Chapter 525: The final piece of the puzzle


    Trantor: Sparrow Trantions Editor: Sparrow Trantions


    Chi Hou was not alone. Wen Dabao, Yan Xiu, and even Ping Yang and Shan Yu were equally stunned.


    At this time...


    Shouldn’t he be asking for mercy?


    Executed!


    Was he trying to court death?


    Chi Hou looked at Fang Zhengzhi in confusion. He couldn’t tell if Fang Zhengzhi had lost his mind or if he truly had a death wish.


    Or had he simply given up?


    The crowd also looked at each other in shock and confusion.


    "Is he crazy?"


    "I heard that people do stupid things when faced with overwhelming pressure!"


    "Mm, I’ve heard of that happening too!"


    The crowd stared at the smiling Fang Zhengzhi. The only reason that they could think of was that he had lost his mind.


    The officials chuckled when they heard this.


    Even though they didn’t know why Fang Zhengzhi had said such a thing, they knew that Fang Zhengzhi had sealed his own fate.


    As for Emperor Lin Mubai’s attitude...


    The officials couldn’t figure it out but based on how Emperor Lin Mubai had reacted just now...


    It looked as though he wanted to spare Fang Zhengzhi’s life.


    However, with what had just been said, it would be difficult for Emperor Lin Mubai to save Fang Zhengzhi.


    "Very good, Fang Zhengzhi! You are a man for owning up to your actions! If you surrender now, I can consider showing you some mercy and keeping your body whole!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong chuckled.


    He was about to put an end to something that had bothered him for over a year. Once Fang Zhengzhi was dead, there was nothing that could threaten his position.


    "Surrender? Why should I surrender?" Fang Zhengzhi asked.


    "Are you trying to resist? Haha... you’re a crippled man. Even if you had your abilities one year ago, you would not be able to get out of the city!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong chuckled.


    "Your Highness, you make a good point. Since I am crippled, how could I possibly be a murderer?" Fang Zhengzhi smirked.


    "What are you saying?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong squinted.


    "Yes, I had a reason and the motivation to kill Shan Ling, but I did not have the ability to. How can someone who doesn’t have the ability to kill, kill?" Fang Zhengzhi added.


    "Humph, I knew that you would use this reason to defend yourself!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong chuckled icily. "Everyone on the battlefield that day can testify that you stopped Ping Yang’s attack with your hand. Do you deny it?"


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s gaze was icy.


    All of the officials smiled when they heard this. Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had furnished them with the necessary details and evidence.


    They already had a counter prepared for this reason.


    Ping Yang’s expression changed.


    She had participated in the battle. Fang Zhengzhi had stopped her attack with his hand after his duel with Canyang.


    "I didn’t use my full strength when I struck..."


    "Your Highness, you are right." Fang Zhengzhi knew what Ping Yang was about to say but he nodded before she could finish.


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong beamed radiantly when he heard this. Ping Yang’s reason would never hold. There were too many witnesses then.


    "Yes, this proves that you had the ability to kill Shan Ling back then. Even though your pocket dimension may have been destroyed, you still had some residual energy from the duel!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong asserted.


    "Yes, the Crown Prince is right!"


    "You can forget about using that as an excuse."


    "Fang Zhengzhi, you will not live past today! Thew is impartial and fair! You said so yourself!"


    The officials chimed in.


    "Did I say that I couldn’t kill him because of my cultivation state?" Fang Zhengzhi replied with disdain.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Do you have any other reason?"


    "What is this guy trying to do?"


    None of the officials knew where Fang Zhengzhi was going with this.


    "What I meant was, I had absolutely no energy to even try and kill Shan Ling." Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Crown Prince Lin Tianrong.


    "No energy? What do you mean?" The officials were all stunned.


    They looked at each other in confusion, unable to figure out where Fang Zhengzhi was going with this. After all, not many of them were in the Southern Region during the battle.


    Xing Yuanguo was one of them.


    The others were Princess Ping Yang, Chi Guyan, and the previous Minister of Rites.


    The former Minister of Rites had been ’killed in action’. Xing Yuanguo, Ping Yang, and Chi Guyan had returned to the capital immediately after the battle.


    In other words...


    The only people left in the Southern Region were Crown Prince Lin Tianrong, Fang Zhengzhi, and the other candidates. Nangong Hao was not there either.


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s body jerked when he heard this. He could guess where Fang Zhengzhi was going with this.


    However, he managed to regain hisposure quickly.


    That was not an easy thing to prove.


    "Fang Zhengzhi, you did have quite a bit to drink that day! Even though you were drunk, you still have to take responsibility for your actions!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong clenched his fists.


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had prepared well for the poisoning. At the banquet, he had spoken highly of Fang Zhengzhi and asked the candidates and generals to toast him.


    Having drunk that much, it was only natural for Fang Zhengzhi to be drunk and lose his awareness...


    It was not too far-fetched that he would enter the wrong room and climb into Princess Shan Yu’s bed.


    Then...


    All he had to do was have Shan Ling catch Fang Zhengzhi.


    That night, all of the generals and candidates present had witnessed how much Fang Zhengzhi drank. It was only normal that he had lost consciousness.


    As for the next morning...


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong allowed the candidates to take point and prove themselves whilst he escorted Fang Zhengzhi at the rear of the convoy.


    That way, no one else would know if Fang Zhengzhi had ’woken up’ from his ’drunken stupor’.


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong calmed down when he heard this.


    After all, not many people knew about the poisoning. Shan Ling, who had administered the poison, was dead whilst Su Qing was far away from the capital.


    "Your Highness, you im that I was drunk?" Fang Zhengzhi chuckled.


    "Yes!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong nodded.


    "I remember that the Crown Prince had wanted to try the food made by the current Queen of the Southern Region. Am I right?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded and added.


    "So what if that is true?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s tone was icy. There were many witnesses that day so there was no point in denying it.


    Furthermore, he didn’t think that this fact would help Fang Zhengzhi’s case.


    "I wonder if you would like to have a taste of it now?" Fang Zhengzhi stared at the Crown Prince.


    "What do you mean?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s expression changed


    "Themb would be killed on the spot and would be killed with the same techniques using the same ingredients. Would you dare to try it?" Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Shan Yu.


    "You..." Crown Prince Lin Tianrong had a bad feeling about this. Just as he was about to say something, he swallowed his words at thest possible moment.


    The Southern Region soldiers stepped to the side.


    At the same time, four heavily armored Southern Region soldiers carried amb over.


    When he saw this...


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong began to panic.


    He could guess what Fang Zhengzhi was trying to do. He was trying to reenact the scene! But how was that possible?


    Shan Ling had administered the poison.


    However, that happened more than a year ago. He had slipped that poison into the spices! How could that still be present in the meat?


    Then, his eyes widened in disbelief.


    Shan Yu, Queen of the Southern Region, reaches behind her and retrieved a leather pouch.


    "I still remember the Crown Prince’s request a year ago. I kept all the ingredients I used back then. If you don’t mind, I can cook themb again for you!" Shan Yu opened the bag, revealing the multicolored spices inside.


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong paled.


    He had guessed what was about to happen when the Southern Region soldiers brought themb over.


    However, he never expected that they would have kept a portion of the ingredients from back then.


    "Your Highness, this is too valuable a gift. You have traveled far and long. I simply cannot ept!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s eyes glimmered icily.


    "It’s no bother. This is a gift I prepared specially for you!" mes danced in Shan Yu’s eyes as she looked at Crown Prince Lin Tianrong.


    "You are in a different position than you were a year ago. I really cannot ept!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong grit his teeth.


    "No matter how different my position may be, I am still a citizen of the Great Xia. You do not need to be so formal and polite with me!" Shan Yu insisted.


    "Do you really want to do this?!"


    "Of course!"


    "What if I choose not to eat it?" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s gaze was icy.


    "That would be an insult to me and the culture of the Southern Region. We would have no other choice but to return to the Southern Region immediately!" Shan Yu asserted.


    "Hahaha... what are you talking about? Why would I ever look down on your culinary skills? Please... continue!" Crown Prince Lin Tianrong’s knuckles whitened.


    "Thank you!" Shan Yu’s hands moved and the leather robe flew into the air andnded on the ground.


    At that moment, two daggers appeared in Shan Yu’s had.


    At that moment, fiery red cloud patterns began to spread all over her body.


    This was an awe-inspiring sight.


    Members of the crowd couldn’t believe their eyes.


    "Is this how the Queen of the Southern Region cultivates?"


    "I heard that they cultivate blood and bloodline. Is that her blood?"


    "No, that is definitely not as simple as blood!"


    The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves in awe and curiosity as they observed the cloud patterns on Shan Yu’s skin.


    All of the officials were in shock.


    They were just talking about Fang Zhengzhi’s case. How did it lead to a ’gift’ for the Crown Prince?


    Did thismb have something to do with the case?


    The crowd couldn’t understand what was happening. They turned to look at some of the recently appointed officials.


    These officials, many of whom were in the court examinations and the war, were shaking their heads.


    After all, none of them had managed to try themb back then.


    ...


    Shan Yu’s hands moved quickly. Before long, she had butchered themb.


    Then, the bonfire was started.


    It was just about noon and the sun was nearing its peak.


    The officials and citizens couldn’t understand how things hade to this. However, they continued to watch in amazement as Shan Yu danced around the fire.


    With every step she took, the mes on her body became more intense. It was almost as though she was a fire elf.


    Elegant and animalistic. She was extremely attractive.


    Crown Prince Lin Tianrong squinted as he watched Shan Yu. His gaze was icy.


    Fang Zhengzhi was watching as well. However, he seemed extremely rxed. He even described the meat to Yan Xiu.


    "Crispy skin! The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth. Most importantly, the spices are not overpowering. Her culinary skills are leaps and bounds ahead of mine!"