“Prince Xue, you must be tired from your trip. You may be seated,” Tian Chen warmly spoke.

“The trip was only a brief. This subject is not tired at all,” Xue Lan stubbornly said.

“We insist. This conversation will take a while,” Tian Chen chuckled. “It will be rather embarrassing to sit down later after saying those words, no?”

“…” Xue Lan looked begrudgingly at Mo Shen and reluctantly sat down, “This subject thanks Your Majesty for your thoughtfulness.”

He slapped away Mo Shen’s hand who tried to ‘help’ him.

Tian Chen’s warm expression soon changed when he looked at the Empress. Unlike usual, she was standing on the ground, not by his side. All the other consorts were also called to the hall, standing neatly in line.

With three consorts gone and one freed, there was a total of 15 consorts in the harem in addition to the Empress.

He signalled at Li Feng to start.

Li Feng gave an order to his subordinates. Seven of them stepped forward, each holding a covered tray.

When the items were revealed, the consorts knelt down in fear. A couple of them couldn’t contain their retch and quickly covered their mouth. They all trembled and sweated, trying to guess what Tian Chen called them here for.

Huang Xieli, who was at the very front, wanted to cover her breathing with her sleeves. The smell of decayed corpses filled the air with a rotten stench.

But she knew it would make Tian Chen target her more instead.

In contrast to them, Xue Lan was unfazed.

All seven of them were severed human heads. He guessed what he and Mo Shen were called here for, so he naturally knew who they were.

From the male concubine’s paranoid confessions, Mo Shen had burned the papers that could link the case to them. Still, they had anticipated this because Huang Xieli surely wouldn’t be willing to go down by herself.

Li Feng turned to Mo Shen, “Servant Mo, are you familiar with these people?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Mo Shen lied through his teeth.

“They are assassins who were sent to kill Honorable Prince Xue of Qi Ming, your master,” Li Feng deliberately elaborated. “Are you still unfamiliar with them?”

“Surely, I would remember people who seek to harm my master,” Mo Shen tilted his head innocently. “But facing an assassin is beyond my capabilities. I would’ve needed to sacrifice my life to protect my master from such a terrifying force.”

“You offered such magnificent prey at the summer hunt and became the winner. I believe you are beyond capable to incapacitate mere people. Rest assured, we will not be punishing you for protecting your master.”

“Even if I will be punished for doing so, I will still–”

Suddenly, 2 guards leapt out from the shadow with their swords drawn. They unhesitantly slashed it towards Xue Lan’s neck.

Mo Shen read Xue Lan’s expression before making his move.

He hooked the chair’s leg with his feet and pulled Xue Lan out of harm’s way, sliding him into an arc. He tugged the chair closer to him and tidied Xue Lan’s hair.

“What is the meaning of this, Guard Li?” he glanced at the 2 guards in threat. “Even if you want to prove something, neither I nor my master is armed with a sword. Are you trying to break the peace treaty and instigate a second war with Qi Ming Nation?”

Li Feng hesitantly looked at Tian Chen.

The assassins came when Xue Lan was still in his initial courtyard without anyone inside except for Mo Shen. He was the only suspect who brutally killed the assassins and terrorized the people who sent them.

If Mo Shen was really such a dangerous individual, they would need to contain him in concern for the Emperor’s safety. They had tried to search his background, but they couldn’t find anything about him.

But from earlier action, the most they could deduce was that Mo Shen had quick reflexes.

“Guard Li,” Xue Lan spoke up and Mo Shen readily turned the chair to face the front. “I picked up Mo Shen from a boutique because I was moved by his handcrafts. All my clothes are personally tailored by him. I do not believe he would risk his important asset for violence. Rather, they are too delicate to cause any harm.”

“Indeed, My Lord,” Mo Shen shamelessly agreed. “I do not wish to be thrown away if I lose my crafting skill that you love the most.”

“That is a shame,” Tian Chen suddenly spoke up. “Our heart is distressed by the thought of wicked-minded people in Our inner palace and wished to clear Honorable Prince Xue from their ill-intention. It is why We gather everyone today. We had hoped that you, as his loyal servant, would know who they are but it seems like We are bound to be disappointed today.”

Hearing his words, the consorts paled even more. Even if Mo Shen wasn’t involved with the assassins, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Xue Lan to kill off at most seven people in the harem without any consequences.

They were certain that Tian Chen, with his current affection towards Xue Lan, wouldn’t question his choices.

“Your Majesty is wise and resourceful. Your reach of power is beyond this land with heaven as your eyes. Surely, those wicked people will soon be caught by your wisdom,” Mo Shen smiled. “My master trusts Your Majesty with all his heart. As his servant, I naturally believe in his beliefs.”

“Mo Shen, don’t say anything unnecessary,” Xue Lan spread his fan and covered his face.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Mo Shen bowed at Tian Chen. “My master is rather shy despite his appearance.”

Tian Chen felt his stomach flutter with butterflies. He truly wanted to confiscate all of Xue Lan’s fans that he kept using to cover his expressions.

Seeing Tian Chen’s lovestruck eyes, Li Feng hesitantly cleared his throat, “Your Majesty…”

Tian Chen’s face straightened back and stood up proudly with his hands behind his back, “For Our Honorable Prince to put his faith on Us, We certainly shall not betray it. Heaven witnesses the deeds of Our people in Our land and the divine beast guards Our sacred home against evil. If you regret your action and confess before We reveal your savage nature, your life shall be spared.”

Li Feng inwardly cried helpless tears.

Their main agenda here was to find the assassins’ killer, not to wipe out the harem!

They already knew a long time ago who sent those assassins. This kind of thing wasn’t uncommon in the inner palace. Those who were from influential families even had their own agents.

Tian Chen had never interfered with the struggles within his harem. He might side with his current favourite at the time, but he wouldn’t go as far as killing other members of the harem for them.

Now? With only a few words from the Prince, he immediately threw away his plan to impress him.

“Your Majesty,” Huang Xieli spoke up and kowtowed, “the consorts in your harem are not someone you can take their life lightly of. Their families will surely retaliate once they hear their precious daughters or sons get executed unjustly. Furthermore, if they hear what they are sentenced with, your subjects will doubt whether Qi Ming is now above Qian Jin. Your Majesty, please reconsider.”

The other consorts followed as well, “Your Majesty, please reconsider!”

Tian Chen’s eyes dangerously narrowed as he gazed condescendingly at Huang Xieli.

Comparing her words to Xue Lan’s words when he hesitated the other day was like night and day.

Instead of confessing her scheme, she dared to doubt his strength and authority upon his own land. He single-handedly took the throne from his father, buried all that went against him, and burned all that betrayed him.

Those families surrendered their children to him to gain his benevolence yet she dared say that their retaliation could serve as an obstacle to him.

The echoes of Tian Chen’s steps descending to the ground were like a countdown to their death.

Xue Lan and Mo Shen glanced at each other and knelt down along with the guards.

When the sharp sound of a sword being drawn was heard, everyone deepened their posture further. The consorts already burying their heads into the ground with their body shaking in fear.

Those who were guilty couldn’t handle the mountain of pressure, but their body was too afraid to move. They wanted to confess, but the doubt of whether or not the Emperor would really let them live choked their words in their throat.

One of them finally steeled themselves to confess, “Y-Your Majesty, this consort–”

Before he could say any confession, his words were cut down by the cold blade.

“Empress Huang, shall we bet whether your worry is founded or not?”

Huang Xieli flinched as the blade pierced onto her long sleeve.