Early on this day, someone from the Jade Clear Palace sent for Jiang Liannan to go and serve breakfast.

Jiang Liannan's palm injury had improved significantly after applying good quality medication. However, the pent-up frustration in his heart had not yet dissipated. Therefore, he respectfully knelt down on the ground once again, and earnestly said,

I present my humble greetings to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, and ten thousand myriad years.

Leng Xu was sitting by the desk when she heard his voice. She raised her eyelids and glanced at him, saying, "No need for formalities, come here."

"Oh." Jiang Liannan stood up and walked over, stopping about three or four steps away from him.

Leng Xu glanced at him this time and said, "Why are you standing so far? Come over and attend to me."

Jiang Liannan took a deep breath and walked over, serving him porridge and vegetables. Then, she silently placed the porridge in front of him and stood by with her head lowered, not uttering a word.

Cold Xu glanced at the porridge and then at the clearly sulking person. Feeling slightly better, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his eyes as he asked, "What's the matter? Are you still mad at me?"

Jiang Liannan, in a submissive manner, said, "Lian Nan dares not."

Leng Xu immediately raised his voice, "Hmm? You dare not? It seems to me that you dare quite a lot!"

Jiang Liannan returned in a huff, but upon hearing his raised voice, he was still afraid. His beautiful eyes immediately welled up with moisture, and his voice was trembling slightly: "No, as an attendant, Liannan is merely a servant of the Emperor. It is Liannan's fortune to be guided and disciplined by the Emperor..."

In the eyes of the emperor, perhaps I am nothing more than lowly as an ant? Even though I share the same blood as him, in the end, I am just a bastard cast aside in the wilderness...

Hearing this, Leng Xu's expression immediately turned sour. He looked at Jiang Liannan with a complex gaze, and couldn't help but feel a hint of suspicion in his heart.

If it weren't for the fact that Jiang Liannan had no idea about his own royal bloodline, he would almost suspect that he was talking back to himself in reverse by bringing up this matter.

He coldly chuckled and said, "Indeed, you are nothing but a slave of mine. What qualifications do you have to defy me by betting on Qiao?"

Jiang Liannan's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing him say this.

This is completely different from the dream. Cold Xu is much worse than in the dream, not good at all. He doesn't spoil him, nor does he see him as a younger brother at all. Instead, he hits him and scolds him.

Rather than living in the palace like a lowly servant, being as humble as pigs and dogs, he felt that it would be better to die in his dream and never wake up.

Leng Xu looked down on him from above, watching as droplets of water fell onto the thick carpet and quickly disappeared, causing her heart to soften uncontrollably.

What's the point of being angry with him? He's just a fourteen-year-old young boy with a head full of hair, and at home, he's a spoiled little master. When has he ever suffered such grievances? There's no need for me to bother myself with his unhappiness.

The two of them stayed quiet for a while before Leng Xu spoke up, saying, "Qin San, have someone bring a plate of sugar-soaked plums."

"Yes."

Soon, a young eunuch respectfully walked in, holding a plate of candied plums. As soon as he saw Leng Xu's expression change, he placed the plums on the corner of the table closest to Jiang Linnan.

Leng Xu glanced at him and said, "If you want to eat, then sit down by yourself."

Jiang Liennan looked up with teary eyes and glanced at him hazily. She whispered, "Liennan is a servant and dares not sit."

Upon hearing this, Leng Xu abruptly turned his head and glanced at him with deep and mysterious eyes.

Jiang Liannan was so frightened that he immediately stood up and sat down properly!

Even he didn't expect his own reaction to be so quick, almost without any thought.

Frustrated and annoyed with himself, he couldn't help but wonder why he was so useless. Was Cold Xu really that terrifying? How could he be so scared with just one glance from him?

Leng Xu was quite satisfied and said, "If only you had been obedient earlier."

Jiang Liannan remained silent.

He thought to himself: Hmph! If you don't treat me like a younger brother, why should I behave?

The two of them were having breakfast when suddenly a eunuch entered. Approaching Leng Xu, he whispered something to him. Leng Xu turned his head and glanced at Jiang Liannan before saying, "Let him come in."

Jiang Liannan didn't know what the two of them were talking about. He wondered who they were letting in? As a result, it didn't take long for his father, Jiang Jinsheng, to come in wearing a bright red official robe.

Jiang Jinsheng took advantage of the opportunity while the morning court session was underway to seek a private audience with the emperor. His intention was to gauge the emperor's attitude and learn about his son's situation in the palace. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the side hall, he saw his son sitting together with the emperor, having breakfast together!

He was truly frightened to the point where his soul seemed to have left his body. He almost forgot to perform the proper etiquette, but fortunately, he was still able to keep calm in front of others. He immediately kneeled down to pay his respects:

I bowed and greeted Your Majesty!

"Daddy!" Jiang Liannan was overjoyed and immediately ran over to throw herself into his arms. "Daddy, why are you here?!"

He thought he would never see his father in his lifetime!

Jiang Jinsheng immediately gave him a fierce glare, "Nonsense!"

Leng Xu curved his lips into a smile and said, "Jiang Aiqing, please stand up."

When he saw his own father stand up, Jiang Liannan became even more joyful. He grabbed onto his father's official robe and refused to let go, saying, "Father, did you come to see me? Is it true?"

"The lack of composure in front of His Majesty, how disgraceful!" Jiang Jinsheng clapped his hand and wore a serious expression. Then, he turned to Leng Xu and said, "My son is young and naive, causing His Majesty to laugh."

Leng Xu's gaze followed Jiang Liannan, his smile carrying a profound meaning: "Liannan, you are innocent and lively, which delights me greatly."

Jiang Liannan didn't know why, but upon hearing these words, his face turned slightly red.

Jiang Jinsheng, however, had the opposite reaction. He glanced at his son's beautifully androgynous face, his own expression turning slightly pale. His words came out with a hint of awkwardness, "Your Majesty's admiration for Nan'er is Nan'er's good fortune."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Leng Xu allowed the father and son to return to Lü Qi Xuan and have a heart-to-heart talk.

As soon as they reached Lüqi Pavilion, Jiang Jinsheng pulled his son into the room. Seeing that there was no one around, he then asked him with a serious expression, "Nan'er, have things been going smoothly for you since you entered the palace these few days?"

Jiang Liannan nodded naturally, "It's all good."

Jiang Jinsheng asked suspiciously, "Why are you having a meal with His Majesty?"

Jiang Liannan didn't find it strange at all. After all, in his dream, he was practically the unrivaled little tyrant in the palace. But when his father asked, he simply answered, "The Emperor called me to sit together."

Jiang Jinsheng's brows slightly furrowed, "Your Majesty... is there something off or amiss about him?"

The sentence that Lin Xu spoke just now gave him a layer of unsettling doubt in his heart. However, he knew that his son was young and innocent, so he had to ask him in a gentle and indirect manner.

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Liannan paused for a moment, then pouted and said, "Something seems off about him in every aspect!"

Jiang Jinsheng's heart tensed up!

Immediately, I heard Jiang Liannan say, "He's very peculiar! He wants to inspect my homework, and because I was not serious and slacked off, he even wants to beat the palms of my hands!"

But deep down, he clearly didn't want me to succeed! Jiang Liannan held back from saying these words.

After all, he didn't want his father to know about such matters. Knowing the secrets of the royal family was definitely not a good thing.

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Jinsheng couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that the emperor truly regarded his own son as a child... In the Great Yue Kingdom, the tradition of masculinity was prevailing, even he himself...

However, he didn't want his own son to go down this path.

After a moment of contemplation, he instructed Jiang Liannan, "Nan'er, the palace is different from home. You must be cautious in every aspect and remain vigilant at all times. Do you understand?"

Jiang Liannan nodded and thought to himself, "I understand things like this better than you, Daddy!"

Upon seeing his obedient appearance, Jiang Jinsheng glanced at his face, which would only become more handsome with time, and sighed. He said, "Also, Nan'er, promise your father to protect yourself and always remember the four principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor. Don't let your heart stray from the right path. Do you understand?"

Jiang Liannan tilted his head, unsure of what his father really meant to say, but still obediently nodded, "Don't worry, Father."

Jiang Jinsheng did not stay in the palace for long due to inconvenience. Therefore, he left shortly after sitting for a while.

During the afternoon study session, Leng Xu asked Jiang Liannan what his father had said to him.

Jiang Liennan pondered for a moment and felt that there was nothing secretive about his father's words. It was just a father's instructions to his son who was about to enter the palace. So he repeated his words to Leng Xu word for word.

At that moment, Leng Xu was drinking tea and almost spewed it all out upon hearing it.

However, when his slender and charming phoenix eyes glanced at Jiang Liannan's delicate yet innocent face, he seemed to think of something and his smile slowly disappeared from his lips.