“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knows that this situation puts Your Majesty in a difficult position. He has offered that Your Majesty doesn’t need to intervene to protect Huang Quan, as long as Your Majesty disregards the pleas from the Qin family and their supporters,” the dean explained.
The emperor sighed and responded, “Dean, if the person Huang Quan killed was not Qin Yuan but an ordinary minister, this request would be quite manageable. I could certainly comply.”
“However, given that the person she killed was Qin Yuan, this matter becomes far more complex,” the emperor continued.
He gazed at the dean, his expression filled with sorrow. “Qin Yuan’s eldest son formed an alliance with the second prince of the Tianqi Empire. After Qin Yuan’s death, he will certainly return, and if I overlook his actions, he will use the second prince’s influence to exert pressure. While I may be the emperor of Tianhuang, I can only govern our kingdom’s affairs. When it comes to the empire, I… have limited influence.”
“Of course, the second prince doesn’t possess the same level of authority as the crown prince does. If he reveals that Huang Quan is friends with the prince, I’m confident the ministers and the Qin family won’t dare to challenge it further. But doing so would also expose the connection between the prince and Huang Quan. I’m uncertain if that’s the right course of action.”
“No.” The dean replied resolutely. “While this matter is undeniably complex, it can be resolved more easily with the colleges involved.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor inquired, “What can the dean do?”
The dean elaborated, “In two months, all the colleges will send their students to participate in the inter-empire college competition in the Tianqi Empire. Your Majesty merely needs to inform the ministers and the Qin family that the college has decided to send Huang Quan as a representative in the competition.”
“But she’s not a college student. They won’t believe it if I tell them,” the emperor responded.
“Who says so?” The dean argued. “I’m saying she is, so she is. Can’t she be considered a student in name only?”
The emperor contemplated this idea and reluctantly acknowledged, “You’re not wrong, but it’s deceptive.”
“Huang Quan is only fifteen years old this year. With her ability to defeat an eighth-level spiritual master with a single move, she will undoubtedly achieve an impressive rank for Capital College in the martial arts competition. This will bring honor to the college and the kingdom,”
The dean continued. “Your Majesty, we have never participated in the competition as allies. During the inter-empire competition, we’ll compete against other nations. Huang Quan’s remarkable performance in the competition will bring glory to the country. Don’t you wish to show the world the power of students trained by our Tianhuang Academy?”
The emperor pondered, concerned that they were promoting Huang Quan’s abilities falsely.
“Your Majesty!”
Upon seeing the emperor fall into silence, the dean exclaimed, “Bring glory to the country!”
The emperor nodded and replied, “I understand. I will convey this message.”
The dean expressed his gratitude and quickly left the imperial study.
The emperor sighed, “It’s unfortunate that I can’t grant marriage to Huang Quan since she is a friend of Prince Di Qin.”
In the college,
the dean reported back to the people in the room, “I have already informed the emperor.”
Ye Qin inquired, “What was his response?”
The dean relayed, “He agreed to follow our plan.”
Ye Qin remained calm and added, “Qin Yang has already departed from the imperial capital and will reach Tianhuang within ten days.”
The dean’s heart trembled as he asked, “Your Highness, do you intend to intercept him?”
Ye Qin replied with a determined look, without uttering a word.
