The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

The sensation of punching into cotton returned.

Emperor Chu looked at Chu Ze, who was submissively allowing himself to be dissected and skinned at will, inexplicably felt a surge of frustration, and glared at him for a long time before leaving in a huff.

Chu Ze lifted his head, his gaze fluctuating deeply.

Upon returning to Yangxin Hall, Emperor Chu issued several commands to eliminate bandits, jailed Xia Houzhe in the Heavenly Prison, rejected several memorials, and dismissed three or so officials from minor positions.

Very much an emperor, very imposing.

Song Zhiyuan observed and asked, ”Is the matter with the Ning clan the handiwork of the Commandery Prince?”

Emperor Chu glanced at him, nodded, and sneered, ”He admitted it straightforwardly, without a single excuse, not fearing my punishment in the least, genuinely thinking death is inconsequential.”

Song Zhiyuan fell silent, then said, ”Can’t the Twin Gu be extracted? If life persists, wouldn’t there be some attachment?”

Chu Ze’s demeanor suggests he believes his life is short, thus acting without regard for consequences, frankly speaking, it’s selfish.

Song Zhiyuan disagrees with Chu Ze’s approach, but would not criticize.

Emperor Chu said, ”Imperial Physician Lu has already coordinated with the Imperial Hospital on a recipe to lure out the Gu, but as he stated, Chu Ze’s body is gradually deteriorating, a weakening bow.”

The opposition is confident due to this, leaving him powerless and irate.

”The barefooted don’t fear those with shoes, those with nothing fear not death,” murmured Song Zhiyuan.

Emperor Chu half-closed his eyes, rubbing the large ring in his hand, saying, ”If one were to possess, wouldn’t one desire more?”

Song Zhiyuan said, ”Every matter has two sides, it depends on which side one chooses to see.”

Emperor Chu snorted lightly.

Song Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, ”But has the Ning clan truly been exterminated?”

Chu Ze is deeply contemplative, feared for covert intrigues.

Emperor Chu’s gaze briefly flickered as he said, ”I’ve sent people to verify identities.”

Upon hearing this, Song Zhiyuan understood that the Emperor harbors the suspicions fitting of his rank, thus refraining from saying something seemingly divisive.

Little did he expect that after he left the palace, Emperor Chu immediately issued a proclamation, listing several charges against the old faction of the fallen prince of the Xia, one being the chaos within Chu royal bloodline, an attempt to masquerade, disordering the foundation of the state...

The proclamation was lengthy, but everyone knew of the widespread condemnation of the old faction of the Summer Crown Prince, with rewards for reports, while the real Prince Min Chu Ze returned to his rightful position, but due to concealing and colluding with the Xia faction, he was demoted to Commandery Prince, retaining his title, reclaiming his land, and confined to Prince Min Mansion, not to leave unless summoned.

Once the proclamation was issued, it became widely known, prompting reports from everywhere, but also resulting in cases of misjudgment, with some surnamed Xia suspected of being part of the Xia faction.

Sitting in the Heavenly Prison, Xia Houzhe read over the copied proclamation twice, scoffed, and tore it into strips, a touch of forlorn sadness inexplicably rising in his chest.

Sent back to Prince Min Mansion, standing in the study, Chu Ze coldly eyed the proclamation, threw it into the coal brazier, watching it turn to ashes.

Meanwhile, near a public burial ground, two adults and one child stood hidden, watching the forensic doctor and guards leave before entering the place, and after a short while, the burial ground burst into raging flames.

The two adults and child stared at the soaring fire, with one middle-aged man choking up as he said, ”Young Master, it’s time to go.”

The six or seven-year-old child knelt, kowtowed several times toward the fire, bruising his forehead, then rose, silently turned away, neither crying nor making a fuss.

The man paused, the child’s kowtow number matched the number of deceased inside, he glanced at the burial ground, a trace of hatred flickered in his eyes, and followed after.