These second-rank officials were all thick-skinned, each more shameless than the last, pretending not to notice this fellow’s look of contempt.

　　The Old Emperor: “Ahem, bring one for me as well.”

　　The chief eunuch whispered, “Your Majesty, should we send one to Her Majesty the Empress as usual…”

　　“Of course, send it over…”

　　The Old Emperor paused.

　　The Old Emperor snapped, “Empress? What Empress! Whatever I have, must I give it to her too?”

　　His voice was a bit louder.

　　Evan Foster was puzzled.

　　【What’s going on? A quarrel between husband and wife?】

　　The Old Emperor froze.

　　【Could it be that The Old Emperor knows about the consort planning to cane the princess to death, and he wants to spare the consort, but the Empress disagrees, so they’re fighting?】

　　“Pfft—”

　　The Minister of Rites was drinking at that moment, and he spat out a mouthful of wine, choking and coughing violently.

　　“Cough, cough, cough—”

　　Cane to death?

　　Cane who to death?

　　Who wants to cane whom?

　　Did he hear that right?

　　The Old Emperor was dumbfounded.

　　He couldn’t even be angry, more confused as any normal person would be by someone abnormal.

　　This consort… does he have a grudge against my entire clan?

　　He had twenty-one daughters in total—just which consort was so desperate to die?

　　……

　　The fifth imperial daughter, Princess Grace, was asking her consort the same question.

　　“Drag me, this vicious woman, out to be caned to death?!”

　　Princess Grace stared at her consort in shock.

　　“Do your nine generations of kin know what you’re saying?”

Chapter 5: Tsk! Truly a mouth that makes one love and hate!

　　“Nine generations?”

　　The consort’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down, gripping the princess’s chin.

　　“Who do you think you are? Where do you think this is? You’re just a daughter born to an ordinary concubine in the palace. This is a manor on the outskirts of the capital. If you die here, as long as I say you fell off a cliff while out, no one will ever know. You’re not the Empress’s child, so His Majesty won’t bother much about you.”

　　“Cough, cough, cough—”

　　Princess Grace flailed at him, struggling desperately, but the ruthless consort only tightened his grip, nearly breaking her jaw.

　　“Your Highness, Princess.” The consort gave a cold, icy smile. “You’ve taken Lily’s place for so long—it’s time to give it back to her.”

　　“Bang—”

　　The main door was kicked open.

　　“Give it back to whom?” An angry wine jug flew in, smashing into the consort’s forehead.

　　“Ow!”

　　The consort clutched his head. The violent impact of the porcelain brought a wave of dizziness, a sharp pain spreading from his scalp as if a knife was slowly slicing through. The shards of ceramic cut his face, the stabbing pain like countless needles piercing his skin.

　　The small, bleeding wounds grew hot and itchy. The consort, in pain, didn’t know whether to keep holding his head or cover his face.

　　The princess collapsed to the ground, her arms limp at her sides, palms still sweaty. She lifted her pale face to look at the person striding over, breathing rapidly: “Father…”

　　The consort looked closely and recognized that it was indeed his father-in-law—Supreme Emperor.

　　Behind him were the Prime Minister and the six ministers, all watching him with half-smiles.

　　His legs… gave out on the spot.

　　“Y-Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty—”

　　The consort’s teeth chattered in disbelief.

　　How could the Emperor suddenly show up at the outskirts of the capital! And just at the exact moment he was about to cane Princess Grace to death!

　　The key point! Why did he bring a whole group of high officials! Who visits their daughter and son-in-law with a bunch of ministers? Did he come specifically to catch him in the act?

　　Evan Foster looked Princess Grace’s consort up and down.

　　【So this is the consort who dared to cane the princess to death? The second son of Duke Song, Liu Shen—Ian Lewis? That so-called… master of poetry, calligraphy, and painting, the number one scholar of Daxia?】

　　【He looks decent enough, but how could he do things like injure the princess’s eye, deliberately take eight concubines after the princess miscarried, sleep with concubines at the princess’s sickbed, and even make the princess beg for an official post for his white moonlight’s younger brother?】

　　With every crime Evan Foster listed in her mind, The Old Emperor’s anger rose another notch, his breathing growing heavier, as if a furious beast was roaring in his chest.

　　Finally, it exploded in a thunderous roar: “Guards! Drag this scoundrel out and behead him. All those in the household who knew but did not report it, behead them as well. His elder and younger brothers share the same crime. Considering his father’s merits, send them to the border as soldiers. Also, strip his father of his title as Duke, strip his mother of her rank, and demote them both to commoners!”

　　This was already giving Duke Song enough face—otherwise, the whole clan would have been wiped out.

　　Ian Lewis didn’t see it that way.

　　This so-called number one scholar took a deep breath, still appearing elegant and unyielding: “Your Majesty, I was disciplining my wife at home. What crime is there in that, to deserve such a heavy punishment from Your Majesty?”

　　But the quickening of his heartbeat, the sweat rolling down his forehead, the anxious and panicked stench seeping from his armpits and all over his body—none of it could hide his extreme tension.

　　The Old Emperor was silent for a moment, his tone odd: “Disciplining your wife? You say you were disciplining your wife?”

　　Ian Lewis looked at Princess Grace, his flawless face turned toward her, the curve of his lips deepening slightly: “The princess can testify.”

　　Everyone looked at Princess Grace.