Forcing me to become a concubine? Remarrying the Ninth Prince, she'll be pregnant all over the

Lin Wantang was startled and quickly lowered her head: "Princess, please forgive me, I was unaware."

"What are you wearing on your head?!"

Yong'an had been looking for trouble with her, but unexpectedly, the hair ornament on Lin Wantang's head gave her the opportunity. She suddenly stood up, grabbed a teacup, and smashed it hard on Lin Wantang's head.

Out of courtesy, Lin Wantang could not avoid it.

Struck squarely on the forehead by the teacup, feeling the warm blood flowing, Lin Wantang could only grit her teeth and endure the pain, bowing her head and saying, "Princess, please calm your anger. I truly do not know how I offended you. I beg you to tell me."

Not to mention Lin Wantang, even Lin Qinglian sitting next to Yong'an, and even the Princess Consort Yu and others in the seats to the side, were completely baffled.

"You still don't know? Do I, the princess, have to spell it out for you!"

Yong'an vented his emotions on his own, and his face looked terrible.

Lin Wantang remained silent while lying on the ground, and all the questioning gazes turned to Lin Qinglian.

As sisters, Lin Qinglian couldn't very well stir up trouble at this moment, so she quickly got up and tried to pull Yong'an aside: "Princess, what's wrong? Not to mention my sister, even I don't understand. Why are you angry?"

"Why?" Yong'an almost laughed in anger, then pointed to the hair ornament on Lin Wantang's headdress: "Look what she's wearing! A headdress made of Dongling jade, that's what she's wearing too!"

At this point, everyone suddenly realized what was going on.

Dongling jade, produced in the Lingnan region, has always been a tribute item for those with excellent quality and clarity. The emperor would also have his concubines select and distribute it to relatives and nobles. Logically speaking, it was not a rare item in the capital.

However, ten years ago, a major rebellion occurred in Lingnan, which was also related to the old party of the previous dynasty. Among those involved was Yong'an's mother, who was from Lingnan. During the investigation and suppression at that time, the rebels used a jade seal made of jade from Dongling.

Yong'an's mother insisted that she had nothing to do with the matter and that the Lingnan tribes had no intention of rebelling. She requested that the prince submit a memorial to the emperor to remonstrate with him. In order to persuade the emperor not to send troops to massacre his people, she hanged herself to prove her innocence.

Yong'an's father was imprisoned as a result. However, after months of investigation, the case was found to have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the destruction of the Dongling Jade Mine. It turned out to be a misunderstanding, and only a few petty people were found to have ulterior motives. The Lingnan tribe and the queen were innocent.

The emperor realized that his actions were too extreme. Feeling ashamed and guilty, he not only released the old prince but also doted on Yong'an. At that time, Yong'an was less than five years old. Looking at the few remaining pieces of Dongling jade, he cried and missed his mother.

The emperor, moved by her sentiments, immediately comforted her, saying, "Don't cry. I will issue an edict to collect all the remaining Dongling jade in the market and bestow it upon you. From now on, all Dongling jade will belong to you, and no one else is allowed to use it, nor will I allow them to!"

This is a special blessing, and also the last vestige of Yong'an's longing for the past.

Therefore, from then on, no one in the vast capital city, or even across the four corners of the world, dared to privately possess the jade from the Eastern Mausoleum, nor could they wear or use it. Just as if it were a name that clashed with the emperor's, it had to be changed, and no one could break the taboo.

Everyone remembered these things, and it was no wonder that Yong'an suddenly lost his temper. They all looked at Lin Wantang with pity, sympathy, and even mocking looks.

Lin Wantang also recalled the Lingnan injustice her father had mentioned, took a deep breath, and said, "Princess, the head ornament I am wearing is made of jade from Chenzhou, simple and common, not from Dongling..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yong'an angrily interrupted him: "Shut up! You dare to argue!"

"If I say you're wearing aventurine jade, then it's aventurine jade. Do you think I'm so blind as to mistake it? You're clearly up to no good, deliberately trying to annoy me!"

"Please calm your anger, Your Highness. I truly dared not offend you..."

"I told you to shut up, didn't you hear me!" Yong'an wouldn't listen to anything, and regardless of whether it was just a random outburst, she didn't want to waste any more time finding fault, so she went all in: "Guards! Slap her!"

Haitang, who was prepared, hurriedly stepped forward to respond, and was also accompanied by a robust old woman. After bowing to Yong'an, the woman turned and walked towards Lin Wantang, and without saying a word, slapped her across the face!

With all his might, he struck Lin Wantang so hard that she saw stars and felt an excruciating, burning pain.

"Miss!"

Chunhen and Qiuying panicked. Chunhen stepped forward to take the beating in Lin Wantang's place, while Qiuying crawled on her knees toward Yong'an, pleading, "Princess, please calm down! Princess, have mercy..."

Haitang pulled Qiuying away and had the palace maids block Chunhen again, allowing the old woman to slap Lin Wantang hard. Yong'an watched from the side, feeling happy, but in a short while, he saw blood spilling from the corner of Lin Wantang's mouth, looking extremely pitiful.

Bloodshed was forbidden in the palace. Although Yong'an wanted to make Lin Wantang suffer more, he couldn't be too domineering due to his status and risk gossip. So he said, "That's enough!"

The nanny stopped, and Lin Wantang, unable to support herself, fell gracefully to the ground.

"Lin Wantang, you first violated my taboos, and then your intentions were dishonest. I heard that last month you made a fool of yourself by dissatisfying the Emperor's arranged marriage, disgracing the noble ladies of our dynasty. Today, for all your crimes, I will show you what rules are and what is beyond the law!"

Lin Wantang forced herself to kneel down again. She couldn't refute the accusation, and although it was unusual, she could only endure it.

"This humble woman knows her crime and thanks the princess for the reward and punishment."

Yong'an smiled contentedly and glanced outside the hall: "It's too hot in this hall, making people restless. Lin Wantang, I'll explain your mistake to you later. Go out and cool off first."

"Yes."

Lin Wantang was finally able to get up, but she had to endure the burning pain on her cheek, wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, bow and step back, and then stride out of the hall.

The so-called "cooling off" was not simply making her stand and wait, but rather forcing her to kneel as punishment.

Lin Wantang walked down the steps, lifted her long skirt with one hand, straightened her back, and knelt down with her knees bent.

As winter approached and the weather turned cold, the bluestone ground was even colder, the chill was biting, and clothing could not keep out the cold at all. The bone-chilling cold made Lin Wantang shiver all over and her face turn pale.

"Miss……"

Chunhen and Qiuying rushed over, extremely anxious: "What should we do? The princess is clearly deliberately making things difficult for us, fabricating something out of nothing and refusing to listen to Miss's explanation! This hair ornament is clearly not Dongling jade!"

"Miss, let me go find the master!" Qiu Ying said hurriedly.

Lin Wantang looked at the eunuchs and palace maids waiting outside the hall, countless eyes fixed on them, and she quickly shook her head slightly: "No!"

"This is nothing, how could it possibly alarm the Commander? You mustn't break the rules!"

After the reprimand, Lin Wantang pushed the two away again: "Don't stay here and get punished with me. Just go outside the palace and find a warmer place to wait for me..."

Before she could finish speaking, a bucket of cold water was suddenly poured over her, drenching Lin Wantang and her two maids completely before they could react!