"What? Write one out?"
Chu Xuan’s words left everyone bewildered. Madam Lu, unable to keep from laughing, pointed at him and scoffed, "Ha! Chu Xuan, have you been scared out of your wits? 'Write one out'? That is an imperial decree! Do you think—"
Before Madam Lu could finish, Heiyun pulled a roll of yellow silk from his robes. In front of the crowd, he unfurled it and began to write upon the silk using his internal energy.
Moments later, Heiyun withdrew his energy, held the yellow silk high above his head with both hands, and declared in a booming voice: "By the order of His Majesty: Chu Xuan, Heir to the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya, is a model of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and virtue for the younger generation. The Emperor is well-pleased and hereby grants Chu Xuan the hereditary title of the Nation-Guarding Prince of Langya. Thus decreed!"
Boom!
As Heiyun’s voice faded, a brief silence gripped the entire scene. But after this silence, it felt as if everyone had been struck by a thunderbolt; their minds buzzed, unable to process what had happened for a long time.
It wasn't until Heiyun handed the roll of yellow silk—the imperial decree—to Chu Xuan, knelt, and shouted, "Your subordinate pays respects to the Prince," that the crowd finally snapped back to reality.
"This... this..."
"Am I... am I dreaming? Chu Xuan, is he forging an imperial decree?"
"You aren't dreaming. He really is forging an imperial decree, and doing it right in front of everyone!"
An uproar instantly erupted. Even the people from the Langya Prince's Estate could not believe their eyes. What was their Heir doing? Did he not know the consequences of forging an imperial decree, especially in public? This was far more serious than failing to bow to a prince; if word of this reached the Emperor, even if the late Prince of Langya were resurrected, he would be executed all over again!
Heiyun sensed the apprehension among his own people, but he still said sternly, "The Heir has inherited the late Prince's title today and is now the new Prince of Langya. Why have you not yet offered your respects?"
Though they did not know the full extent of Chu Xuan’s backing, they knew Heiyun was a man of steady temperament who never acted recklessly. Since he was acting this way now, he must have a plan. Moreover, they were fiercely loyal to the Langya Prince's Estate and to Chu Xuan, so they stopped overthinking it, dropped to their knees, and shouted in unison: "Your subordinates pay respects to the Prince!"
The sound was like a ringing bell, echoing outside the Grand General's Estate for a long time.
Clad in a five-clawed python robe and holding the decree, Chu Xuan asked, "Today, this Prince inherits the throne, which should be a joyous occasion. However, the Lu Family is shameless; they want to break off the engagement with me, yet refuse to return the betrothal gifts. Everyone, how should we handle this?"
"Your Highness, you are now the head of the eight noble houses of our Dayuan State, second only to the Emperor and above all others!"
"For the Lu Family to break off the engagement is a capital offense in itself, yet you are magnanimous and do not hold it against them!"
"But who would have thought they would be so shameless as to keep the betrothal gifts? Such behavior and character—they deserve to die!"
Prompted by a guard from the Langya Prince's Estate, the others roared in agreement.
"The Lu Family deserves to die!"
"The Lu Family deserves to die!"
"Please give the order, Your Highness! We will take the heads of everyone in the Lu household!"
Hearing these cries, Lu Youwei and his wife, who had been gloating moments ago, turned ashen. They knew that even if Chu Xuan had forged the decree in public, this was not the Imperial Palace; the Emperor and his ministers were not present, so they could not convict him on the spot. But the people from the Langya Prince's Estate were acting like madmen, treating the forged decree as if it were real. If Chu Xuan gave the order to slaughter them, they would surely pounce like rabid dogs. With their daughter away and the officers of the Jingzhao Prefecture absent, the few dozen servants they had could not hold them off.
No, they could not let this happen. They had to stall for time until their daughter returned and the city guards arrived.
"You few, hurry to the Imperial Palace and find Xueqing! Tell her what is happening here! And go to the Jingzhao Prefecture—bring all the guards you can find!"
The servants, having witnessed the madness of the Langya Prince's Estate, did not hesitate and rushed off to carry out the orders.
Chu Xuan ignored the servants. He knew that no matter how this ended, the Emperor would eventually find out. Given the state of the Langya Prince's Estate over the past five years, those in the imperial court would certainly use this opportunity to seal his fate. Forging an imperial decree was, indeed, a path to death. But he wouldn't have done this if he didn't have a backup plan. That would be sheer stupidity.
"What are you waiting for? Act, my men. Anything you find in this Grand General's Estate—whether it be martial techniques, rare treasures, or gold and silver—will be split equally among you all."
Chu Xuan’s words galvanized the men from the Langya Prince's Estate. The onlookers were also stirred; they had heard rumors about the betrothal gifts Chu Xuan had bestowed upon the Lu Family. To say nothing else, there were eighteen distinct martial techniques alone—things that couldn't be bought even with money. Many could not help but feel envious, thinking that Chu Xuan was not only insane but also incredibly generous.
Seeing the men from the Langya Prince's Estate charging toward them, Madam Lu gripped Lu Youwei’s arm, her face drained of color. "Husband, what do we do? Find a way!"
"Don't panic, my dear. We just need to stall until Xueqing returns. Then, that good-for-nothing Chu Xuan will be the one to die."
With that, Lu Youwei spread his arms and shouted, "Wait! Chu Xuan! It's just the betrothal gifts, right? I'll return them to you! There's no need for us to fight to the death!"
Chu Xuan sneered. He had known Lu Youwei would do this, but he wasn't going to call him out. If he was going to play, he would play to the end. Otherwise, this trip would be far too boring.
"You're a sensible man. Very well, bring out all the betrothal gifts according to the list."
"And remember what I said: if even one piece is missing, this Prince will wash your Grand General's Estate in blood."
Lu Youwei swallowed his rage and said, "It's been a long time. I've forgotten where many things were kept. I need time to find them."
"I'll give you half an hour. If everything isn't there by then, bear the consequences yourself."
Lu Youwei and his wife gnashed their teeth in hatred. If looks could kill, Chu Xuan would have died a thousand times over. But for now, they had no choice but to yield. Chu Xuan was a madman who dared to forge an imperial decree; there was nothing he wouldn't do.
The onlookers gasped. The scene had completely flipped from how they had imagined it would play out.
"I never would have expected the Grand General's Estate to be the ones to back down!"
"Don't be so quick to conclude.With things escalated this far, the Guo-Toppled Nation Grand General will surely hear of this soon. When that happens, the news of Chu Xuan forging the decree in public will spread throughout the entire court. So, even if he gets the gifts back, he won't survive the court's judgment. He's a dead man walking!"
Half an hour passed quickly, and the Lu family servants brought out the betrothal gifts, chest by chest.
"Chu Xuan, the gifts are all here," Lu Youwei said, his face twisted in heartache. These gifts were worth more than he could earn in several lifetimes.
However, Chu Xuan’s expression remained grim. "Lu Youwei, I gave you your chance. Since you didn't want it, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Wait! Chu Xuan, I know the count doesn't match, but it's been three years since you gave these gifts! The Lu Family couldn't possibly have left them untouched for all that time!"