"Your Majesty, please uphold justice!"

In the grand hall, the ministers were kneeling all over the floor.

Standing to the side, Song Yanqing was so embarrassed his toes could dig out an entire General Mansion.

He just knew that once Xie Qianyun entered the Imperial Palace, there’d be no peace.

From ancient times until now.

There had never been an Empress impeached like this.

From ancient times until now, no little kid of just a few years had ever been impeached either.

And his daughter had managed to tick both boxes!

"Your servant knows well how deeply Your Majesty cherishes the Empress, and that the mutual affection between Your Majesty and the Empress is a blessing for all the people of Daxuan. However, Your Majesty is after all the ruler of a nation. For the sake of ensuring the continuity of the imperial bloodline, I beseech Your Majesty to bestow your favor more broadly."

They were also impeaching the Emperor for not properly favoring the harem.

Xiao Luming hated nothing more than ministers bringing up harem matters. It had already been two years since anyone mentioned it, and now thanks to Xie Qianyun, this group of old fossils had seized on it again.

He said sternly, "As for the matter of the Empress forcing the concubines to practice boxing, I will handle it personally and will certainly give all of you a proper explanation."

"Your Majesty..."

"We are feeling slightly unwell today. If there is nothing else, court is dismissed!"

He directly rose and walked out.

The ministers all knew His Majesty disliked discussing harem affairs; once mentioned, he would find an excuse to leave.

Helpless, they could only kneel and intone, "Long live our Emperor, long live, long live!"

After Xiao Luming left.

All the ministers finally stood up from the floor.

Countless gazes fell on Song Yanqing.

Song Yanqing really couldn’t even lift his head.

He, a grand first-rank minister, head of all officials, second only to one and above ten thousand, did not know how many times he had lost face because of Xie Qianyun.

He lowered his head and strode out of the great hall in a fury, heading straight for the harem.

Ever since the Supreme Emperor had allowed him—this one and only outsider—to freely enter and exit the harem, the rule had been kept to this day.

In recent years he had come to the Imperial Palace less often, but he had to admit it was extremely convenient.

Like right now, he marched single-spear straight into Jingxiu Palace.

Xie Qianyun had just dismissed the concubines. At the moment she was sitting on the soft couch, being attended as she drank tea and ate pastries.

She was thinking about how she still had to practice calligraphy later, and was feeling a bit annoyed.

When she looked up and saw her father suddenly appear in her bedchamber, her first flash of joy was immediately followed by a sense of impending doom.

She quickly rose from the soft couch, and seeing the look on her father’s face like he was about to kill her, she said, "Dad, calm down. I’m the Empress now. If anything happens to me, our whole family will be executed!"

"Then let us be executed! With a daughter like you, I might as well die and be done with it!" Song Yanqing, so furious he lost all filter.

Thinking of that embarrassment in the grand hall just now...

He grabbed the ruler beside him and swung it toward Xie Qianyun.

"Dad, Dad, Dad, calm down."

Xie Qianyun was so scared she ran all over the room.

The Palace Attendants were also terrified, wanting to step in but not daring to actually stop him. The entire palace was in utter chaos.

It was simply an eyesore.

When Xiao Luming walked in, he saw the Prime Minister—this always gentle, refined, erudite gentleman like carved white jade—actually so enraged that he had lost all composure and image.

He pressed his lips together.

He didn’t step in to stop it.

If he could, he’d also like to grab a ruler and chase Xie Qianyun around the room.

But he was the Emperor. The Emperor had his imperial bearing and dignity; he could not afford the slightest loss of decorum.

"Th-the Emperor is here!" A Palace Attendant saw Xiao Luming and suddenly shouted.

Xie Qianyun also saw Xiao Luming at the doorway.

Without hesitation, she immediately ran toward him.

Xiao Luming frowned.

The eunuch beside him was also startled.

He was afraid the reckless Empress might accidentally crash into and injure the Emperor.

Xie Qianyun quickly hid behind Xiao Luming. "Your Majesty, save me!"

Her small hands clutched tightly at Xiao Luming’s robes.

Xiao Luming’s eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.

Only then did Song Yanqing notice Xiao Luming.

He was panting unevenly.

Ever since they’d used family discipline when the children were young, it was always Xie Ruotong who came; he had never managed to land a single hit on Xie Qianyun.

Song Yanqing hurriedly knelt. "This subject has committed the crime of overstepping against his superiors. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Xiao Luming looked at the Prime Minister’s disheveled hair and sweat-covered forehead.

He truly had never seen him like this.

Only Xie Qianyun could drive the Prime Minister to madness.

"Father-in-law is only strict in teaching his daughter. We understand your painstaking good intentions," Xiao Luming said. "But Father-in-law is already of advanced age; you must not let anger harm your health."

"Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern." Song Yanqing answered respectfully.

"Please, Father-in-law, rise."

Song Yanqing stood, somewhat calmer now.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is truly disregarding the palace rules. I ask that Your Majesty must punish her severely so as not to disrupt the order of the palace and damage Your Majesty’s dignity." Song Yanqing requested.

Xie Qianyun’s eyes widened.

Was she really his own flesh and blood?!

Was she really his only child?!

"Rest assured, Father-in-law, We have Our own measure."

"Then this humble subject will not disturb Your Majesty further. I take my leave."

"Father-in-law, walk slowly."

Song Yanqing left.

As he left, he couldn’t help but turn back and glare at Xie Qianyun.

Xie Qianyun shuddered in fright and clutched Xiao Luming even tighter.

The corners of Xiao Luming’s mouth seemed to curve in a faint smile.

He had thought Xie Qianyun feared neither heaven nor earth.

These past few days she had grown even more outrageous, delivering her calligraphy for him to copy only after he had already lain down every night.

He had even developed the habit of being unable to fall asleep without reading her writing.

"Aren’t you going to let go of Us?" Xiao Luming said coldly.

Xie Qianyun hurriedly released him, then pretended to calmly straighten her clothes and posture.

In reality, she was panicking like crazy inside.

Judging by how her father had just tried to kill her, she had clearly caused big trouble again.

Xiao Luming was certainly not going to let her off either!