Unworthy of the Position

The Grand Princess's delicate body flew out like a withered fallen leaf, rolling a few times on the ground before stopping.

The people around were already in a panic, never expecting the two masters above to come to blows at the slightest disagreement.

Meixiang rushed forward to help the Grand Princess up. "Princess, Princess, are you alright?"

The jewelry on Xiao Yuan's head was askew, and her right cheek was rapidly swelling, looking terrifying.

Blood trickled from beneath her delicate nostrils, scaring Meixiang half to death as she fumbled to wipe it away.

"Princess, speak to me, don't scare your servant!" Meixiang feared something happening to the Grand Princess, and even more, she feared the Consort's blame for failing to protect her. Her heart was filled with dread.

Xiao Yuan's head spun for a moment before she regained clarity, followed by explosive rage and shame.

Xiao Qianyu had actually hit her again, destroying her dignity once more!

She shoved Meixiang away and glared fiercely at Xiao Qianyu. "Why weren't you beheaded? Why is the False Crown Prince not you? Someone like you, who beats his own siblings, deserves to be Crown Prince? Has Heaven gone blind!"

She hated Xiao Qianyu, hated him to death.

She was a noble princess, so what if she beat a few lowly maids to death?

They were born to serve her, like ants beneath her feet. She could let them live or kill them, what was the big deal?

Yet Xiao Qianyu insisted on opposing her.

Xiao Qianyu curved his lips and said softly, "Yes, Heaven has gone blind. It realized that a scourge like you was still in the world, acting tyrannically and harming the innocent, so it couldn't bear it any longer and sent down lightning to clear my name and return me to the position of Crown Prince..." The words he spoke were colder than frost and snow, freezing people's blood. "To act on behalf of Heaven, to deal with scum, and restore peace to the palace, so the wronged souls may rest in peace."

BOOM! It was like a silent, muffled thunderclap exploding in Xiao Yuan's mind, leaving her dizzy and chilled, her vision suddenly blacking out.

Her lips trembled as she looked at Xiao Qianyu in horror. He, he was trying to force her to her death.

"Crown Prince!" Consort Guo, hearing the commotion at the palace gates, rushed over and happened to hear this, immediately shouting in distress, "Crown Prince, choose your words carefully. Even if Yuan'er has made mistakes, His Majesty will discipline her. In any case, she cannot bear the sin of angering Heaven and inviting divine punishment. The lightning that struck from the heavens was a blessing from our ancestors, who could not bear to see you wronged and harmed, thus moving Heaven's pity to warn His Majesty, was it not?"

Consort Guo's back was soaked with cold sweat. If these words spread, Xiao Yuan would bear the reputation of being disfavored by the Heavenly Dao and incurring Heaven's wrath. Not only would it be uncertain if she could retain her princely title and continue to enjoy wealth and status, but she might even be disfavored by the Emperor, confined, stripped of her title, or even expelled from the imperial clan. In a more severe case, to avoid any stain on the imperial family, she might even be granted death.

"Crown Prince, what you just said isn't true, it was just angry words, right?" Consort Guo's eyes pleaded, her tone laced with caution.

Xiao Qianyu looked at her quietly. A truly intelligent woman.

Unfortunately, she had a foolish daughter.

The Grand Princess staggered to her feet and said to Xiao Qianyu, "You are inhumane! You are not the Crown Prince at all. A Crown Prince wouldn't be as cruel as you and want my life."

She had glanced at Xiao Qianyu just now. The man's eyes were deep and frozen, devoid of any human warmth. He looked at her as if she were already dead, unlike before. Back then, although his eyes were filled with anger and disgust, they were more often filled with disappointment and hatred born from frustration, brimming with intense emotion for his half-sister.

Now, there was nothing in them.

He truly no longer recognized her as his sister.

Xiao Qianyu's lips curved into a cold smile. "You are right. The former benevolent and incompetent Crown Prince is dead. The Crown Prince who lives now acts only according to the will of Heaven and his conscience. Where is the Chief Eunuch of the Punishment Department?"

Eunuch Hai, who had been hiding and watching, felt his heart flutter. He hadn't expected the Crown Prince and the Grand Princess to escalate to this point.

Hearing the Crown Prince call, he bowed his waist a little lower and walked forward with small steps. "This servant, Hai Zheng of the Punishment Department, greets His Highness the Crown Prince."

Xiao Qianyu asked calmly, "The Grand Princess has harmed palace servants and cruelly killed innocents. According to Palace Rules, how should she be judged?"

Eunuch Hai quickly glanced at Consort Guo, then lowered his head and said earnestly, "If the evidence is conclusive, according to Palace Rules, the lightest punishment is forfeiture of salary and confinement to the palace, or revocation of her title and demotion to a commoner. The heaviest is, death." His voice grew softer as he spoke, and cold sweat already covered his forehead.

Consort Guo was already swaying precariously.

The Grand Princess, however, with frenzied, red eyes, roared, "What? You want to sentence me to death? Don't dream. With Father Emperor here, my life and death are not for you to decide."

Xiao Qianyu looked at her with a faint gaze. "Is that so? Are you sure?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a muffled thunderclap sounded in the sky, striking the hearts of everyone present like a heavy drum.

The faint-hearted had already knelt, prostrating themselves deeply, begging Heaven not to be angered and accidentally harm them.

Consort Guo's beautiful face lost all color, her eyes darkening.

The Grand Princess covered her ears in terror, looking up at the sky repeatedly, recoiling as she cried out, "Mother Consort, Mother Consort, save me."

Xiao Qianyu's lips curved cruelly. "Guards, the Grand Princess has trampled on Palace Rules, treated human lives as less than grass, and took pleasure in cruelly killing palace servants. Her nature is cruel and her conduct is depraved, violating heavenly harmony, thus provoking Heaven's wrath and the resentment of the people. In accordance with ancestral laws and the ironclad rules of the palace, she is hereby to be beaten eighty times, then stripped of her title, demoted to a commoner, and expelled from the imperial clan. All implicated evildoers are to be severely punished along with her, to cleanse the palace."