Father, who is both a heir and a descendant, is still biased; the bound system has gone berserk.

In the palace, Emperor Cangxuan was furious. The Empress and Consort Xian, the birth mother of the Third Prince, knelt below him, while the Third Prince also knelt to the side.

"Mingyou, tell me, what exactly happened? Why were Mingze's two concubines on the moat?"

Both the Empress and Consort Xian looked terrified.

Cang Mingyou was filled with bitterness. He honestly replied, "Your Majesty, I was on a pleasure boat with some colleagues and students from the Imperial Academy when we suddenly heard someone shouting that someone was going to jump into the river."

At first, only one person was about to jump into the river, but then suddenly two people fell in.

Your Majesty then sent guards out to rescue them. Once they were rescued, it was discovered that both of them were concubines from your Second Imperial Brother's residence.

"Father, this matter has nothing to do with me. I just happened to save two people who had fallen into the water."

Emperor Cangxuan withdrew his gaze, looked at the Empress, and sneered: "Empress, as the Empress, it is your duty to govern the inner palace."

Now, the concubines in the prince's residence are jumping into the river and miscarrying, making it known to everyone in the city. The prince's harem is in turmoil; it's a laughingstock for the royal family, a disgrace. You, as the head of the six palaces, have failed in your duty and neglected your responsibilities.

The Empress closed her eyes briefly, concealing the emotions within them.

Emperor Cangxuan continued, "From this day forward, you shall rectify palace rules, harmonize the inner palace, and restrain your family. If a similar incident occurs again, you will no longer be empress!"

Empress: "..."

The color drained from the Empress's face; His Majesty had uttered such harsh words.

Does His Majesty intend to depose the Empress?

Emperor Cangxuan didn't care what she was thinking and looked at Consort Xian again.

When Consort Xian saw the Emperor's stern gaze sweep over her, she immediately became nervous. Was His Majesty going to scold her again?

"Your Majesty, Mingyou is truly innocent. Otherwise, I will forbid him from going on the pleasure boats anymore. Going on pleasure boats is wrong..."

Cang Mingyou: "?"

Cang Mingyou looked at his mother, his face full of grievance.

"Mother, I was just enjoying the scenery on the pleasure boat, nothing else! We also used our free time to discuss official business. After all, we need to balance work and rest, so there's nothing wrong with taking a pleasure boat ride..."

Cang Mingyou couldn't help but defend himself.

Consort Xian glared fiercely at Cang Mingyou. How dare you speak? Shut up!

Cang Mingyou lowered his head.

Emperor Cangxuan's lips twitched. "Alright, Mingyou was also caught in an undeserved disaster. He saved people and deserves praise."

Consort Xian's face immediately lit up with joy.

Cang Mingyou shouted even louder, "Thank you, Father Emperor!"

Emperor Cangxuan nodded and said, "With the year-end approaching, affairs are busy. Consort Xian, from today onwards, you will assist the Empress in handling all matters without fail."

Consort Xian's eyebrows immediately lit up, "Yes, Your Majesty."

His Majesty is trying to give her some of the Empress's power.

Compared to Consort Xian's joy, the Empress's expression was extremely unpleasant.

This is the first time in so many years that her power as empress has been threatened.

At this moment, the Empress hated Duan Linglong and Ying Hengzhi to the core.

Meanwhile, Duan Linglong and Ying Hengzhi were sent back to the Second Prince's residence, and the Empress assigned four tutors to look after them.

Duan Linglong's maid, Xuan'er, was also beaten and is now unconscious.

Although Cuiyu did not go out with Ying Hengzhi, she was still punished for failing to serve her mistress properly.

Ying Hengzhi lay on the bed like a dead fish, her eyes lifeless: "Brother Ba, how did things turn out like this?"

[Host, you're asking me? Who should I ask?] 008 was also quite speechless.

"Am I incompatible with Cang Mingyou? How do I look like a female ghost? How do I look like one?" Ying Hengzhi said, sobbing.

She cried from anger.

Meanwhile, at Linlang Pavilion, Duan Linglong is still unconscious due to a miscarriage.

She had a dream in which the person who ate the "divine poison" at the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet was not her, but Shangguan Hong.

Shangguan Hong was publicly humiliated, his reputation was ruined, and later the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was destroyed, and Shangguan Hong died.

Although she did not marry the second prince, the Duan family rose in status due to Cang Mingze's ascension to the throne, and she married the unassuming heir of the Lin State Duke's mansion, becoming the heir's wife.

Later, when the emperor and empress Cang Mingze and Ying Hengzhi had an accident, Bei Xuan was inherited by Cang Mingyou, but the Lin State Duke's Mansion still stood firm. She lived a peaceful and smooth life with both a son and a daughter, from the wife of the heir apparent to the old lady of the Lin State Duke's Mansion.

Duan Linglong opened her eyes, drenched in sweat. The world spun before her eyes, and she was covered in sweat. When she threw off the covers, she shivered from the cold.

"Xuan'er..."

Xuan'er was not there; the one who responded to her was another maid who usually took care of sweeping and cleaning.

She asked, "Where is Xuan'er?"

The maid said, "Sister Xuan'er was beaten and is still unconscious."

Duan Linglong slumped back onto the bed, tears silently streaming down her face.

Where exactly did things go wrong? How did her fate, and the fate of the Duan family, turn out like this?

It seems it all started when she plotted against Shangguan Hong...

That cup of divine chaos should have been drunk by Shangguan Hong. Her father's embezzlement of government silver would not have been discovered, and the Duan family would not have been destroyed...

The dream she had just had was so beautiful that it made her feel unreal about the broken reality she was in now, and Duan Linglong fainted again in pain.

……

The news of what happened on the moat quickly reached the ears of the Crown Prince and Ying Yufu.

The crown prince sighed, "Alas, such a lively scene, and I actually missed it!"

He looked regretful for missing out on three million taels of silver.

Ying Yufu was also quite disappointed.

Minghuang glanced at the two of them, her brows furrowed with helplessness.

These two, when they get together, they always flock to wherever there's excitement.

With those two around in Beixuan, things are definitely going to get lively.

Having missed the excitement on the moat, Ying Yufu was still curious about how Princess Minghuang had become the peerless female general.

"Princess Minghuang... how did you become Sister Wushuang?"

Ying Yufu couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Minghuang could no longer hide it, and said with a helpless smile, "This all started when my face was burned by the fire."

"Back then, my face was ruined. My father summoned countless famous doctors from all over the country, but none of them could cure my face."

When I was seven years old, I was playing outside one day when someone ripped off my face mask, and my face was exposed.

I was treated like a monster; I was not only mocked, but also hit with things.

I could only cover my face and run back to the palace, hide and cry, and dare not see anyone again.

Just then, my father came to visit me. Seeing that I was crying so sadly, he asked me what had happened.

I told him the whole story, and after he listened, my father stroked my head and said to me that my face was not scary at all, but that those people were ignorant and vulgar.

I naturally didn't believe it, but my father told me that in addition to a good-looking face, a person also needs talent and ability. Compared to a good-looking face, talent and ability are more likely to win people's hearts and minds.

I then asked my father how I could become a talented and capable person. After thinking for a while, my father led me to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

He had me wear a mask and, under another identity, learn martial arts, literary skills, and military command from the Duke of Zhenguo.

A faint smile appeared on Minghuang's face, her eyes sparkling.

There was not a trace of the gloom brought about by her past disfigurement in her eyes.

Ying Yufu stared wide-eyed in shock, "Grandfather?"

His Majesty actually handed Princess Minghuang over to her maternal grandfather!

Minghuang smiled and said, "My father said I am the most unique princess, so I have another name, Wushuang (Peerless)."