Emperor Mingxi chuckled coldly a few times and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, everyone. Your children are not lost."

When the four heard this, surprise immediately flashed across their faces.

"May I ask your Majesty, where is my little granddaughter? Is she safe?" the Duke of Protectorate asked anxiously.

"Good! They are fine!" Emperor Mingxi's voice sounded even colder.

"Debao, bring the person up!"

The four people standing nervously in the hall began to feel their hearts beat faster when they saw Emperor Mingxi acting so abnormally.

After a while, two tall palace maids carried Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou into the hall like chickens and placed them on the floor.

Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou had cloth stuffed in their mouths and were tied up tightly. They fell to the ground, unable to move. They could only try to raise their heads a little and make a whimpering sound.

The Duke of Huguo, Feng Shulai, Yao Jinse, and even the most thoughtful Liang Chaozong were all panicked and at a loss when they saw this scene.

"Oh, Your Majesty, what did Manman do wrong that she has to be tied up?" The Duke of Protectorate was so distressed that tears came to his eyes.

Feng Shulai didn't care about being rude. He rushed to Feng Manman and was about to remove the gag and untie the rope for his daughter. "Manman, what's wrong with you?"

"Daddy, Grandpa, save me!" Feng Manman shouted hoarsely as the gag was removed.

"How dare you!" Before the emperor and empress could say anything, Debao angrily scolded Feng Shulai with a glare.

Two eunuchs immediately stepped forward, pulled Feng Shulai away, and stuffed the gag back into Feng Manman's mouth.

Yao Jinse pulled Liang Chaozong to his knees and cried, "Your Majesty, what did Zhirou do wrong that she had to be tied up?!"

"She's still young! She can't bear such torture! Can you untie them before questioning them?"

"Jinse, please!" Yao Jinse kowtowed hard as she said this.

"You felt sad when you saw your own child being tied up, but why don't you ask them what they did to my child?" Emperor Mingxi roared in disgrace.

This roar was like a bolt of thunder that struck the hall. The four people, whose eyes were red just now, were frightened and stood there in a daze.

Emperor Mingxi Xia Zhengqi has always been known for his kindness and benevolence. During the more than ten years he has been on the throne, he rarely shows anger.

The few times he did so were almost always in the court.

This was the first time I got so angry and lost my composure in front of children.

Emperor Mingxi's eyes were bloodshot and veins bulged on his forehead, as if he was so angry that he wanted to eat someone.

"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!" Seeing that Emperor Mingxi was too excited, the Queen comforted him with heartache.

"Empress, please come and talk to them. I really am..." Emperor Mingxi said, suppressing his anger.

The Empress immediately understood what Emperor Mingxi meant and spoke loudly, "Everyone, this morning, while the palace banquet was going on, an infuriating incident occurred outside the Zhonghe Hall."

"The Eighth Prince was bullied by your children, Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou."

"My granddaughter is well-behaved and cute. She is only seven years old. How could she do such a thing?!" The Duke of Protectorate knelt on the ground and shouted.

"Zhirou is only eight years old. She is usually well-behaved and polite, and would never do such a rebellious thing. Please ask the Emperor and Empress to investigate! Is there a misunderstanding here?"

Yao Jinse said with tears in her eyes.

"Everyone, please listen to me first!" The queen waved her hand.

"This incident happened in the lilac grove behind the Zhonghe Hall."

"At that time, Princess Anguo went to change her clothes and heard the child crying, and that's when she discovered it."

"Princess Anguo and her nanny witnessed Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou bullying the Eighth Prince."

"Furthermore, these two companions showed no fear until the princess arrived. They even disobeyed the princess to her face, showing great disrespect to her."

"If the princess's entourage hadn't invited me over in time, Princess Anguo would have been bullied by them!"

When the four heard this, their bodies shook involuntarily.

The Duke of Protectorate's eyes rolled around, and he said, "They are all still children. Could it be that this was just a dispute among the children while they were playing, which led to a conflict, and the Queen mistook it for bullying?"

The Queen smiled bitterly and said, "Duke Protector of the Country, I understand your feelings."

"As their mother, I have to be honest. I hoped that today's incident was just a fight between children, but the injuries on Chengtai's body are shocking!"

Then, the Queen made a gesture to Yingxue, and the director of the Imperial Hospital came in.

The Queen said coldly, "Director Zhang is a man of high esteem and a veteran of the Imperial Hospital. He has already examined the Eighth Prince's injuries. Let him speak to you."

Zhang Yuanzheng bowed to the Emperor and Empress, then said gravely, "The Eighth Prince has forty-seven stab wounds on his back. They were caused by hairpins. The scars are numerous and shocking."

"There were eighteen bruises on his thighs, legs, and abdomen from being kicked and beaten."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingxi shouted in rage, "Did you hear everything? This is what your good daughters did!"

"But Your Majesty, even if the Eighth Prince suffered these injuries, how can we prove that it was done by these two little girls?" Yao Jinse was so concerned that she didn't care about anything else and started to question.

"Okay, okay! I will make you convinced!" Emperor Mingxi gritted his teeth.

"Bring the Eighth Prince and Princess Anguo up here, untie them, and confront them face to face!"

Before long, the eighth prince and Xia Miaoyuan came up from the back hall.

The eighth prince had already taken medicine, changed his clothes, and rested for a while, and he felt much better.

Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou were untied and knelt together in the hall.

"Chengtai, tell me everything that happened today." Emperor Mingxi's eyes were gentle. When the eighth prince met his father's gaze, he felt warm and full of endless power.

"good!"

Next, the eighth prince recounted to everyone what had happened in a clear and logical manner.

When talking about the insults Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou had said to him, the expressions of both the Feng and Liang families changed.

Emperor Mingxi surveyed everyone with a cold gaze. "Feng Manman, Liang Zhirou, I want to ask you, is what the Eighth Prince just said the truth?"

"Answer truthfully and don't lie!"

Feng Manman and Liang Zhirou were already shaking with fear, as if they had lost their souls.

"Yes...it's the truth..." Feng Manman whispered.

"But, but Princess Anguo also beat us! It wasn't just us who beat the Eighth Prince..." Liang Zhirou rolled her eyes and argued cunningly.

Feng Manman's eyes lit up as if she had been inspired. "Right, right, right! The princess kicked my leg and hit her shoulder!"

Seeing that her daughter had caught Xia Miaoyuan's fault, Yao Jinse took the opportunity to speak up, "Your Majesty, Empress, although the Eighth Prince and Princess Anguo are the daughters of a wealthy family, Liang Zhirou is also the apple of our eyes. You two shouldn't be so partial!"

[Damn it, the little villain's biological mother is indeed a tough one!] Xia Miaoyuan glanced at Yao Jinse, feeling a surge of anger rising.