If looks could kill, the monarch would have burnt to ash and entered the reincarnation cycle by now. 

Su Li slowly coaxed, "How about we end the a.s.sembly for now? Imperial Brother, you go back to your estate and take some rest." 

She had simply said those words to end the a.s.sembly at a good point where neither of them had to lose too much but sadly our heroine forgot that these are ancient times.

In this period, people were never straightforward and their words would take eight turns and eighteen curves to convey the meaning.

Hence, His Majesty was once again misunderstood by everyone present in the audience hall.

They thought that the monarch had spared the imperial officials for today's infraction and simply pa.s.sed down his judgment on the perpetrator of the entire debacle. 

When Su Li saw that instead of backing down, the other person was staring daggers at her, she thought that it was simply him being not reconciled with the outcome of the play he must have racked his brains to play out today. 

With a raised eyebrow she asked, "Imperial Brother has something else to say to Zhen?" 

Meanwhile, Prince Xi felt unwillingness in his heart.

He wanted to retort, but he couldn't.

After all, it was his bad luck to be the inferior one as his brother had pointed out. 

He once again kowtowed to the monarch and simply said, "This servant will follow Your Majesty's words." 

In the end, the morning court a.s.sembly ended with a defeat for Prince Xi, a win for the monarch and nothing worth gossip was seen by the members of the peanut gallery. 

Afterwards, Su Li called for Zhou Sheng and Ning Fu to the Imperial Study for an audience one by one.

As soon as Zhou Sheng entered the study, he saw Princess looking at him with an expression of someone who believed that they had done a good job and were now waiting impatiently to be praised and rewarded. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

She really was akin to a small, pampered girl. 

Still, he didn't have the heart to take off her blinders and simply said, "Good job." 

Su Li laughed uproariously at his words. 

"I am not the previous idyllic person who would let others harm me or mine." 

The atmosphere in the Imperial Study stagnated at her words. 

Trying not to let her think about those sad and morbid thoughts, Zhou Sheng coaxed her with a few words and had her laughing and giggling in no time. 

Her laughter that was akin to the tinkling of bells on a windy day was like a balm to his bruised heart. 

Meanwhile, Ning Fu who was standing outside heard the monarch's laughter and couldn't help but think of how the monarch never laughed with him.

Well, to be honest, he wasn't provided with many opportunities to interact with the heavenly son, but to hear his newly minted brother being so close to the monarch made him feel a bit bitter in his heart. 

Thinking about it, he wasn't jealous of Zhou Sheng's closeness with the monarch. 

It wasn't as if he was worried that the other person would usurp his position in the Ning Clan because no matter how well the outsider was treated at home, the Ning Clan's seat of power could only go to him as he was the blood related firstborn son. 

He simply wanted to have that sort of closeness with the monarch. 

His mind was always plagued with the thoughts of what would it be like to be sheltered by someone who remained true to his heart and conviction and didn't let fame or power to get to his brains. 

He recalled the conversations he had eavesdropped on since he had returned to the Imperial Capital.

King Fu wondered if the monarch still missed the person in his heart as fervently as all those months ago or had time taken away the sting of that pain. 

When the Head Commander of the Shadow Guards saw Ning Fu standing there like a mute pillar, he couldn't be bothered to go and greet him and simply asked a nearby eunuch to go inside the Imperial Study to inform the monarch. 

When the eunuch announced his arrival, Ning Fu clearly heard the change in the monarch's tone as he was granted permission to enter the study.

He walked into the study and before he could say his greeting, the monarch simply ordered, "Dispense with the formalities." 

Before any of them could speak further, another eunuch made the announcement, "Esteemed Empress Dowager here to seek an audience with the emperor." 

Su Li didn't know why the old lady had come to see her at such a time when she must have already known that she was having an audience with others.

Still, she didn't have the heart to ask the old lady to go back to her place, so she simply gave the order to have her escorted inside.