Chapter 29: A Vow to Protect the Master Unto Death

The words had barely left his lips when Sun Wei, the Governor of Liangzhou, and Mei Zhiyong, the head of the Judicial Office, arrived with a large contingent of men, completely surrounding the academy.

Ning Junruo sneered bitterly; no wonder he was so arrogant—he had come prepared.

Zhao Shenxing’s hair was slightly disheveled, giving him a wild, untamed air. His face was flushed, but his unfocused eyes held a cold, iron-like indifference. Ning Junruo stared at him intensely, as if seeing him for the first time.

"The academy is opening today. Did Your Highness come here specifically to cause trouble?"

Her long, deep purple robes draped perfectly over her slender frame. Beneath her arched brows, her bright, piercing gaze held an icy, haughty disdain for everything.

"Cause trouble?" Zhao Shenxing scoffed. "You opened this academy on your own authority—did you ever seek my permission? I am here to take you back to the manor, so you can stop making a spectacle of yourself here!"

A sharper glint appeared in Ning Junruo’s eyes, as if she hadn't heard the threat in his voice. "Who is really making a spectacle of themselves? If I do not wish to return, no one can force me!"

Zisu immediately stepped forward, drawing her sword and standing in front of her mistress. Her murderous gaze served as a silent warning: she would protect her master with her life.

"Insolence!" Enraged, Zhao Shenxing waved his hand and commanded sharply, "Seize the Princess!"

As the armored cavalry drew closer, the crowd gathered at the entrance scrambled back to clear a path. Just as the tension reached a breaking point, Li Tailai, with his white hair and beard, hurried over, supported by a servant.

"Haha, I never expected to see Your Highness here," he said with a bow and a smile. "The Beneficent Academy founded by the Princess is a project that benefits both the nation and the people. Why would Your Highness wish to stop it?"

Mr. Li Tailai had served as the libationer at the Imperial Academy for many years, and his students were scattered across the land. To put it mildly, one out of every four officials in the capital had been his student. Although he had retired to his hometown, his descendants and former students still held influential positions in the capital; a single word from him could shake the very halls of the imperial court. Even as the Prince of Liang, Zhao Shenxing could not help but show him some deference.

"I did not expect to see you here, sir," Zhao Shenxing said, bowing as he forced a smile. "This is a private matter within my household; I hope you will not interfere."

***

When gods fight, mortals suffer. Sun Wei and Mei Zhiyong had been caught in a difficult spot between the Prince and the Princess, and seeing Mr. Li arrive brought them a wave of relief.

Li Tailai beamed, saying, "If this were truly just a domestic matter, I would not dare intervene. But this concerns the survival of the academy, and I cannot stand by. Perhaps Your Highness is unaware, but the Princess has appointed me as the dean..."

*The damned old cur,* Zhao Shenxing thought, his jaw twitching violently. He replied in a huff, "Surely you have heard that the ruler is the guide for the subject, the father for the son, and the husband for the wife. I am the governor of Liangzhou, yet the Princess has taken it upon herself to establish this academy. Whether viewed through the lens of subject and ruler or husband and wife, I have the right to put a stop to this."

The smile vanished from Li Tailai’s face. He had previously assumed the Princess was acting in the name of the Prince’s manor. He had underestimated her, never imagining she was shouldering such immense pressure. Recalling their past interactions, he straightened his back and said sternly, "The academy has fulfilled every necessary procedure. If Your Highness forces it to close, would that not be an abuse of power?"

"What? Are you planning to stand in my way?" Zhao Shenxing’s patience had worn thin, and he was no longer as polite as before.

"I would not dare, but I do know that even a prince must abide by the laws of the Great Yun," Li Tailai replied, bowing with righteous conviction.

Ning Junruo walked toward him with a smile and performed a respectful curtsy. "The sir is absolutely right. I thank you for your bold words of justice."

She then dropped her smile and looked coldly at Zhao Shenxing. "Your Highness constantly speaks of governing Liangzhou, yet do you know what it means to eat the people’s grain and share their burdens? My actions are merely to contribute on behalf of the Prince’s manor. If Your Highness shuts down this academy, you will only chill the hearts of the common folk."

Knowing how stubborn he was, Ning Junruo realized that even with Mr. Li’s mediation, he might not back down, so she invoked the weight of the Prince’s manor itself.

"The Princess is right. The reason the people of Liangzhou are so fierce is that there are too few scholars, and the populace lacks education," Xu Mingyi said, arriving with a group of scholars. "The Prince and Princess both act for the sake of the people. I have heard that the Princess has exhausted herself to ensure the continuation of Liangzhou’s literary tradition—it is enough to put us men to shame. We scholars have little to our names, so we came specifically to observe the academy’s opening, hoping to write a few essays to honor the benevolence of the Princess and the Prince."

These self-proclaimed scholars were notoriously haughty. They used their brushes as blades and their tongues as arrows, criticizing everything by drawing parallels between the past and present. They did not even hold the imperial court in high regard, let alone a prince. Remembering how his own scandalous affairs had been turned into poems and songs, spreading through the streets, Zhao Shenxing felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

***

These poor, arrogant scholars were malicious in their intentions. They already held prejudices against him; if he were to openly close the academy, there was no telling what vicious things they would write to criticize and distort his reputation.

He could handle one Li Tailai, but he could not afford to provoke so many scholars at once.

As Zhao Shenxing weighed his options, someone spoke up: "I have heard that the Princess is a person of exceptional literary talent. Seeing her today, it is clearly true."

"Is Your Highness here with so many men to offer your support to the Princess?" Xu Mingyi asked, smiling at Zhao Shenxing. "The dean and the instructors are all here, and we will assist as well. Your Highness need not worry about anyone causing trouble. To avoid frightening the children, perhaps you should take your men and leave early."

*It is this Xu Mingyi again!* Zhao Shenxing felt his teeth itch with rage.

If he made such a grand entrance only to let it end like this, what would people think of him in the future? Yet, if he insisted on closing the academy, he dreaded what these scholars would write about him. His imperial brother was already dissatisfied with him; if he did something else that lost the hearts of the people, he could not guarantee his own salary and position would remain secure.

At this moment, Zhao Shenxing felt as if he were being roasted over a fire.

He saw Ning Junruo staring at him, and she said coldly, "It has come to this; I have nothing left to fear. Does Your Highness truly want this to become common knowledge across the land?"

Zhao Shenxing shuddered. How could he not understand the threat in her words? This woman had gone mad! He did not doubt for a second that if she were pushed too far, she would expose all the dark secrets of the manor.

"Fine. Very well!" Zhao Shenxing gritted his teeth. "My mother has been ill for days, yet you, the Princess, ignore her to seek the limelight here. Is this the filial piety of the Ning family?"

Ning Junruo’s gaze darkened. "Your Highness, rest assured. Once the academy is settled, I shall return to the manor to serve her."