My brother entrusted his child to me, and I livestreamed raising the baby, making the Empress cry wi

She suddenly stood up, grabbed Shu Rou, and slapped her hard across the face.

"Snap—"

A crisp sound exploded in the quiet West Garden, like a thunderclap.

Shu Rou's small body rolled uncontrollably twice on the ground before finally stopping face down.

Her left cheek swelled and bulged rapidly at a visible speed, and five clear, purplish-red finger marks were shockingly imprinted on her skin.

Her lip was broken, and a streak of bright red blood slowly flowed out, mixing with the dust on the ground and leaving a dirty red mark on her tender chin.

Shu Rou felt a buzzing in her ears, as if a million bees were fluttering their wings at the same time.

My left cheek was burning with a sharp, persistent pain that seemed to pierce right into my brain, and my mouth tasted of metallic sweetness.

Her crying stopped abruptly; she was completely terrified.

From childhood to adulthood, although her mother would sometimes scold her impatiently, she never... never laid a hand on her.

She was a princess, the most honored person in the palace besides the Empress Dowager. Everyone fawned over her, coaxed her, and feared her.

But now...

A tremendous sense of injustice, mixed with fear and hatred that she herself did not yet fully understand, instantly wrapped around her small heart like a poisonous vine, tightening its grip more and more.

"Wah—uh…" She instinctively wanted to burst into tears again, but as soon as she made a sound, she met Shu Jingwei's eyes, which were filled with endless disgust and rage.

That look instantly extinguished her courage to cry and make a scene.

She bit her lower lip hard, stifling her sobs, leaving only a broken whimper.

Large tears rolled down his face, mingling with the blood and dust, making him look utterly disheveled.

"You've completely disgraced me!" Shu Jingwei roared.

"As the princess of the Great Flame Kingdom, you're crying, throwing tantrums, smashing utensils, and completely losing your composure!" Her voice trembled slightly with extreme anger.

But more than anything, it reveals a sharp edge—a desperate attempt to regain face, a fierce but ultimately cowardly display.

"I think you've been spoiled rotten! You're so arrogant and ignorant! All you see is comparison and jealousy; you have absolutely no royal dignity or bearing!"

She turned around abruptly, her gaze like a poisoned knife, piercing Yao Jingyuan, who was cowering at the edge of his seat, his face as pale as paper.

"Yao Jingyuan!!!" Shu Jingwei's finger almost poked Yao Jingyuan's nose, her voice shrill.

"Take your daughter and get out of here! Go to the palace school right now! No need to wait until after the Lantern Festival, she'll be attending classes with the tutor tomorrow! Not a single day is allowed to be missed! You are not allowed to step out of the palace gates until the princess has mastered the rules!"

Yao Jingyuan's face was deathly pale, and his body was trembling slightly, whether from fear or anger, it was hard to tell.

He cursed Shu Jingwei and Shu Rou in his mind.

Idiots! Both of them are idiots!

Shu Rou is so brainless, she just had to make a scene at a time like this!

Shu Jingwei, that crazy woman, is completely irrational. She beat up the princess in public and dragged him out to humiliate him!

But he didn't show it at all; now was not the time to turn against them...

He forcibly suppressed his surging murderous intent and resentment, his face once again displaying fear, regret, and subservience, and he kowtowed deeply.

"Your subject...accepts the decree!"

After saying that, Yao Jingyuan practically scrambled to his feet, quickly walked to Shu Rou, who was still lying on the ground trembling and afraid to cry out, pulled her into his arms, and turned to leave.

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Shu Jingwei watched the father and daughter leave, still not satisfied, and muttered another curse before angrily flicking her sleeve.

In the West Garden, a deathly silence returned.

Only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the palace lanterns and the faint, joyful music drifting from the sky remained.

Shu Jingwei stood there, her chest still heaving violently, her face flushing red and then turning pale.

She could sense that all the envoys below, and even some courtiers, though their heads were bowed, had their attention already on the sky.

No! This cannot be allowed! I am the emperor! My banquet is the most extravagant in the world! I must save face!

She took a deep breath and forced a distorted smile onto her face.

"Please excuse my poor performance," she said slowly, trying to make her tone sound calm and gentle, but instead it revealed a hypocritical distortion.

"The child is ignorant, and I have already disciplined him. These are some family matters that have disturbed your enjoyment; it is my fault." She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room below.

He lingered for a moment on the faces of several envoys, trying to catch their reactions, but all he saw was a set of formulaic respect and a hint of mockery in the eyes of one of them that he hadn't had time to hide.

Shu Jingwei felt a surge of anger rising within her again, but she could only forcefully suppress it.

She cleared her throat, her tone suddenly becoming impassioned: "However, today is the grand Lantern Festival of our Great Flame Kingdom, a day of universal celebration! How can we let such a trivial matter spoil everyone's enjoyment?"

She suddenly waved her hand: "Someone come here!"

The chief eunuch, who had been waiting nearby, quickly stepped forward and bowed to receive the order.

"Bring forth the 'Heavenly Fire' that I have specially prepared for today's grand feast! Light it!" Shu Jingwei's voice was filled with an almost manic excitement.

Her eyes shone brightly, as if she had grasped at the last straw, and she stared intently at the chief eunuch.

"Heavenly Fire is the national treasure of my Great Flame Kingdom, forged by the craftsmanship of Heaven, and possesses boundless power!" She turned to the envoys and courtiers, her chin held high, a proud blush rising on her face.

"Today, I will allow you distinguished guests who have traveled from afar to broaden your horizons, witness the magnificent power of my Great Flame, and see what truly constitutes a national treasure, a divine masterpiece!"

She deliberately emphasized words like "divine craftsmanship," "divine might," and "divine work," her gaze involuntarily and defiantly drifting towards the high-hanging sky.

I also have "Heavenly Fire"! My "Heavenly Craftsmanship" is not necessarily inferior to your pretentious nonsense!

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the officials below became extremely complex.

Some veteran officials who had witnessed Ye Fan's assistance to Shu Jingwei in ascending to power and knew the true power of "Heavenly Fire" changed their expressions drastically, their eyes revealing shock and disapproval.

The Heavenly Fire was a national weapon that Ye Fan painstakingly invented and created!

His Majesty actually intends to use it at the palace banquet as a game to entertain and amusement?

This is absolutely absurd!

The envoys' eyes lit up, revealing a keen interest and a look of curiosity.

They had long heard of the "Heavenly Fire" of the Great Flame Kingdom; in fact, it was a household name.

Back when Ye Fan assisted Shu Jingwei in quelling internal strife and deterring foreign powers, "Skyfire" repeatedly made outstanding contributions in key battles, causing great suffering to neighboring countries and making them regard it as a nightmare.

If one could observe its form and power up close, or even glean a glimpse into its production or usage, then this trip to the Great Flame would be priceless!

"Your Majesty," said Usuri, the envoy from the Western Regions with a full beard, as he bowed with his right hand on his chest, his tone carrying just the right amount of flattery and curiosity.

"We have long heard that the Great Flame 'Heavenly Fire' is an unparalleled divine object, possessing the power of thunder and the ability to incinerate cities. If we, your humble servants, are able to witness it today, it will truly be an honor beyond measure!"

Other envoys echoed this sentiment, expressing their anticipation.

Seeing this, Shu Jingwei finally felt some relief from the pent-up anger in her heart.

Look, this is the true majesty of her Great Flame Kingdom! These barbarians should be filled with awe and reverence for the "divine craftsmanship" of her Great Flame Kingdom!

"You flatter me, Ussuri envoy." She waved her hand with feigned modesty, but the smugness in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Although 'Heavenly Fire' is powerful, it is also a wonderful thing to share the joy and appreciate its power with you all on this festive day."

Soon, a group of Imperial Guards carefully carried several long wooden boxes into the spacious area in the center of the West Garden, which had already been cleared out.

Then, the wooden box was gently placed down, and the black cloth covering it was lifted to reveal a completely black hardwood cylinder inside.

This is the "Skyfire" launcher, which has been simplified by Ye Fan and is mass-produced, primarily used to generate loud noises and bright lights.

In reality, it's just an extra-large "firecracker".

A total of twelve launch tubes were neatly arranged in a row, with their nozzles pointing diagonally towards the deep night sky.

All eyes were focused on the twelve black cylinders, and a faint, pungent smell of sulfur and saltpeter filled the air.

Many people were seeing the "Skyfire" up close for the first time, and they couldn't help but hold their breath, feeling both anticipation and a touch of instinctive fear.

Shu Jingwei looked down at the powerful "Heavenly Fire" cylinder with satisfaction, her pent-up frustration and anger transforming into a morbid excitement.

She could almost see the "heavenly fire" rising into the sky, exploding, and stunning everyone present; she could see the envoys' expressions of shock and admiration; and she could see the unquestionable imperial authority she had regained.

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and gave the order in a loud voice:

"Light the flares! Let all my distinguished guests witness the divine power of my great flame!"

……

Unbeknownst to them, the environment on the sky changed.

After making sure everyone had eaten enough, Lin Ye picked up Xiao Douzi and led everyone to the rooftop terrace of the villa.

On the other side of the river, there was a special program he had prepared for Xiaodouzi—the last event of the birthday party.

Fireworks display!