Inside the Imperial Study behind Swan Hall in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Wisps of ambergris incense rose silently from an openwork golden burner, shrouding the spacious, lavish hall in a solemn atmosphere.
Xue Ye, emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, sat on the Purple-Gold Dragon Throne in a bright yellow velvet robe.
Though advanced in years, his slightly narrowed imperial eyes still radiated the majesty of a sovereign whenever they opened and closed.
Seated to one side of the Imperial Study, Ning Fengzhi, sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, sipped tea in a white robe, his every gesture carrying the bearing of a grandmaster above worldly concerns.
The man in the middle, however, knelt stiffly on the floor.
It was none other than Prince Xue Xing.
At that moment, Prince Xue Xing's face was deathly pale, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.
Not far from his side stood Qian Renxue in a plain white robe. Her expression was calm, but the murderous intent that occasionally flashed through her eyes betrayed the turmoil within.
"You bastard! Have you lost all semblance of humanity?"
Crack!
Xue Ye hurled his white jade teacup onto the floor before the imperial desk.
The old emperor's chest heaved as he pointed at Prince Xue Xing and roared.
"Xue Xing! For the sake of our blood ties, I have always turned a blind eye to your little schemes, forming factions behind the court's back!"
"But look at what you've done!"
"Ambushing a six-year-old child just outside the southern city limits, when he had only just been made an Imperial Viscount! Sending two four-ring Battle Soul Ancestors to assassinate him!"
"Do you think the reputation of my Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family isn't foul enough, or do you think I can no longer lift a blade?"
Prince Xue Xing shook violently from head to toe, not even daring to raise his head as he wailed in a tearful voice.
"Your Majesty, please investigate! Your younger brother has been wronged! Even with courage enough to fill the heavens, I would never dare commit such a treasonous act!"
"Someone must be secretly framing me!"
Qian Renxue had been standing to one side the whole time. At those words, she could not help letting out a scornful laugh.
"Framing you?"
Qian Renxue stepped forward, took a stack of documents stained with dark red blood from her broad sleeve, and presented them with both hands.
"Imperial Uncle, how would Qinghe dare disturb His Majesty without solid evidence?"
"The dead Agility Attack Battle Soul Ancestor was an officer who retired from the Third Legion on Heaven Dou's northern frontier three years ago."
"Since his retirement, his pension and upkeep have been paid every month directly through the Four Seas Bank, secretly established under your estate's name. The ledgers and vermilion seals are all here. Would you care to examine them yourself, Imperial Uncle?"
"And the Soul Ancestor with the Heavy Armor Mad Rhino martial soul was the paternal cousin of Wang Mang, commander of your estate's guards! The day before the assassination attempt, he passed through the southern gate carrying a token from your estate!"
With every sentence Qian Renxue spoke, Prince Xue Xing's complexion worsened.
He had assumed that sending two experienced Soul Ancestors against a six-year-old child would make the task as easy as snatching something within reach, accomplished without anyone being the wiser.
Even if the assassination failed, the rules for suicide operatives dictated that they immediately take poison, leaving no survivors.
But the actions of Qian Renxue's covert agents had caught him completely off guard.
In just two days, her covert agents had uncovered every movement of those two desperadoes and laid the evidence directly before the emperor!
Prince Xue Xing cursed those two incompetent fools ten thousand times in his heart, but before ironclad evidence piled high as a mountain, any defense seemed pale and powerless.
He knew full well that Xue Ye abhorred infighting within the imperial family above all else, especially in the presence of outsiders.
At that moment, Ning Fengzhi, seated to one side, set down his teacup.
Ning Fengzhi lifted his eyes slightly, his warm, jade-like gaze settling on Prince Xue Xing.
Though he maintained his refined, easygoing demeanor, his words carried considerable weight.
"Your Majesty, Meng Chen is a gifted, intelligent child, and Rongrong's best friend at the academy. When my daughter Rongrong heard about the attack the day before yesterday, she was nearly frightened into illness."
"As you know, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has always obeyed the law and faithfully fulfilled its duties as your subjects. But if even a gifted young boy granted the title of viscount cannot be assured of his basic safety here in Heaven Dou City, which disciples of the great sects and noble families will dare remain here to cultivate in peace?"
His words hid needles within silk, bringing the full pressure of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect directly to bear on Xue Ye.
A struggle over the succession within the Heaven Dou Imperial Family was acceptable, but resorting to vile assassination tactics was another matter.
If it even threatened someone valued by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then the imperial family would have to weigh the wrath of the world's foremost support sect.
The corner of Xue Ye's eye twitched slightly, and his anger burned hotter.
He could not deny Ning Fengzhi due respect. Moreover, Xue Qinghe's prestige at court was now as brilliant as the midday sun, and he handled everything without leaving a single crack. If this matter went unanswered, what would become of the imperial family's authority?
The old emperor squeezed his eyes shut and drew a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were filled with disappointment.
"Xue Xing, you have disappointed me deeply."
"Hear my decree! Prince Xue Xing is hereby stripped of his concurrent post as City Guard Army Commander-in-Chief. His stipend shall be withheld for three years, and he shall remain confined to his estate for six months to reflect upon his conduct. Without my verbal permission, he may not take so much as half a step outside!"
At those words, Prince Xue Xing's body went limp, and he nearly collapsed.
Stripped of military authority and confined to his estate.
The post of City Guard Army Commander-in-Chief was the most powerful position he held.
With this single stroke, it was as though one of his arms in Heaven Dou City had been severed.
But clearly, Xue Ye had not finished.
The old emperor cast him a cold glance and said gravely, "Furthermore, Viscount Meng has suffered this fright, and the empire ought to offer him comfort. Prince Xue Xing's estate is ordered to provide one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins within three days as compensation for his distress. An additional hundred mu of fertile farmland in Heaven Dou City's southern outskirts and three shops shall be transferred to Viscount Meng Chen!"
"Do you accept this judgment?"
For a prince, one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins was merely a single hair off nine oxen.
But a hundred mu of fertile farmland, along with prime shops in the south of the city, amounted to carving a hefty chunk of flesh straight from Prince Xue Xing's body.
Prince Xue Xing clenched his back teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
But faced with Xue Ye's cold, merciless expression, with Ning Fengzhi sitting nearby, he could only swallow all his humiliation.
"Your younger brother bows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace. I accept the decree!"
Prince Xue Xing kowtowed three times, striking the floor heavily.
Standing to one side, Qian Renxue's eyes revealed a trace of a cold smile.
Turning another's strength against him, using one incident to pursue a greater aim.
With the attack on Meng Chen as her pretext, she had justifiably wrested control of the City Guard Army from Prince Xue Xing's hands.
She had also fleeced the old bastard for a hefty sum, securing considerable benefits for Meng Chen in the process.
"You may all leave."
Xue Ye waved wearily. "Qinghe, look after that child on my behalf. Do not let him lose faith in the empire."
At those words, Qian Renxue and Ning Fengzhi exchanged a glance, each seeing satisfaction in the other's eyes.
"Your child obeys."
Qian Renxue bowed and withdrew from the Imperial Study alongside Ning Fengzhi.
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