Chapter 32: The Crown Prince

Since the matriarch had spoken, Yan Ruyu, despite her inner dissatisfaction, had no choice but to follow.

Watching the two figures disappear from sight, Yan Ruhu’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. He whispered to himself, "A mere Crown Prince—why should I, Yan Ruhu, fear him? He had best not interfere with my plans, otherwise..."

At the same time, under the instructions of Mo Qingshan, the Mo family began a frantic sweep of the city, arresting everyone who had recently entered the gates. Whether they were the elderly, the weak, women, children, or common folk, no one was spared. They raided inns, taverns, and brothels, even forcing their way into the private residences of minor noble families. In an instant, Jinxiu City was thrown into chaos and terror, with the people’s grievances echoing through the streets.

Inside the imperial palace, a group of officials gathered, their faces etched with anxiety as they whispered among themselves. Many of them had female relatives who had been unjustly seized by the Mo family.

"My esteemed ministers, what is it that causes you such distress?" The Crown Prince sat upright on the Dragon Throne, his posture straight, his brows sharp like blades, and his eyes bright as stars. Clad in a magnificent dragon robe, he appeared all the more noble and imposing. He scanned the room, his voice ringing out with strength and clarity. With the Emperor bedridden, the management of all state affairs had been entrusted to him. Initially, many had assumed the young Prince would be unable to handle the complexities of government, but his iron-fisted methods had brought the noble houses to heel, earning him both newfound respect and deep fear.

"Your Highness, you must seek justice for us! The Mo family, under the guise of hunting down criminals, has abducted all the women from our households."

"Your Highness! My daughter-in-law is six months pregnant, and even she was not spared. They dragged her away by force! Please, we beg you to intervene!"

The hall was filled with waves of desperate pleas. The Crown Prince had heard rumors of Mo Qinghai’s murder, but the Mo family’s lawless raids on private homes ignited his fury.

"Eunuch Hong, go to the Inspectorate and summon my eldest and second brothers. I wish to see exactly what the Mo family thinks they are doing!" The Crown Prince’s eyes flashed with undisguised killing intent.

Inside the Mo estate, Mo Wentian stared at the group of captives with horror and disbelief. Most of them were fragile women; any discerning eye could see they were powerless and could not possibly be the culprits behind his son's death. Suspicious, Mo Wentian turned to Mo Qingshan and demanded, "Qingshan, what are you doing?"

"Father, I am naturally searching for the killer," Mo Qingshan replied dismissively, before continuing to arrange the prisoners. "As for those pregnant women and the elderly, treat them as a reward for your efforts."

His subordinates’ eyes lit up at these words. Although these women were somewhat older, they were from wealthy and prestigious backgrounds and had been well-cared for; dressed up, they would be far more beautiful than the young women of their own common stock. The noblewomen, having never encountered such a situation, collapsed to their knees in terror, some even begging for mercy.

Mo Wentian felt as though he had stirred up a catastrophe. He thought to himself, *The Mo family is finished.* He had previously believed his son possessed some talent, but he never imagined he was such a beast. He cursed internally, "I have truly failed my ancestors! How could I have sired such a degenerate monster?"

Just then, a young man stepped out from the crowd. He stood tall, his gaze resolute, and spoke with unwavering composure: "Mo Qingshan, you have some nerve! To brazenly abduct innocent women in broad daylight!"

This was Lin Chen. He could have easily fled, but seeing the Mo family’s utter lack of conscience—and knowing his own role in the preceding events—his sense of justice compelled him to return to save them.

"Hahaha... And so what? When the Mo family acts, who dares to stop us?" Mo Qingshan threw his head back and laughed, his arrogance boundless.

"Is that so?" At that moment, a young man in a dragon robe slowly walked through the gates, followed by a dozen attendants in fine silk.

The crowd immediately knelt and kowtowed, crying out in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Yet, unexpectedly, two people remained standing. One was the culprit himself, Mo Qingshan, and the other was Lin Chen, the "ragged Taoist" who knew nothing of royal etiquette.

Xie Mengmeng tugged at Lin Chen’s trousers and whispered, "What are you doing? That is the Crown Prince! You’ll be punished if you don't kneel. Get down!"

"Don't pull my pants. Kneel if you want to, but I won't. When people can commit such atrocities right under his nose, he can’t be that majestic," Lin Chen said calmly.

"My second brother was murdered by villains. The Crown Prince will not stop me from finding the killer, will he?" Mo Qingshan spoke coldly, showing no fear despite the Prince’s presence.

"Seize the traitor Mo Qingshan!" The Crown Prince’s face darkened. He waved his hand, signaling his men to apprehend Mo Qingshan, ignoring the kneeling crowd entirely as if they did not exist.

Seeing this, Xie Mengmeng gave up on kneeling. She brushed the dust off her knees and muttered, "He didn't even tell everyone to get up. He has no sense of chivalry."

At the same time, a discordant voice cut through the air: "Your Highness, such imperial might! To arrest people so indiscriminately."

The voice sounded familiar to Lin Chen. He turned to see Yan Ruhu walking in, followed by Yan Ruyu. Lin Chen understood immediately: *This Yan Ruhu is involved in everything. The assassin sent after Xiao Yunyao was likely his doing. This man cannot be left alive.*

However, for now, it was better to let them fight amongst themselves and observe from the sidelines. Lin Chen sat down on the ground and whispered to Xie Mengmeng, "Sit down! Otherwise, if that Yan Ruyu sees you, she might look for trouble." Xie Mengmeng followed suit and sat. The two of them remained quietly in the crowd, while those kneeling before them suffered. Everyone else knelt in agony, not daring to move. Unlike Lin Chen and Xie Mengmeng, they had no such luxury; if they offended the Crown Prince, their relatives in the court would surely suffer.

"Oh? Young Master Yan, do you intend to stop me?" The Crown Prince did not seem surprised. He knew the Mo family lacked the courage for such a public outrage; the Yan family was clearly the ones backing them.

"Naturally. I, Yan, cannot stand by and watch such injustice. Since Your Highness is using your power to bully others, I have no choice but to intervene." As Yan Ruhu spoke, he walked over to Mo Qingshan and patted him on the shoulder with a smile. Yan Ruyu, confused by the situation, followed suit.

"Justice? When it comes to turning black into white, I concede defeat. Every woman kneeling here is the apple of someone’s eye. Mo Qingshan has abducted them in such a heartless, lawless manner—are you planning to commit treason?" The Prince’s words were sharp and resonant.

"Enough talk. I am protecting the Mo family today," Yan Ruhu said, signaling to Yan Ruyu. She immediately stepped forward, shielding Mo Qingshan behind her.

"They say that of all the Yan daughters, Yan Ruyu is the most sensible. Seeing you today, I am deeply disappointed," the Prince said, his eyes full of disdain.

Yan Ruyu stood in silence. Her heart felt as though it had been turned upside down, a bitter mix of emotions. Caught between justice and her family, she had chosen the latter, yet deep down, she felt only the torment of that choice.

The Crown Prince slowly drew a sword engraved with dragon patterns. As it left the scabbard, the surrounding dragon aura seemed to converge upon the blade, giving it an awe-inspiring presence.

"Lady Yan, since you insist on shielding a traitor, then let me see what you are capable of."

Before he finished speaking, the Prince swung his blade. A cold beam of light surged into the sky, carrying an irresistible, overwhelming force as it struck directly toward Yan Ruyu and the others.

Seeing this, Lin Chen suddenly stood up and shouted, "What are you idiots waiting for? Run! Do you intend to kneel there and die?"