"What did you say?!"
Xiao Yixuan stared at Meng Zhao in front of her in shock.
Recalling the widespread rumors in the city, Meng Zhao squeezed his eyes shut tightly, then knelt on the ground and said to Xiao Tianye and Xiao Yixuan, "Now the whole city is spreading the rumor that Your Majesty dotes on concubines and neglects his wife, abandons his wife and children, and indulges the noble... Empress and Your Highness in harming the Crown Prince Cheng."
"The common people also brought up the matter of the Xiao family's conquest of the Chu State back then. They said that Your Majesty's throne was snatched from Emperor Beisheng. The deposed Empress Shen was also snatched from Emperor Beisheng by Your Majesty. But after getting her, Your Majesty didn't cherish her. When Emperor Beisheng tried to seize the throne, Your Majesty abandoned the deposed Empress Shen, which led to her suicide."
Swallowing hard, Meng Zhao continued, "The common people all say that Your Majesty is a stray dog, and this world should have belonged to Emperor Beisheng."
Xiao Yixuan's chest heaved violently. He could no longer maintain his gentle expression. And Xiao Tianye's face became extremely distorted and ugly.
He angrily swept the teacups and fruit plates on the table to the ground. "Ignorant fools! What do they know!"
Xiao Tianye was extremely angry. "This world should have belonged to me. It should have been mine!"
Noticing that Meng Zhao still looked hesitant, as if there was something else he hadn't said, Xiao Yixuan temporarily suppressed his anger and said, "If there's anything else, just say it all."
Meng Zhao gave him a deep look, gritted his teeth, and said, "The common people also say that the great flood in Cangzhou was clearly caused by Your Highness. Someone saw with their own eyes that Your Highness led people to blow up the Jinning Canal."
Xiao Yixuan's pupils constricted violently.
Someone saw it with their own eyes—
How could it be!
It was so dark that night, and their actions were extremely covert. How could they have been seen?!
"And..." Meng Zhao said, "The Crown Prince Cheng is still alive. He single - handedly saved the people in Dongli Town and those downstream of the Caisang River. He is the real... Crown Prince of the Great Sheng Dynasty."
By the end, Meng Zhao's voice became softer and softer, while Xiao Yixuan's face turned completely pale.
"What?!" Xiao Tianye caught the key point in Meng Zhao's words. "Xiao Jingcheng is not dead?! He's still alive?!"
He rushed in front of Meng Zhao, grabbed his collar, and stared into his eyes firmly. "Xiao Jingcheng—he's not dead. He's actually not dead?!"
Moreover, he saved so many people in Dongli Town?!
Immediately, he let go of Meng Zhao, turned around, grabbed Xiao Yixuan, and tightly squeezed his neck.
Xiao Tianye's eyes were blood - red, his hair was disheveled, and his gaze was cold. He looked like a ghost climbing out of hell to devour people.
"You said it. You said it with your own mouth that Xiao Jingcheng was already dead!"
"Xiao Yixuan—how dare you, how dare you lie to me—"
Xiao Tianye's strength was so great that his knuckles turned white. Xiao Yixuan's face turned blue and his eyes were white from being strangled. Meng Zhao threw himself at Xiao Tianye's feet and begged him to let Xiao Yixuan go, but Xiao Tianye, who had already gone mad, couldn't listen at all.
Daoist Yuanqi, who came after hearing the news, quickly entered the room. He applied a smear of cinnabar between Xiao Tianye's eyebrows and whispered a spell. Xiao Tianye was in a daze for a moment and loosened his fingers from Xiao Yixuan's neck. Xiao Yixuan managed to escape this disaster. He covered his neck with finger marks and stepped back. Kneeling on the ground, he said hoarsely,
"It's, it's your son who was incompetent in handling things. Please, please punish your son, Father."
Meng Zhao quickly said, "No, it has nothing to do with Your Highness. It's the minister, the minister was negligent. I didn't confirm the news of the Crown Prince Cheng's death and passed on the wrong information to Your Highness. If Your Majesty wants to punish someone, punish me!"
Daoist Yuanqi, who already knew the whole story, quickly whispered, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. I said early on that that person is the son of destiny. It's not easy to kill him. He can always escape danger smoothly. If you have to blame someone, blame me for not being skilled enough. I failed to get rid of him completely back then."
Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, Xiao Tianye endured the sharp pain in his head and sat down on the chair.
"Master, you said, is the stagnation of the dragon aura on me related to these rumors?"
Daoist Yuanzheng immediately said, "Naturally, it is. It's precisely because of the spread of these rumors that the common people have lost their respect and admiration for Your Majesty and no longer revere Your Majesty. Naturally, the dragon aura is insufficient."
"Where in Guangdu County are these rumors being spread?" Xiao Tianye asked angrily.
Meng Zhao lowered his head. "They are being discussed in all the teahouses and restaurants in the city, as well as in the streets and alleys where the common people often gather."
"I'm clearly in the city, yet they still dare to be so bold. It's simply outrageous!"
It was precisely because they had just arrived yesterday that these rumors seemed to spread everywhere like they had wings. They couldn't be stopped at all.
"Investigate!" Xiao Tianye said hatefully. "Find out for me exactly who is spreading these rumors that are unfavorable to me and who is bringing up the matter of the conquest of the Chu State back then!"
"Also, arrest and kill all those who spread the rumors. Hang their heads at the city gate to show the public and make everyone shut their mouths for me!"
Wouldn't that be almost the same as massacring the city?!
Both Daoist Yuanqi and Xiao Yixuan's expressions changed.
"No, Father!" Xiao Yixuan quickly said, "Now is the time to win the hearts of the people. If we kill people, it will backfire and make the whole world think that we are trying to cover up. Then the common people will have even less respect for us."
Daoist Yuanqi also said, "Prince is right. We must not see blood at this time."
This won't work and that won't work. They're all useless, useless!
Xiao Tianye was extremely irritable inside, but he knew that Daoist Yuanzheng was right. The hearts of the people were what he and Xiao Tianchi were vying for. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spread rumors and blamed the flood in Cangzhou on Xiao Tianchi.
"Then find the mastermind first." Xiao Tianye gritted his teeth. "I don't believe that these rumors just popped up out of nowhere. There must be someone behind it!"
They were supposed to set off for the Black Iron Mine today, but because of this incident, the pills that Xiao Tianchi took yesterday had completely lost their effectiveness. His head started to hurt violently again. The physical torture made him completely lose interest in the Black Iron Mine.
The source of the rumors wasn't too difficult to find. When night fell, five ordinary - looking men and a child about eleven or twelve years old were brought before Xiao Yixuan.
Knowing that the person in front of them was the so - called Crown Prince Xuan, the few people were so scared that their faces turned pale. They knelt on the ground and trembled.
Xiao Yixuan still had that kind and smiling look. He half - squatted down, reached out his hand, and gently stroked the child's hair. "Don't be afraid. I didn't call you here to harm you. I just want to ask you some questions."
The child—Wang Suier, trembled involuntarily.
His voice was clearly gentle and kind, but the hand that stroked his hair was cold, like a venomous snake spitting out its forked tongue.