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Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, yet it could not suppress the heavy, somber atmosphere.

As soon as King Cheng Xie Jingxing stepped into the palace, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

Looking up, he saw Emperor Wenchang sitting high behind his desk, his face ashen, his eyes, which had seen it all, fixed on him as if trying to see right through him.

Xie Jingxing's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

He hurriedly stepped forward, lifted his robe, knelt down, and performed a grand salute: "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"

The hall was completely silent.

Emperor Wenchang did not wake him.

Xie Jingxing bowed his head to the ground, only able to see his own shadow cast on the gold bricks, and the cold sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground.

He knew that the failure of the bandit suppression could not be kept secret, and originally planned to rest for a day to recharge before coming to apologize. However, his shrewd father summoned him as soon as he finished the morning court session.

who is it?

Who delivered the message to the Emperor so quickly?

Could it be that his people include his father's men?

He gritted his teeth, determined to grind the person who betrayed him to dust if he ever found out!

His mother was unaware of the situation, and at this moment, there was no one in the Hall of Supreme Harmony who could plead for him.

Thinking of this, Xie Jingxing broke out in a cold sweat!

"King Cheng..."

The voice of Emperor Wenchang came from above, inscrutable, yet more chilling than thunderous rage.

"Your subject is here." Xie Jingxing's voice trembled slightly.

"Do you know why I summoned you?"

Xie Jingxing dared not raise his head, but pressed his forehead against the cold gold brick: "Your subject..."

Your son acknowledges his guilt.

"Oh?" Emperor Wenchang sneered. "What crime have you committed?"

Xie Jingxing took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't avoid it, so he gritted his teeth and admitted: "Your subject has failed in suppressing the bandits and deserves to die."

This expedition to Jingmeng Mountain to annihilate Tiger Head Stronghold not only failed, but also...

Instead, the thousand soldiers he brought were almost entirely wiped out. Your Majesty, I have failed you. I beg you to punish me!

He finished speaking in one breath and lay prostrate on the ground, too afraid to move.

He only hoped that if he confessed his guilt voluntarily and was sincere, his father might be lenient with him.

However, he was met with a deathly silence.

The next moment, a white shadow came whistling through the air.

"Bang!"

The blue-and-white porcelain teacup smashed solidly into Xie Jingxing's forehead, shards flying everywhere, and scalding tea mixed with blood flowed down his cheek.

"hiss……"

The chief eunuch Li Dequan, who was standing to the side, gasped and trembled, but he clenched his teeth tightly and didn't dare to breathe.

Having served the emperor for decades, he knew all too well that anyone who tried to persuade him in his anger would be doomed, and he wished he could shrink into a crack in the wall.

Xie Jingxing's vision went black from the impact, a sharp pain shot through his forehead, and blood blurred his left eye.

He dared not wipe it, nor dared he cry out in pain, but instead lowered his body even further: "Father, please calm your anger!"

Father, please calm your anger!

Please take good care of your health!

"Take care of your health, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Wenchang slammed his fist on the table and rose to his feet, laughing in fury, "With a son as good as you, why should I worry about my health!"

He walked around the imperial desk, strode up to Xie Jingxing, and looked down at his son who was kneeling on the ground.

"King Cheng, raise your head before me!"

Xie Jingxing shakily raised his head, his forehead dripping with blood, looking extremely disheveled.

Seeing his appearance, Emperor Wenchang's anger flared even more: "One thousand soldiers!"

A full thousand soldiers!

They outnumbered the bandits by a factor of two.

Tell me, how did you manage to get me into this mess?

Xie Jingxing's Adam's apple bobbed. "Your subject is guilty..."

"Your Majesty, I deserve to die!"

"Of course you deserve to die!" Emperor Wenchang interrupted him sharply. "How could I have given birth to such a useless son as you?"

A thousand soldiers are like a thousand pigs; even three days' worth of bandits couldn't capture them all!

You, on the other hand, suffered a total defeat!

You've completely disgraced the royal family!

Xie Jingxing was thoroughly scolded, but dared not utter a single word in rebuttal, only repeatedly kowtowing: "Your subject is incompetent, your subject is guilty..."

"Enough!" Emperor Wenchang flicked his sleeves, turned around and sat back behind his desk. He suppressed his anger with heavy breaths and said coldly, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Explain yourself clearly, word by word!

He couldn't believe that King Cheng was so incompetent as to have his entire army wiped out; he would never believe it, not even if you killed him.

He knew his son's abilities to some extent; he couldn't possibly be that stupid!

Therefore, he felt that there must be something special inside.

Xie Jingxing knelt upright, blood still flowing down his body, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. He honestly confessed: "Your Majesty, after I led my troops to the foot of Jingmeng Mountain, I first sent people to scout the terrain and captured a bandit from Tiger Head Village. Then I organized an attack on the mountain."

who knew...

Who knew that the bandits were extremely cunning and had set up an ambush on the mountain path? I was caught off guard and fell into their trap…”

Emperor Wenchang sneered, "A trap?"

Are you a three-year-old child?

You'd just walk right into a trap they set?

Xie Jingxing blushed and said, "It was my carelessness."

That attack on the mountain resulted in the loss of several hundred men…

"Snapped!"

Emperor Wenchang slammed his hand on the imperial desk, causing the writing brushes and inkstones to jump around: "Useless!"

Xie Jingxing trembled and continued, "Your subject dares not launch a rash attack again, so we set up camp at the foot of the mountain."

Later, I learned that the young cook you asked me to catch and the young master of the Xiao family had been pushed off a cliff.

So I sent people to search for them at the bottom of the cliff while I kept watch at the foot of the mountain.

Thinking that cutting off the bandits' food supply would force them to come down the mountain to buy more, I figured I could take advantage of that to wipe them out in one fell swoop!

Emperor Wenchang frowned. "Are you talking about that girl named Tao'er?"

Have you found them yet?

Xie Jingxing nodded, "It is indeed that Tao'er."

My men were lucky enough to capture the two of them.

The little girl, Peach, admitted that the parchment scroll was indeed in her possession.

Emperor Wenchang's expression softened slightly: "If that's the case, where are the items?"

Xie Jingxing's forehead was covered in even more cold sweat: "Still..."

I haven't received it yet.

Emperor Wenchang's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Didn't get it?"

The person was caught, and she confessed, but you didn't get the evidence?

Why?

Xie Jingxing forced himself to say, "Your subject..."

Your subject originally intended to use...

Use some tricks to make her hand it over willingly.

"What plan?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xie Jingxing's face: "A honey trap."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Emperor Wenchang was stunned, seemingly unable to believe his ears: "What did you say?"

A tactic of using a handsome man?

Are you brain-dead?

Xie Jingxing lowered his head, his voice growing softer and softer: "I think that little girl is young and inexperienced. If I use a little trick, she will definitely take the bait..."

But to my surprise, that girl not only didn't take the bait, she also humiliated me.

"Oh, how did I humiliate you?"

This little girl is quite bold, daring to insult a prince!

"She...she said I'm ugly and she doesn't like me!"

"puff……"

Li Dequan couldn't help but almost burst out laughing, and quickly covered his mouth tightly, his face turning bright red.

Emperor Wenchang's expression was quite interesting, turning from green to white, before finally erupting into a furious roar: "You bastard!"

You, a king of great stature, resort to the trap of handsome men?

He was even humiliated by a little girl?

You, a prince, are being looked down upon for being ugly by a country bumpkin?

Even Emperor Wenchang felt humiliated!

Which member of the royal family isn't handsome and beautiful? How dare that little girl call Prince Cheng ugly?

Emperor Wenchang took another look at his son and frowned: He does look rather ugly now!

"Your subject knows his mistake!" Xie Jingxing kowtowed repeatedly.

Emperor Wenchang pointed at him, his fingers trembling: "Good, very good!"

My son, you used your good looks to seduce a little fire-starting girl, and now she's being criticized for being ugly?

Third brother, you've really made something of yourself!