The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

"Don't talk nonsense. Why would you want to go through fire and water? I hope all of you brothers and sisters will be safe and sound."

Perhaps because of his age, the Marquis of Zhenbei is increasingly fed up with hearing his children say such things.

He himself had spent his entire life in the military and knew better than anyone the value and importance of peace.

"Yes, yes, yes, it was my son who said the wrong thing because he was anxious." Seeing that his father was angry, Shen Tingzhi quickly admitted his mistake. How could he not understand his father's thoughts?

The men of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion must carry on the will of their ancestors from generation to generation, defending their country and sacrificing their lives for the peace and prosperity of the Yunli Kingdom, and vowing to fight to the death on the battlefield and return home wrapped in horsehide.

Since the establishment of the Zhenbei Marquis's government, countless men have died on the battlefield for their country.

Not to mention the distant past, let’s just talk about their father. He originally had four brothers. Except for his father who is still alive and in good health, two of his three uncles had died on the battlefield and sacrificed their lives for the country.

The young uncle who was still alive was seriously injured on the battlefield. Although he survived, he suffered from the pain left by the injuries and lived a life worse than death every day.

The Marquis of Zhenbei is extremely powerful, and the Marquis of Zhenbei's Mansion is unmatched. If he ranks second among the aristocratic families in Yunli Country, no one dares to claim to be first.

But even so, what can be done? Even with great power, I cannot bring my loved ones back to life, nor can I save them from the pain and suffering of illness.

There is nothing more painful and hopeless than watching your loved ones die in front of you and seeing them suffer from pain every day.

The Marquis of Zhenbei glanced at Shen Tingzhi, then turned to look at Shen Yiyang and said, "Boss, you just stay here with Dad to detoxify and heal his injuries these days. Don't think about anything, don't do anything. Detoxifying and healing your body are more important than anything else."

"Yes, father, I understand." Shen Yiyang was respectful in front of the Marquis of Zhenbei. This great general who had been able to stand on his own was just a well-behaved and obedient child in front of his father.

"Jiaojiao, second brother, I'm going to have to work hard to take care of things outside."

Marquis Zhenbei looked at Shen Tianjiao and Shen Tingzhi. These four of his children were his treasures and his pride.

"Don't worry, Dad. Everything will be fine with my daughter and my second brother here."

Shen Tianjiao smiled at her father, indicating that he could rest assured.

"Yes, Dad, don't worry. My sister and I are here. You and big brother just need to detoxify and heal your wounds peacefully."

Shen Tingzhi also quickly expressed his position to reassure the Marquis of Zhenbei.

Marquis Zhenbei looked at Shen Tianjiao and Shen Tingzhi and nodded. These two children were the most resourceful among his four children. One of them was enough to deal with those people. Now with the two of them together, he had nothing to worry about.

Shen Tianjiao and Shen Tingzhi left the hot spring villa and returned to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion together.

Taking advantage of this opportunity today, Shen Tianjiao needs to sit down with Shen Tingzhi to discuss how to deal with Li Chaohui.

Returning to the Marquis of Zhenbei's Mansion, Shen Tingzhi was filled with emotion. The Marquis of Zhenbei's Mansion was still the same as when he left six years ago, but when he came back again six years later, he felt that everything in front of him was familiar yet unfamiliar.

When a person's state of mind changes, his attitude towards things also changes.

"Second brother, what's wrong with you?" Shen Tianjiao asked Shen Tingzhi, who was standing there motionless, staring at the scenery in front of him in a daze.

"Nothing, I just haven't been back for so long that I feel like this doesn't even feel like home anymore."

Shen Tingzhi smiled at Shen Tianjiao and said, "Let's go in. Jiaojiao, come and have some tea and talk with your second brother."

"It's been six years since we last saw each other. My eldest brother has come back twice in those six years, and my third brother came back earlier than me this time."

Shen Tingzhi regards Shen Tianjiao, his only sister, as the apple of his eye.

Their mother died of complications during childbirth, so Shen Tianjiao was born without a mother.

Although there were many wet nurses and maids serving her in the mansion, and many elders loving her, she was still pitiful without her biological mother.

When Shen Tianjiao was young, she was weak and often sick. At that time, the Marquis of Zhenbei had to fight wars everywhere and did not have much time to stay at home with his daughter.

Although their eldest brother Shen Yiyang was still young at that time, he had already followed the Marquis of Zhenbei and learned how to fight.

At that time, Shen Xinghao was still an ignorant kid, so the responsibility of taking care of Shen Tianjiao fell on Shen Tingzhi.

At that time, Shen Tingzhi would bring Shen Tianjiao with him even when he was studying and practicing martial arts, so among the four siblings, Shen Tingzhi and Shen Tianjiao had the deepest relationship.

When Shen Tianjiao insisted on marrying Li Rui regardless of anything else, Shen Tingzhi was very worried about it.

But now those unhappy things are over. Now that Shen Tingzhi is back, his sister will naturally be protected by him.

"Okay, I'll ask Dongyang to make some refreshments so we can have a good chat."

Now not only is the Marquis of Zhenbei here, but her three brothers are also here. Shen Tianjiao feels more confident.

No matter whether he is Li Chaohui or someone else, as long as they are of one mind as brothers and sisters, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Dongyang quickly prepared the tea and snacks, and the brother and sister sat in the small building in the middle of the lake to drink tea and chat.

"Second brother, I have something to discuss with you." Shen Tianjiao drank her tea and went straight to the point. She had no reason to be polite with her brother.

"Well, go ahead and talk. Second brother is listening." Shen Tingzhi put down the teacup in his hand and said to Shen Tianjiao.

His sister is now very special. She is no longer the sister who used to chase after him and act like a spoiled child.

"Second brother, do you know the eldest princess, Li Zhaohui?"

When Li Chaohui was at the peak of his power, Shen Tingzhi was still a child. Later, when Li Chaohui lost power, she became a taboo to the entire Yunli royal family and aristocratic families.

So let alone Shen Tingzhi, even Shen Tianjiao, who became the queen, knew very little about her.

"Grand Princess Li Zhaohui?" Shen Tingzhi nodded and said, "I've heard a little about her. It's said that she has extraordinary skills in governing a country and is worthy of being an empress. If it weren't for the previous emperor seizing power, she would have been the first empress of Yunli Kingdom."

"Hmph!" Shen Tianjiao snorted and said, "Those are just hearsay. Her supporters are just trying to elevate her status and gain power for her."

"Emperor Gaozu never intended to make her emperor. Those rumors were all forced by the situation and were just a show for show."

"Moreover, Li Chaohui's so-called talent for governing a country is also fake. It was created by her uncle Ye Xingchen to help her ascend to the throne through public opinion."

"Her moral character is flawed and she is unworthy of being the ruler of Yunli Country."

Shen Tingzhi understood what his sister said. "Jiaojiao, Li Zhaohui has been imprisoned for so many years. She wouldn't still want to stir up trouble, run out and disrupt the government and bring disaster to the world, right?"

Shen Tianjiao looked up at her brother. As expected, her second brother was an extremely intelligent person who understood everything immediately. Before she finished speaking, he already knew what she meant.

"Yes, she's going to run out and stir up trouble and bring disaster to the world." Shen Tianjiao's expression couldn't help but become serious. "Her dream of becoming the Yunli Empress is still there. This time, she wants more than just the throne. She also wants the death of all the royal relatives and aristocratic families who have opposed her."

"She wants to bring unrest to the entire Yunli Kingdom this time. How can such a person be considered a genius in governing a country? She is clearly a witch who will bring ruin to the country."

Shen Tingzhi pondered for a moment, then looked up at Shen Tianjiao and said, "Jiaojiao, tell me, could it be Li Zhaohui who poisoned my father and elder brother?"

"Ah?" Shen Tianjiao didn't understand for a moment. She stared at Shen Tingzhi blankly, and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind, and she figured everything out.

When they first learned that Feng Yuanyuan and Li Rui were infected with the love poison, everyone, including Shen Tianjiao, thought that Feng Yuanyuan had asked Yu Niangzi to do it in order to win favor.

But Feng Yuanyuan was just a woman, usually she was in the deep palace and had no chance to contact the outside world. Moreover, Miaojiang was thousands of miles away from the capital, and the art of witchcraft was very secretive, and few people in the world knew about it.

How did Feng Yuanyuan, a concubine who had lived in the deep palace for a long time, know this?

It was natural that someone deliberately approached and guided her, making her believe that as long as the love Gu was planted in her, she and Li Rui would be able to love each other forever.

That's why Feng Yuanyuan agreed to plant the Gu without hesitation.

In the whole thing, Feng Yuanyuan was just a tool, and Li Rui was the target.

If Li Rui died, who would be the biggest beneficiary?

According to the development of events in the previous life, Li Muyang had been killed by Feng Yuanyuan when Li Rui was still alive, and after Li Rui knew that Li Minghua was not his biological son, he also disposed of him.

Therefore, when Li Rui died in his previous life, there was no crown prince at all, so the biggest beneficiary was naturally the person who killed Li Rui.

Although Prince Cheng’s grandson Li Chen became the emperor of Yunli Kingdom in his previous life, Li Ji’s power was not enough to do these things. Moreover, Li Ji was a very cautious person and he would not take such a big risk.

Then the only one left is Li Chaohui. No one else has the ability and purpose to do this.

As to why Li Chaohui did not sit on the throne in the end, and why he put in so much effort but ended up giving it to Li Ji, it is indeed a mystery.

Because no one recorded how Li Zhaohui died, where he died, and where he was buried.

It seems that this mystery has yet to be discovered and solved.

Then came the poisoning incidents of Marquis Zhenbei and Shen Yiyang. If Li Chaohui wanted to rebel and ascend the throne to become empress, then her biggest obstacle would definitely be Marquis Zhenbei.

Regardless of whether Shen Tianjiao is the queen or not, or whether she was killed or not, as the guardian of Yunli Kingdom, Marquis Zhenbei will spare no effort to maintain the security of Yunli Kingdom and will not allow anyone, including Li Chaohui, to do anything to disrupt Yunli Kingdom in order to compete for the throne.

Then the best way to resolve this matter is to let the Marquis of Zhenbei and the future heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion die, preferably quietly.

Thinking of this, Shen Tianjiao couldn't help but shudder. If she continued to think about it, even the death of her original body would become very suspicious.

Although the relationship between Li Rui and his original body Shen Tianjiao was not good, as the eldest daughter of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, the original body would not threaten Li Rui's throne. On the contrary, because of her existence, Li Rui's throne could be more firmly stabilized.

But Li Rui suddenly developed murderous intentions towards the original body. On the surface, it seemed that Feng Yuanyuan instigated it, but based on Li Rui's performance in Zhenghe Hall today, he was not a foolish and incompetent person.

He should know better than anyone what the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion means to him and the interests involved.

Otherwise, he would not have appointed Li Muyang as the crown prince when he was about to die, and entrusted the future of Li Muyang and Yun Li to Shen Tianjiao.

Because he knew very well that at this moment, the only one who could protect the Yunli Kingdom and allow Prince Li Muyang to ascend the throne smoothly was the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion.

Therefore, if there was no hidden secret, Li Rui would not have been so rash as to poison the original body that day.

This must be Li Zhaohui's masterpiece.

"Jiaojiao, what's wrong with you?" Shen Tingzhi couldn't help but feel worried when he saw Shen Tianjiao didn't say anything for a long time.

"Ah!" Shen Tianjiao looked up at Shen Tingzhi, and it took her a while to come back to her senses.

Looking at the second brother in front of her who had awakened her from her dream with just one word, the cloud of sorrow that had been lingering in Shen Tianjiao's heart for many days suddenly dissipated.

"Second brother, you're right. I've just thought about everything, and it's possible that Li Zhaohui did it."

"Because apart from her, no one would dare to have such a plan, and no one would have the motive to poison Father and Big Brother at this time."

"I underestimated this woman. I knew she was a restless person despite being imprisoned in Anguo Temple for many years, but I never thought her schemes would be so deep."

"She wants to make our entire Zhenbei Marquisate buried with her ambition. This woman is truly too vicious."

"Originally, I was thinking about whether I should spare her life, but now it seems that this is completely unnecessary. A venomous snake is still a venomous snake, and nothing can change her nature of harming people."

Shen Tingzhi looked at Shen Tianjiao and asked with some suspicion: "Jiaojiao, are you saying that Li Zhaohui has been cultivating her own power over the years, waiting for the day when she can counterattack and come back to fight for the throne?"

"Yes, that's right, you are absolutely right, that's exactly it." Only then did Shen Tianjiao truly realize how powerful and terrifying her opponent was.

In the past, Shen Tianjiao only had a vague idea of ​​Li Chaohui's strength, but now she truly and intuitively felt the horror of this woman.