Could it be that the little skirts and accessories worn by those young girls were the fine things Emperor Yongning prepared one by one? One by one, it would be too tragic. When Emperor Yongning realized that not only Jun Ning and Xiao Lizi had arrived, but also the Empress and her entourage, he seemed somewhat displeased. He put down the item he was fiddling with as if nothing had happened and sat on the imperial chair before the table, sipping some tea. Jun Ning wisely refrained from asking what good things Emperor Yongning had prepared for him. After greeting the Empress and her entourage, he silently stood aside. Emperor Yongning glanced at the group, "Empress, what brings you here suddenly?" The Empress thought to herself, can’t I just come over for no reason? But she didn’t let on, and with a smile, she said, "I missed Your Majesty and wanted to come over and see you." Jun Ning coughed twice upon hearing this, fearing that if the Empress continued in this fashion, she would slip through again, and he wouldn’t even have a chance to speak before being dismissed, not affecting their important affairs. So he corrected, "Your Majesty, the Empress intended to have me flogged twenty times and then sent me to the penal service. I’m here to seek justice from Your Majesty!" With Jun Ning’s small frame, twenty floggings would surely be fatal. What does the Empress mean? How long has it been, and she’s already trying to kill the companion chosen for the Seventeenth Prince? Emperor Yongning’s questioning gaze settled on the Empress, demanding an explanation. On this matter, the Empress knew she was in the wrong and felt a bit flustered, but she maintained basic composure and calmness on her face. She recounted Jun Ning’s disobedience and his insulting and abusing of the chief palace maid Qing Er of Jiaofang Palace. As for the replacement companion she had prepared for Jun Ning, she didn’t mention a single word, as Emperor Yongning wasn’t easily fooled. If she mentioned her nephew, Emperor Yongning could easily think that she didn’t want Jun Ning as the Seventeenth Prince’s companion. All these chaotic affairs might have been her orders to get rid of Jun Ning and make way for her nephew. After speaking, the Empress knelt on the ground, lightly dabbing nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes, and choked, "Your Majesty, as the middle palace, even a mere child dares to provoke me . You must seek justice for me!" The Empress looked extremely aggrieved, a sight that evoked pity. Yet Emperor Yongning did not easily trust the Empress’s side of the story and turned to Jun Ning, "The Empress has finished speaking. What exactly happened? It’s your turn to speak." The Empress hadn’t anticipated that after she spoke, Emperor Yongning would still inquire Jun Ning again. This was evidently distrust in her! After so many years as a couple, yet not even basic trust? The Empress gave a bitter smile internally, her fists tightly clenched inside her sleeves. Jun Ning retold the facts once more, detailing how he was daily tormented by the palace maids of Jiaofang Palace, verbally abused, and deliberately framed, without missing a single detail. Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝔫𝔢𝔱 The facts in his account were completely opposite to those in the Empress’s account. Who was speaking the truth, and who the lies? For a moment, even Emperor Yongning couldn’t make a judgment. While Emperor Yongning was having difficulty, Jun Ning was about to mention another matter. But just as he was about to speak, the Empress realized it was unwise and looked at him threateningly, signaling him not to say anything, or she would not spare him. If looks could kill, Jun Ning had no doubt that he would have been slashed to pieces by the Empress by now.