ASTRP -Chapter 37 Feng Jinge Dominates the Palace, While the Prince Is Bullied at the Feng Residence

With the help of the palace attendants, the man in white successfully pulled Pei Jingning out of the water.

Both of them were soaked through, their clothes clinging tightly to their bodies.

Pei Jingning trembled like a sieve—whether from the cold or from fear, no one could tell.

As for the man in white…

Feng Jinge glanced at him, and her heart skipped a beat.

Good grief.

A drenched, devastatingly handsome man—pure temptation.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, the man turned his head.

His cool, detached eyes met her cold, shadowed ones.

Their gazes locked.

Neither spoke, nor moved.

Yet the temperature around them seemed to plummet, an icy tension spreading through the air.

Suddenly, the man’s body trembled, and he began coughing.

And once he started, he couldn’t stop.

A trace of blood slipped from the corner of his lips, dripping onto his white robes and blooming like red plum blossoms.

“Yuan’er!”

The Empress Dowager cried out in alarm, rushing forward and removing her cloak to drape it over the man.

Yuan’er?

Feng Jinge’s heart tightened. Could this man in white be the Empress Dowager’s other son—Prince Ning, Xiao Yuan?

The moment the name surfaced, Feng Jinge recalled what Xiao Jinghan had told her that night:

If you encounter Prince Ning, avoid him.

Nothing more.

There hadn’t even been a portrait of Prince Ning among the scrolls, so she hadn’t recognized him at first sight.

“Mother, your son is fine.”

Prince Ning, pale as paper, forced a faint smile. “You should go check on Jingning instead.”

“Jingning, Jingning she…”

The Empress Dowager turned to look at Pei Jingning, but from the corner of her eye she caught sight of Xiao Jinghan standing nearby.

Today’s incident had started because of him.

Only then did she realize that in her panic over Yuan’er entering the water, she had forgotten to hold Xiao Jinghan accountable.

Her eyes narrowed as her gaze shifted to Ning An, and she let out a cold laugh.

“Idle Prince, as Regent you actually incited your subordinate to harm Princess Jingning. With such character, how can you guide His Majesty?”

Facing the accusation, Feng Jinge replied lightly, “I could have killed her just now.”

“I spared her life for Xiao Yu’s sake.”

“If Your Majesty insists on arguing with me, I don’t mind adding another wandering soul to this world.”

Instantly, the Empress Dowager’s expression turned extremely ugly.

Feng Jinge spoke again, “Pei Jingning harbors ill intent. From today onward, she is confined to the Pei residence for life and may not step outside.”

“If she disobeys—execute her!”

“Pei An, for failing to discipline his daughter, the Pei family shall hand over control of the Zhenwu Army. In exchange, their lives will be spared.”

With that, Feng Jinge didn’t bother to look at their reactions. She flicked her sleeve and turned away with imposing authority.

Ning An followed behind.

Eunuch Chen hurriedly grabbed the young emperor and chased after them.

As Feng Jinge and her group left—

“Pfft—!”

Prince Ning suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious.

“Yuan’er!”

“Call the imperial physician!”

“Quick—summon Physician Liu!”

The Empress Dowager clutched him, crying out in anguish.

Meanwhile, Pei Jingning and Pei An stood frozen in place, their faces ashen.

At the Feng Residence

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Feng residence. The moment it came to a halt, shouting erupted outside.

“Get lost, get lost!”

“Where did this broken carriage come from? Don’t you know where you are?”

“This is the Minister’s residence!”

“Scram!”

The jeers carried into the carriage.

Su Xiu finally found a chance to take revenge and teased Xiao Jinghan, “Oh? What’s that saying again?”

“When a tiger falls to the plains, even dogs bully it?”

“In ancient times, it was ‘a fallen tiger bullied by dogs.’ Today, it’s the Regent turned into a woman being bullied by watchdogs.”

Xiao Jinghan shot him a cold glance. “You really can’t speak anything decent.”

He stood up and stepped out of the carriage.

Su Xiu added, “Honestly, your outfit today—pretty feminine.”

“Well, you are in a woman’s body, just with a man’s soul.”

As Xiao Jinghan stepped out, he saw Qing Shan, who had been driving, already seething with anger.

If not for prior instructions, he would have acted already.

To the right of the carriage stood three servants.

When they saw him, they froze briefly—then resumed their mocking tone.

“Well, if it isn’t the eldest miss!”

“Life at the Regent’s residence must be nice—you even get to ride in a carriage now?”

“The dignified eldest daughter of the Feng family, reduced to being a servant at the Regent’s residence.”

“How embarrassing!”

“Oh come on, maybe she enjoys being a servant. Look—even riding in a carriage she’s never sat in before.”

Qing Shan clenched his teeth in fury. When had his prince ever suffered such humiliation?

Wait.

These servants weren’t targeting the prince—they were targeting Miss Feng, whose body the prince currently occupied.

Which meant… this was how Feng Jinge had been treated all along.

If they dared to act like this in front of outsiders, then inside the residence…

Xiao Jinghan stepped down from the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

“What is my status?”

The question stunned them.

One of them recovered and sneered, “Did working as a maid at the Prince’s residence make you stu—”

Before he could finish—

Xiao Jinghan stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.

Caught off guard, the man was sent flying to the ground.

The other two lunged at him.

Xiao Jinghan easily dodged, grabbed both of them by their clothes, and yanked them inward.

Bang!

Their heads slammed together.

He released them, and they both collapsed.

Lifting his foot, Xiao Jinghan stepped on one of them.

The man screamed, his body arching upward in agony, his face twisted in pain.

Unmoved, Xiao Jinghan asked again coldly:

“What is my status?”

“E-Eldest Miss… Eldest Miss, we were wrong!”

“Please spare us!”

The servants trembled violently, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly.

They never imagined that the usually meek Feng Jinge would become so formidable after just one trip to the Regent’s residence.

Xiao Jinghan’s icy gaze swept over them. Just as he was about to speak—

A startled cry rang out.

“Heavens! Elder Sister, what are you doing?”

He looked up.

A young woman in pink stood at the entrance of the Feng residence, accompanied by two maids.

Seeing him, she lifted her skirt and hurried down the steps, walking gracefully toward him.

Feng Mingyue saw “Feng Jinge” standing there.

Dressed in a purple gown, adorned with jeweled hairpins—her once sallow, gaunt face now appeared fuller and radiant.

At first glance, she seemed plain and unremarkable.

But the more one looked, the more a subtle, indescribable charm emerged.

Feng Mingyue’s heart tightened.

Wasn’t Feng Jinge supposed to be working as a maid at the Regent’s residence?

It hadn’t even been half a month, yet she had changed so drastically.

What… was going on?

A flicker of surprise flashed through Feng Mingyue’s beautiful eyes, vanishing just as quickly.

“Elder Sister, even if you suffered grievances at the Regent’s residence, you shouldn’t come back and take it out on the servants!”