A Poor Family’s Hereditary Scumbag (15) No matter how insane Prince Li’s heir was, he still understood one thing clearly: in a straight-up contest of hard power, he couldn’t win. So inevitably, he chose to take the crooked path.
Before leaving the capital, the Tenth Prince had already thought it through—this campaign would be riddled with “unexpected turns.” Night raids on the camp and assassination attempts were all well within expectations.
What truly left the Tenth Prince at a loss for words was the enemy archer’s obvious preparation—and his Fifth Brother-in-law’s… casual ease.
After half a quarter-hour, the commotion outside the tent gradually subsided. Two generals arrived together to report: all assassins had been eliminated.
The assassins who infiltrated the camp were essentially all dead men walking. The Tenth Prince hadn’t held much hope of capturing any alive in the first place.
Once the two generals withdrew, the Tenth Prince finally turned to his utterly unruffled brother-in-law. “How did you do that? Brother-in-law, you’re not exactly known for martial prowess, are you?”
Based on what he knew, his brother-in-law wasn’t weak—but he certainly didn’t border on being a master.
Qin Jingzhou replied with a straight face, “Your Highness, if you had a son who ate, drank, whored, gambled, smoked, and dabbled in every vice under the sun—and you beat him whenever you saw him—your combat strength would skyrocket too.”
The Tenth Prince: “……”
It actually made a disturbing amount of sense. He laughed. “I don’t want that kind of opportunity.”
Qin Jingzhou laughed as well. “That cuts deep, Your Highness.”
The atmosphere relaxed at once. The Tenth Prince wanted to chat a bit more with his brother-in-law—he wasn’t stupid. He knew his Fifth Sister and her husband both favored him. Whether out of genuine feeling or sheer reality, he was more than willing to grow closer to them.
He said quietly, “Prince Li’s sudden death… I really didn’t expect that. I always thought the father and son were of one mind.”
Qin Jingzhou answered calmly, “Prince Li’s consort is the heir’s biological mother. Prince Li abandoned her—how could the heir not harbor resentment?”
“But isn’t his heart only filled with that… pregnant runaway mistress?”
“A biological mother can’t compare to a mistress who can concoct secret drugs—but she’s still more important than anyone else. After all, she’s his mother. Interfere too much, and it’s wrong; don’t interfere at all, and it’s wrong too. Letting his newly married Murong woman get rid of Prince Li? That’s even more unacceptable.”
The Tenth Prince fell silent, thoughtful.
Qin Jingzhou’s words were pointed—deliberately so.
Everyone knew the Emperor would never send a son he despised into the punitive campaign against Prince Li, much less grant him real authority.
So when the imperial decree was announced, the imprisoned Consort De felt hope ignite within her. Even if she could make a comeback after her son ascended the throne, how many years would that take?
She couldn’t wait.
She sent her confidants to find ways to pass messages to her son, repeatedly begging him to look after her—and her natal family.
The emphasis was on her, not her family.
The Tenth Prince rationally refused his biological mother—by not replying at all. Yet to Consort De, whose self-confidence was sky-high, silence meant consent.
A concubine who could turn a blind eye to Prince Li and the remnants of the former Murong dynasty planting operatives in her own palace clearly possessed a prodigious talent for self-destruction.
After contacting her son, she wrote to her natal family instead, scolding them sharply and complaining that they were never truly on her side.
Unfortunately for her, her family were all clear-headed people. They unanimously believed that Consort De—never particularly sharp to begin with—had gone completely stupid after being poisoned. If not for the fact that she was the Tenth Prince’s mother, they would have cut ties long ago.
After some discussion, they handed her private letter straight over to the Tenth Prince.
His disappointment in his mother only deepened. Outwardly, he grew even colder toward her.
Consort De sensed something was wrong. After much deliberation, she bowed her head to circumstances and sent people to curry favor with her son’s beloved, Rui Li.
Only then did the Tenth Prince soften slightly.
All of Consort De’s and the Tenth Prince’s actions, however, unfolded under the Emperor’s watchful eye.
Qin Jingzhou said no more. What remained depended on the Tenth Prince’s understanding. In such circumstances, how to satisfy the Emperor while keeping his own heart at peace was something the Tenth Prince had to decide himself.
There was no question about it—Consort De had to be the one “sacrificed.”
Before leaving the capital, Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing had carefully analyzed the situation using both the plotlines they knew and current realities. The variables that might obstruct their mission were few: either Prince Li’s heir and the Murong clan suddenly going berserk, or someone around the Tenth Prince and Rui Li pulling a disastrous stunt and sending both straight into a pit.
After lengthy discussion, they leaned toward the latter—Consort De, both foolish and malicious, was most likely to make a shocking move after the army defeated Prince Li’s heir. Once the Tenth Prince amassed enough merit to qualify as Crown Prince, she would surely feel emboldened to self-destruct even harder.
Thus, the Tenth Prince’s attitude toward Consort De was critical.
If he truly lost his mind and chose to trade his military merits for his mother’s life, Qin Jingzhou and Ling Jing would simply select and cultivate another enlightened ruler.
Thankfully, the Tenth Prince remained wise and level-headed.
Not yet twenty, his understanding of warfare was still largely theoretical. As he marched with the army, he spent most of his time seated in a position of honor, quietly observing and learning.
But he wasn’t a mere clay idol. Whenever he encountered arrangements he didn’t understand, he sought guidance from Prince Jin, the commander-in-chief. Upon returning from Prince Jin’s tent, he would drag Qin Jingzhou along to discuss and analyze together.
And when the army finally met Prince Li’s heir’s rebel forces head-on, the Tenth Prince showed no impulse to charge forward for credit. Under the protection of his personal guards, he calmly watched the heir’s performance from afar.
After a while, he exhaled and said to Qin Jingzhou, “He’s truly gone mad.”
Qin Jingzhou’s tone remained even. “He brought it on himself.”
That mistress had been wholeheartedly devoted—using secret drugs to help the heir eliminate rivals, shielding him from interference by other Murong factions. Yet the heir deeply hurt her, driving her to flee back to the capital in fury.
If the Murong clan could decisively strike down Prince Li, why would they spare Prince Li’s heir?
No matter how much the heir wanted cooperation, he was ultimately a direct descendant of Liang’s founding emperor—the man who overthrew the Murong dynasty.
How could the Murong clan ever show mercy toward their enemy?
As for the heir’s failure to grasp this… Qin Jingzhou could only surmise that the mistress’s escape had catastrophically damaged his fortune, shattering his “male lead destiny.”
In his mind, Qin Jingzhou delivered a succinct verdict: useless. Even in a clear-headed state, Prince Li’s heir would have been swept away in a single wave on the battlefield. Now, poisoned and barely able to swing a blade properly, he was even worse.
Great Liang’s elite cavalry charged forward in force. Faced with that torrent, the already demoralized infantry collapsed instantly. Even the heir’s central army began to scatter and flee.
Witnessing the rout—especially as generals who had sworn to die for him led the flight—Prince Li’s heir closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his expression changed. He seized his sword, let out a roar, and spurred his horse straight toward the Tenth Prince.
He was cut down beneath a storm of blades.
When a young general brought back the corpse, everyone saw clearly that Prince Li’s heir had died with eyes wide open.
Prince Jin and the Tenth Prince both sighed. They had wanted to capture him alive and escort him back to the capital for trial—regicide and treason marked him as a first among the imperial clan. The Emperor had intended to deal with him properly, to make an example and teach those still sentimental about the former Crown Prince a lesson.
But Prince Li’s heir had refused to give them that chance.
With the heir eliminated and his rebel army shattered, the campaign was far from over. Prince Jin and the Tenth Prince split forces—one to pursue the fleeing remnants, the other to press onward into Prince Li’s former territory to clean up the aftermath.
As the strategist and libationer, Qin Jingzhou remained silent during discussions of how to divide up the fief—crudely speaking, dividing the spoils. Princess Zhaoming was the Emperor’s most beloved daughter; if he said anything, it would be far too easy for others to misinterpret his intentions.
His silence was taken as proof that the princess had no interest in Prince Li’s “inheritance.”
Not only the Tenth Prince, but Prince Jin and the generals all formed an excellent impression of him.
The former Murong clan had gone all in alongside Prince Li’s heir—but likely hadn’t expected him to be so utterly incompetent.
Prince Jin led troops into the city, and with guidance from local power brokers, seized numerous Murong strongholds, capturing the would-be “empress” Murong as she attempted to flee.
Though some Murong remnants escaped, the results were more than satisfactory.
…
On the return march, the Tenth Prince stepped aside to relieve himself. Qin Jingzhou was reading when a sudden warning flashed through his senses. He dropped the book, grabbed a teacup from the table, and followed.
Men rarely go to the latrine hand in hand…
The Tenth Prince looked at his brother-in-law catching up, then at the teacup in his hand, his expression subtle. The attendant following him turned pale.
The attendant suddenly raised his head, drew a dagger from his sleeve, and stepped forward—seizing the moment when the Tenth Prince’s attention was on the Prince Consort to stab straight at his back.
This was likely the final desperate gamble of Prince Li’s heir or the remnants of the Murong clan.
Qin Jingzhou was ice-cold calm. He narrowed his eyes, took aim, and threw in one smooth motion.
The Tenth Prince saw a flash of light. A dull bang sounded by his ear. He turned— The teacup had exploded against the attendant’s forehead. Shards grazed his cheek as the attendant fell flat on his back, dagger clattering to the ground.
The Tenth Prince stomped down on him, ensuring he wouldn’t get back up. Having seen the battlefield, his voice stayed steady. “Brother-in-law, you’ve saved me again.”
Qin Jingzhou strode over. “Your Fifth Sister told me to watch you closely. I’ll tell you—this one cost me. My arm nearly went flying with the teacup.”
His right arm hung limp. The Tenth Prince pressed down harder with his foot. “Can you… still hold on?”
Qin Jingzhou smoothly reset his shoulder. “That’s all you wanted to ask?”
The Tenth Prince wiped his face but said nothing.
Qin Jingzhou patted his shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you—but you’re far too soft.”
Prince Jin and the generals rushed out of their tents. The Tenth Prince’s voice finally cracked. “This is humiliating… He was assigned to me by my mother. He was the last one left by my side. He’s served me since childhood…”
Qin Jingzhou sighed. “Forgive my bluntness, Your Highness, but you should think more about the beloved waiting anxiously for your return to the capital. The battle reports have long since been sent back. If they can target your mother, why would they spare your beloved? Trials are everywhere.”
The Tenth Prince went cold all over.
…
Almost simultaneously, two carriages sped along the official road out of the capital.
In the rear carriage, the matron in charge urged relentlessly, “Faster! That girl’s under watch too—once they realize something’s wrong and catch up, none of us will survive!”
Bound hand and foot, eyes and mouth covered, Rui Li lay at the matron’s feet, her heart pounding wildly. Help! Perhaps Heaven finally heard her plea. Chaotic hoofbeats suddenly sounded outside. The matron’s voice grew more frantic. “Go! Hurry!”
Then came the whistling of arrows cutting through the air, followed by endless screams.
Before Rui Li could think, she was yanked upright. A burning pain flared at her neck. She threw herself backward with all her strength—if she was going to die, she’d take them with her.
Then she hit nothing.
With a soft thud, she fell to the ground.
Her blindfold was swiftly removed. The first thing she saw was—Princess Zhaoming, whom she’d met several times before.
The princess pressed a handkerchief to the wound on her neck and pulled the cloth from her mouth. “Xiao Li, that was frightening, wasn’t it? But you did wonderfully—truly a brave and clever girl.”
Rui Li’s face was soaked with tears, fear and grievance mixing together. Still, hearing the praise made her oddly happy. “My neck… it won’t scar, will it?”
Ling Jing scooped her up in a princess carry and placed her into the carriage she’d brought, ordering the accompanying female physician to treat her immediately. “A scar? Do you even know your right arm is fractured?”
Rui Li’s eyes went wide. “Wow—now that you mention it, it really hurts!”
Ling Jing couldn’t help laughing. “Your priorities are truly something else.”
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