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

A deep resentment and unwillingness flashed in the eyes of the Lady of Chengen.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

Then he glared at Shangguan Tang with resentment.

Ying Yufu immediately pointed at her and said, "Your Majesty, she seems dissatisfied. She glared at me just now, it was so scary!"

Empress: !

The Empress coldly glanced at Lady Xue, a fleeting ruthlessness flashing in her usually gentle and innocent eyes. "Lady Xue, do you still not know your mistake?"

Lady Chengen was so frightened that she dared not raise her head and said in a trembling voice, "This subject knows her mistake."

"Won't Lady Cheng'en apologize to the aggrieved party? Or am I not worthy?" Ying Yufu asked while wiping away her tears.

Lady Chengen: …………

She gritted her teeth and looked at Ying Yufu: "Miss Ying, it was my fault, please forgive me."

"Huh? What did you do wrong? Explain yourself, I can't hear you!" Ying Yufu said.

Lady Chengen swayed with anger, trembling uncontrollably. "I... I shouldn't have sent a concubine to disgrace Miss Ying's coming-of-age ceremony. It was my fault."

Ying Yufu chuckled softly: "Since you know you're wrong, then correct it properly in the future. As the sage said, 'To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue.'"

Lady Chengen was so angry she nearly exploded; her eyes were bloodshot.

Xue Lingyi glared resentfully at Ying Yufu, then quickly lowered her head, fearing she would be discovered as a troublemaker, and went with her maid to help her mother.

Just as the Earl of Chengen and her daughter were about to leave, the Crown Prince arrived.

He glanced at the scene with a smile.

"Huh, did I miss something exciting?"

He looked regretful.

"Is the Crown Prince here to attend my chrysanthemum appreciation banquet?" The Empress smiled gently and lovingly.

The crown prince smiled and nodded. "Yes, and not entirely."

"What, is there something else you want to do? Perhaps there's a girl you like here?" the Empress teased, but with a hint of probing.

The crown prince smiled and shook his head, saying, "I've come to convey my father's imperial edict—"

The Empress was startled.

They took the lead in kneeling down to receive the imperial edict.

The rest of the people also knelt down with a clatter.

The Crown Prince looked at the Lady of Cheng'en and said, "The Lady of Cheng'en has acted inappropriately, criticizing the Crown Prince and making irresponsible remarks about state affairs. Effective immediately, she shall be stripped of her hereditary earldom, demoted to a commoner, and exiled to Yunzhou, never to return."

Lady Chengen swayed, unable to support herself any longer, and knelt on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

She stared in disbelief in the direction of the crown prince, her eyes filled with despair.

She knew that the Crown Prince had complained to His Majesty.

The Crown Prince looked at her with pity: "Madam Fang, the imperial decree has arrived at the Ying residence. You should go back now, pack your things, and prepare for your whole family to be exiled."

Xue Lingyi stared blankly at the Crown Prince, her mind a complete blank.

"How could this be? How could this happen? Sister Ying clearly promised to help me..."

Suddenly, she saw the Second Prince and Ying Hengzhi walking towards her one after the other.

"Sister Ying!"

Xue Lingyi rushed forward and grabbed Ying Hengzhi's hand. "Sister Ying, didn't you promise me you would ask the Second Prince for help?"

Sister Ying, please help me! Please ask the Second Prince to help me!

Ying Hengzhi pushed her away abruptly, "Lingyi, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Guards, remove the Xue family from here!"

The Empress suddenly raised her voice.

Immediately, someone came over and pulled Xue Lingyi and Madam Xue away.

Ying Hengzhi's face showed undisguised astonishment, and her complexion was deathly pale.

She looked in the direction of her grandmother and mother, only to see that both of them looked very unwell.

The scene was very quiet.

Only the Crown Prince walked to his seat and said, "Mother, don't let some unimportant people spoil the mood. Isn't the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet about to begin?"

The Empress seemed shocked by what happened at the Chengen Marquis's residence, and her expression was not good.

She smiled and said, "Alright, let's begin the chrysanthemum appreciation feast."

In an instant, countless palace maids filed in, bringing out pots of exceptionally beautiful chrysanthemums.

The Empress looked at the Dowager Madam of the Duke of Zhenguo, "Old Madam, you are of such high status, please don't be angry anymore."

The old lady of the Duke of Zhenguo bowed slightly. "What the Empress says is very true."

She didn't say anything more.

Ying Yufu and Shangguan Tang also sat next to the old lady of the Duke of Zhenguo.

The second prince stared intently at Ying Yufu. He stepped forward, his tone slightly reproachful, "Fu'er, why are you sitting here?"

"Your Highness, is there anything inappropriate about me sitting next to my mother and maternal grandmother?"

Ying Yufu countered with a question.

"without……"

The second prince glanced at Ying Hengzhi, who looked at him with a wronged expression.

The second prince felt a pang of heartache and looked at Ying Yufu with disapproval in his eyes: "Fu'er, how can you sit here? Your cousin will feel bad if you do this."

ha?

Ying Yufu looked at her with an expression of utter disbelief.

"Your Highness, I'm sitting here because I'm allowed to. If you feel sorry for my cousin, then let her find a way to get past me!"

The Second Prince looked helpless: "Fu'er, come with me, I have something to tell you."

Ying Yufu glanced at his bandaged arm and smiled, "Second Prince, doesn't your arm hurt?"

The Second Prince is soft-hearted again. Fu'er cares about him so much; she really still loves him.

"Fu'er, I really have something to tell you..."

"Second brother, the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet has begun. Please go back to your seat."

The Crown Prince stepped forward, pushed the Second Prince aside, and sat down on the ground.

Second Prince: ?

The second prince stared wide-eyed at the crown prince.

When did the Crown Prince become so familiar with Ying Yufu?

He looked at Ying Yufu with a shocked expression.

Ying Yufu didn't even glance at him again.

The second prince left unwillingly, looking back as he went.

Then they saw the Crown Prince turn his head, move closer to Ying Yufu, and whisper something in her ear in a very intimate manner.

The second prince's expression changed instantly.

The Queen also saw this scene. She stared at them, as if she hadn't reacted.

The Crown Prince then said, "Miss Ying, Cang Mingze is hardly suitable as your male consort. What made you fall for him in the first place?"

Ying Yufu's face stiffened, and she said softly, "Your Highness, please don't expose my shortcomings. Although I did have poor eyesight before."

The Crown Prince couldn't help but laugh, but seeing Ying Yufu's anger and embarrassment, he quickly turned his face away.

Ying Yufu couldn't help but gasp; the Crown Prince was truly too handsome.

Her smile is especially striking.

It's a pity that such a handsome person was killed by a hail of arrows on the orders of that scoundrel Second Prince in the dream because of treason.

The Empress withdrew her gaze and said with a smile, "Thank you all for coming today. This is a special chrysanthemum wine made this year. Please have a taste."

Immediately, palace maids stepped forward to pour wine for everyone.

Shangguan Hong looked at the light amber-colored liquid in the glass and glanced at Ying Yufu.

Ying Yufu nodded slightly to him, "This is the cup."

Everyone raised their wine cups and said in unison, "To Her Majesty the Empress!"

Then, he drank the wine in his pocket.

Shangguan Hong silently uttered in his mind: Rebound!

Sitting next to the Empress, Duan Linglong suddenly felt a slight dizziness. She shook her head, thinking it was just because she couldn't hold her liquor.

The ladies put down their wine glasses, but Madam Cheng picked up another one.

She said, "The last cup was for Her Majesty the Empress. This cup is for Sister Shangguan."

Shangguan Tang immediately raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

What is Liu Wanxi up to?

Her intuition told her it wasn't a good thing.

Madam Cheng's eyes held a hint of malice. "Sister Shangguan, this cup of wine is for the marriage of our two families' children."

Forgive my bluntness, but your son is both crazy and stupid, and he's really not good enough for my Zhi'er.

Oh, Sister Shangguan, please don't be angry. You are also a mother, so you should be able to understand a mother's heart, right?

My Zhi'er is a princess, how could she marry a madman? Let's call off this marriage!

After saying that, she tilted her head back and finished the wine in her arms.