Chapter 80

After taking down the “Xiongnu,” the common people stood a little straighter, basking in reflected glory.

In one word: satisfying!

“The Xiongnu dogs are crafty. They sent plenty of spies to infiltrate Yan Chi territory!” Gao Chongguang waved his fists. “Next time I see anyone trying to stir up division among us, I’ll beat them senseless!”

Mixed in among the crowd, the Dragon Shadow Guard exchanged glances before popping up one after another, each putting on a rough voice.

“Concubine Sha is a heavenly maiden descended to earth, a living embodiment of good fortune! She improved papermaking and printing, which made the Xiongnu covet her. We absolutely must not fall for their tricks. We have to protect Concubine Sha!”

“Hmph, I don’t think the Xiongnu are the only ones coveting her! Concubine Sha devotes herself to helping the people and doing good deeds, yet someone spread filthy rumors claiming she had an affair with Prince Ze before entering the palace. They’re deliberately slandering her and driving a wedge between her and His Majesty!”

“What? That really happened?”

“Exactly! If you ask me, the villain behind all this wants His Majesty to believe the rumors and send Consort Miao to the Cold Palace. If that happens, how will she continue bringing benefits to the people and doing good deeds?”

“Oh, heavens! I was so busy enjoying the gossip that I never thought of that! Whoever did this is truly sinister!”

That exchange also brought the common people to their senses.

That was right. They had been so busy enjoying the love triangle that they had never considered the serious consequences these rumors might have for Consort Miao.

If His Majesty flew into a rage and really deposed Consort Miao, how could she continue bringing more blessings to Yan Chi and its people?

Now that their own interests were involved, the common people could no longer remain calm. One after another, they spontaneously began clearing Consort Miao’s name.

At the watchtower, Tushan Ze took several deep breaths before he could barely maintain his serene, untroubled smile.

His schemes had failed time and again. An opportunity like this was rare indeed. This time, he would make his move personally!

Tushan Ze slowly rose and walked to the watchtower railing, deliberately standing shoulder to shoulder with Tushan Jin. His brows and eyes were gentle and modest as he gazed down below.

“Everyone, please be quiet.”

The imperial guards immediately struck the ground with their halberds and shouted three times. The common people fell silent.

Tushan Ze said, “I have already heard the rumors concerning Consort Miao. Since everyone has gathered here today, I must personally clear her name.”

“Consort Miao and I have known each other since we were young. Our marriage was arranged by the late emperor, and I have always admired her talent. All of that is true.”

Suddenly, Tushan Ze looked toward the crimson figure beside him.

He tugged the corners of his mouth into a bitter smile. His peach-blossom eyes—the same eyes that looked deeply in love even when gazing at a dog—filled with sorrow, and his voice dropped low and hoarse.

“But Consort Miao and I have never had an affair.”

“She and His Majesty are the ones who were made for each other.”

“Please, everyone, do not slander Consort Miao because of me…”

Having said that, Tushan Ze lowered his eyes, a flash of pain crossing his face.

He even made his body tremble slightly, as though he might shatter at any moment. He looked as if he had just forced himself to utter words that were unbearably difficult, painful, heavy, and torturous!

Damn fake gentleman and freaking psycho!

Yun Yaoyao was about to roll her eyes right out of her head.

He might as well have written across his face: I’m having an affair with Consort Miao. I’m only pretending otherwise. Hurry up and keep speculating and slandering her!

Tushan Jin watched Tushan Ze ham it up with a slight frown, unable to conceal the disgust on his face.

That damned peacock. Who knew which woman he had been fooling around with this morning? He reeked of pungent face powder.

Tushan Ze, meanwhile, was feeling smug. He had spent years carefully cultivating his reputation, doing good deeds and winning over the people. He knew perfectly well how popular he was among them.

He was also publicly acknowledged as the most handsome man in the capital. Now that he was standing beside Yun Yaoyao, the two of them made a picture-perfect couple, which would only fuel people’s imaginations.

Surely this would make these gullible fools, who believed every rumor they heard, take his side completely?

Without changing his expression, Tushan Ze glanced down at the people below. Yet instead of looking moved or sympathetic, they were huddled together in pairs, repeatedly shooting him lecherous looks.

Tushan Ze: ?

Why wasn’t this going the way he had imagined?

Never mind. They must be intimidated by imperial authority and only dare to defend him in private.

With that thought, Tushan Ze threw himself even more deeply into his performance.

He kept sending Tushan Jin tender, restrained glances, looking as though he were about to shatter into pieces.

Tushan Jin: I can’t take this anymore. I want to chop his head off. Where is My blade?

But the common people were whispering about something entirely different from what Tushan Ze had imagined.

“Are Prince Ze’s eyes twitching? His whole body is shaking so badly too. Could his touch-starvation problem be acting up?”

“My heavens! Isn’t touch starvation just an excuse for groping people? Is Prince Ze going to turn dark and twisted and take advantage of Consort Miao right here in public?!”

“Not necessarily. Prince Ze secretly has feelings for His Majesty too. Once his touch-starvation kicks in, he might run over and touch His Majesty instead… Heh heh heh!”

“He looks like a fine, upstanding man on the outside, so how can he be such a pervert inside? He even said he wanted to take His Majesty home and hide him away. Is he planning to have his way with His Majesty over and over? His Majesty is truly pitiful.”

“Am I the only one who thinks Consort Miao completely overshadows Prince Ze when they stand together? Prince Ze doesn’t seem worthy of her at all.”

“And is the rumor about Prince Ze colluding with the Xiongnu true or not…”

The Dragon Shadow Guard listened to the people’s discussions and smiled.

His Majesty truly was a genius!

Everything today had unfolded exactly as His Majesty predicted!

They continued playing their part as the rumor-spreaders.

“I heard from an inside source that it’s true! Otherwise, how could the brave and battle-hardened General Ning have been captured? And how could Great Yan Chi have lost two cities in a row? Prince Ze even traded this information to the Xiongnu for a cavalry unit!”

“What?! Then Prince Ze is even worse than I thought!”

Gao Chongguang tightened the cloth covering his face, pressing it snugly against his features. Then he shouted straight at Tushan Ze.

“Prince Ze, I heard you’ve become a eunuch prince! I happen to have medicine here for male infertility. Would you like some?”

“Your Highness, when you made that declaration just now, were you trying to protect the Consort Miao you love but cannot have? Or were you deliberately trying to make His Majesty—the object of your unspeakable forbidden love—hear you and test his feelings?”

“No wonder Prince Ze is known as the capital’s greatest flirt! Falling for your sister-in-law would be bad enough, but you’ve even fallen for your own brother!”

“Still, a man ought to have a conscience. It’s one thing for you to be twisted and depraved yourself, but how could you collude with the Xiongnu and betray Yan Chi?”

As soon as those words fell, the surrounding commoners stared at Gao Chongguang in shock.

Why were there so many people today who had no regard whatsoever for the survival of their entire clans?

What a ruthless man!

Still, it was immensely satisfying for all the gossip-loving onlookers.

The people began whispering even more loudly, their gazes at Tushan Ze in the watchtower growing increasingly lecherous and furious.

Tushan Ze’s expression instantly darkened. “What nonsense are you spouting?!”

At that moment, one of his confidants hurried over and whispered something in his ear. Tushan Ze’s expression changed, and he shot Gao Chongguang a vicious glare.

“It is all the work of people with ulterior motives! Do not fall into their trap!”

Yet amid the black sea of people and their clamorous discussion below, Tushan Ze’s explanation sounded so pale and powerless.

A ball of fury was lodged in his chest, unable to rise or sink. Tushan Ze was still trying to explain himself when he saw one of the unruly commoners—a woman—reach into the crotch of her child’s trousers and pull out a lump of brown, foul-smelling matter. She was just about to throw it in his direction.

Tushan Ze turned and ran, leaving the railing in disgrace.

When he returned to his place, he heard someone nearby snicker. He turned his head and saw Tushan Jin, whose face was filled with undisguised mockery.

Yun Yaoyao mouthed at him, “So, how does it feel to have the rumors turn around and bite you?”

Everything that happened today had been more or less within Yun Yaoyao’s expectations.

She knew Tushan Ze would not pass up such a perfect opportunity and would certainly resort to underhanded tricks. That was why the opening day of the library and literacy school had not been chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, but deliberately selected by her.

Four nights ago, she and Tushan Jin had worked out a detailed plan to deal with the rumors.

The next day, they had put their arrangements into place, finding and bribing suitable storytellers, opera troupes, the women of Manyu Tower, beggars, commoners, wealthy gentlemen, the Dragon Shadow Guard, and others.

The day after that, they had rehearsed, familiarized themselves with their lines, and had some of the people begin spreading the rumors.

On the following day, they continued spreading them, and public opinion began to boil.

And today—the fourth day after that—before Prince Ze realized that public opinion had already turned against him, this sensational, explosively scandalous rumor about him had spread throughout a large portion of the populace!

If he made a move today, he was bound to lose.

Based on what his trusted aide had told him, Tushan Ze had also deduced as much by now. His expression was hideous.

His grip on the teacup tightened further, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

The reputation he had painstakingly cultivated over many years had been completely ruined by these rumors!

Tushan Jin… Yun Yaoyao… You both deserve to die!

Tushan Ze released the teacup. It struck the ground and shattered with a sharp crack.

The next moment, a faint sound of something slicing violently through the air came from above!

Tushan Jin raised his head warily.

From several directions ahead, more than a dozen arrows shot toward him at incredible speed. Cutting through the air with deadly force, they closed in on him from every side!