Volume One, Chapter 14: Rumors Cut Like Invisible Blades

The copper gong of the Court of Judicial Review shattered the long-maintained false calm of the capital.

Crown Prince Li Xuan handed over the spies planted by his brothers, complete with people and evidence, for trial. This fiercely defiant act, tantamount to a "suicidal" move, left everyone utterly stunned. For a moment, the entire court and capital were abuzz with heated debate.

Inside the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

Emperor Li Chengye listened to the report from his trusted eunuch Wang Fu, his solemn face betraying no hint of emotion. He lightly tapped his fingers on the dragon-embossed desk; each tap sent shivers down Wang Fugui’s spine.

“Nonsense! Utter nonsense!” After a long pause, Li Chengye snorted coldly. “My sons—each one more capable than the last! Their covert schemes happening right under my nose! And now this uproar shakes the whole city, bringing shame upon the royal family!”

Wang Fu hastily knelt, “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The Crown Prince… perhaps he was driven to desperation.”

“Desperation?” A glint flashed in Li Chengye’s eyes. “I see him enjoying himself immensely! That move was brilliant. He cast himself as the victim, wielding the law as a weapon to force me into cleaning up his mess. He’s sending a message—to me and everyone else—that Li Xuan is not to be trifled with.”

Though his words were chastising, Li Chengye’s tone held no true anger, but rather a hint of amused admiration. He waved his hand. “Issue my decree: the Court of Judicial Review shall investigate thoroughly according to the law, but make no public announcements. I want to see how the eldest and second princes will settle this.”

The phrase “investigate thoroughly according to the law, make no public announcements” revealed imperial cunning. It acknowledged the “legitimacy” of Li Xuan’s actions while containing the scandal within court walls, preventing it from spreading further.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the eldest prince Li Yuan and the second prince Li Zhan were summoned to the palace and scolded for half an hour until their faces turned ashen. They were ordered to reflect in seclusion, and any influence they had over the Court of Judicial Review was ruthlessly severed by the emperor.

On the surface, Li Xuan had achieved a complete victory.

Yet, just as everyone believed the Crown Prince had secured his position, a new undercurrent quietly stirred in the dark corners of the capital.

A fresh wave of rumors began circulating among teahouses, taverns, and brothels.

“Have you heard? The Crown Prince’s temperament has changed drastically; he’s become cruel and bloodthirsty!”

“Yes, I heard from a servant fleeing the Eastern Palace that when the Crown Prince arrested those spies recently, he had no real evidence—just brutal torture to extract confessions!”

“Exactly! They say he’s lost his mind, seeing enemies everywhere, even distrustful of his own brothers, fabricating charges against them. If he becomes emperor, will any of us have a future?”

“Shh! Quiet! They say he practices some sinister martial art in the Eastern Palace daily, radiating murderous intent like a living devil! If this continues, he’ll become a tyrant!”

These rumors were more insidious and poisonous than any before. They no longer attacked Li Xuan’s “incompetence” or “debauchery” but twisted his “strength” and “decisiveness” into “cruelty” and “paranoia.”

They did not deny his arrests but questioned his motives and methods—a lethal attack on his character, invisible yet deadly.

Public opinion swung sharply downward. The common folk, once beginning to revise their opinion of the Crown Prince, now wavered. Meanwhile, conservative officials who had always disliked Li Xuan’s harsh methods grew restless, preparing petitions accusing him of “harshness unbecoming of the heir apparent.”

In the Eastern Palace, the study.

The newly appointed steward Wang Fugui paced anxiously like ants on a hot pan. “Your Highness, what shall we do? These people are so vicious! They want to ruin your reputation! If the label ‘tyrant’ sticks to you… you… you’re finished!”

But Li Xuan remained calm and composed. Standing by the window, he held a delicate carving knife, focused intently on sculpting a piece of exquisite agarwood. Wood shavings fluttered; the shape of a lifelike tiger cub was already taking form in his hands.

Without looking up, he asked, “Wang Fugui, do you know what rumors fear most?”

Wang Fugui blinked, “Fear… the truth?”

“No.” Li Xuan blew the shavings off his carving and regarded it with satisfaction. “The truth requires belief, but there are too few wise people and too many fools in this world. Rumors fear only one thing—a more impactful, more shocking fact. A fact that instantly shatters lies and leaves everyone speechless.”

Wang Fugui was baffled, unable to grasp his meaning.

At that moment, soft footsteps sounded outside. Xiao Ningshuang entered. She had changed out of her plain white robe into a pale purple palace gown—less austere, more regal.

She gently placed a bowl of freshly stewed lotus seed soup on the table, her gaze sweeping over Li Xuan’s carving. “The outside world is almost in chaos, and you still have time for this?”

Her tone sounded reproachful, yet Li Xuan detected a trace of concern in her clear eyes.

“Are you worried about me, Crown Princess?” Li Xuan set down his carving and lifted the bowl with a smile.

Xiao Ningshuang’s ears flushed faintly as she turned away. “I’m just worried my ally is too foolish and can be toppled by a few words, which would affect the Xiao family’s investments.”

This woman, always speaking with a forked tongue. Li Xuan chuckled inwardly, choosing not to expose her. He sipped the lotus seed soup—sweet but not cloying, cooked to perfection.

“Don’t worry. A few rumors won’t bring me down.” He set the bowl down, his gaze deepening. “They say I’m cruel, paranoid, mad from martial arts. Then I’ll show them all exactly what my martial path truly is.”

Xiao Ningshuang’s heart stirred. “What do you intend to do?”

A mysterious smile curved Li Xuan’s lips. “Father has always wanted to ease tensions among us brothers. I hear in three days, he will hold a palace banquet at Ninghua Hall, summoning all princes and royal relatives.”

He paused, enunciating each word. “Perfect opportunity. I will take the stage myself and give them—and all the empire—a truly spectacular performance.”

Xiao Ningshuang looked into the confident gleam in his eyes and felt a sudden sense of reassurance. This man always seemed to have everything under control, as if all storms were part of his plan.

She found herself eagerly anticipating how he would stir the winds and overturn everyone’s expectations at the banquet three days hence.

At that moment, a young eunuch hurried in, delivering the emperor’s decree: the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were to attend the palace banquet at Ninghua Hall in three days.

Li Xuan accepted the edict and exchanged a glance with Xiao Ningshuang.

Everything was understood without a word.

The storm was about to break.