Similarly, Chu Li took out a sealed letter from his hand. Seeing this, everyone in the great hall dared not breathe, waiting for what would follow.
Those with discerning eyes could see that the Qin family was now openly declaring war against Prince Ning’s mansion!
Eunuch Lu, who stood beside the Western Ming Emperor, came down once more, took the sealed letter from Chu Li’s hand, went up to the throne, and presented it to the Emperor.
The Western Ming Emperor took the letter and opened it. After glimpsing its contents, he raised his eyes toward Old General Qin, then continued reading.
After a while, the Western Ming Emperor put away the letter, holding it in his palm, and looked at Yan Qiuhuai. “Minister Yan, you specially invited the three city lords today. What was your intention?”
Seeing that the Western Ming Emperor remained calm after reading the letter and directly avoided discussing its contents, Old General Qin’s heart clenched even tighter. He wasn’t sure if he had overestimated Chu Li or if it was because he had suffered many losses at Chu Li’s hands, but he felt that the contents of that letter weren’t so simple.
Now, seeing the Western Ming Emperor questioning Yan Qiuhuai, he also turned his head to look at Qu Xinyao and the others.
Yan Qiuhuai, whose name had been called, bowed and replied, “According to Miss Qin from the General’s mansion, when she used to follow Prince Ning in the past, she saw City Lord Xu and City Lord Qu frequently meeting with Prince Ning in private. Also, Prince Ning has a secret base in River Moon City, specifically for breeding some peculiar things to break Consort Rong’s formation.”
“Also, Wind Xuan Daoist, one of the three great masters in the world who resides in Xinyao City, has recently taken Prince Ning’s wife as a disciple. This humble official, considering Prince Ning’s relationship with Master Huaiyuan, and now involving the two city lords, feels that the matter is truly complex. Perhaps this is just this humble official being too fearful, but as a minister, I should help Your Majesty resolve worries and difficulties.”
…
…
After Yan Qiuhuai finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
“Miss Qin’s account sounds very detailed. Where is she?” Qu Xinyao looked toward Yan Qiuhuai, her eyes revealing disdain.
“Muyue is under house arrest in Plum Blossom Pavilion,” Old General Qin answered on behalf of Yan Qiuhuai.
Qu Xinyao snorted coldly and looked away.
The Western Ming Emperor raised his eyes, his gaze falling on Qu Xinyao. “Is what Minister Yan said true?”
“Your Majesty, Minister Yan is not wrong. We do meet privately frequently,” Qu Xinyao smiled, confirming the Western Ming Emperor’s question.
“Why do you have these interactions?” The Western Ming Emperor’s eyes darkened. Today’s events were coming one after another. Yan Qiuhuai’s words seemed to be pure imagination, yet they also seemed to remind him of certain things.
Qu Xinyao narrowed her eyes, looked at Xu Heyu standing beside her, and smiled. “Your Majesty and the officials present may not know, but I have admired City Lord Xu for a long time.”
The Western Ming Emperor frowned, glanced at Xu Heyu, and then asked, “What does that have to do with Li’er?”
“Father, Heyu was my childhood page boy and is the grandson of the late Grand Defender Xu,” Chu Li explained to the Western Ming Emperor, his thin lips slightly parted.
“Grand Defender Xu’s grandson…” The Western Ming Emperor frowned in thought, then indeed remembered that after Grand Defender Xu had passed away years ago, the rest of the Xu family had been robbed and killed. At that time, only one child had survived, and later, it was Empress Qin who, seeing the child was pitiful, gave him to Chu Li as a page boy.
Seeing that the Western Ming Emperor understood, Qu Xinyao curled the corners of her lips. “Your Majesty, years ago, when I was studying at Autumn Leaf Mountain, Muyue was my junior martial sister. She was always clinging to Prince Ning at that time. Through that connection, I became acquainted with Prince Ning, which is not surprising.”
“Later, I took a liking to City Lord Xu and heard that he was previously Prince Ning’s page boy. So I asked Prince Ning for a favor, to put in a good word for me with City Lord Xu.”
After speaking, Qu Xinyao turned her gaze toward Yan Qiuhuai. “Miss Muyue knows all these things, too. If you don’t believe me, you can ask her.”
Yan Qiuhuai hadn’t expected Qu Xinyao to throw the question back at him. His throat choked, and he couldn’t utter a single word.
“As for the secret base Miss Muyue mentioned, it’s on the hillside outside River Moon City. There’s a cave there with a pond inside, where some wild lotus flowers grow. They look quite beautiful, but to connect this to breaking a formation seems rather far-fetched. Oh yes, this secret base—Miss Muyue often went there with us,” Xu Heyu, who had been silent until now, also spoke up, smiling slightly at the Western Ming Emperor on the throne.
Hearing this, Old General Qin’s eyes filled with anger. He pointed at Qu Xinyao and Xu Heyu. “Don’t make groundless accusations, pushing everything onto Muyue!”
“Everyone in the Western Ming Country knows that Miss Qin used to follow Prince Ning around all the time. It’s not surprising that she knows these things, is it?” Qu Xinyao retorted.
“You…” Old General Qin glared at Qu Xinyao.
Seeing the court in chaos, the Western Ming Emperor heavily slapped the armrest of the dragon throne. “What about Wind Xuan Daoist taking Mu Yunjin as a disciple? What does that mean?”
“This son is not clear about that matter. I wonder how Prime Minister Yan came to know of it?” Chu Li suddenly smiled and looked at Yan Qiuhuai.
Yan Qiuhuai was slightly stunned.
“Where exactly did Minister Yan hear such rumors? Without any evidence, you’re just talking nonsense in this great hall. According to what you’re saying, Prince Ning can’t even make a few friends?” Qu Xinyao laughed coldly.
She then looked at Qiu Tianhuai, the City Lord of Zhangzhou, who had been silently watching the commotion since their arrival, and smiled. “City Lord Qiu is also Prince Chen’s maternal uncle. Minister Yan, do you dare to say that City Lord Qiu and Prince Chen are plotting something together?”
Qiu Tianhuai, whose name had been mentioned, coughed once to hide his embarrassment. “City Lord Qu is joking.”
“And a few days ago, the Princess Consort of Prince Rong, who was just executed, also said she liked to worship Buddha and would often go to Water Cloud Temple to offer incense. Does that mean she was also colluding with Water Cloud Temple?” Qu Xinyao added.
After speaking, Qu Xinyao glared at Yan Qiuhuai, then looked at the Western Ming Emperor, her face calm. “Your Majesty, some people fear the world is not chaotic enough and deliberately provoke father-son relationships. I wonder what their intentions are!”
“Your Majesty, this humble official reported these matters today, still for the sake of Western Ming Country’s land and people. This humble official’s loyalty to Your Majesty and Western Ming Country is unwavering! But City Lord Qu, as a mere woman, speaks wildly here, doesn’t follow rules, and distorts black and white!” Yan Qiuhuai knelt and kowtowed heavily to the Western Ming Emperor.
Old General Qin’s expression faltered for a moment. He never expected that Qu Xinyao’s verbal skills would be so formidable. In just a few sentences, she had made the dead seem alive!
He had originally intended to make a big deal out of Chu Li injuring Rong Min, since the matter concerned the friendship between the two countries, and the Western Ming Emperor would have to explain the Eastern Frontier.
But now, he didn’t know what was in the sealed letter that Chu Li had handed to the Western Ming Emperor, so he didn’t dare to say more for the moment.
At this point, the Western Ming Emperor was leaning back on the dragon throne, scanning the expressions of everyone below. Today, from the beginning of the morning court, Yan Qiuhuai had aimed all his attacks at Chu Li, with Qin Feng occasionally adding a few words, but their purpose was the same as Yan Qiuhuai’s—to bring down Chu Li.
Chu Li, who usually did not show his emotions, seemed quite open about Yan Qiuhuai and Qin Feng’s accusations, showing no sign of panic or guilt. But Qu Xinyao’s words today seemed to be more extensive and well-reasoned, without any flaws.
This kind of flawless speech—did it indicate that Chu Li was indeed being wrongfully accused, or had they prepared a set of responses before coming?
With these thoughts, the Western Ming Emperor glanced again at the sealed letter that he had been clutching in his fist since reading it. This was what Chu Li had just presented, and the content of the letter read—
“Li’er, on my way out of Southern Court, I happened to encounter Prince Rong Min of Eastern Frontier and Prince Chen Chu Qing’s two factions fighting each other. I wanted to stop and intervene, but due to my identity, it was inconvenient. After returning to Northern Ming Country, I was still concerned about this matter, so I am writing this letter to you, hoping you can investigate and reply.”
At the end of the letter was the exclusive jade seal of Bei Tang Wen Feng of Northern Ming Country.
The situation had developed beyond the Western Ming Emperor’s mental capacity for conjecture. Looking at the faces below, truth and falsehood had become indistinguishable.
He thought that perhaps he had been at ease for too long, so long that he had forgotten how to be a ruler of a country.
After a while, the Western Ming Emperor sighed lightly and waved his hand lazily. “Court dismissed!”
A farce in the court, ending without resolution.
…
On the way out of the palace, Chu Li walked in front, with Qu Xinyao and Xu Heyu following behind. The scenes from the court earlier still lingered vividly.
Qu Xinyao glanced at Yan Qiuhuai and Old General Qin walking not far behind, her eyes playful. “This is interesting. In the Western Ming Emperor’s eyes, now he probably sees everyone as a treacherous official. In the future, he will also keep a closer eye on the Qin family and Chu Qing.”
“City Lord Qu makes a good point. When the Emperor first named His Highness as Prince Ning, he already harbored suspicions toward His Highness. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent His Highness to that impoverished place, Qingzhou. Now, after this commotion, everyone is on equal footing,” Ding Xian, who had been quietly following, couldn’t help but agree.
As they were chatting quietly, Old General Qin had caught up from behind. Just as he was about to approach Chu Li, Qu Xinyao stopped him. “Grandfather Qin, I remember you had retired to enjoy your old age a while ago. Why have you been appearing in court again recently? Do you think Young General Qin is incapable of handling important matters?”
The term “Grandfather Qin” sounded especially sarcastic to Qin Feng. Back when Qu Xinyao was studying martial arts with the Qin siblings at Autumn Leaf Mountain, although the girl had a bit of a temper, he had treated her almost like a granddaughter. He never expected her to be on Chu Li’s side.
“Prince Ning, please wait.” Old General Qin ignored her and walked a few steps forward toward Chu Li.
Chu Li, hearing the voice, slightly slowed his pace and turned to glance at Old General Qin. “What is it?”
“Given how things stand, let’s speak frankly. Prince Ning, with such an elite group you’ve nurtured behind you, have you determined to contest the throne?” Old General Qin’s voice was very low, and his aged eyes were full of sharp light.
Hearing Old General Qin’s words, Chu Li’s eyes revealed a hint of mockery. He shook his head at Old General Qin, his lips curling into a deeply enchanting yet profound smile. Calmly yet coldly, he said—
“Compared to the throne, this prince is more interested in your head.”