer now.”
Lanling looked at Zhi Ning’s beautiful face and suggested, “Commandery Princess, how about you make a choice as well?”
“Speak?” Zhi Ning’s eyebrows twitched slightly, sensing that Suo Lun was about to verbally humiliate her again.
Lanling posed the question, “For instance, if I am skilled in martial arts and you are defenseless, and one day you fall into my hands, and I want to rape you.
Would you choose death to maintain your purity, or would you choose to be violated by and then live in sha and silence, becoming my woman?”
For a good while, there was no sound from within the carriage.
Imdiately after, Zhi Ning burst out of the carriage, her hand aiming a slap directly at Lanling’s face.
She truly couldn’t hold back; she knew it was unbecoming, but she really couldn’t restrain herself.
Lanling instinctively tried to catch her hand but found to his surprise that he suddenly couldn’t move.
Then he felt soone behind him—the dead eunuch Li Zhu’s fingers were directly pointing at his neck, locking his body as if in a vice.
“Slap…” Zhi Ning’s hand t Lanling’s face.
Then, she re-entered the carriage and commanded coldly, “Go!”
“Suo Lun, for the third examination, don’t even dream of getting a high score,” Zhi Ning coldly said.
“We will suppress you openly and directly.”
Lanling said, “Don’t you care about the face of the Holy Temple Monks at all?”
Zhi Ning replied, “The Holy Temple Monks are also human.
Would they really go against the royal family for a minor noble like you?
Unless you create an unparalleled masterpiece that cos once in a century, captivating their souls, causing them to worship you, do you think that is possible?”
Indeed, that was almost impossible.
To know, the Great Art Masters from the Dragon Temple who ca this ti stood at the pinnacle of the world’s artistic pyramid, almost divine in their arrogance, no piece having captivated their souls in over a century.
Zhi Ning enunciated each word, “So, they will definitely watch us suppress you and remain indifferent.
You must be looking forward to your score for the third examination.
Let tell you in advance, it won’t exceed thirty points.”
Then, she stord off in a fit of rage.
Suo Lun, left standing in the sa spot, caressed his cheek that had been struck, his handso face trembling slightly.
…
Before the third examination, Zhi Ning, representing the royal family, called a eting with all the examiners from the Royal City Academy.
“I want to make it clear that everyone must obey His Majesty the King’s will, and that everything must make way for the kingdom’s future strategy,” Zhi Ning said, “The kingdom’s strategy to expand southwards must not be affected in any way, do you all understand?”
Although Zhi Ning didn’t ntion Suo Lun by na, everyone heard the implication clear as day, Zhi Ning was representing the royal family and was set on thoroughly suppressing Suo Lun.
In the first examination, Suo Lun scored highly, and Zhi Ning was indifferent.
But in the second examination, when Suo Lun once again scored highly and his strategic essay even shook the entire cabinet and the royal family, Zhi Ning could no longer remain indifferent.
Because everyone knew about the bet she had with Suo Lun.
If Suo Lun really made it into the top ten and received the noble samurai dal, it wouldn’t be a big deal for Zhi Ning to get a snake kiss, at worst she’d beco a laughingstock.
And the Silver Casino having to pay out a hundred thousand Gold Coins would at most lead to bankruptcy, causing significant financial strain for Zhi Ning and Zhi Li.
However, there was another clause in the bet, if Suo Lun received the noble samurai dal, he was to inherit a noble title and the City Lordship of Tianshui City.
Moreover, the entire Royal City already knew about this bet and all eyes were on it.
If Suo Lun truly made it into the top ten and received the noble samurai dal, the royal family wouldn’t dare commit a big taboo by preventing Suo Lun from inheriting the noble title and the position of Tianshui City Lord.
If they did, the royal family’s reputation in the people’s hearts would plumt.
Zhi Ning and Zhi Li, both could not afford such a cost.
So, she tore off the pretense of maintaining face and began to suppress Suo Lun in the examinations.
Despite this causing imnse harm to her reputation, she couldn’t care less at that mont.
The dozen or so examiners present were all from the Royal City Academy’s art departnt, including renowned artists from the entire city.
“I disagree,” Tutor Niya suddenly stood up and said forcefully, “Art is fair, just, and cannot tolerate desecration.”
It was true, Tutor Niya was also one of the art examiners.
Although she had never t Suo Lun, she had always followed his progress.
For Suo Lun’s first two subjects, she felt a heartfelt pride and joy.
And for Suo Lun’s third exam, she was filled with even more anticipation.
Everyone in the Royal City Academy knew that Suo Lun had enrolled in music to woo a beautiful tutor, whereas his talent actually lay in painting, and his level of music competence was atrocious.
Only Tutor Niya knew how astonishing Suo Lun’s talent in music was, and she was eagerly anticipating seeing Suo Lun thoroughly astound everyone in the third examination.
However, she did not expect Zhi Ning to have already decided Suo Lun’s fate before the exam.
Undoubtedly, once these people had made up their minds, even if Suo Lun perford the sound of heaven, he would still be given the lowest score.
Because such scoring was subjective.
Zhi Ning seed to have foreseen this scene and smiled faintly at the corner of her mouth.
At that mont, Tutor Niya suddenly saw a flash of golden light before her eyes, then her head spun, and she slumped sideways onto the chair.
“Tutor Niya is unwell and cannot sustain the work ahead, please go back first,” Zhi Ning said.
Then, two female samurai stepped forward, took hold of Tutor Niya’s arm, and led her out directly.
“Despicable, shaless, filthy…” Tutor Niya cried out in anguish, “Ladies and gentlen, please look into your conscience, look into your conscience!”
Zhi Ning said, “With Tutor Niya absent, let’s have the royal musicians replace her examiner duties.
Any objections?”
Everyone quickly shook their heads, and then a man with snow-white skin, almost more beautiful than a woman, entered and bowed to Zhi Ning.
This man was the royal musician, the famous beauty Long Yang.
Zhi Ning continued, “I believe that music cos from the heart.
If a person’s moral character is not good, then their artistic sentint is bound to be low and despicable.
A student who seduces a married woman, who is indecent with their own tutor, in my opinion, such vile character has already beco notorious.
What kind of score do you think such a debauched person should receive?”
“Zero,” Long Yang said.
“Art is, first and foremost, an elevation of the soul and character, and only then is it a level of skill.”
The art exam had a perfect score of one hundred, and this famous beauty, Long Yang, gave a score of zero.
“I think, if the skills are rather impressive, giving thirty points is still acceptable.”
“Twenty-five!”
“Thirty-five!”
Finally, all the scores ca in, and with the highest and lowest score dropped, Suo Lun’s score was twenty-three points.
That’s right, the examination hadn’t even started, but Suo Lun’s score had already been determined.
And with that score, there was no chance of making it into the top ten to get the noble samurai dal, let alone passing the graduation exam smoothly.
“Very good, the royal family will not forget your contributions,” Zhi Ning said.
At this mont, Principal Jian Yong suddenly said, “Your Highness, Commandery Princess, of course we will unconditionally comply with the kingdom’s strategy.
But there’s also the sages of the Dragon Temple…”
Zhi Ning said, “It’s quite a coincidence that Master Byron, who ca for the main examination, just happens to be my art tutor from the Yanjing Divine Dragon Sanctuary.”
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