“Lord Wen, His Majesty is inside.”
Wen Ningwan gazed at the majestic palace, then at the stern palace attendants beside her even more intimidating than those at the State Preceptor’s residence.
She composed herself and followed the matron into the hall.
As soon as she stepped inside, a faint woody fragrance greeted her, likely from some kind of incense.
The matron stopped and did not proceed further. Wen Ningwan looked at her in confusion, but the matron merely raised her hand in silence, gesturing for her to enter.
The curtains swayed slightly, revealing the top of someone’s head behind the desk. Wen Ningwan glanced around curiously before taking a step forward.
A girl crawled out from under the desk, dusting off her skirt. She wore a light pink feathered gauze dress, her hair styled like that of an ordinary young lady from a noble household. Spotting Wen Ningwan, she froze for a moment before breaking into an elegant, composed smile, her eyes crinkling with warmth.
Seeing her dressed like a palace attendant, Wen Ningwan lowered her voice and asked, “What were you doing under the desk?”
The girl raised the brush in her hand, still smiling politely. She didn’t answer but instead studied Wen Ningwan with a thoughtful gaze.
“So you are Wen Ningwan, Lord Wen?”
Wen Ningwan’s heart skipped a beat. The girl’s voice was light not in the effortless, confident way of the State Preceptor, but in a frail, breathless manner.
Afraid of startling her, Wen Ningwan softened her tone. “Yes, that’s me. May I ask where His Majesty is?”
Instead of answering, the girl asked, “I heard you solved the case at the State Preceptor’s residence in just one day?”
“Just luck,” Wen Ningwan replied, not out of modesty but because she had read the original story and remembered the beginning. The rest, however, was a blur, she’d have to rely on herself from now on.
“Then, in your opinion, was the case of the Yan Kingdom’s princess a revenge killing? Or an accident?”
“Neither,” Wen Ningwan said firmly. This case, at least, she remembered. “It was a conspiracy.”
The girl’s smile faded slightly, her bright eyes narrowing as she studied Wen Ningwan with a flicker of curiosity.
“What makes you say that?”
“She came from Yan. If it were revenge, the killer would have struck on the journey. If it were an accident, given her status, she would have had attendants her death wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. And for it to happen in our capital? The odds are too low.”
Wen Ningwan sighed helplessly. “If a royal from their kingdom is killed in our capital, Yan will soon hear of it. They’ll inevitably blame us, and if we mishandle this, it could lead to war endless conflict at the border.”
“If you knew all this, why did you waste time drinking and shopping at such a critical moment?” the girl snapped, her voice suddenly sharp. “Neglecting the truth, disregarding the nation’s safety, what kind of official are you?”
Wen Ningwan was taken aback. She stared at the now cold-faced girl, blinked, and glanced around the empty hall.
“Wait, you’re not His Majesty, are you?” she asked, incredulous.
The girl scoffed, her frown deepening as she exuded an imperious aura.
Slowly, she stepped out from behind the desk. “Come out.”
Wen Ningwan was utterly confused. She turned to see a young woman of noble bearing her attire even more regal than the supposed emperor’s.
“Yu’er pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Wen Ningwan blinked. Wasn’t this the State Preceptor’s cousin? What was she doing in the palace?
“Stop staring!” the emperor barked.
Wen Ningwan gave a startled shiver, then turned around with a cheeky grin to look at His Majesty, her posture anything but proper.
“Your Majesty, look at her, this is how she teases and harasses your humble servant,” Su Yu’er said, her face full of humiliation, looking as if she were about to cry from grievance.
“I didn’t do anything!” Wen Ningwan wore an innocent expression. “I just complimented you on your beauty, how is that harassment?”
Suddenly, realization dawned on her. “Ah, I see now. When Your Majesty mentioned ‘harassing virtuous women,’ you were referring to her.”
Wen Ningwan pointed helplessly at Su Yu’er beside her, shaking her head with a bitter smile. Was it really worth all this fuss over a string of bracelets?
“Are you denying it?” His Majesty seemed like a completely different person now, his face cold as he glared at her.
Wen Ningwan immediately shook her head, raising four fingers in a vow. “I swear, if I ever harassed Miss Su, may my buttocks be covered in sores and my mouth in blisters.”
“Silence!” His Majesty roared, furious. “How can you, a fourth-rank court official, speak so vulgarly and behave so frivolously?”
His Majesty glanced at the aggrieved Su Yu’er beside him, then turned his increasingly furious gaze back to Wen Ningwan. “People say you’re flippant in speech, unrestrained in conduct, and utterly lacking in discipline. I didn’t believe it at first, but today, I’ve truly seen it for myself!”
Wen Ningwan was utterly baffled. Sure, she wasn’t the most rule-abiding person, but she wasn’t that bad, was she? Could His Majesty really be venting personal resentment?
“I didn’t believe the rumors about you frequenting pleasure houses, but now it seems you truly are the type to abuse your power for personal indulgence. You even dare to covet my Imperial Preceptor, how utterly audacious!”
Wen Ningwan was stunned, opening and closing her mouth without a word. Finally, she understood the saying, “If you want to condemn someone, don’t worry about the lack of charges.”
With a bitter smile, she lowered her head and reluctantly removed the bracelet from her wrist, then presented it with both hands in a show of sincerity. “If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, I have nothing to say. But I promised the Imperial Preceptor that I would give this bracelet to Your Majesty, hoping it might bring you some joy and prevent you from angering yourself over trivial matters.”
His Majesty’s expression faltered slightly. He snatched the bracelet from her hand, examined its quality, then raised an eyebrow at the person before him, who was staring fixedly at the bracelet in his grasp.
“Guards!”
Wen Ningwan flinched at His Majesty’s icy, commanding voice. Several palace guards entered, halberds in hand, and she tensed as she watched His Majesty.
This was getting serious.
His Majesty pocketed the bracelet, then cast a sidelong glance at the nervous woman before delivering his verdict in a cold, measured tone. “Vice Minister Wen, for harassing a virtuous woman, the law prescribes twenty strokes of the cane and a year’s suspension of salary!”
“What?” Wen Ningwan gaped at His Majesty in shock. In the original story, His Majesty had been adorable a royal Omega, the epitome of grace, an absolutely benevolent and enlightened ruler. How had things come to this?
His Majesty took a step forward, his gaze cold and haughty as he looked down at her, his red lips parting slightly. “Failing to fulfill the duties of your position, acting carelessly without regard for propriety by law, you should be demoted. But considering your past merits in swiftly solving cases, I will forgo the demotion. Instead, you will forfeit another year’s salary as a warning.”
Su Yu’er stood to the side. Though His Majesty appeared furious, the punishment wasn’t particularly severe almost as if he were deliberately shielding her.
“Your Majesty, she also disrespected the Imperial Preceptor,” Su Yu’er interjected, as if eager to defend the Imperial Preceptor’s honor.
His Majesty glanced at her, then coolly assessed the utterly defeated Wen Ningwan before pronouncing, word by word: “Failing to kneel before the Emperor is punishable by death.”
“What?” Wen Ningwan immediately dropped to her knees in fright, bowing her head and pleading hastily, “Your Majesty, I was wrong!”
The Emperor did not spare her another glance, his words dripping with icy finality: “Speaking nonsense before the sovereign warrants execution!”
Wen Ningwan trembled in fright, looking up in disbelief at the man whose face was dark with fury. In that moment, it was as if the Grand Preceptor had possessed him ruthless, merciless, leaving no room for leniency.
Even Su Yu’er, standing nearby, was startled. She hadn’t expected His Majesty to actually consider killing someone.
“Take her away!” The Emperor turned his back, refusing to look at her. “Lock her up and guard her. She is to be executed tomorrow!”
Before Wen Ningwan could even process what was happening, palace attendants yanked her up from the ground and dragged her out of the hall without the slightest courtesy.
The Emperor arched a brow slightly, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he turned to observe Wen Ningwan, who had surprisingly not pleaded for mercy. His eyes held a trace of curiosity.
Su Yu’er watched nervously, not daring to speak. When the Emperor turned back to her, his expression was once again gentle, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
“Well, Yu’er? Does this punishment satisfy your anger?”
Su Yu’er felt uneasy. Though she disliked Wen Ningwan mainly because the Grand Preceptor favored her, she had only wanted the Emperor to reprimand her, not take her life. Who could have guessed His Majesty would act so childishly toward a mere fourth-rank official? Now she feared she had stirred up trouble.
Hesitantly, she replied, “Isn’t this going too far?”
The Emperor tilted his head playfully, eyes curved in amusement. “Failing to kneel before the sovereign warrants execution! Speaking nonsense before the sovereign warrants execution! Disrespecting the sovereign warrants execution! What part of this is ‘too far’?”