Chapter 15: So What If He's the Crown Prince?

Whenever Li Ye thought of Master Xiao’s training methods, even his resolute spirit couldn’t help but shudder inwardly. The training was not only intense but each sparring session pushed him to the brink of despair. Using the threat of death to unleash his potential, combined with the overwhelming aura of a grandmaster-level expert, it was enough to frighten an ordinary person into numbness in an instant. For Li Ye to still have the strength to fight back was already remarkable.

Yet, to be trained into a master himself, Li Ye was willing to endure such hardship. Fortunately, he only faced such intense training when Master Xiao was present; otherwise, his daily practice was relatively simple.

In the following days, Li Ye stayed within the mansion and did not step outside. Every night after training, he was so exhausted that he barely had the strength to stand. He would then soak in medicinal herbs to temper his body before falling into a deep sleep.

The assassins sent by the barbarians were truly unlucky. They stationed guards at the gates of the royal residence every day but never saw Li Ye appear. Reporting to their leader, they grew anxious: “The Sixth Prince has not left his residence for three days. Could it be that our trail was discovered, alerting him?”

“That’s impossible! Even a grandmaster could not detect mere distant shadowing. Continue the surveillance; he will leave eventually.”

“Yes, sir!”

Days passed, and finally, the day of the emperor’s reward arrived. The great victory over the barbarian invasion was a joyous occasion for the Dayuan Dynasty. The emperor needed to personally reward the troops, and all court officials were to attend.

Li Ye rose early, preparing to head to the training grounds. Master Xiao, uninterested in such matters, stayed home drinking.

Li Ye set out with Xiao Cui, Lin Yue, and his guards. Upon arriving, most officials had already gathered, all bowing to Li Ye but with playful glints in their eyes. Sensing this, Li Ye chose to ignore it—they were simply waiting for the drama after recent conflicts with Shi Wushuang.

He saw Shi Wushuang chatting with Crown Prince Li Zheng and was soon called over. “Li Ye, come here!” the Crown Prince shouted.

Li Ye approached and bowed. “Your Highness, greetings.”

Li Zheng immediately took on a scolding tone. “Li Ye, what is going on? I heard you had a conflict with Lord Wushuang. Don’t you know he is the chief disciple personally trained by the Master of Yunlu Pavilion? Do you understand the severity of your actions?”

Feigning confusion, Li Ye replied, “Your Highness, who told you that? I was unaware of any conflict with Lord Wushuang.”

“Still denying it? Do you think I don’t know? You demanded over one hundred thousand taels of silver from Lord Wushuang and even fought over a treasured sword a few days ago!” Li Zheng wore an expression of bitter disappointment. “Lord Wushuang represents Yunlu Pavilion. You have shown him great disrespect. If this harms the relationship between Dayuan and Yunlu Pavilion, you will be the greatest sinner.”

“Your Highness must have been misled by slander! This is pure nonsense,” Li Ye said seriously. “Lord Wushuang did return 189,000 taels of silver, but that was money I spent on the Qin family. It’s well known that General Qin Qingsnow was once my partner but fell in love with Lord Wushuang during his campaign. For the sake of the court, I voluntarily broke off with her to bless their union. Lord Wushuang is magnanimous and returned all the money given to my in-laws. This was a consensual matter and a happy story. Why would Your Highness be angry?”

“Fine, fine. Even if you have a point there, why did you fight over the sword? You never practiced martial arts as a child, yet you gave a sword worth hundreds of thousands of taels to a servant girl. As a prince, how could you do such a reckless thing? Aren’t you afraid of disgracing the royal family?”

Li Ye was utterly disdainful of the Crown Prince’s accusations. A prince suppressing his own brother for an outsider—was he not afraid of being mocked?

“Your Highness is mistaken again. The sword was sold to the highest bidder at auction. Anyone who could afford it could buy it. If no one was willing to bid out of respect for Lord Wushuang, it would be unfair to the Mo Ye Workshop. Besides, Lin Yue is my personal attendant responsible for my protection. Having a fine weapon greatly enhances my safety. Is my life not worth that much?”

Li Ye’s argument was sound, leaving Li Zheng speechless. Originally, he had intended to scold Li Ye to win favor with Shi Wushuang and also to court Qin Qingsnow—killing two birds with one stone.

Unexpectedly, Li Ye gave him no face. Li Zheng was furious.

“I think you’re twisting the facts. Lord Wushuang’s martial skills are outstanding; only such a sword suits him. With a servant girl protecting you, what kind of weapon wouldn’t work? Lord Wushuang is the future heir of Yunlu Pavilion; even we princes must show him respect. The stability of the Dayuan Dynasty depends on Yunlu Pavilion’s support.”

Li Ye laughed bitterly. “Your Highness, I cannot agree. Is not all land under the emperor’s domain? Even Yunlu Pavilion does not dare to claim supremacy over the court. Although Lord Wushuang is famed and respected among the people, he is still a subject of the realm. It is Yunlu Pavilion’s duty to uphold the court’s interests. Should I, a prince, bow to him?”

Shi Wushuang saw that matters had strayed far from his plan. Though Yunlu Pavilion held great prestige among the people, it was nominally under imperial governance. If Li Ye’s words spread, it might brand Yunlu Pavilion as disrespectful, even contemptuous of the royal family.

“Your Highness, I understand your intention to defend Lord Wushuang. Sixth Prince is correct; returning the money spent on the Qin family is only right. I must take full responsibility for being with Qin Qingsnow. The sword was sold to the highest bidder, and Sixth Prince did nothing wrong.”

“See? Lord Wushuang is magnanimous! Your constant obsession with commerce has utterly disgraced the royal family. I will report this to the emperor and demand severe punishment.”

Li Ye had lost all patience. The Crown Prince had clearly sided with Lord Wushuang, sacrificing him for political gain. Li Ye would not indulge him.

“Your Highness may report to your heart’s content; there is no need to tell me!” With that, Li Ye left Li Zheng standing there, trembling with rage.

“Outrageous! Such disrespect to me, the Crown Prince! I will surely have the emperor punish you for insolence.”

Shi Wushuang observed all this with great delight. He had successfully sowed discord between Li Ye and the Crown Prince. Even if only to vent, the Crown Prince would henceforth regard Li Ye as a thorn in his side.

He never expected the plan to unfold so smoothly with Li Ye cooperating unwittingly.