The Imperial Study.

With a loud crash, a fine Ru porcelain teacup was smashed in front of Xiao Yuncheng, splashing scalding tea all over him.

Xiao Yuncheng instinctively tried to back away, but before he could move, he felt a cold gaze directed at him, carrying immense pressure.

Xiao Yuncheng's legs went weak and he knelt on the ground.

"Father, I don't know what I did wrong to anger you. Please tell me."

The Emperor of Great Yan stood behind his desk, his face ashen.

He said with a stern face, "I ask you, did you say that General Shen is unable to get out of bed with only two broken ribs?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuncheng's shoulders trembled violently.

How did his words from an hour ago reach the Emperor's ears so quickly?

Who informed the Emperor?

Was it someone from the General's Mansion who reported this matter to the Emperor, or was there a spy among his men?

"Are you mute?" The Emperor of Great Yan slammed a memorial onto the desk and asked sternly.

Xiao Yuncheng feared nothing in this world except the Emperor of Great Yan, his father.

So when he saw the Emperor of Great Yan get angry, Xiao Yuncheng immediately kowtowed and admitted his mistake: "Father, I was wrong! But what I said was unintentional!"

"What I meant by those words was... to praise General Shen's past valor and achievements, and I had absolutely no other intention! I have only recently married a daughter of the Shen family and only wish to be on good terms with them. How could I possibly be disrespectful to my father-in-law?"

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and not to believe the instigation of treacherous people!"

After saying this, Xiao Yuncheng kowtowed deeply.

However, the anger on the Emperor of Great Yan's face did not subside in the slightest. He lowered his eyes and glanced at the memorial in front of him. The treacherous person Xiao Yuncheng mentioned was none other than his "respected" father-in-law.

A few days ago, Shen Wei was forced to fall off his horse by Xiao Yuncheng but did not submit a memorial to him. However, today, he wrote a memorial because of Xiao Yuncheng's words. Every word was accusatory and every sentence was full of tears. It can be seen how excessive Xiao Yuncheng's words were.

He was utterly unfit to be the future crown prince, having managed to provoke his father-in-law to submit a memorial impeaching him and causing his trusted ministers to feel deeply aggrieved.

The Emperor of Great Yan pointed to the thick stack of memorials on his desk, and laughed in exasperation: "A treacherous person? Then all the civil and military officials in the court are accusing you of licentiousness in broad daylight, disregard for etiquette and law, forcing marriages, abusing your power to oppress people, failing to protect loyal generals, and being cold-hearted. Are you trying to say that all my ministers are treacherous people?"

"Refuse me?"

Xiao Yuncheng frowned, staring at the memorials piled on his desk, and asked incredulously, "Father, are all these memorials... impeaching me?"

The Emperor of Great Yan sneered, "Don't you have any idea how many despicable things you've done?"

Xiao Yuncheng's face stiffened.

The Emperor of Great Yan continued his tirade: "You are the Crown Prince, the future heir apparent of Great Yan! How could you commit such a disgraceful act as having an affair with an unmarried woman? And even get her pregnant! Do you know how Imperial Censor Shi impeached you? He said that you, a prince, have no sense of propriety or shame, and are a disgrace to Great Yan!"

Xiao Yuncheng pursed his lower lip into a thin line.

He and Shen Yunjin had simply done some things that should be done after marriage in advance. Was it really that serious?

This Imperial Censor Shi dared to impeach him like that! I'll make him pay when he gets back!

The Emperor of Great Yan had seen countless people and knew Xiao Yuncheng very well. Just by looking at his face, he could tell what kind of wicked idea Xiao Yuncheng was plotting.

He's still thinking about going to see Imperial Censor Shi. He's still not repentant. He's incredibly foolish!

But Xiao Yuncheng not only showed no remorse, he also shamelessly said, "Father will soon be able to hold his grandson, isn't that a good thing?"

"you……"

The Emperor of Great Yan was so angry that his temples throbbed.

In the past few days, he had received many memorials impeaching the Crown Prince, but out of consideration for the Crown Prince's recent marriage, he had been delaying the summoning of Xiao Yuncheng to the palace.

It wasn't until today that Shen Wei submitted his memorial.

He had no choice but to drag Xiao Yuncheng into the palace, but faced with these impeachments, his son not only showed no fear, but also showed no remorse.

If the Great Yan Kingdom were handed over to such a person, the people of the Great Yan Kingdom would probably suffer greatly!

The emperor shook his head, clinging to his last glimmer of hope, and asked, "I heard that Shen Wei was unwilling to marry his daughter to you. You stabbed his horse to death, causing him to fall from its back, break his bones, and be bedridden, preventing him from entering the palace to see me. Is this true?"

Xiao Yuncheng said, "Father, although General Shen is a senior official in the court, I feel that he always acts like he is taking advantage of his age in front of me!"

"Your subject and Jin'er are deeply in love. It was he who repeatedly tried to stop you, which is why your subject accidentally startled his horse. But his fall from the horse had nothing to do with you! It was the horse's fault!"

"Even if General Shen is ignorant of rank and disrespectful to me, I will forgive his past actions and still sincerely wish to befriend him! I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"

After saying this, Xiao Yuncheng knelt down and crawled two steps to get close to the emperor.

But the emperor's gaze was even colder than before.

Xiao Yuncheng couldn't help but flinch.

Then the emperor asked, "You insist on marrying a daughter of the Shen family and befriending them. What exactly are you plotting?"

Xiao Yuncheng suddenly raised his head. How could it be wrong for him to disrespect Shen Wei, or wrong for him to be on good terms with the Shen family?

Xiao Yuncheng said aggrievedly, "Is Father Emperor suspecting me?"

The emperor glanced at Xiao Yuncheng but didn't answer. He simply said, "Go kneel outside!"

Faced with the emperor's order, Xiao Yuncheng dared not disobey.

He lifted his robes and knelt on the hard white jade steps outside the imperial study.

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