Chapter 616: Rumors Scatter, the Crowd Besieges
"Mother Consort, is what they’re saying true?" Sang Qi asked again, his little face stern.
"They’re just upset that Ye Qianning is dead. You can’t believe their wild accusations." Consort Yuan hadn’t noticed the Crown Prince following her and wasn’t sure how much he had overheard.
Sang Qi stared at her unblinkingly.
Consort Yuan grew flustered under his gaze and reached out to pat his head. "Qi’er..."
Sang Qi tilted his head to avoid her touch and turned toward the door.
Inside the hall, the Beili Emperor was trembling with rage. Since ascending the throne, no one had ever dared to defy him like this. He knew his teacher’s personality well; when Dean Chen became stubborn, he was even harder to deal with than the old ancestor of the Zhong family.
The speech had left him at a loss for words.
It was true that Consort Yuan had been in contact with Princess East Shu. The arson at Four-direction Mountain would be revealed with a simple investigation, making the situation difficult to smooth over.
That was why he had posthumously ennobled Ye Qianning, thinking it would calm the matter. He hadn’t expected this group to latch onto the issue and refuse to let go, even daring to return the imperial edict. It was an undeniable challenge to his authority.
"Teacher, with those words, are you reminding me that if I do not punish the Consort, you will commit treason?" ’To say such things so brazenly to my face... A man like this is a menace left alive.’
The Beili Emperor had known since his youth that Dean Chen was a man who could not be controlled.
"That depends on whether Your Majesty considers treason a serious crime," Dean Chen retorted.
The Beili Emperor’s fingers tightened.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince..."
"Get out of my way." Sang Qi pushed the young eunuch aside and rushed into the hall.
Startled, Consort Yuan hurried after him.
"Father Emperor," Sang Qi burst in.
The Beili Emperor’s eyes darkened as he looked over.
"Your Majesty, it is all my fault for not watching the Crown Prince properly. I will take him away now." Consort Yuan reached out to pull Sang Qi back.
Sang Qi dodged her again and took a few steps toward Dean Chen. "Father Emperor, I don’t want Ye Qianning to be buried in the imperial mausoleum either."
"Crown Prince," the Beili Emperor, already furious, seethed with even greater anger at his words.
"Father Emperor, I implore you to reconsider." Sang Qi knelt.
Seeing her son act this way, Consort Yuan was even more determined not to let Ye Qianning be buried with the title of Crown Princess Consort. She immediately knelt as well. "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has never liked Ye Qianning. Why must they be bound together in death? I beg Your Majesty to retract your command."
Zhan Yi was so angry watching Consort Yuan that he wanted to strike her. He took a deep breath to suppress his rage. ’After all, right now, none of us want the young miss to be buried in the imperial mausoleum. Our motives are different, but our goal is the same. Once the young miss is free from this edict, it won’t be too late to denounce Consort Yuan.’
Qian Fu let out an inaudible scoff and bowed to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, since no one is willing, and Ye Qianning is a daughter of the General’s family, then please summon the Xiang family Clan Leader. Her memorial tablet can be placed in the Xiang family’s ancestral hall."
"That is my wish as well. Your Majesty should not insist on this," Dean Chen added, striking while the iron was hot.
The Beili Emperor could barely control his rage. ’I want to kill someone. Kill all these people who defy my authority. As an emperor, the one thing I cannot tolerate is being forced into a corner.’
’A voice in his heart seemed to be fanning the flames of his fury.’
For a moment, Dragon and Qilin Hall became utterly silent.
Consort Yuan knew that silence was the precursor to the Emperor’s explosive anger.
Mr. Li held the imperial edict with his head bowed, not daring to breathe too loudly. The edict in his hands felt scorching hot.
"Your Majesty, Governor Song requests an audience," a young eunuch announced, suddenly entering and breaking the hall’s silence.
The Beili Emperor’s gaze was grim as he coldly looked up.
The young eunuch trembled and fell to his knees, not daring to say another word.
"Your Majesty, have you made your decision?" Dean Chen’s voice was steady, his cold expression showing not a trace of fear.
The Beili Emperor was silent for another moment, as if suppressing a violent impulse. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "If that’s the case, then Ye Qianning need not be buried with the Xiang family. Have her body returned to Nanyuan."
’Returned to Nanyuan?’
"Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?" Zhan Yi demanded, shocked and enraged.
"For a citizen of Beili, my imperial edict is law. My word is final and will not be retracted. If she does not enter the imperial mausoleum, then she has no right to be a citizen of Beili," the Beili Emperor said grimly.
Dean Chen lowered his eyes. ’The Emperor’s words were undoubtedly a heavy blow to them all.’
’If Xiang Minghou acknowledges his little apprentice as his daughter, she must be buried in the imperial mausoleum. If he does not want the child buried in the imperial mausoleum, then he cannot acknowledge Ye Qianning as a citizen of Beili.’
Zhan Yi and Qian Fu also understood the implication. Ye Qianning had the blood of the four families. No matter which family claimed her, as a citizen of Beili, she would have to be buried in the imperial mausoleum according to the edict.
’Cruel. Truly vicious.’
Consort Yuan frowned, a chill in her heart. ’If her body is returned to Nanyuan, Ye Qianning will be nothing. But burial in the imperial mausoleum is a supreme status—that’s out of the question.’
’The title of Crown Princess Consort above Ye Qianning’s name cannot be erased. She will be buried in the imperial mausoleum.’
She twisted her handkerchief, unwilling to accept this outcome.
A flicker of doubt crossed Sang Qi’s eyes as he thought. ’He was still young and didn’t fully grasp the implications, but...’
"Father Emperor, Beili is so far from Nanyuan. Can a body last that long?"
Seeing the sour expressions on Dean Chen and the others, the Beili Emperor’s anger finally subsided a little. Hearing Sang Qi’s question, he replied in an ambiguous tone, "It is indeed very far."
"Your Majesty, this is an impossible demand," Zhan Yi said resentfully.
"This is the extent of my tolerance. A non-citizen of Beili cannot enter the imperial mausoleum. A citizen of Beili must obey the imperial edict. Defying an edict is a crime punishable by beheading, and in severe cases, by the extermination of one’s entire clan. Teacher, you know this better than I do." The Beili Emperor narrowed his eyes.
’The choice was theirs: let the little girl’s body rot, or accept the imperial edict.’
Zhan Yi clenched his fists. No matter how furious he was, he didn’t dare raise a hand to the Emperor. He turned to look at Qian Fu and Dean Chen.
Qian Fu couldn’t easily answer, weighing the matter carefully.
The Beili Emperor felt a surge of confidence, certain that victory was within his grasp. ’As long as they accept the edict, I have ways to make them keep their mouths shut about what happened at Four-direction Mountain.’
After long consideration, Dean Chen finally said, "My little apprentice’s body will certainly not be buried on Beili soil."
The Beili Emperor’s fingers tightened. "Teacher, are you saying that Ye Qianning will not be registered as a citizen of Beili?"
"She will not. I will personally escort my little apprentice’s body out of Beili. And with this, I also voluntarily renounce my Beili citizenship. From this day forward, I am no longer a citizen of Beili," Dean Chen declared.
"Teacher, you wish to renounce your citizenship?" the Beili Emperor asked, shocked.
Zhan Yi and Qian Fu also stared at him with expressions of astonishment.
"Yes."
"Teacher, have you considered the consequences of renouncing your citizenship?"
"What consequences could there be for an old man like me to renounce his citizenship?"
The Beili Emperor’s dark eyes reflected Dean Chen’s mocking face. He gritted his teeth. "Fine. If the Dean wishes to renounce his citizenship, I will grant your wish. And since you are no longer a citizen of Beili, I will reclaim Lou Mountain Academy."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, the Qian family clan recognizes Ye Qianning as one of our own. If Your Majesty will not allow her to be buried on Beili soil, then my entire clan can only follow Ye Qianning and leave Beili." Qian Fu had long been utterly disappointed with Beili.
The Beili Emperor’s gaze shifted, becoming utterly frigid. "The Qian family clan also wishes to renounce its citizenship?"
"Yes. The Qian family has weathered too many storms. We should have awakened to this truth long ago. Fame, profit, and power are useless. For the rest of our lives, all we need is a bite to eat and a roof over our heads. I will lead the Qian family into seclusion from this day forward."
"Qian Fu, don’t you forget about the past treason..."