Within half a day, Concubine Jiang reported to the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, you must seek justice for me!”

Concubine Jiang, naturally charming, now played the role of a delicate and helpless beauty.

The Emperor had always been weak to such displays.

“What happened, my dear? Who has wronged you? I will make them pay!” The Emperor pinched her cheek affectionately.

Concubine Jiang wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Someone has beaten our Shen’er! Your Majesty must punish them severely!”

What?!

Someone dared to strike a royal prince in the capital?

Eunuch Cao’s heart trembled—wasn’t this like throwing an egg at a rock? Who would be so blind?

The Emperor’s face darkened, and he clapped his hands together. “Who has such audacity to lay a hand on my son?”

Concubine Jiang’s lips curled slightly—she knew the Emperor would take her side.

“It was your General Jiang Fengyuan! He beat our Shen’er so badly that he cannot even get out of bed. The imperial physician said he suffered internal injuries and three broken ribs. He must rest for a month! He was nearly beaten to death!” Concubine Jiang sobbed in the Emperor’s arms.

The Emperor was furious but then paused to think—if Shen’er had been beaten, why was the Crown Prince so quiet?

“Cao Cheng, summon the Crown Prince!”

“Your son greets Father.” The Crown Prince saluted respectfully.

The Emperor scrutinized him—completely unharmed.

So what had happened to Shen’er?

“Crown Prince, the Concubine says Jiang Fengyuan beat my Shen’er. Is this true?” The Emperor’s tone grew cold.

If it was true, Jiang Fengyuan had no regard for imperial authority.

That was unacceptable.

He had already granted Jiang Fengyuan great honor for his service in fighting the Xiongnu.

But if Jiang harbored any rebellious thoughts, the Emperor would not hesitate to eliminate him in advance.

The Crown Prince hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, “Father, Jiang Fengyuan did not hit my second brother.”

“Impossible!” Concubine Jiang’s head shot up. “Shen’er left completely fine but returned covered in wounds! His attendants said it was Jiang Fengyuan who struck him!”

The Crown Prince was clearly siding with Jiang Fengyuan! Was he trying to get rid of her son?

Concubine Jiang glared venomously at the Crown Prince and turned back to the Emperor, weeping.

“Your Majesty, Shen’er is innocent! Please give him justice!”

“What exactly happened?”

The Crown Prince hesitated, then decided to tell the truth. “It was Yuanxi who did it.” His words were rushed, but the Emperor still caught them.

“Who?”

Eunuch Cao repeated, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince said it was Jiang Yuanxi who did it.”

The Crown Prince sighed.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell the truth—it was just that few would believe it.

“Father, it was indeed Yuanxi. And…” The Crown Prince’s voice grew quieter. “I have taken Yuanxi as my teacher.”

The Emperor: “…”

Surely, this was a joke?

The mention of Jiang Yuanxi changed the Emperor’s attitude. He did not want Concubine Jiang to hear the rest.

“Leave us.”

“Your Majesty,” Concubine Jiang pouted.

The Emperor gave her a cold look.

She had no choice but to withdraw.

She had survived this long in the palace because she knew how to read the Emperor’s moods.

Unlike that woman, who had been far too stubborn.

Still, the Emperor was more willing to trust the Crown Prince over her.

Concubine Jiang’s eyes flashed coldly—she needed to make arrangements sooner rather than later.

This was not the first time the Jiang family had been an obstacle.

Her son had been hurt because of them, and even Qian Tong’s recent troubles were tied to them. Just days ago, Qian Rou had entered the palace to complain—also because of them.

It seemed…

This family had to go.

Inside the hall, the Emperor listened as the Crown Prince explained the full story.

“Outrageous!”

“As a prince, how dare he disrespect a court official? Who gave him such arrogance? And he even wanted to kill Yuanxi? Unforgivable!”

“Cao Cheng, send word—he is to reflect on his actions at home for two months!”

The Crown Prince added, “Father, Second Brother disrespected the Jiang family. If no action is taken, Minister Jiang may lose faith in you.”

His brother had gone too far.

If not for Yuanxi’s skills, Minister Jiang might have been mourning his daughter’s death by now.

The Emperor calmed down. “You are right.”

The next day, upon receiving the imperial decree, Jiang Fengyuan frowned deeply.

Holding his daughter in his arms, he walked along the palace path, already preparing for the worst.

“Yuanxi, listen to your mother from now on. Don’t make her angry. Help her with work, alright?”

“Got it, got it,” Yuanxi replied.

[Why is Father talking so much today?] she wondered.

And why was he crying more than she ever had?

Most importantly—he was wiping his tears on her sleeve!

Now her arm was cold and damp.

[Anyone who saw this would think Father was giving his last words.]

Jiang Fengyuan sobbed even harder.

“Your Majesty, I was the one who gravely injured the Second Prince. Please punish me!” Jiang Fengyuan dropped to his knees.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuanxi copied her father and flopped onto the ground as well.

Then, she secretly pulled out the grapes her mother had given her. Due to her sudden movement, the grapes had been crushed in her pocket.

She sighed and sat up, pulling out the squished grapes one by one.

[Oh no, my dress is ruined.]

[Ugh, so sticky. This is all Father’s fault.]

Jiang Fengyuan’s carefully built sorrow vanished completely.

The Emperor coughed. “Rise, my loyal subject.”

“Someone, bring Yuanxi a new outfit!”

Soon, Jiang Yuanxi returned in a pink palace dress.

“Yuanxi, come here, dear. Uncle has big grapes for you,” the usually cold Emperor suddenly grinned, trying to coax the child.

Eunuch Cao was stunned.

He had never seen the Emperor treat any child like this—not even his own princes and princesses.

Even the Crown Prince, raised personally by the Emperor, had never received such affection.

Without hesitation, Jiang Yuanxi climbed onto the dragon throne, then stepped onto the Emperor’s desk.

Eunuch Cao and Jiang Fengyuan gasped.

Stepping on the dragon throne?!

This was a crime punishable by death!

Eunuch Cao: The Jiang family is doomed!

Jiang Fengyuan’s heart sank. If this is treason, then at least I’ll take those dogs from An Guo Gong’s estate down with me!

But to their shock, the Emperor simply picked up Jiang Yuanxi and placed her on a stack of memorials.

Then he held up a plate of fruit.

“Here, Uncle will feed you.”

The Emperor smiled. “Yuanxi, tell Uncle—did you beat the Second Prince?”

Jiang Fengyuan panicked.

The Emperor was trying to coax her into confessing before punishing her!

“Your Majesty, it was my doing alone! Yuanxi knows nothing!”

“I did it,” Jiang Yuanxi said, puffing her chest proudly.

[That weakling was no match for me. One sword strike sent him flying! How dare he bully my father? He should have asked if I agreed first!]

Jiang Fengyuan: …

He had forgotten to prepare Yuanxi with an alibi. Now he regretted it terribly.

“Good! Well done!” The Emperor laughed. “That brat needed a lesson.”

Jiang Fengyuan: …What kind of game is the Emperor playing?

He could no longer understand him at all.

Jiang Yuanxi nodded eagerly.

Not only should he have been beaten—he should have been beaten to death.