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

Qian Fu looked away and toward the enraged commoners. Once a rumor took hold, not even imperial authority could easily suppress it. Even if they used force to stamp out the gossip...

...the result would only alienate the people further.

They wouldn’t dare say it aloud, but deep down, a profound distrust for the imperial family would take root.

Qian Fanji didn’t care about the issue of citizenship; he just hadn’t expected Dean Chen to be so deeply implicated.

’Was Dean Chen threatened with having his citizenship revoked to force the issue of Ye Qianning’s burial in the imperial mausoleum?’

"Look, Yuan Yintang is still moving! Kill him!"

"Kill him...!"

When the onlookers saw Yuan Yintang twitch, they immediately surged forward, viciously kicking the bloody, mangled figure.

Where one went, another followed. In an instant, the crowd swarmed him, eager to beat him to death.

Yuan Yintang was already severely injured. After being surrounded and repeatedly kicked, the man on the ground soon fell silent. But the people’s anger was not sated. They didn’t care in the slightest; as one wave of attackers fell back, another took its place.

They were determined to get a few kicks in, even if he was already dead.

Lord Song had never witnessed such a frenzied scene. He was so terrified he barely dared to breathe.

Dean Chen watched with a detached air. ’Evil begets evil. His death is no great loss.’

Zhan Yi spat a few times in that direction. ’Even if he died ten thousand times, it wouldn’t be enough to atone for my granddaughter’s life.’

"The Third Prince is here! All of you, stop!"

A squad of the Imperial Army broke through the crowd, pushing back the enraged commoners.

Sang Yan dismounted from his horse.

Seeing his support had arrived, Lord Song immediately trotted over to greet him. "Third Prince, you’re finally here."

Sang Yan spared him a glance before walking toward the entrance of the government office.

His gaze swept over the area before landing on Yuan Yintang, who now lay in a motionless heap on the ground. He gestured to the Imperial Army.

A soldier from the Imperial Army hurried forward to check, then turned and shook his head. "He’s dead."

"Good riddance! Good riddance!"

"Serves him right! A man like him is better off dead!"

Many in the crowd cried out, their words filled with a sense of vindicated satisfaction.

"Have the body taken away," Sang Yan ordered.

"Third Prince, wait," Qian Fanji said, stepping forward.

"What does Minister Qian have to say?"

"Take the body to the General’s manor. If Consort Yuan wishes to collect the remains of this ’senior brother’ of hers, she can come to the General’s manor in person. If she has no intention of claiming the body, then have it chopped to pieces and thrown to the beasts in the mountains."

Sang Yan’s expression changed upon hearing this. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded in agreement.

"My thanks, Third Prince." Qian Fanji bowed.

Sang Yan had actually arrived some time ago. He hadn’t intervened, waiting until the public’s fury had killed Yuan Yintang before making his appearance. It was his way of doing something for Ye Qianning. A man of his station couldn’t interfere in many matters; this was the most he could do.

"Eighth Brother, Father has sent me to take you back to the palace." He walked up to Sang Zhi.

Sang Zhi didn’t even spare him a glance. "Until the Emperor deals with the culprit, I will not return to the palace."

"Eighth Brother, this incident has caused a city-wide uproar. Father will handle it with the utmost care. For now, just come back to the palace with me."

"Carefully? I’m eager to see exactly what the Emperor’s idea of ’careful’ is."

"Eighth Brother, that’s our father you’re talking about." Hearing Sang Zhi refer to him so formally multiple times, Sang Yan’s brow furrowed.

"Father?" Sang Zhi’s voice was sharp, laced with disdain and defiance. "I never received an ounce of a father’s love from him. What father? My father died a long time ago."

Everyone who heard this was stunned.

Lord Song’s eyes flew wide in shock. ’Is the Eighth Prince implicitly cursing the Emperor to die?’

’To say something so treasonous, and so loudly...’

"Eighth Brother," Sang Yan warned, his voice low.

’He didn’t know what had made his younger brother so audacious. If words like these reached their father’s ears, how could he possibly survive?’