The tyrannical father was so intimidated when his own daughter was found during the raid.

Su Zhen had just stepped in with one foot, and hadn't even had a chance to put on an air of imperial wrath.

A small figure, like a cannonball, darted out from behind the golden nanmu pillar in the center of the hall.

"Wow! Father! Help!"

With her short, eight-year-old legs, Su Yaoyao walked with an air of nonchalance on the smooth gold brick floor.

When he was still half a meter away from Su Zhen, he skillfully buckled his knees.

Using the momentum, he glided forward, perfectly aligning himself with Su Zhen's thigh, which was clad in black dragon boots.

Her delicate, exquisitely beautiful face was buried deep in the expensive dragon robe fabric.

Su Yaoyao closed her eyes, opened her throat, and howled in a heart-wrenching, dry wail.

The thunder was loud, but the rain was light; not a single tear fell.

When no one was looking, he secretly rubbed his eyes, which were red from rubbing them while pretending to be pitiful, on the dragon robe.

[I'm so scared! This old hag is a dancing prodigy!]

My titanium alloy eyes are about to be blinded by the light!

[Father, you must stand up for me! She deserves at least 100,000 or 200,000 in compensation for emotional distress!]

A crisp, cheerful voice, tinged with undisguised schadenfreude, crashed into Su Zhen's mind.

Su Zhen's taut jawline almost gave way.

Forcing back a wildly upturned smile, I looked down at the little head on my leg that was pretending to tremble.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. With Father Emperor here, no one can hurt you."

Su Zhen stretched out his large, kind hand and patted Su Yaoyao's fluffy head twice in a comforting manner.

Then he looked up.

His deep, cold eyes swept towards the center of the hall.

Consort Jing remained in the gruesome splits position, sitting on the cold gold bricks.

The once magnificent bright red peony palace dress she wore was torn into tattered strips.

Her exquisite hair bun was disheveled, and a few strands of hair were still being held in Granny Gui's hand.

Seeing the Emperor descend like a god, Consort Jing's despairing eyes burst forth with a light of wild joy.

The Emperor has arrived!

Our savior has finally arrived!

She's going to file a lawsuit!

She's going to appeal to the emperor!

She wanted to show the Emperor just how audacious and ruthless this bastard she picked up from the black market really was!

Consort Jing was so excited that she trembled all over, desperately trying to hide the strange smile on her face.

I want to change into a pitiful, tearful, and aggrieved look.

Her trembling hand desperately reached out towards Su Zhen.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Consort Jing opened her mouth, as if to lodge a complaint.

However, as soon as the vocal cords vibrated...

"Hahahaha...Your Majesty, save me...Hehehehehe!"

A series of incredibly loud, barbell-like laughs erupted from her throat.

Consort Jing stared wide-eyed in horror.

Do not!

She didn't want to laugh!

Her groin is in excruciating pain, and her scalp is also being pulled painfully.

She wanted to cry!

"Your Majesty... I didn't... Hahaha... It was her... Hehehe!"

Consort Jing shook her head desperately, her tears mixing with the smudged makeup, leaving two muddy lines on her face.

No matter how hard she tried, her words were always interrupted by maniacal laughter.

It looks like a provocation no matter how you look at it.

While pulling on the Imperial Concubine's hair, Granny Gui laughed so hard she rolled on the ground.

"Hahaha... Long live the Emperor... This old servant can't stop laughing... Hahaha!"

Su Zhen looked down at the master and servants, his eyes devoid of warmth.

He snorted coldly.

"You audacious imperial concubine!"

Su Zhen's voice was deep, authoritative, and domineering.

"As the head of the six palaces, you should be dignified and virtuous, setting an example for the harem!"

"Now, standing before the Crown Princess's palace, disheveled and feigning madness, he's behaving inappropriately!"

"And he's even leading his sycophantic servants in a wild dance, shouting and yelling—what kind of behavior is this!"

Su Zhen took a step forward, the emperor's imposing aura pressing down like Mount Tai.

"Are you trying to intimidate me? Or are you deliberately provoking my precious daughter?!"

Consort Jing was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

She was poisoned by that wild girl!

Can't the Emperor see that she was forced?!

"No...no...hahahaha...I'm innocent...hehehe!"

Consort Jing waved her hands frantically, trying to explain.

But Su Zhen didn't give her a chance to defend herself and made his final judgment.

"Injustice? I saw it with my own eyes! You laughed so arrogantly, there wasn't a trace of injustice in your eyes!"

"The Crown Princess has just returned to the palace; she is still young and timid."

"As an elder, instead of showing concern, you came here to play tricks and scare the Crown Princess so much that she ran away with her head in her hands!"

Su Zhen became increasingly harsh as he spoke, describing Consort Jing as having committed an unforgivable crime.

Su Yaoyao, who was lying on Su Zhen's lap, heard "cowardly" and "fled away with her head in her hands".

I almost burst out laughing.

[Oh my god, my tyrannical father is such a great actor!]

With her talent for distorting the truth and her eloquence in calling a deer a horse, she's truly wasted her talent not on writing storybooks!

[Absolutely amazing! The favoritism is off the charts, I love it!]

Hearing his daughter's praise, Su Zhen straightened his back even more.

That's right. If you're going to protect your own, then you have to protect them to the end. What's the point of reasoning?

Throughout the world, my words are the ultimate truth!

Su Yaoyao poked half her head out, cooperating with Su Zhen's performance.

"Father, the Imperial Concubine is so scary! She's going to hit me! Waaaaah..."

"She also said I wasn't fit to be the Crown Princess and that she would teach me a lesson..."

While pretending to cry, Su Yaoyao continued to mentally send Su Zhen a knife.

[Father, this old hag is bullying me, you can't just let it go.]

I heard that her Chuxiu Palace is piled high with gold and silver treasures, all gifts from others.

Those red corals and luminous pearls that were tributes from the Western Regions are all kept with her.

Since she scared me, it's not unreasonable to give her something to calm my nerves, is it?

Not excessive at all! It's perfectly reasonable!

Su Zhen nodded silently in his heart.

Although the father and daughter did not communicate verbally, they had already completed the most tacitly coordinated tactical deployment of double-crossing.

Su Zhen's eyes sharpened, and he delivered the final verdict.

"Issue my decree!"

"Consort Jing has behaved improperly before the palace, offending the Crown Princess. Her virtue is lacking, and she is unfit to be a role model for the six palaces!"

"Effective immediately, the Imperial Concubine is stripped of her power to assist in managing the six palaces, confined to the Chuxiu Palace, and ordered to reflect on her actions in seclusion for three months!"

"No one may visit without my decree!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Jing felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her vision went black.

Confined to Chuxiu Palace for three months?!

What's the difference between this and being banished to the cold palace?

Once she loses her power, the concubines she usually suppresses will surely tear her apart!

"Your Majesty...hahaha...no...I know I was wrong...hehehe!"

Consort Jing desperately reached out, wanting to hug Su Zhen's leg.

But he was kicked away by the commander of the Imperial Guard.

"Still laughing? It seems the Imperial Concubine has absolutely no remorse!"

Su Zhen coldly flicked his sleeve.

"The Crown Princess suffered a great shock today, and her body and mind are traumatized."

"To calm the Crown Princess down and to punish the Imperial Concubine."

"Someone! Head to Chuxiu Palace immediately!"

"All the gold, silver, jade, antiques, calligraphy and paintings in the Consort's palace, as well as those rare ornaments from the Western Regions."

"Leave nothing behind, take everything for me!"

"Give them all to Her Highness the Crown Princess, to keep in Zhaoyang Palace for her to enjoy!"

This statement was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

It struck Consort Jing's heart like a hammer blow.

Empty out Chuxiu Palace?!

That was all the wealth she had accumulated over more than a decade in the palace, through scheming and ruthless means!

The priceless jewelry was a priceless treasure that she wouldn't even dare to touch.

Give it all to that little bitch who ruined her life?!

This is a million times worse than killing her!

Consort Jing was overcome with anger and her chest heaved violently.

Immense despair and humiliation, excruciating pain from tearing muscles, and forced laughter brought on by the drug's effects.

Her body could no longer withstand this torment.

"Hahahaha...my fortune...my money...hehehe...ah!"

Consort Jing rolled her eyes dramatically.

Amidst her desolate and maniacal laughter, her head lolled to the side, and she fainted on the gold bricks.

Even while unconscious, her facial muscles would occasionally twitch, forming an eerie arc.

"Master! Master has fainted!"

Several palace maids who had been tricked laughed wildly as they scrambled towards Consort Jing.

"Drag them away! Throw them all into the Chuxiu Palace, don't let them get in the Crown Princess's way!"

Su Zhen waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away flies.

The Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward.

They didn't care about the proper distance between men and women; they treated each other like a dead dog.

They grabbed Consort Jing and Granny Gui by the ankles and dragged them out of Zhaoyang Palace.

The desolate, maniacal laughter faded into the distance, eventually disappearing completely.

The chaotic Zhaoyang Palace finally returned to peace.

Several quick-witted eunuchs rushed forward and cleaned up the water stains and broken porcelain shards on the ground as fast as they could.

Su Yaoyao stood in the center of the main hall, looking at the hall that had become empty and clean again.

Then think about all the belongings of Chuxiu Palace that are about to be sent over.

Her beautiful peach blossom eyes curved into two adorable little crescent moons.

The imperial harem?

No, no!

This is her ATM!

Just then, Su Yaoyao's thoughts echoed joyfully in Su Zhen's mind once again.