Chapter 109: Chapter 109

And even if there was indeed an issue with the seventeenth’s left arm, after such a long time, the Empress should have already thought of a way to handle it.

Going back now to demand an explanation, they would definitely not get a satisfactory answer.

Jun Ning isn’t foolish. She was a bit agitated just now, so she didn’t think of these things. But as soon as Emperor Yongning gave her a slight reminder, she understood everything.

"So what should we do next?" Jun Ning stroked her chin and said, "How about we do this..." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝕟𝕖𝕥

"Do what?" Emperor Yongning asked curiously.

Jun Ning tiptoed closer to Emperor Yongning’s ear and shared all her thoughts with him.

After hearing her out, Emperor Yongning slapped his thigh, "Good idea."

Then, under the puzzled gazes of everyone, the father and daughter walked to the large tree beside Jiaofang Palace.

Previously, Jun Ning couldn’t enter Jiaofang Palace, but she was able to observe the situation inside by climbing trees. Today, if she wanted to see the truth clearly, she still had to climb a tree.

Jun Ning, being a child, was agile like a monkey; climbing trees was not a problem. Emperor Yongning didn’t stop her, just instructed someone to watch her closely from below, and let her go.

But Emperor Yongning was different!

Emperor Yongning was getting old, with aged limbs, if something went wrong while climbing, it would be troublesome.

When Xiao Lizi and others saw Emperor Yongning rolling up his sleeves, standing at the base of the tree and pondering how to climb up, they knelt down immediately to persuade him.

"Your Majesty, you mustn’t!"

"Your safety is not only your own safety, but that of all people under heaven."

"The house is tall, and this big tree next to it doesn’t have many footholds, it’s very unsafe. If your Majesty were to misstep and fall while climbing, it would be disastrous."

They simply couldn’t account for this to the Empress Dowager, nor to the court ministers and the people across the land.

"I’m not so old that I can’t even climb a tree!" Moreover, he had hidden guards by his side for protection, nothing would go wrong.

"Silence, and stop fearmongering!" Emperor Yongning scolded angrily.

After these words, Emperor Yongning started climbing the tree. This tree was robust, and although there were very few branches to step on, making it look dangerous, the branches extending from the trunk were large enough that, if he climbed slowly using them, there would absolutely be no problem.

"Quickly, quickly, get ready down there and keep an eye out, in case His Majesty and the Princess misstep and fall, you must catch them."

"If you fail to do so, and Heaven forbid something happens to His Majesty, don’t blame us for not warning you, for the Empress Dowager will have your heads!"

Xiao Lizi shouted at the guards below to spring into action and prepare to catch them at any moment, just in case.

Emperor Yongning and Jun Ning climbed one after the other to the roof where Jun Ning had previously watched over Jun Yu.

From inside the house, there were faint sounds emerging, not very clear, but discernibly, it was the Empress’s voice.

The father and daughter exchanged looks, and Emperor Yongning stretched out his hand to remove the tile in front of him, looking inside the room.

Previously, the reason the Empress discovered Jun Ning using this approach to find Jun Yu in Jiaofang Palace was because Jun Ning lay on the rooftop and chatted with Jun Yu for quite a while, which got them caught.

But today was different.

The father and daughter came quietly, without much interaction between them, as discreet as could be. So much so that the Empress couldn’t detect them and had no defenses against them.

They witnessed everything happening inside the room.

"You little brat, what were you doing trembling your left arm on purpose just now? Are you hoping that dead girl would notice and help advocate for you?"

"Stop daydreaming, that’s impossible."

The Empress, in a fit of rage, pushed Jun Yu, who was kneeling before her, to the ground.

When Jun Yu fell, it was right onto the arm that had been trembling, aggravating the wound on his arm. He drew in a sharp breath, his innocent face contorting into a grimace.

"It hurts..." In unbearable pain, the word slipped out of Jun Yu’s mouth.

After all, he’s just a child. No matter how well he can read people’s expressions, no matter how much he understands endurance and restraint, there are moments when he simply can’t take it!

"How dare you still complain of pain?" The Empress stepped forward and yanked at the collar of Jun Yu’s clothes fiercely, "Try shouting it again and see if I won’t tear your mouth apart?"

"Your Grace, don’t, don’t!" Nanny Li hurried forward anxiously to dissuade, "Your Grace, have you forgotten what I told you before? You cannot treat the seventeenth prince anymore!"

Previously, to get out, the Empress followed Nanny Li’s advice and treated Jun Yu better. But upon discovering Jun Yu wasn’t grateful, she couldn’t keep up the act, reverting to her true nature.

This time, she wouldn’t listen to any of Nanny Li’s persuasion, pushing her aside, and tugged at Jun Yu’s collar even harder.

The posture was as if she wished to strangle Jun Yu.

But for Jun Yu, whether he was strangled or not wasn’t the immediate concern, he was still breathing. But the wound on his left arm, being pulled by the Empress, was becoming increasingly painful.

"Brother... brother..."

Hearing the cries inside, Jun Ning felt a sharp pang in her chest, feeling very uncomfortable.

She covered her heart with one hand and pressed down on the tile beneath her with the other, continuously calling out for her brother from the opening on the roof, her voice full of sobs.

"Bao’er, don’t worry, Father will stand up for you!"

Emperor Yongning reassured Jun Ning while promptly commanding the hidden guards by his side to stop the Empress’s next actions.

The Empress, upon suddenly hearing Jun Ning’s call, followed the sound and unbelievably saw Emperor Yongning and Jun Ning on the roof.

She seemed to turn to stone, unable to utter a word.

How did they end up there?

When did they arrive?

How much had they seen of what she did to the seventeenth prince?

Judging by their expressions, hadn’t they seen it all?

Thinking of what she had done to Jun Yu just now, she immediately panicked.

"Your Majesty, I... I..."

She mumbled, trying to explain, but how could she?

Her berating words to Jun Yu were real, pushing him was real, and the face showing she wanted to eliminate Jun Yu was also real.

She couldn’t explain it at all.

This time, the Empress’s secret torment of the seventeenth prince was caught red-handed, and she could no longer bluff her way out.

After Emperor Yongning and Jun Ning got down from the roof, they re-entered Jiaofang Palace.

Jun Ning hurriedly ran to Jun Yu’s side, lifted him from the ground, then carefully rolled up the sleeve on his left arm, and she saw the wound on his arm that had been cut by something, continuously bleeding.