I Became the Eye Candy: Four Bigshots Claimed to be My Dad?

"Th-This... We should wait for the Emperor’s imperial decree." Faced with the crowd’s escalating shouts, Lord Song had no choice but to use the Emperor as a shield.

However, the onlookers weren’t buying it.

"The evidence is ironclad, yet you want to wait for the Emperor’s decree? Surely the Emperor wouldn’t shelter a murderer."

"You refuse to pass sentence with the evidence right before your eyes. Lord Song, what are you afraid of?"

"Is the life of the General’s daughter worth less than that of someone from a martial arts sect?"

"Kill him! Kill Yuan Yintang!"

The cries grew louder, and the crowd’s indignation surged with them.

Yuan Yintang, lying dying on the ground, regained consciousness. As the voices reached his ears, he shifted his body slightly, and excruciating pain immediately shot through him.

As a martial artist, he knew with stark clarity that his life was over. The tendons in his legs had been severed, one of his arms was hacked off, and a sword had pierced several holes through his shoulder.

Qian Fanji and his group just wanted to torture him, to make him suffer every possible humiliation.

He had been proud his entire life. To lie here in this state before the crowd was a fate crueler than death.

Lord Song looked ready to cry. His eyes pleaded with Qian Fanji for help. ’I truly don’t have the authority to decide this!’

"A life for a life. The penalty is death," Qian Fanji said coldly.

"Minister Qian, the Emperor has given an order for me to await his command. We should just wait."

"There’s no need to wait. The Emperor has no intention of punishing Consort Yuan." Zhan Yi emerged from the crowd, holding evidence of Yuan Yintang and Consort Yuan’s crimes. "The evidence the Emperor possesses is even more damning than this. He has no desire to punish anyone from the alchemy family. In fact, he just revoked the Beili citizenship of Dean Chen and Grand Chancellor Qian."

Hearing this, the crowd of onlookers fell silent for a moment.

Qian Fanji, Zhan Chi, and Gu Shuo were also stunned. ’The Emperor even dared to make a move against Dean Chen?’

"Impossible! How could Dean Chen’s citizenship be revoked?"

"Is the Emperor really not going to punish someone for treason? Is this for real?"

"It’s not fair! Years ago, the Qian family was nearly executed without any proof. So why, when there’s ironclad evidence against Consort Yuan, does the Emperor refuse to act?"

"That’s right, it’s not fair! If this is how things are, does the law even exist in Beili?"

"How can we still believe in the authority of the throne? This is terrifying."

After the silence, the crowd erupted.

Qian Fu looked out at the people of the Capital City, his mind drifting to the past. He used to feel a sense of attachment, but his years as a monk had cleared his head. ’It’s simply too difficult to be a good official.’

’The court is filled with too many dirty secrets. To survive, you have to turn a blind eye. If you insist on debating right and wrong, you’ll end up either with your family destroyed, in exile, or reviled by all.’

’Justice, in the eyes of the public, is merely a matter of jumping on the bandwagon. They believe whatever the latest rumor tells them.’

"The state of the world is chilling. From this day forward, the Qian family will no longer be people of Beili. My friends, my countrymen, take care." Qian Fu’s voice was heavy with meaning as he gave the crowd a Buddhist salute.

"Grand Chancellor Qian!"

"Alas, what a cold and heartless world..."

"Punish Consort Yuan! She committed treason! She is unforgivable!"

"If the Emperor doesn’t deliver a harsh punishment, Beili will fall into disarray!"

"If the Emperor won’t punish Consort Yuan for treason, then I might as well do the same! Betraying the country is more profitable than any business."

"SHH! You can’t say things like that! Careful, or they’ll throw you in prison."

"What’s there to be afraid of? It’s not like treason is a major crime anymore. Just look at Consort Yuan—she’s perfectly fine."

The crowd was in an uproar. In that moment, a torrent of emotions washed over them, chief among them a profound disappointment in the throne.

Qian Fanji looked toward Qian Fu. The two of them exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between father and son.