In the current court, no one knew that Yan Ling was being used by Wen Yuesheng. Only Elder Lu Ge, upon speaking, immediately recognized their connection.

Yan Ling showed no surprise at all. He stood quietly, waiting for Lu Ge’s next words.

“This kind of sharpness could cause the Emperor to grant Fu Rui’s death, but in the future… it may bring about resentment,” Lu Ge hesitated before expressing his concern.

Fu Rui’s demise had been due to the Emperor’s repeated indulgence, but the Emperor would never blame all of it on himself.

When Lu Ge spoke, Yan Ling said, “If the princess had not acted today, she might have taken action during the military exercises. Or rather…”

Yan Ling paused, his eyes emotionless. “Since she made Zhang Yulin into a fierce general, the Emperor could no longer treat her as ordinary.”

“Resentment had already existed; today’s actions don’t change that much.” Yan Ling met Lu Ge’s gaze directly. “You, Lu Ge, have been in the court for many years. You should know how our Emperor treats the weapons in his hands.”

Lu Ge paused, looking at Yan Ling with a complex expression.

Since Yan Ling had entered the court, he had become the sharpest weapon in the Emperor’s hand. But how did he become this invincible sword?

It was because Consort Yan had no children, and the Yan family had only him left.

Once, the grand Yan manor had been full of life, but now it was desolate.

In the past, the great Lord Yan had been a god-like figure, both civil and military, supporting the Emperor to the throne during the late Emperor’s chaotic reign. But as time passed, he was gradually forgotten.

Now, Yan Ling was young, and though the Emperor had several times expressed a desire to marry him off, it had never come to fruition. He remained single.

The autumn wind blew, fluttering Yan Ling’s crimson official robe.

His expression was distant, as if a deep boundary had been drawn between him and everyone else.

“Have you heard of an old story, Lord Lu?” Yan Ling’s voice was cold. “In the past, when the Crown Prince and Fu Rui were not yet grown, they already had a vicious reputation in the palace.”

“Those with extraordinary talents would display a little, and they would be beaten by the Crown Prince. Fu Rui, being his full-blooded sister, was just as cruel and violent.”

“He would beat people, and Fu Rui would hand him the knife. He’d set dogs on people, and Fu Rui would applaud. Eventually, he wanted to chop off someone’s fingers to feed to the dogs. When the matter was exposed, Fu Rui, who appeared innocent, would always report the victim first.”

Lu Ge had heard of the Crown Prince’s cruelty over the years but had not known the details. After hearing Yan Ling’s calm account, he was shocked.

He instinctively glanced at Yan Ling’s right hand.

Yan Ling’s hands were complete, though there was a shallow scar on the inner side of his right index finger.

It was faint, as if the scar had almost disappeared, but some scars never truly fade.

They remain, even if no longer visible.

“Do you know how his closest family members, the ones who should have protected him, dealt with it after learning everything?”

Lu Ge was silent.

After years of watching, the Crown Prince and Princess Fu Rui remained arrogant and violent, clearly indicating how their family treated them.

Yan Ling’s eyes showed no emotion, his face almost expressionless as he spoke.

“His family ordered him to kneel and apologize, and told him that the imperial power is the highest and most supreme existence. The children of the royal family are above everyone else.”

“Today, even if they are violent toward him, even if they ride him like a dog, he must be grateful for the supreme imperial power.”

“He should not hold grudges or resentment but bow to power.”

Yan Ling paused before continuing, “Since I’ve grown up and entered the court, my surroundings have changed countless times.”

“But each one of them has been like that family member of his.”

“In the face of violence, no one dared to resist.” He seemed to think of something, and a smile unexpectedly appeared on his cold face.

It was the first time Lü Ge had seen him smile after many years.

That smile seemed to show relief.

“There was only one person who was different.” His eyes were bright, as if vast oceans were contained in them. “Under the violent imperial power, everyone else gave in, accepting that they, the prince and princess, were entitled.”

“But she… in the midst of the struggle for power, she was unafraid of the powerful light, cleaving through the sun and moon.” Yan Ling spoke softly, “Those who obey and submit will only face more brutal oppression.”

“Those who let things be will become the souls lost under authority.”

“If even the children of the officials are like this, what about the weak commoners?”

In this time, when ordinary people couldn’t even resist and could only silently accept the princess’s cruelty, Wen Yue had taken off the golden belt and stood in front of countless soldiers.

She had injected a powerful shot of adrenaline into the wavering Da Hui.

Yan Ling’s voice was low: “To do what others will not do, to clear the path for those who are oppressed, only then can one be a king.”

The fame he sought for Wen Yue wasn’t how obedient and useful she appeared to the Emperor, nor to be a tool of the Emperor’s will, always to be used when necessary and discarded when no longer needed.

What he wanted was for her to be known as someone good, trusted by the common people, admired by the soldiers of Da Hui.

He wanted her to leave behind a legacy of glory, not just a reputation for cruelty.

The matter of the Hao Zhou spy created a tremendous uproar throughout the entire Great Hui Empire.

The princess of the court had conspired with foreign enemies and caused chaos within the military, placing the safety of the entire Great Hui Empire at risk. This deeply unsettled the soldiers guarding the borders.

The military morale was severely affected.

Originally, there had been much anticipation for the grand military drills, but after this event, not only did it end in a hasty manner, but even the fourth reenactment of the battlefield that was organized afterward saw a completely silent army.

The once fiery and brave soldiers were now mere silent figures walking through the endless yellow sands.

The disintegration of military morale was something no one had anticipated.

Even the Emperor, sitting on the high platform in the palace, changed his expression repeatedly but failed to reignite the dormant military spirit.

Before this, when Wen Yue Sheng had been stripped of the gold waist belt, many thought the impact wouldn’t be significant.

But after witnessing the silent military drill, the longest in six years, no one could say the same anymore.

The consequences of the princess’s collusion with the enemy were far worse than anyone had expected.

What was even more shocking was the fact that the princess was punished in a way that even Princess Sining had to relinquish all her power to secure the life of the Furuo Princess.

The truth was becoming clearer, and it was heart-wrenching.

Every soldier of the Great Hui knew that it was their mission to defend the empire with their lives, to protect the homeland.

But no one wanted to see themselves sacrifice their lives at the front line while the princess, who enjoyed comfort in the rear, secretly passed all the intelligence to the enemy.

What difference was there from sending them to their deaths for nothing?

All the soldiers of the Great Hui, whether stationed at the front line or not, were resisting this in their hearts. This resistance reached its peak when they learned that Princess Sining, who had been unwavering in her support of the soldiers, had even sacrificed her life to make sure that Furuo Princess lost her power.

The somber atmosphere spread not only through the military but also to the common people.

For the ordinary people, the royal family and princesses seemed distant, but they understood that anyone who served the country and the people—whether officials or princesses—should not be let down, especially Princess Sining, who had previously eliminated corrupt officials and helped the people.

The voices of the people, though faint, were persistent.

In addition, there were many scholars and ordinary people who had seen justice served in events such as the Sun Mingyuan incident and the Liang family affair. Their voices were small but could not be ignored.

As a result, the morning court sessions recently had seen Wen Yuesheng barred from attending, but her name seemed to be everywhere.

While chaos enveloped the court, Wen Yue Sheng’s life was unusually calm.

After being stripped of her gold waist belt, she retreated to her estate to meditate and pray. She no longer saw any officials, military generals, or others from the court.

Her estate was closed to all visitors, making it appear as though she had lost all power and was abandoned.

Some even speculated that after the death of the Furuo Princess, and hearing that the Empress Dowager was on her way back to the capital, Wen Yue Sheng’s days would be difficult ahead.

She had never been favored before, and although the Empress Dowager had not acted against her before, now that she had lost her greatest supporter, her position was precarious.

The death of the Furui Princess and the Emperor’s failure to secure the throne for the Crown Prince were closely linked to her.

Given these circumstances, how could the Empress Dowager let her off so easily?

When she had power, she was Princess Sining, but without power, she was nothing more than a pawn, and with the Empress Dowager’s position, it would be easy to eliminate her.

So many in the capital were now waiting to see the spectacle.

When Wen Yuesheng was at the height of her power, the Princess’s estate was always filled with visitors. Now that she had lost the gold waist belt, many were waiting to watch her downfall.

Human nature is such, and in the capital, those in positions of power always favored supreme authority.

Wen Yuesheng’s actions during the morning court were seen as a suicide mission. The Emperor had granted her power, and she had acted without restraint, but now she would face the consequences.

Under these circumstances, many waited eagerly for the Empress Dowager’s return and wondered how she would deal with Wen Yue Sheng.

However, no one expected that after only a day of returning to the palace, the Empress Dowager had not yet done anything, but the court had already become a spectacle.

The reason was that news of the Wu An Marquis embezzling military funds had spread among the army. The numbers were staggering, and the people involved were more numerous than anyone had imagined.

The military had already been shaken by the events involving Princess Furui, and now with the embezzlement scandal, the soldiers’ morale had plummeted.

The Emperor was furious when he saw the petition from General Lu, who was stationed at the frontier, urging an investigation into the spies within the army. The petition read:

“…Recently, there have been strange movements from the Hao Zhou spies. Just a few days ago, they tested the defenses outside the border at night.”

“The enemy is surrounding us, and the military is in need of encouragement. Yet, the news of the Hao Zhou spy has spread, creating chaos within the ranks.”

“Given the current situation at the frontier, a major war could break out at any time. If the soldiers’ morale continues to falter, we may not be able to withstand the Hao Zhou cavalry.”

“Please, Your Majesty, thoroughly investigate this matter and root out all those involved with the spies to restore the army’s morale.”

The matter of the spies had even reached the frontier.

After reading the petition, the Emperor was furious.

That night, he summoned the Deputy Chief of the Court, Yan Wei, and ordered him to investigate who had spread this news.

During the morning court session, Yan Wei said, “…The source of the Hao Zhou spy matter is the military drill. That’s why the news spread quickly. Now, even the common people in the capital know about it.”

“The soldiers at the frontier were not surprised to learn of this.”