The deposed Crown Prince stumbled forward and threw himself before Emperor Tai’an: “Father Emperor, why are you treating me this way!”

He raised his head, his eyes full of resentment and disbelief.

Emperor Tai’an’s heart was pierced by that resentment, and because of this, he became even more convinced this decision was correct.

“You’re blaming me?”

The deposed Crown Prince believed he feared this father, but in truth, years of an unshakeable position as heir had left him completely unaware of his own willfulness.

He was the Crown Prince—this awareness was as natural as breathing from birth.

He couldn’t perceive Emperor Tai’an’s disappointment and scrutiny. He only knew he felt very wronged, very unwilling, very angry.

“Father Emperor, I’m your son! How can you depose me!”

Liu Chuan, standing to the side, sighed inwardly.

No wonder even the iron-clad position of heir could be lost by Prince Liang. Even at this point, facing His Majesty, he still felt so justified.

Emperor Tai’an’s anger flared up. His expression grew even more indifferent: “Just because you’re my son, you can run naked in public?”

The deposed Crown Prince’s face turned the color of pig liver: “Your son drank too much. It wasn’t intentional.”

Emperor Tai’an looked at him deeply: “You didn’t drink too much. You consumed too much Five-Color Powder.”

The deposed Crown Prince took two steps forward but was blocked by attendants.

The attendants’ action instantly provoked him, making his fury rise: “Father Emperor, just because your son consumed Five-Color Powder, you deposed me?”

“Just because you consumed Five-Color Powder?” Emperor Tai’an’s tone turned slightly cold as he emphasized his words. “You also ran naked in public.”

He certainly didn’t want the world to mock the Great Zhou Emperor for once running naked in public and being seen by a foreign princess, with the history books clearly recording it was his son.

He couldn’t afford to lose this much face!

The Crown Prince’s naked running made him determined to depose the heir, and discovering the consumption of Five-Color Powder made his resolve unshakeable.

“Your son knows he was wrong! It won’t happen again! Why won’t you even give me a chance to repent?”

Emperor Tai’an closed his eyes, no longer wanting to continue talking with the deposed Crown Prince. He said flatly: “If you truly had a repentant heart, you wouldn’t have become addicted to Five-Color Powder after Wang Gui’s death.”

Hearing this, the deposed Crown Prince felt extremely wronged: “Wuuu, if Wang Gui hadn’t died, your son wouldn’t have consumed the Five-Color Powder Wang Fu gave me…”

Emperor Tai’an was so angry he nearly fell backward.

Was this saying it was all his fault?

Beyond redemption!

“Escort Prince Liang out.” Emperor Tai’an lowered his eyes, unwilling to look at the deposed Crown Prince even once more.

Two attendants quickly supported the deposed Crown Prince from either side.

The deposed Crown Prince struggled violently: “Father Emperor, you can’t treat me this way! I’m the Crown Prince, I’m the Crown Prince—”

The deposed Crown Prince was dragged out, his hoarse shouts still carrying inside from afar.

Liu Chuan secretly shook his head.

Prince Liang truly was finished.

When Lin Hao received news that the Crown Prince had been deposed, she grabbed a wine jar and immediately scaled the wall.

At a time like this, she absolutely must share her joy with her partner who shared the same goal!

Qi Shuo never failed her expectations—sure enough, he was waiting for her on the other side of the wall.

“Come with me.” The young woman’s face radiated such joy that it was more beautiful than the most vibrant summer flowers, making Qi Shuo involuntarily break into a smile.

Rose vines covered the flower arbor—red, pink, yellow—together with lush green leaves, concealing the arbor completely.

Following Qi Shuo to behind the flower arbor, Lin Hao discovered a set of drinking vessels on the stone table, along with a lotus leaf package.

From experience, she suspected it contained a beggar’s chicken.

“We thought of the same thing.” She set the wine jar on the stone table and poked the still-warm lotus leaf package. “Is this beggar’s chicken?”

The dog Crown Prince was deposed—they must drink to celebrate!

“Mm.” Qi Shuo nodded with a smile. “Perfect accompaniment for the wine.”

Lin Hao sat down, somewhat puzzled: “What if I’d come late or came tomorrow instead? Wouldn’t it have spoiled?”

Qi Shuo couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“What are you laughing at?”

The young man with a smile playing at his lips pointed toward the wall: “I can climb over the wall too.”

Lin Hao touched her nose.

That was true.

“Let’s drink!” Though she spoke of drinking, her hand reached for the beggar’s chicken instead.

The beggar’s chicken with its tender meat falling off the bone was delicious and fragrant. The two ate a bite of roasted chicken with a sip of wine, a bite of roasted chicken with a sip of wine…

Lin Hao’s cheeks turned slightly red as she gazed at Qi Shuo with a silly grin: “A’Shuo—”

Qi Shuo leaned forward slightly, moving closer to her: “What is it?”

“The dog Crown Prince is deposed. We won’t die anymore, right?” She spoke somewhat unclearly, obviously having drunk too much.

Qi Shuo grasped her hand.

That hand was warm, completely different from that body gradually growing cold in his arms on that snowy street.

“Never again.” His voice was very soft, but his tone was firm.

“A’Shuo—” Lin Hao leaned even closer, the enlarged figure of the man reflected in her eyes. “It’s so wonderful that you came back with me—”

The rest of her words were blocked in her throat by his slightly cool lips, transforming into fragmented murmurs.

Lin Hao’s eyes widened in shock, seeing his thin, pale eyelids and thick, long lashes.

A hand suddenly covered her eyes.

“Silly girl.”

Her vision suddenly darkened. She heard him speak these three words with slightly labored breathing, and her hands, with nowhere else to go, quietly encircled his shoulders.

The wind stirred the roses, bringing rich floral fragrance. Someone’s hand accidentally knocked over a wine cup—the sound of shattering porcelain startled them both.

Lin Hao abruptly pushed Qi Shuo away. Not daring even to look at him, she turned and ran in panic. After running a few steps, she doubled back, grabbed the long-empty wine jar from the stone table, and fled like the wind.

She ran all the way to the wall and scrambled over it, then leaned against the wall clutching the empty wine jar for quite a while before recovering her clarity.

After becoming clear-headed, she stared at the wine jar somewhat dazed: Why had she brought back an empty wine jar?

No wait, that wasn’t the point. The point was that Qi Shuo had just kissed her!

Lin Hao covered her forehead, feeling a bit dizzy. The wine’s effect seemed to be hitting her again.

On the other side of the wall, Baozhu stared suspiciously at the rose arbor for a while, feeling deeply puzzled: she’d been keeping watch here and had seen with her own eyes both Miss and the Heir of Prince Jing go over there—how had only Miss come out alone?

Could the young master have disappeared?

In that instant, ghostly thoughts filled the little maid’s head, giving her the urge to investigate.

One step, two steps, three steps—

A familiar voice sounded: “Baozhu?”

Baozhu calmly turned around, revealing a pair of small tiger teeth: “Oh, it’s Changshun.”

Changshun’s eyebrows knitted together tight enough to crush a fly: “This time, don’t tell me you’re here to retrieve a shuttlecock again?”

He refused to believe it could be such a coincidence every time!

“No, no.” Baozhu waved her hand.

“Then why are you here?”

Baozhu raised her hand: “I came to retrieve my beanbag!”

The round beanbag was lake blue, eye-catching and adorable in the sunlight.

Changshun’s expression slowly froze.

Where did this girl get so many little toys!

“Do you know how to play beanbag toss?” Baozhu asked.

Perhaps because the young woman’s voice was too sweet, Changshun instinctively nodded: “I do.”

“Catch!” Baozhu tossed the beanbag.

The lake-blue beanbag traced a beautiful arc through the air and smacked right into Changshun’s face.

“Hmph, nosy fatty.” Baozhu huffed quietly, then nimbly scaled the wall and ran off.