"Your Highness, Your Majesty, everyone is here."
In the Imperial Garden, Zhao Qingqi sat there expressionlessly, wearing a pale yellow brocade robe embroidered with a four-clawed golden dragon.
His still-childish face was beginning to resemble Ning Hongze.
Sitting next to him was Ning Hongze, who was wearing a moon-white brocade robe.
The person had fair skin like jade, and sitting quietly was like a painting, but the scene before him was too bloody.
"Your Excellency, this—"
Four palace servants were tied to a long bench, with the Imperial Guards carrying out the executions standing nearby.
Every time the Imperial Guards cracked their whips, the screams of the palace servants could be heard.
Fresh blood seeped from under the thin clothes.
After a few lashes, his entire back was a bloody mess.
These are people from Zhao Qingqi's Eastern Palace.
After studying under Ning Hongze for several months, even though Zhao Qingqi felt a tightness in his chest and a bitter taste in his mouth, he carefully concealed his emotions and tried his best to calm himself down.
"I called you here so you could see for yourself how these people betray their own people."
"What?"
"I'm innocent!"
A palace maid called out.
"she?"
This palace maid is named Shuiqin. She has served him for many years. It's unlikely that she would betray him.
"Little fish."
"yes."
Xiao Yu stepped out from behind Ning Hongze.
"The palace maid Shuiqin stole four jade pendants, a pink pearl from the East Sea, and some tribute items, porcelain, and the like from His Highness's palace. The total value of these items reached 40,000 taels."
"What?"
Zhao Qingqi's expression changed drastically.
Having spent so much time with Ning Hongze, he had come to understand the man's character. He was unlikely to talk nonsense, so if he said so, Shuiqin must have done it.
"Your Highness, I... I'm innocent!"
"Don't worry, we've found your home, and none of your family members will escape."
“No, no, Your Majesty, please, spare them, I beg you.”
"You don't need to worry, you'll die sooner than them anyway."
Watercress's eyes glazed over.
If she had known earlier, she should have stopped after stealing the first time, so that her family wouldn't have been implicated.
The four men, concealing their actions from each other, stole nearly 80,000 taels of silver from Zhao Qingqi's palace.
No matter how much these people begged for mercy, Zhao Qingqi kept his lips tightly shut and refused to give in.
Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.
If he lets them off easily now, even more people will betray him in the future.
"And her—"
Seeing the pale-faced palace maid kneeling and trembling to the side, Zhao Qingqi's expression turned even more unpleasant.
This palace maid, like Shuiqin, had served him for many years.
"I have not yet dealt with this palace maid; I am waiting for Your Highness to decide her fate personally."
"What did she do?"
"Your Highness, she brought some items belonging to smallpox patients to the East Palace."
"What?"
"Fortunately, the Ninth Prince discovered it in time and prevented her from succeeding."
"You, you—"
"Your Highness, I was confused for a moment. Please spare my life."
The palace maid cried out pitifully, but when she heard the Ninth Prince order the Crown Prince to punish her, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.
His Highness the Crown Prince is soft-hearted; he might let her go.
She still has a glimmer of hope.
"smallpox?"
Unexpectedly, Zhao Qingqi's face suddenly turned extremely ugly when he heard the word "smallpox".
"You want to kill me, yet you want me to let you go. In your eyes, am I just a fool?"
Zhao Qingqi slammed his hand on the table, causing the tea to spill onto the floor, the cup shattering with a crisp sound.
The palace maid shuddered violently, "Your Highness, spare my life!"
"Isn't that right? If they didn't think I was a fool, how dare they treat me like this?"
Zhao Qingqi sneered, "Guards! This person plotted against me. Drag her out and execute her by slow slicing. Find out where she got her smallpox medication. Arrest them all!"
"Since you have the courage to do such a thing, you should also have the courage to bear the consequences."
The palace maid's face was ashen.
"Your Highness, this was done by me alone, and has nothing to do with my family."
“Plotting against the crown prince is a heinous crime that could implicate three generations of one’s family. Your Highness has already shown mercy by only arresting those involved,” Ning Hong said casually, though his tone suggested he was somewhat dissatisfied with Zhao Qingqi’s leniency.
"Your Highness—" the palace maid called out again, "for the sake of my many years of service to you—"
"Then how could you bear to lay a hand on me?" Zhao Qingqi took a deep breath. "Guards, drag her away." This time, Zhao Qingqi was decisive and swift.
"Your Highness, Your Highness——"
She thought that because His Highness was kind-hearted, even if something happened, His Highness wouldn't be ruthless towards them. However, she forgot that the person she served was not just a master, but also the future king of Great Yin.
Those who plot to murder the crown prince will have their entire family executed.
"What's wrong? Are you very sad or disappointed?"
"I think so." Zhao Qingqi lowered his head. Although he had a carefree personality, he was quite protective of the people in his palace and treated them very well.
But he never expected that there would be so many treacherous and ungrateful people in his own palace alone.
"Alright, next time, be more discerning in your judgment of people. Observe the people in your palace more closely, and you'll make some new discoveries." Ning Hong then reached out and rubbed Zhao Qingqi's hand.
The moment his hand touched his head, a strange feeling suddenly welled up inside him.
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