Chapter One Hundred Forty-Five: Conditions

A mere two words were enough to send a profound chill through the hearts of everyone present. Not a single person could conceal their astonishment; eyes widened, and gazes shifted toward Jun Yechen with expressions of utter shock.

To utter those two words was to invite heavy consequences.

"Second Prince, there are some things we would do well to pretend we never saw. I suggest you think twice before acting. After all, there is no friendship between us to speak of!"

For an ordinary person, speaking those words would be enough to warrant the execution of one's entire clan. Coming from a member of the imperial family, it was nothing short of an open declaration of treason. Even in their deepest fury, none of these men were bold enough to go that far; at most, they intended to leverage the death of their envoy to extract new concessions for their vassal states.

Yet, faced with the palpable panic of the crowd, Jun Yechen suddenly burst into laughter. His mood only eased slightly as he stared at the dried water stains on the table.

"I thought that since you valued a mere corpse so highly, you might stir up a great storm. I didn't expect you to be such cowardly wretches. Your remote lands are impoverished, withered, and desolate; tell me, what joy is there in living in such a place?"

His words were laced with subtle inducement. The others remained silent, none daring to speak, fearing that if these words were overheard by the wrong person and reported to the Emperor, they would be the ones to suffer.

"I implore the Second Prince to think carefully and refrain from uttering such foolishness!" one man urged again, though his flickering gaze betrayed that he had been moved.

Jun Yechen had always been an expert at reading people, and he knew he had made no mistake. He produced a map from his robes. "The fault in this matter lies with the Fengling Dynasty. The Emperor is blinded by his lust for women and ignores the affairs of foreign envoys. If you were to launch an attack, it would be entirely justified. This document is the defense layout for the border cities. With it, you could seize a city without the slightest effort!"

On the parchment, black ink traced intricate lines and details. The onlookers were stunned once more. Someone, terrified, could not bring himself to look. "Why are you doing this? Are you trying to commit treason?"

This was a capital crime; even as a prince, he would not be spared.

Jun Yechen nodded thoughtfully, clearly having considered the matter deeply. "It is not treason. It is merely punishing a fatuous ruler and acting on behalf of Heaven. Could one not call this upholding justice?"

A masterful display of sophistry and distortion of facts. The crowd was rendered completely speechless by his silver-tongued persuasion.

"Think it over carefully. If the Emperor cannot provide a reasonable explanation for the envoy's death, your own homelands will surely not let the matter rest. They might even pin the blame on you. Rather than that, it would be better to strike first."

With that, Jun Yechen finished his piece. Amidst the bewilderment of the crowd, he tucked the defense map back into his sleeve and walked away, leaving them behind. With every step he took, the hearts of those present trembled, and they remained dazed for a long time.

"What do you think he meant? Could he be trying to incite war?" one man stroked his beard, his eyes darting around as he scanned the others, trying to probe their intentions.

However, another man scoffed. "This Second Prince has some skills; to be able to obtain a border defense map—he is no simpleton. In my opinion, it is better to stick to the standard path and see how the Emperor accounts for this!"

When the court assembled again, the envoys once more carried the decaying corpse into the throne room, waiting for Jun Yeli’s verdict.

"Your Majesty, since the evidence is conclusive, yet you neither punish Consort Rong nor even remand her to prison, how can you expect to satisfy the public?"

As they pressed in, Jun Yeli sat upon the dragon throne, as immovable as a mountain. He let his gaze drift over the clamoring men without much reaction. Only when they had exhausted their arguments did he slowly speak.

"I have my own judgment regarding this matter. Consort Rong is but a woman; how could she possibly kill a burly man? Based on her testimony, I have already found the initial clues."

He turned and glanced at Xiao Lizi.

Xiao Lizi, understanding the signal, immediately took out a silk handkerchief and walked down to the floor. "Honorable ministers, this is the clue we have found."

The men looked at the embroidered lotus flower on the cloth and frowned. "What is this? A woman's handkerchief?"

"No, it is the totem of an organization!" Jun Yeli said firmly. "Through my relentless investigation, I have discovered it belongs to an assassination group called the Lotus Cult, who kill for coin."

The men exchanged confused glances. "Are you joking? We have just arrived; we haven't even had the chance to offend anyone, and yet we are targeted by a cult from your Central Plains? This is preposterous!"

"Indeed! Even if we were targeted, why only him? Why are we all safe and sound? This is clearly a fabrication to exonerate your beauty!"

Though these men appeared rough and unrefined, their minds were sharp, capable of twisting even the most logical points into absurdity.

Jun Yeli drew a deep breath, truly unwilling to debate them further. "How about you grant me three days? If I cannot find the true culprit, I will hand Consort Rong over to you for disposal and grant you two cities—you may choose any you wish from the border!"

The offer was so enticing that the entire court was stunned. One of the ministers stepped forward hurriedly. "This is no child's play, Your Majesty! I implore you to reconsider!"

A single city housed thousands of people and served as a symbol of national strength. To cede them so easily was to fuel the growth of their enemies. Others stepped out to object, but Jun Yeli ignored them entirely, his gaze fixed solely on the envoys. "Well? If you agree, then we shall abide by these terms. If not, I fear there may be no other path left to take!"

As for what that "other path" might entail, Jun Yeli did not specify. The final, threatening undertone left them trembling.

One man hesitated, then wisely chose the former.

"Very well! Since the Emperor is so forthright, we are not the type to haggle! If you can truly find the real killer, we will let this matter rest!"

An agreement was reached, and Hua Rong was temporarily spared. However, as news of the court proceedings spread, Hua Rong became known as a "femme fatale" who brought ruin upon the realm.