C97 The Death of Zongzheng Qingxuan

After unexpectedly receiving such a tip, Zhan Tianming knowingly snorted in his heart.

Try as he might to understand, he did not know the reason why Housekeeper Luo wanted to test his strength. Or rather, whose orders was it for Housekeeper Luo to attack him. No matter what, this feeling of being someone’s fool was very uncomfortable.

Although he was very unhappy, Zhan Tianming did not immediately act up.

After all, this was the County Prince's Mansion and he had to be on his best behavior.

Furthermore, just the strength of that Housekeeper Luo was enough to kill him. He did not want to give his enemies more reason to attack him again.

“In my current condition, I’m still too weak!”

“No, my stay here cannot be prolonged. If this continues to drag on, it will take forever for my strength to increase.”

This kind of feeling where he was not in control of his life made Zhan Tianming feel really uncomfortable.

Suddenly a thought came to him, and he immediately turned his attention to the servant.

“I request an audience with Your Highness.”

Very soon, the servant led Zhan Tianming to Zongzheng Qingxuan’s study.

“Your Highness, Young Master Zhan requests an audience.” The servant respectfully shouted this towards the study room.

Unfortunately, not a sound could be heard from behind the closed doors of the study.

“Your Highness, Young Master Zhan requests an audience.” The servant repeated.

However, there was still no answer.

“Master, this can’t be good. I can detect the smell of blood coming from the study room.” Little Purple’s solemn voice warned.

The shift in Zhan Tianming’s facial expression was apparent.

“There’s a smell of blood from inside the room. Quickly kick open the door and take a look.” Zhan Tianming quickly took command of the situation.

“What?” The servant was stunned by the news.

The smell of blood coming from the study room. What could this mean?

Did this mean that something had happened to the prince?

However, as a lowly servant, he didn’t dare open the door of the study without being first given the command. Otherwise, if the high-ups were to place the blame on him, even if he had ten heads on his shoulders, he would never be able to save himself.

Seeing that the servant was hesitant, Zhan Tianming could care less about protocol and directly walked up the entrance and opened the door to the study.

Whoosh!

A strong stench of blood met him when he opened the door.

Zhan Tianming could not help but frown slightly.

Once the smell of blood reached his nostrils, the servant’s face changed noticeably.

The two of them quickly made their way inside.

Upon entering, they could see Zongzheng Qingxuan, who was dressed in brocade robes, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The blood was everywhere.

“Prince…”

The servant was totally dumbfounded. The scene before him was too shocking.

Then, when he was finally able to regain his senses, he shouted in a loud voice.

“Guards, the prince has been assassinated!”

“This is terrible. The prince has been assassinated. Someone come quickly…”

Seeing the bloody scene before him, Zhan Tianming could not help but frown, his mind whirling with a multitude of thoughts.

Zongzheng Qingxuan was assassinated?

How could such a coincidence happen at this time?

He was looking for him and now he was suddenly assassinated.

Furthermore, the blood on the ground had yet to congeal, so he could tell that Zongzheng Qingxuan had not been dead for long. The murderer could still be on the palace grounds.

In no time at all, the entire manor was alerted to this news.

Zongzheng Wanyou also immediately rushed over after hearing her father was found dead.

Seeing her father’s familiar form lying in a pool of blood, tears came rushing down her face.

“Father… Father…”

Zongzheng Wanyou’s voice was so choked with emotions, her words became inaudible to the naked ear.

This was too unreal. She felt like something was lodged in her throat. The sensation was very uncomfortable, so much so that she wanted to get a knife to cut an opening in her throat and then take out that object that was preventing her from speaking clearly.

Her entire body was also trembling from the trauma.

She had never gotten over the lost of her mother at a very young age, and now, her father too was gone. The grief was so great, it was like a sharp blade had pierced into her heart ruthlessly.

Not only did she feel pain, but her heart was also a bloody mess.

“Father!”

Finally, a loud shout came from out of her mouth, and Zongzheng Wanyou rushed towards the dead body that was slowly growing stiffer by the minute, shaking it, wailing over it, as though she was trying to wake up the dead.

Yet no matter how much she wailed and how mournful her cries sounded, the person on the ground did not move in the slightest.

He was dead. Really, really dead.

“What just went down?” Feng Wushuang had also rushed over and turned toward Zhan Tianming for confirmation of the day’s events.

Zhan Tianming slowly shook his head.

Lu Mingyan, Feng Lejiang, and the rest had also been alerted of the situation and rushed over. Zhang Bao was inviting a lot of people to the wedding ceremony and they all came at once to join in on the festivities. The wedding guests were all currently staying in the Prince’s Mansion so they were all within proximity when this happened.

The very moment they saw Zongzheng Qingxuan lying in a pool of blood, they could not believe their eyes.

Linshang County Prince died from stab wounds?

This time, the whole of Linshang County would be in chaos!

Whether it was Lu Mingyan, Feng Lejiang, Feng Wushuang, or any of the others, they were very familiar with the situation in regards to Sky Wind Country.

Facing such a predicament, the royal family would not interfere in matters between the seven counties.

In other words, if Linshang County didn’t find a replacement for Zongzheng Qingxuan quick, then it was entirely possible the other six counties would divide Linshang County up amongst themselves.

It could very well be inevitable.

Linshang County was going to fall into hectic times very soon, and the war horn was about to sound. Pretty soon the iron hooves of the other six counties would be invading Linshang County's territory.

And now, only one thing remained.

And this was a very important question.

Would the marriage between Zongzheng Wanyou and Zhang Bao happen?

If Zongzheng Wanyou agreed to marry Zhang Bao, then Linshang County would naturally fall to Jiuyuan County.

But if she didn’t marry him...

Then, the other six nations would definitely fight over Linshang County.

Now, even if Zongzheng Wanyou agreed to marry Zhang Bao, the other counties’ princes would never agree and would use their military forces in order to stop him. They would not just stand idle and watch as Jiuyuan County’s County Prince take Linshang County.

It was unquestionable that war and conflict were on the horizons.

As these thoughts flashed wildly in their minds, Lu Mingyan and the rest were ready to send word back to their homes.

Feng Wushaung touched Zhan Tianming’s arm and asked softly, “Who found out about this?”

“I did,” Zhan Tianming said.

Hearing his words, Feng Wushuang, Lu Mingyan, Feng Lejiang, and the rest all turned in unison to look at him in shock.

“You’re the one who found his body?” Feng Wushuang could not hide her surprise.

Zhan Tianming nodded his head.

He then gave them a brief explanation.

Not far away.

Zongzheng Wanyou cried her eyes out.

Her beautiful face was stained by tears.

Her grief was inconsolable and her cries conveyed the sorrow that lay in her heart.

She sat in the pool of blood, not paying any attention to her dress that had now been dyed blood-red. Because, to her, none of this was of any importance. It was no longer important at all, really… None of this mattered at all.

“... Father… Who on earth did this to you?”

“Father… Say something…”

“County Princess, please don’t cry anymore… County Princess…” Xiang'er was on the side and tried to console her, but Zongzheng Wanyou wasn’t having any of it. She cried until her eyes were swollen red.

Seeing Zongzheng Wanyou’s tears made Zhan Tianming’s heart ache in his chest.

Zhan Tianming really could not just sit there and do nothing about this.

He walked forward and got ready to comfort Zongzheng Wanyou.

But right at this moment, Zongzheng Wanyou, whose face was covered in tears, suddenly stood up and turned around. She looked directly at Zhan Tianming with a pair of fiery red eyes, her trembling lily-white hands suddenly pointing at him.

“It’s you! You’re the murderer who caused the death of my father!”