Chapter 130: Stay Behind

Wan Tang's gaze fell on Li Pin, that look seemed able to pierce the heart.

Li Pin only felt a chill down her back, her fingertips unconsciously curled into her palm, even her breathing became difficult.

She knew she had no way back.

Since choosing to ally with Wan Tang, the Lin family had already pledged the whole clan's fate.

At this moment, if she retreated, not only would all previous efforts be wasted, but the family would also be implicated.

Li Pin took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently.

She thrust her head up sharply, her voice trembling yet unusually clear: "Emperor, I can no longer endure!"

She knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against the cold blue bricks: "All these years, I have suffered endless humiliation in Jingren Palace. Xu Luoyan not only deducted my allowance, but also often beat and scolded the palace staff."

At this point she stole a glance at Xu Chengyuan, meeting his murderous eyes, and was instantly terrified, her whole body trembling, nearly losing breath.

"What is even more hateful," Li Pin clenched her teeth, "she actually dares to buy and sell offices, ruining the court's foundations!"

The hall fell dead silent in an instant.

Chu Yunzheng's expression was as calm as an ancient well, only the sound of his rotating prayer beads revealed the emperor's inner turbulence.

Xu Luoyan sprang to her feet, her golden hairpin swinging wildly: "Wretch! You are courting death!"

She pointed directly at Li Pin, her voice tearing through the hall, "I will tear your mouth apart!"

Wang Jingyi's eyes suddenly changed, the madness that had just shown faded, replaced by a chilling composure.

She rose slowly, like a venomous snake coiled and ready to strike.

Xu Chengyuan's face was as dark as iron, his hand resting on the sword at his waist, the murderous aura around him almost solidified.

The palace guards involuntarily stepped back half a pace, holding their breath.

Wan Tang, however, remained calm, as if detached from the affair: "Li Pin, matters of the inner palace require solid evidence."

Her voice was gentle, yet each word cut like a knife, "You must think this through."

Li Pin trembled like a sieve, her forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles.

She kept her eyes tightly shut, daring not to look at anyone, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down her temples, leaving dark stains on the blue bricks.

"I, I dare stake my life as guarantee!" she whispered, "I have evidence!"

"Present it," Chu Yunzheng finally spoke, his tone neither light nor heavy, yet the whole hall's air stiffened.

Xu Chengyuan sneered coldly: "Eating random food only gives you an upset stomach; speaking randomly can cost you your life."

Li Pin shivered all over and simply closed her eyes tightly.

Outside the hall, snow piled on the branches; inside, everyone sweated through their heavy robes.

She trembled as she pulled an Account Book from her bosom, raising it above her head: "This is what I obtained from Xu Answering's makeup box secret compartment."

Chu Yunzheng took the Account Book, his fingertips brushed over the densely written list.

With each page he turned, the chill in the emperor's eyes deepened.

He slammed the Shice shut, emitting a chilling, bone‑gnawing laugh:

"I have favored you for ten years."

Xu Luoyan's legs went weak, and she collapsed, kneeling on the ground.

Wan Tang showed a moment of realization: "No wonder Jingren Palace lives in extravagance; I had thought it was the Xu family subsidizing it."

She shifted her tone, looking pointedly at Xu Chengyuan.

"Nonsense!" Xu Chengyuan roared, suddenly lunging forward, snatching the Account Book.

Before anyone could react, his hands, thick with old calluses, ripped the book to pieces.

Paper shreds fluttered like snow.

Standing amid the endless paper, Xu Chengyuan still wore a brazen grin: "Such a forged thing, how could it stain the holy eye?"

Chu Yunzheng rose slowly, the golden thread patterns on his dragon robe glinting coldly.

The emperor said nothing, yet the invisible pressure caused the hall's temperature to drop sharply.

"Emperor, let this matter drift away like these paper fragments, carried by the wind!" Xu Chengyuan said evenly, with a hint of sarcasm.

Xu Luoyan's eyes widened suddenly, not expecting such a serious matter to be resolved by her father so easily?

She immediately began to feel at ease.

Indeed!

Her father commands a Hundred Thousand Army; what is there to fear?

As long as the matter can be smoothed over, that's enough.

Paper fluttered like snow, Wan Tang's voice rang coldly through the air: "Xu Chengyuan, you have such audacity!"

She swept her wide sleeves, knelt and bowed: "I am willing to be a witness; I have long known about Xu Luoyan's buying and selling of offices yet did not report, and I willingly accept the crime of shielding!"

Li Pin trembled all over, her forehead on the ground: "I... I am the same."

Xu Chengyuan's face turned iron‑blue, veins bulging on his temples.

Xu Luoyan lay limp on the ground.

Wang Jingyi, unusually quiet, clutched the hem of her dress with her gaunt fingers, a cold light flashing in her eyes.

Chu Yunzheng stood with his hands behind his back, the golden thread patterns on his dragon robe shimmering coldly in the candlelight: "I will investigate this matter thoroughly."

His voice was neither light nor heavy, "Send troops, surround Jingren Palace."

"Heh." Xu Chengyuan suddenly sneered, thumb rubbing the sword hilt, "Emperor, why waste so much effort?"

He looked down at the kneeling crowd, his tone leisurely, "Since the Emperor insists on sentencing, it is not impossible."

He abruptly lifted his foot, crushing a fragment of paper on the ground: "Then let it be my incompetent son Xu Mingde's doing."

The two men faced each other across the void, one with a majestic dragon aura, the other arrogantly overbearing.

Candlelight flickered in their eyes, reflecting completely different murderous intent.

After a long while, Chu Yunzheng slowly opened his mouth: "Xu Mingde's martial virtue is lacking; his crime is unforgivable. By decree, execute him on the spot!"

The Emperor's voice echoed through the Golden Hall: "As for Xu Yanchuan."

His gaze swept over Wan Tang, "Xu Mingde should have died already; he was merely following orders, no guilt!"

Xu Chengyuan's pupils contracted sharply, and the veins on the back of his sword‑gripping hand bulged.

Wang Jingyi let out a "cackle" from her throat, but his single glance pinned her to the spot.

A flash of brilliance flickered beneath Wan Tang's drooping eyelashes.

This game, after all, was a move ahead of the Emperor.

It both preserved face and delivered a fatal blow to the Xu Family.

And she finally protected the one she wished to protect.

Xu Yanchuan, it's over!

Wan Tang let out a long sigh of relief in her heart.

She looked at Chu Yunzheng's eyes, which were like those of a hawk, and for an instant she found herself unable to discern clearly.

Is this man merely a manipulator, or is he truly scheming for Wan Tang's sake?

Does he know that Wan Tang wants to protect Xu Yanchuan, or is it a temporary expedient?

Wan Tang cannot see clearly.

Since she cannot see clearly, she'll act according to her own purpose.

Xu Chengyuan's whole body trembled violently, and his iron armor emitted a faint clanking sound.

His eyes were blood‑red, veins bulged on his forehead, like a beast driven to the brink.

"No!" Wang Jingyi suddenly screamed, lunged forward, and her ten fingers clutched Xu Chengyuan's arm guard.

"My son died so terribly! Not even a whole corpse was left! And now they want to pin such a crime on him."

"He should receive compensation, he should be given a grand burial, he should…"

Slap!

A loud slap cut off her words.

Xu Chengyuan's palm struck Wang Jingyi's face heavily, the force sending her stumbling back several steps.

His gaze was as fierce as a wolf's; though he said nothing, it instantly silenced Wang Jingyi, even holding her breath.

"Emperor, since the decree has been made," Xu Chengyuan's hoarse voice sounded, each word like it was forced from between his teeth, "We, the subjects, take our leave."

He seized Wang Jingyi's wrist with a grip so strong it nearly crushed the bone.

Wang Jingyi winced in pain but dared not speak again, stumbling as he dragged her toward the hall's exit.

Everyone inside the hall held their breath, hearing only Xu Chengyuan's heavy footsteps and Wang Jingyi's suppressed sobs.

Why?

Even though he angered Tian Yan and clashed with Chu Yunzheng, Xu Chengyuan was determined to keep Wang Jingyi safe and take her away.

What exactly does Wang Jingyi possess?

"Stop!" Wan Tang shouted loudly.

Xu Chengyuan's peripheral glance flickered toward her body, and he said meaningfully, "Your Majesty is pregnant; it's better not to overexert yourself."

"Don't later have regrets you cannot undo."