Chapter 49: Princess Anning Under the Lash

Song Mingting grabbed her hair and dragged her forward roughly.

"Song Shilan, you really have a lot of energy."

He said viciously, "Since you have so much energy, why are you still complaining about riding in a donkey cart?"

As he spoke, he increased the force in his hand.

The pain brought tears to Song Shilan's eyes, and she hurriedly begged for mercy, "Second Brother, please let me go, won't you?"

"I just saw that Mother was pitiful all by herself, and thought of going over to keep her company and talk to her."

Before she even had a chance to sow discord, she was dragged over by this scoundrel, Song Mingting.

Song Mingting didn't believe a single word. He let out a cold snort, "You don't need to play these tricks."

"I know very well what kind of person you are."

Song Shilan said miserably, "Second Brother, you've misunderstood me. I don't have any improper thoughts."

"I saw how distressed Mother was and just wanted to comfort her."

After this incident, she was even more determined to use their mother to deal with Song Shiwei.

Hearing this, Song Mingting guessed her intentions, and his resentment toward her grew even stronger. "Song Shilan, I will keep my eyes on you."

"If you dare to use Mother to do anything improper, I will treat you like a dog and drag you along the ground!"

Just the sight of his fierce and cruel gaze sent a chill through Song Shilan's entire body. "Second Brother, I am your sister. You cannot treat me like this."

Song Mingting shoved her ruthlessly to the ground, looking down at her from above. "You are not my sister, and you have never acknowledged me as your brother."

"Those were your own words."

He sneered, "To this day, I still remember clearly the face you made when you told Concubine Qin that you didn't acknowledge the three of us as your brothers and regarded us as outsiders."

That time, he had accidentally overheard a conversation between Concubine Qin and Song Shilan.

Back then, Concubine Qin and Song Shilan wore extremely ugly expressions as they talked about how terrible the brothers were and how they were unworthy of being family to their mother and daughter.

He had wanted to rush out right then and there, but his attendant had stopped him with all his might.

Song Shilan didn't feel she was wrong in the slightest.

In her view, apart from their father, everyone else in the Song family wasn't even worthy of carrying her shoes, let alone being her family.

"Second Brother, you must have misheard."

She crouched weakly on the ground, looking as if she had suffered all the grievances in the world.

Song Mingting was about to say more, but he was pulled away by Song Shiwei. She said in a soft, gentle voice, "Second Brother, why waste your breath on her?"

"With this much energy, wouldn't it be better to save it for the journey?"

Song Mingting always listened to her. Hearing this, he didn't say another word to Song Shilan.

"Eldest Sister, let's continue on our way and not let this person disgust us."

With that, he pulled Song Shiwei toward their father.

The group resumed their journey, and not a single person paid any attention to Song Shilan.

Even Old Third Wang and his men ignored her.

They knew very well that their lives were now in the hands of the Song family, and they had to obey obediently.

Old Third Wang was calculating that once they reached the next town, he must visit a medical clinic to see if the poison could be lifted.

As long as the poison was cured, he would no longer be controlled by the Song family and could complete the task assigned by Princess Anning.

...

Imperial Palace, the Side Hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Emperor Wen sat sideways in the dragon chair, looking down from on high at Princess Anning standing below him, his gaze somewhat gloomy.

"Anning, I heard you've been running around everywhere lately?" His tone made it impossible to tell whether he was pleased or displeased.

Yet to Princess Anning, this sounded like her imperial father caring about her health and showing his affection for her.

Unable to conceal her smugness and arrogance, she spoke in a spoiled, coquettish tone, "Imperial Father, I was just wandering around casually. It doesn't affect my health at all."

Upon seeing her attitude, Emperor Wen suddenly let out a cold laugh. "I also heard that you've been frequenting the military camp in the western suburbs recently?"

"As a young lady, running off to a military camp..."

Before he could finish, Princess Anning unhappily interrupted him, "Imperial Father, I merely went to the camp, and for you to say such things is going too far."

She continued, "As the most favored princess of the Quan Dynasty, there is nowhere in the entire Quan Dynasty that I cannot go."

Jiang Xingchang, serving nearby, thought to himself, "...There is truly no one quite as foolish as Princess Anning."

It was blatantly obvious that the Emperor was about to hold Princess Anning accountable, yet she not only misunderstood the Emperor's intent, but even dared to utter such words in public.

One must know that the Emperor valued power above all else.

Hearing her words, Emperor Wen's complexion turned cold inch by inch. "Someone come, drag Anning out and give her thirty lashes!"

"Furthermore, Consort Chun is to relinquish authority over the six harems, be placed under house arrest in her own palace, and all servants attending her are to be executed!"

Only now did he realize that Anning harbored such treasonous thoughts.

"Imperial Father, you... sob, sob!" Before Princess Anning could finish, she was already silenced by two imperial guards who covered her mouth and dragged her away by force.

Princess Anning was both shocked and furious, but above all, filled with deep resentment. Her imperial father was truly hateful to treat her this way.

She was the future female emperor of the Quan Dynasty, the supreme ruler over the life and death of everyone.

How dare this old wretch treat her like this? She would certainly not let him off lightly.

Elsewhere.

When Bai Bohan learned from Yang Hu that Princess Anning had been flogged, a sarcastic curve touched the corner of his lips.

"Our Princess Anning will never understand why she was punished; she will only harbor hatred toward the Emperor."

Playing with a jade pendant in his hands, a chilling ruthlessness flickered in his eyes. "Arrange it so that the Emperor learns of everything that happened after Anning was punished, especially how she hurled insults at him."

Yang Hu acknowledged the command.

Stealing a glance at Bai Bohan's expression, he probed tentatively, "My Lord, should we take this opportunity to get rid of Princess Anning?"

"Keeping Princess Anning around is nothing but a scourge. This woman has committed countless wicked deeds and even joined forces with Cui Jing to frame the Song family."

Bai Bohan's tone remained flat. "You must understand that the one truly trying to harm the Song family is the Emperor. Anning and Cui Jing are merely pawns."

"Besides, Anning is still useful to the Emperor for the time being; he won't truly dispose of her."

To a man like the Emperor, Anning was a pawn that was easy to control and utilize.

Over the years, Anning had "helped" the Emperor resolve quite a few matters and people.

Yang Hu hesitated, wondering whether he should speak bluntly or test the Prince's attitude further.

"Speak if you have something to say." Bai Bohan could more or less guess what he was thinking.

Song Shiwei...

To this day, he had not received a reply from her. Presumably, she would never agree to marry him.

With an air of total devotion to the Prince's interests, Yang Hu said, "My Lord, continuing to keep Princess Anning around will only give Cui Jing more opportunities to pester Eldest Miss Song."

Disgust washed over his face. "Ever since Princess Anning brought Cui Jing to the princess's estate, Cui Jing has constantly plotted to use Princess Anning to get to Eldest Miss Song."

Just the thought of Cui Jing's hypocritical posturing made him profoundly nauseated.

He refused to believe that Cui Jing had truly been powerless to save the Song family back then.

Yet this scumbag had conspired with Princess Anning to ruin the Song family and had even had the audacity to claim she had no other choice.