Tremendous panic spread through every nerve and blood vessel of Yu Huiyan. Her face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
Princess Lingyang blinked excitedly. "Do you know? Thunder loves to pounce on and kill living creatures the most. The more violently they struggle in its mouth, the harder it will bite."
Muffled moans came from Yu Huiyan's gagged mouth.
"Don't be so scared. As long as Second Brother Liang doesn't marry you, you can continue to live a good life."
Princess Lingyang squatted down, patted her face, and sneered. "So from now on, you'd better pray that Second Brother Liang isn't that infatuated with you. Otherwise—"
Her innocent yet demonic smile grew larger in Yu Huiyan's pupils. Princess Lingyang whispered in her ear, "Imagine how heart - broken he will be when he gets the imperial edict for marriage, only to find that his fiancée has accidentally been torn to pieces by the hunting dog. Oh, then a happy event will turn into a funeral!"
...
On the martial arts arena, swords flashed and shadows danced.
Shi Luohan's every move was fierce and unrelenting.
Liang Yuzhou was both defensive and offensive, calmly facing the battle.
The dense and resounding drumbeats tugged at the hearts of every spectator.
Each clash of the swords made Song Wanchu's heart clench even tighter.
She didn't know what her elder brother was planning. She only hoped that her elder brother would come off the arena unscathed.
Although the martial arts arena was quite far from Song Wanchu's seat, Liang Yuzhou could still keenly sense that Song Wanchu's eyes were on Shi Luohan.
Her eyes were filled with tension and worry.
A momentary distraction, and his right shoulder was scratched by Shi Luohan's sword blade.
His right shoulder already had an old injury, and after days of battles with dozens of top - notch masters, the continuous pain made his right shoulder less flexible.
Shi Luohan seized this only weakness and launched a fierce attack.
Spots of blood quickly seeped through his cyan robe.
The onlookers gasped in unison.
A cold glint flashed in Liang Yuzhou's eyes. He curled his lips disdainfully. "Such underhanded tactics."
Shi Luohan gritted his teeth, his face as cold as frost and snow. "If we're talking about underhanded people, who can compare to Young Master Liang the Second? You show your infatuation for Yu Huiyan in front of the world, yet you also try to possess Wanchu and trample her into the dust."
Suddenly, his swordsmanship became even more fierce and menacing.
"Liang Yuzhou, are you even a man?"
Shi Luohan pressed on step by step, forcing Liang Yuzhou to retreat continuously. "What has Wanchu done to deserve this from you?"
As the crowd watched, the situation on the arena was already clear.
Liang Yuzhou seemed no match for Shi Luohan.
Hearing the onlookers' admiration for Shi Luohan, the old duke's face darkened.
If Liang Yuzhou couldn't win the championship, wouldn't the Duke's Mansion lose face?
Liang Yuchuan, sitting beside him, comforted him, "Father, Second Brother is too over - confident. He always thinks he is invincible in the world. It's good for him to be humbled by Shi Luohan. Otherwise, if he is made the heir apparent, he might become even more impetuous."
The old duke nodded.
He was still in his prime, and there was no need to rush to petition the emperor for an heir apparent for the Duke's Mansion.
If Yuzhou couldn't win the championship in the martial arts examination, he could recommend Chuan'er to the emperor.
Thinking this way, the old duke felt a bit better.
Seeing the bloodstains on Liang Yuzhou's body, Song Wanchu's face turned pale.
Her fingers were tightly curled together. Due to the excessive force, her knuckles turned bluish - white.
Whether it was Shi Luohan or Liang Yuzhou, she didn't want to see either of them get hurt.
The old lady patted her hand and smiled gently. "It's just a minor injury. A real man can't even bear this much pain. How can he shoulder the great responsibility of the Duke's Mansion?"
Shi Luohan's sword stabbed towards Liang Yuzhou's chest. Liang Yuzhou was already showing signs of exhaustion and was unable to fight back...
"Brother, no!"
As the sharp sword blade approached Liang Yuzhou's chest, Song Wanchu felt as if her heart was being squeezed, and she was almost suffocated.
Her body trembled violently, and she cried out involuntarily, her mind going blank.
She knew better than anyone how strong her elder brother's hatred for Liang Yuzhou was. If something happened to Liang Yuzhou under his sword...
She hated Liang Yuzhou, but she didn't want him to die.
Shi Luohan's wrist suddenly trembled.
Liang Yuzhou raised his sword - shaped eyebrows, and a huge aura of hostility suddenly gathered in his eyes and brows.
"Clang—"
Shi Luohan's sword was deflected. The unexpected counter - attack was so fierce that this time it was Shi Luohan's turn to be overwhelmed.
Just now, Song Wanchu's plaintive and panicked "no" seemed to inject infinite energy into Liang Yuzhou.
His sword was so fast that it left a series of after - images in front of Shi Luohan. Liang Yuzhou sneered with a curl of his lips. "Did you see? Wanchu still cares about me."
Shi Luohan woke up from his dream. So Liang Yuzhou had been pretending to retreat step by step just to test Wanchu's reaction!
"You're so despicable! How long are you going to scheme against Wanchu!"
A wild smile appeared on Liang Yuzhou's cold face.
"No matter what you and the Crown Prince are planning, you won't succeed!"
Suddenly, his moves changed. Shi Luohan was hit on the shoulder, and his arm went numb. The sword in his hand fell to the ground.
With a loud clang, the whole arena fell silent.
Everyone originally thought that Liang Yuzhou was doomed to lose. Who would have thought that he had been biding his time in the first half and then staged a comeback.
What a thrilling and exciting duel!
The emperor took the lead in clapping.
The referee announced loudly that Liang Yuzhou had won the championship of this year's martial arts examination.
Shi Luohan came in second.
The emperor was very happy. "Regardless of the outcome, you two are both young heroes!"
Then he turned to look at the old duke. "My dear minister, the son you've raised really lives up to your heroic style back then!"
The old duke had mixed feelings in his heart. He glanced at the silent Liang Yuchuan and forced a smile. "Your Majesty flatters me."
Liang Yuzhou and Shi Luohan knelt down to thank the emperor.
The emperor asked Liang Yuzhou, "You only have a high - ranking concubine in your family, and the position of the legal wife has been vacant for many years. I wonder if you have a girl in mind?"
Outside the arena, Yu Huiyan's heart stopped. The fierce black dog kept sniffing her neck, and its saliva dripped on her neck.
The prey was right in front of it. Thunder was getting impatient and kept looking at Princess Lingyang.
Waiting for its master's order to tear the prey in front of it to pieces.
"Father, I have an impertinent request."
The Crown Prince walked forward gracefully, knelt down respectfully in front of the emperor, and showed a pious attitude.
The emperor looked puzzled but still smiled. "Hong'er, just speak your mind."
The Crown Prince gave Liang Yuzhou a cold look.
"Your Majesty, this young hero Shi is the adopted elder brother of Miss Song Wanchu of the Song family. He fought his way out of thousands of troops and made it to the finals all for Miss Song."
"Miss Song?" The emperor frowned. "Isn't she the high - ranking concubine of Second Brother Liang?"
"Exactly." The Crown Prince said unhurriedly. "Your Majesty, three years ago, you personally bestowed an imperial edict for Liang Yuzhou to welcome Miss Song into the Duke's Mansion with the ceremony of a legal wife. The old lady of the Duke's Mansion also allowed Miss Song to wear the hairstyle of a legal wife, wear red, and enter through the main gate, which is no different from a legal wife. Logically, Miss Song should have been made the legal wife long ago. But Liang Yuzhou already had someone in mind for his legal wife. Shi Luohan couldn't bear to see his younger sister be a concubine for the rest of her life. So..."
The emperor understood immediately. He looked at Shi Luohan. "Do you want to ask for a release letter for your younger sister?"
The queen saw through the Crown Prince's intention at a glance.
She knew her son's little tricks too well.
He was actually willing to go through so much trouble for Song Wanchu!
"Your Majesty, Young Hero Shi's request is not unreasonable."
The queen smiled. "Second Brother Liang has someone he loves. When his legal wife enters the mansion in the future, she will have to face a high - ranking concubine who has been in charge of the household for three years and has quite a bit of prestige. It's really unfair to her. If Miss Song is demoted to an ordinary concubine, it will also damage your dignity. Giving her a release letter is the best solution."
The Crown Prince, who was usually solemn and reserved, rarely winked playfully at his mother. "Mother is right."
The emperor pondered for a moment and asked Liang Yuzhou, "Liang the Second, which girl do you want to marry today? And are you willing to give Miss Song a release letter?"
Liang Yuzhou looked directly into the emperor's eyes and spoke clearly and forcefully. "Your Majesty, I'm not willing. Today, I ask Your Majesty for an imperial edict to allow me to make Wanchu my legal wife."