After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

However, before the day of the Flower Appreciation Festival even arrived, a major event occurred in the imperial court.

Imperial Censor Song Shen stepped forward, holding a thick stack of petitions.

"Your Majesty, I report that Zhao Rui, the second son of the Marquis of Yong'an, has forcibly seized more than 400 mu of fertile land, driven two tenants to their deaths, and forged 17 land documents."

"The forty-three farmers have jointly submitted a petition, and the land deeds bear the official seal of the Marquis's office. The contracts, signed and sealed by the steward, are all here. Your Majesty, please review them."

He presented the petition with both hands, and the eunuch behind him took it and respectfully handed it to the emperor's desk.

The entire court was completely silent.

Everyone knew perfectly well that there must be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes for this case to be brought to the court assembly so openly.

A commotion broke out in the ranks of civil officials.

Marquis Yong'an, Zhao Heng, turned deathly pale in an instant. He clenched his fists into fists inside his court robes, and his cloudy eyes darted around anxiously.

Emperor Xiao Chengyu sat upright on the dragon throne, his fingers lightly tapping the imperial desk. After listening to the entire report, the kind smile on his face could no longer be maintained, and the corners of his mouth turned down.

"You've worked hard, Minister Song. This case involves the Xun Gui Mansion and is quite complicated."

He raised his hand and gestured for the other person to step back.

"Why don't we move to the Imperial Study after the court session, so that I can personally inquire about and carefully examine the matter?"

The words sounded nice, but the seasoned veterans present instantly understood the subtext.

To handle something privately means to downplay its importance and make a big deal out of it.

Several officials who had long-standing dealings with the Marquis's residence breathed a sigh of relief. Some were already mentally preparing how to defend the Zhao family after the court session.

However, Song Shen did not express his gratitude and leave.

He immediately knelt and kowtowed, "Your Majesty!"

"Forty-three farming households have lost everything, their land seized, and the elderly and children displaced. The evidence in this case is conclusive, and the witnesses are all present!"

"If this matter is disposed of privately, how will the people view the imperial court?"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you make a decision in court immediately to uphold the law and reassure the people!"

Three kowtows resounded in the hall, causing half of the officials present to involuntarily shrink back.

Song Shen is usually very tactful and polite to everyone. What kind of poison did he take today?

Everyone is planning the same thing.

Who gave him the audacity to confront the imperial will head-on?

All eyes turned to the ranks of military officers.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Marquis Zhao Heng of Yong'an quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty! Your humble brother was foolish and confused; he had absolutely no intention of embezzling!"

"It was the steward of the manor who acted on his own initiative; Zhao Rui was merely negligent in his oversight."

"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to manage my household properly; I am willing to accept punishment!"

With a swift escape, the manager took the blame, and the younger brother only admitted to negligence.

Just as the emperor was about to speak and accept this opportunity, a pair of court boots stepped out from the ranks of military officers.

Xiao Mingyue bowed respectfully, without speaking, but calmly swept her gaze across the court.

The adults who had already opened their mouths all swallowed their words and shrank back into the line.

The hall was so quiet that you could hear the crackling of the charcoal fire in the incense burner.

"Your Majesty, I personally submitted the petition signed by those forty-three farmers to the Censorate."

"These families are now housed in mortuaries on the outskirts of Beijing; the elderly are sick and weak, and the young are crying."

"What we're waiting for is a fair judgment from the imperial court."

She turned around and her gaze fell on Zhao Heng.

"The Marquis of Yong'an just said that this was the fault of the steward, but the documents on those fields that were confiscated bear the seal of the Marquis's mansion. The contracts were personally signed by Zhao Rui."

"The encroachment lasted for more than two years, involving three counties and forty-three households."

"A mere manager wields such great power?"

Whispers suddenly arose throughout the court.

Zhao Heng's lips moved a few times, the last bit of color drained from his face, and he stood swaying precariously in the center of the court.

The emperor's fingers clenched tightly on the imperial desk, and he remained silent.

If he were to back up the Zhao family now that things have come to this point, the whole capital would be buzzing with rumors that the emperor is protecting his maternal relatives.

After a full ten breaths of silence on the dragon throne, Xiao Chengyu finally spoke slowly.

"Zhao Rui, the legitimate son of the second branch of the Yong'an Marquis's family, forcibly seized fertile land, oppressed the people, and forged documents. The evidence against him is conclusive."

"Sentenced to three and a half years in prison, his property shall be confiscated immediately, and his land shall be returned to its rightful owner."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhao Heng, and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth.

"Marquis Zhao Heng of Yong'an was found to have neglected his family affairs and allowed his clansmen to commit evil deeds. He was fined three years' salary."

"I hope Your Excellency will take this as a warning."

Zhao Heng knelt in the center of the court, cold sweat dripping from his forehead onto the blue bricks, leaving a small dark water stain.

The officials behind him who wanted to speak up for him all lowered their heads, wishing they could disappear into their collars.

All the officials kowtowed in unison.

After the court session, Xiao Mingyue walked out of the palace gate. The thin winter sunlight shone on her shoulders, and Qingyuan quickly stepped forward to tie her cloak.

The two walked out along the palace road. Qingyuan whispered, "Zhao Rui will be out in three and a half years. A three-year salary deduction is just a drop in the ocean for the Marquis's mansion. His Majesty is protecting the Zhao family after all."

"I had anticipated this long ago."

Xiao Mingyue walked with ease, her gaze fixed on the vermilion palace wall at the end of the palace path.

"It doesn't matter how many years Zhao Rui is sentenced to; what matters is that the Emperor himself pronounced the Yong'an Marquis's family guilty in front of the entire court today."

"Those who were hesitant before will start to weigh their options from today onward: is it safer to continue clinging to the Empress Dowager's maternal clan, or to distance themselves from them?"

Qingyuan nodded in realization.

That same afternoon, at Cining Palace.

The charcoal fire inside the hall was burning warmly, and the Empress Dowager was sitting opposite Consort Liang, enjoying tea.

The eunuch lifted the curtain, and the emperor strode in, his face ashen.

Consort Liang quickly rose and bowed, then stepped aside and stood with her hands at her sides.

The Emperor strode up to the Empress Dowager, refusing even a sip of tea, and abruptly asked, "Mother, have you heard what my elder sister did in court today?"

The Empress Dowager, while fiddled with her prayer beads, slowly raised her eyes.

"Sit down and talk."

The emperor did not sit, but paced restlessly in the hall, his robes fluttering in the wind.

"She pressured me to deal with the Yong'an Marquis's residence in front of all the officials, and wouldn't even allow me to investigate privately. She completely shut me down, leaving me no room to maneuver. What does she take me for?"

The Empress Dowager poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him, saying, "Calm down and take care of your health."

Xiao Chengyu took the tea and gulped it down, but the frustration in his chest still felt terrible.

The Empress Dowager waited until he put down his teacup before slowly speaking.

"I don't want to talk about her, but look at what she's been doing lately."

"On the White Jade Bridge, in front of the entire city, they threw the eldest daughter of the Zhao family into the river. Did they ever consider the dignity of the Marquis's mansion and my mother?"

"I kindly arranged a marriage for her and invited Wang Changhe to Cining Palace, but she openly complained about his appearance and trampled my face on the ground."

The Empress Dowager sighed, stopped playing the beads, and looked at the Emperor.

"What's even more outrageous is..."

"According to information obtained by Wang Changhe afterward, the person your elder sister kept saying she admired was a poor, uneducated scholar who had been divorced and was only able to survive by clinging to the Princess's household."

Every word she said struck a nerve with the emperor.

"She trampled the Zhao family underfoot, humiliated my dignity to my face, and now she wants to lower herself to marry a penniless man."

"In Xiao Mingyue's eyes, there is probably no respect for the royal family, nor does she care about you or me."

Xiao Chengyu slammed the teacup onto the small table, splashing tea that soaked half of the tablecloth.

Consort Liang, standing to the side, lowered her head at the opportune moment and said with concern, "Your Majesty, I dare not speak rashly."

"However, I have also heard rumors circulating that the Eldest Princess wields considerable military power, and that whatever she desires, the court officials remain silent. I fear..."

She hesitated, leaving the words "her merits overshadowed the master" hanging in the air without explicitly stating them.

The emperor stood up abruptly, his chest heaving several times, his eyes bloodshot.

"Didn't she want to choose her own husband?"

He gritted his teeth, his face full of indignation.

"I will not allow her to have her way."

"Mother, tomorrow I will issue a decree to betroth my elder sister to Wang Changhe."

He turned and walked toward the palace gate, his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, his tone chilling.

"I'd like to see if she dares to disobey my decree!"