It was almost the end of the year, and the government had already sealed the documents, so Emperor Jingming breathed a sigh of relief.

At least I can have some peace of mind from now on, and leave any worries until after the New Year.

Unexpectedly, just as this thought flashed through his mind, something unexpected happened again: Prince Lu beat Prince Jing!

Looking at Prince Lu kneeling in front of him, and then at Prince Jing with a bruised face, Emperor Jingming's face turned blacker than the bottom of a pot.

"Old Five, did you eat too much? Why did you go to Jingyuan to beat up your second brother?"

King Lu stiffened his neck and said in defense, "My son was originally going to visit my second brother, and he invited me to drink. Who knew that he had a dirty mouth? My son drank too much, and when he was drunk, he couldn't help but fight with him--"

"Shut up!" Emperor Jingming shouted angrily, scaring Prince Lu.

Prince Lu muttered in his heart: Father looks a little scary, why is he only angry at me? It wasn't like this when the seventh son beat the second son.

To be honest, he did go to Jingyuan to drink with the deposed prince on purpose, just to find an excuse to beat him up and fulfill his long-cherished wish.

One glance at the pig-headed deposed prince made Prince Lu feel refreshed.

He has been beaten, and the most he will get is a scolding and sent to the clan house for two days like Old Seven did. It is still very cost-effective.

No, maybe it won't be that serious. When the seventh brother beat the second brother, the second brother was still the crown prince. That was called insubordination. Now he is beating the deposed crown prince. Maybe the emperor will punish the second brother and make him go to the clan house with him.

Hehehe, if that's the case he'll make a profit.

"A fight broke out?" Emperor Jingming raised his voice and pointed at the deposed crown prince. "You call this a fight between two people? This is clearly a one-sided beating!"

The little bastard really thought that he was old and confused. He beat the second child so badly that his mother could hardly recognize him, but he still tried to make excuses in front of him.

He hates excuses the most!

If Rong Yang had not made excuses at that time, but honestly admitted his mistakes, he would not have been punished so severely, and Rong Yang might not have died at the hands of Cui Wei...

Emperor Jingming inevitably felt a little guilty about the death of Princess Rongyang. And Prince Lu happened to cause trouble at this time, which was a big mistake.

King Lu still didn't feel the danger approaching, and explained: "My son is very strong, but I didn't expect my second brother to be so weak and couldn't control his strength for a while..."

"You beast, shut up!" Emperor Jingming roared, looking at the deposed crown prince, "Second brother, what do you have to say to me?"

The miserable deposed prince lowered his eyes and whispered, "My son is wrong. Please forgive me, father."

His heart was filled with rage and hatred.

When he was still the crown prince, except for the troublemaker Old Seven, the other brothers at least treated him with respect on the surface. But now that he has become the Jing Prince, even Old Five, the idiot, dares to hit him.

His father-in-law was right. All he had to do now was to endure.

As long as the crown prince was not appointed, he still had a chance to turn things around. If he could be patient and try to make his father change his mind, he could continue to be the crown prince.

It was too terrible to let him stay in that deserted Jingyuan as the King of Quiet for the rest of his life.

The deposed prince honestly admitted his mistake, and Emperor Jingming felt distressed.

He was angry that the second son did such a rebellious thing, but that didn't mean anyone could step on the deposed prince.

After all, the second child was the only child he and Empress Yuan had.

Emperor Jingming looked at Prince Lu with a slightly cold gaze: "During these troubled times, not only did you not think about sharing your father's worries, but you also beat your brother. I am so disappointed!"

"Father——"

Emperor Jingming raised his hand and said, "I don't want to hear your explanation. Pan Hai, pass on my order. Prince Lu is disrespectful to his elder brother, which may lead to a quarrel between brothers. He is now demoted from a prince to a county prince. I hope other princes can take this as a warning..."

The pitiful deposed prince, who was kneeling there, was stunned.

Because the fifth brother beat him, his father actually demoted him?

After the moment of shock, there was ecstasy.

His father loves him so much, he must have a chance! His father-in-law really didn't coax him...

The deposed prince remembered Father Yang's words clearly, and tried hard not to show any joy on his face. He felt that he had used up all his patience that he had acquired throughout his life.

The one who was more shocked than the deposed crown prince was the King of Lu.

Demotion? Wait, that's not right.

After beating the crown prince, the seventh brother was only imprisoned in the clan palace for a few days and was not hurt at all. But after beating Prince Jing, he was demoted?

"Father, Father, are you mistaken--"

Emperor Jingming raised his leg and kicked Prince Lu: "What a mistake! Get out of here!"

Prince Lu was driven out, leaving only the deposed crown prince kneeling obediently.

"Get up." Emperor Jingming glanced at the deposed prince, feeling angry and distressed.

He indeed had high hopes for this son and had feelings for him that could not be replaced by any other prince.

He had watched him take his first steps, picked him up when he fell, and personally taught him to write and corrected his pen-holding posture...all of these were things that other princes had never experienced.

When Emperor Jingming saw the miserable state of the deposed crown prince, his anger subsided a lot, and he asked, "Are your wife and Chun'er getting along well in Jingyuan?"

He couldn't bear to ask the deposed prince directly whether he was living well.

"Jingyuan is big, Chun'er and his two sisters often make snowmen, they are quite happy..." The deposed prince remembered his father Yang's instructions that he must not complain if he had the chance to meet his father.

It seemed as if a scene of several grandchildren making snowmen appeared before his eyes, and Emperor Jingming smiled: "Just adapt to it."

He looked at the deposed prince steadily and said, "Your status is no longer the same as before. You should get along well with your brothers."

"My son will follow the instructions of the emperor."

"Remember to bring Chun-ge'er to the family dinner."

The deposed crown prince suddenly raised his head and looked at Emperor Jingming eagerly.

Did the emperor allow him to attend the New Year's Eve family dinner?

"Um?"

The deposed prince kowtowed with tears streaming down his face: "Thank you, father. I thought you didn't want to see me anymore..."

Emperor Jingming twitched the corners of his mouth.

It's true that I wanted to strangle this bastard to death at that time, and it's also true that I feel a little pity for him now when I see his pitiful look of being trampled upon by others.

You could say he was useless or biased, but he really couldn't be completely iron-hearted towards the second child.

It was impossible to restore the second son's position as heir apparent, but he couldn't let people think that the second son could be trampled upon by others after losing power. The punishment of the fifth son and the New Year's Eve family dinner were an attitude towards those people who were releasing him.

"Don't say such nonsense and go back." Emperor Jingming sent the deposed prince away with a stern face.

Prince Lu almost cried as he went back. When he arrived at the palace, he turned around and knocked on the door of Prince Yan's palace.

"What happened to Fifth Brother?"

King Lu wiped his face and gritted his teeth and said, "Seventh Brother, tell me the truth today."

"What?"

"When the second brother was still the crown prince, did you really hit him?"

Could it be that I am trying to lure him in by baiting him?

Yu Jin smiled: "How could this be false? I beat him at the palace gate, and many guards saw it. Why are you asking this, Fifth Brother?"

When King Lu heard this, he was immediately distraught and murmured, "I understand, I might have picked it up..."