The temperature in the room continued to rise, and the alluring atmosphere deepened.

Song Zhiyu was pulled into Zhou Xingzhi's embrace. Through his clothes, she could feel the heat emanating from him, making her feel as if she were in a furnace.

Her slender, supple waist was held by a pair of large, strong hands, which kneaded her gently, pressing her against the owner of those hands.

As soon as Lu Bai, who had come to deliver the medicine, opened the door, she saw this scene that made her blush and her heart race. Hearing her young mistress's soft, unbearable moans, even she, a woman, felt her heart flutter, let alone the Crown Prince, who was already in love with her mistress.

Her face turned bright red, and she quickly turned and left, even thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

*

The following day, at the Imperial Palace.

"If you have something to report, please do so; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

As soon as the chief eunuch finished speaking, Pei Qingyan stepped forward and slowly spoke, meeting the prince's fierce, murderous gaze, "Your subject has something to report."

Upon hearing this, the emperor straightened his expression, keenly sensing that the atmosphere in the court was not quite right.

The emperor narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze taking in the expressions of the assembled ministers below.

"Your Majesty knows that you value the law and use it as a guide to see things clearly. Now, I am going to accuse the Prince's heir of acting arrogantly and disregarding the law. He even set fire to Tingyu Pavilion for his own selfish desires, causing chaos at the lake banquet and injuring innocent people."

Even worse, they attempted to murder the daughter of the Marquis's family; their crimes are numerous and countless. We urge Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly, severely punish the wicked, and bring justice to the innocent.

Pei Qingyan's words were sharp and clear, and his stern words echoed in the empty hall, each word striking the Prince's heart.

The prince snorted coldly, not forgetting to make a threat, "Hmph, does Lord Pei have any evidence? If you don't have any evidence, you are just arbitrarily slandering the son of an official of the court. Even if you are Lord Pei, I will not let this go."

The servant boy had died in the Dali Temple prison, and no one could prove that the fire at Tingyuxuan was related to his son.

Even if Pei Qingyan possessed extraordinary abilities, he could not bring a dead person back to life.

The prince felt slightly relieved, and a sinister smile appeared on his deeply lined face, clearly showing that he now hated Pei Qingyan.

Standing on the left, Li Wang watched the two fight with cold eyes, feeling a pang of regret.

He originally wanted to win over Pei Qingyan to his side, but he never expected that Pei Qingyan was actually Song Zhiyu's sworn brother.

Given Song Zhiyu's relationship with the Crown Prince, Pei Qingyan will eventually turn against him and side with the Crown Prince.

In retrospect, this move has been a waste.

The emperor's face suddenly darkened. "Prince, is what Minister Pei said true?"

"Your Majesty, you must believe me. I would never allow my son to commit such a heinous act; this is slander. Pei Qingyan is Song Zhiyu's sworn brother; he is only acting to avenge Song Zhiyu."

"My son only had a few words with Song Zhiyu, yet he tried to kill him. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly." The Prince turned the tables, shifting all the blame onto Pei Qingyan.

As soon as he finished speaking, feeling that the fire wasn't big enough, the Prince of the County didn't hesitate to drag Shen Feng into the matter, "Your Majesty, if you don't believe me, you can ask Marquis Chengen. How could a father not know whether his daughter has been murdered?"

Despite the intense pressure emanating from the emperor, Shen Feng stepped forward with a stiff upper lip. "Your Majesty, there is absolutely no such thing. My youngest daughter grew up in the countryside and is ignorant of etiquette. Her behavior is vulgar and uncouth. It must have been she who offended the Prince's heir."

But this is just a minor squabble between two children; Lord Pei's assessment is far too serious.

Shen Feng rudely belittled Song Zhiyu in front of everyone, his teeth clenched, a behavior completely unlike that of a father.

He finished speaking in one breath, and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. A series of icy, piercing gazes fell upon him, like sharp blades cutting through his flesh, causing him unbearable pain.

The crown prince stared at him menacingly, as if he were looking at a dead man.

Duke Ling was furious, his already dark face now as black as the bottom of a pot, as if he wanted to kick Chen Feng a couple of times.

He had never seen a father who so cruelly abused his own daughter and then defended the abuser.

That's a complete jerk!

Under pressure, Shen Feng wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his heart filled with hatred for Song Zhiyu.

This daughter not only brought no benefit to the Marquis's mansion, but also only caused him trouble.

If she hadn't been so clever and insisted on showing off in front of the Empress Dowager, Shu'er wouldn't have been confined to her quarters for three months and lost all face.

He had originally planned to treat Song Zhiyu with more kindness because of her winning the lake tour banquet.

But some people just can't be given a kind look.

"Minister Pei, do you have any evidence?" The emperor glanced at Shen Feng with disgust, but his expression softened considerably when he turned to Pei Qingyan.

Song Zhiyu was not only the Crown Prince's savior, but also his beloved. It was truly a tragedy for him to have such a father.

The emperor shook his head inwardly. He knew the crown prince's temperament all too well; he was extremely protective of his own. Some people should just pray for their own good fortune.

"Your Majesty, I would never dare to deceive you. The evidence is right here." Pei Qingyan pulled out a confession with bloodstains from his sleeve and presented it to the emperor for review.

"This confession was personally signed by the servant of the Prince's heir. It clearly states in black and white that he was ordered by the Prince's heir to set fire to Tingyu Pavilion to cause chaos and take the opportunity to murder Miss Song." Pei Qingyan's words were precise and powerful, and the evidence he presented caught the Prince and Shen Feng completely off guard.

The prince looked on incredulously and questioned sharply, "Impossible! Isn't the person dead? Where did you get this testimony?"

“How did Your Highness know that the man was dead? It’s quite a coincidence. Last night, the servant suddenly died before we could even interrogate him. If I hadn’t given him an antidote beforehand, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have been able to get this confession.” Pei Qingyan seized on the loopholes in the prince’s words and pressed him relentlessly, leaving him speechless.

Then he turned to look at Shen Feng, his eyes full of mockery, "Your Excellency is a terrible father."

Shen Feng gritted his teeth in hatred, his face turning pale and then flushed in turns, a truly spectacular sight.

This Pei Qingyan is just as annoying as Song Zhiyu.

The emperor flew into a rage and threw the confession in his hand at the prince's face. "Prince, what else do you have to say?"

"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to raise my son, but I hope Your Majesty will consider that he is still young and show him leniency..." The Prince was speechless. The evidence was right in front of him, and he had no way to refute it.

The Crown Prince spoke slowly, "If I remember correctly, the Prince's heir is already twenty-three this year. Yet his behavior is worse than that of a five-year-old child. The Prince has truly failed in his duty of raising his son."

Zhou Xingzhi added fuel to the fire at the opportune moment, and his casual remark was enough to intensify the emperor's anger and eliminate any possibility of the prince pleading for mercy.