Chapter Thirty-Two
"Silence!" Shen Ning-shuang's voice was crisp and decisive, and Leng Zhaowen immediately went quiet. He knew full well that Shen Ning-shuang had not chosen to reveal everything because the time was not yet right, and he must not disrupt the plans she had so meticulously laid out.
However, Leng Yichen seemed to have his curiosity piqued. "Instead of what?" he pressed, his gaze fixed intently on the others, as if he could physically drag the unspoken words out of them.
Yet, no one responded; his question seemed to fall into a vacuum, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.
Leng Yichen’s expression darkened, as if suddenly shrouded in frost, and an oppressive chill radiated from his entire being. "You keep telling me to trust you, yet when have you ever been honest with me? This sort of obfuscation is not the first time, nor the second. If you believe you are the only true confidants here, why bother dragging me into this quagmire? I will tell you clearly now: I do not like this way of doing things. In that case, farewell!" With that, he whirled around, making as if to leave.
Seeing this, Shen Muyun’s figure flickered like a ghost, swiftly blocking Leng Yichen’s path. The sudden interception caught Leng Yichen off guard. In that very instant, he keenly sensed that some of the energy within Shen Muyun felt remarkably similar to his own, as if they shared a common origin. However, this was clearly not the time to probe such subtle mysteries. Instinctively, his hand gripped the sword at his waist, and he said in a low, cold voice, "In this world, there is no one who can force me." The hardness in his tone was enough to freeze the very air.
Seeing the situation escalate, Shen Ning-shuang hurriedly stood up, pulled Shen Muyun behind her, and faced Leng Yichen, her gaze meeting his without flinching. "Your Highness, Zhaowen and I have utilized the black-clad men and the influence I initially established at Yuhua Pavilion. Do you know that we did this to find something?" Her voice was steady, attempting to capture his attention with this question and defuse the immediate crisis. Leng Yichen looked bewildered, his eyes filled with confusion, as if he were lost in a fog.
Seeing this, Shen Ning-shuang continued, "What we are looking for is a secret decree left by the late Emperor." She intentionally lowered her voice, as if the decree were a secret capable of shattering the heavens, every word imbued with mystery and gravity.
A flicker of shock crossed Leng Yichen’s eyes, like lightning across the night sky. The late Emperor had left a secret decree, and it had remained hidden and unexecuted for all these years? The news struck his heart like a bombshell.
"We confirmed the existence of such a decree, though at first, we did not know its contents. Yet, since the late Emperor went to such lengths to leave it behind, its content must be of grave importance, potentially capable of altering the landscape of the entire realm. In recent years, we have acted frequently, repeatedly testing the current Emperor’s reactions, and we can now conclude with near certainty that this is an imperial edict of succession." Shen Ning-shuang spoke slowly, yet each word was clear, as if she were narrating a long-buried legend.
Leng Yichen’s hand trembled slightly; he had clearly guessed something, yet in his heart, he dared not believe this sudden truth. He felt as if he were standing on the boundary between dream and reality, filled with confusion and astonishment.
"Your Highness, when the late Emperor passed away, you were still very young. How the late Emperor suddenly fell ill, and how the current Emperor ascended the throne—surely you have never considered these things before, nor have you ever had the slightest suspicion. However, based on the clues we have gathered, the decree of succession left by the late Emperor was certainly not for the current Emperor, and the person most likely intended to inherit the throne is... you, the Twelfth Prince, Leng Yichen." Shen Ning-shuang’s gaze locked onto his, as if to brand this shock and truth deep into his heart.
Leng Yichen took a deep breath, as if forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions within him, and slowly sat down, reaching for the teacup before him. He appeared calm and collected, as if everything were under his control, but his slightly trembling fingertips and the ripples constantly forming in the tea betrayed the turmoil within.
Why had Shen Ning-shuang chosen him out of all the princes? What deep meaning lay behind this? Could it be that she was not assisting in treason, but rather setting things right and restoring the legitimate line? In an instant, the late Emperor's kind face, the current Emperor's wary glares, the Emperor’s meaningful gaze while they observed the mourning rites, and the cryptic words once spoken to him by Master Mingkong—all these past details flooded his mind like a surging tide, leaving his heart heaving, unable to find peace.
He kept telling himself to stay calm, to let reason regain control of the situation, as if locked in a life-or-death struggle with his own inner panic. "On what basis have you determined this? Such things cannot be based on mere conjecture." Although his voice regained some stability, it could not hide his tension and urgency.
Shen Ning-shuang lowered her head slightly and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, for this, I must first offer my apologies. The late Emperor entrusted this decree to my father. However, at the time of the late Emperor’s passing, the court was a web of complex intrigue; the current Emperor had made many secret maneuvers. Not only were there undercurrents in the court, but the families of all the officials were held captive in the inner palace, as if trapped in a desperate situation. We will never know the true danger of that time, but in the end, my father never found the opportunity to produce the decree in time." Her voice carried a hint of helplessness and sorrow, as if she were recalling that harrowing piece of history.
"After the current Emperor ascended the throne, the decree became a hot potato. One wrong move, and the Shen family would have been charged with treason. So, my father made a difficult choice: he hid the decree. The current Emperor did not know of its existence at the time, so the Shen family survived the change of dynasties, and you grew up safely." Shen Ning-shuang slowed her pace, as if telling a story of survival and choice.
"But there are no absolute secrets in this world, and word of the decree eventually began to spread. It was by chance that I discovered the decree was in the possession of the Shen family. I was young and headstrong then, filled with a sense of justice, and I immediately questioned my father as to why he remained silent for so many years when he knew someone else was the rightful heir. My father gave me no answer, and from then on, the relationship between us reached an impasse. I began to cultivate my own influence from that moment on, because I knew this secret could not be hidden forever. It would eventually spark a bloodbath, so I had to be prepared."