With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

"Even in a martial arts contest, it should only end when the point is reached. How could you cut off their legs? You... how vicious you are!" Nangong Qi looked at his three sons lying in pools of blood and felt like the sky was about to fall.

"A vicious heart?" Nangong Wu sneered. "No matter what the outcome, you, Nangong Qi, have lost! I will inherit the title of Prince Zhenyuan."

"This is cheating, it doesn't count!" Nangong Qi roared, he wouldn't admit defeat so easily.

His sons' legs cannot be cut off in vain.

He was determined to use this incident to accuse Nangong Wu before Emperor Mingde. He said that this little bitch was so cruel, and His Majesty would surely punish her and imprison her, thus bringing the palace back into his hands.

Thinking about this, Nangong Qi felt that it was worth it for his three sons to lose their legs.

"Huai'er!" Madam Xie and several other women rushed over and saw the three people lying on the ground with their legs cut off. They felt dizzy and disoriented.

"Nangong Wu, you little bitch! You have such a vicious heart!"

"Li An, anyone who dares to insult this princess, I'll cut off their leg!" Nangong Wu looked at these people coldly, determined to beat them until they were terrified.

"Yes!" Li An, sword in hand, stared at them menacingly.

"You bastard...you just wait..." Madam Xie dared not curse anymore and ordered someone to call the royal physician to stop the bleeding.

"Your Highness, the princess is far too cruel! She cut off the legs of three children like that! You must go to the palace and demand justice from His Majesty!" Nangong Guang's birth mother cried.

Nangong Wu took out an imperial edict and gave it to Li An, saying, "Read the edict to them."

"The imperial edict is here. Kneel down and listen to the decree!" Li An raised the imperial edict in his hand.

Upon seeing that it was an imperial edict, everyone knelt down, and Nangong Qi, who was about to enter the palace, also had no choice but to kneel down.

Li An opened the imperial edict and began to read:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: ... Nangong Wushu is virtuous and cautious by nature, and her family has always been loyal and steadfast. Seeing the difficulties in the country's affairs, she cherishes a sincere desire to serve the country. She has the demeanor of her mother, the Princess Protector of the Nation. Therefore, I hereby commend her virtue and reward her merits... and grant her the hereditary title of Prince Zhenyuan."

His eldest son, Nangong Yu, is the heir apparent; his second son, Nangong Jue, is the Prince of Qi, to be granted a separate residence upon reaching the age of sixteen; his daughter, Nangong Xi, is the Princess of Jinyu. This is hereby proclaimed throughout the land, so that all may hear of it. This is the imperial decree!

"What..." Nangong Qi was incredulous, slumped there, hatred surging in his eyes.

Why? By what right?

Nangong Wu's three illegitimate children, whose biological fathers are unknown, were granted titles by Emperor Mingde as soon as they were born.

To say that one sees the nation in dire need and harbors a sincere desire to serve the country is nothing but an excuse.

If he inherits the title of prince, everything in the royal palace will be his, and he can also donate silver to the imperial court.

Moreover, he and Nangong Chen are the sons of the King, the legitimate bloodline of the royal family. Although their mothers are both concubines, their names are also recorded in the royal genealogy, and their status as second-rank officials is not low. Yet they have received nothing.

Emperor Mingde was so unfair to them! Why? He and Nangong Chen hadn't done anything wrong.

Not only the current emperor, but the late emperor also did not bestow any rewards upon them; it was Nangong Lan who enjoyed the honors of the royal palace.

Now they are not even as good as a few illegitimate children whose biological fathers are unknown.

He finally realized that something was wrong.

I'm convinced this must be related to my father!

From the time he could remember, his father had never visited them or his mother, nor had he allowed them to leave the western district, nor had he ever let them into the palace.

He didn't see his father until he was six years old, and he only saw him secretly from behind a rockery.

When he was ten years old, the Empress Dowager sent an imperial edict saying that she wanted to see him and Nangong Chen. So his father met them formally for the first time and brought them into the palace.

They know that their mother was forced upon their father by the Empress Dowager, but what wrong have they done? They are also their father's children, so why be so heartless to them?

"Li An, if these people don't get out of here, throw them all out of the palace," Nangong Wu ordered.

If it were the original owner of this body, she would be in this situation now.

"Guards! Throw them all out!" Li An summoned the palace guards.

Nangong Qi was filled with extreme hatred, his face was terribly gloomy, but he didn't dare to fight Nangong Wu at all.

He had his men carry away his three sons, along with their four broken legs, and then he went into the palace.

"Greetings, Prince Zhenyuan." Luo Dayou suddenly knelt on one knee before Nangong Wu.

His back was already soaked with cold sweat. He was glad that he had joined Nangong Wu's side, otherwise his fate would have been much worse than these other people.

"Greetings, Prince Zhenyuan."

Li Shuang and Li An also knelt down.

With the imperial edict just issued, Nangong Wu has officially become the Prince of Zhenyuan.

Everyone present knelt down.

"Greetings, Prince Zhenyuan! Long live the Prince of Zhenyuan!"

The shouts of hundreds of people echoed throughout the palace.

"No need for formalities!"

When Nangong Wu heard the name Zhenyuan King, her first feeling was not one of honor, but rather a heavier burden and the prospect of facing more conspiracies and schemes.

But so what? Even if there's an abyss ahead, she has no fear.

For the sake of the children's future, she would fight her way out, even if it meant killing.

"Li An, deliver the imperial edict to the Ministry of Rites and announce it to the world."

She originally intended to wait until the children were a month old before announcing the imperial edict to the world, but since it had already been read aloud ahead of time, she decided to send it to the Ministry of Rites.

After the imperial edict was sent to the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Rites would confirm, copy, publish, and distribute it throughout the country.

The copying and publication process involved officials from the Ministry of Rites copying the contents of the imperial edict, also known as "copying in yellow," or printing it using woodblocks. These copies were then distributed to prefectures, states, and counties throughout the country, and publicly read aloud or posted outside city gates or in front of government offices so that everyone in the world would know about them.

"Yes!" Li An left with the imperial edict.

Nangong Wu turned and returned to Zuimei Courtyard.

"Your Highness, Nangong Qi has entered the palace. He's probably going to file a complaint against you with His Majesty." Li Shuang followed behind her, somewhat worried.

"What's the use of being afraid when soldiers come and water comes?" Nangong Wu sneered inwardly.

In this era of absolute imperial power, especially for someone of her status, kindness would only lead to the same fate as the original owner of this body—ten lives wouldn't be enough to save her.

Back in the courtyard, they saw Granny Feng holding and comforting her crying little daughter, and she was extremely anxious.

"Your Highness...Princess, the young princess seems to have an even higher fever."

"I'll take care of it!" Nangong Wu took the child and instructed Li Shuang, "With Granny Feng here, you can go about your business!"

With Li Feng and the others gone, and the limited manpower available, they can't stay here forever, doing the work of maids.

"Understood." Li Shuang cupped her hands and withdrew.

Nangong Wu closed the door and carried the child into the space.

My youngest daughter has been having recurring fevers, which could be due to a viral or bacterial infection. We need to have her tested with blood.

She worked for more than half an hour until the child's temperature finally returned to normal.

More than half an hour later, Li An returned, bringing with her a blue python robe specially made for her by the court, as well as a crown.