The copy of the Capital Weekly, worth a whole tael of silver, was swiftly crumpled into a tight ball.
The violent rise and fall of the Eldest Prince's chest, along with the bulging veins across the back of his hand, made clear just how furious he was.
He glared at the Bei Xiang soldier before him, eyes sharp and dangerous like a wolf ready to strike.
"Has word of this... spread among the people?"
The soldier hesitated. But when he glanced up and caught sight of the Eldest Prince's expression—twisted with barely contained rage—he quickly lowered his head again.
"When I went to buy the Capital Weekly, it was still early. I heard no rumors at that time."
"You dare lie to me?"
The Eldest Prince hurled the crumpled paper straight at the soldier's head.
Enraged, he nearly leapt out of bed.
"If no rumors were going around, then why did you bother buying that wretched paper? Are you trying to tell me you enjoy reading it?"
"Forgive me, Your Highness!"
His lie exposed on the spot, the soldier immediately dropped to his knees, hardly daring to breathe.
Just moments ago, Prince Lian's heir had been secretly relieved that the article hadn't yet caused too much of a stir. But watching the soldier grovel, he realized the man hadn't been telling the truth.
Quite the opposite—he must have heard plenty of gossip, enough to terrify him into silence.
Prince Lian's heir: "..."
Suppressing his frustration, he snapped bitterly, "So what now?
I've already lost face twice. Princess Sheng An practically slapped me in front of the entire capital. And I still have to smile and beg her for forgiveness?
I'm about to lose every shred of dignity I have left!"
"Who told you to be so spineless?"
The Eldest Prince, still fuming, grew even more incensed hearing such pitiful words.
"Emperor Xuanwu clearly had no real intention of punishing me. That was why he came up with some excuse and let you escort me out of the palace unharmed.
You're the only fool who took it seriously, still thinking you need to curry favor with Yun Shu!"
"An excuse?"
Prince Lian's heir froze, and his confusion made the Eldest Prince want to slap him just to knock some sense into his thick skull.
"Think about it. If someone from the Dadan Tribe dared poison me, do you believe Father would spare them?
Would he hesitate to have them executed on the spot, or would he beg me to forgive them?"
The Dadan Tribe was a minor group deep within the grasslands, with strength far inferior to Bei Xiang. There was no comparison.
Prince Lian's heir didn't need to think twice to know that the Dadan would have been killed without delay.
So… had they truly been tricked by Emperor Xuanwu?
Knock knock knock.
Just as Prince Lian's heir was starting to come around, a soft knock came at the door.
Uma Keli, envoy of Bei Xiang, pushed it open quietly and entered with a lowered voice.
"Your Highness, Young Lord of Lian Qinwang. Emperor Xuanwu has just sent a messenger with a request: he wishes to acquire more Zhibei seeds.
It seems Princess Sheng An hopes to see those vibrant Zhibei flowers bloom throughout the entire realm of Tian Sheng."
"You're sure it was Emperor Xuanwu who sent the messenger? Not Princess Sheng An?"
Prince Lian's heir shot to his feet in disbelief.
"Zhibei isn't even food! If they're really planning to sow it across all of Tian Sheng, how much farmland would that waste?
How could Emperor Xuanwu possibly agree to something so absurd?"
"I recognized the young eunuch," Uma Keli replied calmly. "I've seen him before at Emperor Xuanwu's side. It was definitely someone from the inner palace."
He, too, found the request unbelievable. But at the same time, it also struck him as a golden opportunity.
"Your Highness," Uma Keli continued, "I believe we should agree. Not only that, we should send as many Zhibei seeds as we possibly can.
To plant such a vast number of flowers, the people of Tian Sheng will inevitably be drawn in to help.
But ordinary families have limited land. If they divert a portion of their fields for Zhibei flowers, they'll be left with less land for crops.
Before long, complaints will start to rise. And if things get worse, grain prices may surge, and commoners won't even be able to afford food.
When that happens, we won't even need to lift a finger. Tian Sheng will fall into chaos all on its own."
"Well said, Minister Uma Keli."
The Eldest Prince nodded in satisfaction. Following Uma Keli's reasoning, he imagined internal strife breaking out within Tian Sheng. And at the heart of it all would be Yun Shu.
His mood improved considerably.
"Very well. This matter shall be entrusted to you."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Uma Keli bowed with cupped fists and turned to leave. But before he reached the door, the Eldest Prince called him back.
"Wait. There is one more matter."
The Eldest Prince's expression darkened again, recalling the source of his earlier fury.
"At the palace banquet the other day, I was poisoned and suffered hallucinations, mistaking Prince Lian's heir for a giant frog and striking him.
That ridiculous tale will soon be known across all of the capital.
Before it spreads any further, I want you to find a way to shift their attention elsewhere.
Let them focus instead... on the opening of Tian Waitian restaurant."
"Ah…"
Had this been Bei Xiang, the Eldest Prince's order would have been easy enough. The Umak family had served as officials for generations; guiding public opinion was well within their skillset.
But this was the capital of Tian Sheng, not Bei Xiang.
With only a handful of men at his disposal, accomplishing such a task here...
Uma Keli hesitated for a long moment, then bowed deeply.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. I will do everything in my power to see it done."
"…"
As Uma Keli left, Prince Lian's heir stood in silence, then quietly resumed the earlier conversation.
"Your Highness, have you seen how far Emperor Xuanwu goes to spoil Princess Sheng An?
He agreed without hesitation to fill his entire realm with flowers.
What if… his demand that we beg forgiveness was not a ploy at all?
What if this is just another way for him to dote on his daughter?"
"So what if it is? And so what if it isn't?"
The Eldest Prince's expression, which had only just calmed thanks to Uma Keli, now returned to a cold, stormy gloom.
Even his voice had turned sharp with disdain.
"You truly are your grandfather's grandson. Over twenty years ago, the old Lian Qinwang knelt and surrendered to Tian Sheng.
And twenty years later, you let Yun Shu humiliate you twice, and yet here you are, still dreaming of wagging your tail and pleasing her like a dog."
"I was merely making a fair observation."
Prince Lian's heir clenched his fists, face flushed with anger.
All he'd done was pose a logical question. He hadn't expected his companion to drag his grandfather into the mud as well.