After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Chapter 443 Show off

The eldest prince was imprisoned, the empress's family was raided, and those who had supported the eldest prince's coup were either dismissed from their posts, exiled, had their property confiscated, or were beheaded.

The imperial court suffered another massive financial loss.

But this time, the emperor replaced the original positions with a new batch of talent.

Anyone who pays attention will soon notice that the ministers who originally belonged to various factions in the court have been replaced, and most of the current court officials were promoted by the emperor himself.

Imperial power was centralized once again.

This time, in addition to military power, the emperor also gained control over the discourse among civil officials.

above the hall.

Xie Ansheng and the others knelt in the Golden Palace.

"We beg Your Majesty to do us justice!"

"I only had one daughter, and now she's died without any explanation. My heart is breaking!"

Xie Ansheng wept bitterly in the Golden Palace.

After Xie Ansheng finished crying, Emperor Chu comforted him, saying, "My dear minister, please accept my condolences. This matter was a mistake on my part and that of the Empress Dowager. Xie Xing had once protected the Emperor and had rendered meritorious service. Now that he has died like this, my heart is also heavy."

"Rest assured, I will definitely capture that thief in the shadows and then tear him to pieces to appease your grief over the loss of your daughter!"

As the Chu Emperor spoke, he also bestowed some supplies upon Xie Ansheng.

"Your Majesty!" Grand Tutor Gu knelt in the Golden Palace, "My granddaughter died so mysteriously, how can dismembering her into eight pieces be the only way to appease her?"

"This matter was originally the Empress Dowager's fault, and it was an undeserved disaster for my granddaughter!"

"Then what does my minister wish to do?" Emperor Chu asked Grand Tutor Gu.

Grand Tutor Gu, his face stern and expressionless, said, "This matter should be decided by His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please make your decision!"

Upon seeing this, Xie Ansheng kowtowed again and knelt before the Chu Emperor.

The Chu Emperor stroked the dragon bones on the throne with his fingers, remaining silent.

The entire Golden Palace was eerily quiet.

Song Qingyang stood to the side, his hands trembling as he held back his emotions.

He did not kneel down to seek justice for Xie Xing.

He was in the cabinet and knew the emperor's thoughts perfectly well. This was not only meaningless, but also failed to bring Xie Xing any justice.

"So be it." After a long pause, the Chu Emperor's voice resounded throughout the entire hall: "The fifth young lady of the Xie family, Xie Xing, is posthumously granted the title of Princess Zhaode."

"He will be granted a fiefdom, a title, and a hundred taels of gold."

"Is that feasible?"

Xie Ansheng clenched his fists. He wanted to say something, but remained silent for a long time. In the end, he could only kneel down and kowtow in humiliation: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

Grand Tutor Gu remained silent, stood up, and returned to his original position.

The Chu Emperor was satisfied.

He looked at Luo Hanfeng and Song Qingyang and said, "Prince Jin, I entrust you two to make this trip for me."

"Yes, Father."

Luo Hanfeng smiled, feeling quite relaxed and radiant lately. Anyone who didn't know him would think he had some good news.

After the court session, Song Qingyang walked behind Luo Hanfeng and noticed the teeth marks on the back of his neck. He then asked, "Seventh Prince, what's with those teeth marks on your back?"

Luo Hanfeng paused, reached out and touched the teeth marks on his back, then laughed and said, "It's just a bite from my cat at home, it's nothing."

“A cat?” Song Qingyang’s eyes were gloomy. He said, “These teeth marks don’t look like a cat’s; they look more like a human’s.”

Luo Hanfeng laughed and said, "Does Lord Song also wish to inquire about the pleasures of the boudoir?"

Song Qingyang fell silent.

The two of them went to the Cold Palace together and looked at Jun Lanjin's place.

There were two guards in front of the Cold Palace, who were very strict in guarding Junlan's house.

Song Qingyang's eyes flickered.

Luo Hanfeng took out the emperor's token, and the guards let the two of them in.

Inside, Jun Lanjin was resting his chin on his hand, playing chess alone.

"Your Highness is in high spirits," Luo Hanfeng said with a smile.

For the first time, he felt like he had won in front of Jun Lanjin.

So he straightened his chest and, as he spoke, inadvertently revealed the teeth marks on the back of his neck, deliberately making sure that Jun Lanjin could see them clearly.

Jun Lanjin, unsurprisingly, also saw it.

He paused in his hand holding the chess piece, then placed it on the chessboard without changing his expression. "What wind blew the Seventh Prince and Lord Song to my side?"

"Seventh Prince, there are such obvious teeth marks on the back of your neck, was it bitten by a dog? Why don't you go to the Imperial Hospital and have the imperial physicians take a look?"

Luo Hanfeng's smile vanished.

But soon, he smiled again, strode to sit opposite Jun Lanjin, picked up a white chess piece and placed it on the board.

"Your Highness, please excuse my rudeness. The stray cat in my house is quite wild, and I've had to put in some effort to tame her."

As he spoke, Luo Hanfeng raised his hand, inadvertently revealing a rose petal on his sleeve.

And just then, Jun Lanjin saw it.

Jun Lanjin: "..."

He squinted.

Why do these flowers look so familiar?

He remained calm and placed a piece on the board. "Wildcat?"

"Maybe it was a cat that already had an owner, but the Seventh Prince forcibly took it and started treating it as his own?"

Jun Lanjin placed a black piece, and the originally calm game instantly turned into a fierce and menacing one.

Luo Hanfeng's expression turned indifferent.

"Since there are no other people's marks on the cat, I, the prince, will naturally assume that it is an ownerless cat."

"However, Prince Jin did remind me that when I get home, I must leave my mark on my cat."

"That way, others will know that it is my cat."

Song Qingyang: "..."

He frowned slightly. What were these two talking about, like cats and wobblers?

Could the cat that the Seventh Prince brought be Prince Jin's?

and many more…

Song Qingyang recalled what Luo Hanfeng had said on the way.

Is it possible…

Is this so-called cat actually Xing'er?!

Song Qingyang's expression changed, and he scrutinized Luo Hanfeng with a deep gaze.

Prince Jin chuckled lightly: "What is not yours will never be yours. What's the point of forcibly imprinting your own mark on it?"

"Forced relationships are never sweet; they only cause more trouble."

"A forced relationship may not be sweet, but it will quench your thirst," Luo Hanfeng smiled. "Your Highness, there's no need for you to worry about it."

Jun Lanjin ignored his nonsense and focused his gaze on the flower that Luo Hanfeng carried with him. He raised a brow with his beautiful peach blossom eyes and said, "The flower on the Seventh Prince's sleeve looks somewhat withered."

Luo Hanfeng lowered his head, looked at his cuffs, and smiled, "Although they look dilapidated, they are quite to my liking."

"I have heard that roses are usually given by lovers. People who are in love can give each other a rose to express their affection."

"Oh?" Jun Lanjin sneered, "Is that so?"

"This is the first time I've heard of such a saying," he said, feigning annoyance. "However, I do have many flowers like the Seventh Prince."

"Hua An".