Chapter 184: Better Dead Than Crippled

Quan Quan Aoyu suddenly turned his head, the killing intent in his eyes fixed on Quan Quan Tianyi intensifying.

The Fifth Imperial Prince, Quan Quan Tianjiao, sat aside, his smile so obnoxious it made one want to poke it out.

He lightly rotated the wine cup in his hand, his gleeful schadenfreude impossible to hide.

His mother had fallen into misfortune, demoted to the rank of Noble Lady, and locked away in the Cold Palace; since he suffered and could not live well, why should others be allowed to?

Quan Quan Tianjiao could not suppress his inner joy and was about to speak in agreement when the Seventh Imperial Prince, Quan Quan Tianwu, who had no interest in food today, glared him back with a sharp gaze.

Though young, he would not tolerate anyone speaking nonsense at the critical moment of his savior's life and death.

Quan Quan Tianwu stood up, his face still somewhat childish yet filled with seriousness; the look in his eyes sweeping over Quan Quan Tianyi was full of unquestionable dominance as he spoke to Quan Quan Tianyi:

"Third Brother, do not speak recklessly. Sister Jun is kind-hearted and blessed with great fortune and a long life; surely nothing will happen to her."

Quan Quan Qiming swallowed his saliva and forced the words on the tip of his tongue back down.

Quan Quan Tianyi snorted coldly but said nothing more.

The First Imperial Prince, Quan Qirui, obsessed with commerce, and the Second Imperial Prince, Quan Quan Qiming, obsessed with women, sat quietly there, their eyes indifferent, wearing a faint air of aloofness, as if the matter had nothing to do with them and they were keeping a high distance.

Noble Consort Gao saw everyone's reaction, especially the reactions of the Empress and the Crown Prince, which gave her great satisfaction.

Her heart grew even more arrogant; she not only did not restrain herself but became even more reckless.

"Oh, Seventh Highness, you are young and inexperienced. Now that the Jun family has suffered such a tragedy, and Lady Lady Qingping has been missing for many days, even if she is found, her reputation will surely be ruined. Even the Crown Prince cannot protect his own fiancée; I guess even Heaven thinks this marriage is inappropriate."

Her voice was clear yet carried a sharp edge, making it especially grating within the hall.

Quan Quan Wuji's eyes narrowed dangerously into a slit; the Empress was so angry her vision went black, and she clutched her chest, coughing straight on.

These words not only completely enraged the Empress but also completely enraged Quan Quan Aoyu.

His eyes turned red, he suddenly stood up, and casually drew the long whip from his waist.

"Wretch! How dare you be so presumptuous!"

He roared, and the long whip in his hand, like a black lightning bolt, struck Noble Consort Gao with overwhelming force.

With a sharp "Crack!", the long whip struck Noble Consort Gao hard on her body.

Noble Consort Gao's body was thrown by the whip, instantly flying backward, and crashed squarely onto Quan Quan Tianyi's table.

Only the sound of a "Crack" was heard as that exquisite table snapped in two, wood chips flying everywhere, bowls and plates shattered on the ground, and Quan Quan Tianyi was startled into jumping up.

He came to his senses and looked, his eyes immediately bulging with rage; he saw that Noble Consort Gao, who had broken the table, had fresh blood oozing from the corner of her mouth, her face instantly turning as pale as paper, as if she were about to breathe her last at any moment.

Everyone was shocked; the dancing girls, who had originally been immersed in the song and dance, were terrified, their faces losing all color, their dance fans and silk ribbons dropping from their hands, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, yet they stood frozen in place, too afraid to flee.

The melodious sound of strings and flutes also came to an abrupt halt, as if time itself had frozen at that very moment.

The entire palace instantly fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping on the ground could be heard clearly.

Only Noble Consort Gao's painful moans stood out, especially mournful, in that death-like silence.

"Mother!"

Quan Quan Tianyi was heartbroken, his eyes filled with fear and resentment.

He rushed to Noble Consort Gao's side like a madman and grabbed the severely injured, unconscious Noble Consort Gao into his arms.

"Father Emperor, the Crown Prince has openly committed murder and treated human life with contempt; I beg you to take charge for your son and my mother!"

Quan Quan Tianyi's face was covered in tears, which surged down like a breached flood, giving him quite the appearance of a weeping beauty. His voice trembled with sobs as he desperately cried out to the Emperor sitting on the Dragon Throne.

Quan Quan Wuji sat on that supreme Dragon Throne, his eyes as cold as thousand-year-old ice.

The evil deeds Noble Consort Gao had committed in collusion with the Gao family flashed one by one through his mind like a movie.

Prime Minister Gao had been convicted and executed, and Noble Consort Gao had subsequently become quiet and low-key.

Originally, considering she had at least borne an Imperial Prince, if she could remain honest and obedient in the palace from now on, at least her life would be safe.

But she stubbornly refused to give up her evil intentions; now she has brought this upon herself.

Quan Quan Wuji fell silent for a moment, his gaze burning as he swept around the Great Hall, then slowly spoke:

"Hmph! Noble Consort Gao, relying on the Gao family and your status as a Noble Consort, you have committed many offenses, and today you once again stirred up trouble here. Although the Crown Prince acted impulsively, he has punished you on my behalf; I will not pursue your insolent words further. From today on, you are confined to Liulidian; without my decree, you are not allowed to take a single step outside! Prince Yi, you should first properly settle your mother. As for the Crown Prince..."

Hearing the Emperor mention him, Quan Quan Aoyu pretended to be respectful, clasping his fist in a salute:

"Father Emperor, I was momentarily angry and am willing to accept punishment."

Quan Quan Wuji waved his hand.

"Enough. This time, your stipend is deducted for one month; let this be the last occurrence."

Quan Quan Wuji's voice was flat, as if he were merely handling a trivial matter.

Upon hearing this, Quan Quan Tianyi's eyes widened, looking at the Emperor in disbelief:

"Father Emperor! How can you favor the Crown Prince so? Even if my mother was wrong, her crime does not warrant death! The Crown Prince treated my mother so cruelly in front of so many people; if you do not punish him, how will you command respect in the future?"

Quan Quan Wuji's eyes narrowed dangerously, clearly angered, and he blurted out in plain language:

"Prince Yi, are you questioning me? Your mother colluded with the Gao family, attempting to disrupt the court order. I, remembering that she once bore an Imperial Prince, did not mention this matter and left her ample face, but she did not repent, acted wildly, provoked first, and aroused public anger. Now she has only herself to blame. If anyone else attempts to stir up trouble using this matter to disrupt palace order, do not blame me for being unkind."

Quan Quan Tianyi was full of unwillingness in his heart; he wanted to say something more, but seeing the Emperor's cold eyes, he swallowed his words back, knowing deep down that opposing the Emperor at this moment was like throwing an egg against a stone.

With this commotion, the Emperor and Empress, who had no interest to begin with, could no longer stay; the two rose hand in hand and left.

Only the people in the hall were left staring at each other.

Seeing that Noble Consort Gao would either die or be crippled, yet the culprit was only fined one month's stipend, was this not less than a mere itch?

At the last palace banquet, Lady Lady Qingping crippled Consort Xin; today, the Crown Prince beat the Noble Consort until she was barely breathing.

The Emperor clearly intended to protect the Crown Prince and Lady Lady Qingping, but who dared say anything?

Quan Quan Tianyi did not know what others were thinking; he was so angry his eyes bulged, his snake-like eyes staring fiercely at Quan Quan Aoyu, his teeth grinding as he thought inwardly:

Trading my mother's life for Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's life is not too bad a deal; let's see who laughs last.

The palace banquet ended hastily in chaos, and everyone dispersed.