Hearing the question, Fu Qiwen gently shook his head and answered ambiguously:
"In my opinion, perhaps the archives were recorded incorrectly. Or perhaps my investigation was mistaken."
As he spoke, he paused before continuing:
"However, before I came to see Your Majesty, Eunuch Sun Changyu, who oversees Aurora Pavilion affairs, told me something."
Fu Qiwen did not conceal anything. He recounted in full what Sun Changyu had told him: how five Martial Grandmaster experts had ambushed and tried to kill him on the road, only for those five experts to be slain in an instant afterward.
After hearing him out, Emperor Yuanwu's previously placid emotions finally rippled slightly. He mused:
"A single blade, its might nearing the Heavenly Human Realm, slew two swordsmen. Three Martial Grandmasters were silently suppressed and killed from afar by finger force..."
Emperor Yuanwu spoke softly, but offered no further comment on the matter.
"In my opinion, His Highness may not be as simple as he appears."
Fu Qiwen recalled the matter for a moment, then said:
"When His Highness faced this subject, whether in his actions or speech, he showed not the slightest restraint. On the contrary, whether toward the others in the Heavenly Brocade Guard or toward this subject, his words were rather casual. This subject even faintly had the feeling..."
At that point, Fu Qiwen's expressionless face paused slightly. His deeply furrowed brow creased as though he were carefully weighing his words.
Seeing this, the figure behind the bamboo curtain seemed to take some interest and asked of his own accord:
"Tell Us. What sort of feeling could make My beloved minister so conflicted?"
Fu Qiwen fell silent for a while at those words, but ultimately spoke.
"This subject cannot be certain, but it felt as though His Highness somewhat... looked down on