Lady Li knelt on the ground in fear and unease, her alluring eyes glancing between the Emperor and Mu Anyu, but she dared not utter a single word.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived."

The Crown Prince? Consort Li swayed slightly, but refrained from turning around.

"Father!" The Crown Prince knelt on the ground, his voice muffled.

The emperor suddenly stood up and walked step by step toward the main hall.

“My son, you can abuse your power, you can cultivate your own faction, you can be greedy for money, and you can kill some people, and I can forgive you for all of that, but there is one thing.”

The Emperor's tone suddenly turned cold, and he slapped Consort Li across the face with such force that she fell to the ground, blood instantly appearing at the corner of her mouth.

In an instant, the atmosphere in Yangju Hall turned icy cold.

An Ning exclaimed in a low voice: This is too explosive!

Mu Ange obediently lowered his head, his indignant expression clearly saying: You two ungrateful men have actually angered Father Emperor so much.

But An Ning heard it clearly. He was thinking to himself: Hmm~ How come he's not dead yet? The old man has a big heart.

His thuggish tone, like that of a petty thug, combined with his solemn face, was truly... indescribable.

"A master!" An Ning gave Mu Ange a thumbs up.

Mu Ange: ...You're sick!

Anning: You son of a bitch!

The emperor's words instantly plunged the crown prince into an abyss of despair.

"Father, I am innocent! It was her, she seduced me! She is despicable! I was drunk and knew nothing!" The Crown Prince's ashen face suddenly flushed red. He pointed at Consort Li's swollen face and said sternly.

Li Meiren paused, her body trembling. She turned her head slightly and, through her disheveled hair, saw the Crown Prince's eyes, which were filled with a venomous cruelty.

"Heh." She chuckled softly.

"Hahahahahaha." Then he burst into loud laughter, the shrill sound echoing throughout the hall. Although he was laughing, what swept over him was an overwhelming surge of sorrow and a lonely cry.

The prince shrank back and pulled his hand away, no longer looking at her.

"Father, it seems this woman has gone mad. Father, we should execute her as soon as possible to avoid damaging the royal family's reputation."

The prince knelt upright, speaking urgently, fearing that the madwoman might say something detrimental to him at any moment.

Mu Anyu asked in disbelief, "Crazy? How can I not believe it? I remember during the selection, Your Highness said that you would definitely ask Father to appoint the best girl in this batch as your consort. Who would have thought that you would not be satisfied with having a princess consort and sister-in-law, but would dare to covet Father's consorts? If Consort Li is really crazy, I would never believe that you would take a fancy to her and spend every night with Consort Li?"

An Ning knew that Mu Anyu had already put it very tactfully; he probably meant to say...

Mu Ange: A lovemaking session, night after night!

An Ning was still thinking of words when Mu Ange had already spoken them. Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder he has so many beautiful wives and concubines, he has so many clever words.

“Father, I was really seduced by this vile woman. She said that since entering the palace, she has never been summoned by you, and she is lonely and cannot sleep... so... so.”

The emperor simply raised his foot and kicked the crown prince to the ground.

Li Meiren wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, tilted her head slightly, and looked up at the glazed tiles above:

“I remember a month ago in the Imperial Garden, I happened to meet the Crown Prince who came to the palace to pay his respects. I am of low rank and have never seen a man before. The Crown Prince probably thought I was lonely, so he led me to tour the entire Imperial Garden. Over the years, I have visited the Imperial Garden countless times. I remember clearly what flowers bloom where in the Imperial Garden.

But that day in the Imperial Garden was more beautiful than any garden I had ever seen in my life. After returning home, I couldn't sleep at night, my mind filled with the Crown Prince's face. From then on, I went to the Imperial Garden whenever I had free time, hoping to meet him again.

Fortunately, heaven had eyes. After the second time, we... made love. Hehe, that was the most joyful moment of my life. Even now, I still remember the Crown Prince whispering in my ear that he would make me Empress when he ascended the throne. Hahaha, I believed him, hahahahahaha.

Li Meiren's laughter grew louder and louder, until tears streamed down her face and she laughed until she was hoarse and exhausted.

"You vile woman, you vile woman, you're lying! It was clearly you who deliberately set a trap for me in the Imperial Garden. It was you, you drugged my wine, that's why...that's why..."

Mu Ange spoke again: "Only when lust takes over."

An Ning frowned: "Big brother, could you please stop interrupting? I really can't take it anymore."

"Why are you framing me here? Tell me, were you acting under someone else's orders?"

Suddenly, the Crown Prince reached out and grabbed Consort Li's already disheveled hair. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was filled with rage. Even his voice changed.

Mu Anyu had never seen the Crown Prince like this before; today was truly an eye-opener for him.

Li Meiren glanced at him sideways, tears welling in her eyes as they silently slid down her cheeks. She took a deep breath, suppressing the throbbing pain in her scalp, and steadied herself, saying:

"Oh, by the way, His Highness also said that we two must be very careful and not give anyone any leverage over us. Mu Ange and Consort Zhang were the ones who orchestrated the frame-up against him, which angered Father. If we are discovered, we might lose our heads."

After saying that, Consort Li looked at the Crown Prince with a sinister smile. Her pale lips opened and closed, clearly saying: Your Highness, we will live in the same bed and die in the same grave. If I cannot live, you will not have an easy time either.

"You're asking for death!" The Crown Prince suddenly stood up and reached out to grab Consort Li's neck tightly.

Mu Anyu was startled by his sudden movement.

Su Yunyan clutched her neck, feeling heartbroken: Li Meiren... had suffered the same fate as her.

Mu Ange appeared utterly shocked, but inwardly she was completely calm: It's that trick again, I'm begging you.

The emperor watched this scene with indifference, remaining unmoved.

The prince's grip tightened, and Anning vaguely heard the sound of her neck breaking.

Li Meiren's struggles grew weaker and weaker until finally... she slumped down, collapsing into a limp heap.

An Ning felt a churning in her stomach, wanting to vomit but daring not to make a sound, until her face turned as purple as an eggplant.

This was the first time in her life that she had witnessed a live murder scene.

What sent chills down her spine even more was not the Crown Prince, but the people in the room who stood there, watching her life slowly slip away in the hands of others.

Mu Ange seemed to sense Anning's discomfort. She glanced at her, then calmly took out a sachet and placed it in Anning's hand. Perhaps this calming incense would make her feel better.

An Ning was puzzled when she heard Mu Ange mutter to himself: I wonder who sent it. I'll just give it to you. Otherwise, I would have to throw it away myself.

An Ning had just taken the sachet when her face immediately darkened: You're treating me like a trash can...