Transmigrating into a book to save her best friend, her sickly husband vies for her affections every

Zhang Zhan poured tea and handed it to Zhao Siwei, gesturing for him to sit down. He said, "Now that you have a principal wife, Ji Tingyao can become a secondary wife." He paused, then clarified, "Except for not giving Ji Tingyao the title of principal wife, you can arrange everything else according to the rites and ceremonies for a principal wife."

Zhao Siwei remained motionless.

Zhang Zhan simply took the tea and walked over to him, offering him a gentle smile, hoping to ease the tense atmosphere.

“I’ve been helping the Crown Prince clean up his mess lately, and I’m done now. The Crown Prince has a mission to Yongzhou. Didn’t you say the scenery there is nice? How about we go for a visit together?”

Zhao Siwei rolled his eyes. "Is this your father? Are you trying to coax your son? My real father could shower me with mountains of gold and silver and I wouldn't budge an inch."

"I'm not going," Zhao Siwei coldly refused.

Zhang Zhan said "Oh," and then replied, "I'll go by myself."

Zhao Siwei suffered a myocardial infarction.

“Zhao Jiu, the Marquis’s mansion controls 20,000 troops in the suburbs. If you can marry Xu Tutu, even without the status of Crown Prince, you won’t be any worse off.” Zhang Zhan lamented his lack of ambition. “We have the strength to fight for it. You can’t feel how much the Crown Prince hates you. Wouldn’t it be better to have more real power to intimidate him?”

"Finished talking?" Zhao Siwei raised an eyebrow. "Then I'm leaving."

Zhang Zhan nearly crushed the teacup in his hand. "Zhao Jiu, if you refuse to speak properly, I have plenty of time now. I can investigate everyone you've been in contact with since we last met."

"Give it a try," Zhao Siwei said, looking at him.

Faced with the provocation, Zhang Zhan accepted, saying, "Try it then, and don't bother coming back."

He took a small sip from the teacup he didn't want. "The Crown Prince was stabbed by Ji Tingyao today. I have already comforted the Crown Prince and told the two girls from the Ji family not to appear in front of the Crown Prince for the time being."

"The Crown Prince was injured?" Zhao Siwei exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, it’s probably impossible to escape without getting hurt. You won’t die, just suffer minor injuries. The Crown Prince is known for his indiscretions and lack of restraint when it comes to men and women.” Zhang Zhan tossed a small booklet into his hand. “Use it wisely. Remember to let me know before you use it so I can see whether you’re playing the fool, covering for you, or just running away.”

The familiar booklet gave Zhao Siwei an extremely complicated look in his eyes.

These are all pieces of evidence against the Crown Prince collected by Zhang Zhan; any one of them could deliver a fatal blow to the Crown Prince in court.

These things once deeply moved him, but in the end, Zhang Zhan caught him completely off guard and killed him with a knife...

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Zhang Zhan was the person he trusted most. Even when Zhang Zhan started betraying him for no reason, and his mother scolded him for being a fool, saying that Zhang Zhan had turned against him and was helping the Crown Prince to deal with him, he scoffed at it, thinking it was absolutely impossible and that there must be some hidden reason.

It's clear that Zhang Zhan's current status is all thanks to his painstaking efforts. When the Marquis's mansion was dissatisfied with Zhang Zhan, it was he who brought people over to make an example of them and establish his authority.

Not to mention that he would boast about Zhang Zhan's unparalleled talent and elegance to everyone he met, and when noble families wanted to choose a husband for their beloved daughters, Zhang Zhan's face would be the first thing that came to mind.

It can be said that without him, Zhang Zhan would not be where he is today!

That bastard got power and killed him first! He actually killed him first!

He was completely stunned by the attack, and he didn't even retaliate immediately. Instead, he asked the attacker, with tears streaming down his face, why he did it.

The more I think about it, the angrier I get! I'm so angry!

Zhao Siwei shook the booklet and tossed it back, saying, "No need. Since you are the Crown Prince's tutor, just be loyal to him."

It's rare to see someone remember all of that.

"Zhao Siwei!" Zhang Zhan was enraged. "I risked being discovered and chopped to pieces by the Crown Prince to get this intelligence for you. You can have plenty of people who want it."

Zhao Siwei smiled at him, "Whoever wants you can have you. I see you're quite obsessed with power. I remember asking you before what you would do if you gained power, and you said you would kill everyone in the Marquis's mansion. How scary!"

"I made that up when I was a kid and I was so angry." Zhang Zhan didn't know why he remembered these old stories. "Zhao Jiu, I'll ask you one more time, who exactly was talking nonsense in front of you? I have a clear conscience towards you. Which sentence provoked you? You won't even tell me, let me say a few words in my defense?"

Zhao Siwei stared at him.

What are you saying? You're actually my half-brother, and your mother was my mother's most trusted palace maid. She took advantage of my mother's inability to serve the emperor, climbed into my father's bed, and got pregnant with you. She secretly poured contraceptive medicine on you to keep you safe, and then deliberately committed a crime to go to the imperial palace. In the end, by some unknown means, she made you the legitimate son of the Marquis's family and even killed the original Lady Pingyang and her son!

Or perhaps it's about how I trusted you completely, only to end up benefiting you, how you were the one who caused the Crown Prince's death, yet you orchestrated a perfect scheme to escape unscathed, allowing the Empress's entire clan to hold me responsible, while you remained unscathed, and then regained your status as a prince, calling me Ninth Brother.

He spoke rudely to my mother, causing her to be sent to the imperial palace and separating my son and me...

Or are you saying that you are now gentle and polite, but in a few months you will be a saint with a snake's heart?

Zhao Siwei didn't want to say a word and pushed the door open to leave.

"Or to put it another way, what do I need to do to make you trust me again?"

Zhang Zhan's voice rang out from behind my head.

Zhao Siwei turned to look at him. Zhang Zhan trembled slightly as he held the booklet in his hand. His voice was very gentle. “Your Highness, just say what you need to say. Whether I can do it or not is my business.”

"Sure," Zhao Siwei chuckled. "I don't want to marry Xu Tutu. Do you have a way to get her to willingly stay away from me?"

Zhang Zhan didn't even hesitate. "Simple, just find someone to kill her. I'll do it right now if you need it."

Zhao Siwei rolled her eyes and walked even faster.

Do you dare to do it now? Will you be willing to do it later?

The courtyard was quiet. The servant called to him in a low voice, "Young Master, please go back. The Ninth Prince has gone far away."

Zhang Zhan shushed him, waved his hand, and told him to go away and ignore him.

Don't bother him. Let him think about how to kill Xu Tutu before Zhao Siwei comes back to cause trouble for him.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, a deafening roar erupted over the Marquis's residence.

The servants on night duty at the Marquis's residence seemed to have long been accustomed to this call. They paused their tasks and then continued doing what they were supposed to do without any apparent reason.

Zhao Siwei turned back, "Zhang Zhan, you bastard."

The palace gates are already locked; he can't go back. His mother said that if he dares not return to the palace again this month, he will be confined for a month! That means he won't be able to see Tingyao for a whole month!

Enraged, he drew the sword from his attendant's waist and was about to swing it at him.

They were dragged along by the Lesser Heat and Greater Heat.

"Your Highness, it's alright. Her Majesty knows you're staying at the Marquis's residence and won't pursue the matter."

"You did this on purpose!" Zhao Siwei was furious.

Zhang Zhan smiled gently at him, "Yes."

I just wanted to have a nice talk with him. I gave him the booklet and told him to hurry back to the palace. If he insisted on making me angry, then let's make each other angry and see who calms down faster.

Zhang Zhan's mood improved considerably. "If you dare to run away tonight, I'll definitely tell your mother tomorrow that you didn't stay at the Marquis's residence last time you didn't return to the palace."

"Besides complaining to my mother, what else can you do?" Zhao Siwei was on the verge of collapse.

"It's not about having many tricks, but about using them." Zhang Zhan walked out, waving to him, "I'm sleepy too, see you tomorrow morning."

After leaving the study, Zhang Zhan did not return to the courtyard, but instead left the mansion through a side gate.

Perfect timing! While Zhao Siwei is sleeping under his nose tonight, I'll go and interrogate Zhong Youling myself first.