Chapter 107: Chapter 107

The Imperial Guard at the gate saw Emperor Yongning coming and immediately knelt down to pay respects, loudly chanting phrases such as "Long live the Emperor." However, Emperor Yongning gestured with his hand to stop them.

Since he came with the intention of conducting a secret investigation, he should not create a grand spectacle that everyone would notice. Otherwise, if the people inside became aware of it, they would be alerted, and he would not see the truth of the situation.

The Imperial Guard sensibly nodded and withdrew, continuing to quietly stand by.

Emperor Yongning held Jun Ning’s hand as they entered Jiaofang Palace, heading towards the flower hall.

Xiao Lizi and his group followed behind, trying to walk quietly and not speaking.

When they reached the entrance of the flower hall at Jiaofang Palace, Emperor Yongning did not knock; instead, he and Jun Ning held their breath and stood at the doorway, listening to the sounds inside.

"Seventeen, as the weather has been hot recently, your mother was worried about you getting overheated from studying too hard and specially ordered people to make mung bean soup for you. It’s ready now, would you like to have some?"

The kind and caring voice of the Empress filtered through the window paper to Jun Ning and Emperor Yongning’s ears.

Jun Ning didn’t know what Emperor Yongning was thinking, but she herself found it quite unbelievable.

During the month she served as her brother’s companion, she watched the Empress torment her brother in various ways, never showing him a kind expression, let alone treating him with such warmth and affection.

Jun Ning glanced at Emperor Yongning, who also happened to look at her.

Their eyes met, each harboring their own thoughts.

Emperor Yongning made a small hole in the window paper and picked Jun Ning up.

The father and daughter looked through the tiny hole to see inside.

While voices can be disguised to deceive, expressions and actions do not lie.

Whether the Empress was genuinely speaking to Jun Yu this way, all it took was one look to know.

Inside, by the desk, the Empress sat beside Jun Yu, patiently helping him grind ink, smiling at him, and talking with him.

When Jun Yu encountered difficulty in his reading, his sword-like eyebrows knitted tightly. She noticed and gently asked if he needed her help.

At this moment, the Empress’s attitude towards Jun Yu was in stark contrast to before.

With her attitude, claiming she was Jun Yu’s biological mother, genuinely caring and sincerely treating him, would be hard for anyone not to believe.

It was not really so.

The Empress would never treat her brother this way normally; she must have known in advance that she and her easy-going father were coming, hence the act.

Jun Ning shared her thoughts with Emperor Yongning.

Emperor Yongning said, "Yi Yi, I understand you don’t want to lose the bet and have to give Father a thousand taels of gold. But the truth is right before us, the Empress hasn’t shown a cold face to Seventeen. You’ve lost; you can’t deny it!"

Jun Ning: "..........." Latest content publıshed on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽

"Alright, stop pouting. Shall we go in?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a rush of footsteps came from inside the flower hall, getting closer and closer to Emperor Yongning and Jun Ning. Very soon, the steps reached them.

The door opened from the inside.

The Empress appeared before Emperor Yongning and Jun Ning, her eyes filled with tears.

"Your Majesty, it truly is you," the Empress said, "I just heard your voice and thought I was mistaken!"

"This concubine greets Your Majesty." The Empress quickly knelt to greet and inquire after Emperor Yongning, "Long live Your Majesty."

After Emperor Yongning coldly uttered these three words, he walked past the kneeling Empress, holding Jun Ning, and headed into the flower hall.

Seated by the desk, Jun Yu saw his father arrive and hurriedly stood up to salute and inquire after his well-being. For some reason, during the salute, he kept his head down and did not dare look at Emperor Yongning, while one of his arms seemed to tremble slightly.

Jun Ning noticed this detail.

When Jun Yu sensed his sister’s gaze on his left arm, he used his right hand to press down on the slightly trembling left arm.

With that, his left arm finally stopped shaking.

Emperor Yongning put Jun Ning down and came to the desk where Jun Yu had just been sitting, looking at the book he was reading.

"Seventeen, where have you reached in this ’Three Character Classic’?" Emperor Yongning casually asked.

Jun Yu glanced at the Empress and said, "Reporting to Father, this son has just started reading it, and there are still many parts I do not understand."

"That’s not the case..." Jun Ning corrected, "Brother, you clearly have long since memorized the ’Three Character Classic.’ You’ve already moved on to reading the ’Four Books,’ as the Empress forced you to."

More accurately, the Empress was overly ambitious, making her brother study the ’Four Books.’

The Empress was too eager for her brother, in a few more years, to stand out among the many princes.

But she dared not let Emperor Yongning know she was pushing too hard.

If Emperor Yongning found out that during Jun Yu’s foundational learning period he was made to memorize the ’Three Character Classic’ and start on the ’Four Books,’ the accusation of pressuring Seventeen would be indisputable.

Jun Yu shook his head, denying it: "...Sister, no, mother did not force me."

"Really? Why are you lying, brother?" Jun Ning suddenly stepped forward to grab Jun Yu’s left arm, "If not, let sister see what happened to your left arm?"

"I am fine." Jun Yu broke free from Jun Ning’s grasp.

Jun Ning wanted to reach for him again, but was stopped by the Empress.

The Empress stood before Jun Yu, protecting him tightly like a hen protecting her chick, and looked at Jun Ning with an aggrieved and guarded expression, as if facing someone who wished them harm.

"Princess Anle, what do you mean by this?"

"When did I force Seventeen to study? When did Seventeen memorize the ’Three Character Classic’? Why don’t I know about it?"

"Not to mention, Seventeen is now only two and a half years old, still not fully recognizing characters, how can he possibly recite the ’Three Character Classic’? As Seventeen’s mother, I care for him lovingly, how could I force him to so young recite the ’Three Character Classic’ and study the ’Four Books’?"

"Such an inhuman act, I certainly would not commit."

"Hah!" Jun Ning snorted coldly, "Empress, whether or not you have tormented my brother in such a way, you know in your heart."

"I am not aware," the Empress said, looking at Emperor Yongning, "Your Majesty, you must redress this injustice for me! This crown of forcing and tormenting a prince is not something I can accept from the princess."

Emperor Yongning said nothing, calmly observing Jun Ning and the Empress.

The Empress continued, "Your Majesty, I know you cherish the Eighteenth Princess, and even if she did make a mistake, you would be unwilling to punish her. You can rest assured; I am not a petty person who would compel you to punish your most cherished daughter over a few words. I only wish for fairness."

As she spoke, the Empress shed a tear, wiped it away with a handkerchief, and then added, "Your Majesty, for such slander by the Eighteenth Princess, I demand an apology."