"Chu Xuan, get out here!"
Lu Youwei roared at the top of his lungs. Every eye in the crowd was locked onto the carriage Chu Xuan was sitting in, and a new wave of whispers broke out.
"It looks like the people of the Langya Prince's Estate have tucked their tails before Chu Xuan even had the chance to admit defeat."
"Well, can you blame them? The Langya Prince's Estate has fallen; they have to consider their own lives and their families."
"Sigh! When the old Langya Prince was alive, what prestige that estate commanded! Across the entire Dayuan State, aside from the Sovereign, who dared to show the slightest disrespect? But now, the hero is gone, and while his reputation remains, his descendants are nothing but trash!"
The sighs of the commoners all converged on one sentiment: no matter how great the glory or how legendary the name, it cannot survive the incompetence of those who come after.
"Boss, the heir is in danger. Should we move?"
Nearby, several men dressed in black, wearing conical hats, were restless.
"The master has given no orders. We must not act rashly."
"But..."
"Don't forget, we are the Shadow Guard. Even if something must be done, it won't be us doing it."
The Shadow Guard walked only in the shadows. Had Yuji not feared for Chu Xuan’s safety when he suddenly left the estate today, these men would never have appeared in the daylight.
In front of the carriage, Lu Youwei bellowed again, demanding Chu Xuan come out to meet his death. Yet, for a long time, there was no sign of him.
"Ha! Chu Xuan, I truly overestimated you. You came here with such a grand display, and now you’re acting like a coward hiding in a shell. What kind of trash like you is qualified to marry my daughter? How could you ever compare to Young Master Wushuang?"
"No guts to come out? Fine, then I’ll come to you."
Lu Youwei brandished his sword, ready to climb onto the carriage.
"Lu Youwei, I think this is fine as it is. If you return every piece of the betrothal gift through the carriage curtains, you might still save a shred of your dignity. But if I step out, you will regret it."
Chu Xuan finally spoke. His tone was not only laced with mockery but carried a clear note of warning.
"Chu Xuan, did you take the wrong medicine today? Save my dignity? Make me regret it? Why don't you ask the people here if you're even worthy of saying such things?"
Inside the carriage, Chu Xuan sighed and said, "As you wish, then."
As he spoke, a gust of breeze swept by, lifting the curtain slightly. Lu Youwei happened to catch a glimpse of the hem of Chu Xuan's robe through the gap. Though it was only a corner of fabric, it caused Lu Youwei’s entire body to stiffen, as if he had suddenly recognized what Chu Xuan was wearing.
"Wait! Chu Xuan, don't come out yet. Whatever you have to say, let's just—"
Before Lu Youwei could finish his sentence, Chu Xuan had already pulled the curtain fully aside and stood at the very front of the carriage. This position allowed everyone outside the Grand General's Estate, and the crowds on both sides, to see him clearly.
He was a refined young man with handsome features and a cold, detached expression. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to Chu Leiting, the Langya Prince, in his youth—hardly the "useless heir" the rumors painted him to be.
But that was not the point. The point was what Chu Xuan was wearing.
A black python robe. Embroidered on it in gold thread was a five-clawed dragon, so vivid it seemed ready to spring to life. In the Dayuan State, only two types of people were permitted to wear python robes: princes of the royal blood and princes of meritorious service. These robes were graded by the number of dragon claws: four for royal princes, three for those of meritorious service.
However, for those who had rendered extraordinary military service to the nation, both royal and non-royal princes were entitled to the five-clawed dragon. In the thousand-year history of the Dayuan State, only one man had achieved such distinction: the non-royal Langya Prince, Chu Leiting.
What Chu Xuan was wearing was none other than the five-clawed python robe of Chu Leiting.
To wear this robe was to stand beneath only one man in the entire Dayuan State and above all others. Anyone who dared to offend the wearer would face the execution of their entire clan to the ninth degree.
Heiyun flashed to the side of the carriage, his sword pointed at Lu Youwei, his voice chillingly cold. "Lu Youwei, as the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, are you unaware of the penalty for refusing to bow to a Prince?"
Lu Youwei’s rigid body began to tremble—not with rage, but with terror. He stumbled backward, his eyes fixed in disbelief on Chu Xuan in his five-clawed robe. Everyone present who could see Chu Xuan drew a sharp breath. Good heavens! Chu Xuan had actually worn the Langya Prince’s five-clawed robe. With this robe on, let alone a mere Lu Youwei or the Grand General’s Estate, even the Sovereign would have to weigh the consequences before daring to touch him.
Silence. The crowd was deathly still. Even those at the back, unable to see Chu Xuan, felt the suffocating atmosphere and dared not make a sound.
"Lu Youwei, since you have no desire for dignity, let us settle our accounts this way."
Chu Xuan had come today to reclaim the betrothal gifts, not merely to kill. If Lu Youwei were sensible and returned everything, Chu Xuan would not touch the Lu Family—at least, not today. But if Lu Youwei persisted in his shamelessness and played the rogue, the very robe on his back was enough to root the Lu Family out of existence.
"Heiyun, show him the list of gifts. If a single item is missing, bathe the General's Estate in blood."
"As you command!"
Heiyun handed the prepared list to Lu Youwei. Lu Youwei took it with trembling hands and nearly fainted on the spot.
"How—how could there be so much! This is impossible, it's impossible!"
Madam Lu rushed forward, snatched the list, and her vision went black as she read it. "Chu Xuan, you—are you even a man? You gave these gifts to our family voluntarily; what right do you have to take them back?"
Her words nearly amused Chu Xuan.
"Madam Lu, since you are so eager to die, I shall grant your wish," Chu Xuan said, looking down at her from above.
"You... wait!" Madam Lu seemed to recall something and asked Lu Youwei, "My lord, this five-clawed robe belongs to the Langya Prince, Chu Leiting. Is he, Chu Xuan, even qualified to wear it?"
Reminded by his wife, Lu Youwei snapped back to his senses. He slapped his thigh and shouted, "That’s right! Chu Xuan, this is the python robe of Chu Leiting! You may be his son, but you have not inherited the title of Langya Prince. By what right are you wearing this?"
Madam Lu laughed hysterically. "Wearing a python robe without having inherited the title and flaunting it in public! Chu Xuan, this is a capital offense! Even with all the merits your family has earned, they cannot save you now."
Chu Xuan coldly surveyed the couple. "Who says I haven't inherited the title?"
"The Langya title is hereditary, yes, but it must be confirmed by the Sovereign’s imperial decree! For five years, the entire court has known that the Sovereign never issued a decree granting you the succession!"
The crowd broke into an uproar once more. They had thought Chu Xuan would win easily with the weight of the five-clawed robe, but the reversal had been swift. Many who knew the law hadn't considered this in the heat of the moment. Now, hearing the couple, it seemed Chu Xuan wasn't just going to die—he would die a miserable, foolish death. How could he be so mindless?
Yet, Chu Xuan remained indifferent. With a flick of his wide sleeves, he said to Heiyun, "If a decree is required to inherit the title, then let’s write one."