Chapter 29: The Emperor's Overbearingness

"Ruzhen greets Your Majesty!" In the banquet hall earlier, His Majesty was seated high above, and they could only see him from afar behind a crowd. He was always shielded by a screen. But now, he was right in front of them, captivating Xu Ruzhen with his presence.

"Hmph, no manners!" The Empress Dowager stepped forward slowly, her voice cold. "It seems that even in the General’s Mansion, the Hu family did not properly discipline their servants. Yue’er, pack up early and move back to the palace for a while!"

"Yes, Mother!" Xiaoyao nodded, giving her mother a smile.

The people around them naturally understood how the General’s Mansion treated the Princess Royal. Many looked at the Princess Royal and shook their heads, sighing quietly, thinking she didn't deserve such treatment.

"Ah, who will care about my brother’s grievances? If I were to hit the child, wouldn’t it seem like bullying the young?"

"Oh, wait, I’m still a baby. If a baby hits him, it doesn’t count as bullying!"

Hearing his niece’s thoughts, the emperor almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.

This little girl had so many ideas swirling in her tiny head.

Well, little fairy, Uncle will handle this.

"Why is such a filthy child in the imperial garden?" The emperor looked at Shangguan Yuanxi, his gaze cold. He stared sternly at Shangguan Yuanxi, causing the child to start crying loudly.

"Yuanxi, don’t cry, don’t cry!" Xu Ruzhen quickly comforted the child, then turned to the emperor. "Your Majesty, this is my child, Shangguan Yuanxi."

"So dirty, why is he in the imperial garden?" The emperor said coolly.

"It’s because... Yuanxi was playing with some other children, including the young master, and fell down!" Xu Ruzhen explained.

"The fool hit me! He hit me!" Shangguan Yuanxi, intimidated by the emperor but also rebellious, pointed at Xiao Ruilin and shouted. In the General’s Mansion, no one had taught him that the emperor was someone to be feared, worshipped, or spoken to sparingly.

"Fool?" The emperor’s face darkened.

"Babies, what should I do if I want to go off again? Saying my brother is a fool, this idiot is the real fool!" Ruo Xi clenched her fists tightly.

The emperor gently patted the little girl, his eyes cold.

"Yuanxi!" Xu Ruzhen lost all interest in admiring the emperor’s beauty. She immediately covered her son’s mouth and said, "Your Majesty, children speak without thinking. They just blabber nonsense!"

"Take your hand away!" Xiaoyao said coldly.

"Your Highness, my mother-in-law has already received her punishment. We haven’t harmed you. Yuanxi was hit by the young master. Please be magnanimous and let us go!" Xu Ruzhen pleaded to Xiaoyao.

Xiaoyao’s gaze remained calm. "Take your hand away!"

Reluctantly, Xu Ruzhen released her son’s mouth, feeling both resentful and afraid.

"Tell me what happened," Xiaoyao said, looking at Shangguan Yuanxi.

"Mama!" Shangguan Yuanxi was more afraid of Xiaoyao than anyone else.

"Speak!" The emperor’s cold command made Shangguan Yuanxi freeze. He realized this man was even scarier.

He wanted to cry but didn’t dare to, given the situation.

"I wanted to play on the swing with the fool. I pushed him, and he fell down. Hongmei came, and I called her a dog. Then the fool held me down!" Shangguan Yuanxi finally explained, his low IQ evident from his words, drawing sighs from the crowd.

The son of the eldest branch of the Shangguan family, born to the princess, had been rumored to be a fool since childhood. Now, it seemed possible.

After all, no one had heard the young master say a single word.

"Your Majesty, children don’t lie!" Xu Ruzhen quickly interjected. "The young master lacks maturity. Yuanxi usually lets him win. Today, they just got into a fight. It can’t be entirely Yuanxi’s fault. Besides, Your Majesty... this is just a matter between children..."

"Xu Ruzhen, are you teaching Me how to handle things?" The emperor frowned.

"Bring her here, twenty slaps!" The Empress Dowager commanded coldly.

"Ahh, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I was wrong, I was wrong!" Xu Ruzhen cried out, but two strong maids dragged her away.

"Mama, Mama!" Shangguan Yuanxi tried to chase after her.

"Stand still!" Xiaoyao glared at the child, then turned to her own son. "Lin'er, tell us what happened!"

"He’s lying!" Xiao Ruilin felt his mother’s encouraging gaze and nodded, speaking clearly.

Xiao Ruilin’s voice, though still childish, was clear and articulate. Everyone around them instinctively believed the little boy and nodded in agreement.

"Brother, good job. Tell them exactly what happened!" Ruo Xi coached her brother. "I was sitting on the swing when he came over, pushed me, and punched me. He also insulted Hongmei. In anger, I gave him a lesson!"

As Ruo Xi’s thoughts echoed, Xiao Ruilin spoke each sentence slowly and clearly.

"So that’s how it is? The young master isn’t foolish at all; he’s quite clever. His words are logical and well-spoken. How is the General’s Mansion handling this?"

"I feel like the General might have other intentions."

"I heard the General has been ill at home recently. Is this true?"

The Empress Dowager looked at her son. Xiao Yin smiled at Xiao Ruilin.

"Lin'er is wise!" The emperor nodded. "He’s five years old, right? After the New Year, he should study with the tutor!"

"Yes!" Xiao Ruilin nodded.

Uncle loved his sister very much, so Xiao Ruilin liked his uncle too. He liked anyone who was good to his sister.

"Shangguan family, take this child to find Xu Ruzhen and deliver a message to Shangguan Jingzhe. Tell him to discipline his wife and child properly. If this happens again, I will not show mercy!" Xiao Yin said coldly.

Ah~ This uncle is too handsome. This is what an uncle should be like. This is the demeanor a true emperor should have. Being an emperor, if you can't even take care of and protect your own siblings and the ones you love, why bother being one? Uncle, you're domineering and mighty!

The emperor announced the end of the banquet, and the court ministers left with their families.

"Today was actually quite dangerous. Even a child almost didn't escape the emperor's wrath!"

"It's also Xu Ruzhen's fault. What kind of child is she raising? Doesn't she know that today's banquet was specifically for the Princess Royal? How dare she cause trouble at this time?"

"She's just used to it. I heard that life wasn't easy for the Princess Royal in the general's mansion either!"

"Bad news! A small courtyard in the eastern part of the city is on fire!" A shout echoed through half of the Imperial City.