"Wait! We brothers are accustomed to viewing song and dance, but we have not seen a trial in a few days. I propose you conduct the interrogation here!"
Just as Qin Hui thought he had escaped the ordeal, Zhao Kai suddenly spoke.
"This..."
Qin Hui's face immediately revealed a look of difficulty.
"Is there any inconvenience?"
Zhao Huan also asked with a smile, as if casually.
"Your Highness, such a villain dares to act lawlessly towards a Tai student within the Imperial Academy. He must be a stubborn and wicked individual. I fear he might tarnish the royal prestige!"
Qin Hui, after much deliberation, managed to utter these few words.
"Tarnish royal prestige? I wish to see how capable he is. You proceed with the interrogation right here!"
Zhao Kai seemed to be deliberately troublesome for Qin Hui, his every word and sentence targeting him.
This made Liu Li, who was standing nearby, a little flustered. At this point, he was truly afraid that this young man would expose Cai Xiu!
After all, if Cai Xiu were to fall into trouble, none of them would escape unscathed!
"Your Highness, the private examinations of the Imperial Academy have not yet concluded. It is indeed somewhat improper to conduct this here!"
Various thoughts flashed rapidly through Liu Li's mind. Within mere breaths, he had made up his mind.
As long as this young man revealed the slightest flaw, he would have no choice but to shift all blame onto Qin Hui.
"Prime Minister Liu is correct. The examinations have not yet concluded!"
Qin Hui quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He absolutely had to silence this person now, otherwise, this matter would ultimately lead to his complete ruin.
"I have long heard that Director Liu is eloquent and skilled in debate. Today, I see it is indeed well-deserved!"
Zhao Kai looked at Liu Li with a cold smile.
This excuse was truly one he could not refuse, after all, the examinations at the Imperial Academy were crucial to the futures of those students.
In reality, this matter was simple. Did the two princes not see clearly what was truly going on?
If this opportunity were missed, and they were given a chance to be alone together, it was likely the matter would be swept under the rug.
"Your Highness!"
At this moment, a young eunuch ran in from outside in a hurry and whispered a few words into Prince Yun's ear. Prince Yun's expression immediately changed.
"Third Brother, what is it? Has something happened at your residence?"
Zhao Huan asked, looking at Zhao Kai with a composed demeanor.
"Forgive me, elder brother! It is indeed some trivial matters. This humble younger brother shall take his leave first!"
Zhao Kai glanced deeply at the Crown Prince, then cupped his hands and spoke directly.
"Since that is the case, you may go attend to your business!"
Zhao Huan did not attempt to stop him and readily agreed with a smile.
"Then I shall visit elder brother at the Eastern Palace in a few days!"
After speaking, Zhao Kai rose, bowed, and departed.
"Your Highness, then..."
Regardless of anything else, the most troublesome person had finally left. Liu Li breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
"What are you looking at me for? This Crown Prince is merely passing by for a drink of water today. You may handle your own affairs as you see fit! However, you should consider carefully, if this matter leads to any gossip, there will be people who investigate it thoroughly!"
Zhao Huan's words finally brought Qin Hui a sense of great reprieve.
The matter had finally been glossed over. If it weren't for Zhao Huan's presence, he would have truly wanted to strike his own head.
Had he known this matter was so dangerous, he would never have accepted it so readily.
"Your Highness, please rest assured! This subordinate will certainly provide Your Highness with an explanation!"
Liu Li also relaxed and quickly agreed, signaling Qin Hui to quickly take the person away.
"Did you see clearly? Are they truly from the Crown Prince's residence?"
On the carriage outside the Imperial Academy, Zhao Kai looked sternly at a man in tattered clothes, exuding a foul odor.
"Your subordinate saw very clearly, and also heard them admit it themselves when speaking with people from Prince Xin's residence!"
"Very good! You may step down now!"
After the man left, Zhao Kai directly switched to another carriage, releasing the handkerchief he had been holding over his nose and mouth.
He already had a slight germophobia. If not for the extremely shocking nature of the news just now, why would he have personally come to see this person?
"Return to the residence immediately and dispatch someone to invite Scholar Cai!"
His struggle with the Crown Prince had entered a white-hot stage. Now that he had suddenly obtained such a significant handle on the Crown Prince, his heart could not be more excited.
"Your Highness, what is the matter that you summoned me so urgently?"
In less than half an hour, Cai You had arrived at Prince Yun's residence.
Zhao Kai could not afford to delay any longer and quickly handed Cai You a piece of intelligence he had compiled from various sources.
"Your Highness, could this matter be a trap? How could the Crown Prince dare to do such a thing? Isn't this a disgrace to the Emperor's reputation?"
After reading this intelligence, Cai You was completely stunned. How could this be possible?
How could the Crown Prince act so irrationally at this time?
Prince Xin's involvement in disaster relief was not a rare occurrence.
However, the Crown Prince getting involved in this matter was rather inexplicable.
Prince Xin was straightforward in his temperament but was not favored by the Emperor.
The disaster relief matters he orchestrated were seen as a joke by Cai Jing and his associates, as well as Prince Yun. No one took it seriously.
After all, there was no benefit to dealing with him; he was merely an idle person, and dealing with him would be a waste of effort.
But unexpectedly, the Crown Prince would interfere at this time. For Prince Yun, this was truly an unexpected joy.
Originally, the Emperor already disliked this Crown Prince. The only reason he hadn't deposed him was that the Crown Prince was cautious and reserved, giving them no opportunities.
To put it bluntly, this fellow was a coward. No matter how much Prince Yun provoked him, the Crown Prince always maintained that meek demeanor.
Coupled with the protection of a group of veteran officials around him, he had managed to maintain his position until now.
After years of hard struggle with no results, an opportunity suddenly presented itself, which made Cai You somewhat incredulous.
"I have confirmed it multiple times. Those people are indeed all from the Crown Prince's residence, and even his subordinate officials and several close guards have been dispatched!"
On such an important matter, Prince Yun certainly would not fail to investigate thoroughly.
After all, this was a matter related to his entire life. The position of the Son of Heaven was singular throughout the world. Even if it were a trap, he did not want to miss such a good opportunity.
"Then, shall we make our move?"
Cai You hesitated for a moment, then looked at Prince Yun again.
"Make our move!"