This Martial Saint’s Health Bar is Too Thick!
Chapter 493: 34 Followers of Hao Yi

Chapter 493: Chapter 34 Followers of Hao Yi

Atop the Great Hall, the Eldest Prince fiercely accused the peerless genius of the age!

Li Fei stood in his original place with a calm face, his expression unchanging.

Just his composure alone made many ministers in attendance take a second look with admiration.

No matter how peerless the talent might be, he was only 18 years old after all, and it was his first time appearing before the Emperor in court. Yet he had such firm composure, which was truly astonishing!

These ministers couldn’t help but recall the scene from their first appearance in court to face the Emperor. Even without doing anything, just standing there had made them so nervous that their hands and feet went weak.

If they themselves were accused by the Eldest Prince in such a manner, they probably would have been scared into kneeling on the spot, completely losing their composure!

“Why would my royal brother say such a thing?”

The Crown Prince was the first to speak out.

The Eldest Prince turned around to look at the Crown Prince and retorted, “Doesn’t my brother the Crown Prince thoroughly investigate before recommending talents to our Father Emperor?”

With a cold smile, The Crown Prince replied, “Then what has my royal brother found out?”

The Eldest Prince looked toward the Emperor on the dan platform:

“Father Emperor, to my knowledge, this Li Fei has a mentor. His teacher is named Hao Yi, who once publicly rescued from execution, freeing a traitor who conspired with the enemy and committed treason! And this traitor has a connection to Li Fei; she is his teacher’s aunt.

Not only that, but the accomplice who joined Hao Yi in the execution rescue later hijacked a special train, killing over a dozen Imperial Officials and scores of guards!”

Upon hearing these words, an immediate buzz of discussion erupted within the Great Hall.

Collusion with the enemy and treason were no minor offenses, and rescuing someone from execution so openly was something that had barely occurred in decades.

Killing over a dozen Imperial Officials was even more unheard of!

All these events combined were quite grave indeed.

Li Fei heard such accusations, yet his expression remained calm.

He had thought of this possibility the moment he received that note last night.

This was the most obvious point about him that others could attack.

However, he did not need to defend himself at this time.

The Crown Prince laughed, “I thought it was something significant; it turns out to be just this.”

The Eldest Prince looked at him, “Oh? The Crown Prince does not think this is a serious matter?”

“Of course, not!”

The Crown Prince raised his voice, “By the law, unless there is a rebellion or treason, guilt by association shall not apply. If Li Fei were truly guilty, why would my royal brother need to bring this up now? He should have been imprisoned back in Datong Prefecture! Does my royal brother think that the entire Datong Prefecture, the whole Wu’an University, was deceived?”

The Eldest Prince also raised his voice, “Sharp words by the Crown Prince, but they do not change a single fact; that this person is indeed a kin to a traitor! With such a mentorship, who can guarantee his true innocence? Assure us he won’t commit treason in the future?”

“Ha? Ridiculous!”

The Crown Prince’s words were no longer courteous, “I would like to ask the esteemed assembly, with talent ranked first in history, is he lacking resources? What can enemy states give that our great Da Lan Dynasty cannot? How could such a person possibly be bought by enemy states? What have they to offer?!”

Many ministers nodded in agreement.

Indeed, with such talent, one never needs to worry about a lack of cultivation, as there would be many clamoring to win him over.

Isn’t that what the Crown Prince is doing by trying to win him over and pave his way?

Then why would there be any need to collude with the enemy and commit treason?

Could it be that Li Fei wishes to overthrow the Da Lan Dynasty to become the Emperor himself?

“So the Crown Prince judges a person’s character based on their talent. As long as the talent is high, there will be no problems,” the Eldest Prince retorted fearlessly.

“The mentor of Li Fei, Hao Yi, broke through to the Tao Foundation Stage at 20, and at 23, he was listed as a candidate on the Fengyun Leaderboard. His talent was not much less than Li Fei’s. But what was the result? Did he not still become a rebel who disregarded the laws and scorned the dynasty’s prestige?”

“It seems my royal brother is intent on condemning by insinuation today,” scoffed the Crown Prince.

Without direct evidence to prove that Li Fei colluded with enemies and committed treason, the connections between him, Hao Yi, and Shangguan Xiao alone couldn’t convict him.

So what the Eldest Prince is doing now could at most be a condemnation by insinuation.

But to do so in front of the Emperor was another matter altogether.

The Crown Prince was seeking to reward Li Fei and Ming Qi as a clear sign of attempting to win them over and pave their way.

Ming Qi, as the Buddha’s son from Pudu Temple, was highly unlikely to enter the system in the future.

Therefore, the Crown Prince’s actions were mainly intended to pave the way for Li Fei.

It seemed that the Emperor was in high spirits and might just allow Li Fei to rise to prominence!

But now, he was interrupted by the Eldest Prince.

If handled poorly, Li Fei’s future could be completely cut short by a single sentence from the Eldest Prince!

“The Crown Prince recommends talents to Father Emperor and seeks great rewards for them without having established notable merits. I’m merely trying to ensure Father Emperor has a clearer understanding,” the Eldest Prince did not respond to the Crown Prince but instead bowed to the Emperor and spoke.

Immediately bowing as well, the Crown Prince replied:

“Father Emperor, Hao Yi has been a lecturer at the Martial Arts Hall in a certain place for over thirty years, and he has taught many students, not just Li Fei. He never officially took Li Fei as his disciple. The relationship between Li Fei and Hao Yi is merely that of ordinary teacher and student.”

With the Eldest Prince condemning by insinuation, he had to admit it was indeed effective, prompting him to change strategies immediately and clear Li Fei’s association with Hao Yi.

Indeed, Hao Yi had never officially taken Li Fei as his disciple; even when he came to Datong Prefecture initially, he didn’t meet with Li Fei to avoid future entanglements.

Heaven, earth, ruler, kin, and teacher.

In this era, the relationship between teacher and student was taken very seriously, with some teacher-student bonds even surpassing those of father and son!

So whether Li Fei was Hao Yi’s disciple or just a student he taught was completely different.

If, as the Crown Prince stated, Hao Yi had been an instructor at the Martial Arts Hall for decades, and Li Fei was just one of his students, then the matter wouldn’t be as serious.

“Li Fei, do you have anything to say?”

From the dan platform, the Emperor looked at Li Fei, who had maintained a calm demeanor from beginning to end, and suddenly asked.

Li Fei first bowed to the Crown Prince:

“Thank you, Your Highness, for defending me, but there are some things you are unaware of.”

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince’s expression changed slightly, and he turned sharply to look at Li Fei.

Li Fei then bowed to the Emperor and said in a clear voice:

“Disciple of Sky Gang Sect, student of Hao Yi, Li Fei, greets Your Majesty!”

He spoke calmly but with unwavering firmness.

There was a stir—

The hall erupted into uproar.

Not only did the Crown Prince’s complexion change, but the Eldest Prince also showed a look of astonishment.

Li Fei actually admitted it!

The Emperor leaned slightly forward, as if he wanted to get a good look at this “foremost figure in history”:

“The Crown Prince defended you, saying you were merely Hao Yi’s student. Why would you publicly acknowledge this teacher-student relationship?”

Li Fei’s tone remained unchanged as he articulated each word:

“The grace of my teacher is like that of a father to me; his teaching and nurturing kindness are etched in my heart, never to be forgotten or ignored!”

What does he care about splashing wealth or ascending to the clouds—today, he was determined to announce who his master was before the full assembly of civil and military officials in the royal court!

The hall broke into uproar once more.

Li Fei not only acknowledged his and Hao Yi’s teacher-student relationship but also emphasized his feelings towards Hao Yi!

Does this “foremost figure in history” genuinely not care about his own future?

“Do you realize that your revered teacher openly defied the law, disregarded regulations, and is thus a traitor?”

The Eldest Prince turned around and loudly questioned Li Fei.

Li Fei straightened up and met the Eldest Prince’s gaze:

“All I know is that my teacher, Shangguan Xiao, was wrongfully framed, maligned as a traitor, and my master had no choice but to act in rescue. Although outside of the law, his actions are understandable on a human level.”

The hall was once again filled with shock.

Li Fei had publicly overturned a case that had already been closed!

Is this peerless genius truly so arrogant and unafraid, relying solely on his talent?

“Insolence!”

The Eldest Prince pointed at Li Fei and rebuked him sharply, a killing intent pervading the atmosphere:

“You truly harbor ill intentions! The case of Shangguan Xiao is clear-cut with irrefutable evidence, yet you dare claim she was framed? Li Fei, do you even regard the court’s laws?!”

Li Fei was not the least bit afraid and scoffed, “I only arrived in Lanling City yesterday, yet Your Highness seems to be quite familiar with a case all the way in Datong Prefecture. Could it be that Your Highness personally reviewed the case?”

He dared to question the Eldest Prince?

Many Ministers present looked at Li Fei with incredulous eyes, thinking he must have gone mad…

The Eldest Prince was also stunned, not expecting Li Fei to speak to him in such a manner.

But Li Fei’s question did indeed hit the mark; why would a prince be so concerned with a case far away in Datong Prefecture? It was indeed thought-provoking.

Before the Eldest Prince could react, Li Fei continued:

“A lecturer from Wu’an University was jailed for colluding with Western spies, had confessed in prison, claiming he was instructed by former Wu’an University professor Xu Jing to deliberately collude with Western spies and thus frame others, paving the way to eliminate the Iron Blade Sect… All these matters are recorded in Datong Prefecture, and the Garrison Commander of Datong Prefecture, Bian Jingru, had also reported this to the court in full, accusing all officials of the investigation team in Feng Province and people like Xu Jing!”

Of course, he wasn’t foolhardy enough to stand up against a powerful prince in such a setting.

If he said Shangguan Xiao was framed based solely on his own declaration, that would be a flagrant disregard for the law and truly seeking death!

But this matter was endorsed by Datong Prefecture, and originally, Bian Jingru had directly reported to the court, accusing the officials in the capital of Feng Province and Xu Jing, openly tearing faces.

With such circumstances, when Li Fei brought up this matter, the nature of it was completely different.

Nobody would think that Li Fei was spouting nonsense or challenging the prince; instead, they would think first of political strife.

Moreover, when considering Li Fei’s question to the Eldest Prince earlier, how he had just arrived in Lanling City, yet the prince knew so much about a case happening far away.

This actually explained a lot.

The Master from the Tiger Saber Gang had once described Li Fei as a “calm madman.”

Translated—it means to go mad only after careful consideration!

With the title of “foremost figure in history,” the endorsement of Datong Prefecture and Wu’an University, and with the Crown Prince himself defending him,

Li Fei did not believe he would be treated badly today.

The worst would be to fall out of favor with the Emperor, losing both wealth and future prospects.

But he did not truly care about these.

“Chief Minister, did such things happen?”

The Emperor turned to look at Ye Ze’an.

Ye Ze’an nodded: “Yes, this matter was indeed reported to the Cabinet.”

“Which Cabinet Minister handled this case at that time?”

The Emperor continued to inquire.

A Cabinet Minister immediately stepped forward from the line:

“Begging Your Majesty’s forgiveness, it was I who was responsible for handling this case.”

This person was named Duan Qi, a cabinet minister of the Zhi Ge Pavilion.

Since Shangguan Xiao was the Chief of the Martial Arts Hall in Xing City, and the deceased Zhang Zongyang was the Helmsman of the Zhi Ge General Hospital, the case was eventually handed over to the Zhi Ge Pavilion for handling after being reported to the Cabinet.

“Duan Qi.”

The Emperor recognized this Cabinet Minister, “How did you finally dispose of it?”

Duan Qi responded: “Your Majesty, the case involved an Inspector of a province and the survival of a Martial Arts Sect, as well as being linked to the establishment of a new university. I did not dare to decide alone, therefore I reported the case to the Chief Minister.

In the end, after the decision of the Chief Minister, the case was conclusive. Before Datong Prefecture could submit any new evidence, it was decided based on the outcome of Shangguan Xiao colluding with Western spies and conspiring against Zhang Zongyang.”

The Emperor looked back at Li Fei:

“Li Fei, did you hear that?”

Li Fei: “Your humble servant has heard.”

“Yet you still defy?”

The Emperor pressed on.

In an instant, an immense pressure like that of a mountain filled the Great Hall!

The Chief Minister personally decided, and the Central Cabinet officially ratified it—who would dare to defy?

Li Fei bowed and enunciated each word:

“Your humble servant believes that Shangguan Xiao would never betray the country nor conspire against her own father! The Crown Prince has pleaded on behalf of your humble servant, and I ask for no reward, only to request that the Cabinet re-examine this case!”

…

Around 11 PM, there will be another chapter.

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