After finishing the morning court session and dealing with official documents, I looked up again and saw that the sun was high in the sky; it was already noon.
"Your Majesty, would you like lunch?"
"good."
Ji Xiaoxiao secretly touched her shrunken belly. She worked from early morning to late at night, with heavy official duties and an empty stomach. Being the emperor wasn't so easy!
The emperor was indeed the emperor; his subordinates were incredibly efficient. In no time at all, a steady stream of eunuchs and palace maids arrived, carrying platters of delicious food.
The aroma was irresistible, and the food looked delicious. Ji Xiaoxiao happily picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish, opened her mouth, and before she could put it in, a childish shout came from outside.
"Get out of my way! I, the Crown Prince, want to see my father. How dare you lowly servants stop me? If you don't move aside, I will exterminate your entire family."
The Crown Prince?!
After a moment of distraction, Ji Xiaoxiao realized that this was the original owner's adopted son—Lü Shangqing.
Lu Shangqing was Lu Zhixuan's biological son, born in the first year after he entered the palace, but he was not the original owner's bloodline. On the day the Lu family overthrew the tyranny and ascended the throne, the original owner was imprisoned by Lu Zhixuan. In order to torture and torment the original owner, Lu Zhixuan not only used various methods such as skinning and bone-scraping, but also told the original owner Lu Shangqing's true identity.
The original owner never imagined, no matter how hard she tried, that the son she had doted on for over a decade or two was actually someone else's child. Even more ridiculous, the one who ultimately ended the original owner's life was none other than Lü Shangqing, whom she had once cherished.
As a child, Lü Shangqing was spoiled and arrogant; in his youth, he was a dissolute young man; and as an adult, he became cruel and tyrannical. His methods of tormenting others became increasingly sophisticated with age. Starting from the limbs and moving throughout the body, Lü Shangqing plucked out the original owner's fingernails and toenails one by one, exposing the raw flesh. He then sprinkled seasonings on the flesh, roasted it over a low flame until it was cooked through, and then cut it into small pieces to feed the original owner…
Feeling nauseous and gagging uncontrollably, Ji Xiaoxiao trembled all over. The burning sensation on her skin, the lingering sweetness of cooked meat in her mind, and the fear of her body gradually disappearing all surged into her heart. Taking a deep breath, Ji Xiaoxiao's good mood instantly vanished.
"Let him in!" A hint of murderous intent flashed in Ji Xiaoxiao's eyes.
The eunuch who had been serving the young lady snacks and drinks bowed, accepted the order, and left. When he returned, his clothes were disheveled, his cheeks were swollen and red, and blood was at the corner of his mouth; he was a pathetic sight. Behind him followed a smug and arrogant little brat.
"Father, I heard from Prime Minister Lu that you have imprisoned my mother and father. You've gone senile! They are my mother and father, how dare you treat them like this? I'll give you one chance, release my mother and father immediately, or I won't let you off the hook." Lü Shangqing's words were clear and articulate, making him seem no longer like a five-year-old child.
Lu Shangqing snorted heavily at Ji Xiaoxiao. Accustomed to his lack of manners, he walked straight to Ji Xiaoxiao's side and instructed a palace maid to carefully help him sit on a chair. Without any politeness, he grabbed a roast chicken, tore it apart, bit into it, and swallowed it whole.
The child wasn't hers; Ji Xiaoxiao didn't say a word, coldly watching Lü Shangqing. Lü Shangqing ate too quickly and greedily, patting his chest as the chunks of meat finally settled into his stomach.
"What are you looking at, you useless bitch?"
Lu Shangqing was perceptive and noticed that Ji Xiaoxiao was staring at him without eating or drinking, which affected his appetite. He immediately flew into a rage and threw the chicken leg in his hand onto Ji Xiaoxiao's dragon robe.
This wasn't the first time Lü Shangqing had treated the true emperor this way. Those around him were used to it, but they all lowered their heads in fear, not daring to look or listen any further.
Lu Shangqing was the crown prince, the heir to the Lu dynasty, and the only son of the current emperor. But they were just lowly servants, and when they died, they were nothing more than a straw mat to be rolled up. Who would feel sorry for them? Who would go to great lengths to seek justice for them?
Ji Xiaoxiao glanced around, a smirk playing on her lips. She picked up a chicken leg from the dragon robe, walked over to Lü Shangqing, and forcefully shoved it into his mouth. Lü Shangqing whimpered as the chicken leg was choked in his mouth, his wide eyes filled with resentment and hatred.
“I am the Son of Heaven, and also your father. For you to throw such filthy things at me is a grave crime of disrespect and filial impiety.”
Ji Xiaoxiao disliked Lü Shangqing, but couldn't bring herself to kill him. She decisively pulled back the chicken leg and smashed it into Lü Shangqing's face.
"Guards, take the Crown Prince... no, I mean Lü Shangqing, and give him ten strokes of the cane."
The emperor was furious, and no one dared to say a word against it.
A strong eunuch helped Lü Shangqing onto a long bench. Then, one of them held down one of Lü Shangqing's hands and feet, while two others held large sticks, raised them high, and quickly brought them down, slapping Lü Shangqing's buttocks.
"I have no food to feed you. If you keep hitting it like this, you won't even kill a mosquito."
The eunuch's actions were extremely loud, yet Lü Shangqing's expression showed no sign of pain.
"Start over. Beat them hard, beat them with all your might. If I find out again that you have deceived me, I will repay you with this punishment a hundredfold, a thousandfold."
When Ji Xiaoxiao exposed his little tricks, the eunuch panicked. He realized that if he didn't work hard, losing his job would be a good thing, but losing his life would be useless even if he cried for his parents.
The eunuch dared not resort to any more underhanded tricks. He struck Lü Shangqing ten times with great force, and after a few cries of pain, the pampered Lü Shangqing fainted.
“Lu Shangqing is disrespectful and unfilial. He shall be confined to the Eastern Palace for three months. He will be released when he learns to respect the Emperor and be a dutiful husband and mother.”
With Ji Xiaoxiao's order, Lü Shangqing will likely never see the light of day again.
Having dealt with the clown, Ji Xiaoxiao ate a few bites of food and then resumed her frantic review and revision of memorials.
Before I knew it, it was time for the morning court session again.
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