The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The Duke of Cao's Mansion.

There were two bamboo couches under a big tree in the courtyard, where the brothers Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi were lying down.

Between the two bamboo couches was a small square table with a pot of tea on it.

"Brother, pour me a cup of tea," Li Zengzhi called out.

Li Jinglong didn't even blink: "The teapot is closer to you, pour it yourself."

Li Zengzhi smacked his lips; they were a little dry.

He stared at the teapot for a while. Drinking tea requires reaching out, grabbing the pot, pouring water, and holding the cup.

"Forget it, I don't want to move." He gave up.

"Then just bear with it," Li Jinglong snorted.

Li Zengzhi said irritably, "Brother, what's gotten into you today? You've sent all the servants and maids to the backyard, leaving none of them behind, not even anyone to pour tea."

Li Jinglong said weakly, "I'm waiting for someone important."

"Ma Sandao?" Li Zengzhi asked. "Did he go to the palace today?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, please don't lock him up," Li Jinglong said worriedly. "If you lock him up, it will ruin my grand plan."

Li Zengzhi thought for a moment and comforted him, "It shouldn't be that bad. Ma Sandao went to plead guilty voluntarily. His Majesty should at least consider their past relationship. His two sons died for His Majesty."

"Who can fathom our Emperor? What does it matter if he's a benefactor? He'll kill his father-in-law just the same way," Li Jinglong said.

The two brothers sighed simultaneously and remained silent for a while.

Li Jinglong was really thirsty: "Second brother, I'm thirsty, could you pour me a glass of water?"

Li Zengzhi snorted, "I don't want to move either."

"You live nearby."

"The teapot is clearly closer to you!"

"Where did you learn to lie so blatantly?"

"With you."

Li Jinglong fell silent; there was indeed no way to refute those words.

"Fine." He turned his head back. "Then let's all just bear with it. Let's see who can endure it the longest."

Half an hour later.

Their lips were chapped and dry, but they were too lazy to move.

Whoosh!

A figure climbed over the courtyard wall; it was Ma Sandao.

After he landed, he looked up at the two people on the bamboo couch and was stunned.

Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi remained motionless.

It looks like it's dead.

"Jiujiang!" Ma Sandao shouted immediately.

Li Jinglong opened his mouth, his voice weak: "Old Ma, quick, get me a glass of water, I'm dying of thirst."

Ma Sandao was startled and quickly poured a cup and handed it over.

Li Jinglong took the cup and drank it down immediately.

"Old Ma..." a faint voice came from the side, "Quick, pour me a glass too."

Li Zengzhi, standing next to him, had chapped lips.

Ma Sandao was completely dumbfounded.

These two grown-up people almost died of thirst at home?

He quickly poured a glass for Li Zengzhi as well. Li Zengzhi took the glass, tilted his head back, and gulped it down in one go.

"What's wrong with you guys? Can't you drink water?" Ma Sandao asked.

The two brothers said in unison, "We don't want to move."

Ma Sandao: "..."

They'd rather die of thirst than move?

"Old Ma, your skills are still as good as ever. You just zipped over this wall in a flash." Li Jinglong recovered.

Ma Sandao immediately perked up, his face beaming with pride: "Of course! I can climb the city wall. Back when we attacked Yingtian, I was among the first to scale the walls."

"Wait a minute, Lao Ma, why did you climb over my wall?" Li Zengzhi asked, puzzled.

Ma Sandao looked around and whispered, "His Majesty forbids me from seeing anyone, so I had no choice but to come secretly."

"His Majesty didn't punish you?" Li Jinglong asked anxiously.

Ma Sandao hung his head and said, "His Majesty said that the Imperial Examination Hall will be inspected the day after tomorrow, and I will be punished then."

He recounted his entire experience of entering the palace in detail.

After listening, Li Jinglong seemed to be deep in thought.

If the emperor decides to punish Hu Mei and his son when he inspects the examination hall the day after tomorrow, then Hu Mei and his son will be punished together.

When all the meritorious ministers are present, His Majesty will surely take the opportunity to revoke their iron certificates of immunity from death.

Someone needs to offer His Majesty a way out, and I am His Majesty's chosen candidate.

I definitely can't do it; it would offend all the nobles.

Then this person can only be Ma Sandao; he is the most suitable.

"Old Ma," Li Jinglong asked, "would you like to receive a lighter sentence?"

Ma Sandao nodded repeatedly: "Yes, of course I want to. I just want to live a good life with Xiaocui now, I don't want to go to jail."

"Then listen to me," Li Jinglong said.

Ma Sandao asked urgently, "What should I do?"

Li Jinglong pondered for a moment before speaking, "The day after tomorrow, the Imperial Examination Hall will be inspected. His Majesty will definitely discover your shoddy workmanship on the spot. When His Majesty is furious, Hu Mei and his son, as the organizers, will be the first to suffer."

"I know that, but I've already apologized. What more do you want me to do?"

"Bring your immunity certificate with you when the time comes."

Ma Sandao was taken aback: "Why would you bring that thing?"

"Take this imperial pardon and publicly apologize to His Majesty again. Say that you know you are guilty, and that the reason you dared to embezzle was because of this imperial pardon. Having this thing made you feel like you had a talisman, and you became bolder and forgot the rules. Therefore, you should voluntarily hand over the imperial pardon and from now on be an honest person."

Ma Sandao looked utterly unwilling: "Why do we have to hand over the immunity certificate?"

Li Jinglong snorted: "If you don't hand it over, you can just wait to be beheaded. Xiao Cui has only been married to you for a few days? You haven't even warmed the bed yet, and you're already a widow."

The image of Xiao Cui dressed in mourning clothes, standing alone in the mourning hall, immediately flashed into Ma Sandao's mind.

That scene was so heartbreaking!

He then remembered that before he left home today, Xiao Cui had specifically told him to listen to the Duke of Shao.

"Okay! I'll listen to you!" He nodded emphatically.

Li Jinglong was secretly delighted.

He beckoned Ma Sandao closer and then whispered a few more details.

Ma Sandao listened and nodded, "I understand. I have to go. His Majesty forbids me from seeing anyone."

After saying that, he picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of tea for Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi.

Then, he strode to the courtyard wall, assumed a horse stance, and kicked off with both legs.

Whoosh!

He leaped into the air, flipped over, and disappeared behind the courtyard wall.

The two brothers were dumbfounded.

"Big brother, you're really good at passing the buck." Li Zengzhi lay down again.

Li Jinglong said smugly, "You guessed it? I call this a non-stick pan."

"Don't you think that handing His Majesty a ladder is a great achievement?" Li Zengzhi asked.

Li Jinglong waved his hand: "I don't want this credit. It's not worth offending all the nobles."

"Then all those days of your work have been for nothing?" Li Zengzhi asked, puzzled.

Li Jinglong said earnestly, "Second brother, have you forgotten? What do I want? To lie low. What's the point of those merits? His Majesty will just assign me more tasks later, how can I lie low then?"

Li Zengzhi blinked: "Now that this matter is settled, can we go outside the city to choose a estate?"

"It's time to start preparing. We'll need to buy some beautiful maids later." Li Jinglong began to look forward to it.