After the mecha exhibition match, everyone returned to the main banquet hall in the royal palace.

Many exchange students were stunned by the lavish extravagant wealth of the Danse Royal Palace. Type-384 energy stones—where a piece the size of a pinky finger cost up to ten thousand star credits—were actually being used as paving stones for a remote side garden. Scooping up a couple to take home would instantly make someone a millionaire.

“Do they genuinely not know these are valuable, or is this just pure flex?”

Zhao Cheng and his companions walked under the gallery, staring dumbfounded at the ground nearby covered in gleaming energy stones and even landscape sculptures made out of them. “This must have been prepared in advance just to show off when we arrived, right?”

Chen Xi, walking beside him, gestured toward the rare raw gems embedded in the gallery ceiling. “Is there a chance they simply have too much money and nowhere else to spend it?”

Zhao Cheng looked up and was nearly blinded by the dense array of gemstones.

Compared to this, the Danse students dripping in gold and silver didn’t even seem like much.

Yan Qing walked at the front of the group. Listening to the teenagers chattering away in excitement, he couldn’t help but feel a touch of envy.

Teens were at the most wonderful age, easily drawn to the good side of things.

Reaching the entrance of the banquet hall, Yan Qing arranged for the students to go through another security check as instructed by the attendants.

The attendant responsible for guiding them was Lin Hai, a housekeeper temporarily transferred from the side palace. Seeing Yan Qing, he froze for a split second before quickly covering it up.

Daci and several other attendants serving as internal affairs officers were waiting inside security, preparing to conduct interviews once the exchange students entered.

Hearing that it was a live network broadcast, Zhao Cheng and the others instantly put on airs, casually smoothing their hair, posing, and looking for their best angles facing the live camera stream.

By the time Li Xiao and Song Jin arrived, what they saw was a lively scene of exchange students competing for attention.

Song Jin really couldn’t bear to look. “Live-streamed the whole time?”

Li Xiao: “Mm.”

The environments of the Danse Empire and the Shengya Empire were vastly different. Danse was precisely at a juncture where it needed to increase its influence and change the public’s ingrained perception of the royal family. Naturally, they wouldn’t let slip any opportunity for positive publicity.

Over on that side, the internal affairs publicity team rushed over as soon as they saw Li Xiao and Song Jin arrive.

Daci glanced at the live comment stream and acted as the temporary anchor, saying with a smile, “Sorry to keep everyone waiting! We are heading over right now to interview the Second Prince and his consort. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the chat!”

The moment Li Xiao and Song Jin stepped into the frame, the live stream’s online viewership surged rapidly, and the chat went completely wild.

“AHHHH! It’s really them! They’re finally out on business!”

“They look like they’re doing well. Mama is relieved QuQ”

“They look so handsome in their military academy uniforms wwww”

“Quick, ask if those bad Omegas bullied them back at Lisha Castle!”

“I want to know if Song Jin is going back home with the exchange students too? I don’t want him to leave!”

Watching the rapidly scrolling stream, Daci asked the pair, “Your Highness, everyone is very concerned about your physical condition. Since some unpleasant incidents happened earlier at Lisha Castle, we were wondering if you were affected at all?”

“We weren’t affected by outsiders,” Song Jin said with a smile, before adding, “though I was bullied quite a bit by your clingy Second Prince.”

The chat was instantly submerged in a wave of “AHHHH!”, and the online viewer count multiplied exponentially.

“AHHHH I’m dying!”

“High energy warning ahead: tons of dog food dropping, run for your lives!”

“The Royal Consort is going wild! Does he not care about our survival at all?”

“Before entering: Are the Highnesses doing okay? After entering: Am I doing okay?”

“Asking for a friend, they want to see the details of the ‘bullying’ (innocent smile)”

“Dammit, I can’t picture the Second Prince being clingy at all! (tears hair out)”

Daci: “…”

You really know how to play the game.

When it came to driving the atmosphere and steering topics, their publicity team had truly lost.

Even the Royal Consort was trying so hard, what reason did they have not to give it their all?

Daci plucked up his courage and asked Li Xiao, “Your Highness, are you really that clingy in private?”

The exchange students eavesdropping nearby all perked up their ears.

The Danse attendants are so bold! Asking that kind of question!

Li Xiao replied without batting an eye, “He’s lying to you.”

After a pause, he added another sentence: “I didn’t bully him.”

Everyone: “…”

Are you denying being clingy, or denying bullying Song Jin?

Daci: “…”

The Second Prince really knows how to play it too.

The live chat—

“AHHH Second Prince is so slick, he definitely did that on purpose!”

“Song Jin’s tone sounded like a joke, so is it real or not?!”

“I don’t care! Denying it means trying to cover it up! Second Prince being clingy is set in stone!”

“Leaving such a great beauty unbullied, Second Prince, you’re no good!”

“Quickly tell us what you did to Song Jin, we’ll help you judge if it counts as bullying (doge face)”

Daci glanced at the data in the live room and knew when to stop—as long as there was enough hype, it was enough.

After all, this was the private life of royal family members. Asking too much would easily derail the public’s focus, which wouldn’t be conducive to the royal family’s image.

Daci followed up on Song Jin’s topic, asking, “Will you be returning to Shengya with the exchange students after participating in the farewell banquet?”

Song Jin nodded. “The coursework at Central Military Academy is very heavy. I can’t drop out of school just to date, can I?”

The live chat was spammed with messages saying “Keep him!”, with countless netizens calling on Li Xiao to make Song Jin stay.

Daci looked at Li Xiao. “The netizens don’t want the Royal Consort to return home and want to ask for your help to keep him here.”

Li Xiao: “I don’t have the right to stop him from pursuing his education. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is already negotiating the next step of cooperation with Shengya. If all goes smoothly, a second batch of exchange students might open up soon, with even more institutions available than this time. When that happens, we’ll still have the opportunity to attend school together.”

In the live chat—

“Class rep summary: No diplomatic relations = long-distance relationship; establishing relations = continuing business together.”

“Please establish diplomatic ties IMMEDIATELY!”

“Understood, going right now to keep an eye on the Foreign Ministry’s work.”

“If establishing relations with next door brings us Song Jin, then I support it with both hands!”

In a temporary lounge on the other side, Yi Yongning was watching the live stream on Jiang Mu’s device.

Seeing this, Jiang Mu marveled, “The Second Prince is really impressive. He’s subtling shifting so many people’s stances.”

The Shengya conspiracy theories had been popular in Danse for more than a day or two. Most citizens were unhappy about establishing diplomatic ties with Shengya, feeling that their neighbors were a nest of bandits, drooling every day over their energy resources.

In reality, no major conflicts had broken out between the two countries for nearly a century. Most of those conspiracy theories were just fabricated to harvest internet traffic.

Whenever there was a slow news day, dragging Shengya out for a spin had already become routine operation.

This time, Shengya’s exchange students had indeed brought about a qualitative shift in many people’s perspectives. Coupled with the Second Prince pushing from behind, the progress toward establishing diplomatic relations had accelerated significantly.

Yi Yongning held a thermos cup in his hands. “Learn a thing or two. You’re both eighteen—look at him.”

“…How could I possibly compare to the Second Prince?”

Jiang Mu wasn’t pleased, but muttered softly under his breath, “Though I’m still way better than some people. At least I haven’t brought trouble to my family.”

Yi Yongning couldn’t help but look toward Zheng Kang’an’s family, who sat far away in a corner.

Ever since the Qi family went under, the Zheng family had been keeping an unnaturally low profile.

But thinking they could hide from the coming storm just by doing this was far too naive.

Under the storm raised by Li Xiao, no one could emerge completely unscathed, including the Yi family. He had already prepared for the worst-case scenario; he just didn’t know if Zheng Kang’an had figured it out yet.

Noticing Yi Yongning’s gaze out of the corner of his eye, Zheng Kang’an pretended not to see it and continued whispering instructions to Zheng Lin to find an opportunity to secretly show goodwill toward Li Xiao.

Zheng Lin was utterly speechless.

“I tried that right when he came back, and he ignored me completely. Now it’s even worse—aren’t you just sending me out to get slapped?”

Zheng Kang’an looked deep and grim. “The situation is different now. His attitude should change.”

Zheng Lin still didn’t understand.

The situation was different—they were being completely crushed by Li Xiao. But why would Li Xiao suddenly be willing to pay attention to him?

After a series of standard procedures, the evening banquet moved into the toast and social networking phase.

For most students, they could finally stuff their faces. Finding a corner with a great view to eat and drink was simply divine.

Delicacies from the palace weren’t easy to come by; miss this chance, and it was gone.

Keeping Li Xiao’s instructions in mind, Jiang Hao’s group of three stayed close to Yan Qing. However, to avoid looking too much like bodyguards, the three arranged a rotation shift among themselves.

As the King, Li Ji inevitably had to socialize with the Shengya diplomats.

Seeing him keep Li Xiao and Song Jin by his side the entire time, bringing them up every now and then, was enough to make the officials present realize just how much Li Ji valued the two.

Valuing Li Xiao was understandable, but why held Song Jin in such high regard as well? Was it because Song Jin had assisted the Third Army Corps in battle on S1301? Or was it loving the house and its crow?

More than half an hour later, Li Ji led a group of officials and Shengya diplomats up to the smaller banquet hall on the second floor.

Attending this time as military academy students from their respective nations, Li Xiao and Song Jin chose to stay on the first floor.

As Meng Jian walked up the stairs, his backup terminal suddenly vibrated, receiving a message.

【Confirmed. It’s him.】

Meng Jian: 【Execute.】

After turning off the terminal, Meng Jian’s gaze subtly swept over Li Xiao, who was surrounded by a crowd, feeling exceptionally pleased.

The good show was about to start.

How are you going to dodge it this time?

Once Li Ji and his group left, the first-floor hall completely became the domain of the young people.

Many Danse nobles proactively struck up conversations with the exchange students. Everyone was talking and laughing, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

After dealing with a few officials, Li Xiao led Song Jin toward the dessert station nearby, politely turning down the next wave of approaching officials while scanning the entire hall out of the corner of his eye.

Everything looked normal.

Was he being overthinking things?

“This one tastes really good.”

Hearing Zheng Lin’s voice, Li Xiao looked over to see him pointing at a dessert while looking at him.

Li Xiao nodded. “Thanks.”

Zheng Lin was somewhat taken aback—Li Xiao had actually responded to him.

He quickly concealed his surprise and took the opportunity to say in a low voice, “I’m sorry about what happened a while ago. I know I was wrong. I deserved to be hit by you.”

After speaking, Zheng Lin’s palms sweated nervously.

Yet Li Xiao didn’t seem to care much, saying casually, “Anyone can make a mistake. As long as one corrects it in time, it isn’t beyond saving.”

Song Jin shot Zheng Lin a sidelong glance. Thinking with his big toe was enough to know what the Zheng family was plotting. Without waiting for Zheng Lin to speak again, he pulled Li Xiao away.

If you were begging for help, you should adopt the proper attitude. If they wanted to change their stance, they had to see whether he and Li Xiao would agree first.

Li Xiao smoothly accompanied Song Jin as they walked away.

Leaving Zheng Lin with an ambiguous response was enough to keep them guessing and overthinking.

Zheng Lin felt there was a deeper meaning to Li Xiao’s words. After lingering around the dessert table for a bit, he went to find his grandfather, Zheng Kang’an.

Using the excuse of taking a bathroom break, Zheng Kang’an had slipped down from the second floor and stood in an inconspicuous spot listening to Zheng Lin’s report.

“He really said that?” Zheng Kang’an asked in a lowered voice.

Zheng Lin nodded. “Does he mean something else by that?”

Zheng Kang’an fell silent, showing no intention of answering.

A sudden crash in the hall interrupted Zheng Kang’an’s thoughts, causing both grandfather and grandson to look toward the sound simultaneously.

A Beta man dressed as an attendant was forced to his knees by Jiang Hao, who had pinned his arms behind his back. The man held a dining knife in his hand, and in front of him lay a large mess of shattered wine glasses on the floor, wine spilled everywhere.

Jiang Hao looked up at Yan Qing, who had almost been attacked. “Instructor Yan, are you alright?”

Yan Qing shook his head, his brows furrowed as he sized up the attendant who had tried to assassinate him, his mind filled with questions.

Why did this person target him?

Qian Can and Qin Le, who were eating nearby, quickly rushed over to Yan Qing, vigilantly monitoring the surrounding activity.

Everyone present turned to look in that direction upon hearing the noise, completely confused about what had just happened.

Li Xiao strode across the hall to hurry over, contacting the guard team immediately: “Tighten perimeter security around the hall!”

Imperial Guard Chief: “Received!”

Song Jin coldly scanned the entire hall. His hanging hand moved slightly, and a decorative button on his cuff flashed as fine threads slid into his palm, ready to switch into combat mode at any moment.

Li Xiao pushed through the crowd, only to see the restrained attendant screaming hysterically at Yan Qing.

“You rebel scum don’t deserve to be here! Your Bijue Tribe owes our Gaofeng Tribe millions of lives! All of you deserve to die!”

Yan Qing: “I am not from the Bijue Tribe. Furthermore, your current actions are illegal.”

“Stop pretending!”

The attendant struggled violently, roaring, “You’re the grandson of the Jinyuque Corps’ vice commander! You are the descendant of the culprit who bombed Sector 68! Unforgivable! Our Gaofeng Tribe will never forgive you!”

That single sentence ignited a commotion across the entire hall. Everyone involuntarily turned their eyes toward Yan Qing.

The military academy’s Dean of Instruction is a descendant of the rebels?!

How did he pass layers of background checks when getting hired? It sounded utterly ridiculous, yet this attendant was risking instant execution on the spot just to kill him, making it look far from fake.

Li Xiao understood Meng Jian’s plan almost immediately.

However, how did that old man suddenly find out about Yan Qing’s identity?

Noticing Song Jin coming over out of the corner of his eye, Li Xiao raised his gaze and exchanged a look with him, confirming there were no other anomalies in the hall.

The internal affairs publicity team was still streaming. Seeing the turn of events, Daci immediately tried to contact the backend to cut off the live broadcast, only to find the signal unstable and completely unreachable.

The control of the camera was with the tech department. Daci jumped up trying to snatch down the hovering camera, only to watch the camera dodge away on its own, making his expression darken.

This assassination attempt is probably not that simple.

Daci immediately drafted a message to Li Xiao and received a reply very quickly.

Seeing the line of text on his screen, he was somewhat stunned.

The online viewership in the live room had long surpassed ten billion. The chat and comment section were packed with Li Xiao and Song Jin’s names, but when this scene suddenly unfolded, the screen went completely blank for several seconds.

“WHAT THE FUCK?! What’s going on?!”

“Isn’t that Omega the first-year Dean of Instruction from the military academy?!”

“My goodness! Is he really the descendant of the Jinyuque Vice Commander?! Anyone in the know here to explain?!”

“Will the stream get banned? Why are there assassins even at an event like this?!”

“A rebel descendant holding a position in the military academy? Isn’t that too ironic?!”

“He harmed the Gaofeng Tribe so terribly, yet the culprit’s descendant lives so comfortably.”

“We absolutely cannot let him off!”

The incident at the banquet spread across the internet at lightning speed, quickly topping the trending searches. Criticisms questioning the royal family immediately appeared in the top comment sections, rapidly climbing to the top.

In the hall, the guard team moved forward to take the violent attendant away.

“I am the great-grandson of Major General Zhang Qiming, commander of the Hurricane Corps! You can’t arrest me!”

Pinned to the ground, tears streamed down the attendant’s face as he reached this point, bellowing hysterical accusations at Yan Qing, “Wei Feng, commander of the Jinyuque Corps, was my great-grandfather’s student! Without my great-grandfather, there would be no Wei Feng of back then! Yet he showed no gratitude, leading his corps to bomb and kill hundreds of thousands of our tribesmen! This debt of blood cannot be repaid even with the lives of your entire Bijue Tribe!”

Whoa!

Everyone present was shocked once again.

Lately, the internet had been flooded with news regarding the Bijue Tribe and the Gaofeng Tribe.

With the public opinion fermenting up to this point, almost nobody was unaware of the feud between the two tribes, but no one expected there to be such history behind it.

On the second floor, hearing the commotion, Li Ji walked over to the railing and asked in a deep voice, “What happened?”

The guard captain reported respectfully, “An attendant attacked a guest; he has been restrained.”

Disguised as a guard, Wei Feng stood behind Li Ji. Hearing the attendant’s accusation and noticing Meng Jian walking over out of the corner of his eye, a surge of killing intent welled up in his eyes.

He should have hung Meng Jian upside down on a wall that night; only then would he behave himself.

On the first floor, Yan Qing met the attendant’s hatred-filled gaze. Clenching his fists at his sides, it took all his strength to suppress the urge to refute, putting on a calm facade as he said, “I’m sorry, I am not from the Bijue Tribe. Whatever you mentioned has nothing to do with me.”

Refusing to let it drop, the attendant screamed relentlessly at Yan Qing, “You will die a horrible death! Your Bijue Tribe will suffer retribution!”

Retribution?

Yan Qing thought to himself: Was what they suffered not a hundred times, a thousand times more brutal than retribution? Even hell couldn’t compare.

“Muzzle him and take him away!” Li Ji barked down.

Guard Captain: “Yes!”

The live chat instantly exploded with comments claiming “The royal family only knows how to silence people.” The comment sections turned into a bloodbath, with fiercely conflicting opinions between those supporting the royal family and those cursing them, interspersed with comments cursing the Bijue Tribe and sympathizing with the Gaofeng Tribe.

Just as the guards were about to haul the man away, Meng Jian suddenly spoke up from the second floor.

“Your Majesty, taking the suspect away just like this doesn’t seem quite appropriate, does it? We are currently on a live stream. Since an issue has arisen, it should be properly resolved.”

Having his authority publicly challenged, Li Ji glanced at the hovering camera, his expression turning thoroughly grim. “This is not a place for interrogation!”

Meng Jian stared down at Yan Qing. “If we’re making arrests, that Omega should also be taken away for questioning. A rebel descendant cannot pass political security clearance; him sneaking into the military academy must have involved some dirty methods. Military academy students concern the future of the military—being contaminated by someone like this is no small matter. It must be thoroughly investigated.”

Li Ji: “How can you believe the words of an assassin?”

Meng Jian: “I believe caution is necessary in this matter.”

As soon as these words were uttered, the live chat was spammed with “General Meng is still the most reliable after all.”

Several officials on the second floor chimed in agreement.

Li Xiao raised his eyes to look up. Those helping to echo the sentiment were all staunch members of the Meng faction, while Zheng Kang’an and the people on his side hadn’t made a move yet.

“Instructor Yan couldn’t possibly be a rebel descendant!” A student in the crowd spoke up anxiously upon hearing they wanted to arrest Yan Qing. “He’s super nice and professional! You definitely got the wrong person!”

As soon as he spoke, other students couldn’t help but speak up in defense as well.

“Yeah, that assassin is talking nonsense!”

“How can you just arrest someone based on a killer’s words?”

“Instructor Yan is innocent.”

Yan Qing’s emotions, which had almost sunk to the bottom, were pulled back by these few sentences. His eyes swept across the surrounding students one by one—among those speaking up for him were even exchange students from Shengya. In this moment, he suddenly felt a sense of redemption.

Even if questioned, at least his students were willing to believe in him.

Only then did Song Jin casually walk over to stand in front of Yan Qing, looking up at Meng Jian on the second floor. “According to General Meng’s logic, if an assassin claimed the entire hall consisted of rebel descendants, would everyone here have to be taken in for interrogation?”

Qian Can followed closely, mocking, “Danse makes arrests so casually! All it takes is opening your mouth. In that case, whenever I dislike someone, I can just claim they’re a rebel descendant and send them to squat in prison for a few days, huh?”

Song Jin’s action made his intention to shield Yan Qing unmistakably clear.

Meng Jian wasn’t flustered in the slightest; his mood was exceptionally good. “This is Danse’s internal affair.”

“I also find General Meng’s statement highly improper.”

Li Xiao picked up the conversation. “We cannot suspect someone out of thin air unless there is evidence proving Instructor Yan is indeed a rebel descendant.”

The live chat popped up with many messages saying “Trust the Second Prince!”, while the comment section fought even harder.

Just as they were speaking, a commotion broke out at the hall entrance.

A group of officers wearing Investigation Bureau uniforms walked in from outside.

Everyone present shifted their expressions slightly.

The Investigation Bureau officers walked straight toward Yan Qing. After saluting Li Ji, the leading Major presented an arrest warrant to Yan Qing: “We are from the Investigation Bureau’s Major Crimes Unit. Having received reports from the public, we suspect you of maliciously fabricating your resume to infiltrate the First Military Academy. Please come with us for investigation.”

Everyone: “…?!!!”

The plot twist came this fast?!

Someone had actually reported him to the Investigation Bureau beforehand!

Yan Qing glanced over the arrest warrant. The signature belonged to an official from the Meng faction. He said openly and unperturbed, “I have never maliciously fabricated my resume.”

Li Ji asked coldly, “What on earth is going on?! Is this ever going to end?”

The Investigation Bureau Major replied respectfully, “Your Majesty, we received real-name reports from three citizens. This Omega was once an inner palace attendant, suspected of murdering the former King and Queen. After being arrested, he escaped from custody, forged his resume, and snuck into the First Military Academy to serve as an instructor. We must take him back immediately for investigation.”

Everyone present was shocked multiple times by his single statement.

Not only was he an inner palace attendant, but he also murdered the former King and Queen? On top of that, he escaped after being caught and managed to sneak into the military academy?!

And the four words “inner palace attendant” quickly reminded them of the recent news rumors.

It was rumored that Li Xiao was born to an attendant, and the name on that DNA test report was precisely Yan Qing!

Whoa!

Thinking about this carefully was terrifying!

The live room was also in absolute chaos. Many people brought up the DNA report in the comment section, asking about the relationship between Yan Qing and Li Xiao. Some “online judges” had even concluded that Li Xiao was the one who arranged for Yan Qing to enter the military academy—and that comment had already gathered over two thousand likes.

Even Li Xiao and Song Jin were bewildered.

Putting other information aside, what was this about being suspected of murdering the former King and Queen?

Li Xiao quietly looked toward Yan Qing, only to see that Yan Qing—who had been calm just a moment ago—had suddenly paled, his eyes flickering slightly. Li Xiao felt even more confused.

Was the accidental death of his father and mother back then related to Yan Qing?

“Utter nonsense!”

Li Ji berated furiously, “Even novel writers aren’t this good at making things up! Have the identities of the informants been investigated?”

Investigation Bureau Major: “They have been investigated. They all served as attendants in the inner palace before, and accidentally spotted this Omega in the live stream bloopers of the S1301 event. They identified him as the grandson of Wei Mo, vice commander of the Jinyuque Corps.”

“How can a descendant of rebels be allowed to serve as an instructor educating military academy students?”

Meng Jian barked out loudly with his hands behind his back, “Take him away!”

The Investigation Bureau officers were about to move when Li Xiao stepped in to block them.

Li Xiao intentionally stepped in front of Yan Qing. “I don’t know whose grandson Instructor Yan is, but he is definitely not a descendant of rebels.”

Meng Jian looked at Li Xiao. “Just now you said he couldn’t be arrested without evidence. Now that there is evidence, you still won’t allow the arrest. Your Highness’s attitude makes me very perplexed. What reason do you have to protect this Omega to such an extent?”

Li Xiao met his gaze across the distance. “He is my teacher. Naturally, I believe in him.”

Meng Jian: “Just a teacher?”

Li Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly. “What are you trying to say?”

Meng Jian declared in front of everyone, “Yesterday, I heard a very interesting story from an old friend. I wonder if Second Highness has any interest in hearing it?”

Li Xiao: “Is now the time for storytime?”

“This matter is related to you.”

With that, Meng Jian looked at Li Ji. “Your Majesty, I need to bring someone over.”

Li Ji suppressed his voice, his tone extremely foul: “What on earth are you trying to do! This is a farewell banquet!”

Disregarding Li Ji’s warning, Meng Jian directly contacted his subordinate in the lounge via communicator: “Bring the person over.”

Li Ji: “Meng Jian!”

Meng Jian: “Your Majesty, please remain calm. This matter is of grave importance; resolving it in today’s setting could not be more fitting.”

Soon, Meng Jian’s housekeeper brought Jin Heng in through a side entrance.

“This is the doctor who performed the birth DNA test for the Second Prince back then, named Jin Heng. Verifying his identity is very easy.”

As Meng Jian spoke, he asked Li Ji, “You shouldn’t be unfamiliar with him either, right?”

Li Ji: “What did you bring him here for?”

Meng Jian looked at Jin Heng. “Old Jin, tell everyone: is the DNA test report that was circulating online recently the one you made back then?”

Everyone present: “…?!!”

Today’s farewell banquet is way too dramatic!

“Meng Jian! What are you doing!”

Gao Wanxin, who had been lying low for years, suddenly walked over to Meng Jian’s side, frowning as he looked down at Jin Heng below. “Old Jin, why did you come here without even saying hi to me!”

Jin Heng adjusted his glasses frame, hesitating without opening his mouth.

Meng Jian: “He’s not your son, why would he need to report to you wherever he goes?”

Gao Wanxin said with a stern face, “Old Jin, you head back first.”

“He’s a guest I invited. You think you can just send him away whenever you want?”

Meng Jian retorted unceremoniously, “It won’t be too late for him to leave after he finishes explaining everything.”

Gao Wanxin was angered by Meng Jian’s behavior. “Are you drunk or out of your mind? What kind of occasion is today for you to bring up rumors from the internet?!”

Meng Jian held his hands behind his back. “Whether it’s a rumor or not is hard to say.”

Gao Wanxin: “Know when to stop!”

Meng Jian: “What’s the matter, why are you so anxious?”

“Enough!”

Li Ji cut them off sternly, “That’s enough! Any matter will be discussed after the farewell banquet.”

Meng Jian acted as if he didn’t hear, pressing Jin Heng: “Quickly tell everyone, was it made by you?”

Jin Heng stole a glance at Li Xiao, then looked at Meng Jian, gritting his teeth before nodding. “It was made by me.”

Everyone present: “…!!!”

Holy shit!

So the Second Prince and Yan Qing are actually father and son?!

Doesn’t that make the Second Prince a descendant of rebels as well?!

Several officials from the Meng faction gasped in shock.

“How terrifying! Wei Mo’s grandson not only infiltrated the royal palace, but even messed with the royal lineage!”

“Back then, he murdered the former Majesty precisely so his own son could ascend to the throne, right? Thank goodness His Majesty was protected by General Meng’s people, otherwise he would have been killed too!”

“For decades, the Bijue Tribe has been committing evil endlessly in the Nanming Constellation. Who knew they’d dare stretch their hands into the royal family!”

“The key point is that he successfully escaped afterward, and even got into the military academy! Absolutely lawless!”

“Is there anything they wouldn’t dare do? Back then, Wei Feng slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people from the Gaofeng Tribe!”

Meng Jian looked up at Li Ji. “Your Majesty, according to the confession of the terror suspect captured from S1301, the Second Prince was in close contact with Crow during his time away from the palace, secretly planning and sparking multiple wars. The terrorist attack on S1301 may be directly tied to him. I previously thought there were doubtful points and hadn’t reported it, but I didn’t expect the Second Prince to be Wei Mo’s grandson. Connecting it like this makes everything clear.”

As he spoke, Meng Jian looked down at Li Xiao on the first floor. “This prince born of a rebel seems completely unsatisfied with merely being a prince. It’s best to take both him and Yan Qing back to the Investigation Bureau for questioning—ghk!”

Before Meng Jian could finish, he was suddenly struck by a heavy punch. His face was knocked sideways, and throbbing with severe pain, he looked at Li Ji in disbelief, his temper flaring instantly: “What are you doing, Your Majesty?!”

Li Ji was trembling with rage, uttering almost word by word, “That DNA report circulating online—I have already debunked it. Now I will reiterate it once more—Xiao-Xiao was born of my Mother Queen. From now on, whoever dares to use this to stir up trouble, don’t blame me for being unpolite!”

Meng Jian: “You were traveling and studying abroad back then and didn’t understand many things. The truth is right before our eyes, is it really that hard to accept? You treat him as a brother, but he might not necessarily treat you as one.”

Li Ji pulled out the decorative sword from Wei Feng’s waist and pointed it straight at Meng Jian. “Try saying one more word!”

Meng Jian met his eyes head-on. “Your Majesty, that father and son pair are plotting treason! You cannot be blinded! If left unchecked, the consequences will be unimaginable!”

Just as Li Ji was about to move, Li Xiao, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up.

“Brother, calm down.”

Li Xiao looked up at Meng Jian. “There’s no need to go through the trouble of taking me to the Investigation Bureau for questioning. Whether we are father and son can be made crystal clear with a simple DNA test.”

Li Ji: “There’s no need for you to prove yourself!”

Li Xiao: “The matter has already escalated to this point. I believe everyone here really wants to figure out what’s going on. General Meng speaks with such conviction that even I’m almost starting to believe it.”

Meng Jian: “Do you think saying this will make people believe your words?”

“A DNA test takes less than half an hour. If the report shows that Instructor Yan and I are father and son, I will voluntarily leave with the Investigation Bureau. But if we aren’t—”

Reaching this point, Li Xiao’s tone turned cold, “You, Meng Jian, must publicly apologize for all your statements tonight and accept punishment for defaming the royal family.”

Meng Jian: “Of course. Without sufficient evidence, I wouldn’t make reckless claims.”

“Since the live stream is still running, if we don’t get your identity cleared up, I’m afraid tens of billions of people won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Song Jin walked over to Li Xiao’s side, speaking in a slow, relaxed tone, “I think not only should we test it, but we should also live stream the entire process. The Danse public trusts you so much; they also have the right to know the truth.”

Meng Jian narrowed his eyes slightly, faintly feeling that something was off.

Could it be that Li Xiao didn’t know his own true lineage? Why could he be so fearless?

Watching this farce unfold in silence, Wei Feng: “…”

From halfway through, Meng Jian had fallen straight into the pit dug jointly by the two brothers, Li Xiao and Li Ji, without realizing it in the slightest.

Just as Li Xiao wished, this time the matter blew up—and blew up damn big.