Volume One, Chapter 15: The Palace Banquet—Wu Astonishes All

Three days later, as night fell, the imperial palace was brilliantly illuminated, shining as brightly as day.

At Ninghua Hall, the grand venue for royal banquets, the scene was even more magnificent—resplendent with gold and jade, and filled with ethereal music. Civil and military officials, along with members of the royal clan, were seated on either side according to their ranks and titles. Cups clinked and laughter echoed, creating an atmosphere of harmony and celebration, with songs and dances enhancing the festive mood.

Yet beneath this facade of peacefulness, a turbulent undercurrent churned.

Nearly every gaze, whether deliberate or inadvertent, flicked toward the few princes seated at the main table’s far end.

The eldest prince, Li Yuan, wore a sullen expression, drinking his wine in gloomy solitude. The second prince, Li Zhan, was affable and engaging, chatting cheerfully with the surrounding ministers, though his smile appeared forced and insincere. Whenever their eyes met, they instinctively darted toward their shared adversary—the Crown Prince, Li Xuan.

Today, Li Xuan donned a dark robe embroidered with golden snakes, which accentuated his upright bearing and jade-like visage. He appeared composed and serene, occasionally whispering to Xiao Ningshuang beside him, and at times raising his cup in greeting to distant royal elders. His calm and confident demeanor starkly contrasted with the tense atmosphere around him.

Xiao Ningshuang sat quietly by his side, clad in exquisite palace attire that made her resemble a snow lotus blossoming in the night—pure and ethereal. She keenly felt the eyes cast upon them from every direction—eyes filled with envy, malice, or curiosity—but her heart remained remarkably calm. For the man beside her inspired within her an unshakable confidence.

As the wine flowed through three rounds and the dishes passed through five flavors, the emperor, Li Chengye, set down his cup. His gaze swept across his sons, and in a grave tone he spoke, “This family banquet is meant to dissolve old grievances among you brothers and restore harmony. The bond of brothers weighs more than Mount Tai. Do not let petty matters harm this peace and bring ridicule upon us from outsiders.”

His words carried a pointed meaning.

Li Yuan and Li Zhan hastily rose, bowing respectfully and murmuring their obedience, though cold sneers lurked in their hearts.

At that moment, Li Xuan suddenly stood.

He first bowed deeply to Li Chengye, then spoke clearly, “Father, your admonition is well taken. Recently, I have heard certain rumors about myself, which have greatly disturbed me.”

The hall instantly fell into silence. All eyes fixed upon him.

Li Zhan’s lips curled into a subtle smile. He presumed Li Xuan intended to publicly refute the accusations, a move that would be disadvantageous.

Yet Li Xuan shifted his tone and continued, “The rumors claim that my temperament has drastically changed due to martial cultivation, becoming fierce and cruel. I am but a fool, unaware that the true essence of martial arts is to strengthen the body and protect the nation—how could it be associated with cruelty? Taking this opportunity, I dare to demonstrate my martial skills before Father and all ministers. First, to clear my name and dispel slander; second, to show that the Crown Prince of Great Zhou is not merely a delicate scholar of letters!”

His words rang with resolute confidence, neither humble nor arrogant.

A gleam sparked in Li Chengye’s eyes, his interest piqued. “Oh? The Crown Prince has such an aspiration? Granted! Wang Fugui, summon my personal imperial guards to spar with the Crown Prince. Remember, only a friendly match—do not injure him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Soon, three burly imperial guards, exuding fierce auras and wielding blades and spears, entered the hall. These three were elite among the imperial troops; even top-tier martial artists of the realm would find them formidable opponents.

Li Yuan and Li Zhan exchanged glances, their minds sneering coldly. Li Xuan was courting death! They had secretly arranged for these guards to disgrace him publicly.

The center of the hall was swiftly cleared.

Li Xuan removed his outer robe, revealing a sleek martial outfit, and stepped calmly into the middle. He bore no weapons, only his bare fists, and bowed slightly to the three guards.

“Gentlemen, please,” he said.

The three guards glanced at one another and charged with a sharp shout, forming a pincer attack. The one on the left thrust his spear like a dragon toward Li Xuan’s chest; the one on the right swung his steel blade like a gleaming snowflake across Li Xuan’s waist; the man in the center stepped forward with a powerful punch, blocking all retreat.

Their coordination was seamless and deadly.

Everyone in the hall held their breath. Xiao Ningshuang’s heart leapt into her throat.

Yet, facing this overwhelming assault, Li Xuan’s face still bore that serene and effortless smile.

At the moment the spear and blade neared him, he moved.

He did not retreat; instead, he stepped forward. That step was perfect, as if calculated a thousand times, precisely entering the sole blind spot of the three attackers’ formation.

Then, with his left hand, his index and middle fingers together, he lightly tapped the spear shaft as if a dragonfly skimming water.

“Ding!” came a crisp sound.

The guard wielding the spear felt a strange vibration travel up the shaft, his arm numb as the heavy spear nearly slipped from his grasp. Alarmed, his attack faltered.

In that flash of time, Li Xuan’s figure flickered like a ghost, already beside the guard with the blade. Without glancing at the steel blade cutting toward his waist, he spread the fingers of his right hand and gently pressed on the opponent’s shoulder.

The guard sneered, accelerating his blade. To him, the Crown Prince was courting death.

But in the next moment, his smile froze. Li Xuan’s palm arrived first, pressing lightly on his shoulder’s acupoint. A soft yet irresistible force swept through him; his strength seemed instantly drained. He staggered forward two steps involuntarily, dropping his steel blade with a clatter.

His slash, however, passed through the spot where Li Xuan had just stood.

The final guard, now before Li Xuan, unleashed a fierce punch, the wind from it fluttering Li Xuan’s hair.

Without looking, Li Xuan met it with a backhand palm.

“Bang!”

The collision sounded like a muffled boom.

To everyone’s shock, the burly guard staggered back as if struck by a charging rhinoceros, retreating seven or eight steps before sitting heavily on the ground, disbelief etched across his face.

Li Xuan remained standing calmly, hands behind his back, utterly unmoved.

The entire sequence unfolded with the swiftness and grace of a rabbit’s leap and a hawk’s dive, dazzling to the eye, lasting only three to five breaths.

Among the three elite guards: one wounded, one retreated, one disarmed.

Li Xuan’s robe did not even flutter out of place.

What he displayed was not fierce combat, but an absolute mastery akin to “the Way.” It was a dimension-defying strike: “I make you miss, I sap your strength.”

The hall was deathly silent.

Not even a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone was dumbfounded, their minds blank before what they had witnessed.

“This... is martial arts?” an elderly minister murmured, rubbing his eyes.

“Incredible skill... simply incredible!” a general trembled with excitement.

“Despot? Cruel?”

Such words now seemed absurd. A man who could control his power with such exquisite precision could hardly be the so-called “tyrant.” If he wished harm, those three guards would by now be corpses.

The color drained completely from Li Yuan and Li Zhan’s faces, leaving them deathly pale. Their carefully crafted slanders were utterly shattered by Li Xuan’s stunning display—not even a trace remained.

On the dragon throne, Emperor Li Chengye had already risen. His gaze fixed on his son, eyes first filled with shock, then wild joy, and finally transformed into unprecedented pride and admiration!

This—this was truly his son! This was the rightful heir of Great Zhou!

Li Xuan slowly concluded his demonstration and bowed deeply to his father on the throne once more.

“Father, my martial path is not to bully my brothers nor to indulge in violence.”

His voice rang clearly throughout the silent hall, reaching every ear.

“My martial path is so that one day, I may clear the barbarians from our lands, expand our borders for Great Zhou! It is so that the Li dynasty’s realm may endure for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations!”

His words were impassioned and resolute, striking deeply.

“Well said! Well said! Well said!” Li Chengye exclaimed thrice, his body trembling slightly beneath the imperial robe from excitement.

Among the women’s seats, Xiao Ningshuang stared at the man standing in the hall’s center, as if his entire being radiated light. Her heart pounded faster than ever before, overwhelmed by a flood of emotions—shock, reverence, pride, and a strange stirring—all rushing in like a dam breaking, drowning her reason.

The once disdained and shameful prodigal Crown Prince had, without her realizing when, become a man she looked up to and admired—a peerless hero.