Just then, Chief Steward Yi cautiously entered and reported, "Your Majesty, Deputy Commander Qu, who is guarding the palace gate, has brought several soldiers who offended the princess and the county princess to apologize."
The emperor, who was just worried about not being able to find them, immediately slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "Blind dogs, they even dare to bully the princess, are they trying to rebel?"
"Give each of them fifty strokes of the cane, then throw them into the Censorate and ask them who ordered them!"
Chief Steward Yi quickly agreed and was about to retreat when the Emperor ordered again, "Beat them right here in front of the door, beat them hard!"
Outside, the deputy commander and several soldiers heard it clearly, and their faces turned pale.
A few soldiers were one thing, since they had genuinely offended the princess, but the commander was truly aggrieved. Why did he have to have diarrhea at the very moment the princess's carriage returned?
This is truly a disaster that came out of nowhere!
He couldn't help but get up and kick several soldiers hard.
The soldiers, already badly beaten by Shui Ling, started screaming in agony.
But that's not all!
Soon, a dozen tall and burly guards appeared, carrying benches and gleaming wooden planks.
The deputy commander and the soldiers were forced onto benches, and before they could catch their breath, the boards began to fall on them with a series of cracking sounds.
There are many rules to follow when it comes to beating someone with a cane. If the guards are willing to go easy on them, even if the flesh looks bloody and mangled, it doesn't actually cause any serious injury, and it's quite easy to do so.
But this time, no one gave them any money beforehand as a "money-making gift," and Steward Yi was watching them closely the whole time.
The old eunuch had a smile on his face, but he kept giving reminders.
"Hit him hard! How dare he bully the princess? He has a death wish!"
In truth, though he said those words as if he were protecting the princess, he was actually more concerned for the county princess in his heart.
Although he was a eunuch, a disabled person, he had no shortage of blood on his hands in order to climb to the position of chief eunuch.
But his heart is made of flesh and blood, not stone.
Over the years, whether he went to Broken Gold Beach or the Earl's Mansion, the Li family always treated him with warmth and thoughtfulness.
He didn't look down on him because he was a eunuch, nor did he fawn over him because he served the emperor.
On the contrary, they treated him like an old servant in a friend's house, not neglecting him and even taking care of him appropriately.
This made him feel very comfortable, giving him a sense of security and peace of mind, like that of an ordinary person.
Princess Kangle, in particular, treated him with even more affection, much like she would treat the old soldiers in the manor—both close and respectful.
Putting aside everything else, whenever the Li family sent snacks, fruits, or novel foods to the Emperor, he was never left out.
In his position, he had seen plenty of gold and silver treasures and was not interested in them at all. On the contrary, he was more pleased with these warm snacks.
Gradually, he also came to love the Li family's children and Princess Kangle as his own family.
These gatekeeper bastards, I don't know who instigated them, have become so audacious!
If it weren't for his status, he would have liked to pick up the paddle himself and give it a good beating!
The guards dared not slack off; they swung the boards and brought them down solidly.
Several soldiers were already injured, but they were knocked unconscious after being hit thirty times.
The deputy commander, however, stubbornly held on until he reached fifty, and finally cried out, "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"
Then, following in the footsteps of several soldiers, he fainted.
The emperor didn't care whether they were innocent or not; he simply waved his hand and ordered the guards to drag them away.
The Third Princess and Jiayin stood by the door, watching from beginning to end, and barely felt their anger subside.
The third princess snorted coldly and cursed, "Serves them right for bullying me!"
Jiayin, clutching the food box, refused to let go and said with a wronged expression, "It's a pity that Second Brother specially made these dishes!"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor quickly replied, "Don't worry, don't worry. We'll have dinner here tonight. It's been a long time since I've seen you all, so let's have a chat."
After saying that, he called for Steward Yi.
Chief Eunuch Yi quickly led the Third Princess and Jiayin to the back hall, where a young eunuch had already run to Zhilan Palace to fetch clean clothes.
After the Third Princess and Jiayin changed their clothes and washed up again, dinner was served when they returned to the front.
Needless to say, most of them were dishes they loved to eat.
The third princess was immediately delighted and chattered incessantly around the emperor.
Jiayin smiled and chimed in, soon making the emperor happy.
The Emperor dismissed the eunuchs, leaving only Chief Eunuch Yi to serve him.
The three of them, young and old, sat around the table, chatting, laughing, eating, and drinking, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.
After the meal, the Third Princess was reluctant to leave, as she hadn't seen her father, the Emperor, for a long time.
Jiayin suggested playing cards, and the Third Princess immediately agreed.
So the two girls started teaching the Emperor and Chief Eunuch Yi, the two newcomers, and then they teamed up to turn the Emperor and Chief Eunuch Yi into paper-stickers.
Laughter filled the imperial study, making it much more lively than before, which even attracted the eunuchs serving outside the door to peek in.
The emperor initially enjoyed the game, but whether it was because he lost too many times or because it was hot in the room, he gradually became a little irritable.
So he drank cup after cup of tea, but in the end he still felt uncomfortable, so he stood up.
The Third Princess didn't notice, but Jiayin had a guess in her heart, so she took the initiative to say, "Uncle Emperor, you've been busy all day, you should rest early. My sister, the Princess, and I are going back to Zhilan Palace!"
The Emperor subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Alright, then you should all go to bed early. If you've suffered any grievances, just send someone to me for support!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Jiayin replied with a smile, then took her leave with the Third Princess.
The third princess was still a little reluctant to part with him, and kept saying that she would come to play cards with her father again in a few days.
The emperor naturally agreed.
The Third Princess then returned to Zhilan Palace with Jiayin. Chief Eunuch Yi escorted them down the steps, and when they turned back, they saw that the Emperor looked somewhat anxious and was pacing around the room.
He quickly asked, "Your Majesty, is it hot? Should this old servant have two more ice basins?"
The Emperor waved his hand impatiently and said, "No need, it's much cooler in the Consort's palace. Prepare the carriage!"
Chief Eunuch Yi immediately agreed and quickly ordered the eunuchs to prepare to escort the Emperor to Ronghua Palace.
The Imperial Concubine seemed to be waiting for the Emperor's arrival as well, still wearing her magnificent palace attire, which made her appear even more graceful under the moonlight.
"Your Majesty, I heard there's been some trouble at the palace gates? The Third Princess and Princess Kangle were frightened. Have you managed to calm them down?"
As she spoke, the Imperial Concubine helped the Emperor remove his outer robe, her face full of worry and concern.
The emperor sat on the soft couch, took a deep breath, and finally felt much cooler, and the anxiety in his heart quickly subsided.
He pulled the imperial concubine down to sit and said with a smile, "Don't worry, it's already been dealt with. Have you eaten?"
"No, His Majesty hasn't come yet, and I don't find the food very enjoyable by myself," the Consort said with a shy smile, pleading, "Would Your Majesty like to eat some more with me?"
"Alright, it's too hot in the Imperial Study. I didn't eat much just now." The Emperor agreed, and soon a palace maid brought up the food.
Steward Yi helped serve the dishes, smiling and adding, "The Imperial Concubine's room doesn't have as many ice basins as the Imperial Study, but His Majesty says it's cool and comfortable here."
"In my opinion, His Majesty doesn't find the Imperial Study too hot; it's that the Imperial Study is not occupied by the Noble Consort."
The emperor glanced subconsciously at the ice basin in the corner of the room, and paused in the chopsticks in his hand.
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