Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

After the officials finished grumbling, the lamps were turned on again, and Li Kai looked to his side.

"Half an hour ago, it wasn't dark enough to light lamps yet. If we're going to be frugal, why would Consort Dun's palace have lit candles so early?"

Dun Su knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please do not listen to Madam Xiao's nonsense. Consort Liang never issued such an edict, and I did not light any lamps in the palace when I was chatting with Madam Xiao. Consort Zheng, Consort Wei, and Consort Yuan were all present at the time. Your Majesty can ask them for confirmation."

She had intended to make Madam Xiao suffer in silence, but no matter how much she planned, she never expected that woman would steal candles!

No one present was a fool. Once the matter of the embroidery came to light, her deliberate harassment of Madam Xiao would be exposed. It might be better to drag a few scapegoats down with her; if the three of them knew what was good for them, they would help her cover it up.

Li Kai's gaze swept over the three concubines. "Is what Consort Dun said true?"

The three replied, "That's true."

The golden goblet slammed heavily on the table. Li Kai was furious: "Madam Xiao, how dare you deceive the Emperor!"

Xiao Zong walked to the center of the hall and knelt beside Yuan Zhi. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. My wife..."

Yuan Zhi grabbed his wrist, her eyes gleaming with confidence, showing no fear whatsoever.

She raised her head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! When I was chatting with the ladies, there were indeed no lamps lit in the hall. That candle was brought to me by a palace maid when I was helping the ladies thread the needle for their embroidery. It was also a palace maid who told me that Consort Liang advocated frugality and rejected extravagance."

Li Kai sensed the hidden meaning in Dun Su's words and scrutinized him. "What kind of embroidery requires the wife of a third-rank official to thread it?"

"A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains"

Consort Dun carefully replied, "This embroidery is a gift I prepared for His Majesty's birthday next year. I saw that Lady Xiao has very skillful hands, and I wanted her to give me some pointers. But Lady Xiao is not good at needlework, so I suggested that she thread a few needles as a token of my appreciation. Later, I went to the Vermilion Bird Palace to find His Majesty. I really don't know what the palace maids did!"

Yuan Zhi's gaze was deep and profound. "In that case, this matter indeed has nothing to do with the Noble Consort. It was all because the palace maids felt that I was of lowly status and not worthy of using the candles, so they made up a bunch of excuses."

Li Kai exuded a chilling aura, his eyes piercing Dun Su.

"A lowly maid dares to bully the family of an official, which shows that you have not disciplined her properly. Since Consort Dun is not fit to be a proper lady-in-waiting, she is demoted to Zhaoyi and moved to Huanhua Pavilion from this day forward. Consort Zheng has made a contribution by bearing the imperial heir, so I hereby bestow this Luanxiang Palace upon you!"

Zheng Xiangxiang excitedly expressed her gratitude, while Dun Su slumped to the ground, completely losing his composure.

The King of Wu helped his mother up. He had attended the banquet today entirely thanks to the Emperor's grace, and therefore had been cautious in his words. Now, seeing his mother humiliated, he could no longer contain himself; his heart was filled with boundless hatred!

"Father, it was clearly a palace maid who didn't know her own mortality, so why punish Mother so severely? Is Madam Xiao so precious that she can't even do something as simple as threading a needle?"

Yuan Zhi said coldly, "Your Majesty, what the Imperial Concubine asked me to do was not as simple as threading a needle."

She recounted the palace maid's request, and the ministers exclaimed, "Isn't this just making things difficult for them?"

"Nonsense!" Li Rui turned around and banged his head on the ground. "Father, you must not listen to her side of the story!"

Yuan Zhi was certain that the palace maid would return to work, so she bowed her head and said, "I am grateful for Your Majesty's grace, and I did not slack off at all while threading the needle. I worked for a full half hour. Your Majesty may send someone to check. If there is any falsehood, I will obey Your Majesty's judgment!"

Li Kai ordered palace servants to retrieve evidence. Xiao Zong was somewhat worried, but he had no choice but to believe her.

A short while later, a palace servant brought over a tray filled with needles and thread, leading the palace maid over.

Li Kai asked, "Who threaded these needles?"

The palace maid, unaware of what was happening and only thinking about avoiding punishment from her mistress, quickly replied, "It is Madam Xiao."

Li Kai slammed his hand on the table. "You insolent servant! You falsely conveyed Consort Liang's order and embezzled Madam Xiao's candles. Who gave you the audacity!"

The palace maid was terrified. "It was...it was the Imperial Concubine! She ordered me to do this!"

"You lowly servant! How dare you slander your master!" Dun Su crawled to Li Kai's side. "Your Majesty! I did not say such things. Please investigate!"

Li Kai kicked her aside, glanced at the King of Wu, and said, "The evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to say?"

Li Rui's lips were pale. "Your subject... Your subject..."

Li Kai shook his head in disappointment and ordered his men to escort the Prince of Wu and Consort Dun out of the Fengnian Palace and return to face the wall in repentance.

He originally intended to have the palace maid beaten to death, but Yuan Zhi pleaded for her life, saying that today was the day Buddha attained enlightenment, and Consort Zheng was pregnant, so it was inappropriate to commit such a sin. Li Kai thought for a moment and changed the punishment from beating to death to thirty strokes of the cane.

As compensation, Li Kai bestowed the title of Third-Rank Virtuous Lady upon Xiao's mother and Yuan Zhi, granted them imperial edicts, and assigned them a salary from the court.

"From now on, no one will dare to look down on you. I hope you will be respectful, diligent, and thrifty, and be a good helpmate to Minister Xiao."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Zong and Yuan Zhi thanked him for his kindness and returned to their seats hand in hand.

His Majesty's attitude towards Yuan Zhi is no different from that towards the families of other officials. Now that he has bestowed upon her an imperial title, he will certainly not bring her into the harem.

Xiao Zong took a swig of wine, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Stimulated by the two holding hands, Zheng Xiangxiang offered a cup of pear juice to His Majesty instead of wine.

"Lord Xiao and his wife are a model of marital harmony, which is truly enviable. I recall that they have been married for several months, but Lady Xiao has yet to conceive. Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. As the sovereign and father, Your Majesty should be concerned about this."

"My dear consort's reminder is timely." Li Kai glanced at Yuan Zhi and said in a low voice, "This Madam Xiao... looks rather thin and frail, not like someone who is good at bearing children."

Jiang Rou lowered her head and smiled faintly. Was she planning to send women into Xiao Zong's backyard?

Wei Xueyao's eyes flickered slightly. Since she had no chance anyway, she would be happy to see them sow discord if she could!

The next moment, just as the others had expected, Li Kai said, "Minister Xiao, when I was your age, the Third Prince had already been born. Your wife was recently seriously ill, so you cannot force her to have an heir."

"There are two beautiful palace maids in Consort Zheng's palace. I bestow them upon you. Whether you become a concubine or a maidservant, if you can bear a son or daughter for the Xiao family, your father will rest in peace."

Yuan Zhi swirled her wine cup, her eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight, and said with an air of anticipation, "Husband, why aren't you going to express your gratitude? What are you waiting for?"

Suppressing his surging anger, Xiao Zong gripped her hand and coldly questioned, "Do you really want to share me with other women?"

"Why are you taking your anger out on me, my husband? This is a decree from His Majesty, how dare you disobey it?"

She had already prepared the divorce papers, waiting for this matter to end so she could sever all ties with him. Even if the emperor sent him a couple of palace maids, or bestowed upon him ten or eight beauties, it would be none of her concern!

"Yuanzhi, you're awesome!"

Xiao Zong shook off his hand, stood up and walked to the center of the main hall, lifted his robe and knelt before the steps.

Light and shadow danced across his sharply defined face, his phoenix eyes drooping lazily, like a lion lurking in the night.

Everyone knew that Lord Xiao cherished his wife dearly, so they all held their breath, watching to see if he would have the courage to refuse His Majesty.