Chapter 54: First Volume, Chapter 54: Slander

First Volume, Chapter 54: Slander

To give is to receive; only by letting go can you gain.

The Liang Emperor is cunning and ruthless, never missing a chance to squeeze Qin Feng—but Qin Feng's goal is to monopolize the commercial trade of Shedynasty. Even the smallest business, due to its massive scale, yields astonishing profit margins. Weighing gains against losses, calculating benefits and costs: if gains outweigh losses, it's not wasted effort; if losses outweigh gains, even facing the Liang Emperor, Qin Feng will unhesitatingly walk away.

Moreover, Qin Feng knows full well: it's not that these funds were swindled by the Liang Emperor, but rather that he's paying "protection fees."

Even if Qin Feng acts mad and reckless, even if he turns Jingdu upside down, as long as he doesn't cross the Liang Emperor's bottom line, the Liang Emperor turns a blind eye.

The Liang Emperor glanced at Xie Yun'er and the others, speaking casually: "Today is Ji Wang's birthday banquet. Such rowdy behavior is disgraceful. You are all descendants of high ministers and noble houses—how can you lack even basic decorum?"

Xie Yun'er and the others' faces darkened.

It was Qin Feng who disturbed the Holy Chariot—he should have been executed on the spot. Yet the Liang Emperor didn't reprimand Qin Feng; instead, he turned his blame onto others. Everyone felt unjustly treated, yet no one dared utter a word of protest.

Xie Yun'er was baffled: what spell had Qin Feng cast upon the Holy One? The Liang Emperor, normally decisive and ruthless, showed astonishing patience toward Qin Feng.

Watching Qin Feng stand beside the Holy One, winking and grinning like a petty man who'd just won, Xie Yun'er's anger boiled over: "Your Majesty, this Qin Feng has slandered my honor and spread filthy words throughout Jingdu. That's why I struck him. I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for this humble maiden."

The Liang Emperor sees all—no mere Capital, not even the entire Shedynasty, escapes his strict surveillance. He knew perfectly well what Xie Yun'er meant by "filthy words."

Honestly, that brat Qin Feng is capable of it.

The Liang Emperor glanced at Qin Feng, feigning sternness: "Qin Feng, is this true?"

Qin Feng put on a look of grievous injustice and immediately denied it: "Your Majesty, I swear I could never do such a thing. This is clearly a deliberate frame-up."

He turned to Xie Yun'er, shifting tone: "This matter has already stirred up the entire Capital. Slandering an unmarried maiden—especially the daughter of a National Pillar—is no trivial offense. If you, Miss Xie, are so certain I did it, where is your evidence? Without proof, this is malicious defamation. Do you realize that one word from you could condemn me to death?"

"If someone exploits this incident, won't my Qin Family be implicated as well?"

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes, leaning close to study Xie Yun'er's flickering gaze: "Now, as Di forces invade our northern border, my father leads the Pro-War Faction. If this incident causes him to be implicated, the Imperial Court will be left with only the Pro-Peace Faction's voice. Miss Xie—are you a pawn of the Minister of Revenue? Are you deliberately using this to crush the Qin Family?!"

At these words, the atmosphere turned instantly subtle.

Xie Yun'er's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Qin Feng. She never imagined he could escalate so sharply—turning a petty quarrel among Noble Youth into a matter of state and court. She had planned to denounce Qin Feng before the Holy One and ruin him—but now he had turned the tables.

Xie Yun'er was stunned and furious, several times opening her mouth to retort, but each time swallowed her words.

Li Rui and Cheng Fa kept their heads bowed low.

Li Rui cursed inwardly: "This damned Qin Feng—does he have no concept of 'taboos'? The power networks in Jingzhong are tangled and interwoven; many things must be seen but never spoken aloud. He dares to openly mention the conflict between the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War—and even implies the Minister of Revenue is cheating! He wants to turn Shedynasty upside down!"

Li Rui stole a glance at the Holy One and saw a faint, elusive smile on his face—his back instantly chilled.

The Holy Will is unfathomable—who knows what the Holy One is thinking right now?

The Liang Emperor's gaze was subtle. As the saying goes, illness enters through the mouth, disaster arises from speech—Qin Feng's words alone could earn him the charge of "inciting unrest." But these words struck the Liang Emperor's heart: by using this madman, he could indirectly warn the Minister of Revenue's faction, saving himself the trouble of speaking.

Seeing Xie Yun'er silenced by Qin Feng, Li Rui feared missing this once-in-a-lifetime chance and quickly signaled Cheng Fa.

Cheng Fa understood, bowing deeply: "Your Majesty, this Qin Feng is always eloquent, turning black into white. Who in Jingdu doesn't know that the slander against Miss Xie originated from his mouth? Can the entire Capital's gossip not outweigh one man's denial?"

"This man not only slandered Miss Xie's honor—he has also defied the Emperor! He deserves execution on the spot!"

The Liang Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips, refusing to decide, watching to see what tricks these Noble Youth could pull.

Unbeknownst to them, given Qin Feng's nature, even if he had done these things, he'd rather die than admit it.

Qin Feng, as if deeply wronged, sighed heavily and said helplessly: "Since everyone in Jingdu believes I slandered Miss Xie, it seems I have no choice but to admit it."

At these words, Li Rui and Cheng Fa's eyes lit up simultaneously—they thought Qin Feng was finally capitulating, and moved quickly to press their advantage.

Li Rui forced back his glee, feigning magnanimity: "As the saying goes, to recognize one's fault and amend it is the greatest virtue. Qin Feng is the son of the Minister of War. Since he has confessed, I humbly beg Your Majesty to show leniency."

Show leniency? Sounds better than a lullaby!

If the charge of slandering Miss Xie is confirmed, not only will the feud with the Xie family be sealed, but the suspicion of defying the Emperor can never be washed away. Even if leniency is granted, the entire Qin Family will be stripped of a layer of skin.

The Liang Emperor hadn't expected Qin Feng to confess—his eyes flickered with surprise: "Qin Feng, are you certain?"

Qin Feng's scheming thoughts were already bubbling, but his face wore an innocent, wounded expression: "Cheng Fa says public opinion is hard to quell. Even if I deny it, what can I do? But… Shedynasty has always been open-minded, and Your Majesty is a wise ruler—you would never let me suffer an unjust wrong."

"How about this: issue an Imperial Edict to investigate fully. Since the rumor spread in Jingdu, tracing its source will surely reveal the slanderer. But this will consume much manpower and resources. Since Li Rui and Cheng Fa care so deeply about this matter, let them cover the investigation costs. What do you think, Your Majesty?"