"Hmph, bring me my court robes. I want to ask the Emperor how these rumors, which are detrimental to the Wen family, came from the palace!"

Wen Yi wasn't stupid. Leaving aside Helian Nie's ruthless methods, just his reputation for cruelty alone...

There's no way that rumors would spread in the palace out of nowhere.

Moreover, these are rumors that resemble royal secrets. Even if the palace servants had a lot of courage, they probably wouldn't dare to speak out of turn, let alone spread them so widely!

This must have involved Helian Nie's tacit approval, or perhaps it was Helian Nie's doing all along!

What is Helian Nie trying to do? Does he want to break ties with Wen Yi and the Wen family?!

He dares!

Thinking of this, Wen Yi's rugged, square face darkened. The reason he had helped Helian Nie ascend the throne in the first place...

It was only because he was slightly more intelligent than the crown prince at the time; most importantly, Helian Nie was isolated and helpless.

If I help him, who knows whose kingdom the Northern Yin Dynasty will be in the future?

He helped Helian Nie overthrow the crown prince so that one day, the Northern Yin Dynasty would become the domain of the Wen family.

To his utter surprise, Helian Nie, this seemingly isolated and helpless prince, possessed a level of cunning and strategic acumen far exceeding his control.

Unfortunately, by the time he realized it, it was too late. Helian Nie had already ascended the throne as emperor, and the other half of the military power had also fallen into Helian Nie's hands.

Over the years, Helian Nie has maintained a relatively polite demeanor towards him and the Wen family on the surface.

But he also knew in his heart that the half of the military power he held was being eyed covetously at all times.

Soon, the servants quickly brought Wen Yi's court robes, and Wen Yi changed into them.

The carriage to the palace was already waiting at the gate of the mansion. Wen Yi got into the carriage, and the carriage headed towards the palace.

...

Royal Palace

It was the time for court to begin, and the carriages of the officials and ministers gradually stopped at the palace gates. Then, the officials exchanged greetings in small groups.

The rumors spread like wildfire among the common people, and naturally, even the officials were not spared, given that this concerned the general and the imperial concubine.

And so, the topic of conversation among the officials right now is the very one that has been circulating since yesterday.

Wen Yi was already seething with anger, and it was bad enough that he was just listening to the people's opinions at home, but now he was hearing rumors about his own Wen family from his colleagues.

His anger burned even more fiercely, and he let out a heavy, cold snort.

On his rugged face, his tiger-like eyes glared fiercely at the gossipy ministers.

The ministers hadn't actually seen Wen Yi, which was why they were whispering amongst themselves. They were startled when Wen Yi suddenly spoke up.

Being glared at so fiercely by Wen Yi made him even more terrified, and his soul seemed to leave his body.

Terrified, his expression was no better. He greeted Wen Yi with a trembling bow, his lips shaking as he spoke.

"General."

Wen Yi merely glanced coldly at the ministers before turning to leave, thinking them nothing more than insignificant upstarts.

But just as Wen Yi lifted his foot, a carefree voice rang out behind him.

"Oh, isn't this the General? Why does the General seem so angry today?"

"Ah, that's true. After all, the stories of ordinary people are so vivid and interesting that it's understandable for a general to get angry. It's only human nature, and I, the Prime Minister, understand!"