Pin Shanhe

As soon as he entered the Imperial Study, Jun Qiyuan knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Father, I know I was wrong!"

He was mentally prepared the moment he heard the summons.

This matter has become such a big deal that it certainly couldn't escape the Emperor's notice, and he had already made plans on his way here.

Rather than waiting to be interrogated, it's better to take the initiative to admit your mistakes; there might still be room for maneuver.

Emperor Yong had expected him to deny everything, but he did not expect him to admit it so readily, which made his anger dissipate somewhat.

"Tell me! Why did you do this?"

Upon his return, Jun Qiyuan immediately held his subordinates accountable.

But they received an unexpected message—they hadn't made a move at all.

How did that fire start?

He felt a chill run down his spine, his heart filled with dread and unease.

Even if I were to say now that I didn't actually set the fire, it would be pointless and would only be seen as a way of making excuses.

"Because...I cannot lose Shen Fu!"

Upon learning the truth, Emperor Yong was unsure whether to be angry or amused.

"So, you committed such a grave mistake just to please a woman? Didn't I say we'd decide after a month? Are you so afraid that Shen Fu will get pregnant with the Prince's child and you'll lose her forever?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I dare not gamble. I cannot accept even the slightest possibility of success."

Even though Shen Fu had taken contraceptive, he still felt uneasy.

It's probably because of her cold attitude towards me these past two days!

That's why he wanted to stage a "hero saves the beauty" scene to win back her heart.

Unexpectedly, this backfired, leading to the current situation.

Seeing that his father's anger had not subsided, he kowtowed again.

"Your Majesty, I know my sins are unforgivable; I submit to Your Majesty's judgment!"

Emperor Yong's last remaining suspicion of him was completely dispelled.

Recently, there has been much debate within the imperial court regarding the selection of an heir apparent.

The princes secretly formed factions to vie for the throne, and the ministers also split into several groups.

When he learned that Jun Qiyuan had requested a marriage decree, he wondered if his son was also eyeing his throne.

After all, given Shen Fu's status, whichever prince marries her will gain the support of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, thus providing an extra layer of protection in their quest for the throne.

He originally didn't want to agree, but Jun Qiyuan pleaded and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion also intervened, saying that their daughter would marry no one but him.

Then, considering that the fourth prince was the least noticeable among all the princes, and that he had always kept a low profile and had never been heard of having any private dealings with any ministers.

After weighing the pros and cons, he finally agreed to the marriage.

His performance today has made him even more reassured.

What ambitions could a prince have who would risk his life for a woman?

Get up!

Jun Qiyuan suddenly looked up: "Father..."

"I will publicly declare today's events to be an accident."

Seeing the other party's puzzled look, he said coldly, "As a prince, you have committed such a grave mistake. If word gets out, it will surely damage the royal family's reputation. I cannot allow the entire royal family to be disgraced because of you. I will put your head on record today. If you dare to do it again, you will be punished for all your crimes."

Jun Qiyuan was overjoyed and quickly promised, "Your subject knows his mistake and will never do it again."

I never imagined that my all-or-nothing gamble would yield such unexpected results.

He then took the opportunity to sow discord.

"Shen Fu should have been my wife, but she was harassed by Prince Xuan time and time again. I was so angry that I made such a big mistake."

"Speaking of which, Father, don't you think it's a bit strange that those bandits showed up on our wedding day?"

"If that weren't the case, Shen Fu wouldn't have ended up in the wrong bridal sedan chair and been carried into the Xuan Prince's mansion. Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"

Emperor Yong was already suspicious of the matter, and after hearing his analysis, his heart sank.

"you mean……"

"King Xuan is renowned and enjoys immense prestige among the army and the people. If he were to harbor rebellious thoughts, the consequences would be unimaginable. Perhaps he is no longer content to be just a prince and desires to become the true master of Dayong?"

Emperor Yong's face instantly darkened. "Insolence!"

Jun Qiyuan was startled, but still forced himself to say, "Your Majesty, I only wanted to remind you that one should always be wary of others. With the Xuan King's Tiger Tally in hand, he controls half of the military force of Dayong. If he were to form a marriage alliance with the Duke of Zhenguo's family, I'm afraid..."

"Shut up! King Xuan is the God of War of the Great Yong Dynasty. Without him, the borders would have been invaded countless times, and the lost cities and lands would never have been recovered. Do you want me to punish a meritorious official?"

For years, the borders of Dayong have been repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, yet the country has no capable generals.

Until three years ago, Xiao Xuanjin appeared, leading his army to defeat the enemy, pacify the border, and reclaim the cities and territories occupied by the enemy.

In order to retain this "God of War", he immediately granted him a fiefdom and the unique privilege of exempting him from kneeling and bowing to the entire court.

Without the Xuan King, how could the Great Yong Dynasty be where it is today?

Jun Qiyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly apologized, "Your subject misspoke!"

Just when he thought that today's provocation was doomed to failure.

Emperor Yong stood up, walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke in a meaningful tone.

"Remember, head-on confrontation requires strength; otherwise, it's like throwing an egg against a rock. Until you can completely defeat your opponent, all you can do is temporarily avoid their sharp edge."

At this moment, on the rooftop.

A rustling vibration came from the tiles, like a night breeze brushing against the branches.

……

The moonlight shone on his black robes, as if they were coated with a layer of silver light.

A black-clad shadow guard suddenly appeared, moving silently like a ghost, seemingly blending into the darkness.

Upon hearing the report, Xiao Xuanjin's eyes darkened, and he remained silent.

The two people next to them were clearly quite indignant.

"If it weren't for the Lord, how could the Great Yong Dynasty be where it is today? And now they dare to kick us while we're down. This father and son are simply heartless."

"Exactly, we can help him, and we can also destroy him. Why don't we just go all the way and kill that old emperor?"

The man finally turned around, his eyes icy and piercing.

"When did it become your place to make decisions for me?"

Feng Zhu's heart trembled, and he quickly lowered his head to admit his mistake.

"Your subordinate acknowledges his guilt."

The woman in red beside her looked resentful.

"My lord, our mission in Yong Kingdom is complete, and it's time to return. Why linger here? Could it be because of that woman? She's just an insignificant stranger. Why are we so devoted to her? You…"

Before he could finish speaking, a powerful palm strike came.

The woman in red screamed and flew out, crashing into a large tree not far away, then falling heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Feng Zhu immediately knelt on one knee and begged for mercy with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Hongling was only worried about her lord and didn't mean anything by it. Please forgive her, lord."

"This slap is the price she pays for her insubordination. If she does it again, it won't be so simple."

After saying this, the man turned and left.

Feng Zhu quickly went over and helped the woman up.

Seeing the blood at the corner of her mouth, he handed her a handkerchief to wipe it away.

"Our lord has always disliked others interfering in his affairs, and as his subordinates, we should obey his orders without question. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Hongling glared at him fiercely, "Mind your own business!"

This was the first time the Lord had ever laid a hand on her, and it was for the sake of a woman.

The mere thought of this ignited a burning jealousy within her, making it impossible for her to control herself.

"No! The master must have fallen in love with that bitch. I'm going to kill her right now!"