Chapter 47 A Hidden Current of Murderous Intent Surrounds the King; Yunxiao Debates the Law to Save the Qilin

King Wendin's words, "Who... exactly are you?", felt like a gust of cold wind from the Nine Netherworlds.

It caused the air, which had just been stirred to a fever pitch by Chen Yuan's grand discourse, to instantly freeze.

He leaned down, his massive shadow enveloping Chen Yuan, and within those bottomless imperial eyes of his...

The shock had faded, replaced by pure, cold, and unmasked murderous intent.

A five-year-old child who could calculate for a county, calculate for the world, and calculate for the hearts of men.

This is no auspicious omen; this is a Prodigy!

It is a sharp sword hanging over royal power that could spin out of control at any moment!

"Spreading heretical words to confuse the masses, using Gu to disrupt the court!"

King Wending of Shang slowly straightened up. His voice was not loud, but it carried a cold, resolute finality like clashing metal and stone. "This child's intellect is not human; he is likely the source of future chaos. Guards!"

Murderous intent flared in his eyes as he pointed at Chen Yuan.

"Seize him and throw him into the dungeon! Await my further orders!"

Upon these words, a flash of wild joy appeared in the eyes of Vice-Chancellor Fei Lian, while the officials, who had just been stirred with excitement, all changed color.

Killing the donkey once the grinding is done! Discarding the bow once the birds are gone!

Chen Lie was shedding blood on the front lines, yet his son was to be thrown into the dungeon in the rear?

"Your Majesty, you cannot!"

"Chen Yuan has rendered service to the nation; how can you do this!"

Several military generals stepped forward again, only to be forced back by a single cold glance from King Wending of Shang.

"My decision is made!"

Two fierce, wolf-like imperial guards strode forward, their cold iron hands reaching directly for Chen Yuan's small shoulders.

Princess Yin Rong let out a desperate cry, lunging forward like a madwoman to protect her son, her tears flowing like a broken dam.

"Brother! He is your nephew!"

However, King Wending of Shang's face remained as calm as water, unmoved. On the path of a monarch, family affection is the cheapest sacrifice.

Just at this critical moment.

"Dong—! Dong—! Dong—!"

A dull and urgent drumming sound suddenly came from outside the palace, piercing through layers of buildings and ringing clearly in the ears of everyone in the Golden Throne Hall.

The Dengwen Drum!

It may not be struck without a grave injustice or a world-altering strategy; to strike it is to ensure it reaches the ears of Heaven!

Who would dare to strike the Dengwen Drum at this time?

King Wending of Shang's brows knitted together; his murderous intent was interrupted, turning into extreme impatience.

An attendant scrambled into the hall, crawling on his hands and knees, and knelt to report.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, outside... outside the palace, a woman claims to be the enlightenment mentor of the Young Master of the Chen household. She struck the Dengwen Drum and says she has a strategy to stabilize the nation and requests an audience with Your Majesty!"

Chen Yuan's... teacher?

The entire court was in an uproar, and everyone's gaze focused once again on the child protected in his mother's arms.

Even his teacher is so extraordinary?

"Summon her."

King Wending of Shang squeezed the word out through his teeth. He wanted to see what kind of person was instigating this Prodigy.

A moment later, a figure stepped into the Golden Throne Hall.

The visitor was a woman dressed in a simple cyan dress, her long hair tied up with a plain wooden hairpin.

Her face was peerlessly beautiful yet devoid of any coquetry, and her eyes were as clear as autumn water and as deep as the starry sky.

She walked on the cold golden bricks with a calm gait, facing the scrutiny of the court and the pressure of the monarch.

Her expression did not waver in the slightest, as if she were merely walking into an ordinary study.

It was none other than Yunxiao, who had taken the Incarnation of a Mortal female teacher.

In the courtyard next door, Bixiao and Qiong Xiao nervously clenched their fists. They knew their eldest sister had made her move.

This was what their Revered Master meant by "entering the game"!

"Commoner Yunxiao greets Your Majesty." Yunxiao walked to the center of the hall and bowed gracefully, her demeanor elegant and flawless.

"So you are Chen Yuan's teacher?" King Wending of Shang looked down at her, his tone unfriendly.

"The fine student you have taught has spilled tea and lacked decorum in this court, spreading heretical words!"

Fei Lian immediately jumped out, pointing at Yunxiao and shouting sternly: "Your Majesty, this woman must be an accomplice to that Prodigy! They are birds of a feather; she should be seized as well!"

Facing the monarch's pressure and the powerful official's attacks, Yunxiao merely smiled faintly.

She did not argue, nor did she plead for mercy. Instead, she bowed deeply once more to King Wending of Shang on the throne, her voice clear and resonant throughout the hall.

"I have not come to plead for justice, but to offer congratulations."

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to Great Shang!"

This single sentence left everyone bewildered.

Congratulations? What are you congratulating them for?

King Wending of Shang's eyes grew even darker: "Where does this joy come from?"

Yunxiao slowly straightened up, her gaze sweeping over Chen Yuan beside her with a hint of imperceptible tenderness, before turning to King Wending of Shang and speaking loudly:

"Heaven has sent a Qilin, and the nation's fortune is about to flourish. If this is not a great joy, what is?"

She pointed at Chen Yuan, her voice suddenly rising.

"Does Your Majesty know what a Qilin is? When a Qilin appears, it is no mere worldly omen, but a sign that a Sage King is present in the world!"

"At five years of age, Chen Yuan can calculate the water veins of the Yellow River, plan for a million mu of fertile land, and secure provisions for two hundred thousand elite troops."

"Such wisdom cannot be taught by human effort; he is a Qilin child bestowed upon Great Shang by Heaven!"

"That Your Majesty has obtained this Qilin is proof that Heaven recognizes your virtue as a Sage King! This is a sign that the Mandate of Heaven has returned and the hearts of the world are turning toward you! How could I not offer congratulations?"

Her words were resonant and powerful!

This flattery was so grand that it left King Wending of Shang momentarily dazed.

"You..." Fei Lian was trembling with rage. "Nonsense! He is clearly..."

"Vice-Chancellor." Yunxiao turned her gaze toward him, her eyes calm but carrying an invisible pressure.

"Are you saying that Heaven is blind, to send a Prodigy to assist the Sage King of our Great Shang?"

"Or are you saying that you believe His Majesty's virtue is insufficient to inspire the descent of a Qilin?"

These two sentences were like two sharp knives, stabbing directly at Fei Lian's vitals!

Fei Lian's face instantly turned the color of pig's liver, cold sweat pouring down. "I... I did not! You... you must not slander me!"

He could not bear this accusation!

Yunxiao ignored him further, her gaze returning to King Wending of Shang. Her tone shifted from impassioned to calm, and she began to coolly analyze the stakes.

"Your Majesty, I know what you are worried about. The talent of a Qilin can build a nation, but it can also overthrow it. But how it is used depends entirely on the hand that holds the chess piece."

"If you kill this Qilin child today..."

Her voice was very soft, yet it caused the temperature of the entire hall to drop.

"Firstly, the great general Chen Lie is currently in Qingyuan County managing the waters for the country, fighting and bleeding. When he learns that the monarch he protected with his life..."

"...has killed his son in Chaoge... Your Majesty, what do you think will happen to those tens of thousands of water-management troops? Could the waters of the Yellow River flood back into Chaoge?"

"Secondly, how will the people of the world view Your Majesty? A five-year-old Prodigy who could open up a million mu of fertile land for Great Shang, the only son of a water-management hero, killed simply because his merit was too high."

"Killed by the monarch's suspicion. From now on, who among the world's talented people would dare to serve Great Shang? Who among the loyal ministers and good generals would dare to be loyal to Your Majesty?"

"Killing one Chen Yuan is simple. But to chill the hearts of the world and sever the Foundation of Great Shang's national fortune because of it—Your Majesty, is that worth it?"

Every word struck at the heart!

Each sentence was like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely into King Wending of Shang's heart.

He looked at the calm woman below and felt a bone-chilling coldness for the first time.

This woman's scheming was even more terrifying than that five-year-old child's!

She did not beg for mercy or cry, but instead forced him into a dilemma with no retreat.

To kill is to invite chaos to the nation.

Not to kill is to hold one's nose and accept this "Qilin," and admit that he is a "Sage King."

He looked around the hall and saw the entire court, both civil and military officials, with expressions of deep thought and agreement on their faces.

The hearts of the people were no longer on his side.

He could not kill him.

At least, not now, not here in this hall.

Silence.

Deathly silence.

A long while later.

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!"

King Wendin suddenly burst into loud laughter, the sound echoing in the vast hall, filled with an indescribable, complex meaning.

He walked down the King Rank, personally helped Yunxiao up, and then walked over to help the still-trembling Princess Yin Rong and Chen Yuan to their feet.

He patted Chen Yuan on the head, forcing a warm smile onto his face as if the murderous intent from just moments ago had never existed.

"Good! A wonderful Qilin sent by Heaven! A wonderful female teacher who shares the nation's burdens!"

He turned around and announced loudly to the entire court:

"Chen Yuan, at a tender age, has offered a strategy to divert the water, resolved the crisis of Chaoge, and planned for the prosperity of the national fortune. This is Heaven blessing our Great Shang! My heart is greatly comforted!"

"I decree! Chen Yuan shall be titled 'Guardian Qilin'! Reward him with one thousand taels of gold and one hundred bolts of brocade!"

"His teacher, Yunxiao, has taught him well and understands the great righteousness. She is titled 'Guardian Female Mentor' and shall share in the honors!"

"As for Vice-Chancellor Fei Lian..." King Wending of Shang's gaze swept over the pale-faced Fei Lian.

"You are advanced in years and your thoughts are not thorough. From this day forward, you are suspended from court for three months to recuperate properly at home!"

Boom!

The situation had reversed in an instant!

A certain death trap had been forcibly twisted into a massive bestowal of rewards!

Fei Lian looked as if he had been struck by lightning, collapsing to the ground.

The entire court, watching the chatting and laughing monarch and the calm-as-water teacher and student, felt a cold chill run through their bodies.

This court was truly ten thousand times more dangerous than the battlefield!

...

Half an hour later, the imperial guards outside the Chen residence had withdrawn.

Princess Yin Rong held her son, who had been snatched back from the jaws of death, and wept uncontrollably in the carriage.

Yunxiao sat opposite them, watching Chen Yuan, a flash of approval and heartache crossing her beautiful eyes.

The carriage slowly drove down the long street, the noise outside the window seeming to come from another world.

Chen Yuan ignored his mother's tears and did not respond to Yunxiao's gaze.

He lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and poked his small head out.

He did not look at the prosperity of Chaoge City, but instead raised his head to look at the sky.

Then, his gaze shifted to the distant direction where the Yellow River lay.

For the first time, a trace of gravity appeared on that tender little face.

The maneuvering in the court was merely an appetizer on the chessboard.

He could feel it.

At the bottom of that murky Yellow River, an ancient and evil aura, billions of times more massive than the King of Shang's murderous intent, was slowly awakening.

That was the true... killing blow of this great tribulation in the Mortal World.