Vice Minister Shao knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head as he sobbed, "Your Majesty, this matter is of grave importance. Even if you gave me a hundred times the courage, I wouldn’t dare slander the Duke of State Protection!"
Seeing the situation turn tense, Eunuch Huang quickly interjected, "Your Majesty, the Duke of State Protection has always doted on you. It’s unlikely he would do such a thing. Perhaps there’s some hidden circumstance we don’t yet understand?"
Vice Minister Shao remained kneeling in silence, his body trembling.
The Little Demon King closed his eyes, slowly steadying his breathing. He reminded himself: Stay calm. Deal with things one at a time. Don’t let anger cloud your judgment, or you’ll make an irreversible mistake.
"You may withdraw. Summon the Duke of State Protection."
"Yes, yes. This humble servant takes his leave."
As soon as Vice Minister Shao left, Jin Cheng slumped into a chair by the desk, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He wanted the truth—yet feared it.
The more he understood Luo Jingfeng, the more he realized how deeply this man cared for him. Luo Jingfeng might be hot-tempered, blunt, and extreme in his actions, but he always considered Jin Cheng’s feelings and made countless concessions for him.
This arrogant, battle-hardened uncle truly loved him.
So it couldn’t be true.
It had to be a lie…
"The Duke of State Protection has arrived."
The moment Luo Jingfeng entered, he saw his nephew sitting on the cold palace steps. Without even bothering with formalities, he rushed over and crouched down, asking urgently, "Cheng’er, what’s wrong?"
His uncle’s voice was as tender as ever, as if Jin Cheng really was his most precious treasure.
Jin Cheng looked up, his eyes red. "Uncle."
"I’m here!" Luo Jingfeng reached out to pull him up, his voice thick with concern. "Get up. The ground is too cold—sitting too long will make you sick."
The Little Demon King pushed his hand away and asked quietly, "Those troublemaking scholars who failed the exams—they were killed by General Xiaofeng, weren’t they?"
Luo Jingfeng paused. "Yes."
Chu Jincheng’s gaze flickered. "And it was you who ordered him to execute them publicly, wasn’t it?"
Again, Luo Jingfeng answered, "Yes."
Jin Cheng’s voice cracked. "Those scholars committed no other crimes. They had no hidden allegiances. Their only offense was questioning and insulting me—wasn’t it?"
Luo Jingfeng hesitated briefly before replying, "Yes."
Three questions. Three confirmations.
No one had falsely accused Luo Jingfeng.
This was his doing.
The Little Demon King was both bewildered and heartbroken. Choking back tears, he demanded, "Why? I already had their exam papers publicly displayed. Why did you still kill them? Why, Uncle?"
He didn’t understand, so he needed an explanation.
He wanted to know what his uncle was thinking—how he could claim to love him while trampling over his principles and acting in direct opposition to his beliefs.
What did Luo Jingfeng even see him as—an emperor, or a puppet?
Luo Jingfeng met his gaze steadily, softening his tone as he explained patiently, "Cheng’er, your method worked, but it was too lenient. This unrest may have been quelled, but there will be more. Can you guarantee you’ll have such a neat solution next time? You’re still young. You don’t yet understand how different ruling an empire is from taking the imperial exams. You think this is just some petty quarrel, but it’s not. You’re the emperor now. If you don’t make an example of them early on—if you don’t show your might—who will fear you? Who will obey you?"
A tear rolled down Jin Cheng’s cheek. "But did you ever consider how the people would see it? They’ll think I’m hypocritical—pretending to be fair while brutally silencing those who dared speak against me!"
Luo Jingfeng’s voice turned icy. "From the moment they stirred unrest while your reign was still fragile, those scholars ceased to be your subjects. What kind of people stab their new emperor in the back? They were traitors. Rebels. Disloyal and dishonorable."
"So you had them all slaughtered in public?" Jin Cheng shouted. "Governing through bloodshed and tyranny—how many tyrants in history have ever ruled well?"
Luo Jingfeng reached out to ruffle his hair. "That’s why I had them killed in my name. The whole world knows Luo Jingfeng is ruthless and overbearing. No one will blame you. You don’t even need to lift a finger. I can be the blade in your hand, the steps beneath your feet, the bow that shoots down the sun. As long as you’re safe, I’ll do anything."
The Little Demon King finally snapped, shoving his hand away violently. "I don’t want your self-sacrificing ‘help’! What blade, what bow—I can walk this path myself! I don’t need you making decisions for me! You’re just a bloodthirsty murderer! The moment someone makes the slightest mistake, you kill them. Those were lives! Since when are only your family’s lives precious, while everyone else’s are worthless weeds?!"
Luo Jingfeng had tried reasoning with his nephew gently, only to be rejected and pushed away. His already short temper flared.
Deliberately provoking him, he retorted, "You’re absolutely right. Other people’s lives are worthless—how could they compare to ours? Like it or not, those men are already dead. If you’re so righteous, why not send this ‘murderer’ to the imperial court? Let’s see if they dare lay a finger on me!"
"You—you utter villain! Tyrant!" The Little Demon King’s eyes burned with fury, and he lunged at Luo Jingfeng, shoving him.
But the difference in their strength was too great.
Luo Jingfeng stood, smirking. "Cheng’er, I’ve told you before—you’re too weak. With strength like yours, you couldn’t even leave a scratch on me."
"Get out!" Jin Cheng screamed, tears streaming down his face. "I never want to see you again!"
Not wanting to agitate him further, Luo Jingfeng decided to let him cool off. He left and summoned Zong Zhao instead.
If he couldn’t calm his nephew, perhaps Zong Zhao could.
But Zong Zhao only gave him a cold glare and advised him to go punish himself with a hundred military lashes to reflect on his crimes. Luo Jingfeng was so furious he nearly started a fight on the spot.
"General Zong has arrived. Lady Fusheng has arrived."
The Little Demon King was still drowning in misery when he heard his parents had come. He immediately threw himself into Xu Wan’s arms, crying pitifully, "Mother, you’re finally here. Take me home. I don’t want to be emperor anymore. It’s too hard—I can’t do anything right. Every day, it’s kill this, execute that. I don’t want it! I just want to be your child, just a child of the Zong family..."
Xu Wan held him tightly, patting his back soothingly. "Alright, alright. No more of this ‘emperor’ nonsense. Let someone else deal with it. Your father told me—you’re still young. Whether you handle state affairs or not doesn’t matter. Let them take care of it. I’ll come to the palace every day to keep you company."
Knowing her son was too emotional to reason with now, Xu Wan humored him, agreeing with everything he said until his sobs gradually subsided.
The little brat sobbed for a long time before finally calming down, his voice trembling as he spoke to Xu Wan, "Mother, don’t you think he was wrong? Those people only cursed at me a few times—we could’ve just talked it out! Back at the academy, someone once accused me of cheating too, and at worst, I was just expelled. But that didn’t mean they deserved to die. What does he think human lives are?"
