502 Strip (2/2)

”And the citizens?” the Empress shrilled. Her voice began to rise with each word. Her patience for him had dwindled. Suddenly, she did not regret her treatment towards him as a kid. Perhaps, even if she had thoroughly loved him as a mother, he would still turn out to be the same monster.

”Do you think they will stand to have a murderer ruling their country? When they witness the blood that flows from the Imperial Staircase, do you truly believe they will thank the high heavens to have you sitting on the throne?”

Yu Zhen didn't even blink. The words of the Empress would never faze him. He had stopped caring about her opinion for years. He would not start now.

”If you continue to be like this, killing people who oppose you, torturing innocent people who state the truth, and hurting anyone that dare to gossip, the citizens will turn their back on you, just like the entire palace.”

The Empress was certain she had cornered him with her words. She wanted to see him falter, and fear for his position. She was waiting patiently for the day he would plead for her help, plead for her guidance.

But none of that happened.

His lips had curled into a slight smile. The atmosphere thickened. His presence darkened. He was not fazed at all.

”The citizens will not have time to start a rebellion,” he remarked.

The Empress feared she would die early. Her blood pressure was rising with every passing second she spoke to him. It took everything inside of her to not slap the smugness out of his face. He was her son, the least he could do was show some decency and respect.

”And what makes you think they're not planning a rebellion as we speak?” the Empress bit out.

What makes this heartless son of hers so confident? He had not done a single good deed for the citizens. He had never done any charity work, never shown them compassion. What makes him think the country did not despise him?

So what if he had made Hanjian flourish in the short time of his regime? The First Prince could've done the same. The Crown Prince might've been a Commander, but it was a title achieved through manslaughter.

Yu Zhen darkly chuckled. ”The citizens would be too busy celebrating over their lowered taxes, the increased funding towards orphanages, and schools being built for their sake.”

The Empress's smile slipped. In her haughtiness, she had forgotten the kind-hearted woman standing by his son. She had forgotten the one person in this entire palace who said his name with ease.

The pieces were settling into place now.

The Empress had always wondered why Yu Zhen was enamored by the Crown Princess. She was compassionate for the wrong things. Even if the palace frowned upon the Crown Prince, the country will smile for his Wangfei.

”You…. you…” the Empress struggled to say something. The rug was just yanked from underneath her. She was not prepared for this.

In her moment of rage, she had forgotten about the Round Table Discussions. She had nearly forgotten the Crown Princess's inspiring victory, the determined glint in her eyes, and her confident smiles.

”Did you…” the Empress narrowed her eyes. ”Did you plan this from the very beginning? To marry a charitable woman who would balance out your barbaric regime?”

Instead of responding, the Crown Prince merely shrugged his shoulders.

The Empress opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind at the last minute. Reprimanding him was of no use. It was time to change her tactics.

Unfortunately, before she could utter another word, his attention was already elsewhere. A servant was rushing down the corridor.

At the sight of the Crown Prince, the maidservant held back a shriek. She dropped to her knees and instantly kowtowed before the powerhouses of the Imperial Palace.

”Your Grace, Your Highness!” the maidservant hurriedly greeted them.

The Empress narrowed her eyes. Her servants were all trained to be composed and flawless. For them to rush like this, yet again, must've meant Lady Ge was involved. She took a tenacious step outside of her estate, but was blocked by her son.

”What are you doing?” the Empress demanded.

”And you!” the Empress glared down at the maidservant. ”Hurry up and speak. What is the issue?”

The maidservant violently shook in her shoes. She was terrified of lifting her gaze, and coming eye-to-eye with the Crown Prince. The images of the headless servants haunted her too much.

She was frightened that he would kill her for delivering this message. The Crown Prince was the type to kill the messenger.

Even so, the maidservant couldn't disobey the orders of the Empress. The maidservant was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

”Your Highness, Your Grace… L-Lady Ge, she is b-being forced to strip naked in front of the entire country!”