After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

Li Changming stood tall and proud, feeling no remorse whatsoever.

Anyway, he's a man. If someone sees him, they'll just say he's a womanizer, or maybe they'll even think he's impressive. It's not a big deal.

He went directly to see His Majesty, with Lu Jieshuang following behind him, lifting her skirt.

His Majesty was clearly disgusted by the two men; upon seeing them, he nearly vomited.

Seeing such a chaotic scene, and with three thousand beauties in his harem, he no longer wanted to favor any of them for some time.

The entire hall was heavy and stagnant.

His Majesty's features were deep and sharp. When his narrow eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze swept across the hall like a cold blade, carrying an aura of domineering majesty and indifference.

"You've got some nerve, daring to betray even my little niece."

Li Changming led Lu Jieshuang to kneel down, and Lu Jieshuang was already covered in a cold sweat.

Li Changming, however, remained confident. He obediently admitted his mistake, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's all my fault. I was momentarily blinded by greed..."

"boom--"

The scalding hot teacup hit Li Changming on the head, causing him to groan in pain, but he could only endure it and dared not move an inch.

"Ah Shu just had a miscarriage! Are you even a man?!"

The emperor was furious. He had watched his little niece grow up from childhood, and he would not allow outsiders to bully her.

Shen Shu sat on the other side, watching coldly.

Li Changming showed no remorse whatsoever. "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Although I am bewitched and not a real man, I simply cannot stand His Highness Prince Duan's actions and do not want to associate with treacherous officials. That is why I have developed disloyal thoughts. I am not capable enough to openly oppose His Highness Prince Duan, so I can only resort to this underhanded method to make myself feel a little better."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Shen Shu with his unfathomable eyes, his gaze carrying a hint of desperate confidence.

Wei Zhaoning glanced at him indifferently; men really are all the same.

They always come up with a grand reason for their dirty thoughts, as if with this reason, murder and arson can be excused.

Unexpectedly, a low, cold laugh came from above.

"Oh?"

"Tell me then, when did my brother become a treacherous official?"

He fiddled with the prayer beads in his hand, his eyes growing increasingly somber. He looked remarkably like the Regent.

Li Changming looked around and found that Shen Shu was very calm. She didn't even show any expression when she heard him slander her father.

Not only her, but even His Majesty showed no surprise.

His confidence waned slightly, but given the circumstances, he had no choice but to take the gamble.

He put on a righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. I was afraid of Prince Duan's tyranny and dared not go to Your Majesty to explain what happened."

But now that I have this opportunity, I dare not conceal it from Your Majesty. Even if Your Majesty commands me to die afterward, I will do so willingly and without regret.

Everyone in the hall perked up their ears. Good heavens, has Li Changming gone mad? How dare he criticize Prince Duan?

So some people stood up to speak for Prince Duan, hoping to gain an advantage.

"Lord Li, you didn't get caught messing around and are trying to shift the blame, did you?"

That yang-tonifying medicine has probably ruined your brain.

"His Highness Prince Duan cares deeply for all living beings and has always been law-abiding and dutiful. How dare you accuse him of being a treacherous villain?"

"Lord Li, you should think before you speak. You should know what the crime of spreading rumors about the royal family is, right?"

Li Changming slowly turned his head to look at the ministers who had stood up to speak for Prince Duan, his smile becoming increasingly distorted.

These people who speak up for Prince Duan might be treated as his henchmen and punished by His Majesty!

He replied firmly, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Prince Duan was recruiting soldiers in the suburbs, intending to rebel! At this time, Prince Duan's whole family knew about it, and the whole family worked together to overthrow the dynasty!"

If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may send someone to search the Princess's residence. During the Princess's pregnancy, the Princess Consort, under the pretext of taking care of the Princess, secretly exchanged messages with her.

The princess went even further, pretending to go to the temple to pray to the Bodhisattva for the protection of her unborn child, but in reality, she was showing up in the suburbs on behalf of Prince Duan to recruit soldiers!

Your Majesty, as the son-in-law of Prince Duan, I dare not say much, but my conscience has been troubled these days, and I was momentarily blinded by evil thoughts to do such a thing.

I know that Prince Duan wields immense power, and I am but an ant. Ever since I became Prince Duan's son-in-law, I have been treated like a slave, exploited by his family. This is the only thing I can do to resist.

Shen Shu's back stiffened. Even though she had imagined this scene a thousand times in her mind, she still couldn't help but shed tears when she heard Li Changming say such things.

Li Changming, how could you say such a thing about your father!

At that time, Li Changming was just a poor scholar who almost starved to death on his way to the capital for the imperial examination. If his father hadn't found him and rescued him and brought him back to the Duan Prince's Mansion, he would not have been alive to stand here and say such slanderous words.

During the time she spent recuperating at the Princess's residence, she and Li Changming developed feelings for each other.

He failed the imperial examination, and his father comforted him, even finding the best teacher to guide him and treating him like an adopted son.

His mother was always kind-hearted and worried that he might get hungry or cold. So, when he took the exam for the second time, she made shoes, socks, and food for him to take to the examination hall.

"Changming, your parents died early, and it hasn't been easy for you to struggle all these years on your own."

On such an important day, if you don't mind, please accept these gifts. Although I am not your mother, we have lived under the same roof for so long that we are like family.

She still remembers that Li Changming wanted to cry, but he forced back his tears, took the shoes and socks, and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness! I will definitely pass the exam!"

"When I pass the exam, I...I...I'll definitely buy you lots and lots of jewelry and clothes!"

Who is Princess Duan? How could she lack jewelry and clothes? But in the young man's heart, those things were the most precious things at that moment.

So instead of spoiling the mood, she laughed and patted his head.

Later, he passed the exam, although he was at the bottom of the list. His father had already developed some affection for him, and the boy was also reliable, so he decided to support him and work with him in the court to build a reputation.

As the days went by, when Shen Shu reached the age to get married, Li Changming timidly went to Prince Duan to express his feelings.

Prince Duan and Princess Duan were shocked for a moment, but after calming down, they actually laughed: "You actually have such thoughts about Ashu."

"Well, we know both kids inside and out, what can we do?"

They did not look down on Li Changming for his humble origins and low official rank; they simply smiled and asked Shen Shu about her feelings.

Shen Shu blushed. What was there between them that they didn't understand?