Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The incident caused a massive uproar.

Emperor Father punished Li Chengze severely, ordering him into solitary confinement to reflect on his actions. He was not to emerge until he had finished every book assigned by the Grand Tutor.

Meanwhile, my Imperial Mother punished me.

As I knelt outside her bedchamber, she delivered a stinging slap to my face.

“To beat your own younger brother for the sake of a mere guard… you are becoming more lawless by the day.”

I clutched my cheek and laughed.

“I feel that I am becoming more like you, Imperial Mother-protecting outsiders while treating kin like mortal enemies. I must truly be your biological daughter.”

I stared intently at her expression, searching for any flicker of a secret.

Unfortunately, there was nothing.

She was merely consumed by rage. “You wretched creature, are you mocking me?”

“I wouldn’t dare. I take pride in being so similar to my Imperial Mother.”

She pointed at me, her voice a sharp roar: “Get out! Get back to your Princess Manor. From this day forward, you are not to set foot inside the palace gates without a formal summons!”

Enduring the numbness in my knees, I slowly walked out of her palace.

Zhao Duanhua chased after me.

Her face looked exceptionally gentle under the glow of the palace lanterns.

She gave a light chuckle. “Sister, you look so pathetic it’s almost endearing. Why don’t I see you out? I’m afraid you won’t even be able to get the palace gates to open for you.”

She wasn’t pretending anymore.

She had bared her claws, brazenly flaunting the Imperial Mother’s blatant favoritism toward her.

I suddenly lashed out, kicking Zhao Duanhua hard in the knee. If I was going to hit one, I might as well hit two. What did I have to fear?

With a sharp cry, she collapsed to the ground.

I grabbed her face, my voice dripping with malice. “If you ever dare provoke me again, I’ll carve up that face of yours.”

The sound of rushing wind cut through the air as several guards suddenly knelt before me. “Princess, please release the Commandery Princess,” they said solemnly.

I stared at their uniforms.

Like a flash of lightning, a memory surfaced-when I was thrashing Li Cheng’en, several Shadow Guards had protected him as well.

It turned out that my Imperial Mother had given her own Shadow Guards to Zhao Duanhua and Li Cheng’en.

And I, her biological daughter, didn’t have a single one.

My heart felt as cold as ice. I released her face with a sneer and turned to walk away.

I waited at the palace gates until dawn before I was finally able to leave.

Outside, Lü’e was waiting for me anxiously. The moment she saw me, she rushed over.

I held her, unable to stop myself from whispering, “Lü’e, am I really my Imperial Mother’s daughter?”

Lü’e patted my back gently, trying to soothe me. “You are. You are the true Princess of Daning.”

Am I?

I didn’t believe it.

“Then why do they all have Shadow Guards, but I don’t?”

Lü’e choked up.

“Princess, you are the best princess. You have us.”

Xie Wuyang suddenly dropped to one knee.

“Your Highness, from this day forth, I am your Shadow Guard.”