Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 738: Chapter 361: Li Jue Gets Caught_2

"It’s possible," Prince Wei thought for a moment and said, "Go to the Song Family and inquire, see if Song Qingyun has captured him." Song Qingyun has a good relationship with Li Jue, he might have captured Li Jue to protect him.

Li Jue, who had been abducted, was currently locked in a secret room. He was poisoned, his whole body weak and limp, limbs powerless.

When he awakened, he realized he was poisoned, feeling very astonished. Then he discovered the jade pendant he always wore was missing. The jade pendant he had worn since childhood was no ordinary jade; it could resist all poisons.

Li Jue’s father loved him dearly, concerned he might be poisoned, he specifically sought out a pendant that could resist toxins. It was said this pendant was from the Ancient Era, extremely valuable.

"Prince, why not show yourself?" When Li Jue woke up to find himself locked in the secret room and poisoned with something akin to Soft Muscle Powder, he knew Zhao Yao had captured him.

Shortly after he called out, Zhao Yao walked into the secret room, appearing in his view.

Zhao Yao looked at Li Jue, grinning as he asked, "Brother Jiao, how does it feel to revisit old haunts?" Zhao Yao had deliberately locked Li Jue in the secret room and deliberately poisoned him, to let Li Jue experience what he once did.

Though Li Jue was poisoned and a prisoner, his expression showed no panic.

"Your Highness has quite the skills."

"Didn’t expect you’d be captured by me, did you?" Zhao Yao laughed with great pride, "You probably still don’t understand why you were captured, do you?"

Li Jue indeed didn’t understand. Not to mention the heavy guards at Li Mansion, just the martial skills of the guards and the Hidden Guard around him, few could get close to him under normal circumstances.

"How did you do it?" Li Jue was captured from his own home.

"Guess."

Li Jue thought of many possibilities, but none seemed feasible. He had always been cautious, and those serving him were meticulously chosen. If someone impersonated those around him, he would spot it at a glance.

Seeing Li Jue remain silent, Zhao Yao beamed a radiant smile, "Can’t guess, can you?"

Li Jue maintained his calm demeanor, "Please enlighten me, Your Highness."

"Heh heh..." Zhao Yao chuckled boastfully, then said in a frustratingly teasing tone, "I just won’t tell you."

Li Jue’s expression stiffened a bit. He had expected Zhao Yao would proudly show off how he caught him, but didn’t expect this reply.

"Brother Jiao, I told you, you’re no match for me." Zhao Yao picked up the teapot, poured a cup for himself and for Li Jue.

"What is your purpose for capturing me, to kill me?" Li Jue’s heart was unperturbed, instead, he asked with interest, "How does Your Highness plan to kill me?"

Zhao Yao didn’t answer directly but asked in return, "Brother Jiao, how do you think I’ll kill you?"

Li Jue chuckled softly, "How would I know how Your Highness will kill me?"

"Brother Jiao, aren’t you afraid of me torturing you?"

"That’s not something Your Highness would do." Li Jue said this with complete confidence.

Zhao Yao raised an eyebrow, "Brother Jiao, you speak as if you know me well."

Li Jue said nothing, only smiled.

"Brother Jiao, you think I’m not a ruthless person, wouldn’t use cruel methods to torture you." Zhao Yao said, showing a troubled expression, "I feel like I’m being underestimated." Did he seem like a soft-hearted person?

"Your Highness, you can go ahead and try," Li Jue looked at Zhao Yao, raising the corners of his mouth to a playful smirk, "I’m looking forward to Your Highness’s way of torturing me." He had never been tortured by anyone and was curious about how the Prince would act.

"Since Brother Jiao is anticipating it, I’ll fulfill your wish." Zhao Yao stood up, giving Li Jue a meaningful smile, "Hope Brother Jiao can endure it."

Li Jue smiled, "I look forward to it."

"Brother Jiao, I won’t disturb your rest," Zhao Yao said, then turned and left the secret room.

After Zhao Yao left, the smile disappeared from Li Jue’s face, replaced by an icy coldness, a fierce gleam in his eyes.

Zhao Yao walked out of the secret room, taking Tong Xi, who was standing guard at the door, with him.

Tong Xi followed and quickly asked, "Your Highness, are we leaving now?"

Zhao Yao glanced at Tong Xi sideways, "What, you want to stay and keep him company?"

Tong Xi quickly shook his head, then said, "Your Highness, what I meant was, aren’t we going to assign someone to guard the secret room? That Li Jue is very cunning, if he escapes from the secret room, what should we do?"

Zhao Yao raised a hand to tap Tong Xi’s head, saying irritably, "You underestimate your master too much. The secret room I set up personally, apart from me, no one else can open it."

"Your Highness is impressive," Tong Xi hurriedly flattered.

"Hmph, even if the experts around Li Jue came, they couldn’t open this secret room." Only explosives could blow open this secret room.

Tong Xi deliberately put on a fawning face, "Your Highness, you are indeed formidable, I am in awe."

"For the next few days, aside from delivering three meals a day, don’t bother with him," Zhao Yao emphasized, "When you deliver food, don’t speak a word to him."

"Your Highness, are you planning to bore him to death?" Tong Xi thought Zhao Yao’s move might not work, "Your Highness, that Li Jue doesn’t seem like someone who talks much, if no one talks to him, he won’t feel bored."

Zhao Yao gave Tong Xi a blank look, "You don’t understand."

Upon hearing this, Tong Xi knew he had guessed right, with a look of shock, "Your Highness, are you really planning to bore Li Jue to death?"

"Of course not just that, let him feel cold for a few days first."

"Your Highness, are you planning to torture him like that? That’s too lenient on him," Tong Xi followed Zhao Yao, chattering, "Your Highness, someone like Li Jue should be tortured harshly, like pulling his tendons, peeling his skin, or whipping him..."

Zhao Yao stopped, full of helplessness, "Am I such a violent person?"

"Your Highness, only then does it count as torture."

"There are many ways to torture someone, what you mentioned is just physical torture, it only causes pain."

Tong Xi looked puzzled, "Isn’t torturing someone about making them suffer, what else could there be?"

"Mental torture can be more painful than physical suffering," Zhao Yao looked back at the secret room below and smiled meaningfully, "For someone like Li Jue, the way to destroy him is to make him suffer mental blows."

Tong Xi listened, half-understanding, "Your Highness, how do you plan to mentally torture Li Jue?"

Zhao Yao asked, "What does Li Jue care about the most, what is he most proud of?"

Tong Xi thought for a while, couldn’t figure it out, and shook his head blankly, "I don’t know."

Zhao Yao raised a hand to point to his head, "Li Jue is most proud of his brain, he always thinks he’s extraordinarily intelligent, having all of Jinling’s affairs under his control, so the best way to strike him is to destroy what he’s most proud of."

"In terms of intelligence, Li Jue definitely can’t match you, Your Highness," Tong Xi didn’t flatter this time, speaking honestly.