In her fury, Wei Wen’s tone was somewhat harsh. “Second Brother, you’ve been drinking?”

The anger that hadn’t completely died down in Wei Feng was instantly ignited.

Big Brother was like this, and even his usually gentle and amiable younger sister was speaking to him this way!

“Do I need to ask little sister’s permission to drink?”

Wei Feng’s retort made Wei Wen nearly faint with anger. She raged, “Second Brother, have you forgotten why you went out? You said you were going to the Youjian Tavern to buy food for Mother, but you came back drunk like this. Where’s the food you bought for Mother?”

Wei Feng’s hazy eyes had a moment of clarity.

The food he bought for Mother?

He turned his stiff neck to look at the servant.

The servant was also dumbfounded.

Of course he knew his master had gone to the Youjian Tavern to buy food, but at that time, the master had nearly come to blows with the Crown Prince. Thinking of his own life, he’d only wanted to quickly persuade his master to return—how could he still remember to buy food?

Seeing this, how could Wei Wen not understand? She couldn’t help but sneer coldly. “Did Second Brother forget?”

“I—” Wei Feng’s head was somewhat dizzy and he was momentarily speechless.

Wei Wen was unwilling to let it go like this. She said angrily, “Second Brother is really something. If you wanted to go out drinking, you could have just gone. Why use buying food for Mother as an excuse? I even told Mother about your filial devotion to cheer her up. Now what do you expect Mother to think?”

Although Wei Feng knew he was in the wrong, with alcohol clouding his judgment, how could he endure his sister’s aggressive questioning? He immediately became irritated. “Do you think I wanted to forget? It’s all because Big Brother—”

The rest of his words stopped abruptly.

Hearing it involved Wei Qiang, Wei Wen’s expression changed slightly as she pressed, “What about the Crown Prince? What does this have to do with the Crown Prince?”

Although Wei Feng’s mind was somewhat unclear, he understood that if Princess Pingnan and the others learned what happened at the Youjian Tavern, it would be trouble. He said vaguely, “It’s nothing. I drank too much and spoke carelessly…”

“You really just spoke carelessly?” A cool, indifferent voice rang out.

Wei Feng and Wei Wen both looked toward where the voice came from.

Princess Pingnan, supported by a maid, stood not far away, her face white as snow.

“Mother, why did you come?” Wei Wen had no time to continue arguing with Wei Feng and quickly walked over.

However, Princess Pingnan didn’t look at her daughter but stared straight at Wei Feng. “Feng’er, explain yourself clearly. How did your going out drinking involve the Crown Prince?”

“Your son really just mentioned it casually—” Facing Princess Pingnan, Wei Feng felt his head growing even more dizzy.

Princess Pingnan’s expression darkened. “No one knows a son better than his mother. Feng’er, if you won’t tell the truth, then I’ll ask your servant, or send someone out to inquire.”

Wei Feng had no choice but to speak. “I went to the tavern to buy food for Mother. Because the tavern introduced many varieties of hotpots, I planned to taste which was best. Later, Big Brother—”

“Call him Crown Prince!” Princess Pingnan frowned as she reminded him.

Compared to her eldest son, her second son really couldn’t keep his composure.

Originally, a younger son didn’t need to inherit the family business, so a lively personality didn’t matter. But unfortunately, the eldest son had become Crown Prince, and the enormous Prince Pingnan’s residence had to be shouldered by Feng’er.

This being the case, Princess Pingnan couldn’t help but compare, couldn’t help but be critical.

Wei Feng corrected himself. “Later, Big Brother came, and we drank together, then I drank too much and forgot about buying food for Mother…”

“That’s all?”

Wei Feng steeled himself and nodded.

Princess Pingnan looked at the servant. “You speak.”

The servant couldn’t help but look at Wei Feng.

Wei Feng shot the servant a warning look.

The servant instinctively hunched his shoulders, not daring to make a sound.

Princess Pingnan shouted sternly, “No need to look at your master. If you dare deceive me, I’ll have your skin stripped and throw you out!”

The servant fell to his knees with a thud and tremblingly recounted everything.

Princess Pingnan’s face turned deathly white with rage as she panted slightly and demanded, “You argued with the Crown Prince in public?”

Wei Feng couldn’t help but retort, “I didn’t argue. I only asked the Crown Prince to come back with me to visit—”

“Visit what!” Princess Pingnan’s voice rose as she raised her hand and slapped Wei Feng across the face.

The resounding slap didn’t just land on Wei Feng’s face but also on his heart, causing it to freeze completely.

“The Crown Prince slapped me, and Mother also slaps me. What exactly do you all take me for? Does Mother think I was wrong to ask the Crown Prince to come to the Prince’s residence to see you?”

Faced with her son’s questioning, Princess Pingnan’s fury surged. “Were you not wrong? Feng’er, you’re truly too thoughtless! What is the Crown Prince’s status? Did you consider his difficulty? You wretch—you actually forced him in public like that, putting him in an impossible position…”

Wei Feng felt the words spilling from Princess Pingnan’s mouth were like sharp blades stabbing directly at his heart.

In this moment, reason was suppressed by anger and resentment.

“How did I force him? I just asked quietly, and he publicly showed me a cold face and left with a flick of his sleeves! Mother, you call me a wretch—then what is he? I think he’s a heartless, hypocritical thing—”

With a sharp sound, another slap landed on his face.

“You scoundrel!” Princess Pingnan pointed at Wei Feng, trembling uncontrollably. Her vision suddenly went dark as she fell backward.

Wei Wen, quick-eyed and nimble-handed, caught Princess Pingnan and raged, “Second Brother, must you anger Mother into something terrible? Father is already like that—if something happens to Mother too, will you be satisfied then?”

“I… what would I be satisfied about?” Wei Feng’s lips trembled. The worry that had arisen from seeing Princess Pingnan sway was immediately covered by anger upon hearing Wei Wen’s words.

“You’re being completely unreasonable!” Wei Wen stamped her foot and gently coaxed Princess Pingnan, “Mother, Second Brother drank too much. Don’t be angry with him. Let me help you back to rest.”

Princess Pingnan recovered herself somewhat and said coldly, “Come see me when you’ve sobered up.”

Wei Wen helped Princess Pingnan away, and the servant was also dragged off for failing to watch his master properly.

For a moment, only Wei Feng stood expressionlessly in the room, along with a few servants standing in the corners not daring to breathe loudly.

“All of you, get out!”

One servant screwed up his courage. “Heir Apparent, let this humble one help you wash up.”

“All of you get out!”

At Wei Feng’s roar, the servants hurried out and thoughtfully closed the door.

The room became completely quiet, the only sound being Wei Feng’s rapid breathing.

Then came the sound of bottles and jars being swept to the floor.

Wei Feng, reeking of alcohol, sat down heavily on the bed, his hands gripping the edge forcefully.

Calling him a thoughtless wretch, saying he forced the Crown Prince…

What had he forced Wei Qiang to do!

Did he force Wei Qiang to frame the Duke of Zhennan’s residence? Or did he force Wei Qiang to become Crown Prince?

All the benefits had clearly gone to Wei Qiang, yet the family had to constantly remind him to be grateful—grateful that because Wei Qiang became Crown Prince, he could be Heir Apparent.

If Wei Qiang found being Crown Prince so unwilling and aggrieved, why didn’t he just continue being Prince Pingnan’s Heir Apparent back then?

As the legitimate eldest son, he ran off to become someone else’s son. If he wasn’t ten thousand times willing in his heart, did Uncle Emperor force him?