Chapter 15: So What If He's the Crown Prince
Just thinking about Mr. Xiao’s training methods sent a chill down Li Ye’s spine, even with his strong willpower. The intensity was brutal, and every sparring session pushed him to the edge of death. By placing him under the threat of fatal danger, his full potential was forced to awaken. Combined with the aura of a grandmaster-level expert, an ordinary person would be scared senseless the moment they faced him.
The fact that Li Ye could even fight back was already impressive. Still, he was willing to endure the suffering if it meant becoming a true expert. Fortunately, only when Mr. Xiao was present did he undergo such intense training. On normal days, his cultivation was far more relaxed.
For the next few days, Li Ye stayed inside the mansion and didn’t step outside once. Each night after training, he was so exhausted he could barely stand. He had to soak in medicinal herbs to temper his body, and afterward, he would collapse onto his bed and sleep like a log.
As for the barbarian assassins—they couldn’t be more unlucky. They had people stationed outside the prince’s residence every day, but they never saw Li Ye appear even once.
When they reported back to their leader, they were full of anxiety.
"The Sixth Prince hasn’t left his house in three days. Could it be that our cover was blown and he’s being cautious now?"
"Impossible! We’ve only been following from afar. Even a grandmaster wouldn’t be able to detect us that easily. Keep watching—he’ll have to come out eventually."
"Yes, sir!"
Time passed day by day.
Finally, the day of the Emperor’s official rewards arrived.
After all, defeating the barbarians in a full-scale war was a huge victory for the Great Yuan Empire. The Emperor would personally come to reward the troops, and all the officials of the court would attend.
Li Ye got up early to head to the military parade grounds. Mr. Xiao wasn’t interested in such affairs, so he stayed home to drink. Li Ye brought Xiao Cui, Lin Yue, and his guards with him.
By the time he arrived, most officials were already present. They all bowed in greeting, but there was a strange look in their eyes—mocking, amused.
Li Ye noticed it but couldn’t be bothered. He knew they were just waiting to see a good show, especially after his recent conflict with Shi Wushuang.
Sure enough, Shi Wushuang was standing beside the Crown Prince, Li Zheng, engaged in friendly conversation.
"Li Ye, come here!" the Crown Prince shouted loudly.
Li Ye walked up and gave a respectful bow. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Li Zheng immediately put on a lecturing tone. "Li Ye, what’s the meaning of this? I heard you got into a conflict with Young Master Wushuang. Don’t you know he’s the personal disciple of Yunlu Pavilion’s master? Do you understand how serious this could be?"
Li Ye looked puzzled. "Who told Your Highness that? I don’t recall having any conflict with Young Master Wushuang."
"You still dare deny it? You think I don’t know? You demanded over a hundred thousand taels from him and fought with him over a sword just days ago."
Li Zheng looked disappointed. "Young Master Wushuang represents Yunlu Pavilion. You treated him with such disrespect. If this affects our relationship with Yunlu Pavilion, you’ll be the one to blame!"
"Your Highness must have been misled by someone. That’s nonsense."
Li Ye spoke calmly and clearly. "Young Master Wushuang did return 189,000 taels to me, but that money was what I had spent on the Qin family. Everyone knows that General Qin Qingxue was once my fiancée. But when she went to the front lines, she fell in love with Young Master Wushuang. I stepped aside for the sake of the court. Young Master Wushuang was generous enough to return all the money I spent. It was mutual and agreeable—a story worth praising. Why would Your Highness be angry over it?"
"Hmph, fine! Let’s say that’s reasonable. But why did you fight over the sword? You’ve never trained in martial arts! Yet you spent several hundred thousand taels to buy a sword for a maid. You’re a prince! Isn’t that an embarrassment to the royal family?"
Li Ye was completely unfazed by the Crown Prince’s scolding.
A prince defending an outsider to suppress his own brother—wasn’t that the real shame?
"Your Highness is mistaken. It was an open auction. The highest bidder wins. Anyone could bid for the sword. If everyone held back out of respect for Young Master Wushuang, wouldn’t that be unfair to Mo Xie Workshop?"
"And besides, Lin Yue is my personal maid and bodyguard. Giving her a good weapon is ensuring my own safety. Isn’t my life worth that much?"
Li Ye’s explanation was thorough and logical, leaving Li Zheng speechless.
Li Zheng had planned to publicly scold Li Ye to win Shi Wushuang’s favor and draw in Qin Qingxue—a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy. But Li Ye refused to play along and gave him no face at all.
Li Zheng was furious.
"You’re just making excuses! A powerful sword like that should belong to someone with true skill, like Young Master Wushuang. Why waste it on a mere maid? As Yunlu Pavilion’s future leader, even we princes should respect him. The Great Yuan Empire depends on Yunlu Pavilion’s support."
Li Ye couldn’t help but laugh. "With all due respect, I must disagree. The land under heaven belongs to the Emperor. Even Yunlu Pavilion can’t place itself above the court. While Young Master Wushuang is respected among the people, he is still a citizen of the Empire. Supporting the court is his duty—not a favor. I, a prince, shouldn’t have to bow to him."
Shi Wushuang saw things were going off track. Despite Yunlu Pavilion’s influence among the people, they were still technically under the court’s rule. If word got out that they were acting above the court, they might be accused of disrespecting the royal family.
He quickly stepped in.
"Your Highness, I appreciate your support. But what His Highness the Sixth Prince said is not wrong. Returning the money spent on the Qin family was the right thing to do. Since I’m now with Qin Qingxue, I should take full responsibility. As for the sword, it was fairly won at auction. The Sixth Prince didn’t do anything wrong."
"You see? Young Master Wushuang is the one showing magnanimity here! But you—always dealing with business and trade—have utterly disgraced the royal family. I will report this to the Emperor and have you punished severely."
Li Ye had lost all patience. It was obvious the Crown Prince had already taken Shi Wushuang’s side and was ready to sacrifice him in exchange for favor.
He wasn’t going to take it lying down.
"If Your Highness wants to complain, feel free. You don’t need to tell me in advance."
With that, Li Ye turned around and walked off, leaving Li Zheng fuming in place.
"Insolent! You dare treat me like this? I’ll have Father punish you for your disrespect!"
Shi Wushuang watched the scene with joy in his heart. His plan had worked perfectly. He had successfully driven a wedge between the Crown Prince and Li Ye. Now, even if just to vent his anger, the Crown Prince would view Li Ye as a thorn in his side.
Everything was going even smoother than he expected—Li Ye had practically walked into the trap himself.