The prince is fierce: Who dares to steal my woman?

The men moved swiftly, like well-trained cheetahs, silently approaching the jewel-encrusted wooden box. Together, they lifted the heavy box and walked steadily toward the door.

Then, their gaze fell on the long table laden with delicacies. They picked up the rare and precious foods and bottles of fine wine, each sealed with the aroma of time, carefully wrapped them up, and prepared to take them away.

Even the golden, crispy chicken leg that Zhu Guang was clutching tightly in his hand couldn't escape its fate. He was enjoying it immensely, his face beaming with happiness, when suddenly, a strong hand snatched the last delicious treat from his grasp, leaving him utterly bewildered.

"What are you doing? We haven't even had enough to eat yet!" Zhu Guang shouted angrily, his voice filled with disbelief and rage.

He glared at them, trying to intimidate them with his status, "Who told you to clear the banquet? Do you even know who I am?"

However, those people seemed deaf to his protests and continued their "cleaning" without pausing for a moment.

Staring at the table that had suddenly become empty, Zhu Guang's face turned from red to white, then from white to green, and finally settled on an almost ferocious anger.

"How dare you! I am a servant of His Majesty, how dare you treat me like this!"

At this moment, the attendant slowly stepped forward, a meaningful smile on his face: "I thought you were one of the Duke of Qin's men, but I didn't expect you to be one of the Emperor's men."

Zhu Guang's eyes flashed with incomprehension and indignation as he questioned the attendant before him: "What do you mean by this? Why are you treating me with such disrespect? Do you actually look down on His Majesty of our Great Song Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, the attendant's lips curled into a disdainful smile, his eyes filled with contempt: "Your Song emperor? Hmph, what a load of crap! He's nothing but a figurehead with no real power. In this chaotic world, the only thing we really need to discuss concerns the Duke of Qin; he's the true decision-maker."

Zhu Guang's face instantly turned ashen, his eyes wide with rage, like an enraged lion: "What did you say? Say it again!"

Seeing this, the attendant not only did not back down, but became even more arrogant: "What's wrong with saying it again? Your Song emperor is nothing but an incompetent man who only knows how to hide in the deep palace and indulge in wine, women and wealth. The only one who truly holds power and can turn the world upside down is the Duke of Qin!"

"How dare you!" Zhu Guang roared, his hands clenched into fists, veins bulging, as if he were about to throw a punch and crush the arrogant man before him.

The attendant remained unmoved, still maintaining his haughty demeanor: "When we discuss matters, we naturally seek out someone who can make decisions. The Duke of Qin is the one we should be seeing. As for you, please leave; this is not a place for you."

Zhu Guang took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart. His eyes burned like flames as he stared intently at the follower before him: "Fine, you wait! I, Zhu Guang, will remember this humiliation tenfold in the future!"

After saying that, he turned around abruptly and strode away, each step revealing his unwillingness and determination.

Two hours later, at Xuanzheng Hall.

Zhu Guang strode into Liu Kun's study under the cover of night, his face filled with indignation. In the flickering candlelight, his figure appeared particularly heavy. He lowered his voice, but could not hide the turmoil in his heart, and recounted to Liu Kun in detail the various injustices he had encountered at the inn.

"Your Majesty, do you know what I saw and heard on this trip? It is truly outrageous!" Zhu Guang's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "That man, that man was extremely arrogant. He uttered wild words, saying that in our Great Song Dynasty court, the Duke of Qin held absolute power, and Your Majesty was merely a figurehead, a person with no real authority!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun frowned, his eyes blazing, and he slammed his hand on the table, causing the candlelight to flicker.

"Outrageous! Such arrogant words are utterly disrespectful to me! They're complete nonsense!"

Zhu Guang continued, his tone tinged with bitterness: "Your Majesty, do you think that's all? He even went so far as to say something even more rude, stating that Your Majesty is not even worth a fart, and that you wouldn't even be worthy of emptying the chamber pot for the Duke of Qin!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kun's face turned ashen, and the veins on his forehead bulged, making him look like an enraged lion.

"Outrageous! This arrogant fool is utterly disrespectful and audacious! Where is the dignity of our Great Song Dynasty? Where is the wisdom of my Emperor?"

Zhu Guang sighed, adding with a complex expression, "What's even more disheartening is that when I first arrived at the inn, they mistook me for someone sent by the Duke of Qin. They were incredibly attentive, showering me with fine wine, delicacies, and rare treasures—they practically offered me their hearts. But when I revealed my identity as someone close to His Majesty, their expressions changed faster than flipping through a book. All those delicacies and jewels seemed to vanish in an instant, completely removed. The difference in treatment before and after was like heaven and earth; it's truly disheartening!"

Liu Kun glared at Zhu Guang kneeling below, his tone filled with unquestionable authority: "These people only know about the Duke of Qin, and have forgotten that the ruler of this world is me!"

After saying this, he slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, and the gilded dragon seemed to tremble and emit a deep echo.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Guang trembled slightly, his face filled with worry. He looked up at Liu Kun and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. Now, the Duke of Qin is practically all-powerful in the Song Dynasty. Who in the court and the country is not afraid of him? He has become the de facto emperor of the Song Dynasty."

A cold glint flashed in Liu Kun's eyes, and his tone was firm and resolute: "Yes, this world belongs to me! The world belongs to Liu, not Wei! No matter how powerful the Duke of Qin is, he is still just my subject. How dare he attempt to usurp the country?"

Seeing this, Zhu Guang felt a mix of emotions. He quickly followed, knelt down at Liu Kun's feet, and said, "Your Majesty, when the Wei envoy came to pay homage, upon hearing that he was from the Duke of Qin, he greeted him with a smile and went to great lengths to be courteous; but upon hearing that he was from Your Majesty, he became as cold as frost, his attitude completely different. Doesn't this show that the scales in their hearts have already tipped in favor of the Duke of Qin?"

Liu Kun turned around, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Zhu Guang, a cold smile playing on his lips. He said, "Hmph, it seems they really look down on me, the emperor sitting on the dragon throne. They think I'm weak and easily bullied, or that I'm overshadowed by the Duke of Qin, so they can act recklessly and ignore my existence."

Zhu Guang nodded heavily, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Yes, Your Majesty. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its owner. Their blatant disrespect for Your Majesty is an open challenge to imperial authority, showing no regard for Your Majesty. This trend must not be allowed to continue, or the fate of our Great Song Dynasty may be in jeopardy!"

Liu Kun's eyes were like torches, and the raging anger in his heart almost burned the dragon carvings on the throne.

"It seems that I, the ruler of this land, can no longer allow Wei Wuji, this treacherous villain, to so wield absolute power and trample on my authority and the peace of this land!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Guang's eyes gleamed with determination.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Wei Wuji's ambition is like a wild horse, uncontrollable. If we do not act now, I fear Your Majesty's safety and this beautiful land will be in imminent danger. Removing him from power is an urgent matter!"

Liu Kun clenched his fist and gently tapped the armrest, feeling both pain and clarity.

"Yes, if we continue to allow Wei Wuji to act recklessly, abuse his power, and oppress the people, I will sooner or later be swallowed up by his conspiracy and die without a trace. This is not only a matter of my personal honor and disgrace, but also a matter of life and death for the nation!"

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhu Guang's eyes.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Wei Wuji now holds absolute power, and no one in the court or among the people is unafraid of his authority. If this continues, he will eventually usurp the throne, and then our beautiful land will change hands, and our ancestral foundation will be destroyed!"

Liu Kun suddenly stood up, his dragon robe fluttering in the wind, like a majestic and inviolable lion about to awaken.

"Alright, Zhu Guang, you shall immediately begin a secret investigation into all of Wei Wuji's crimes, no matter how minor, leaving nothing out. We must use irrefutable evidence to pull him down from his throne of power and completely eradicate this parasite of the country!"

Zhu Guang bowed deeply, his voice firm and powerful: "Very well, Your Majesty, for the sake of the Song Dynasty and the well-being of the people, I will do my utmost to eliminate Wei Wuji, this treacherous villain who brings disaster to the country and its people!"

After saying that, he turned around and strode out of the main hall, his back view revealing a tragic yet resolute meaning.

As Liu Kun watched Zhu Guang's departing figure, the anger in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by an unprecedented calmness and determination.

The following day, in a side hall of the Duke of Qi's residence.

The sun shone brightly, adding warmth to this ordinary day. On such a beautiful day, the two wise men, Xiao Jinyan and Chu Liangchen, quietly gathered together, but in their hearts, they were brewing a conspiracy that would bring about a sudden and dramatic change.

Recently, Liu Kun has been frequently seen with the treacherous minister Yu Jin, subtly drawing closer to him. However, his relationship with his former confidant Wei Wuji has been deteriorating, with growing resentment.

Chu Liangchen, this shrewd strategist, keenly sensed this subtle shift in the situation and believed that the opportunity to eliminate Wei Wuji was like an arrow on a bowstring, ready to be released at any moment.

So, with light steps, he stepped into the deep threshold of the Duke of Qi's mansion to plot a grand plan with Xiao Jinyan.

Inside the side hall, the door was tightly locked, as if isolating it from the noise of the outside world, leaving only a room of quiet and oppressive atmosphere.

Holding a heavy scroll of memorial, Chu Liangchen paced slowly through the empty hall, his steps revealing his deep contemplation. His eyes flickered between seriousness and brilliance, as if searching within the lines of the memorial for the key to overturn the world.

Holding lightly in his hand was a heavy memorial, its pages imbued with Wei Wuji's vigorous and powerful calligraphy. As a direct remonstrance, it lay quietly on the desk, awaiting its presentation to Liu Kun. This "remonstrance" was filled with familiar old sayings, such as "befriend the virtuous and capable, distance yourself from the treacherous and wicked, advocate frugality, and strictly enforce official discipline in order to revitalize the court," etc. These were timeless words of wisdom for governing the country, yet somewhat conventional.

However, life is unpredictable. Despite Wei Wuji's many plans and expectations, he never expected that his "remonstrance" filled with his sincere heart would not only fail to move Liu Kun and make him realize his mistakes, but would also unexpectedly become the last unbearable burden on his shoulders, pushing him into the abyss of fate.

The memorial presented by Wei Wuji was sharp and incisive, each word gleaming with wisdom. It thoroughly dissected Liu Kun's recent absurd behavior, criticizing him mercilessly. Upon reading it, Liu Kun was enraged. He immediately launched into a tirade, throwing the memorial to the ground as if to vent his anger.

Just then, Yan Daoxiu, a eunuch standing beside Liu Kun, unexpectedly witnessed this scene. With a feigned concern on her face, she softly comforted Liu Kun, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Anger is harmful to your health. Please take care of your well-being." As she spoke, she swiftly picked up the abandoned "remonstrance document" and discreetly hid it in her wide sleeve, her movements so subtle that it seemed as if nothing had happened.

Yan Daoxiu, a sorceress from the Western Regions possessing extraordinary abilities, was once a capable assistant to Yang Rong. Her fate took a turn when she was taken into Xiao Jinyan's harem. However, her cunning went far beyond that; she secretly cultivated a connection with Yu Jin, winning his favor with her exceptional skills and becoming a highly respected guest. Soon after, Yu Jin seized the opportunity and introduced her to Liu Kun.

After entering Liu Kun's sphere of influence, Yan Daoxiu initially obeyed her former master Yang Rong, but as time went by, she gradually transformed and became a hidden pawn carefully placed by Xiao Jinyan beside Liu Kun.