Chapter Thirty: Guiding Public Opinion

The trust the common people placed in the soldiers greatly satisfied Weishao Qianyu.

Preparing to move to the heart of the matter, Weishao Qianyu spoke slowly, “With these valiant defenders of home and country present today, allow me to share with you a story.”

She drew a deep breath; speaking of her own mother, Weishao Qianyu was overcome with emotions beyond words.

Her voice was not loud, but it struck directly at the heart as she recounted, “Twenty years ago, Liyue was ravaged by a terrible drought, and not a single grain could be harvested. Perhaps the veteran soldiers stationed at the border with Duke Lu recall it: it was the eldest daughter of the Duke’s household, Lu Yao, who rode alone to Xiaoyu Manor to borrow food, so that the soldiers defending the border did not starve or freeze!”

As her words faded, the people lowered their heads in silence. The older ones among them had heard of this, but after so many years of peace, those who once shielded them from wind and rain had long since been forgotten.

Weishao Qianyu observed the crowd closely and saw some of them had been moved. Most of those attending the hearing were honest and kind, and naturally, they felt gratitude toward those who had once protected their homeland.

Rumors and gossip, after all, are what people enjoy in idle moments—they are only human. Weishao Qianyu did not blame them, but rather pitied how they had been used by those harboring ill intentions.

The crowd remained silent. After a brief pause to steady her heart, Weishao Qianyu continued, her voice still tinged with passion, “Twelve years ago, war broke out between Liyue and Xiyan. A great number of Xiyan assassins pressed upon Yue City, and many civil and military officials were killed. It was General Weishao Zhantian who risked his life to defend the capital, refusing to abandon even a single citizen!”

Compared to the rumors about herself, what Weishao Qianyu could not endure was the defamation of her father’s name. “These two people I spoke of—one is the mother of the former betrothed princess of the Prince of War’s household, and the other is the father of the same.”

In the state of Xiyan, there was a dedicated order of assassins. Before Xiyan’s downfall, whenever there was friction between the two nations, the people of Liyue suffered greatly. Twelve years ago, during the first war, even the Crown Prince of Liyue was assassinated, showing just how rampant Xiyan’s assassins had become in Yue City.

After Weishao Zhantian saved the Second Prince, and with no other generals left to command, it was Weishao Zhantian who safeguarded the peace of Yue City.

His heroic reputation among the people of Yue City was resounding. Thus, despite rumors swirling about Weishao Qianyu, many still stood up to defend Weishao Zhantian’s name.

Weishao Qianyu understood well the power of public opinion, and how guiding it rightly could shape people’s intentions and, consequently, their actions.

She knew what she would say next might sound like self-praise, but she could only state the facts plainly: “Two years ago, when rumors about the Prince of War’s betrothed were at their height, she went to Xiaoyu Manor to purchase grain, preparing military supplies for the coming war between Liyue and Xiyan.”

This revelation caused an uproar among the people. The incidents of Lu Yao borrowing grain during the great drought, and Weishao Zhantian defending the city twelve years ago, were stories known to some, but the matter of Weishao Qianyu buying grain had never leaked out.

The crowd’s discussions grew heated and lively, but Weishao Qianyu merely sighed and said lightly, “Lately, the people of Yue City have been cursing the Prince of War’s wives—both the previous and the current ones.”

She let her words hang in the air, and no one spoke.

She remained silent as well, giving the people time to process.

After a long while, she smiled gently, “Enough of these digressions. Let us return to the case at hand.”

“Miss Yinghong, would you not describe what Miss Xuechun was wearing that day?” Weishao Qianyu’s tone changed, a sharp gaze directed at Yinghong.

Yinghong grew fearful, her mind blank—she had never heard from Luo Yanqing what Xuechun wore that day and could not answer.

“She’s never met me, so naturally she has no idea what I was wearing!” Xuechun, not waiting for Yinghong to collect herself, interjected, “It was New Year’s, a festive time. I wore an orange-red dress that night!”

“I simply didn’t remember at the time, that day…” Yinghong, flustered, tried to improvise.

Weishao Qianyu saw her panic and interrupted, “Miss Yinghong, do think carefully. In my view, it is Miss Xuechun who is lying and trying to deceive you!”

Yinghong was stumped by Weishao Qianyu’s words and could not continue.

Not waiting for a reply, Weishao Qianyu pressed on, “I believe this was all a misunderstanding!”

“Miss Xuechun said she merely tried to wake up a fainting girl that day. Let us not dwell on who that girl was.” With these apparently casual words, she planted seeds of speculation among the listeners—many began to suspect the girl was Luo Yanqing.

“If Miss Luo Yanqing or Miss Yinghong suffered no other harm, then it’s all a misunderstanding. Why not resolve it peacefully and let the matter rest?” Her words sounded conciliatory, but again she brought Luo Yanqing into the spotlight.

Yinghong was speechless. She could hardly claim she had been harmed, as that would destroy her own reputation.

Weishao Qianyu’s real aim was not reconciliation, but she signaled to Xuechun.

Xuechun instantly caught on, her emotions erupting as though she were the victim of grave injustice, “I will not reconcile! I saved someone, yet they accuse me of abusing them. They say I struck the Princess at the palace banquet—should I also make up wild claims?”

Then she began her “wild claims” in earnest, “I say all the rumors about my lady were spread by the Dingyuan Marquis’s household!”

“I say the Dingyuan Marquis’s legitimate daughter is two-faced: she publicly admits her talents pale before my lady, but secretly slanders her everywhere!”

“I say her annual distribution of porridge is but a show, and that when others save her, she falsely accuses them of stealing her jewelry!”

“And more—Luo Yanqing is a curse to her husbands! Why else did the Prince of War fall gravely ill the moment the Empress Dowager decreed their marriage?”

“And I say Luo Yanqing brings misfortune to her family—why else did the eldest son of the Marquis of Qin lose consciousness after their engagement, and then disappear after finally waking?”

Xuechun’s words tumbled out, emotional and disjointed, yet each point followed the last.

In her heart, Xuechun seethed, “Dare to ruin my lady’s reputation? Then let you never marry!”

Luo Yanqing could not endure this; with a crash, the teacup on the table shattered as she nearly lost control and tried to rush out, only to be forcibly restrained by the Marchioness of Dingyuan.

Today, the Dingyuan Marquis’s household had lost all face—they absolutely could not afford to be further humiliated.

As Xuechun finished, the hall fell into utter silence, broken only by the “crack” of shattering porcelain. Weishao Qianyu smiled faintly, not exposing the scene, leaving ample room for imagination.

Feigning surprise at Xuechun’s outburst, Weishao Qianyu sighed, “Since there’s no reconciliation, perhaps the magistrate should summon Miss Luo Yanqing to court, so we may clarify matters?”

The magistrate was deeply troubled—he could not summon Luo Yanqing, who was just in the inner hall, for he could not afford to offend either the Dingyuan Marquis or the Xibo Marquis families.

Such was the cleverness of Feng Jinye’s plan. The Empress Dowager had hoped to reconcile the two households, but today, their conflict was aired openly, and should the Empress Dowager seek to assign blame, it would all fall on Luo Yanqing.

Weishao Qianyu sighed inwardly: A phoenix born to fly, yet now not worth more than a plucked chicken.

Helpless, the magistrate sent his constables to the Dingyuan Marquis’s residence…

Yinghong, pale and hollow-eyed, instantly lost all hope; she knew that the result would be her bearing all consequences.

The constables, unable to bring Luo Yanqing, returned instead with a message from the Dingyuan Marquis.

The constable knelt and relayed the message: “The Dingyuan Marquis says the household knew nothing of this matter.”

“Miss Luo Yanqing became lost on the third day of the New Year and was rescued by Miss Xuechun. The household has prepared generous gifts to express gratitude, but has been unable to locate Miss Xuechun’s residence and has not yet called on her.”

“The Marquis also says that Yinghong, for her malicious intentions and for striking the Princess at the palace banquet, was expelled from the household before the end of the year and is no longer one of their people.”

Hearing this, Xuechun thought the Marquis was not entirely despicable, as he did not push all the blame onto the maid.

Weishao Qianyu, however, admired how skilled the entire Dingyuan family was at putting on a show.

Yinghong was calm—this was the outcome she had expected. She said flatly, “I framed her. I hated them—Xuechun, Dongnuan, the Princess—they were all in league together.”

“At the palace banquet, I simply failed to recognize the Princess and accidentally struck her. Dongnuan responded with dozens of slaps. Unable to take revenge on Dongnuan, I targeted Xuechun, deliberately spreading rumors about their mistress to ruin Weishao Qianyu’s reputation!” Yinghong confessed to all crimes, as if life no longer mattered to her.

Xuechun inwardly mocked her foolishness, but Weishao Qianyu saw that Yinghong had no other way to live.

As Weishao Qianyu pondered this, Yinghong suddenly stood and, in a frenzy, hurled herself at a pillar, ending her life on the public court with a sickening thud.

Thus, this farce ended with Yinghong’s death, her guilt determined as suicide out of fear of punishment.

Weishao Qianyu felt no pity for Yinghong, but at the moment of her death, she was moved—a human life was truly worthless in these times.

Weishao Qianyu had killed before, but only when someone had wronged her; people make choices and must bear their consequences. Yet some are entirely at the mercy of others, with no control over life or death.

With the case closed, the crowd dispersed. As Weishao Qianyu turned to leave the yamen, she saw the Prince of War’s carriage waiting in a corner; Feng Jinye stepped down in a fury.

She frowned, recalling how they had nearly quarreled that morning at the Prince of War’s residence.

Earlier, Qingxia had rushed in with news that Xuechun was missing, and Weishao Qianyu had felt uneasy. She summoned Dongnuan, who told her everything.

On the third day of the New Year, Ye Shiyi had dragged Luo Yanqing to a ruined temple; Dongnuan had sent Xuechun to extract information from her. Later that night, Luo Yanqing was released, and rumors were spread to ruin her reputation so she might also taste dishonor.

But Ye Shiyi did not return to the Prince of War’s estate with Dongnuan, so Dongnuan guessed Feng Jinye had made other arrangements.

Only this morning did Weishao Qianyu learn that Feng Jinye had orchestrated Xuechun’s performance to clear her name.

But Weishao Qianyu disliked Xuechun taking such risks; to her, rumors were just words and could do her no real harm.

Feng Jinye, however, could not bear to see her suffer the slightest injustice and was determined to defend her reputation.

At Tingfeng Tower, when she learned the full story, Weishao Qianyu was angry but could not bring herself to blame Feng Jinye. She shot him a fierce glare, brimming with anger as she uttered just four words: “Acting on your own!”

She was displeased that Feng Jinye had risked Xuechun’s safety. She worried about her being beaten or hurt—Xuechun and Qingxia had been with her since childhood, never once punished beyond kneeling.