Female Supremacy and Rise to Power: Lin Shu's Imperial Examination Adventures

Dingbei Palace.

Ling Wanzhen's face was ashen. After returning to the palace, she skillfully picked up a riding whip and went straight to a servant's room in the backyard.

He kicked the door open and stepped into the room...

Seeing this, the maid outside the room silently stepped forward and closed the door for her.

Before long, the crisp sound of a whip lashing flesh echoed from inside the house, mixed with the woman's angry curses and the man's screams and pleas for mercy...

After more than half an hour, the man's screams gradually weakened until they were almost inaudible.

"Squeak."

The door was slowly pushed open from the inside. Ling Wanzhen's face still retained a hint of ruthlessness, her hair was slightly disheveled, and her face was splattered with blood, making her look like a terrifying demon.

At this moment, her mood seemed to have calmed down a little. She casually threw away the broken, blood-stained riding whip in her hand and took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her hands.

Just then, a middle-aged man walked in and said respectfully to Ling Wanzhen, "Your Highness, the Lord requests your presence."

This man was a close confidant of Ling Wanzhen's father, enjoying his deep trust, and was known as "Nanny Rong".

"Okay, I understand. I'll go after I take a bath." Ling Wanzhen said, then turned and went to her own courtyard.

After everyone left, Rong's wet nurse led the maids who had been outside the door into the servant's room.

The room was in complete disarray, with items scattered everywhere. The young servant appeared to be lying in a pool of blood, his fate unknown. His clothes were torn to shreds, hanging like tattered strips of cloth, a truly horrifying sight.

However, the people who came in seemed to take this for granted.

The wet nurse did not step forward to check whether the little servant was alive or dead. She merely glanced at him indifferently and then, as usual, gave the order:

"You know what to do, right? Clean it up thoroughly. Also, watch your mouth, or else... hmph!"

After saying that, he turned around and went back to report.

Half an hour later.

The Prince of Dingbei's residence, in the master's courtyard.

"Your daughter greets Father! I heard that Father is looking for me, may I ask what brings you here?" After her bath, Ling Wanzhen regained her usual elegant demeanor.

Seated in the main seat was a dignified and noble man, Feng Rui, the legitimate husband of the Prince of Dingbei, the Prince of Dingbei's only husband, and the half-brother of the current Empress of Fengming Kingdom.

"Zhen'er is here, come and sit down!" Feng Rui saw that it was his precious daughter and quickly pulled her to sit down.

After showing some concern, he spoke with a somber expression:

"It's nothing major, just a letter from your grandfather. He will be returning from Huguo Temple next month."

"What is he coming back for?" Ling Wanzhen frowned slightly upon hearing this. Her grandfather had never liked her and her father, and her return might cause trouble.

"That remains to be seen." Feng Rui's face was clouded with gloom, showing none of the virtuous and dignified demeanor she was portrayed to be. This old woman had been in the nunnery for ten years, eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures, and now that she had suddenly returned, he felt genuinely uneasy.

"Alright, we'll deal with whatever comes our way." Then, remembering what her father-in-law had just reported, she picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked slowly:

"I heard that Zhen'er is in a bad mood today. Has some fool offended her?"

Mentioning this matter, Ling Wanzhen became furious and recounted the events of the day in detail. Then, she jokingly said, "Father, you and Mother only have me as your child, right?"

“Of course, you are the apple of my and your mother’s eye! Why do you ask such a question, Zhen’er?” Feng Rui replied affectionately.

"Hmph! It's that lowly commoner who looks exactly like my mother. She doesn't even deserve to be called one! One day, I will definitely ruin her face!"

"boom……"

She had barely finished speaking when she heard a crisp sound. Looking up, she realized that Feng Rui had somehow knocked over the teacup.

"Father? What's wrong?" Ling Wanzhen looked at him with some confusion.

“Zhen’er, you just said that person looked like your mother? Did you see anyone else, like her—your father…”

Feng Rui stood up excitedly, grabbed Ling Wanzhen's hand, and without paying attention to the force, his delicate nails dug deep into her wrist, drawing blood in no time.

"Father, what are you doing? It hurts so much!" Ling Wanzhen winced in pain, frowning as she pulled her hand away, looking impatient.

“Her husbands are quite handsome, but I didn’t notice the others…” She had never seen her father look like this before, and then continued.

Feng Rui realized he had lost his composure, straightened himself, sat back in the main seat, rubbed his temples, and said gently:

"Father isn't feeling well, Zhen'er, you should go back first!"

After Ling Wanzhen left.

Feng Rui stared blankly into the distance, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. If that person really had returned, what should he do?

Seeing Feng Rui's absent-minded look, Nanny Rong poured him another cup of tea and said in a low voice:

"My lord, do not be anxious. It is still uncertain whether it is that person or not. Even if it is, so what? If we can kill him once, we can kill him twice..."

Upon hearing this, Feng Rui narrowed his eyes and ordered, "Have someone investigate. If it really is that person, kill them without mercy. If not..."

“My lord, you must not be soft-hearted. Even if it is not true, Lin Shu must not be allowed to live. If the prince sees that face in the future, he may be reminded of his old friend…” Before Feng Rui could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Nanny Rong.

"Fine! Make it clean!" Feng Rui sighed, seemingly helpless. You can only blame yourself for having such a face!

……

Lin Mansion, study.

Lin Shu was unaware that she was being watched. She would soon be entering the Jize Academy to study, and would return once a month thereafter. Before that, she needed to arrange matters within the household.

"Master, we have made progress on the 'Lin Dafeng' family that you asked us to investigate a few days ago!" Zi Yi reported respectfully.

Lin Shu gestured for her to continue.

“A few months ago, they deceived the entire Peach Blossom Village… (blah blah), but were eventually exposed. However, they were taken away by a nobleman and arrived in the capital around the same time as us. But I haven’t been able to find out who was behind it all yet…”

After a pause, Zi Yi continued, "In addition, I have also discovered that someone has been secretly investigating the old master (Xue Wen) these past few days..."

"Let them investigate, but screenshot the final results!" Lin Shu tapped her fingers lightly on the table, then added after a moment's thought:

"Have Yin San return immediately and bring back the trained bodyguards as well. If I am not around in the future, they must be protected."

"Yes."

After everyone left, Lin Shu fell into deep thought. Who could it be? What was their purpose? Were these two things related?

……

Meanwhile, Lin Dafeng, who was being talked about, was lying in a side room of Huguo Temple, with her hands behind her head, her right leg crossed over her left, shaking without any regard for her image, and occasionally popping a couple of grapes into her mouth.

Life was quite comfortable for her. She never expected to encounter such a mentally unstable 'easy target'.

Just then, the gentle, deep, and slightly weathered male voice of the 'easy target' came from outside the door:

"Feng'er, are you awake?"

-