ASTRP -Chapter 36 The Young Emperor Is Bullied, Feng Jinge Nearly Breaks Character in Anger

Not long after, Feng Jinge arrived.

Hearing footsteps, the four attendants turned to look. The moment they saw who it was, their expressions changed, and they hurriedly bowed. “Greetings, Regent Prince.”

Feng Jinge paused, her gaze sweeping over the four of them.

“Send one person inside to inform His Majesty that I am here waiting for him.”

His Majesty?

The four exchanged glances—so the Regent Prince had come here to see the Emperor?

That brief exchange was enough for Feng Jinge to sense something was off.

And sure enough—

The next moment, a palace maid said, “Reporting to Your Highness, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty have gone to the imperial garden.”

Feng Jinge: “……”

Of course. A perfect trap.

Her eyes darkened, and she let out a cold chuckle. “What unfortunate timing.”

Those who served in the Empress Dowager’s palace were all adept at reading expressions. Hearing the displeasure in her voice, they immediately knelt.

“Your Highness may not know—every day at the fourth quarter of the Si hour, the Empress Dowager goes to the imperial garden to admire the flowers.”

Si hour?

Isn’t that already around 9 a.m.?

Damn that Qing Shan—he actually misled her.

Feng Jinge was furious inside, but her face remained cold and composed as she asked, “When will she return?”

“Normally, the Empress Dowager leaves at the fourth quarter of the Si hour and returns at the eighth quarter. But today, General Pei and Princess Jingning…”

Princess Jingning?

The same one who pushed the young Emperor into the water last time?

Feng Jinge’s eyes turned icy, and she sneered. “Get up. Lead the way.”

The palace maid froze for a moment before realizing what she meant, then quickly got up and led the way.

On the way to the imperial garden, every maid and eunuch they passed stepped aside and bowed.

It was the time of the Spring Equinox—everything was sprouting with new life.

As for flowers…

After walking all this way, Feng Jinge hadn’t seen a single one.

Looks like they don’t have greenhouse cultivation here yet. Might be worth introducing someday.

Just as she was thinking this—

A startled cry rang out ahead.

“Ah!”

She looked up.

A kite, its string snapped, drifted unsteadily before plunging into a nearby pond.

A young girl and the young Emperor chased after it, one after the other, stopping at the edge of the pond.

They stared longingly at the kite floating in the water, unable to reach it.

The girl stomped her feet anxiously, her voice trembling with tears. “My kite!”

Feng Jinge’s gaze fell on the girl—this must be Princess Jingning.

She shifted her gaze and scanned the surroundings.

Empress Dowager Pei, General Pei, and Eunuch Zhang—who should have been following the Emperor closely—were nowhere to be seen.

Not a single adult around.

Perfect conditions to make a move.

“Your—”

The palace maid, noticing the absence of the Empress Dowager and sensing danger, tried to call out a warning.

She had barely uttered one word when Feng Jinge spoke coldly, “See that pond? If you dare make a sound, I’ll throw you into it.”

The maid trembled and immediately fell silent.

Up ahead, Princess Jingning had already made her move.

She turned around and began pounding the young Emperor’s chest with her fists, over and over.

“All your fault! All your fault! All your fault!”

Feng Jinge: !!!

Fight back!

Slap her!

The dignity of the Emperor must not be trampled!

And yet—

Not only did the young Emperor not retaliate, he looked flustered and stammered, “I…”

Feng Jinge: “……”

Princess Jingning didn’t take him seriously at all. “What ‘I’? You got my kite into the water!”

“Either give me yours, or figure out a way to get mine back!”

Again with the water.

Feng Jinge pressed her lips tightly together, a chill gathering in her eyes.

Last time, she pushed him in.

This time, she wants him to jump in himself?

If she’s asking you to get in the water, you should at least refuse, right?!

Feng Jinge thought.

“You know… I can’t swim,” the young Emperor said softly.

Princess Jingning looked arrogant. “I don’t care whether you can swim or not. If you don’t get it for me, I’ll tell my aunt!”

“My aunt already doesn’t like you. If I tell her this, do you think she’ll hate you even more?!”

“I…”

The young Emperor panicked.

Princess Jingning smiled as she threatened, “Do you want her to like you, or hate you? Choose.”

Feng Jinge stared at him.

So everything he did… was just to win Empress Dowager Pei’s favor?

The young Emperor said nothing. He silently crouched down and began taking off his shoes.

Seeing this, Feng Jinge felt like her lungs were about to explode from anger.

The ruler of a nation, and yet…

Princess Jingning moved. She circled behind him, lips curling into a smile, her hands aimed at his back.

The palace maid’s eyes widened in horror.

It’s over. It’s over!

The Emperor is about to be pushed into the water again!

At the very moment Jingning made her move—

“Ning An.”

A shadow flashed past.

Jingning’s hand was suddenly seized.

She looked up to see a man she had never seen before. Instantly, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!”

“Father, save me!”

“Aunt, save me!”

She cried out desperately.

The young Emperor stood up in shock. Seeing Ning An gripping Jingning’s wrist, he froze.

Ning An?

Isn’t he Uncle’s guard?

If he’s here, does that mean Uncle is here too?

Then what just happened…

Now the young Emperor was truly panicking.

Feng Jinge stepped forward and gave a cold command: “Throw her into the pond.”

At that very moment, a loud shout rang out—

“Stop!”

But Ning An didn’t hesitate.

“I only obey the Regent Prince. All other voices are ignored.”

He lifted Princess Jingning—Pei Jingning—and tossed her into the pond.

Splash!

She hit the water, her cries instantly swallowed by the cold pond.

At the same time, a white figure leapt into the water.

Before Feng Jinge could see who it was, she heard Empress Dowager Pei screaming—

“Ah! My child!”

“Quick! Quick! Call someone!”

At her shout, several figures suddenly appeared from nowhere, rushing forward.

Eunuch Chen also emerged from who-knows-where.

Taking advantage of the chaos as everyone scrambled to rescue Pei Jingning, he quietly led the flustered young Emperor to Feng Jinge.

“Y-Your… Uncle…” the young Emperor stammered.

Feng Jinge was already burning with rage. Seeing his timid, shrinking demeanor pushed her anger to its limit.

She wanted to hit someone!

But she couldn’t show it. She couldn’t lose her temper!

Endure!

Endure!

Xiao Jinghan’s persona is calm and unreadable—endure!

I’ll endure!

“…Mm.”

Feng Jinge responded coldly, not even looking at him.

The young Emperor understood immediately—his uncle was angry.

He didn’t dare say another word, his heart filled with unease.

Meanwhile, at the pond—

The man in white who had jumped in had already grabbed Pei Jingning and was swimming toward the shore.