A five-year-old goddess, raised to become an emperor for all time through a bronze mirror.

Niannian raised her little hand and swore, "I kicked him because he asked for it. If he hadn't provoked me, why would I have kicked him?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly sneezed several times in succession, the sound of which seemed particularly abrupt in the silent palace.

She rubbed her nose and muttered to herself:

"Oh dear, it's still a bit cold..."

Pei Nanxing, who was standing to the side and heard these words, instantly turned extremely gloomy;

His once deep eyes were now filled with raging fury, as if he wanted to burn everything in front of him to ashes.

He let out a furious snort and gritted his teeth, saying, "Hmph! Pei Huai-ren, Your Majesty the Empress, is this the so-called 'good crown prince' you've raised?"

In fact, Pei Nanxing had always known that Pei Huai Ren was a hypocrite who said one thing in public and another in private.

But to his utter surprise, after all these years, this guy still couldn't forget him and even dared to do such a heinous thing.

Just as the entire scene reached a suffocating stalemate, suddenly, a piercing, sharp voice came from outside the door:

"The imperial edict arrives——"

Immediately afterwards, a eunuch holding a whisk led a team of fully armed guards in quickly.

Upon seeing the imperial edict, everyone in Fengyi Palace knelt down in a flurry of fear, except for Pei Nanxing and Niannian, who remained standing upright, showing no intention of bending their knees.

Upon seeing this, the eunuch was slightly taken aback, but quickly regained his composure and merely glanced at the two of them indifferently.

Then, expressionless, he began to read aloud the imperial edict in his hand:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Crown Prince Pei Huai-ren has dared to collude with others to tamper with disaster relief grain, causing the disaster victims to go hungry!"

"Even worse, they secretly colluded with those despicable Japanese, causing a malaria epidemic to break out in and around the capital, making the people suffer terribly!"

Such crimes are intolerable to Heaven and Earth; therefore, I hereby issue this decree to strip Pei Huai-ren of his title of Crown Prince and immediately imprison him in the Imperial Clan Court to await further judgment! So be it—”

When the Empress heard the contents of the imperial edict, it was as if she had been struck by lightning. Her body shook violently, swaying like a candle in the wind, almost unable to stand.

Her beautiful eyes widened instantly, filled with shock and disbelief.

His lips trembled involuntarily, as if he wanted to say something, but it felt like his throat was blocked by a wad of cotton, and he couldn't utter a single word.

She never imagined that her son, whom she had always been so proud of and had carefully taught, would commit such a heinous crime!

Pei Nanxing and Nian Nian, who were standing to the side, exchanged a glance at each other. As their eyes met, a complex emotion that was hard to describe flashed quickly in their eyes.

Pei Nanxing raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a cold smile. The smile was full of mockery and disdain, as if he had expected Pei Huai Ren's current fate and was not surprised at all.

At this moment, the eunuch reading the imperial edict continued without expression: "Empress Li has failed in her duty to educate her son, resulting in the Crown Prince committing a grave crime that is unforgivable."

Effective immediately, she is stripped of her title as Empress, her palace gates are closed, and she is to remain in the palace to reflect on her actions. During this period, she is forbidden from interfering in any state affairs.

Furthermore, in view of Pei Nanxing's loyalty, integrity, and dedication to the country, he is hereby appointed as Regent, to fully assist in governing the country until the new emperor formally ascends the throne.

As the imperial edict was read aloud, the once solemn and dignified Fengyi Palace fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone fell silent, not daring to utter a sound.

The empress's face underwent a startling change in an instant; it was initially deathly pale, but in the blink of an eye, it turned ashen.

It's over, it's all over now...

As if all her strength had been drained, her legs buckled, and she finally collapsed onto the cold ground, unable to support her weight.

Crystalline tears, like a flood bursting its banks, streamed freely down her haggard face;

But at this moment, no one would cast a single glance of pity or sympathy at this once high and mighty empress.

After the eunuch finished reading the imperial edict, the guards immediately stepped forward and took Empress Li away.

Pei Nanxing coldly instructed his men to escort Pei Huai Ren to the Imperial Clan Court with utmost care, while also strictly ordering the imperial physicians to do their utmost to provide meticulous care.

Because Pei Huai-ren was once the crown prince, even though he has lost power now, he must not be allowed to die easily.

Immediately afterwards, Pei Nanxing and Nian Nian quickly left Fengyi Palace.

Throughout the journey, Nian Nian was still unsettled, her mind constantly replaying the breathtaking scene from just moments before—in the blink of an eye, Pei Huai Ren had been stripped of his title as Crown Prince!

When the two finally returned to Prince Pei's residence, Niannian was still not fully recovered.

After a short rest, Niannian rubbed her slightly sore eyes, stretched, and felt increasingly curious and uneasy about the mystery that had been lingering in her mind.

After some thought, she finally made up her mind to get to the bottom of things.

So, Niannian first went into the bathroom and let the warm water wash away her fatigue and dust; she carefully washed every inch of her skin, as if this could wash away the doubts in her heart.

After taking a bath, Niannian changed into an elegant dress and carefully combed her long hair in front of the mirror.

After everything was tidied up, she took a deep breath, filled with doubt, and walked slowly toward Pei Nanxing's study with light but hesitant steps.

Throughout the journey, Niannian felt uneasy, constantly imagining the scenarios she was about to face.

Finally, she arrived at the door of the study.

After standing still, Niannian raised her hand and gently knocked on the door. With a creak, the door opened.

However, just as she slowly raised her head and looked into the room;

A completely unexpected figure suddenly entered her line of sight—it was Pei Yunjing!

It turns out that five years ago, when Pei Yunjing finished his trip to the capital and embarked on his journey home, he had already vaguely sensed that something unusual was going on around him.

From that time on, doubts in his heart began to take root and sprout like seeds.

Therefore, he carefully avoided being seen by others and secretly established a close relationship with Li Zhong.

As the saying goes, great minds think alike. After communicating and exchanging ideas, the two immediately reached a consensus and decided to join hands to uncover the truth hidden behind the falsification of disaster relief grains back then.