Liu Ruyan’s pupils dilated instantly as she stared at Li Feng in disbelief. "Li Feng, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
Second Princess Li Rongxia and the others, who had always known Li Feng to be a quintessential fool for love, felt a subtle sense that this might actually be the truth. But in the next moment, their hearts leapt into their throats.
First Prince Li Xian was equally shocked. Just as he was about to mount a defense, he suddenly sensed a wave of danger rushing toward him.
*Bang!*
Li Feng snatched up a sturdy white porcelain vase from a side table. Thinking of the grievances of both his past life and this one, he swung the vase with explosive rage, slamming it fiercely into Li Xian’s head.
If not for this treacherous villain’s calculated schemes, if not for his constant coveting of the crown prince’s position, how could his past self have lived such a miserable life—to the point where even his grandmother, the only person who truly loved him, was turned into a "human swine"?
*Bang!*
The palace tribute was of exquisite quality, but under such immense force, the vase shattered against Li Xian’s head upon impact, effectively cracking his skull open.
"You..."
Caught completely off guard, Li Xian stared at the weak, submissive wretch in disbelief as blood streamed down his forehead. The world began to spin around him; then, he collapsed to the ground, motionless.
"You beast, stop!" Empress Ji shouted, attempting to intervene, but she realized it was already too late.
The eunuchs and palace maids present were stunned into silence, never expecting the usually docile Second Prince to strike the First Prince so violently.
Deciding to play the scene out to the end, Li Feng stepped forward and unleashed a flurry of blows toward Li Xian’s groin. "You adopted bastard, actually digging out my foundation! Today, I’ll destroy you, you animal!"
"Quick... someone stop him!" Second Princess Li Rongxia, distraught over her brother Li Xian’s condition, hurriedly issued the order.
Two eunuchs rushed forward, grabbing Li Feng from both sides, intending to drag him away from Li Xian.
"Today, I’m going to make sure you’re a eunuch!" Li Feng showed no mercy, delivering another powerful kick with his copper-studded combat boots toward Li Xian’s nether regions.
"Argh..."
The unconscious Li Xian was jolted awake by the agonizing pain, only to be knocked out again by Li Feng’s kick, his heart filled with profound regret and humiliation.
He had thought everything was firmly within his grasp. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Li Feng would suddenly attack him, let alone pin such a damaging label upon him.
For them to be caught enjoying themselves in the Empress's back garden—if this were confirmed, his carefully cultivated reputation for virtue would be utterly destroyed.
"Rebellion! This is rebellion! Give him fifty lashes! Beat this little beast to death!" Empress Ji, seeing Li Xian collapsed on the floor, pointed at the out-of-control Li Feng and ordered through gritted teeth.
Second Princess Li Rongxia and the others rushed to attend to Li Xian’s injuries. The head wound was easy enough to manage, but the severity of the damage to his groin was unclear. His sisters shrieked hysterically, "You little beast, you’re finished!"
Li Feng’s eyes darted quickly, and he fell to his knees, admitting his fault: "Empress Mother, I was wrong, but I truly couldn't bear the sight of them carrying on in your back garden! I have already been punished for crushing your peonies, but they had no right to do such things in broad daylight! If you believe I am at fault, I am willing to go before the ancestral temple to confess to our forefathers, or even surrender myself to the Court of Judicial Review for judgment!"
This...
The two eunuchs holding Li Feng paused, looking toward Empress Ji.
Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. What man could endure such a betrayal? Unless, of course, they were eunuchs themselves.
"So what if they were together in the back garden? How could you inflict such heavy wounds on Li Xian? Quick, summon the imperial physician!" Third Princess Li Rongqiu, seeing the injured and unconscious Li Xian, began to blame Li Feng without any regard for right or wrong.
The palace maids glanced at each other. Was the victim, Li Feng, not even allowed to seek justice? This bias was far too obvious.
Faced with such an unprincipled defense of Li Xian, Li Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Third Sister, if your husband were playing around with other women and even brought one into your own bed to carry on, could you simply endure it?"
This...
Third Princess Li Rongqiu was momentarily speechless, but she stiffened her neck and retorted, "In any case, you are in the wrong! Who told you to have so many faults? If I were Yan’er, I would prefer Brother Xian over you, too!"
Empress Ji had originally intended to protect Li Xian’s innocence, but with the Third Princess’s interjection, she had inadvertently helped Li Feng confirm the rumor.
Although she had always doted on her foster son, Li Xian, the thought of him and Liu Ruyan engaging in such lewd acts in her own back garden gave her a sudden headache.
Once this matter became public knowledge, Li Xian would undoubtedly be the one castigated, and many would actually sympathize with Li Feng, this "little beast."
"He's lying! I... Brother Xian and I... we didn't... we didn't do that kind of thing in the back garden!" Liu Ruyan, forgetting to tend to her lover, hurriedly stretched her neck to defend herself.
Li Feng looked at Liu Ruyan, who was desperately trying to clear her name, and feigned heartbreak. "Liu Ruyan, even if it wasn't in the Empress's back garden, you shouldn't have been carrying on in your rooms either. How could you do this to me?"
It was true that the affair between Liu Ruyan and Li Xian was a lie, but not entirely.
Liu Ruyan had long been infatuated with Li Xian, and Li Xian saw Liu Ruyan’s value, so their relationship had always been tangled.
The reason Liu Ruyan agreed to conspire with Li Xian to frame Li Feng was precisely because she was already pregnant with Li Xian’s child and did not want her lover sent to a hostile nation as a hostage.
"Li Feng, if you continue to slander me, I will never speak to you again!" In a fit of exasperation, Liu Ruyan brandished her most reliable trump card as a threat.
Li Feng was no longer the fool for love he once was. He acted childishly, firing back: "Then don't! Since you've already been with him in the back garden, I won't marry you either! You might as well marry Li Xian and bear his children!"
*Eh?*
Liu Ruyan had initially been confused as to why Li Feng was suddenly slandering her like this. She had been about to clear her name, but these words from Li Feng hit her exactly where she wanted.
She and Li Xian were truly in love. It was Li Feng who had pursued her first and begged the Emperor for a marriage decree, forcing her into this engagement.
But now that Li Feng had voluntarily renounced the marriage, this situation had taken a major turn in her favor.
Though her reputation might suffer slightly, if Li Feng withdrew the engagement, she could finally marry the First Prince, who was accomplished in both civil and military arts. It would all be worth it.
"So it really is true!"
Empress Ji, having just witnessed Liu Ruyan lunging toward the injured Li Xian in a panic, combined with her reaction to Li Feng’s accusations, felt her face turn icy.
She had hoped to properly punish this little beast, but she hadn't expected Li Xian to be so reckless in his affairs.
"Li Feng, I suppose you have at least a shred of self-awareness. Anyone who marries you is cursed for eight lifetimes!" Third Princess Li Rongqiu, having come to her own conclusion, immediately mocked him mercilessly.
After weighing the situation, Empress Ji brandished her authority as Empress: "Enough! Today’s events end here. No one is to speak a word of this, or don't blame me for having your tongues cut out! Physician, bring the imperial physician quickly!"