If they didn’t say something soon, Yue Fuguang’s darting, inquisitive eyes would surely notice something amiss.

He cleared his throat lightly, but before he could find words to brush things over, Yu Chongshan had already snapped out of his bitter remorse and fury over being betrayed by his own clansmen. Without needing to think too deeply, seeing his granddaughter’s lively, sparkling eyes, he reflexively dropped to his knees to beg for forgiveness.

At the neighboring table, the Yu brothers—whose expressions were equally grim—followed their father’s lead and knelt as well.

Yu Chongshan spoke with a mix of shame and unease: "Your Majesty, please forgive this offense. It is due to my failure in disciplining my family that the younger members of our clan behaved so disgracefully, disrupting the enjoyment of Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, and our esteemed colleagues."

Emperor Mingxi raised a hand slightly. "Rise. We know this is hardly your fault. Given the constraints of familial hierarchy, there was only so much you could do."

"Your servant thanks Your Majesty for your understanding!" Yu Chongshan replied, deeply moved as he rose from the floor, discreetly wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye.

Emperor Mingxi continued, "Minister Yu, as the saying goes, 'A large tree must branch out, and a growing family must divide.' The same logic applies to clans."

The emperor left it at that, refraining from further elaboration. After all, this was a minister’s private family matter, and excessive imperial interference would only breed discontent among his officials.

Had it not been to dispel Yue Fuguang’s suspicions and to help her sever ties with burdensome relatives, he wouldn’t have spoken so pointedly.

Yu Chongshan bowed deeply. "Your Majesty speaks wisely. This humble servant had long intended to divide the clan, but opposition from the elders and my brothers prevented it. Today, my son’s offense in disturbing the imperial procession is already an act of grave disrespect. For the sake of the younger generation’s future, I shall revisit this matter. I expect the resistance will now be lessened."

Though these words seemed directed at Emperor Mingxi, everyone present understood they were really meant for Yue Fuguang’s ears.

The Yu Family’s clan division deviated from the original historical timeline and required a plausible explanation.

Little Pearl, in the original timeline, the Yu Family hadn’t split at this point, right?

[Master, in the original timeline, without your presence, Yu Zhui wouldn’t have caused today’s incident. Your grandfather only noticed Yu Zhui years later, after his misdeeds came to light.]

So, the butterfly effect of my actions has inadvertently influenced the Yu Family’s clan affairs. Since Yu Zhui’s been castrated, does that mean all the subsequent disasters won’t happen?

[Yu Zhui was the spark, but the greed and delusions of the sixth branch were real. The world is ever-changing—'The Great Dao numbers fifty, but only forty-nine are revealed; the last is left to human agency.' It’s too early to say for certain.

But regardless, with you here protecting the main branch of the Yu Family, who would dare lay a finger on them?]

True, but you know I dislike anything slipping beyond my control. Keep a trace of your awareness on them. If you see them reverting to their old ways, don’t wait for my order—eliminate them all.

Yue Fuguang’s bloodthirsty words served as another stark reminder to everyone that she was no benevolent deity.

The ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‍rising resentment and hatred among the sixth branch were instantly extinguished, not even a spark left to smolder.

…………

"Imperial Father, is this the watermelon the Junior Mentor gifted you?" The Crown Prince gently stroked the large, round, emerald-green fruit, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Anyone unaware of the context might have mistaken his tender touch for that of a man caressing a peerless beauty!

The Crown Prince, rarely so bold, had seized the opportunity to ride back to the palace in Emperor Mingxi’s carriage.

As his father, the emperor knew exactly why his usually composed and virtuous heir had suddenly grown so audacious—his son was a secret sweet-tooth at heart.

Emperor Mingxi swatted his hand away. "Don’t ruin the watermelon! Yue Fuguang specifically said this was for your grandmother and mother."

Recalling how Yue Fuguang had personally handed him the watermelon upon departure, he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride at the envy it had stirred among the onlookers.

As emperor, he took this as proof that he held a special place in Yue Fuguang’s regard.

Imperial dignity had to count for something—why else would everyone else receive only candies and soap as parting gifts, while he alone got an extra watermelon?

Had Emperor Mingxi known that Yue Fuguang gave him the watermelon simply because it was the last one left after the banquet—and that the imperial family’s generous gifts to her had made the gesture feel obligatory—he might have wept in frustration later.

But that was a revelation for another day.

For now, blissfully unaware, the emperor mused that the candies and soap were excellent gifts in their own right.

He unwrapped a brightly colored fruit candy and popped it into his mouth. An explosion of sweetness, unlike anything he’d ever tasted, spread across his tongue.

The wrapper, optimized by the system, retained its modern design but bore only the words "Strawberry Candy" in the Dayan script—no extraneous text.

"So this is the taste of strawberries?" Emperor Mingxi marveled. "Delicious!"

"Crown Prince, didn’t the Junior Mentor mention that her greenhouse now grows strawberries?"

The Crown Prince nodded. Like father, like son—he immediately grasped his father’s intent.

"I’ll select some fine gifts in the coming days and personally deliver them to the Junior Mentor."

And perhaps check on the strawberries’ progress while he was at it.

Meanwhile, Emperor Mingxi, upon returning to the palace, headed straight for the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace.

On the way, he instructed his son, "Go invite your mother to join us at your grandmother’s palace. We’ll 'eat melon' together."

The phrase "eat melon" felt oddly jarring in this context, given the day’s events.

Today, he’d witnessed enough drama to last a lifetime. Thinking of Lord He’s eldest daughter, he was confident Minister Lu would handle her situation well with the imperial decree in hand.

As for the marriage between the two families… Liu Hong had been dragged out by Minister Liu and Lady Liu, who proceeded to give him a thorough thrashing. The Liu-He marriage was undoubtedly doomed.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress were equally astonished by the watermelon, while other officials returned home and distributed the candies to their children, earning genuine, effusive praise from the younger generation.

At the residence of Huang Wei, the Minister of Personnel, his three-year-old grandson—a notoriously picky eater—had always been scrawny, much to the family’s despair.

Yet, the candies from the Yu Family became the unexpected key to solving the problem. The boy now ate three full meals a day without complaint—and even added two extra meals just to earn more candy. Within half a month, he’d plumped up noticeably.

Minister Huang was overjoyed. Whenever he encountered members of the Yu Family, he greeted them warmly, and he became one of Yue Fuguang’s staunchest defenders.

Anyone who dared speak ill of her within earshot would find themselves subjected to a lengthy, impassioned rebuttal.

That a simple bag of candies had won her such a devoted fan was something Yue Fuguang never saw coming.

As for those who muttered behind her back? She couldn’t care less. They were inconsequential, not even within the range of her "inner voice" detection.

Without her needing to lift a finger, their own superiors—and their superiors’ superiors—would tear into them with enough fury to make their own mothers disown them.

Time flew, and soon seven or eight days had passed.

During a court session, the ministers once again descended into heated arguments over trivial matters.

A faint snort suddenly reached their ears—it came from Yue Fuguang, who was nearly asleep, unconsciously scoffing in irritation at their endless bickering.