“Stop!”
“Put the blade down!”
“You fool! Do you know who he is?”
“That’s the Empress’s younger brother, the Grand Commandant’s legitimate grandson! How dare you draw a weapon?!”
The White Tiger Guards unsheathed their blades and stepped forward.
Tension filled the air, but with Wei Ran’s saber still pressed against the royal brother-in-law’s throat, none dared move an inch. If his hand slipped and slit the man’s neck right there, everyone present would share the blame.
The blade was cold as ice. Shi Lingkuan’s face turned pale, lips trembling. “I… I advise you not to act recklessly. My sister is the Empress. My grandfather is the Grand Commandant…”
The head eunuch stumbled forward, practically crawling on his knees, pointing at Wei Ran with a trembling arm and shrieking, “Put the blade down! That’s the Grand Commandant’s grandson, Her Majesty the Empress’s own brother. How dare you draw a weapon on him?!”
Wei Ran curled his lips into a cold smile, shifted the saber slightly, flipped his wrist, and lightly smacked Shi Lingkuan’s cheek with the flat of the blade—smack smack smack—crisp and clear.
It didn’t do much physical damage, but the insult was overwhelming.
Just then, he felt his arm sink as a large hand snatched the short-handled saber from his grip.
Then came the low voice of Gao Ming beside him.
“That’s the royal brother-in-law, the Grand Commandant’s grandson. Don’t escalate this. Otherwise… no one will be able to save you.”
You’re threatening me?
Wei Ran shot him a cold glance. “Are you teaching me how to do things? Step aside.”
Gao Ming was seething, but dared not explode. If outsiders saw a guard contradicting his master, their cover could be blown.
So he quickly stepped back and bowed repeatedly, his tone utterly submissive.
The head eunuch clutched the staggering Shi Lingkuan, wiping the dust from his face with a handkerchief while faking great concern, acting like the sky was falling.
“Oh my little lord! Are you alright? Look at your poor face, all swollen!”
“You bastard! You must have the guts of a tiger to strike the royal brother-in-law!”
“Guards! What are you waiting for? Seize him!”
The eunuch fluttered his orchid fingers, barking commands in a shrill voice.
Shi Lingkuan, due to his family’s powerful status, was often flattered by nobles and eunuchs alike. A single word of praise from him to the Empress could rocket someone up in court.
Now recovering from his shock, Shi Lingkuan shouted at the White Tiger Guards, “What are you all standing around for? Grab that bastard! I want to cripple him myself!”
He had just been humiliated and wanted to reclaim his dignity.
Several White Tiger Guards moved forward at once.
Gao Ming was furious. He had wanted this stand-in to keep a low profile. Who knew things would blow up like this?
If they revealed his identity, it would cause a huge scene. But without revealing it, this matter couldn’t be resolved.
“This is the Heir of Prince Min. Who among you dares act rashly?” Gao Ming barked through clenched teeth as he drew his saber.
The Heir of Prince Min?
All the White Tiger Guards froze, faces full of shock.
The young nobles and ladies nearby erupted into murmurs.
The head eunuch nearly collapsed, his pale face soaked in sweat.
Wei Ran took off his fox-fur cloak, revealing the moon-white robe underneath. Golden embroidery of pythons shimmered in the sunlight, radiant and dazzling.
He looked at Gao Ming with a smirk. “Commander Gao, this eunuch just called me a thief. What are you waiting for?”
“If I’m a thief, then isn’t my father a criminal too?”
Thud! The head eunuch dropped to his knees, kowtowing so hard his forehead bled within moments.
“Spare me, Your Highness! Spare me!”
“I was too rash, I spoke without thinking…”
Wei Ran patted Gao Ming’s shoulder and said lightly, “Commander Gao, I’ll let you handle it.”
“If word gets out that a mere eunuch insulted a feudal prince and got away with it, it won’t just be my reputation that suffers.”
Gao Ming’s lips twitched. Inwardly, he cursed Wei Ran as a devious bastard…
But at the palace gate, there was nothing he could do.
“A lowly eunuch who speaks out of turn… His Majesty will pass judgment. No need to trouble Your Highness.”
Shi Lingkuan, now guarded by a dozen White Tiger Guards, felt a bit more secure. Still, his threats sounded less confident.
“Don’t use your title to scare me. I’m not so easily intimidated. You’re the Heir? Well, I’m the royal brother-in-law!”
“If you strike me, it’s the same as striking His Majesty. He’ll definitely stand up for me.”
He lacked confidence because Wei Wuji’s reputation for ferocity was legendary. With 300,000 troops under his command, had it not been for the restraining presence of Northern Qi and the Northern Hu, Wei Wuji might’ve already marched south under the pretext of ‘cleansing the court’ and crowned himself Emperor.
Still, the Shi family held high status in the Great Li Empire.
Shi Jian, an elder of two reigns, was the Grand Commandant appointed by the late Emperor himself and wielded full control over military affairs.
His son, Shi Lin, was a brilliant commander stationed at Qianshan Pass with 200,000 troops, supposedly to guard against the Northern Hu but in reality, to keep an eye on Wei Wuji.
After Emperor Hulei’s death, the current Emperor Wen Zong, to stabilize his rule, had no choice but to marry the much younger legitimate daughter of the Shi family—Shi Lingkuan’s sister—as Empress, using the Shi family’s power to balance Wei Wuji.
“This isn’t over. You just wait,” Shi Lingkuan threatened and stormed off.
“Save me, my lord!” the eunuch cried after him, but Shi Lingkuan didn’t even look back.
“Commander Gao,” Wei Ran said calmly, “This eunuch called my father a thief. I can’t accept that. You handle it.”
He gave Gao Ming a light pat and strode away.
Gao Ming stood stiffly in place.
If he killed the eunuch, it would embolden the stand-in even more.
If he didn’t kill the eunuch, people would say Prince Min was cowardly and timid. What a joke that would be.
But that wasn’t Wei Ran’s concern.
He followed the path to Fortune and Longevity Palace by the White Tiger Pool.
This palace was where the royal family held banquets. The Third Princess’s coming-of-age ceremony was being held here.
The hairpin ceremony, or ji, symbolized a girl reaching fifteen and being ready for marriage.
Though less formal than the crown ceremony for princes, Emperor Wen Zong was too busy with court affairs and had left the entire ceremony to the Empress Dowager.
Over a hundred nobles, young heirs, and ladies were invited.
They were all in their teens or twenties, dressed in ornate robes and adorned in gold and jade, chatting and mingling in small groups.
Wei Ran handed the golden silk box to a palace eunuch, then found a quiet corner to sit.
With his tall frame and stunning looks, he naturally drew many admiring glances and became a small topic of gossip.
Still, unlike with Shi Lingkuan, no one dared cause him trouble, allowing Wei Ran some peace.
Not long after, a sharp voice rang out from the banquet hall in Fortune and Longevity Palace:
“The Empress Dowager arrives! Her Majesty the Empress arrives…!”
At the announcement, a procession entered through the inner doors.
The Empress Dowager, over sixty, wore a gown of deep red and black, exuding regal elegance with a kind and graceful demeanor.
Beside her walked the Empress, about twenty years old, wearing a vibrant red phoenix robe. She was graceful and poised, every glance full of charm.
With high brows, phoenix-like eyes, bright pupils, and perfect teeth, her beauty was stunning beyond compare.
Truly, she was a national treasure in appearance and aura.
“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!”
“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress!”
“Greetings…”
Just as the Empress Dowager raised her hand with a smile to speak, a loud wail came from outside the hall.
“Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! Your Majesty the Empress! Please give me justice!”
Everyone turned around in shock.
A group of eunuchs entered the hall carrying a stretcher.
On it lay none other than the Grand Commandant’s grandson—Shi Lingkuan.