Li Xiu and the empress couldn’t be any more familiar with that purple-gold jewel.

It was part of the tribute from the Chen kingdom by the eastern seas. There were only four such jewels in the Li kingdom, the two largest of which were kept in the palace’s treasure vault.

Of the two smaller ones, one was embedded on Li Xiu’s belt. The empress had given the other to the crown prince as a birthday gift, to be embedded as the centerpiece of his crown, and that crown was currently on Li Qianxiao’s head.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty, don’t…” When the empress saw her consort’s face darken, she immediately tried to plead with him.

“Father, Father, I didn’t… it wasn’t me…” Li Qianxiao stumbled over his words as he tried to deny the unspoken accusation, but he wasn’t able to come up with anything coherent.

“You bastard!” Li Xiu yelled out, raising his foot and kicking at Li Qianxiao’s abdomen.

Although Li Xiu was rather thin, he was still a seventh-rank blademaster.

One blow was sufficient to knock Li Qianxiao onto the ground. When Li Xiu raised his foot, about to kick him a second time, the empress quickly shielded her dear son.

“Your Majesty, even if the jewel is Xiao’er’s, shouldn’t you give him a chance to defend himself? You’re going to kick him to death otherwise!”

Li Xiu’s face was green. His eyes widened, then contracted once more. After a moment’s deliberation, he finally lowered his foot. “Late to the banquet, claiming that he’d fallen asleep in the outer gardens, and this pearl…?” Li Xiu’s tone was filled with anger and disappointment. “Isn’t it clear what happened?”

Li Qianxiao became the center of attention as everyone waited for him to speak up.

“Xiao’er,” the empress patted Li Qianxiao down and gently murmured, “Tell your father what happened. How did your jewel end up here in this greenhouse?”

Although what had happened was obvious, the empress was unwilling to admit that her son was the bastard she’d promised to skin.

“Mother… I…” Li Qianxiao stuttered and stammered, wanting to refute his father’s accusations but not daring to do so.

Pei Ziao stood by the side and stared coldly at Li Qianxiao. He clearly hadn’t expected that Li Qianxiao was the one who had backstabbed him.

He and his father had always pampered him, giving him whatever he wanted: alcohol, women, large feasts… but not only did Li Qianxiao cuckold him, he even intended to make Pei Ziao take the blame for the entire affair.

“Crown Prince, weren’t you the one who said that a true man would admit to his deeds?” Pei Ziao interrogated. “As the crown prince of the Li kingdom, you have to resolve this matter. Otherwise, how can you call yourself an example for the common people?!”

If word ever spread, it would be a serious scandal for the royal family.

Given the Li kingdom’s customs and its strong emphasis on morality, rape and sexual assault carried the death sentence for commoners. If it were the crown prince who committed such a crime, he might very well have to relinquish his position and status.

The empress turned to Pei Ziao. “Young Master Pei, that’s a strong accusation. Didn’t you say that Miss Yi had consumed an aphrodisiac? Doesn’t that mean that the crown prince did not, in fact, assault—”

“Right, right, I didn’t assault her!” Only then did Li Qianxiao react. “No, I didn’t assault her. She was the one who seduced me!”

“Xiao’er, don’t worry. Tell us everything slowly.”

“In the evening, as I was taking a stroll through the gardens, I suddenly heard a couple kissing in the nearby bushes.” Li Qianxiao glanced at his mother’s face, found it encouraging, and continued, “I thought that it was a palace guard and palace maid having an illicit encounter, so I stepped forward and knocked the man out. Only then did I realize that the couple was actually Pei Ziao and Miss Yi. I was about to shout for guards when Miss Yi suddenly pounced on me. In my bewilderment, I committed a grave mistake.”

Li Qianxiao knelt in front of his father, a look of repentance on his face. “Father, I’ve made a mistake. Given that this is my first offense, please forgive me this once.”

Yi Qianying sat dazed on the floor of the greenhouse, her eyes vacant. She couldn’t believe that the person who’d taken her virginity actually wasn’t her Brother Ziao!

She glanced at Pei Ziao’s cold back and began to tremble, as if she had fallen into an abyss of despair.

“Your Majesty, Xiao’er’s at the prime of his youth, and Miss Yi was willing. Surely this incident can’t fully be blamed on Xiao’er alone?” The empress continued to plead with her consort, her gaze landing on the wooden Yi Qianying.

Her gaze took on a few motes of disdain. How had Yi Qianying been drugged, anyway? Based on her attitude toward Pei Ziao, it seemed that she was deliberately trying to target Pei Ziao. By making sure that she could be discovered in a compromised position, the emperor would be forced to betroth her to him! This sort of scheme wasn’t unheard of in the palace. What a pity that her son had gotten himself tangled up in this affair!

The empress hid her fury very well. It didn’t matter who was in the right or in the wrong; all that mattered was that Li Qianxiao had indeed taken someone’s virginity. In order to pacify the emperor and the nobility, there was only one choice left.

The empress decided on her course of action. Turning toward Yun Ruoyao, she began, “Miss Yun, please help Miss Yi up; the floor’s too cold. Since the crown prince was responsible for this affair, the royal family will take responsibility. In the next few days, I’ll send people over to the Yun and Yi families to set up a betrothal between Miss Yi and the crown prince.”

Li Qianxiao stood up all of a sudden and looked toward his mother, his gaze filled with unwillingness.

Whenever he recalled Yi Qianying’s intimacy with Pei Ziao in the bushes, Li Qianxiao couldn’t help but feel disgusted. When he was playing with Yi Qianying, he’d thought it no different than playing with a woman in a brothel, but his mother was actually forcing him to marry her—and as his wife, no less?!

He hadn’t yet been betrothed, and the position of the crown princess had always remained free. Was it to be filled now just because of this minor incident? The Yis were nothing! His wife would be the future empress, admired by one and all—who was this girl to think she could be the empress?!

“Mother, I can’t—”

“Be silent!” The empress turned around and glared at him.

“Mother!”

“What, are you unwilling?” Li Xiu finally spoke up. “If you can’t take responsibility for your own actions, then I really do have to consider whether there’s someone more fit to be the crown prince.”

This declaration tightened the noose on Li Qianxiao’s neck. Despite his indignation, all he could say was, “Yes, Father, I’m willing to accept this marriage.”

The development of these affairs had completely gone beyond Yun Ruoyao’s expectations. Clearly, marrying into the royal family was far more beneficial than marrying into the Peis.

The Yun family’s status would, unbelievably, be elevated by this affair!

“Your Majesty, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this resolution. Qianying is blessed to be able to marry the crown prince.”

But Yi Qianying, completely befuddled by the numerous shocks and setbacks that she’d suffered that day, suddenly gasped. As if she had just awoken from a nightmare, she broke free of Yun Ruoyao’s grasp and pounced on Pei Ziao. “Brother Ziao, I only wish to remain by your side! Even if I’m only one of your concubines, one of your maids…!”

Pei Ziao immediately dodged to one side. “Miss Yi, why lower yourself so? The crown prince is a dragon among men, and following him will be the most prudent decision.”

“Brother Ziao, do you truly not care for me at all?” Yi Qianying wasn’t willing to give up quite yet.

Pei Ziao hesitated, then raised his head. When he saw the bruises around her neck, however, he couldn’t help but become vexed. “Miss Yi, I’ve only ever been a friend to you. If I’ve done anything to make you misunderstand, I will apologize now.”

Pei Ziao bowed courteously at Yi Qianying. “From now on, please take care of yourself, Miss Yi.”

Yi Qianying stood still. After quite a while, her stark laugh broke the awkward silence that had descended. She wasn’t a virgin anymore—would Pei Ziao want her? No, of course not.

Actually, she was well aware that, even if she were a virgin, Pei Ziao wouldn’t necessarily have married her. He was the sole heir of the Pei family, after all, and what family would want the discarded, disgraced daughter of minor nobility?

Her feelings toward him had always been one-sided, hadn’t it? When had Pei Ziao promised her anything definite?

“Ha, haha.” Yi Qianying laughed, but her face scrunched up as though she were about to cry.

The empress sighed as she monitored Yi Qianying’s behavior. When she thought of the fact that this disgraceful child would become her first daughter-in-law, she couldn’t help but feel vexed.

In order for Li Qianxiao to remain the crown prince, however, she didn’t say a single word. So what if she were the crown princess? The empress would be able to depose her in a hundred different ways. She had been steeped in the cruel ways of the palace, after all, and she would do anything to guarantee her son’s happiness.

Moments later, just when Yi Qianying seemed to be on the verge of breaking down, her expression returned to normal. With a gentle smile, Yi Qianying walked to Li Xiu and the empress, slowly knelt down, and began, “Your Majesties, I humbly thank you for the grace I have received today. I know my birth is lowly, and I’m not fit for the crown prince, neither in looks nor in talent. Please, allow me to be just a mere concubine, rather than the crown princess herself.”

The emperor and empress were both taken aback by her request. After all, the crown prince was indeed at fault. Although Yi Qianying’s birth wasn’t quite noble enough, the fact that the crown prince had assaulted her was indubitable.

Furthermore, the Yun family backed her. The head of the Yun family, Yun Lan, was well known to be courteous, humble, and considerate. Under his rule, the entire Yun family had maintained a sterling reputation within the capital.

But Yun Lan was prickly when it came to issues of posterity, and his displeasure could very well create a backlash against the royal family. It was for this reason that the empress had promised Yi Qianying the position of crown princess directly. She hadn’t expected that Yi Qianying would request to be a mere concubine instead.

It seemed that the girl could, at the very least, discern what was appropriate of her. The fake smile plastered on the empress’ face slowly became somewhat genuine.