Indeed, those words were just spoken by Li Fengxing. Everyone present had heard it; he was referring to the Ziyang Jun, concerning the beauty Bai Sijie.

However, now Bai Sijie had risen from her seat, furious and indignant. Who was she angry for?

The three dukes and nine ministers, including the emperor seated on the dragon throne, were momentarily stunned, and then they all turned their gazes toward Jiang Xuanjin, who stood below.

Jiang Hongyan stood with her hands clasped behind her back, dressed in a deep turquoise embroidered silk robe, her figure graceful like a jade bamboo against a backdrop of green mountains. She slightly turned her face, her dark eyes reflecting the beauty of the spring rain amidst the mountains and lakes, captivating all who looked.

He parted his thin lips and, moved, directing his words toward Li Huaiyu, who was protecting him in front. “Shut up!”

Li Huaiyu trembled at his fierce shout, frowning as she turned back. “Why are you yelling at me again?”

In front of so many people, calling him “beauty” and expecting him not to be angry? Jiang Xuanjin sneered, pushing her back into her seat, his voice gritting through his teeth. “Stay put!”

Li Huaiyu was quite indignant, muttering, “I’m trying to speak up for you! Just listen to the nonsense that person is spouting, and with that pretentious demeanor, it makes you want to hit him!”

“You don’t need to do that.”

Taking a step forward, he turned sideways, shielding her with his body, and addressed Li Fengxing. “Miss Bai speaks frankly; please forgive her.”

“Speaks frankly?” Li Fengxing frowned. “She is committing an offense! A mere daughter of a subject, without any official title, dares to question this official so boldly!”

Though his words carried a hint of embarrassment and anger, they were also factual. Bai Sijie’s earlier words and actions were indeed a breach of decorum.

Li Huailin felt a bit worried. He thought that what this Fourth Miss said was not without reason; in fact, it was quite incisive. However, she was at a disadvantage due to her status. The charge of “offending above” was not trivial; if Li Fengxing insisted on pursuing it, it could lead to trouble.

Li Fengxing likely realized this as well, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes as he prepared to make a move.

However, before he could speak, Jiang Xuanjin interjected.

Looking up at Li Fengxing, he calmly asked, “What is the annual salary of the position of Chancellor?”

Li Fengxing paused, confused, and replied, “The annual salary is a thousand dan.”

“And what about the feudal lord?”

“…The lord of Ziyang is honored with an annual salary of ten thousand dan.”

Upon hearing his answer, Jiang Xuanjin nodded in satisfaction and turned to Xu Yan, who was standing in front. “If a daughter of a subject questions an official with a salary of a thousand dan, it is considered ‘offending above.’ Then what should we call it when an official with a salary of a thousand dan questions a lord with a salary of ten thousand dan?”

The three dukes and nine ministers had always ranked officials by their annual salaries. An official with a salary of a thousand dan was indeed high above those without titles. However, compared to the lord of Ziyang with a salary of ten thousand dan, it was like comparing a speck of dust to the bright moon, a vast difference in rank.

If we were to speak of “offending above,” Li Fengxing was far more guilty than Bai Sijie.

Realizing this, Li Fengxing’s heart trembled, and the fierce expression on his face faded. Just as he saw Xu Yan about to speak, he hurriedly said, “It is my fault! Today, everyone is here seeking justice and sharing insights; how could this be called ‘offending above’?”

The speed of his reversal left everyone dumbfounded.

Li Huailin furrowed his brow and finally couldn’t help but speak up. “Lord Li keeps talking about justice, yet he hasn’t presented a shred of evidence to prove Meng Hengyuan’s innocence. What right does he have to slander the Ziyang Jun based solely on conjecture?”

Li Fengxing panicked and quickly bowed to the emperor. “Your Majesty, please see clearly; I just feel there’s something suspicious about this matter.”

“Again with your feelings?” Li Huailin slammed his hand on the dragon throne, glaring. “Where’s the evidence?”

With a loud bang, the people in the court lowered their heads. Li Fengxing knelt, banging his head on the ground. “Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”

“Do you all still think I’m a child, easily fooled by a few casual words?” Li Huailin was truly furious. “If this case lacked evidence, that would be one thing, but this case has irrefutable proof, and you still want to stir up trouble here. Do you think I can’t discern right from wrong, black from white?!”

Li Fengxing was taken aback, quickly bowing his head and daring not to speak further. The other officials stepped forward, cupping their hands. “Your Majesty, please calm your anger.”

Calm down? Li Huailin sneered. “If the one in power were still the Grand Princess, would you dare to fool her as you do me now?”

At this, Liu Tingwei frowned and called out, “Your Majesty!”

“You still recognize me as Your Majesty?” Li Huailin stood up abruptly. “In your eyes, I’m just a young boy who can be easily manipulated!”

No one expected the emperor to suddenly erupt in such fury. Jiang Xuanjin furrowed his brow, stepping forward to reprimand him. After studying imperial etiquette for so long, how could he lose his composure in the court?

However, just as he took a step forward, someone grabbed his sleeve.

“Don’t scold him.” Li Huaiyu lowered her head, pulling him back slightly. “The emperor isn’t wrong.”

The reason Li Fengxing dared to defend Meng Hengyuan was that he was taking advantage of the young ruler’s inexperience. If it were the Grand Princess of Danyang in charge, he wouldn’t dare utter a single word, as it would be useless to do so.

Jiang Xuanjin’s expression darkened. “Advising the ruler is the duty of a minister.”

What does he call “advising”? Huaiyu rolled her eyes, knowing without a doubt that he would step forward and use the “Imperial Instructions of the Great Ancestor” and “Imperial Strategies” to scold Li Huailin mercilessly.

“Let him finish speaking.” She whispered, “It might not be a bad thing.”

Jiang Xuanjin frowned, glancing at the trembling Li Fengxing and Meng Hengyuan nearby. After a moment of thought, he truly stood still.

If he didn’t stop him, no one else dared to intervene. Li Huailin’s anger surged as he glared at Meng Hengyuan. “A mere commoner dares to lie before me! Three thousand jin of banned drugs! Three thousand jin! If you didn’t know, who could sneak them into your Meng family’s warehouse without anyone noticing?!”

He turned back to Li Fengxing. “A dignified Chancellor, yet you turn black and white upside down to favor merchants! What good is your eloquence? Do you think I don’t know what you’re scheming?!”

The emperor’s wrath could topple mountains and rivers, causing rivers of blood to flow.

Just moments ago, Li Fengxing had been eloquent, but now he couldn’t utter a single word, repeatedly bowing his head, banging it on the ground. Meng Hengyuan trembled, collapsing to the ground, unable to lift his head.

“Xu Yan!” Li Huailin called out.

The nearby officials immediately stepped forward, cupping their hands. “What does Your Majesty command?”

“Close the case and determine the punishment. Judge it as it should be!” Li Huailin declared. “If anyone has objections, bring the evidence and speak to me!”

Feeling a jolt in his heart, Xu Yan solemnly replied, “Yes!”

The court fell silent. The three dukes and nine ministers all lowered their heads, not daring to move.

Li Huailin returned to the dragon throne, shaking out his robe, the embroidered five-clawed golden dragon shimmering brightly. When he looked up again, the youthful arrogance in his brows and eyes revealed an undeniable dominance.

Huaiyu smiled, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

This was indeed her Li family’s son!

After dragging on for more than ten days, the case finally concluded. As Li Huaiyu was led out of the palace by Jiang Xuanjin, she excitedly clapped her hands behind him.

“Our emperor is truly impressive! Did you see that? Such a slender frame, yet when he gets angry, he seems taller than the beams, making it hard to breathe!”

“Though he was angry, he still grasped the key points of the case. He’s quite clever!”

“Even though he’s still young, with such courage and wisdom, he will surely become a renowned ruler for generations to come!”

Chattering away, her words were all about the emperor.

Jiang Xuanjin paused, glancing at her. “Is he that good?”

Huaiyu’s smile was uncontainable. “Yes! Don’t you think so?”

“…” He didn’t respond and continued walking forward.

Li Huaiyu didn’t notice anything amiss. Once in the carriage, she remained immersed in the joy of seeing her brother, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling.

It was wonderful to see Huailin again, and even better to hear him call her “Elder Sister.” Although he wasn’t calling her directly, it still made her happy, as if she had returned to many years ago when Huailin had just learned to speak.

“Elder Sister.” One-year-old Huailin struggled to call out.

Holding him, Emperor Xiaoxian feigned a frown and asked, “Why do you only call her ‘Elder Sister’ and not ‘Father’?”

Little Huailin bit his finger, looking confused at the Emperor, then called out again, “Elder Sister!”

Six-year-old Li Huaiyu jumped for joy, placing her hands on her hips to boast to the Emperor. “Who told you to be too busy to hold him? The younger brother was raised by me, so of course, he calls me first!”

“No, you must teach him to call me ‘Father’!” the Emperor huffed. “Who is more important, his father or Elder Sister?”

“Elder Sister!” Little Huailin answered without hesitation.

“…” The Emperor, who commanded respect in the court, was left feeling both angry and aggrieved by a one-year-old child, his face scrunching up.

Li Huaiyu laughed heartily, lifting Huailin and spinning him around, saying in a baby voice, “Elder Sister will take good care of you, and when you grow up, I’ll give you all the good things!”

Huailin naturally didn’t understand what “good things” meant, but being lifted high made him giggle along. Their laughter echoed far and wide, painting the entire Feiyun Palace in warm colors.

…

Recalling these moments, Huaiyu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt.

Leaning forward, she almost lost her balance. Huaiyu came back to her senses, confused, and asked, “Have we arrived?”

Jiang Xuanjin ignored her, stepping out of the carriage with a blank expression. “I have matters to attend to; you go back first.”

With a flick of the curtain, a gust of wind blew, ruffling her hair.

Li Huaiyu blinked, puzzled, and called after him, “What did I do to upset you?”

Jiang Xuanjin didn’t look back. “Nothing.”

“If there’s nothing, then why are you throwing a tantrum?” She jumped out of the carriage, exasperated, and grabbed his robe. “It’s almost dark; what could you possibly have to do?”

His breath was cold as Jiang Xuanjin replied, “Let go.”

This was still in the street; what kind of behavior was this?

“Stop saying useless things.” Rolling her eyes, Li Huaiyu tightened her grip on his robe. “You’re so temperamental, always making me guess what you mean. But I can’t always guess right; if you keep it bottled up, it’ll hurt you!”

“If it hurts, it’s still me who will feel the pain, isn’t it?”

The last sentence was said with a hint of a smile.

However, Jiang Xuanjin couldn’t smile back. He turned to look at her with icy eyes. “This is just how I am. If you don’t like it, then break off the engagement.”

“Hey, I like you! I like you no matter what!” She hurriedly reassured him, sliding her hand down to shake his finger. “How could I not like you?”

With a huff, Jiang Xuanjin turned his face away.

Seeing his profile, Huaiyu’s eyes sparkled with admiration. Unable to resist, she reached out to touch his face, saying, “Even when you’re angry, you look so good. I want to pluck the moon for you!”

Her sweet words were impressive, but who could tell when she was sincere and when she was not? He looked good. There were many handsome people in the world; wasn’t the current emperor also handsome? And quite imposing too? By her logic, how many moons were there in the sky for her to pluck?

Shoving her hand away, Jiang Xuanjin narrowed his eyes. “If you want to pluck it, go ahead. If you can’t get it down, don’t let me see you again!”

After saying that, he shook her off and walked away.

With pent-up frustration, his expression darkened as he walked quickly.

However, he hadn’t gone far when the surrounding crowd suddenly stirred. Groups of three or five-pointed and whispered in the direction behind him.

What was happening? Jiang Xuanjin was puzzled. Watching the strange reactions of the people, he stopped and turned back to look.

At the spot he had just left, someone was climbing up the wall of a nearby tavern. Though her movements were clumsy, she was determined to reach the second-floor terrace. Standing on a chair on the terrace, she stretched out her hand, trembling as she tried to pluck a lantern hanging from the eaves. Her body swayed precariously.

His pupils constricted, and Jiang Xuanjin’s expression changed.

Li Huaiyu, injured, struggled to reach the lantern. After a long while, she finally grasped it, but with too much force, she lost her balance and fell outward.

“Ah—” The onlookers gasped, and Lingxiu screamed, “Miss!”

Gripping the lantern tightly, Huaiyu reacted quickly, using her toes to hook onto the railing of the second floor, stabilizing herself as she swung around and landed safely on the ground.

Jiang Xuanjin, who had come up to catch her, paused nearby.

Huaiyu turned to see him, grimacing as she held her waist, then stuffed the lantern into his arms.

“Here’s the moon I plucked for you,” she said.

The round and bright lantern emitted a pure light, resembling the bright moon in the sky.

Jiang Xuanjin’s jaw tightened as he looked at the lantern and then at her, his eyes filled with a thousand years of frost and snow.

Li Huaiyu grinned, unable to resist reaching out to touch his face, and blinked. “You said if I couldn’t get it down, I wouldn’t see you again. I promised to see you ‘year after year,’ don’t you remember?”

“Three wishes like the swallows on the beams. Year after year, we meet.” — The words sung with a teacup spoon echoed in her ears.

His body stiffened, and Jiang Xuanjin stared at her, completely at a loss for words.

The streets were bustling with people, many passing by the tavern, stopping to gawk.

A handsome young man stood holding a lantern, his expression grim. In front of him, a lively girl stood with her hands on her hips, smiling with dimples.

At the Bai residence.

Jiang Xuanjin silently applied ointment to the cut on her hand, while Li Huaiyu took the opportunity to lean against him—her chin resting on his shoulder, greedily admiring his profile.

“Why are you still angry?” she asked, distressed. “Didn’t I pluck the moon for you?”

He remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a rigid line.

“Are you worried about me? I didn’t even fall… Ouch! That hurts! Be gentler!”

“You know it hurts?” Finally speaking, Jiang Xuanjin’s tone was harsh. “Do you not know what condition your body is in?”

After barely recovering from her injuries, it took her over ten days to look somewhat human again. How could she keep pushing herself like this? What if she hadn’t hooked onto the railing? What if he hadn’t reacted quickly enough to catch her?

Taken aback by his scolding, Huaiyu blinked, staring at him for a while before her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Jiang Jian.” She called him by his full name, smiling meaningfully. “Are you… worried about me?”

His hand applying the ointment paused, and he looked up with a dark expression. “If you want to dream like that, sleep during the day.”

After saying that, he placed the ointment on the bedside and stood up to leave.

The person behind him unwillingly shouted, “I’m so worried about you; what’s wrong with you being worried about me? You stingy person!”

Jiang Xuanjin didn’t respond. He stepped over the threshold and headed straight back to his room.

Worried?

He pressed his hand against his chest, sneering. Even if his heart ached, it was a heart disease, and it had nothing to do with her.

Pushing open the door, Jiang Xuanjin looked up to see a lantern on the table, round and bright, resembling the moon.

Staring at it for a while, he entered the room, picked it up, and placed it on the windowsill.

Outside, the night was quiet, and the bright moon shone by the window.

After going to bed, Jiang Xuanjin had a very peaceful dream, filled with gentle moonlight and an inescapable scent of medicine.

The next morning.

Bai Mengshi was imprisoned. The atmosphere in the Bai residence was heavy. Upon learning that her mother would be imprisoned for eighteen years, Bai Xuanji couldn’t sit still. She gathered a group of uncles and aunts and rushed to the southern courtyard.

“How could you do such a thing!”

Li Huaiyu had just woken up when someone shouted at her, immediately frowning. “What?”

Bai Xuanji, with red eyes, looked at her. “Even if my mother is at fault, she is still someone you should call ‘mother.’ How could you send her to prison for eighteen years? Eighteen years! Where is your filial piety?”

Understanding her meaning, Li Huaiyu sat up straight, smirking. “It was the emperor who imprisoned her, not me.”

“If you hadn’t gone to the palace to report her, could she have been imprisoned?” Bai Liang, her aunt, angrily retorted. “We are all family; how could you be so heartless?”

“Exactly.” Bai Liu also chimed in. “We’re all trying to find ways to save her, and you, instead of helping, went to report her!”

“How ungrateful!”

The room erupted in a flurry of accusations. Li Huaiyu, bewildered, wiped her face and asked Lingxiu, “What was Bai Mengshi imprisoned for?”

Lingxiu frowned and replied, “For poisoning and attempting to harm you.”

“Oh right.” Huaiyu nodded, then looked at the group of uncles and aunts beside her. “She tried to poison me and now blames me for reporting her?”

“You didn’t die, did you?” Bai Liang frowned. “You’re alive and well, yet she’s going to be locked away in that dark place for eighteen years. Do you think that’s fair?”

Li Huaiyu laughed. “The law is the law; murderers pay with their lives. I didn’t die, so she’s still alive, just not free. It’s a punishment for her evil deeds. Isn’t that fair?”

“But she is your mother!” Bai Liu glared at her with resentment. “What daughter would be so heartless as to send her mother to prison?”

“I’ve thought it over.” Bai Xuanji said, “This matter started because of you. As long as you plead with the emperor, saying that my mother didn’t do it on purpose, he will surely lessen her punishment and let her return soon.”

Such words were utterly shameless.

Huaiyu quietly watched them, waiting for them to finish speaking before slowly saying, “I don’t want to.”

Everyone in the room widened their eyes in disbelief, especially Bai Xuanji, who couldn’t believe it. “How can you be like this?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Li Huaiyu met her gaze, coldly smiling. “She could harm me; why can’t I harm her?”

Having nearly lost her life, should she turn around and forgive someone like that? For someone so narrow-minded, not killing Bai Mengshi was already showing restraint. Yet these people still expected her to help rescue her?

It would be better to go back and take a nap!

Strangely enough, it seemed the world was full of such scoundrels who used familial ties to coerce others. The ones who committed heinous acts were beyond redemption, yet these people loved to blame the victims, using blood ties and moral obligations to force the victims to accept their “reformation” and give the perpetrators another chance to commit wrongs.

What a bunch of foolish people!

“You… do you think that because you’ve climbed up the social ladder, you can look down on the Bai family?” Seeing her attitude, Bai Liang was furious, pointing at her. “Without the Bai family, how could you possibly marry into the Jiang family?”

“Exactly!” Bai Liu added. “If you offend everyone, do you think you can still have a good life?”

When persuasion failed, the group became enraged, threatening her.

“If you don’t save Bai Mengshi, it proves you have no filial piety. If we tell the Jiang family, will they still want you as their daughter-in-law?”

“If this gets out, the entire capital will scold you. Don’t even think about marrying Ziyang Jun. You’ll be a rat in the street, hated by everyone!”

Li Huaiyu grew impatient. “Are you done? If you’re done, I still want to sleep.”

“You!” Bai Xuanji walked to the bedside, tugging at her blanket. “If you don’t give me an explanation today, don’t even think about sleeping!”

“Yeah, how can you still sleep at a time like this?”

The group stood up, surrounding her bed with an imposing demeanor.

If this were a miss from an ordinary family, she might have been frightened into submission by such a scene. But this young lady had seen far worse. Just a few nagging women? Did they think they could scare her?

Clenching her fists, Li Huaiyu looked at Bai Xuanji. “Try pulling again, and see what happens?”

Bai Xuanji froze, her heart trembling under her gaze, and she instinctively wanted to let go.

However, with so many people standing on her side, how could she back down? Steeling herself, she tightened her grip on the blanket. “What? Is harming my mother not enough? Do you want to hit me too? If you dare to lay a hand on me, I’ll have someone invite the Ziyang Jun over to see what kind of cold-blooded person he wants to marry!”

Huaiyu wanted to tell her that Ziyang Jun didn’t think he was marrying a good person either! However, before she could speak, a voice came from the doorway.

“I’ve been here all along; there’s no need for the Second Miss to invite me.”