"Bring Gu Zhixing to me!" The emperor's voice boomed like thunder in the court.
He stood up abruptly, his gaze sweeping across the ministers in the hall like a sword. They were all bruised and battered, looking utterly disheveled, which only fueled the emperor's rage.
He had no more interest in politics, and with a flick of his sleeve, coldly declared, "Court adjourned!"
After saying this, the emperor flicked his sleeves and strode away from the court, heading straight for the imperial study, where he waited for Gu Zhixing to arrive.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the emperor's anger had not subsided.
He sat on the dragon throne in the imperial study, his gaze sharp as he stared at Gu Zhixing, who was kneeling on the ground.
Gu Zhixing was dressed in red, as dazzling as a raging fire, exuding a hint of arrogance. He tilted his head, his delicate face carrying a nonchalant expression, as if he had no idea of the emperor's anger.
The emperor angrily rebuked, "You led men into the Eastern Palace, beat up the Crown Prince, and even broke into the homes of ministers in the middle of the night, beating them without saying a word. Half of the court officials have suffered at your hands. Tell me, what is your reason?"
Gu Zhixing gave a cold laugh, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness: "They can't control their mouths, they deserve to be beaten."
His heart was filled with guilt and anger towards Shen Jintang. The thought of her being forced by those rumors and suffering all kinds of grievances made his heart feel as if it were being burned by flames.
In his view, the ministers' superficial injuries were nothing; he even felt they hadn't been beaten hard enough.
"You...you...how dare you!" The emperor coughed incessantly with anger, grabbed the teacup beside him, and smashed it hard at Gu Zhixing, roaring, "You dare to hit an official of the court? Have I been too lenient with you?"
The teacup arced through the air but missed Gu Zhixing, instead crashing to the ground with a "smash" and shattering into pieces.
Tea splashed everywhere, reflecting Gu Zhixing's delicate face, his eyes filled with an unyielding stubbornness.
Seeing the expression on Gu Zhixing's face, the emperor was even more furious and roared, "Beat him! Drag him out and beat him! Beat him until he admits his mistake!"
The atmosphere in the imperial study froze instantly, and the emperor's anger erupted like a torrent.
The eunuch Gao Xi, who was serving nearby, was quite frightened. He quickly gave Gu Zhixing a look, signaling him to admit his mistake immediately.
However, Gu Zhixing ignored it, as if the look in his eyes didn't exist at all.
"Can't you hear me? Drag him out and beat him!" The emperor's voice rose even higher, making the entire imperial study resonate.
Upon seeing this, several guards quickly stepped forward to pull Gu Zhixing away.
But Gu Zhixing suddenly flung his hand away from the guards, slowly stood up, and walked outside with a determined look in his eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the windows of the imperial study, casting a long shadow on him. His figure appeared exceptionally upright in the sunlight, as if imbued with an indomitable spirit.
Upon arriving at the open space outside the Imperial Study, Gu Zhixing skillfully lay down on the bench that had been placed on the ground, already accustomed to this scene.
He said softly, "Let's do it."
There was no fear in his voice, but rather a sense of composure.
In his view, these physical pains were nothing at all.
He never thought he had done anything wrong, so why should he admit his mistakes and beg for forgiveness?
Gao Xi was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, tears welling up in her eyes, but she dared not cry out loud.
While wiping away his tears, he pleaded in a sobbing voice, "My dear, just admit your mistake, and everything will be alright."
Who doesn't know that the emperor dotes on Gu Zhixing, the heir apparent?
As long as he begs for mercy, the emperor's anger will subside, and the matter will be over.
But Gu Zhixing seemed determined and ignored Gao Xi's advice.
The executioners looked at each other, but dared not disobey the emperor's decree, so they could only grit their teeth and raise the boards in their hands.
Gao Xi was so anxious that she stomped her feet, and finally, tears streamed down her face.
He bit his lip tightly, but dared not step forward to stop it, and could only watch helplessly as the board was about to fall.
"stop!"
A clear and authoritative shout suddenly rang out, making everyone's ears ring, as if a thunderbolt had struck them.
The air inside the hall froze instantly, and everyone was stunned by the sudden shout.
The eldest princess rushed in from outside the palace. She was dressed in a magnificent palace gown, and her hurried steps carried an undeniable air of authority.
Her face was cold and stern, her eyes filled with anger, as if she could see right through people.
Upon seeing this, everyone was so frightened that they knelt down on the ground. The servant's hand froze in mid-air, the board just inches away from Gu Zhixing's back.
The eldest princess quickly walked to Gu Zhixing's side, pulled him up, and although her movements were hurried, they were also gentle.
She gently patted the dust off his clothes, her eyes filled with heartache, as if she were comforting a frightened little animal.
She asked in a low voice, "Does it hurt?"
His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Gu Zhixing raised his head, met the princess's gaze, smiled slightly, and shook his head.
Seeing this, the princess's anger intensified. She turned around and coldly surveyed the crowd.
Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through people, making everyone present shudder.
"Who among you dares to lay a finger on him?" The princess's voice was deep and powerful, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying a strong murderous intent. "How dare you treat him like this? Do you think you've lived too long?"
Seeing this, Gao Xi quickly wiped away her tears and choked out, "Your Highness, this...this is all a misunderstanding, the Crown Prince..."
Before he could finish speaking, the princess coldly interrupted him: "Misunderstanding? Wouldn't it be a misunderstanding if I chopped off your head?"
Her words were like sharp swords, piercing Gao Xi's heart.
Gao Xi was so frightened that he dared not speak anymore, and just lowered his head, not daring to breathe.
The servants around her trembled with fear at the sight of the princess. They scrambled to her feet, knelt down, and kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads hitting the ground with a loud thud. With sobs, they pleaded, "Princess, spare us! Princess, spare us! We know we were wrong, Your Highness, please forgive us!"
The princess sneered, kicked one of the servants hard, and cursed, "You dog of a servant! All you know is to obey orders, but you don't know what's important!"
Her voice was filled with intense anger.
But she knew these people were just following orders, so she didn't make things difficult for them. She just gave them a cold look and turned to Gu Zhixing, saying, "Go back and prepare for your imperial examination. Before that, you are not allowed to step out of the princess's residence."
“Mother…” Gu Zhixing wanted to say something more, but when he saw the princess’s icy gaze, he swallowed his words.
He lowered his head and remained silent.
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