An He tightly clasped the child's wrist and held it up for the emperor to see. Lan Miao took a clear look at it. There was a shallow red scar on the inner crevice of the tender wrist. It was very short and faint.
It was obvious at a glance that it was scratched by a child's fingernails.
The child whose wrist was clasped was about eleven or twelve years old. Under everyone's watchful eyes, his face turned ashen and his whole body trembled like a sieve.
"No, it wasn't me..."
His lips were pale. At first, he still tried to defend himself. As he trembled and was about to speak, the emperor gave him a cold look. His legs went weak and he immediately knelt down to confess his guilt.
All the prepared words had vanished from his mind. He pleaded for mercy like a little child.
"Sorry... sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't mean it. I just wanted to play a joke on her... Second Prince, you..."
"Chen Wenkang, shut up."
The child named Chen Wenkang seemed to have something else to say. Among the ministers standing on the side, one of them suddenly stood up and shouted angrily.
"That's Minister Chen from the Ministry of Personnel. That child is Minister Chen's youngest son and also the Second Prince's study companion. They don't want to involve the Second Prince."
By now, Lan Miao had stepped back and was standing on the side of the main hall. Wen Yuanning explained it to her. His expression was cold, and there was a hint of disgust in his eyes as he looked at Chen Wenkang.
Minister Chen stepped forward and knelt down. He pressed Chen Wenkang's head down and made him kowtow vigorously. His voice was as loud as a bell, full of remorse. "Your Majesty, my youngest son is ignorant. He was just muddle - headed for a moment. He couldn't have had any malicious intentions."
Then, to everyone's surprise, he turned towards Wen Hongxin and Wen Yuanning and bowed repeatedly. "Lord Wen, my son is so unruly that he almost hurt your daughter. I will definitely bring him to your mansion to apologize another day. Please spare him, considering that your daughter is safe."
Lan Miao's eyes darkened. Following his gaze, she looked at Wen Hongxin, who remained silent. She clenched her fists tightly.
Wen Hongxin wouldn't let it go so easily, would he...
"Minister Chen, there's no need to wait. Apologize now."
Suddenly, the emperor's voice rang out in the hall.
Minister Chen was stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted. Gritting his teeth, he pressed Chen Wenkang down to kneel and kowtow. The only sound in the main hall was the thudding of their heads hitting the ground.
Lan Miao looked at the child's pale face, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
The emperor watched them coldly without saying a word. So they kept kowtowing. No one in the main hall dared to plead for them.
It wasn't until the emperor was satisfied that he squinted his eyes and sneered.
"That's enough."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Minister Chen quickly thanked the emperor. There was already blood on Chen Wenkang's forehead. He seemed to have been greatly frightened, and his pale lips trembled so much that he couldn't even close them.
Everyone thought that after finding out this person, the next step would be to hold Chen Wenkang accountable. However, the emperor's sharp gaze shifted to the Second Prince. Suspicion and disgust flashed through his eyes like lightning.
"Second son, I remember that he is your study companion."
Cold sweat instantly broke out on the Second Prince's forehead. Just now, when he was arguing with Princess Yujia, he was still full of confidence, but now his momentum had completely weakened. When Yujia saw that Chen Wenkang had been exposed, she glanced at the Second Prince immediately and snorted, waiting to see his embarrassment.
In short, the Second Prince's study companion had pushed Princess Yujia's study companion downstairs. This was no longer just a squabble between children, but a covert struggle between the royal families.
Lan Miao witnessed every scene in the hall. The quarrels between the children were just as full of hidden dangers as those among adults.
The Second Prince knelt down with a thud.
Before he could say a word, the Noble Consort on the left side of the emperor gave a soft laugh. "Your Majesty, he's just a study companion. There's no need to blame Ming Yi for this."
She knew that her stupid son would only make people angry when he spoke, so she decided to defend him instead.
"Noble Consort, your words are inappropriate. This Chen Wenkang is the Second Prince's study companion. Since he has done such a disgraceful thing, it's not completely unrelated to the Second Prince. Your Majesty's inquiry is also for the Second Prince's reputation."
The Graceful Consort on the right side was extremely beautiful. When she spoke, her voice was soft and charming, full of allure. This matter had nothing to do with her third son, but if she could make the Noble Consort and her son suffer, she would surely stir up some trouble.
The Noble Consort was so angry that she gritted her teeth and was about to argue further.
The emperor swept a sharp look at the two of them.
Neither of them dared to say another word.
"Expel Chen Wenkang from the Elegant Hall. He is never allowed to serve in the government. Chen Bingxin has failed to educate his son properly. Demote him one rank. Leave."
Never allowed to serve in the government?
This punishment was even more severe than Lan Miao had expected.
But she didn't feel any sympathy for the Chen father and son. Instead, she had a deeper understanding of the emperor's decisive and powerful methods.
Minister Chen closed his eyes heavily. Chen Wenkang stood there like a wooden chicken. Under the guidance of the guards, the two of them left the main hall with difficulty.
Just when everyone thought they could finally breathe a sigh of relief and the matter was over, the emperor's cold and harsh voice rang out again. "Second son, you have failed to manage your subordinates properly. Go back to the palace and reflect for three days. You are not allowed to leave without permission."
The Second Prince's face fell.
So did the Noble Consort's. What the emperor said next made her lose her composure. "Noble Consort, you assist in managing the six palaces. The lax security in the library is partly your fault. You should also reflect on it."
"..."
Although the Noble Consort and her son didn't suffer any great losses, being scolded by the emperor made them lose face to some extent.
"Thank you, Your Majesty/Father."
The Noble Consort and her son still had to thank the emperor.
The matter that night was thus settled.
The emperor's mood faded. He waved his sleeve and left. Even though the Graceful Consort was good at socializing, she didn't dare to provoke the emperor at this moment. She taunted the Noble Consort a few words and then left with the Third Prince.
When she left, Lan Miao could feel the Graceful Consort's eyes glancing at her from time to time. The meaning behind those glances was unclear.
The palace servants led the ministers and scholars to disperse.
The night was deep, and the candlelight flickered.
That night, Lan Miao had truly experienced the undercurrents in the palace struggle. The princes, princesses, noble consorts, and even the empress dowager were all intricately connected. The incident of Xue'er falling from the building had triggered this big drama. Even just this small part had made Lan Miao aware of the potential dangers.
Serving the emperor was like being with a tiger.
The emperor's heart was unpredictable, with both grace and might.
She must keep that matter a secret and never let anyone know.
Just as Lan Miao was about to leave with Wen Hongxin and Wen Yuanning, Jiang He stopped them. Jiang He was smiling. "Miss Lan, it's very late tonight. Miss Xue'er still needs her mother's company. The empress dowager has graciously allowed you to stay in the palace tonight."
"As for the two lords, you can leave first. The palace servants will show you the way."
Jiang He looked at Wen Hongxin and Wen Yuanning. A palace servant behind her stepped forward and said to Wen Hongxin, "My lord, this way, please."
Wen Hongxin's eyes fixed on Lan Miao.
He never expected that the empress dowager liked Lan Miao so much. She had supported Xue'er and even allowed Lan Miao to stay in the palace several times.
Wen Yuanning's expression was much more complicated.
He looked at Lan Miao and Jiang He's departing backs reluctantly. It wasn't until Wen Hongxin repeatedly urged him that he finally took a step.
Did the empress dowager really have no other intentions in being so kind to Lan Miao and her daughter?