Inside the Golden Throne Room, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
The ministers knelt on the floor below, keeping as quiet as winter cicadas.
Senior Grand Secretary Lin, who knelt at the very front, was nearly seventy years old, yet his back remained perfectly straight.
A memorial was slammed fiercely onto the dragon desk, and the ministers below lowered their heads even further.
"Senior Grand Secretary Lin, you are a veteran of two reigns, and I have always respected you. But you banished the scholars I personally promoted to a barren wasteland. I would like to ask, does this empire belong to the Xiao family or the Lin family?"
Senior Grand Secretary Lin's face instantly turned pale, the tassels on his official hat trembling as he spoke. "Your Majesty, this old subject has no such intentions. It was the incompetence of those working below..."
"What a fine excuse of incompetence," the Emperor sneered. "I think the Senior Grand Secretary is getting old. Come see me again when your ears and eyes are clear."
Sweat seeped from Senior Grand Secretary Lin's forehead, and he stared wearily at the floor tiles before him.
The Emperor was finding the Lin family more and more of an eyesore. But as for A'wan...
The Emperor had rarely visited the Noble Consort lately, leaving her waiting in her palace every day.
Today, as soon as she heard the Emperor had finished court, she immediately brought soup over to him.
"Xiao He, do I look beautiful today?" the Noble Consort asked, looking at Xiao He with some nervousness.
Xiao He chuckled softly. "Your Highness, you are the most beautiful person in the palace every single day."
The Noble Consort blushed. "You always have a glib tongue."
But hearing Xiao He say this, she felt a bit more reassured.
Inside the Imperial Study, the scent of ambergris lingered. The Emperor did not look up, keeping his eyes on the memorial in his hands.
The Noble Consort stood to the side, carefully stirring the ginseng soup, stealing glances at the Emperor from time to time.
The Emperor suddenly set down the memorial and said softly, "My beloved Consort."
The Noble Consort's eyes lit up. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
The Emperor's tone was gentle. "Let me ask you, if a royal relative were to deceive their sovereign, how should they be punished according to the law?"
The Noble Consort put down the ginseng soup and immediately replied, "To answer Your Majesty, if there truly is such a wicked subject, they must be severely punished as a warning to others."
"A warning to others, indeed." The Emperor finally looked at her, his face devoid of any expression. "What if that person is Senior Grand Secretary Lin?"
The atmosphere in the Imperial Study instantly froze.
The Noble Consort's eyes widened in shock. She fell to her knees, tears instantly welling up.
The Emperor's expression now softened. He gently wiped the tears from her face. "Do not be afraid. Since he is your father, I can naturally give Senior Grand Secretary Lin one more chance. But there will not be a next time."
After returning to her bedchamber, the Noble Consort collapsed onto the soft couch, her tears flowing uncontrollably.
Xiao He watched her anxiously from the side. "Your Highness, do not be afraid. Xiao He will make a trip back to the estate right now. The Senior Grand Secretary is a cautious man; there must be some misunderstanding."
Trembling, the Noble Consort grabbed Xiao He's hand and nodded.
Where exactly had things gone wrong?
The Imperial Schoolroom.
The tutor was growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Third Prince. Because of the incident with the inkstone, the tutor had first been reprimanded by the Emperor, and then scolded by the Internal Affairs Department.
Watching the Third Prince constantly fooling around with his study companion, the tutor's face looked rather grim.
Consort Shu was ultimately not as favored as the Noble Consort, and the last time he saw the Emperor, he did not seem to dote on the Third Prince much either.
The Third Prince stood at his seat, stumbling through his recitation, sneaking glances at the tutor from time to time.
The tutor's face was frightfully grim. "Your Highness, you failed to recite this in front of the Emperor last time. What if His Majesty asks you to recite this piece again next time?"
His gaze lingered on Xiao Yanchen in the back. "Your performance lately has been even worse than the Seventh Prince's."
The Third Prince looked at the tutor in disbelief, and the other princes also wore surprised expressions.
It wasn't that they truly thought the Third Prince's studies were good before, but to say in front of everyone that an abandoned prince was doing better than him was a blatant slap in the face.
The Third Prince's face flushed bright red. He gripped his writing brush tightly and glared viciously at Xiao Yanchen in the back.
Xiao Yanchen kept his head down, touching the edge of his book, acting as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Lately, the tutor would say such things from time to time, causing the Third Prince to resent Xiao Yanchen more and more. He would often bring a group of people to block his way after school.
But today, the ones kept behind after school included not only Xiao Yanchen but also the Third Prince.
The Imperial Schoolroom was very quiet after school, with only the sound of turning pages and the Third Prince's crying.
"Hurry and find my mother, tell her to talk to the tutor."
"Go quickly!"
Xiao Yanchen quietly observed the Third Prince from a corner. His third brother had gotten even fatter since winter began. A few days ago, he saw him jumping around on the ice with a few attendants, almost falling in.
Unable to contain his anger, the Third Prince began to loudly curse the tutor in the schoolroom. He wasn't afraid of Xiao Yanchen reporting him at all.
Even if Xiao Yanchen went to tell the tutor, the tutor would protect him, not Xiao Yanchen.
Just then, the Third Prince saw Xiao Yanchen stand up stealthily, holding a bright yellow box in his hand.
The Third Prince immediately recognized it as an imperial item. It would be normal for anyone else to have it, but it was absolutely abnormal for Xiao Yanchen to possess it.
How could he be worthy!
The Third Prince suddenly had a bright idea. Instead of making a huge fuss like usual, he quietly followed him.
This Xiao Yanchen must have stolen it from somewhere. He was going to catch him red-handed!
Xiao Yanchen ran very hurriedly, accidentally dropping the item on the ground. He looked around nervously and frantically hid it on his person.
The Third Prince's eyes became even more certain.
This Xiao Yanchen had brought his thievery into the Imperial Schoolroom!
Panting, he followed him all the way to a dead forest covered in snow.
Snow covered the icy surface, and Xiao Yanchen ran at an uneven pace.
Finally, he ran near a cracked opening of flowing water, hid the bright yellow box behind a dead tree, and then ran off in another direction with a nervous look on his face.
The Third Prince's mind was completely focused on catching Xiao Yanchen red-handed, and he quickly ran over.
Just as he stepped onto that piece of thin ice.
"Crack—"
The world suddenly went quiet.
The freezing lake water pierced through his pores like steel needles, instantly draining the body heat from him.
His eyes bulged as if they were about to burst out, and his face was full of terror. Due to suffocation, his skin took on an eerie dark red hue.
He wanted to cry out for help, but his mouth was choked with ice water, and his throat couldn't stop making gurgling sounds.
Xiao Yanchen hid behind a tree, his nails digging into his palms, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. Only when he could no longer hear any sounds did he turn and leave.
He walked back to Ruhui Palace in a daze. He was very afraid, yet also very excited.
His third brother had bullied him so much; he should have done this long ago...
His footsteps crunched softly in the snow. Xiao Yanchen's heart pounded wildly, the thrill of revenge almost suffocating him.
He clenched his fists tightly, his breathing growing heavier, but he did not regret it. Even if given another chance, he would still do the exact same thing.
