Chapter 9: Both Foolish and Poisonous

The Twelfth Prince, a skilled martial artist, had a strong physique. Though he was seriously injured at the time, his solid health helped him recover quickly without any lasting effects. However, the Sixth Princess, who was a frail woman, was severely affected by the beating, causing permanent damage. She could no longer have children.

Later, the Twelfth Prince became highly valued by South Palace Qing, while South Palace Shuai, known for his valor on the battlefield, gained much acclaim for his military achievements. The Sixth Princess, despite her fragile appearance, was shrewd and clever, and the two siblings frequently helped South Palace Qing deal with her, causing her considerable trouble.

Before all this, the Twelfth Prince and the Sixth Princess had been somewhat kind toward her. Because she once helped Concubine Zhen in a competition with other concubines, they had a degree of goodwill towards her. Even when South Palace Qi and South Palace Le bullied her in the palace, she silently endured it. They never antagonized her unnecessarily.

But in the end, when she died, her wicked son and daughter didn't care for her at all. Her body was left exposed in the wilderness, and it was the Sixth Princess who collected her remains and buried her. Even until the end, the siblings still remembered the favor she had done for them.

Looking back, these two siblings were truly rare and good-hearted individuals, much more compassionate than her own wicked children.

"Let's go. I want to see what's going on here," Jiang Mingzhu said, standing up.

South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin never imagined things would develop this way. Originally, South Palace Jin had been ill and bedridden for half a month. Today, when the weather cleared up, South Palace Shuai took her for a walk in the Imperial Garden to lift her spirits. But unexpectedly, the Sixth Princess came out of nowhere to cause trouble.

They initially thought it would end once the Sixth Princess vented her anger, but she was relentless. South Palace Jin was already unwell, and South Palace Shuai, protective of his sister, couldn't control the situation, and things escalated rapidly.

"Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Seeing Jiang Mingzhu storming over with her attendants, the siblings realized that today's incident would not end easily. Despite being in the right—since it was Princess An Le who had provoked them—the fact remained that An Le had been injured. Both siblings knew how much the Empress Dowager dotes on her children, so they were both anxious and apprehensive.

At that moment, Princess An Le was being treated by the royal doctor, having her forehead injury bandaged. Upon seeing Jiang Mingzhu, she could no longer hold back her grievances.

"Mother, you must seek justice for me. They had the audacity to hurt me like this. It's clear they don't respect you at all. You have to punish them severely!" Princess An Le fumed, pointing angrily at South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin.

Both South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin turned pale when they heard this.

"Mother, it wasn't like that at all. My brother didn't mean to hurt her. He was only protecting me. If you're going to punish anyone, please punish me alone. It has nothing to do with him," South Palace Jin said quickly.

South Palace Jin knew they couldn't escape punishment, especially with South Palace Le egging things on. Rather than both siblings suffering, it would be better for her to take the blame alone.

"Mother, it was my fault that Fourth Sister was injured. Jin'er's health isn't well enough to endure punishment. I am willing to take full responsibility," South Palace Shuai said, trying to shield his sister.

Jiang Mingzhu looked at the siblings, who were protecting each other. They truly seemed like siblings, unlike her own wicked children.

"Mother, look at them! They are all involved in this! None of them can escape punishment!" Princess An Le shouted, angrily.

Her unreasonable attitude reminded Jiang Mingzhu of her past life, when An Le had caused a lot of trouble, only to add insult to injury. Her gaze darkened with disgust. How had she given birth to such a foolish and poisonous daughter? Could it truly be a problem of bloodline?

Listening to Princess An Le continue to scold and blame, Jiang Mingzhu couldn't stand it any longer. She slapped her across the face. "Be quiet!"

Princess An Le, who had always expected her mother to side with her and punish South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin, was stunned by the slap. It took her a moment to process it, and then her eyes filled with rage and resentment.

"Mother, am I not your daughter? Why are you treating me like this?"

In the past, no matter how angry Jiang Mingzhu had been, she could never bear to harm her daughter. But now, not only had An Le been hurt, but her own mother had slapped her.

Pampered and accustomed to being doted on, Princess An Le could hardly bear the humiliation of being struck by her own mother. Even though it was Jiang Mingzhu who had done it, she could not contain her resentment.

"Tell me, what exactly happened? Explain everything honestly. If there's anything false in your story, I'll send you straight to the Department of Punishments!" Jiang Mingzhu turned to one of Princess An Le's personal maids.

The maid, who had always encouraged Princess An Le's arrogance and malice, hesitated at first. She had been planning to help the princess slander the Twelfth Prince and the Sixth Princess, hoping to get them punished severely. But under Jiang Mingzhu's cold, piercing gaze, she was terrified into submission and quickly recounted the entire story.

"Mother, no matter what, South Palace Shuai should not have laid a hand on me. You can't let them off easily!" Princess An Le insisted, her hatred for her siblings now outweighing everything else. She wanted them punished severely, to show that princesses were not to be treated the same as princes.

This foolish and venomous behavior made Jiang Mingzhu even more disgusted. She slapped An Le again. "How did I give birth to such a foolish and poisonous child? They are not your enemies, they are your brothers and sisters, who share the same blood as your father. You started this, and yet you won't let them off."

South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin had already prepared themselves for harsh punishment. They had resigned themselves to the fact that they would suffer, but what they didn't expect was that Jiang Mingzhu wouldn't just blindly protect Princess An Le. Instead, she was questioning the events and reprimanding An Le, leaving them dumbfounded.

"Mother, have you gone mad? I am your true daughter. How can you treat me this way? You'll regret this!" Princess An Le cried, deeply shaken by her mother's attitude. She covered her face and fled from the room.

"Empress Dowager, the princess is probably heartbroken. Should I go and comfort her? Try to persuade her?" Fang Ruo suggested, worried that the tension between mother and daughter might grow.

"No need. Let her reflect on her actions herself. This is the result of my own indulgence all these years." Jiang Mingzhu sighed.

With the two slaps, the anger and frustration in Jiang Mingzhu's heart were somewhat relieved. She turned her gaze toward the trembling South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin, still kneeling on the floor.

"You look so weak—who are you putting on a show for? Have I deprived you of food or clothing?" Jiang Mingzhu looked at the two siblings, especially focusing on the pale South Palace Jin, and scolded them.

South Palace Shuai and South Palace Jin's mother, Concubine Zhen, had once asked Jiang Mingzhu to take care of her children, as she had a good relationship with the Empress Dowager. Jiang Mingzhu, out of pity for the dying Concubine Zhen, had reluctantly agreed and even promised not to let anyone bully the siblings. The benefits they received came from her.

South Palace Jin, whose face was already pale due to illness, turned even whiter when Jiang Mingzhu reprimanded her. She swayed unsteadily.