TFSRITA Chapter 62

The deep, cold, and domineering voice echoed in her ears.

Yan Qing’s heart raced, pounding rapidly in her chest. But after just a brief moment of shock, she quickly regained her composure. Taking a step back, she covered her now-burning ears, and then—she kicked out at the man before her.

“Thud!” The light sound of her foot striking flesh took Ji Yecheng by surprise, causing him to stumble back two steps. His bloodshot eyes glared at the woman in front of him, who seemed completely unaware of the danger.

Yan Qing, her cheeks flushed, frowned and barked, “Get lost!”

If he wasn’t going to let her leave the palace, then there was nothing more to discuss!

Yet, he had the nerve to stand so close. Yan Qing felt her whole body tense up with discomfort; she had nearly been intimidated by him just now.

If she had been younger, perhaps in her teens, she might have been moved by such a man, even overlooking the things he’d done in the past. But now, all Yan Qing felt was a mockery. He was capricious, selfish, and violent. Though he had his good sides, his bad traits were far more overwhelming. A man like this—she could never love him.

Ji Yecheng was on the verge of laughing from anger, his face twisted in fury. However, he merely clutched the spot where she had kicked him, flung his sleeve in frustration, and stormed off without saying another word.

Some things had already been decided, and there was no need to speak further. At least, he would prove to everyone, including her, that he was serious!

Ji Yecheng arrived in a flash and left just as quickly, his time there fleeting.

Jiang Wende had not followed him inside. But when he saw the emperor enter and then emerge moments later, something seemed off. Not to mention, there was a woman’s footprint, about the size of a palm, on the emperor’s chest. Jiang’s heart sank. Glancing at the emperor’s stormy expression, he dared not speak.

It wasn’t until they had walked a good distance that Ji Yecheng finally muttered, “Summon Fu Rong and Instructor Lin.”

“Yes,” Jiang Wende quickly nodded.

However, he couldn’t help but feel shocked inside. It seemed like something big was about to happen.

Others may not have known, but after serving the emperor these past few days, Jiang Wende had learned quite a bit. Although Instructor Lin appeared to be merely Ji Yecheng’s martial arts teacher and had little public presence in the Imperial Guard, he wielded significant control over them, thanks to Ji Yecheng’s influence.

Instructor Lin simply preferred to keep a low profile, which was why his power had been concealed.

As for Fu Rong, while he seemed even less noticeable—just a scholar who ground ink for the emperor—he was a formidable figure in his own right. Otherwise, with the emperor’s hands-off approach to governance, how had the court remained so stable in the year since his coronation? Even the provinces were peaceful.

Jiang Wende had never seen the two men summoned together before.

Reflecting on the events at court that day, Jiang Wende had a hunch. The emperor was about to make a decisive move.

A little over a year ago, when the emperor first ascended the throne, a lot of people may have forgotten the chaos that ensued, given the contentment of their current lives. But Jiang Wende, who had been just a minor servant back then, could never forget.

Nearly every day, people were dragged out of the palace and beaten.

Though Ji Yecheng didn’t opt for execution, the number of people flogged was staggering. The palace echoed with screams day and night. Many didn’t die from the beatings but from the sheer agony. Ji Yecheng never spared traitors.

Sure enough, when Instructor Lin and Fu Rong arrived at the Taiji Hall, they stayed inside for half an hour before each headed off in different directions.

Soon, the Imperial Guard began to mobilize discreetly.

Chang’an was a bustling city.

The streets, alleyways, teahouses, and taverns were filled with people.

The Great Qian Dynasty prided itself on a certain level of free speech. With an emperor who paid little attention to governance, the officials had grown ever more cautious, keeping each other in check. As a result, the common folk were living rather well.

When life is good, people love to gossip.

And now, the hottest topic of conversation was none other than the imperial consort.

In an open-air teahouse, a group of people sat down to rest.

Soon, they started discussing the latest news.

“I heard that just the other day in court, the ministers petitioned to have the consort removed, and the emperor got angry!”

“As expected, it’s all because of a femme fatale!”

“That consort is too powerful. The emperor’s gone to such lengths for her.”

“And I heard that many of the older ministers are kneeling in the Golden Throne Hall, and some of them have injured their knees.”

“Apparently, quite a few of them fainted.”

Most of the group listened in confusion, but there was one man among them, seemingly an ordinary patron, who subtly dropped bits of insider information.

But just as the conversation was heating up, a few soldiers arrived and seized the man, stating coldly, “Spreading slander and rumors, you’re under arrest.”

“I-I didn’t…” The man’s face went pale with fear as he scrambled to defend himself.

The black-faced soldiers scanned the crowd, asking, “Were any of you involved?”

In moments of danger, self-preservation kicked in. Everyone shook their heads and pointed at the man, “No, no, we know nothing. It was him! He was the one talking!”

“Please, officers, we were just listening!” they chorused.

The soldiers exchanged glances and said, “Since none of you were involved, we’ll just proceed with a formal investigation. This man will be held at the Dali Temple. You’re welcome to attend the interrogation.”

“Yes, absolutely!” The crowd nodded eagerly, falling over themselves to cooperate.

“I’m innocent! This is a mistake! I’ve been wronged!” the man screamed, struggling in vain as the guards hauled him away.

None of the people who had been chatting with him just moments before dared to intervene.

By the time his voice had faded into the distance, his legs had gone weak with fear.

Such incidents were happening all over Chang’an.