The Prince of Pingnan and his wife instinctively turned to look at their son. Upon closer inspection, they found that aside from the disheveled mix of tears and muddy snow on his face, there wasn’t a single scratch, bruise, or even a trace of blood to be seen.
In stark contrast, Sui, cradled in Emperor Jingxuan’s arms, had his hairpin askew, his fair and round little face clean—yet this only made the scratches on his cheeks and neck appear all the more horrifying.
It was obvious they’d been clawed into his skin, and as for who was responsible, who else could it be but their own son?
Sui had always been delicate and adorable, small in stature and young in age. In his current state, anyone with eyes could see he’d been terribly bullied.
Yet he didn’t cry. Instead, his eyes were red, his lips trembling with a mix of stubbornness and grievance. Compared to Guo Xiong’s ear-piercing wails, Sui’s silent suffering tugged far more at the heartstrings.
Emperor Jingxuan let out a cold chuckle, his tone laced with meaning. "Your son doesn’t seem injured at all, while mine bears clear wounds."
The Prince of Pingnan was mortified, unable to refute. His aged face flushed crimson with shame, wishing he could vanish into the ground.
The Princess Consort of Pingnan, however, refused to believe it. She pulled her son close, inspecting him frantically. "Xiong’er, where are you hurt? Tell your mother at once—don’t hide anything!"
Her son had been pampered since birth. If he wasn’t injured, why would he be wailing so miserably?
Guo Xiong squirmed. "I—I just hurt all over."
"All over?" The Princess Consort exclaimed, turning to the Emperor and her husband. "Your Majesty, my lord, Xiong’er says he’s in pain! The injuries must be on his body!"
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice was icy. "If it’s his body, then let him strip for examination. That way, everyone can see for themselves whether his injuries are real or not."
Strip for examination?
Here? In the middle of this freezing snowfield, baring himself before the crowd?
Guo Xiong shrank back instinctively, especially since he feared Emperor Jingxuan deeply. The thought of being forced to bare it all in public seemed all too plausible.
The mere image of it made him shake his head like a rattle drum. "N-no need! I’m not hurt anymore!"
He’d rather die than be seen naked!
The Princess Consort pressed, "What do you mean you’re not hurt? How could you not be?"
She didn’t believe him and tightened her grip on his hand.
Guo Xiong yelped in pain, struggling. "Mother, you’re hurting me!"
The Princess Consort froze.
Under the weight of the crowd’s knowing gazes, she reluctantly let go.
The Prince of Pingnan’s face burned with humiliation. He shot his wife a furious glare before forcing a smile and addressing Emperor Jingxuan. "Your Majesty, my son is unruly, and my wife speaks thoughtlessly. The fault lies with me as his father. I am willing to accept punishment in Guo Xiong’s stead—without complaint!"
He knew his wife and son’s temperament all too well. Nine times out of ten, this mess was his son’s doing.
His instincts told him that prolonging this would only bring more trouble, so he sought to take the blame and end it quickly.
But Emperor Jingxuan had no intention of letting it slide.
He lifted his eyelids, his voice frosty. "Prince of Pingnan, your willingness to shoulder blame is commendable, but justice must be served."
"I am not unreasonable. Sui has always been well-behaved, studious, and never one to stir trouble—this is known to all. Today’s incident must be clarified."
His gaze swept over the gathered crowd as he issued his command. "All present, rise."
"Your Majesty—"
The Prince of Pingnan tried to interject, but Emperor Jingxuan cut him off. The imperial guards blocked his approach.
Emperor Jingxuan addressed the palace servants who had stood. "To avoid any accusations of favoritism, I will ask, and you will answer truthfully—without omission or lies."
"Otherwise, you will be beaten to death."
A collective shudder ran through the servants. They bowed their heads and replied in unison, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Sui remained perched on his newly acknowledged father’s arm, watching the trembling figures on the ground before shifting his gaze to the imposing figure issuing commands.
A thought crossed his mind: Being emperor is really something.
Noticing his son’s admiring look, Emperor Jingxuan’s lips curved faintly, his expression growing even more resolute and authoritative.
He asked the servants, "What happened before the two of them fought?"
The servants exchanged glances before a palace maid stepped forward. "Your Majesty, initially, Young Master Guo spotted His Highness and said, ‘I’ve finally caught you,’ threatening to teach him a lesson. Thankfully, his attendants held him back."
"But Young Master Guo seemed unwilling to let it go. When he saw His Highness’s jade pendant, he tried to snatch it. When His Highness refused, he began hurling insults."
At the last part, she hesitated visibly.
Emperor Jingxuan narrowed his eyes. "What insults?"
The maid swallowed hard. "Young Master Guo said… he said…"
Sweat beaded on her forehead. She couldn’t bring herself to speak, finally dropping to her knees in terror. "Your Majesty, spare me! Those words were blasphemous—this servant dares not repeat them!"
Had Sui’s identity not been publicly acknowledged, it might have been different. But now that the Emperor himself had declared him a royal heir, a child of imperial blood—
Repeating Guo Xiong’s words would be tantamount to cursing the Son of Heaven and the imperial family. It was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations.
She kowtowed twice, trembling like a leaf, terrified of incurring wrath.
Emperor Jingxuan’s gaze darkened. "You are pardoned. Repeat every word—exactly as it was said."
The maid whispered, "Yes."
"Young Master Guo cursed His Highness, calling him a ‘fatherless child,’ saying he had a mother but no father to raise him, that he was the one who brought death upon his own father… that such a person didn’t deserve to live in this world…"
"This servant has spoken the truth, every word of it!" After finishing, she pressed herself flat against the ground, her voice quivering with fear.
Several young nobles who had remained at the scene chimed in. "Guo Xiong did say that! We tried to stop him, but he threatened to have his father, the Prince of Pingnan, beat us up!"
"Exactly! How vicious for someone so young!"
"......"
The atmosphere turned glacial. Silence reigned, and no one dared lift their heads to glimpse the Emperor’s expression.
Cold sweat drenched the Prince of Pingnan’s back. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"He said that?"
The Emperor’s voice was deceptively soft as he addressed Sui.
Sui nodded. "Mhm!"
He pouted, shooting a disgusted look at the now-silent Guo Xiong. "I was really angry."
"Who struck first?" Emperor Jingxuan’s tone was like winter frost.
The maid lowered her head further. "...It was also Young Master Guo. He pushed His Highness first, and His Highness only fought back in self-defense."
At this, a sigh escaped Emperor Jingxuan’s lips. "Good. Very good."
"Guo Quan, look at the fine son you’ve raised. Treating the imperial palace like your Pingnan estate, running wild as you please."
The Prince of Pingnan’s bravado crumbled. "This subject… this subject wouldn’t dare…"
"Wouldn’t dare?"
In an instant, Emperor Jingxuan’s expression turned murderous. He lashed out with a brutal kick—
But not before covering Sui’s eyes with his hand, shielding him from the sight of his father’s violence.
The kick landed squarely on the Prince of Pingnan’s chest. The force of Emperor Jingxuan’s strike—a man in his prime, towering and powerful—sent the Prince flying several feet, blood spewing from his mouth as he skidded across the ground, leaving a long trail in his wake.
"My lord!"
