Outside the Crown Prince's Residence.
Meng Chen had just returned from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and stepped out of his carriage when he saw the guard commander stationed outside the main hall hurry over.
"Young Lord, His Highness has just returned from the palace. He's waiting for you in the inner study."
Meng Chen nodded and headed toward the inner courtyard.
His heart was as clear as a polished mirror. Xue Ye's summons of Prince Xue Xing and Xue Qinghe that afternoon had most likely reached a conclusion.
He pushed open the study's heavy nanmu door.
Qian Renxue had already changed out of her court robes. Wearing only a loose, moon-white brocade robe, she stood by the window, looking at the lingering snow in the courtyard.
At the sound of the door opening, she turned around, a hint of relief on her usually gentle, refined face.
"You're back, Chen? Come, sit down."
Qian Renxue gestured toward the rosewood chair opposite the table.
Meng Chen obediently stepped forward and bowed, then sat down and asked with some curiosity.
"Brother Xue, you look so cheerful. Did something wonderful happen at the palace today?"
Qian Renxue sat down behind the desk and personally picked up a purple clay teapot to pour Meng Chen a steaming cup of ginseng tea, her tone carrying a teasing edge.
"What, isn't my little clever clogs usually the smartest one around? Can't you guess what your big brother went to the palace to do?"
Holding the cup of hot tea, Meng Chen blinked and asked hesitantly, "Was it about those assassins who attacked me in the south of the city the day before yesterday?"
"Smart boy."
Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened. "Of the two assassins who tried to kill you, one was a cousin of the guard commander at Prince Xue Xing's Residence. The other regularly received secret payments from a bank under Xue Xing's name."
At this, Meng Chen feigned astonishment and sucked in a cold breath.
"It was Prince Xue Xing? He's an imperial prince. Why would he attack a child like me who's only just started school?"
Seeing Meng Chen's shocked, innocent expression, Qian Renxue felt her desire to protect him grow stronger.
In her eyes, although Meng Chen possessed extraordinary talent, he was still only a six-and-a-half-year-old child.
He knew nothing of the life-and-death struggles for power within the imperial court.
Qian Renxue softened her voice and patiently explained, "Chen, the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family is nowhere near as calm and peaceful as you imagine. That old fellow Xue Xing has been stirring up trouble in the shadows all along."
"And you are the genius I personally brought to the royal family's attention, with innate full soul power and an exceptional promotion to viscount. In their eyes, once you grow up, you'll become my right-hand man. They can't touch me, so naturally, they want to strangle you in your cradle."
Meng Chen lowered his head and muttered, "So it's because I got in someone else's way."
"Nonsense!"
Qian Renxue raised her brows and firmly cut him off. "What do you mean, got in their way? You're someone I, Xue Qinghe, have acknowledged. Who in this Heaven Dou Empire dares say you're in their way? If anyone deserves blame, it's those clowns jumping about in the shadows, playing their vicious little games!"
After saying this, Qian Renxue's expression eased somewhat. She took a Purple-Gold Brocade Box from her sleeve and placed it before Meng Chen.
"Take a look. This is your compensation."
Meng Chen reached out and opened the box.
Thick golden velvet lined its interior. Resting inside were a Gold Soul Coin Savings Card and a thick stack of land and property deeds.
"To appease Father's anger, that old villain Xue Xing put up a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins as compensation for your ordeal. In addition, a hundred mu of prime farmland in the southern outskirts and three shops in prime locations in Heaven Dou City's bustling districts have all been transferred into your name."
Qian Renxue looked at Meng Chen with a smile in her eyes. "Not only that, in his fury, Father directly stripped Xue Xing of his concurrent post as City Guard Army Commander-in-Chief, docked three years of his salary, and ordered him to remain at home reflecting on his mistakes for six months."
"The Heaven Dou City Defense Authority he once controlled has now been handed over to me in its entirety. Chen, in this round, you not only escaped danger unharmed, but also rendered an enormous service."
Looking at the weighty deeds and gold card inside the box, Meng Chen inwardly marveled.
A hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, along with fertile land and shops, was a windfall an ordinary person could never earn in several lifetimes.
Prince Xue Xing had truly lost both his wife and his troops this time.
Not only had he lost his all-important military authority, he also had to pay his intended assassination target out of his own pocket.
On the surface, however, Meng Chen did not let the wealth go to his head. Instead, he looked up at Qian Renxue with earnest eyes.
"Brother Xue, these things are very valuable. Without you supporting me and speaking up for me before His Majesty, I'd probably have lost my life long ago, let alone received any compensation."
"So you should take them, Brother Xue, and use them to smooth things over."
His words were watertight, expressing gratitude while thoroughly satisfying Qian Renxue's dignity as a superior and her desire to shelter him.
After hearing him, Qian Renxue felt warmth well up in her heart, and Meng Chen became all the more pleasing to her eyes.
What a thoughtful child!
Anyone else, even some noble children, would have been beside themselves with joy at such a vast fortune.
Yet Meng Chen's first thought had been for the difficulties faced by his big brother.
Qian Renxue reached out and ruffled Meng Chen's furry rabbit ears, smiling as she shook her head. "Silly boy, I'm the Heaven Dou Crown Prince. Do you think I need your handful of Gold Soul Coins and a few shops?"
"Father bestowed these on you in Sect Master Ning's presence, so they're your private property. Just accept them with peace of mind. As for handling the City Guard Army, I have my own arrangements."
Seeing this, Meng Chen stopped declining and put the box into his Storage Soul Tool.
A moment later, the smile faded from Qian Renxue's face, replaced by an air of authority.
She rose and stood with her hands behind her back, looking toward the southwest of the imperial city, where Prince Xue Xing's Residence lay.
"Chen, although today's matter has ostensibly come to an end, I promise you this: it won't end here."
"Six months confined at home? A hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins? Hmph. That paltry punishment can't wash away his crime of daring to lay a hand on you. Does he think sacrificing an arm will keep the rest of him safe? In Heaven Dou City, anyone who dares touch someone I, Xue Qinghe, value had better be prepared to pay the price."
Qian Renxue turned and spoke earnestly to Meng Chen. "Some plans take time. For now, we can't tear away all pretense at court, but I'll settle every last debt in the shadows for you. Before long, I'll make them understand what it truly means to wish they'd never done it."
That killing intent was no act.
At her core, Qian Renxue was the young master of Spirit Hall, decisive and ruthless. Prince Xue Xing's actions had touched her dragon's reverse scale.
Watching the cold-faced Qian Renxue, Meng Chen felt a ripple stir in his heart.
He had to admit that, as an ally and someone to rely on, Qian Renxue's fierce protection of her own and her methods were truly beyond reproach.
Meng Chen nodded firmly. "Brother Xue, I believe you."
"All right, let's not make things so serious."
Qian Renxue withdrew her killing intent, and a gentle smile returned to her face. "You've had quite a fright these past two days. Don't wear yourself out at the academy, either. Oh, the guards told me that little girl from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has been worried sick these past two days."
Meng Chen's little face flushed, and he scratched his head awkwardly. "Ning Rongrong is used to being spoiled. She's just being a child."
Qian Renxue gave him a teasing look, then said meaningfully, "Let me remind you, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also put in a great deal of effort today. It's clear Sect Master Ning already regards you as Rongrong's good friend. Keeping a good relationship with her at the academy won't hurt you. As for the gossip from everyone else at the academy..."
"Although Xue Xing has been confined, those minor families clinging to him and those so-called noble children are bound to resent it. If anyone at the academy dares use this incident to provoke you, don't hold back. Hit them back hard. Whatever happens, the Crown Prince's Residence will answer for you!"
Those words rang out with the weight of stone striking the ground, giving Meng Chen all the confidence he needed to walk unhindered through the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Academy.
Meng Chen grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "Understood, Brother Xue. If anyone dares make trouble, I won't show them any mercy."
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