After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

The crowd couldn't see the slight upturn of Xiang An's lips hidden by the veil, but they could sense the coldness in her words, and their already lowered heads unconsciously drooped even further.

Madam Wang calmly stepped forward, bowed, and recounted the events in a measured and unhurried manner, without omitting or adding a single word, in a fair and objective manner.

At the very end, she called upon several maids and servants who had been present throughout to corroborate her statement, confirming that she had indeed not made a mistake.

Thoughtful and meticulous.

Xiang An couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration, secretly praising, "Xiao Ru's description of Madam Wang as fair, just, and upright is not an exaggeration."

Unfortunately, the veil concealed her admiration for Lady Wang, and no one could see the look of appreciation on her face.

Unable to contain herself, she blurted out, "Madam Wang is truly meticulous and thoughtful. You would be perfectly suited to be an official in the Dali Temple."

Everyone's expressions suddenly changed.

Lady Wang, her face deathly pale, suddenly knelt down: "This humble woman dares not."

The sudden change left Xiang An bewildered. Xiao Ru leaned down and whispered in his ear, "There is no precedent for a woman to hold an official position in this dynasty."

So that's how it is. But so what?

The highest praise for a person comes from the heart, even if it is shocking or something never heard before.

Without changing her mind, Xiang An continued, "It's a pity that there is no precedent for a woman to serve as an official in our dynasty. If there were, I would definitely recommend you first."

"My wife dare not."

Lady Wang kowtowed heavily, the words "utterly rebellious" swirling on her lips but remaining unspoken. Given their respective statuses, what could they say, and what couldn't they say? It was not her place to question how the princess spoke or acted.

Xia Ruozhi, who couldn't get a word in edgewise, was already in tears, her long fingernails digging deep into her palms. Despite the pain, she forced herself to stay focused. Seeing that Xiang An's words were going further and further away, she had no choice but to muster her courage and speak up: "Princess!"

Wearing wet clothes under the blazing sun, it wasn't cold, but what was unbearable was the subtle, mocking stares from the crowd.

A young woman of marriageable age, with skin as thin as paper, had reached the limit of the humiliation she was enduring at this moment.

Xiang An: "Speak."

Xia Ruozhi calmed herself down slightly and said, "Princess! That man is hiding in a room in the west hall of the mansion, waiting for me to enter and humiliate him. If we send someone to arrest him now, we can definitely do so—"

Ren Xueqing interrupted, choking back tears: "Princess, if what Sister Xia said is true, then we don't need to go and see. There are men not only in the west hall, but in every hall of the mansion."

"In recent years, due to my poor health, the Prime Minister's residence has not held any banquets for the public. This year, my health has improved, and Mother wanted to bring good luck, so she specially invited young ladies from the capital to the residence to enjoy the flowers. It was lively, but with so many people, things are prone to go wrong. Today, Mother was really worried, so she sent many servants to wait and serve in the various courtyards of the residence."

"Although everyone is in the courtyard, they all follow the rules. If Sister Xia does not wish to have the maids and servants of the manor help her change her wet clothes, she can simply send them away. How can you misunderstand me because of this? Just because there are more servants, does that mean I am wrong?"

Her words were precious, tears streaming down her face like beads, each one glistening. Her slender body trembled slightly, like a small flower in a storm, delicate yet resilient.

Xiang An looked at her through the hazy gauze curtain. Her eyes were bright and alert because she had joined in the fun. He then secretly memorized her superb acting skills.

You learn wherever you go.

It's a pity the excitement is almost over. Even if there were indeed thieves hiding in the West Hall today, with the scene so chaotic now, someone would have already gone to warn them.

To catch someone, you need to find the stolen goods. Xia Ruozhi has neither witnesses nor physical evidence, so there is no way to prove that Ren Xueqing wanted to harm her.

Xia Ruozhi clearly understood as well. Her lips were pale, and she struggled to speak for a long time without uttering a single word. Finally, she knelt helplessly beside Xiang An's feet, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, and said in a panic, "Everything I have said is true. I beg the princess... I beg the princess to do justice for me."

The logic doesn't hold up; they're actually telling her to use imperial power to oppress them.

Interesting, really interesting.

But why should she help her?

In her memory, the original owner only knew that there was a person named Xia Ruozhi in the capital, and that she was the daughter of a third-rank minister. Apart from that, the two had no further interaction.

Today was the first time the two met, and Xia Ruozhi trusted her so much. I really don't know if she was naively trusting her or if she was acting.

Xiang An: "How do you want me to make the decision for you?"

The reason for the trust is no longer important. Rather than the trivial matters of being a judge and settling cases, she prefers to add fuel to the fire and make it burn even brighter.

Judging from Xia Ruozhi's eagerness to ask for help when her explanation failed, combined with her thoughts in the pavilion not long ago, this confirms that the person who insisted on her appearing was indeed her, and that Xia Ruozhi orchestrated the incident of her falling into the water today.

What was she trying to achieve by doing all this? The reason is unknown.

At this moment, Xiang An could only sigh, "How did she come up with such a stupid, clumsy, and flawed scheme?"

Xiang An asked himself if he was a heartless or vicious person, but he was not a particularly kind person either, and he always sought revenge on the spot.

If you dare to plot against her and she discovers your scheme, then you should be prepared for the consequences of her adding fuel to the fire.

It won't kill you, but it'll definitely be exciting.

"Your subject..." Xia Ruozhi bit her lip, unable to speak, feeling extremely frustrated. The princess hadn't thought of a punishment, and as the victim, she felt that any punishment she received was wrong.

If the punishment is too lenient, she'll be unhappy; if it's too severe, what will happen to her reputation?

While struggling with her dilemma, she remembered her father's words: "Go ahead and do it. No matter how Princess Miankang punishes Ren Xueqing in the end, I will risk my old life to protect you."

In recent years, the Prime Minister's constant suppression in the court has caused my father's career to be bumpy, and he has always been depressed and frustrated.

But without her father's unwavering support back then, how could she be the successful prime minister she is today? She thinks she can just abandon her family now that she's successful? Dream on!

Xia Ruozhi steadied herself and said calmly, "I ask for nothing else but for Ren Xueqing to apologize to me in person!"

"An apology?" Under the veil, Xiang An slightly curled the corners of her lips, ignoring Ren Xueqing who was holding back tears beside her, and her gaze fell directly on the indifferent Madam Wang. "What does Madam Wang think?"

"I would be most willing to let things settle down as soon as possible." Madam Wang gently patted Ren Xueqing's trembling shoulders in her arms and chuckled. "It is certainly understandable to apologize for doing something wrong, but I wonder what Xueqing did wrong that requires her to apologize to Miss Xia? Please explain, Miss Xia, otherwise, where will this apology come from?"

The conversation was cleverly steered back to the beginning by Madam Wang, leaving Xia Ruozhi speechless. She turned to Madam Wang for help again: "Princess."

Xiang An coughed lightly: "Then—"

"His Majesty has commanded—Princess Miankang, enter the palace immediately—"

Changfu's sharp voice pierced everyone's ears.