Chapter 7: Infamous

On this evening, as the sun set, Shu Zhen was stitching under the lamp with great speed, when suddenly a cacophony of voices erupted from the front hall, followed by a chilling scream, and then the chaotic sounds of crying and footsteps.

Wei Yu continued to tease with a smile: "I heard that you summoned a certain lady and spent half a day alone with her... Such an unprecedented occurrence is indeed quite rare!"

In today's situation, several princes are eyeing each other with great vigilance, while within the inner palace, the queen and Xiao Shurong are engaged in mutual strife, creating a scene of chaos throughout the royal city

Zhu Wen was taken aback, and then he burst into loud laughter. With a flick of his hand, the sleeves of his robe billowed, and the intricate embroidery of the seven-clawed dragon shimmered in the dim light, as if a crystal-clear light illuminated the darkness.

Zhu Wen briefly glanced over and frowned, saying: "His body is increasingly worse than before. Just from hunting, he actually fell off his horse and broke a leg. Now he has this headache—it's as if the axe of fate is upon him. I fear he has been drained by those concubines!"

In the dim light, he appeared aloof, yet his pair of phoenix-like eyebrows and refined eyes stood out even more vividly

Her complexion was dark and ashen, her breathing was labored, and the attendant beside her was crying out in distress

Wei Yu spoke eloquently, his gaze focused and no longer displaying the frivolity of earlier. He looked at Zhu Wen and smiled meaningfully, saying: "Now, Your Excellency, you are not only a pawn in their schemes and rivalries, but also a fearsome creature that everyone is wary of and on guard against"

His gaze flickered, and his words became even sharper.

The beginning of the great change was sudden and caught off guard

Why bother with those women? With them around, I can act foolishly and indulge as a debauched lord!

Previously, Lady Yuan had discovered her whereabouts. She should have taken action to eliminate her, but considering that she was a gift from King Xie, she hesitated to act out of fear of unintended consequences. However, she never expected that Lady Yuan would cause such an incident in her palace!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wen couldn't contain his joy any longer. He laughed and coughed lightly, saying: "Are you saying that this lord is charming and dashing, having seen all the beauties?"

After swallowing this, Wei Yu finally restrained his triumphant demeanor, took out a folded secret letter from his bosom, and said in a low voice: "This is news from the royal city"

He paused for a moment, then continued: "In this chaotic world, having such a notorious name is not a bad thing. Firstly, it can make people wary and deter them, thus reducing the number of innocent women who fall victim. Secondly, most of the deceased are spies from various factions, so their deaths are rather clean... As for the third reason..."

Yan Ji, both anxious and angry, sharply rebuked: "Do not slander with baseless accusations! I kindly invited Madam Yuan to come for tea, how could I possibly engage in such absurd behavior!"

What happened

She set down the embroidery in her hands, furrowing her brow to listen intently, but all she could hear was the increasingly loud cries. Soon after, it seemed as if someone burst into the front hall, with shouts of reprimand and even the coarse voices of the guards, creating a strange vortex in the twilight.

Under the gaze of the crowd, she felt utterly speechless, her heart instantly thrown into chaos.

The maid suddenly stood up, crying and angrily said: "My lady came to visit, had a cup of your tea, and ended up in this state; this matter cannot be separated from you!"

Seeing Zhu Wen still coldly smiling without speaking, he paused for a moment and provocatively tested the waters, saying: "Without mentioning anything else, this time the night palace is filled with妖孽 like Daji. If we do not clear out one or two, I fear we will not even be able to guarantee a place for this secret discussion!"

His laughter is eerily cold, yet seems incredibly joyful; in its casualness, it reveals an infinite confidence that is entirely within his grasp

The so-called reputation... Wei Yu!

His smile remains unchanged, yet it adds a touch of loneliness and regret. "Since the instigator has taken action, there will inevitably be consequences. We shall simply wait and see the drama unfold"

... ...

As Wei Yu stepped into the hall, he saw wisps of purple smoke lingering in the air, while Zhu Wen held a white piece in his hand, lost in deep thought

In the front hall ... Hongling is still on duty in front of Yanji

Wei Yu was so furious that smoke seemed to rise from his seven orifices, wishing he could grab him and strangle him to death. He gritted his teeth and said: "It is said that you are inherently cruel, and that every so often, you must torture and kill a concubine—no wonder such rumors are spread so vividly. This time, after spending a while in the Night Palace, we have already seen the bodies of concubines dragged out, and their deaths are quite suspicious—do you really intend to sit idly by while your reputation is ruined?" He gritted his teeth and said: "It is said that you are inherently cruel, and that every so often, you must torture and kill a concubine—no wonder such rumors are spread so vividly. This time, after spending a while in the Night Palace, we have already seen the bodies of concubines dragged out, and their deaths are quite suspicious—do you really intend to sit idly by while your reputation is ruined?"

Your Excellency, you command the elite forces of the Xie Kingdom. Although you are stationed in the far northern frontier, every action you take stirs the thoughts of these people. As the situation becomes increasingly pressing, you must have a plan for the way forward

Zhu Wen listened quietly, yet showed no sign of anger. His long fingers tapped on the desk, and the cold smile at the corners of his lips deepened, transforming into an air of intrigue in the embrace of the shadows

He turned his head, his eyes shining with brilliance, and fixed his gaze on his strategist and friend, "It is merely a fig leaf for the king; once you ascend the throne, countless people will embellish and whitewash you..."

Yan Ji stood to the side, utterly at a loss. Her eyes were filled with a look of panic as she faced the guards introduced by Madam Yuan's maid. She appeared completely bewildered, merely murmuring, "How could this happen?"

Wei Yu's expression was somewhat peculiar; he glanced at Zhu Wen, weighing his words, and ultimately said with a pained expression: "In this case, it will surely cause a great uproar... Do you know what the public is saying about you?!"

Zhu Wen cast a glance at him, and Bai Zijing's wind-like figure flashed by, brushing past Wei Yu's shoulder with a sharp whistle. The sudden sting caused the latter to wear a lazy, mischievous smile, which twisted into a spasm of discomfort.

"Looking at you like this, have you been afflicted by longing?"

Without giving it much thought, she stood up and walked a few steps out of the house. Following the sound, she hurried to the front hall with the maidservants and palace attendants. Just as they arrived at the corridor, they saw a person lying on the white jade floor of the hall, her palace dress with red sleeves trailing, and her hair ornaments scattered all over the ground. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Lady Yuan!

Such outrageous words, when spoken by Zhu, are merely a casual remark. He tucked away the secret letter and said with a slight cold smile: "No wonder the night palace has been quite unsettled recently, all sorts of demons and monsters have emerged into the world—such a position as the Prince of Xie has indeed stirred the thoughts of so many people"

The hall was dimly lit, and his brows and eyes no longer displayed the heroic spirit of the past, revealing a hint of faint desolation

His voice was cold, and in his speech, there was an even greater sense of mockery. Wei Yu understood very well that this "he" was no one else but Zhu Wen's biological father, the most powerful among the feudal lords, King Xie Zhu Yan