Jiang Fengyuan heard this and was immediately displeased.

“My daughter has no ancestors to begin with. How is this nonsense?”

“You—!” Duke An was so furious he nearly fainted.

No ancestors? Then what was he? What was the ancestral hall of the An family?

“Enough,” the Emperor finally spoke, knowing that if he didn’t, the two families would continue to argue.

The court ministers fell silent like chickens.

The Emperor waved at Jiang Yuanxi. “Yuanxi, come here.”

The ministers’ minds spun rapidly.

What was going on? The Emperor was summoning a mere toddler?

Jiang Yuanxi huffed and puffed as she struggled to climb up. Seeing this, the Emperor personally stepped down and picked her up in his arms.

He weighed her in his hands.

“Hmm, little one, you’ve… slimmed down again.”

The Emperor forcibly swallowed the word “fat.”

Jiang Fengyuan frowned deeply.

What was the Emperor playing at now?

His daughter had clearly gained three pounds!

Duke Han was even more surprised.

“What is Yuanxi’s relationship with the Emperor?” he asked.

Jiang Fengyuan shook his head. “I don’t know either.”

They had been discussing the matter for so long, yet the Emperor had not agreed to reopen the corruption case against the Chen family.

Jiang Fengyuan was growing anxious.

[Why is Father still kneeling on the ground? Has he not succeeded in overturning the Chen family’s case?]

Jiang Yuanxi glanced at the Emperor.

The Emperor coughed lightly.

“Since there are still doubts about this case, I will order Minister of Justice Li Wenbo to investigate it further.”

Jiang Fengyuan was overjoyed. “Your Majesty is wise and just! The Chen family will surely be exonerated!”

Duke An’s expression changed drastically.

The Emperor had yielded.

“Your Majesty, the Chen family’s case was settled long ago. If we reopen it, it will be difficult!” Duke An pleaded.

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” Deputy Minister of War Hong Bokai agreed.

“Those involved have already been severely punished. It is not enough to overturn the case based on a few words from Jiang Fengyuan.”

“Moreover, Jiang Fengyuan was expelled from the An family clan. His character is questionable. Who knows if he’s telling the truth?”

The evidence was clear, yet these old officials still opposed the investigation.

The only explanation was that they were retaliating against the Jiang family.

Jiang Yuanxi angrily walked up to Hong Bokai.

“You took your wife’s money to support a mistress. You will be punished—this life, you will only have one son!”

“Nonsense!”

He had three sons and two daughters. Just last year, his mistress’s son had gotten married, and he had even welcomed a grandson.

Many envied him for having such a large and prosperous family at his age.

A minister whispered, “A few days ago, Minister Hong’s wife took their son and returned to her family. Minister Hong immediately brought his mistress into the house. Madam Hong then sent him a divorce letter and left with their son.”

“They’ve already divorced? How come I didn’t hear about it?” another official asked.

“She wasn’t divorced—she divorced him!”

Hong Bokai’s face darkened with rage.

That wretched woman had taken their son and left him, even giving him a divorce letter.

She had trampled his dignity into the ground.

But he still had a full house of children and grandchildren. He wanted to see how that wretched woman would survive without him.

Jiang Yuanxi put her hands on her hips and pouted.

“No, you only have one son—the one your legitimate wife gave birth to.”

A minister whispered, “Little girl, don’t spout nonsense. Our Deputy Minister has three sons and two daughters, all very filial.”

“Hahaha.” Jiang Yuanxi covered her belly and laughed.

“The children born from your mistress—they’re not yours!”

Jiang Yuanxi walked over and pulled an official out from the crowd.

“They belong to him!”

Hong Bokai’s face crumbled.

“You ignorant child!”

“Isn’t this man Hong Bokai’s student?” Duke Han asked.

A student sleeping with his teacher’s wife—if this was true, even the ancestors of the Hong family would rise from their graves.

The official Jiang Yuanxi had pointed at panicked.

“Little girl, you can’t just say things like that!” he protested.

“I’m not making things up. You have a heart-shaped birthmark on your shoulder. His son and grandson have it too—but he doesn’t!”

The solemn court turned into a gossip theater.

The Emperor did not stop the spectacle; in fact, he was enjoying it.

“Teacher, you must believe me! Don’t listen to a child!” the accused man pleaded.

Hong Bokai’s face twisted in shock, losing all composure.

Because it was true—his illegitimate children, even his grandson, all had that birthmark.

Zhou Qun, one of the ministers, was too curious. He covered his face with his sleeve and whispered, “Then show us your shoulder!”

Hong Bokai turned to his student. “Take off your clothes!”

The student refused, but a few others quickly grabbed him and yanked his robe down from his shoulder.

Good heavens.

A heart-shaped birthmark.

Jiang Yuanxi spread her hands. “See? I wasn’t lying.”

Hong Bokai was so furious he nearly collapsed. Officials rushed to support him.

He had spent years investing in his illegitimate children, only to find out they weren’t his at all.

Blood surged to his head.

[Poor old man, raising another man’s entire family.]

Jiang Yuanxi suddenly felt a little sympathetic.

The Chen family case had nothing to do with him.

Aside from keeping a mistress and having bad character, he had at least been diligent in his duties as an official.

“I have good news for you,” she added.

“You do have a son—your legitimate wife’s son. Don’t worry, he is really yours.”

Hong Bokai fainted on the spot.

Jiang Yuanxi quickly took a few steps back.

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t touch him!” Why were old men always collapsing on her?

Jiang Yuansheng chuckled and picked up his sister.

“Just a few days ago, Hong Bokai gave his wife a divorce letter. Furious, she took their son and left.”

[Wow, that’s tragic.]

“So he’s going extinct.”

Jiang Yuansheng opened his mouth but couldn’t refute it.

Something about what she said felt off, but he couldn’t figure out what.

“Summon the imperial physician!” the Emperor ordered. Even though this was court, he had to take care of his officials.

The physician rushed in with his medical kit. A silver needle prick later, Hong Bokai finally opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the toddler grinning at him.

Hong Bokai wanted to cry.

“Your Majesty, I have been wronged!”

Hong Bokai scrambled up and sat on the floor, wailing.

The Emperor knew exactly what he meant.

“Guards, take that treacherous student away!”

The imperial guards came in and dragged the man out.

“I will grant you three days off. Settle your affairs before returning,” the Emperor said, tired of hearing a grown man cry.

Hong Bokai quickly grabbed his official hat and ran off.

The ministers stood at the door, watching.

They really wanted to follow him and see the drama unfold.

The Emperor’s voice rang out. “That settles it. The Chen family’s case will be reopened.”

He had enjoyed enough gossip, and the matter was handled.

This court session was truly one of a kind.

If only he could bring Yuanxi to court every day.

But Yuanxi had no official status.

The old ministers would surely object.

The Emperor sighed.

Duke An: “Your Majesty, I object!”

The Emperor waved his hand. “Objection overruled. Court dismissed!”

He carried Jiang Yuanxi out of the hall without looking back.

Duke Han waited for Duke An outside.

“Did you see who the Emperor was holding?”

Duke An glared. “Stay out of the Chen family’s affairs.”

Duke Han smirked. “That’s my granddaughter, officially recorded in the family register.”

Duke An gritted his teeth. “Jiang Yuanxi bears the Jiang surname!”

Duke Han chuckled. “Yes, yes, but she was removed from your records. What a pity. This honor will never be yours.”

With a flick of his robes, Duke Han strode away.

Other officials bolted like rabbits.

Jiang Yuansheng stopped his father. “Father, why are we running?”

Jiang Fengyuan looked around sneakily. “To watch the drama at the Minister’s house! If I don’t hurry, all the good spots will be taken!”

Jiang Yuansheng: “…”