Heaven Dou Palace towered majestically, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a cold, golden light over its eaves—solemn and heavy, just like the atmosphere within at this moment.
With an uneasy heart, Fourth Prince Xue Beng stepped into the grand council hall that symbolized the very core of the empire's highest authority.
The palace doors slowly closed behind him, the dull thud cutting off all vitality from the outside world. An invisible pressure instantly wrapped around him, making it hard for him to breathe.
Instinctively, he raised his head, and his gaze locked with that of Emperor Xue Ye, seated high above upon the Nine Dragons Golden Jade Throne.
The usual majesty of Emperor Xue Ye had, at this moment, transformed into a cold, sinister aura. In those deep eyes, there wasn't the slightest warmth directed toward Xue Beng—only an icy severity and towering disappointment. His anger was almost given form.
A chill raced down Xue Beng's spine; cold sweat instantly soaked through his undergarments. He hurriedly averted his gaze and swept his eyes along the two sides of the hall.
On the left sat Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, quiet and composed. His expression was steady and unshaken, his eyes deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
On the right sat Sect Master Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, as elegant as ever, fingers gently caressing the teacup in his hand. Yet the faint furrow in his brows showed he was not simply listening idly.
Behind Ning Fengzhi stood Sword Douluo Chen Xin, hands clasped behind his back, his body as straight as a sword. Though he hadn't spoken a single word, a sharp, peerless aura naturally emanated from him, making the air in the hall feel thin.
Below sat his uncle, Prince Xue Xing, his face marked by helplessness and worry. The gaze he cast toward Xue Beng was complex and hard to read.
This was a battle far beyond anything he was prepared for…
Xue Beng's heart sank completely into a bottomless abyss.
At first he had entertained a shred of luck, hoping his father would simply scold him severely and punish him with a period of confinement for leaving the palace without leave.
But especially after seeing that Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin had both been summoned, he understood that the incident on the streets today had caused far greater repercussions than he had imagined, perhaps even touching upon currents he had never yet seen clearly.
"Rebellious son, you dare not kneel before me yet?"
Emperor Xue Ye's shout thundered across the hall like a sudden storm. The sound was wrapped in the coercion of a soul master's might. Although it was not targeted at anyone in particular, it still made the golden dragon-carved pillars seem to tremble lightly.
Xue Beng's blood surged chaotically. His knees weakened and he dropped heavily to the gilded tiles with a resounding thud.
The sound of his knees striking the ground was especially jarring in the silent hall.
"F-father… Your Son…"
Xue Beng's voice trembled, faintly choked with sobs. He lowered his head, unable and unwilling to meet the heavy, mountain-like gaze from above.
Emperor Xue Ye looked down at him with icy disdain, his eyes like sharp blades slowly scraping over Xue Beng inch by inch. His voice was as cold as ice.
"Tell me! Why did you have to provoke that Ye Lingling? Who gave you such ignorant courage—to act so recklessly, and even dare to provoke that Chen Yi, whose life or death you know nothing about?!"
Chen Yi…
Only now, under his father's cold scolding, did Xue Beng finally learn that the purple-clothed youth who had made him feel the fear of death and humiliated him in public was named Chen Yi.
Endless fear and bitter hatred entwined like poisonous vines in his heart. Yet his instinct to survive crushed everything else.
Xue Beng slammed his head onto the ground again and again, letting out dull, heavy thuds, as though he were trying to smash his faults into the golden tiles beneath him. With great grievance and terror in his voice, he cried out:
"Father, please hear your son's plea! Your son has been wronged!"
"Your son has always deeply admired Miss Ye Lingling's talent and grace. He respects her from the bottom of his heart and merely wished to invite her to dinner today to express his sincerity."
"Your son swears to the heavens that from beginning to end he observed proper etiquette and harbored no intention of using force!"
He suddenly raised his head. Tears streaked down his pale cheeks as he pointed shakily toward the outside of the hall, his voice rising with agitation and indignation.
"It was that Chen Yi! Relying on Dugu Yan and the Poison Douluo Dugu Bo behind her, he acted arrogant and unreasonable, suddenly attacking and bullying your son…"
"Not only did he use some strange method to severely wound me, but he even uttered absurd words in front of everyone, threatening to take my life!"
Xue Beng's voice rose ever higher, filled with "grief and anger."
"Father! Where does that place your son's face? He clearly has no regard for the empire's laws and takes our Heaven Dou royal family lightly. He trampled the dignity of our empire!"
"He actually shouted aloud that… Heaven Dou's princes are nothing more than… rice weevils crawling in the granary!"
Xue Beng intentionally and repeatedly emphasized "Dugu Bo," "the royal face," and "imperial prestige," trying to shift the core of the conflict. Instead of this being a matter of his own right or wrong, he painted it as Chen Yi and the power behind him brazenly provoking royal authority. His aim was to ignite Emperor Xue Ye's fury to the utmost.
As expected, Emperor Xue Ye's face grew darker as he listened, his expression as heavy as if it could drip water. But contrary to Xue Beng's expectations, he did not immediately fly into a rage over Chen Yi's alleged "insolence." Instead, a deeper disappointment and severity flashed through his cold eyes.
Then, with a sudden crack, he slammed the armrest of the throne. The sound rang like colliding ice, and his voice rose in another sharp rebuke.
"Fool! Answer me this first—who told you to be so ignorant and provoke them in the first place?!"
What kind of man was Emperor Xue Ye? How could he possibly fail to grasp the key points Xue Beng was avoiding or not see through his attempt to fan the flames?
He had tacitly approved—even internally expected—that the prince would pursue Ye Lingling. If, through gentle means, the bloodline of the Nine-Hearted Begonia could be tied closely to the Heaven Dou Empire by marriage, that would undoubtedly be the best way to consolidate the state's foundations.
But the prerequisite was that the methods used be sufficiently refined. The prince needed to display royal demeanor and cultivation, to understand gentleness, to know when to advance and when to retreat.
And what had this fool Xue Beng done?
He had behaved like a street thug in the marketplace—rash, lacking even the bearing of a prince, nearly bordering on harassment. In the end, he'd been publicly humiliated and cleaned up by some unknown youth.
This was not only Xue Beng's personal disgrace—it was the face of the entire Heaven Dou royal family being trampled into the ground.
Remembering the gossip now spreading through the streets—that "Heaven Dou's princes are unbearable, the royal prestige has been trodden underfoot"—Emperor Xue Ye felt his blood boil.
He pointed at Xue Beng, who knelt on the ground, and unleashed a torrent of merciless scolding—from reckless and stupid behavior, ignorance and shallow insight, arrogance with low ability, to bringing shame upon the royal family's style and dignity.
Under his tirade, Xue Beng was left sprawled on the floor, unable even to breathe steadily. He could only mechanically repeat, "Your son knows his mistake," and, "Father, please calm your anger," not daring to utter a single extra word in defense.
Prince Xue Xing, standing beneath the throne, watched his nephew's wretched state and listened to the emperor's harsh reprimands. His face turned ashen, his heart a knot of conflicting emotions.
He resented Xue Beng for failing to live up to expectations, for acting so rashly and dragging others into trouble. At the same time, he worried that this matter might end up involving him. After all, Dugu Bo was the most reliable force under his command.
Hearing Xue Beng's feeble attempt to deflect responsibility with such glaring loopholes only deepened his sense of powerlessness and shame.
Xue Xing opened his mouth several times, wanting to speak up for Xue Beng. But under Emperor Xue Ye's furious gaze, he swallowed his words each time, leaving only an inaudible sigh and a heavier expression.
After venting his rage to the fullest, Emperor Xue Ye finally took a deep breath, suppressing the murderous irritation roiling in his heart. He turned his gaze toward Ning Fengzhi, who had been quietly watching the changes from the side. His tone was deliberately softened a little, though it remained solemn.
"Sect Master Ning, I invited you and Sword Douluo here today because I wished to hear your opinions."
"Regarding this Chen Yi, who suddenly appeared, and the power that might stand behind him… Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's information network extends across the world. Have you obtained any clues or come to any conjectures?"
In an instant, all eyes in the hall turned to Ning Fengzhi—including those of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. Although his expression remained calm, the depths of his gaze were no longer placid.
Ning Fengzhi slowly set down his teacup, his eyes faintly reflecting the golden glow of the hall's lamps. He took a moment, then spoke in a measured voice.
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