Looking at the smiling Shen Qingping before him, King Heng had a feeling of impending doom.
"Eunuch Wu Qi, please inform His Majesty that this official has returned, having fulfilled the mission without disgrace."
Wu Qi's demeanor towards Shen Qingping and King Heng was like night and day. Upon hearing Shen Qingping's words, he immediately scurried off.
A short while later, Emperor Yuanyou emerged.
Unlike his previous sickly appearance, Emperor Yuanyou now had a ruddy complexion, and his steps were firm and steady.
King Heng finally realized a terrifying possibility.
Perhaps the Emperor... had never been seriously ill from the start?
Seeing the old man beside Emperor Yuanyou, the court officials present were momentarily stunned, unable to make sense of the situation.
"This is Master Qingshan, the leader of the Qingyun Sect."
Emperor Yuanyou's words caused everyone's eyes to widen in shock. The Qingyun Sect had always had no dealings with them, so why would they suddenly appear in the Great Qi imperial palace?
The old man walked straight towards King Heng, who instantly felt an oppressive aura.
"You are King Heng?"
"You are the one who incited the Great Qi officials to support the Crown Prince adopting your son?"
The so-called Qingyun Sect leader pressed forward step by step, forcing King Heng to defend himself:
"What? Is the Qingyun Sect now meddling in the internal affairs of a nation?"
A burst of mocking laughter rang out. A shadow seemed to flash behind the old man as Qingling's hand clamped down tightly on King Heng's neck.
"What? Do you think my little disciple is unworthy of being an heir to the Crown Prince?"
Boom—
The old man's words were like a massive rock thrown into water, instantly stirring up towering waves.
"Not only that, but you deliberately sent people to find fault with my disciple. My disciple, a princess of noble status, is she someone you can casually criticize?"
King Heng's face began to turn a purplish-blue from suffocation.
The surrounding court officials stood dumbfounded, each one forgetting they should try to save King Heng.
A single thought echoed in everyone's mind... The princess is actually the Qingyun Sect leader's little disciple!
"My Qingyun Sect has always kept to its own affairs, but now you have bullied someone from our sect. I stand here today to demand an explanation from all of you standing here!"
After saying this, the old man's face paled slightly. A disciple behind him silently stepped forward to support his arm.
"My little disciple is only thirteen this year. She learned martial arts and battle formations at my knee since childhood, and just half a year ago, she led Great Qi to conquer Great Yue. Such monumental achievements were actually forgotten because of a damned King Heng and his son?"
His forceful words made the standing officials lower their heads in fear.
"The earlier misfortunes were just an appetizer."
With that, the old man signaled Qingling to release his grip. King Heng fell to the ground like a ragdoll, his violent coughing filling many hearts with terror.
So it wasn't the Emperor who acted, but the Qingyun Sect.
And the Emperor actually condoned the Qingyun Sect's actions!
The Crown Prince's faction, on the other hand, could barely contain their joy. With the Qingyun Sect now as the princess's shield, the Crown Prince's position was... as solid as a rock.
"You are Ah Huan's tutor?"
"Greetings, Master Qingshan."
Shen Qingping was also startled by the sudden turn of events, his pupils contracting. "I just heard the Qingyun Sect has already meted out some punishment. Regarding the remaining matter of King Heng, could you first hand him over to me?"
"Very well."
Shen Qingping glanced at Emperor Yuanyou, who also nodded, before turning to face the assembly.
Shen Qingping parted his thin lips slightly:
"How can the descendant of a deserter defile the bloodline of the Crown Prince?"
...
"Shen Qingping! How dare you insult the imperial ancestors before so many people? You are courting death!"
Seeing King Heng's furious and flustered expression, Shen Qingping's lips curved slightly. "The deserter I speak of is precisely your father, Your Highness King Heng."
With that, Shen Qingping clapped his hands. Those waiting outside the hall immediately escorted the witness they had found into the chamber.
"I have always wondered why your father, Your Highness, refused to come forward and acknowledge His Majesty, only revealing his true identity on his deathbed."
"If I guess correctly, he must have also instructed you that if you were recognized by His Majesty, you must remain content as a mere imperial clansman, am I right?"
King Heng's eyes darted about, but he vehemently denied it.
Shen Qingping was in no hurry. He turned his attention to the witness.
"Your Majesty, this man also participated in that founding war of yours. He witnessed with his own eyes how King Heng's father, cowardly and timid, fled under the pretext of scouting enemy positions before the battle began." Shen Qingping's words left everyone dumbfounded. "I have also found other witnesses. Here are their testimonies."
"You lie! My father was seriously wounded, fell unconscious, was rescued, lost his memory, and only then ended up drifting abroad!"
King Heng's eyes were bloodshot. If the desertion charge was confirmed, then they... they would have no chance of turning the tables.
"Back then, we were ordered to protect King Heng's father." The witness, who had remained silent, finally spoke, his voice filled with unmistakable hatred. "There were twenty of us. He lied, saying he would lead us to scout the enemy, but instead led us into a pre-set animal trap pit, staging it as an unfortunate accident to cover up his desertion."
"I struggled to climb out, wanting to continue protecting him, but I saw him run away by himself! He deserted!"
"Scoundrel!"
Emperor Yuanyou roared, rushing before King Heng and pointing a finger at his nose. "Your father dared to desert back then, and now you try to confuse my bloodline!"
"Imperial Uncle, it's impossible... this is impossible..."
"Oh, right." The old man suddenly spoke up. "If you don't believe it, our sect's Ghost Doctor can exhume that man's remains and deduce the injuries he suffered based on the bones."
Probably didn't have a single wound on him.
The atmosphere in the hall grew still. The standing officials wished they could slap their own faces. The descendant of a deserter could never, under any circumstances, become part of the Crown Prince's bloodline.
Then all their previous actions... were they no different from fools?
"Gu Zheng, according to military law, how should one who flees the battlefield be dealt with?"
"Beaten to death with clubs."
Gu Zheng cast a deep look at King Heng, whose legs had begun to tremble.
"If the father is no longer here, then let the son bear the punishment in his stead."
Emperor Yuanyou said this and then looked at the old man. "I wonder if such handling satisfies Master Qingshan?"
"Have all other relatives of the Hengwang Residence come to witness the punishment."
The old man added with a smile, looking quite pleased with Shen Qingping.
This man acted decisively, striking straight at the enemy's vital point with a single blow.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanyou went to instruct Wu Qi. Gu Zheng also began to roll up his sleeves, preparing to personally carry out the punishment on King Heng.
"Should we invite Little Junior Sister?"
"Such a bloody scene might scare Little Junior Sister."
Over on the Qingyun Sect side, they had already started discussing their sect's one-and-only little junior sister.
