In the guard's room, An Yimo applied medicine to the lying Xiaoru Feng on the bed while scolding him incessantly, "What were you thinking, provoking Ya Fei for no reason! Don't you know she holds the highest favor in the harem and is deeply beloved by the Emperor! It serves you right to be punished!"

Yi Mo, can you please shut up? Let me have some peace and quiet! Since An Yi Mo entered, this mouth of his hasn't stopped. He knows he means no harm and is just straightforward, but it's really annoying!

Why, you're finding fault with me? You really shouldn't find me annoying. These are all valuable words of advice. Among our group of guards, I treat you the best. As soon as I heard about this, I hurried over to see you and didn't mind getting my hands dirty to apply medicine for you. Otherwise, with this wound on your buttocks, how would you be able to sit? So, with me as your friend, you should be content! You dare to find fault with me."

Hmm! Xiao Rufeng let out a helpless howl and grabbed a pillow, burying his head in it. He had never understood why there were such noisy people in this world! It wasn't until a long, long time later that he realized this noise originated from care. An Yi Mo was one of the few people in this world who truly cared about him.

After a long, long time, it seemed that he couldn't hear a sound anymore. This brat finally ceased his incessant talking, and the world finally became peaceful. Xiao Rufeng chuckled inwardly, lifted his head, and slightly turned it. Casting a sidelong glance, he suddenly, with one glance, frightened his heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys out.

Ah! With a stumble, his buttocks fiercely landed on the bed, and the fiery pain from his wound screamed out. However, at this moment, he couldn't care about that much. With a turn, he clumsily fell to the ground, his knees hitting the floor with a thud. Stuttering, he said, "Subordinate... Subordinate pays respects to the Emperor!"

The atmosphere suddenly became oppressive, with Xiao Rufeng's eyes hanging down as he stared fixedly at the ground. How could he have imagined that with just a turn of his head, he would see someone who could absolutely not be here, and it seemed like they had already been standing there for a long time, while he himself was in this indecent posture facing the most honorable person in the world.

Disrespectful, very disrespectful. Xiao Rufeng was greatly annoyed in his heart, frustrated with his own lack of vigilance. He was also somewhat discontent with An Yimo, as the guy did not even remind him before slipping away.

Puchi! After a long time, a burst of laughter broke the seemingly oppressive atmosphere.

"Am I really that terrifying?" Looking at Xiao Rufeng's trembling appearance, Murong Junsheng couldn't help but suppress his laughter.

Originally, Murong Junsheng was just bored and thought of this matter today, so he decided to come and take a look at this innocent beaten guard.

Yes, innocent! In fact, Murong Junsheng also felt that Xiaoru Feng was truly innocent for the beating he received. Originally, he strictly followed his own intentions, so what's wrong with that? The mistake lies in his forceful attitude, which offended Concubine Ya. You see, since entering the palace, no one has dared to challenge her authority like that. Actually, if he had come in to report at that time, it wouldn't have been a big deal. After all, he just casually mentioned not wanting anyone to disturb him. He had said similar things before, but up until now, the only person who truly took it to heart and strictly enforced it was Xiaoru Feng.

A small matter, but it left Murong Junsheng with a deep impression. He had just ascended the throne, his power was still not firmly established, and the Empress Dowager was interfering everywhere in the palace. There was also the General Tiger Wei from the Empress Dowager's maternal family, Dou Wei, who held influence in the court. And the favored concubine, Ya Fei, happened to be Dou Wei's daughter. This was the true reason why Ya Fei was able to dominate the harem, a mere illusion created by Murong Junsheng to benefit the Dou family. Therefore, even though Xiao Rufeng was innocent, due to various reasons, Murong Junsheng still punished him with twenty strokes of the rod. This not only made Ya Fei happy, but also indirectly protected Xiao Rufeng from Ya Fei's retaliation.

"The emperor is not to be feared. It's just that I, as a subordinate, had lost my composure in front of His Majesty, fearing that I might not escape the punishment of death. Therefore, I felt fearful." Upon hearing Emperor Murong Junsheng's questioning, Xiao Rufeng admitted to some fault, but soon he calmed down.

"Look up!" Murong Junsheng's brows raised slightly, seemingly not expecting Xiao Rufeng to answer this question. He silently observed Xiao Rufeng for a moment, his expression still somewhat dazed, but he had gained some understanding of this person's thoughts.

Raising his head slightly, Xiao Rufeng let Murong Junsheng examine him closely. However, deep inside, he wasn't as composed as he appeared on the surface. He didn't know if his response was appropriate or if it would please the Emperor.

"Very well, you should take good care of your injuries these few days!" Murong Junsheng nodded and didn't say anything more. He then left, but the faint smile at the corner of his mouth when he left was enough to show that he was in a very good mood."

Xiao Rufeng breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Murong Junsheng's retreating figure. He knew that the Emperor was not displeased with him, and that was sufficient. Besides, he had also managed to gain the Emperor's attention. If he knew at this moment that Murong Junsheng had already made a decision based on his words, he would probably jump up with joy.