His Majesty was discussing the latest official appointments with Minister Pei.
Suddenly, a commotion was heard from outside, a relentless clamor.
Hong Gonggong, who was on duty outside, ran in flustered and said, “Your Majesty, this is terrible! Princess Jinzhi and Ninth Princess are fighting outside Qin Zheng Hall.”
Upon hearing this, His Majesty immediately closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
These two troublemakers!
When His Majesty and Minister Pei went out, they saw Ninth Princess with disheveled hair and a swollen face, pinned down by Qin Jinzhi.
As soon as Ninth Princess caught sight of His Majesty from the corner of her eye, she immediately cried out, “Imperial Father! Qin Jinzhi, this b*tch, is trying to kill me!”
The Emperor immediately said, “Why are you not pulling these two unruly children apart!”
Only then did the nearby eunuchs dare to step forward, pulling the two apart with many hands.
As soon as Minister Pei came out, he saw Pei Jin'nian, who had already fainted.
He immediately rushed over, “Stop!”
How could his son be on the verge of being beaten to death just because he went to court?
However, the imperial guards carrying out the punishment did not stop; Princess Jinzhi had just given orders.
They were not to stop without her command!
Minister Pei stood frozen in shock, then immediately turned to look at the Emperor.
His Majesty immediately said, “Stop! What is going on here!”
Upon hearing this, the imperial guards ceased their actions.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Young Master Pei of the Pei Family violated Imperial Palace rules, and Princess Jinzhi ordered us to carry out the punishment here.”
Minister Pei immediately retorted angrily, “Princess Jinzhi! How exactly did my son offend you, that you would resort to such a vicious attack?”
Qin Jinzhi's hair was a bit messy, but there was no trace of fear on her face from being reprimanded. She turned and smiled at Minister Pei, “Of course, it's because he refused to marry me.”
Minister Pei's eyes widened, “You…!”
He hadn't expected Qin Jinzhi to be so openly malicious!
He was so angry he couldn't speak for a moment.
Qin Jinzhi's smile deepened, “They say marriage is decided by parents and matchmakers. Since Minister Pei is here today, why not make the decision for him, cancel the engagement with the Cui Family, and have Pei Jin'nian marry me?”
Minister Pei could hardly believe Qin Jinzhi could speak such shameless words with such candor.
He immediately knelt before the Emperor, “Your Majesty! Princess Jinzhi's intentions are so malicious; I beg Your Majesty to dispense justice for me!”
The Emperor looked at Qin Jinzhi and frowned, “You are simply being absurd!”
Ninth Princess also knelt on the ground, “Imperial Father, I saw Qin Jinzhi wanting to make such a vicious attack on Brother Pei, so I rushed to stop her. I didn't expect her to beat your daughter like this. Imperial Father, you must do justice for me!”
The Emperor glared at Qin Jinzhi, “It seems I truly have spoiled you! Allowing you to be so lawless, even daring to use private torture in the Imperial Palace! Guards, take her back to the Empress's palace and let her see clearly, this is the good granddaughter she has raised!”
Minister Pei immediately said, “Your Majesty, Princess Jinzhi, relying on the favor of Your Majesty and the Empress, acts tyrannically. Today, just because my son did not want to marry her, she tried to take his life. Who knows what other disasters she will cause in the future! I implore Your Majesty to punish her severely and not tolerate her!”
Who didn't know that the Empress cherished Qin Jinzhi like the apple of her eye? What punishment would she receive if she was sent back to the Empress's palace!
Just as the Emperor was about to retort, he looked up at Pei Jin'nian, who was sprawled on the torture bench, his entire back already a bloody mess. He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly, then roared, “You scoundrel! Go to the ancestral hall and kneel for three days! Reflect properly!”
Ninth Princess immediately said, “Imperial Father! How can you be so biased towards this b*tch! She beat your daughter's face like this and almost killed Brother Pei; wouldn't your actions dishearten Minister Pei!”
What kind of punishment was kneeling in the ancestral hall! She wanted this b*tch to die! She wanted her to no longer be able to stay in the Imperial Palace! Even the servants in the Imperial Palace thought Qin Jinzhi was the true noble one, so what was she!
The Emperor looked at Ninth Princess and scolded, “As a princess, how can you speak so crudely? Guards, summon the Imperial Physician and take Ninth Princess back to her palace for treatment.”
Ninth Princess looked at her Imperial Father in disbelief. For the past three years, with Qin Jinzhi absent from the capital, she had finally enjoyed the true treatment of a princess—the affection her Imperial Father had previously divided, the respect from the palace staff. But Qin Jinzhi had only been back for one day, and all of it had vanished!
“Imperial Father! Your daughter is your own flesh and blood! Why do you protect an outsider so much!”
Minister Pei did not want to interfere in the Emperor's family matters, but he had to seek justice for his son!
The next head of his Pei Family must not suffer such humiliation!
“Your Majesty, your subject implores Your Majesty to severely punish Princess Jinzhi!”
In contrast, Qin Jinzhi stood casually to the side, with no trace of remorse on her face.
She watched the two on the ground with a hint of playful amusement.
A trace of impatience also appeared in the Emperor's eyes. Minister Pei was making a show of his posture, but he wasn't yielding an inch.
“Then, Minister Pei, what do you wish?”
Minister Pei immediately said, “Princess Jinzhi caused a great disaster three years ago and was only able to return to the capital through the Emperor's grace. Yet, she remains unrepentant. Your subject requests that the Princess be sent back to White Sparrow Temple! As a warning!”
“Who dares, I ask!”
“Your subject concurs!”
Suddenly, two women's voices came from different directions.
On the left, Li Momo and Mama Zhao were assisting the Empress, who walked over with an imposing aura.
On the right, Consort Shen, accompanied by a retinue of palace maids, also walked over grandly, with the resentful Seventeenth Prince, Xiao Chuan, beside her.
The Empress quickly walked up to Qin Jinzhi, “I'd like to see who dares to touch my precious granddaughter!”
Consort Shen walked up to the Emperor and bowed, “Your Majesty, your subject has come to ask Your Majesty to dispense justice for your subject!”
She was indeed a beauty of peerless charm.
Nearing forty, she was still exquisitely beautiful.
The Emperor's head ached even more at the sudden appearance of the two women.
The Empress and Consort Shen had always been at odds, and upon meeting, they were even more confrontational.
With tears in her eyes, Consort Shen said, “Your Majesty, Qin Jinzhi assaulted a Prince, disregarded imperial authority, and trampled Your Majesty's dignity underfoot. I implore Your Majesty to dispense justice for our mother and son.”
Xiao Chuan also knelt on the ground, “Imperial Father, Qin Jinzhi assaulted your son openly in the streets at the city gate, showing no regard for the law. I implore Imperial Father to dispense justice for your son.”
He then pointed to his gapped teeth and said, “Imperial Father, look!”
The Emperor's face immediately contorted as he looked at Xiao Chuan, who was missing his front teeth. Each of them was a troublemaker; what evil deeds had he committed to raise such scoundrels!
Qin Jinzhi burst out laughing as she looked at Xiao Chuan, his mouth wide open, missing two front teeth.
The Empress, who was checking if she was injured, immediately slapped her on the backside.
The Empress tidied her messy hair and turned, looking at everyone with an angry expression.
“Who wants to send my precious granddaughter to White Sparrow Temple!”
Minister Pei quickly said, “Empress, Princess Jinzhi disregarded the law and used private torture in the Imperial Palace. For her own selfish reasons, she almost took the life of a subject's son. You must not tolerate her any longer! Please, severely punish Princess Jinzhi!”
The Empress snorted coldly, “If it weren't for your son trespassing in the Inner Palace, why would Jin Zhi order a punishment? Yet, you try to slander my precious granddaughter, Minister Pei, how audacious of you!”