"I want to see the details—the details!"
Ren Ye took a moment to steady himself, the emotions swirling within him settling as he composed his expression. With deliberate slowness, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"The Qingliang Prefect, the Changshi Division, the Qingzhou Wei, the secret agent camp, the Internal Affairs Department, and other officials are gathered in the Cunxin Hall, awaiting Your Highness's judgment on the case," the maid said, bowing her head deeply, kneeling before him. "The princess has gone to the Heart Palace and sent me to request that Your Highness accompany me."
"Verdict? What verdict?" Ren Ye feigned confusion, trying to mask the tension building in his chest.
"The officials claim that Commander Wang of the pro-guard battalion has harbored intentions of rebellion. They've gathered all the stolen goods, and now they request that His Highness come to pass judgment," the maid replied.
Ren Ye's mind stilled for a moment as a flicker of recognition passed through him. Ah, yes... last night.
Wang Jingzhong, the commander of the guard battalion, was one of the few loyal figures around Zhu Zigui. A capable general, he had faithfully followed the former king, and the two had shared a drink the night before. During their conversation, Zhu Zigui had, in a rare moment of vulnerability, confided in Wang, asking him to quietly gain power by contacting the commander of the secret agent camp to bolster their position, should danger come.
Now, it seemed, Wang Jingzhong's rebellion had been exposed. He had been caught by the court's officials, who were quick to bite at the opportunity to bring down Zhu Zigui.
Damn it, did Wang Jingzhong really betray me? Ren Ye's heart sank, a gnawing unease creeping over him. No, he wouldn't... would he?
"How many officials have gathered at the Heart Palace?" Ren Ye asked, his voice steady despite the rising tension.
"More than forty," the maid answered, her voice quiet but urgent.
Ren Ye froze. Forty? His heart sank further, his thoughts muddling as the weight of the situation pressed on him.
This was more than a simple accusation—it was a direct assault on his authority, a provocation of the emperor's lackeys, forcing him into a corner. He couldn't avoid it.
I can't just sit here.
Ren Ye took a slow breath, putting aside his personal unease. He straightened his shoulders and gave the command with a resigned tone, "To the Heart Palace."
As Ren Ye exited the dormitory, he strode down the wide corridor, the maidservants lined up on both sides, their heads lowered in reverence.
"I've seen Your Highness!" they called in unison, their voices ringing out like a well-rehearsed chorus.
Ren Ye's eyes flicked to the sides, and for a brief moment, the world around him seemed to blur. Wait, that one... I've slept with her.
And her, too...
No way, I slept with that one as well?!
A bitter chuckle tugged at his lips, his gaze sweeping across the line of young, beautiful maidservants. He noticed the warmth in their eyes, their reverence, but there was an undeniable connection to his past decisions—a bond that felt both comfortable and dangerous.
Ren Ye silently cursed the original owner. This young Huaiwang is no assassin, just a waste. If he doesn't do anything else, at least he can go around stabbing people, right?
None of the maidservants in this corridor were innocent. Hell, he didn't even spare an old peach who was at least thirty-five...
The original Zhu Zigui truly wasn't just any simple waste—no, he was a waste as useless as a chicken.
And with the emperor's knife hovering over his neck, he still had the nerve to be so reckless and insatiable. The man had no boundaries, no sense of self-preservation, and yet still managed to live with an arrogance that defied reason. His heart is really something else...
A quarter of an hour later, Ren Ye, flanked by eunuchs and slaves, arrived at the Heart Hall of King Huai's mansion in a chariot.
The Heart Hall, the central place for King Huai's governance, was a magnificent display of wealth and power. Blue tiles lined the red walls, creating a grandeur that bordered on arrogance. A nine-dragon wall stretched along the left side of the main gate, more than thirty meters long. Before it lay a shadow pool, the water rippling with life, the reflection of the nine dragons undulating on the surface as if they were moving.
In Daqian, a vassal prince's territory was like a kingdom within a kingdom. The prince was the heaven here—enjoying the privileges of a second emperor. But Zhu Zigui... he was the exception. The former king's authority had long since been stripped from him. In fact, any high-ranking official in the empire might live better than he did.
Ren Ye stepped out of the chariot and made his way into the hall through a side door. As he entered, his gaze swept across the room, settling on the group of over forty officials standing with their backs to the main entrance.
In the center of the group was a stout, older man, at least in his fifties, with gray hair and bruises covering his body. This was Wang Jingzhong, the commander of the pro-guard battalion.
"King Huai enters the palace!" A small eunuch's voice rang out from the side door, his words carrying authority.
"See His Royal Highness, King Huai!" The officials greeted in unison, bowing deeply.
Ren Ye, maintaining an air of indifference, took in the scene. He glanced around the hall without expression, walking toward the throne. But then, his eyes fell on a figure seated at the side.
A beautiful woman, perhaps in her early twenties, sat with a grace that commanded the room. Her features were delicate and refined, her eyes bright but laced with an impenetrable coldness. She resembled a lotus flower untouched by the mud, pure and elegant, her figure perfectly balanced with alluring curves. Yet, for all her beauty, there was something unsettling about her demeanor—her aloofness.
She was dressed not in the extravagant attire of nobility but in a simple yet elegant robe, a wooden hairpin fastening her jet-black hair. There was an unmistakable chill in the air around her, a sense of detachment that radiated from every inch of her posture.
Princess Huai, Xu Qingzhao, Ren Ye thought, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. She hasn't been to bed yet, has she?
The thought made him scoff inwardly. Zhu Zigui truly is a waste. He doesn't mind touching maidservants in their thirties, but his own princess? No?
From what Ren Ye remembered, Xu Qingzhao was the concubine of the First Assistant of the Dynasty, a political match rather than one of love. Their marriage had always been more about power than passion. And since Zhu Zigui had been placed under house arrest, their relationship had deteriorated into an icy void.
Despite being in the peak of her beauty, Xu Qingzhao was consumed with her cultivation and rarely interfered with the palace's political affairs. In this cold, high-walled courtyard, she seemed more like an outsider, disconnected from the ruthless politics around her.