Volume One, Chapter Seven: She Dared to Swear by Her Entire Clan

The scent of agarwood permeated the grand hall, where silk draperies hung from the eaves like an invisible net, snaring everyone within its reach.

The Emperor’s thunderous question struck the assembly, leaving them breathless and afraid to move.

In that moment, a flicker of triumph crossed Ning Rongsheng’s eyes. With his head pressed deep against the floor, his heart raced with excitement. *He thought: You insisted on striking the petition drum yesterday, and now you have invited the Emperor’s wrath! You deserve it! Let’s see how this little wretch, Xie Shu, meets her end!*

Although Lady Li was the wife of the Marquis of Chengen, she held no official rank, possessing only a nominal title. She had occasionally caught a glimpse of the imperial countenance while accompanying her husband to palace banquets, but she had not knelt before the Emperor in years.

Unlike the cultured ladies of the capital, she lacked the refined upbringing of high-born families. After making a fool of herself several times and being reprimanded by palace dignitaries, she had long since abandoned any desire to show off in public. In the Emperor’s presence, she was always trembling with fear, never daring to utter a word.

But now, hearing that Xie Shu had incited the Emperor’s anger, Lady Li felt an urge to stand up and celebrate. She tilted her head slightly and rolled her eyes at Xie Shu—a subtle gesture, yet one clearly observed by the man seated upon the dragon throne.

*This House of the Marquis of Chengen is becoming increasingly insolent.*

The Emperor caught the movement, his displeasure rising. Even the scribe eunuch serving beside him saw it and broke into a cold sweat; how could the Marchioness of Chengen be so unmannerly in the Emperor’s presence?

Xie Shu was startled by the sudden interrogation, but she regained her composure in an instant. Taking a deep breath, she bowed her head heavily against the jade-inlaid floor, performing a triple kowtow. "Your Majesty, your subject Xie Shu has been bold since childhood. At three, I climbed trees; at seven, I caught snakes; at twelve, I beat the grandson of Censor Wang in the street. Every instance was an act of boldness, but never an act of lawlessness!"

"Oh?" the Emperor countered, his words laced with dissatisfaction. "Are you suggesting that I have wronged you?"

"Your Majesty is discerning and would naturally never wrong anyone. Yet, some matters, if viewed from only one side, appear evil. If viewed from another, they may appear differently. For example, my tree climbing was to return a bird's nest blown down by the wind. My snake catching was because the snake had bitten my maidservant. As for beating the grandson of Censor Wang, he was bullying the common people in the street—he deserved it! My actions were not for fleeting pleasure, but were justified by circumstances," Xie Shu explained one by one.

"According to your logic, your striking of the petition drum at the palace gate last night was also justified by circumstances?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow, surprised that Xie Wuji, that silent block of wood, had sired such a sharp-tongued daughter.

Xie Shu shifted her thoughts and kowtowed again. "Your Majesty, the petition drum is struck only to voice grievances and uphold heavenly justice. My plea is for the Great Yan soldiers who died on the battlefield! They gave their lives heroically for Great Yan, yet now their reputations are ruined, branded as deserters whom everyone reviles!"

"I beg Your Majesty to clear their names!" Xie Shu pressed her forehead to the ground, her voice strained with effort.

This time, she was not pleading for the Mansion of the General of Zhenyuan, but for the soldiers who had perished at the foot of Mount Wumeng!

The golden scales on the lacquered dragon pillars trembled in the setting sun, as if the dragons were about to break free. From his high position, the Emperor’s eyes narrowed like blades, cold light flashing from his slit-like pupils. "You want me... to clear the names of deserters?"

The echo of his voice rippled beneath the ninety-foot-high dome. The Emperor suddenly leaned forward, a sneer of disdain in his voice that sent chills down the spines of those kneeling on the steps.

Great Yan was a nation founded on martial power, where deserters were always executed without mercy. If everyone could simply become a deserter, would the foundations of the Great Yan Dynasty not crumble?

"Your Majesty, though I am ignorant, I dare to stake the nine generations of the Xie clan as a guarantee. Under your rule, it is impossible for there to be deserters in Great Yan. Even if there were, there could never be three thousand of them!" Xie Shu looked up toward the heavens. She took the token representing the Xie clan from her waist, clutched it in her palm, and raised three fingers to swear.

What kind of audacity was it to stake one’s own nine generations before the Emperor?

It was also a profoundly foolish and ignorant gamble! Whether she won or lost, it rested entirely on the Emperor’s decree.

Zhou Xunli, kneeling in the hall, could not help but glance at her, thinking in astonishment: *What foolish words is she speaking?*

"Your Majesty, Third Miss Xie has never been to the frontier; I fear she spoke in haste," Zhou Xunli said. He had come with the intention of helping the Xie family to earn a favor from the General of Zhenyuan. He had not previously interacted with Xie Shu, and though he had dismissed the rumors of her being a "hollow-headed beauty," he was now forced to believe them.

No intelligent person would be stupid enough to stake their nine generations in front of the Emperor unless they intended to drag everyone down with them.

Hearing Zhou Xunli speak for her, Ning Rongsheng rolled his eyes and kowtowed fiercely. "Your Majesty, there are witnesses to the three thousand deserters at Mount Wumeng. If it were not for Wang Cheng, the vanguard promoted by the General of Zhenyuan, who feared the enemy and fled, how could Great Yan have suffered such heavy losses at the border, with over ten thousand dead?"

Though Lady Li understood little of court affairs, she had heard enough to chime in, "What my son says is the truth!"

"The man captured three days ago, Wang Dahai, was indeed a soldier, but his military records have yet to be verified. Your Majesty! I believe the case of the deserters requires further investigation! We must not rush to a judgment that would chill the hearts of our frontier soldiers," Zhou Xunli said, his brows furrowed. He knew the Emperor’s health was failing; the palace physician, Dr. Zhang, had often hinted that the Emperor’s temper was becoming increasingly volatile.

The debate over the crown prince had already begun to cause ripples among the ministers. Many civil officials had attempted to advise the Emperor, but all had come to naught. Zhou Xunli favored the second prince, born of the Empress, but as a close minister, he still could not fathom the Emperor’s whims. If he could secure the support of the General of Zhenyuan, he might gain an advantage.

The argument around her did not affect Xie Shu in the slightest. She knelt upright, her gaze piercing. Even when facing the Emperor from afar, she did not shrink, instead meeting his inscrutable, probing stare head-on. She continued, neither humble nor arrogant: "Your Majesty, you are the heaven of the people of Great Yan, and the heaven of the soldiers of Great Yan. In Great Yan, no one dares to defy their heaven, and no one dares to defy you."

"Xie Shu, you are far more articulate than your father or your sister," the Emperor suddenly said. He withdrew his gaze, the corners of his mouth curling upward, and he let out a startled laugh as he patted the arm of his dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, she—she has always been full of sophistry, please do not be deceived by her!" Lady Li, hearing the laughter, felt dissatisfied. How could the Emperor let her off so easily? Forgetting Ning Rongsheng’s warning, she pointed at Xie Shu and blurted out her complaint.

The eunuch beside the throne, Gong-gong, glanced at the Emperor’s expression and shouted in a sharp voice: "Someone, slap her mouth!"

"Yes, yes, slap her mouth! It would be best to beat her into submission!" Lady Li laughed with delight.