After seeing off Princess Dunsu, Empress Feng noticed the Emperor's displeased expression.

Fearing his wrath, she also made an excuse and left. The Emperor sat on the kang, reading memorials, his anger unabated. Finally, he overturned the small kang table, shattering teacups and staining many memorials.

Fu Hailu, who had been waiting outside, hurried in upon hearing the commotion, repeatedly advising, "Your Majesty, don't hold in your anger, your health is important..."

The Emperor raged, "What can I do even if I'm angry? Dunsu has already beaten Qi Xiao to the point he can't get out of bed. Am I supposed to go beat him up again? What will the world think of me? What will they think?!"

Fu Hailu sighed repeatedly, "Princess Dunsu, alas... this servant knows Your Majesty feels aggrieved, but the Princess is different from others. She has justification, so Your Majesty has no choice but to endure."

"Endure, endure, endure! I've been enduring since the day I was born!" The Emperor angrily pounded the headrest pillow on the kang. "First I had to endure my elder brother. We were both princes raised in the Empress's palace, but because he was the legitimate son, everyone revolved around him, everyone thought he was the best! Then I had to endure Dunsu!

"Just because she also has the character 'legitimate' in her title! So the imperial clan all respects her! Even I, the Emperor, have to yield to her! And now? That little beast Qi Xiao has grown up, and I have to start enduring him too!! He committed such a major offense, yet before I could do anything, the imperial clan rushed to speak well of him. Is it because he's truly superior to others in any way?"

The Emperor threw the headrest pillow to the ground, raging, "It's only because they know he's my elder brother's child! He's my elder brother's legitimate son! He's the legitimate son of the legitimate son! That's why he's noble, that's why they have to be careful with him, afraid of any mishap befalling him!!"

The Emperor had always been composed and had never displayed such anger. The palace servants were all terrified. Fu Hailu knew the Emperor was furious. First, he was thwarted in dispatching troops, then Princess Dunsu put him in his place. Now, to make matters worse, Bairen had won a righteous, aboveboard victory. Fu Hailu had also seen the memorial Bairen sent earlier, sincere in tone without any flaws to nitpick. The Emperor wanted to lash out but had no angle of attack.

Days of pent-up anger finally erupted as the Emperor could no longer hold it in.

Fu Hailu dismissed the palace servants with a wave, personally tidying up the mess while slowly saying, "Your Majesty... your forbearance hasn't been in vain. No matter what, you are the one sitting on the dragon throne now."

The Emperor instantly felt much better hearing this, but still couldn't get over it, shaking his head with a bitter smile, "I sit on this dragon throne? So many are watching, eyeing it. Not just Qi Xiao, even my own sons are constantly eyeing my chair."

"Ah... Your Majesty is overthinking it," Fu Hailu said what the Emperor wanted to hear. "Besides, those few old princes, alas... they are so distantly related. Can they truly care about the Crown Prince? It's three parts sincerity and seven parts lip service."

The Emperor sneered coldly, "Did you see how Prince Chun acted just now... doesn't seem like lip service. He could barely speak properly, yet still defended Qi Xiao!"

Fu Hailu was startled, "Then should we..."

"No," the Emperor understood Fu Hailu's implication and waved his hand, saying coldly, "Harming the imperial clan is always taboo. Besides... he can only flap his gums. He's seventy-seven, who knows how many more years he has left? No need for me to act, he'll go meet the previous Emperor first."

Fu Hailu hurriedly bowed his head, "Yes."

"As for that heir..." Fu Hailu asked cautiously, "what are Your Majesty's plans?"

The Emperor sneered, "Plans? What can I do? He has the moral high ground of family and country. Now he's even sacrificed family for righteousness. If I punish him now, won't I look even more like a villain?! Fu Hailu..."

Fu Hailu quickly bowed, "At your service."

The Emperor took a deep breath and said after a long while, "Tell... the Ministry of Rites to immediately prepare the enthronement ceremony. Have the Hanlin Academy draft an accession edict. Send them together to Lingnan."

Fu Hailu acknowledged, then asked, "And... what punishment?"

The Emperor waved his hand wearily, "Double all his stipends and provisions. Go..."

Fu Hailu sighed and left.

Qi Xiao reclined on a rosewood noble consort couch, slowly stirring the bird's nest congee in his hands. He said softly, "He really threw such a big tantrum?"

Jiang Deqing nodded, "Absolutely true. The small kang table he broke was once used by Emperor Taizong. It can't be thrown away, so the Imperial Household Department is repairing it. Xi Xiang went over and saw everything. Apparently the floor was littered with memorials."

Qi Xiao took a sip of the congee and said slowly, "The medicine is taking effect..."

Jiang Deqing was delighted and lowered his voice, "Is it really... really the effect of that medicine? The Emperor was already angry today, maybe..."

Qi Xiao shook his head, "There have been times when he was even angrier, like when Qi Hua personally sent him a green hat to wear. It was the talk of the palace and beyond. He was nearly driven mad with rage, but didn't make such a big fuss, right?"

Jiang Deqing thought for a moment and nodded. Qi Xiao smiled faintly, "That medicine, from the start, makes one restless and irritable, quick to anger. Then the drug slowly seeps into the lungs and spleen, making one's temper increasingly volatile, followed by coughing up blood. To outsiders, it seems no different from consumption."

Qi Xiao slowly finished the congee and said softly, "I'm at ease with the Imperial Physician Institute. As for Xi Xiang, I'm relying on you to watch over him more, Gonggong."

Jiang Deqing hurriedly said, "Rest assured, Your Highness. After that mishap before, Xi Xiang is filled with remorse. If not for the inconvenience, he would have long come to kowtow and apologize to Your Highness. Your Highness... it's not this old servant favoring his own disciple. That previous matter with Cen Chaoge truly can't be blamed on Xi Xiang. That day, everyone thought he was gone for good. Who could have imagined, alas... Now that he has this chance to make amends, Xi Xiang cherishes it greatly. He will definitely handle it perfectly for Your Highness."

Mentioning the past, Qi Xiao paused and set the congee bowl aside, not speaking for a long while.

Jiang Deqing was startled and slapped his own mouth, smiling bitterly, "This old servant's mouth has no filter..."

Qi Xiao shook his head and smiled, "No need. Are we to never speak of him again? Tell me, what did the Emperor say? Has he issued the accession edict?"

Jiang Deqing nodded, "Issued, it's issued. Once the accession ceremony is complete, the heir will be the rightful King of Lingnan."

Qi Xiao smiled and said, "Let him... ascend the throne first." As he spoke, he pulled at his wound, causing his face to turn pale from the pain.

Jiang Deqing hurriedly advised, "Your Highness, please do not grieve. You must take care of yourself. If you feel any discomfort, like this wound, if this matter were to reach Lingnan, who knows how distressed the young prince would be. In the past, even if you just sneezed occasionally, the young prince would be so worried and upset. With a wound like this..."

Qi Xiao laughed softly, "Who knows how distressed he would be? No, I know..." He gently tapped his chest and said in a low voice, "Just like this."

Jiang Deqing's eyes instantly turned red. He shook his head and choked, "Not to mention Your Highness, when this old servant heard that the young prince was injured during the day, I was incredibly distressed. When the young prince was with us, he was so noble! Who would have thought that this invaluable young prince would have to go and fight against those strong men, and even be injured by those killers. This servant, this servant dare not even think about it..." Jiang Deqing wiped his face and cried softly, "After all, he's only sixteen! He's only sixteen..."

Qi Xiao's heart ached to the extreme, but his face remained as usual. He comforted Jiang Deqing and said softly, "Eunuch, there's no need to grieve. When I ascend the throne, Bairen will be able to return."

Qi Xiao smiled sinisterly, "The poison has already begun to take effect. On this day next year... it will be his death anniversary."

"At that time..." Qi Xiao tightly gripped the life talisman at his waist, almost embedding the jade into his flesh. "At that time... I will settle these debts with him one by one, making him pay for them bit by bit. As for Bairen... however much he has suffered, I will compensate him just as much. I will make up for all the hardships he endured this year, down to the last bit!"