Emperor Guangqi's voice was like a booming bell, resounding throughout the vast palace. Each word he uttered was like a death sentence pronounced on He Yunce.

He Yunze was carried out in a daze. He listened to Emperor Guangqi's words, his consciousness was extremely chaotic, his heart was extremely calm, and his body could not even make any reaction.

Only when he passed by Song Xizhi did he suddenly find the strength to raise his head and look directly in Song Xizhi's direction.

Song Xizhi simply sat calmly at the table, gazing at him without any change in expression.

But He Yunze was completely different. For some reason, when his gaze met Song Xizhi's, his previously numb heart suddenly felt empty.

It feels empty.

His head drooped limply again.

...

Even after He Yunce was carried out, the emperor's voice still echoed in the hall:

"The Marquis of Anding failed to discipline his children properly, but considering that he was still old and that his merits and demerits were offset by those of Song Xi, he was fined five months' salary and suspended from his post for two months, and was instructed to stay home and properly discipline his children."

The emperor's voice was cold and devoid of any pity. Such ruthless imperial majesty made Song Ruoan's heart suddenly pound wildly.

She had always lived in the inner quarters of the house; she had never seen anything like this before.

Song Ruoan was filled with fear, but all she could do was kowtow repeatedly and beg the emperor for mercy.

Each kowtow was extremely forceful, and within moments her head was bleeding profusely. "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! I won't do it again, please spare me..."

The emperor ignored her and didn't even glance at her.

Out of respect for Marquis Anding and He Jingyan, he was exceptionally tolerant of He Yunce's behavior, and even when he dealt with his own son, he couldn't bear to punish He Yunce severely.

But Song Ruoan was different. She bribed officials, framed Song Xizhi, and damaged Master Yuanhui's calligraphy. All of these things combined could have killed her hundreds of times over.

The emperor thought to himself, but showed no hesitation: "The criminal woman Song Ruo'an... is audacious and reckless, deceiving her superiors and subordinates. Her scheming is so deep and her methods so vicious that I cannot tolerate it. Therefore, she shall be punished with caning..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager suddenly grabbed his hand, which was resting on his knee.

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor with compassionate eyes, then shook her head at him again:

"Your Majesty, it is my birthday. Buddha himself is here. No killing is permitted."

The emperor was taken aback, then said, "Then postpone it, and inquire after the autumn harvest..."

The Empress Dowager uttered "Amitabha," and even her brows furrowed.

"Sinful woman Song Ruo'an is to be confined to the Buddhist hall of the Marquis of Anding's residence, where she shall practice Buddhism with her hair intact, eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and copy three thousand volumes of Buddhist sutras. She shall not leave for three years, as this shall be considered an atonement for her sins."

After the Empress Dowager said this, the Emperor had nothing to say.

It's said that she's been practicing Buddhism for three years with her hair still intact, but I'm afraid neither He Yunce nor Marquis Anding would tolerate such a capricious woman.

I'm afraid that within three years, Song Ruoan will inexplicably "die of illness" in the small Buddhist hall, which can be considered as preserving the reputation of the Marquis of Anding.

This is a common tactic used in the imperial harem.

The emperor nodded, agreeing that his mother's considerations were indeed more thorough.

"Since Your Majesty is merciful, let us do as Your Majesty wishes."

Overjoyed, Song Ruoan stared at the bruised and swollen face, repeatedly kowtowing to the Empress Dowager: "Thank you, Empress Dowager! Thank you, Empress Dowager! You are the Buddha, you are the true form of Buddha. I am willing to serve you like a cow or a horse to atone for my sins. You are the Buddha..."

The emperor impatiently waved his hand and ordered his men to carry Song Ruoan out as well.

The main hall became much quieter, with only Consort Li and Princess Jingyue still kneeling.

Princess Jingyue had never knelt for so long in her life. Her face was pale and she was sobbing uncontrollably.

The emperor recalled what Prince Ning had said, frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke:

"Consort Li and Jingyue, you may leave now. Do not delay your grandmother's birthday celebration."

Princess Jingyue hadn't yet understood the meaning behind the emperor's words. She pouted and raised her head, about to speak, when Consort Li quickly covered her mouth and hurriedly took her away.

The main hall finally returned to calm, the sounds of string and wind instruments resumed, and the dancers returned to the stage, dancing gracefully to the music.

Tonight's birthday banquet seems to have brought Consort Li and Princess Jingyue to safety, but Prince Yu has been demoted to Prince Yu, which also symbolizes that he has completely lost the Emperor's favor. If there are no unexpected events, he will never amount to anything again.

While Prince Xiu and Consort Zhen seemed to have gained nothing, they were appreciated by the Emperor and favored by the Empress Dowager.

Even now, with the news that he brought the Buddha's true form to the Empress Dowager, he will likely gain even more love and respect from the people.

With a glance, Consort Zhen and Song Xizhi looked at each other from afar.

Finally, Consort Zhen smiled, raised her cup, and toasted Song Xizhi.

Song Xizhi smiled and raised her glass, bringing it close to her lips. Remembering Siqin's reminder, she only paused for a moment before putting the glass down.

Throughout the entire banquet, Song Xizhi did not drink a drop of alcohol, nor did he touch the dishes on the table.

Zeng Yaxian's eerie gaze was like a shadow, making Siqin extremely uncomfortable and restless.

So after the banquet, Siqin hurriedly escorted Song Xizhi out, her eyes filled with vigilance:

"Don't worry, Master. The young master has personally led people to pick you up. He's probably already waiting at the palace gate. Nothing will happen."

When Song Xizhi thought of He Jingyan, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips:

"You came to pick me up so late, aren't you tired?"

Before Song Xizhi could finish speaking, a eunuch rushed over from behind, shouting, "Hey! Lord Song, please wait! Lord Song, please wait!"

Song Xizhi paused for a moment before turning around. She didn't recognize the eunuch in front of her: "This eunuch..."

A fawning smile appeared on Eunuch Li's face: "This servant, Little Li, is from the Empress Dowager's palace. The Empress Dowager is particularly fond of that large lacquer mother-of-pearl inlay today, and she is also thinking about the vase you gave her. So she specially summoned this servant to invite you to the palace for a chat!"

Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi pondered for a moment, somewhat unsure of the Empress Dowager's intentions, just as Prince Ning happened to pass by.

Seeing the troubled look on Song Xizhi's face, he fanned himself again and smiled at Song Xizhi:

"Don't worry, this is indeed Eunuch Li from the Empress Dowager's palace. The gift you sent today is truly excellent. I knew the Empress Dowager would think of you. After that day at Heyan Mountain, she often wanted to see you. I'm afraid she summoned you late at night to give you a reward!"

"She's a good person, used to eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures. She always has a smiling face and has never argued with anyone. She's much more amiable than my brother, so don't be afraid."

As Prince Ning spoke, he waved his hand again and grabbed Song Xizhi's sleeve without any regard for formalities: "Come on, I'll go with you to see the Empress Dowager and see what good things she's going to give you."