The palace was solemn and majestic.
The morning court session ended early, and a scene of 'fatherly love and daughterly filial piety' was unfolding in the imperial study.
Shang Changge sat on the sandalwood chair, wiping away imaginary tears with a small handkerchief, crying weakly, pitifully, and helplessly.
"Father, the evidence that the Wen family harmed me is irrefutable. You must do justice for your daughter, Father."
Under the emperor's nose, they first placed a poison doctor by their daughter's side, causing her to suffer from frequent headaches, as if they thought their son was dying too slowly.
He then bribed two of his daughter's maids to poison her, and finally even hired a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) assassin to kill his daughter.
Such blatant disregard for imperial authority is tantamount to showing no respect for Your Majesty! Your son almost didn't get to see Your Majesty and Mother again, sob sob sob.
The two assassins kneeling on the ground appeared to be trembling, but in reality, they were utterly exasperated.
Look at how much the princess is crying. I wonder who that female demon was who threatened to cut off their manhood at the drop of a hat last night.
"This is outrageous—!"
A loud shout,
The old emperor, dressed in a dragon robe and with a dark expression, picked up a heavy inkstone and smashed it down, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it was unclear.
The inkstone struck one of the assassins squarely on the forehead, causing him to see stars and faint.
Shang Changge continued her dramatic whining while secretly clicking her tongue.
The old emperor was angry that these two useless fools failed to complete their mission, and that they were captured alive even after he killed them. He was taking revenge for them.
"Wen Shi'an's daughter is truly lawless! How dare she, the daughter of a mere fifth-rank official, bully my daughter!"
Li Fuhai! What are you standing there for? Get up and take Wen Shi'an and his lawless daughter to the palace right now!
Perhaps fearing that his daughter Shang Changge might suddenly become suspicious, the old emperor blushed and his neck turned red.
He unleashed another barrage of shouts and yells, clearly furious, but it was unclear what he was truly angry about.
Li Fuhai was an old eunuch who had served the old emperor for decades.
Others might not know what the old emperor did in private, but Li Fuhai knew everything.
But he had to pretend he didn't know and echo his master's words, repeatedly responding with feigned fear:
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty, please calm down and do not harm your health. This old servant will take people out of the palace to the Wen residence right away!"
After Li Fuhai left, Shang Changge gritted her teeth and pinched her thigh.
Then she raised her tear-blurred eyes to look at the old emperor, her face innocent and naive as she sobbed:
"Father, you will surely execute the Wen family for harming me, won't you?"
The old emperor, his face filled with heartache, resembled a kind and gentle old father loving his child. He slammed his hand on the dragon throne and said without hesitation:
"Of course they have to die! Their whole family has to die!"
He then gently comforted her, "Alright, alright, stop crying, Ge'er. You are the daughter that your mother and I have cherished since you were little."
If your eyes get swollen from crying, and you go to pay your respects to your mother later, she'll blame me again if she sees it. Don't cry, don't cry.
"There's no need to worry. Once the entire Wen family is dead, let's see who dares to touch my Ge'er then."
"And those servants in your household, I've already said I'd take a group of people from the palace to use."
Changze wouldn't listen and insisted on sending people from his household to you for your use. See, that's how this mess happened!"
"I think we should all be executed along with the Wen family."
"Ge'er, pick some more people from the palace to take back with you. That way, you'll have peace of mind knowing how to use them in the future."
Shang Changge narrowed her eyes. Although she wasn't one to think too much, it didn't mean she wasn't smart.
She had a pretty good idea of who she could trust more, the people given by the beauty's younger brother or the people given by the old emperor.
But she couldn't refuse directly, so she sniffed, stood up, curtsied to the old emperor, and continued her dramatic performance.
"This is what I think, Father. My daughter has already gotten used to those people in the mansion, and it's too much trouble to keep changing them."
How about this, Father Emperor, you issue an imperial edict saying that if I ever die, everyone in the household should be buried with me.
This way, even if they wanted to betray their master in the future, they would have to think twice about risking their lives.
Qingyao was also in the Imperial Study, standing right behind Shang Changge. Her expression didn't change at all when she heard her master's words.
In her view, this was how it should be; her life was given to her by her master.
If her master were gone, she would naturally have no reason to continue living in this world.
The old emperor did not agree immediately this time. His eyes, etched with the marks of time and age, fell on Shang Changge.
Shang Changge lowered his head, but he could easily feel the invisible pressure emanating from the emperor.
Just as she was wondering if the original owner's father was planning to kill her without a showdown, she suddenly heard the old emperor's hearty laughter.
"well."
Emperor Mingde, the old emperor, stepped down and personally helped Shang Changge up.
In the 'fatherly love and daughter filial piety' gaze exchanged, Emperor Mingde patted Shang Changge on the back with a meaningful compliment.
"Ge'er has grown up and is even smarter than before. I am so pleased!"
Shang Changge's beautiful eyes instantly lit up with a look of flattery, and then, imitating the original owner's manner, she proudly raised her chin.
Adopting the airs of Qingyan's infamous eldest princess and the obedient daughter before her father, she said proudly:
"That's right, don't you know whose daughter I am?"
He subtly withdrew his hand, his tone light and playful with the joy of having gotten what he wanted.
"Father, I need to go to Fengyi Palace to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, so I won't stay and get in the way."
"I'll wait until the entire Wen family is dead before I see their miserable deaths, and that will vent my hatred!"
Emperor Mingde: "Alright, whatever you say. But don't say those 'death' things again, okay? It's bad luck!"
Emperor Mingde reprimanded him with a stern face.
Shang Changge continued to play dumb and act cute, nodding like a chick pecking at rice and then acting coquettishly.
In the end, the father and daughter parted ways with smiles on their faces but their own thoughts in their hearts.
Jing Xiuming as a witness,
He knelt in the imperial study just like the two assassins. As Shang Changge left and passed by Jing Xiuming,
The dazzling hem of her gorgeous dress swept past without pausing for a moment, let alone showing any pity for the dying.
He truly lived up to the promise he made before entering the palace: "From today onwards, our grudges are settled."
Jing Xiuming's lowered eyelids drooped even further, his long eyelashes trembling almost imperceptibly.
His fair and handsome face turned almost pale the moment the gorgeous dress swept past him, like a pitiful rabbit abandoned by its owner.
Don't you want me anymore, sister...?
You must regret saving me back then, sister...
It was Xiu Ming's fault. Xiu Ming was so stupid as to mistake someone else for his sister and almost harm her. It was all Xiu Ming's fault...
But death is so easy. How can death alone atone for Xiu Ming's mistakes, or repay the debt of gratitude his sister owed him...?
"Guards, drag these three villains who dared to harm my daughter out and execute them immediately!"
Shang Changge had already led Qingyao for a while, but perhaps because of her good hearing,
Or perhaps the old emperor deliberately spoke so loudly so she could hear him; in any case, she clearly heard that sentence.
The corners of his eyes were slightly upturned, but he didn't linger on them or waste his expression.
The original owner of this body is indeed dead, isn't she?
It's just a matter of tit for tat.
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