The Tyrant's Scheme

Feng Junyi narrowed his eyes, but he did not speak.

Rather, it was Su Pinting who pressed on, "The Third Princess? The Third princess instructed you to do this? Are you… trying to kill me?"

The palace maid continued to kowtow frantically. "I have let Your Highness down! I deserve to die! The Princess has treated me so well, yet this servant still did such crazy things. I deserve to die!"

Su Nuan understood what was going on. It was clear to Feng Junyi that even though Su Pinting's palace maid was the one who instructed someone to harm her, it was likely that it was all the Third Princess' scheme to kill two birds with one stone.

But if Su Pinting thinks me to be a fool, then I'll pretend to be one for her.

Su Nuan placed the pastries in her hands back onto the plate. She clapped her hands and stood up. "You're spouting nonsense. You're the Fifth Princess's palace maid, so of course you're involved with the Fifth Princess. Why would you be involved with the Third Princess? Guards, take them down."

Su Pinting looked at the situation and looked at Feng Junyi pleadingly. "Your Majesty… Your Majesty, I was framed…"

Feng Junyi remained silent. When Mu Chengxun saw that the eunuchs were about to drag them away, he couldn't sit still anymore.

"Wait a moment!"

He shouted, knelt, and overlapped his hands before his chest. He said, "Your Majesty, isn't this matter very easy to understand? It was the Third Princess who harmed the Empress and deliberately framed the Fifth Princess. She probably wanted to kill two birds with one stone. When the Third Princess was still in Yun Nation, she often bullied the Empress and was jealous of her beauty. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can send someone to investigate."

Feng Junyi sneered. Investigate? Of course, I investigated.

He did not respond but looked at Su Nuan instead, seemingly asking her if she had witnessed how foolish her ex-fiancé was.

Su Nuan was angry too.

How can he be so blind?

She stood up and glared at Mu Chengxun. "Mu Chengxun, do you really think she wouldn't harm me?"

He finally shifted his gaze away from Su Pinting to look at her. "Your Majesty, I can put my neck on the line and guarantee you that Su Pinting never had the intention to harm you. She is innocent and kind. She even helped you when you were bullied in Yun Nation. Have you forgotten?"

Yuck, what a shameless white lotus.

She sure disguised herself well for Mu Chengxun to trust her so much.

She snorted. "You said so yourself. I'll use your head as a guarantee."

Mu Chengxun's eyes flashed with disbelief. In the end, he said with certainty, "I'm willing to use my head as a guarantee."

Su Pinting had long looked tremendously moved. She gazed at Mu Chengxun lovingly. They looked like a pair of lovebirds.

"Okay."

Su Nuan turned to look at Feng Junyi. "Big Brother Emperor, I'll leave the rest to you."

Feng Junyi could guess what she was thinking. "Oh, I don't have any more evidence. That palace maid refuses to admit the truth. Why don't we just drag her out and behead her?" he said indifferently.

???

Is he crazy?

It seems like Feng Junyi doesn't have enough evidence.

He's already known as a notorious tyrant. If he is to be labeled as an incapable ruler on top of that…

Su Nuan did not want Shang Nation to be subjugated prematurely. She blinked her eyes and looked at Feng Junyi with a confused daze. She said softly, "There's no need to drag her out and behead her. I read in books that two states at war will not kill each other's envoys. How about this? Since there's no evidence, we'll just flog them. It's her fault that as a Princess, she couldn't her servants."

Feng Junyi nodded. "I agree with the Empress. Guards, drag her out and flog her 20 times."

Su Pinting fell into despair again.

Even if she didn't die after being flogged 20 times, she would be half-dead.

Su Nuan is so heartless. She obviously wants me to die!

Before Su Pinting could beg for mercy, Mu Chengxun overlapped his hands before his chest and said, "Your Majesty, Pinting is weak and she is a woman. If we flog her 20 times, she might die."

"Then, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Mu Chengxun did not expect the Emperor of Shang Nation to ask him such a question. He knew very well that Yun Nation may be acquiescent now, but there would come a day when they would overthrow Shang Nation and no longer have to be careful of others.

He carefully restrained the aggression in his gaze and overlapped his hands before his chest, "I ask for Your Majesty to allow me to receive the punishment on behalf of the Fifth Princess."

"Sure."

Feng Junyi's answer was straightforward. Su Nuan thought that he had already expected it and was perhaps even eager for Mu Chengxun to do so.

Mu Chengxun was quickly dragged out of the room. The sound of a board being struck echoed from outside the door. However, Mu Chengxun was a strong man. He didn't groan once.

It created an illusion that the flogging was not painful at all for Su Nuan, who was sitting inside.

Su Pinting kept wiping her tears with her handkerchief.

After some time, the flogging was completed. Mu Chengxun was dragged in by two eunuchs. Su Nuan took a look. Although Mu Chengxun's buttocks were covered by his clothes, she could still see the blood seeping out.

It seems like he was really flogged 20 times. If it were Su Pinting, she would have died.

Feng Junyi waved his hand and said, "Alright, that's all for today. I'm tired, all of you may leave."

He stood up and said to Su Nuan, "Aren't you coming to wait on me while I sleep?"

Why are you sleeping in the middle of the day? Su Nuan thought.

When the two people in front of them heard this, they knew that there was no point in staying here any longer. Mu Chengxun's eyes darkened. He struggled to overlap his hands before his chest. "If that's the case, I'll take my leave," he said.

Feng Junyi waved his hand. After they left, Feng Junyi took her and leaped onto the roof.

Su Nuan stood on the tall roof, her heart pounding.

She held onto Feng Junyi tightly, afraid that she would fall off the roof.

On the other hand, Feng Junyi seemed to be enjoying himself. Su Nuan trembled in fear and did not dare to move. She wondered why the tyrant was in a good enough mood to look at the scenery.

She followed Feng Junyi's gaze and saw Su Pinting holding Mu Chengxun as they walked with difficulty.

Mu Chengxun is rather pitiful. I can't believe he's being handled by that white lotus.

Unexpectedly, Su Nuan saw Su Pinting's palace maid kneel before her. "Your Highness, please spare my family. I have already done as you said. The Emperor of Shang Nation will also not pursue the matter any further. Please spare my family."

Su Pinting and Mu Chenxun were not that far from the Emperor and Empress. Furthermore, they were standing high up on the roof that they could see and hear everything that was happening.

"Are you crazy? What nonsense are you spouting?" Su Pinting scolded with a low voice.

The palace maid continued to cry. "Your Highness, didn't you promise me? How could you go back on your words?"