I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Emperor Mingde sat on the dragon throne, his fingers unconsciously tracing the dragon patterns on the armrests. His face was ashen, his eyes sunken, and a bluish stubble appeared on his chin—this emperor, who always paid great attention to his appearance, had not had a proper rest for three days.

Ever since the news of Xiao Jingshi's disappearance arrived, he felt as if all his energy had been drained away. The pain of losing his son, the defeat in the southern border, the undercurrents in the capital... these things weighed on him like mountains, making it hard for him to breathe.

Your Highness, Grand Tutor Fu Yuanshan and Vice Minister of Revenue Wang Hai stood side by side, followed by seven or eight officials of varying ranks.

"Your Majesty, we have something to report."

Fu Yuanshan held an ivory tablet in his hand, his voice calm and measured, carrying the composure characteristic of an old minister.

"explain."

Emperor Mingde's voice was hoarse, and he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

"Your Majesty, rumors have been circulating in the capital recently, with many of them slandering His Highness the Crown Prince's reputation."

Fu Yuanshan sighed, a perfectly measured expression of grief and indignation appearing on his face.

"We, your subjects, are deeply saddened to hear this! His Highness the Crown Prince is the heir apparent of our Great Liang, a young hero who has rendered outstanding service to our Great Liang. This defeat in the southern border must have some hidden story, and we cannot allow such slander from petty villains!"

The officials behind him immediately chimed in:

"Yes, Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is by no means a coward who fears death!"

"We humbly request Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and deliver justice to Your Highness!"

Their interaction was seamless.

Under normal circumstances, Emperor Mingde might have nodded and said a few polite words like "Your subjects are very kind."

But at this moment, he merely raised his eyelids and glanced indifferently at the group of people below.

That look in his eyes was as cold as icicles in winter.

"That's very thoughtful."

His tone revealed neither joy nor anger.

"Besides donations, what other suggestions do you have?"

Fu Yuanshan and Wang Hai exchanged a glance.

coming.

"Your Majesty, we believe that with the nation in turmoil and the people filled with anxiety, the most urgent task is to stabilize the Crown Prince's palace in order to bring peace to the land."

Fu Yuanshan cleared his throat and continued speaking.

"Her Highness the Crown Princess is currently six months pregnant, and with this great upheaval, her grief and illness have taken a toll on her health. It is truly unwise for her to continue with the mundane affairs of the palace. If this continues, it may harm the imperial fetus, which would be an immeasurable loss for our Great Liang!"

He paused for a moment, then finally revealed his true purpose.

"Your Majesty, we earnestly request that you appoint a few reliable people in the Eastern Palace to share the affairs of the Eastern Palace, so as to ensure the safety of the imperial heir."

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of officials behind him knelt down in unison.

"We second that proposal!"

"We humbly request Your Majesty's permission!"

The entire hall was instantly filled with people kneeling down.

They thought their words were perfectly worded—they demonstrated loyalty, showed responsibility, and solved the royal family's "urgent problem."

The emperor had no reason to refuse.

However, what they received was not the emperor's delighted approval.

Instead, there was a deathly silence.

The silence was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe, as if the air itself had frozen.

Emperor Mingde sat on the dragon throne with his eyes lowered, and no one could see the expression on his face.

But the chill emanating from him made the temperature in the entire hall seem to drop to freezing point.

Fu Yuanshan knelt on the ground, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Not right.

Something's off.

Just as he was feeling uneasy—

"Snapped!"

A crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out!

Emperor Mingde slammed a jade inkstone into the ground in front of them!

The jade shattered into pieces, and fragments splashed onto Fu Yuanshan's official robe.

"What a wonderful way to share my burdens!"

Emperor Mingde suddenly stood up, his dragon robe billowing, his voice like thunder.

"What a wonderful way to stabilize the Crown Prince's palace!"

"My son! The Crown Prince of Great Liang! His fate is uncertain in the southern borderlands! You so-called pillars of the nation, instead of thinking about how to repel the enemy and bring peace to the people, are here plotting how to divide up his Eastern Palace!"

He walked down the steps one by one, each step feeling like a blow to everyone's hearts.

"Forming cliques for personal gain! They harbor wolfish ambitions!"

"Do you think I'm a fool? Do you think I can't see through your dirty thoughts?"

The emperor's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Fu Yuanshan and Wang Hai, who were kneeling below.

"What sharing of responsibilities? That sounds so noble! You just want to plant spies in the Eastern Palace, and even..."

He paused, his voice growing even colder.

"Outrageous!"

Fu Yuanshan and Wang Hai were so terrified by this sudden outburst of fury that they lay on the ground trembling like leaves.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We would rather die than accept such a thing!"

"Shut up!"

Emperor Mingde pointed at the palace gate and roared:

"I'm telling you! As long as the Crown Princess is alive, and as long as the imperial grandson in her womb is alive, no one can lay a finger on the Eastern Palace! Anyone who dares to mention this matter again, don't blame my blade for being ruthless!"

"Fu Yuanshan, as Grand Tutor, instead of teaching and guiding, he schemes and plots. He is hereby fined one year's salary and ordered to reflect on his actions in seclusion for three months!"

"Wang Hai, as the Vice Minister of Revenue, has failed in his duty and presumptuously discussed the foundations of the nation. He is hereby dismissed from his post and is under investigation, awaiting further judgment!"

"The rest of you will each be demoted one rank and have your salary deducted for six months!"

"Get out of here, all of you!"

The emperor's decrees were like death warrants, shattering the dreams of this group of people.

They scrambled out of the Qianqing Palace, their faces ashen.

Fu Yuanshan leaned against a pillar to stand up, his legs feeling weak.

He couldn't understand how this foolproof plan could have resulted in the emperor's wrath and his own disgrace.

He underestimated Emperor Mingde's fatherly affection for Xiao Jingshi, and also underestimated the emperor's decisiveness and shrewdness in the face of thunderous rage.

The news quickly spread throughout the capital.

Everyone was stunned by the emperor's tough stance.

Those forces that were originally stirring and trying to take advantage of the chaos immediately fell silent and dared not make any further moves.

The emperor declared his stance to everyone in the most direct and brutal way:

His son is not dead yet.

No one can touch his Eastern Palace!