The system forced me to blow up the female lead's fishpond.

Chu Chouchi stopped three steps away from Liu Risheng, looking down at him with an indifferent gaze as if he were an ant.

"The son of the Minister of War? Tsk, how impressive."

Liu Risheng trembled with fear, clutching Chu Chouchi's boots and begging for mercy, his words barely audible: "I deserve to die! I deserve to die! Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life!"

He never expected that the Second Prince was nearby, and judging from his expression, he seemed to be protecting Zhang Jiali.

When did Zhang Jiali become so familiar with the Second Prince? And how did he manage to get his help?

Liu Risheng was utterly terrified at this moment.

"Hmm? It really is damnable..." Chu Chouchi's lips curled up, his tone low and menacing, yet it was as terrifying as if he were haunted by a vengeful ghost.

Then, under Liu Risheng's terrified gaze, he slowly curled the corners of his lips and uttered his last words:

"Or... why don't you just die?"

Liu Risheng was terrified and was about to kowtow and beg for mercy when Mo Fa was grabbed by Chu Chouchi and slammed against the stone table next to him!

"Ahhhhhh!"

Liu Risheng howled in pain repeatedly, his heart-wrenching cries echoing throughout the Imperial Garden, the sight of blood staining the stone table a horrifying sight.

As Shen Zhizhi witnessed this brutal scene, she swallowed hard, overwhelmed by an indescribable fear.

The way Chu Chouchi had acted in front of her these past few days almost made her forget that he was an absolute perverted villain.

Although the text contains countless descriptions of his ruthless methods, she still found it difficult to accept when this cruel scene was presented to her.

"Your Highness, Second Prince, spare my life! Second Prince, spare my life!"

After being bumped like that, Liu Risheng was disoriented, but he still forced himself to kneel on the ground, trembling and begging for forgiveness.

Chu Chouchi snorted coldly, disdainful of his subservient appearance.

This palace certainly has no shortage of fools who bully the weak! Former court officials are examples! And the concubines in the harem are even more so!

As if lost in thought, a shadow fell over Chu Chouchi's face, his dark, deep eyes filled with bloodlust and ruthlessness, and his killing intent surged.

Ya Dan, who was sitting with her legs crossed, was no longer calm. She clearly saw the progress bar of Chu Chou Chi's corruption on the void screen turn from blue to red and sound a loud alarm.

[Host, we have detected an upward trend in Chu Chouchi's corruption level. Please stop him immediately.] Ya Dan warned in alarm.

Startled by the scene, Shen Zhizhi suddenly woke up and looked up.

Chu Chou's eyes were slightly red, and his aura exuded an undeniable pressure. The black mole on the tip of his right nose was particularly striking.

The air was filled with wails and pleas for mercy, and the entire Imperial Garden was permeated with a suffocating sense of fear.

He sneered, "Weren't you quite arrogant just now? How about this, you go find your father, the Minister of Justice, and come to me to demand justice, shall we?"

Chu Chouchi's eyes were full of provocation, and he suddenly grabbed his hair again.

"..."

Just as Zhang Jiali, who was kneeling on the ground, was about to say something, a beautiful female voice broke the suffocating atmosphere.

"Your Highness, today is a palace banquet, let's call it a day." Shen Zhizhi was afraid that all her efforts would be in vain, so she hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Chu Chouchi's wrist.

Chu Chouchi was stunned for a moment. The soft, hot temperature transmitted to him through the fabric actually relieved the raging anger in his heart.

He tilted his head slightly, loosened his grip on her dark hair, and glanced at her with indifferent phoenix eyes.

The girl's eyes were filled with unease, just like a frightened fawn.

Seeing her like this, his heart fluttered, and he lowered his eyes slightly to hide the guilt in them.

He seems to have... scared her?

The archers hidden around the palace secretly felt a chill for this audacious concubine's daughter.

This woman is utterly courting death. The last fool who dared to plead for someone when the Second Prince was in a fit of rage is already buried with grass three feet tall.

This woman probably won't see the sun rise tomorrow.

Just when everyone thought Shen Zhizhi was doomed, they heard the usually ruthless Second Prince speak in a calm tone, even with a hint of helplessness.

"You were the one who said he deserved to die, and you were the one who pleaded for him. I didn't know you were so fickle."

Everyone present was so shocked their jaws nearly dropped!

Is this the Second Prince? Is this really the Second Prince? Or has he been possessed?

“Killing is wrong…” Shen Zhizhi soothed him like stroking a cat’s fur: “Second Prince, we are not some thugs, we should act reasonably.”

Chu Chouchi: "..."

The servants, who were prostrate on the ground, felt a flock of crows fly over their heads.

Reasoning with him? Trying to reason with the Second Prince?

Doesn't she know that the Second Prince is far more unreasonable and domineering than any thug?

Want to reason with the Second Prince? Well, I'm sorry, he himself is reason.

Shen Zhizhi, completely oblivious to the horrified expressions on the faces of those around her, continued, "He may be bad, but his crimes don't warrant death. As the saying goes, every country has its laws and every family has its rules. The Second Prince can just punish him according to the laws governing the Crown Prince."

"..." Chu Chouchi glanced to the side and saw that her eyes were sparkling, as if they held a thousand beautiful landscapes.

Her beautiful eyes were fixed on him intently, full of expectation, making it inexplicably impossible for him to refuse her request.

After a moment's thought, he lifted his robe and sat down on the unstained stone bench beside him.

He dusted off his dark robes, raised a slight brow with his phoenix eyes, and said, "Then how do you intend to deal with him? I will leave him to you to handle."

These words shocked everyone in the room.

The Second Prince actually compromised?!

Whose daughter is this extraordinary woman?

Shen Zhizhi was overjoyed and rushed to Chu Chouchi's side. "Second Prince, it just so happens that Minister Zhang is here today. Why don't we ask Minister Zhang to make the decision?"

Zhang Jiali was suddenly startled and stood frozen in place.

The girl's voice didn't sound familiar to him, so she was definitely not someone he knew. But why did she know his surname?

Chu Chou raised a slight brow, pressed two fingers against his chin, and glanced sideways at Zhang Jiali on the ground.

He had heard a little about the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He had heard that after only a few days in office, he had already conducted a major review of old cases, cleared the names of some criminals, and offended all the high-ranking officials and nobles.

There were countless memorials impeaching him in the imperial court, making him a rare good official.

It's a pity the imperial court is too corrupt.

Amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, no one can remain untainted; such a lofty flower will inevitably be dragged down from its pedestal sooner or later.

Chu Chouchi's tone was flat, seemingly devoid of any emotion, "You, get up."

Zhang Jiali paused, then said, "Yes, thank you, Second Prince."

He slowly stood up, and Shen Zhizhi curiously turned her gaze to the male protagonist, whom the original author had described with all the ink and beautiful words in the world.

Knowing that he would surely be extraordinary, Shen Zhizhi's heart still skipped a beat when he stood up steadily and raised his head.

What a face that is!

His face was as fair as jade, and his appearance was as handsome as Pan An. His long, narrow eyes were like a pool of spring water, captivating the heart, and like a white lotus quietly blooming in front of Guanyin Temple, elegant and pure.

Even the simple act of brushing the dust off his knees made him appear noble, elegant, and unblemished.

Shen Zhizhi sighed in admiration. She finally understood the author's description of him as "like the moon in the clouds, and like snow on earth, unparalleled in the world."

Such a humble and modest gentleman truly deserves the title of "unparalleled in the world".

Chu Chouchi scrutinized him closely, a slight smirk playing on his thin lips. "Does the Junior Minister think this person should be dealt with?"