Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhou felt terrified and his whole body went cold.

How is that possible?

"By the way, the sword that cut off your cousin's finger was the Crimson Sky Sword, bestowed upon me by the Emperor, which has the power to execute first and report later."

"It seems you are quite dissatisfied with Shen Yunting's actions? Are you also dissatisfied with me?"

The emperor scoffed coldly, exuding an oppressive aura, his dark eyes filled with unfathomable blackness.

“The county princess is my savior, and she and Shen Yunting have known each other for many years. I know their character best.”

"They would never do anything bad unless someone offended them."

"Not to mention, your cousin wants to make money by using the rouge formula. Could he also be plotting something nefarious?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhou could no longer control himself, and his mind went blank.

He hurriedly begged for forgiveness, saying, "Your subject knows his mistake."

"You can admit your mistakes? You are the high and mighty Minister of Justice, how could I possibly convict you?" the Emperor rebuked coldly.

The more he spoke like that, the more panicked Zhang Zhou became.

He lowered his eyes to admit his mistake, and remained silent for a long time.

"By imperial decree, Zhang Zhou has been found guilty of allowing his cousin Lu Guang to commit an act of disrespect and humiliate the county princess. Lu Guang is hereby imprisoned and given thirty strokes of the cane. Zhang Zhou is hereby demoted to the rank of Vice Minister and ordered to reflect on his mistakes."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, looking down at Zhang Zhou.

"Get lost."

After all that effort, I didn't get any benefit.

He also offended Shen Yunting and Qu Jingyun, and even displeased the Emperor.

Zhang Zhou secretly groaned inwardly.

He dared not direct his resentment at the Emperor, but could only hate Qu Jingyun and Shen Yunting.

The emperor sat high above, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

Is this what his trusted advisors are like?

Does he still have anyone else he can use?

He couldn't help but think of what he had just said to Zhang Zhou. Did he really understand Shen Yunting and Qu Jingyun?

If one truly understood, how could one...

A sudden wave of regret washed over him.

But he quickly suppressed it again.

He did nothing wrong!

Emperors are never wrong!

Shen Yunting and Qu Jingyun had no idea what the Emperor was thinking at that moment, nor did they care.

Right now, they only care about one thing: the New Year.

This was the first time the whole family had celebrated the Lunar New Year together after several years apart, and everyone's faces were filled with joy.

Even Yin Xue's gaze towards Chen Song softened considerably.

Chen Song was immediately in a great mood.

Qu Jingyun saw this and a smile slowly crept onto her lips.

He called out to everyone, "Come on, let's make dumplings together!"

“I’m very good at this.” Shen Yunting smiled and began to move with practiced ease.

Seeing this, Shen Yue couldn't help but become interested.

She asked proactively, "Daddy, you can even make dumplings?"

"Of course," Shen Yunting said with a smug look.

He smiled and said, "I used to make all the wrappings for the New Year at home, and I always made sure you were satisfied."

"I've just been too busy lately and haven't had a chance until now. Now you can finally try my cooking."

Having said that, Shen Yue was somewhat worried about Shen Yunting's mood.

He quickly changed the subject, saying, "That would be our honor."

Actually, when Shen Yunting first returned, his family was somewhat estranged from him.

But after spending this time together, the estrangement seemed to have disappeared without them even realizing it.

Today, at the family dinner, we were even able to crack some jokes.

"The imperial examination next year? Are you confident?" Shen Yunting suddenly looked at Shen Cong and asked.

Shen Cong was taken aback by the question and quickly became serious.

"have."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunting slowly curved his lips into a smile and gave a thumbs-up in satisfaction.

"He truly is my son."

Upon hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on Shen Cong's face.

Qu Jingyun saw this and a smile crept onto her lips as well.

Just then, Xiao Liu came running over, his face serious.

Qu Jingyun had a bad feeling and looked up at Shen Yunting.

It's the Lunar New Year, nothing should happen, right?

"The Emperor is here! The steward is leading his men over." Xiao Liu ran out of breath.

"What?" Qu Jingyun's expression changed drastically.

The Emperor isn't in the palace for the banquet; what are they here for?

However, since he was the emperor, they could not turn him away.

I had no choice but to put down what I was doing and get up to greet the other person.

In the blink of an eye, the Emperor appeared before everyone.

Upon seeing the Emperor again, the entire family knelt down with mixed feelings.

"Get up, everyone. It was an unexpected visit by me. Don't take it to heart. Just go about your own business."

That's what they say, but how could everyone really ignore him?

When I get busy, my movements become much less fluid.

Qu Jingyun's gaze kept falling on Shen Yunting, her eyes filled with deep doubt.

What exactly does this person want to do by coming here at this time?

Shen Yunting could only shake his head in response; he himself did not know.

"I never imagined that you two would be able to spend the New Year together after your divorce," the Emperor couldn't help but remark from the side.

"After all, we've been married for many years. Now, people around us are avoiding us like the plague, and our home is really quiet. It would be better for both families to get together and have some fun. Not to mention, we have a child, so it's naturally more convenient for us to get together."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment.

After all, Shen Yunting and Qu Jingyun's current predicament is also thanks to him.

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