Xiao Lan’s eyelashes trembled slightly as if she was sad in her heart. However, she still spoke firmly, “He should be punished severely to ensure that my maternal family members understand that the laws under the Emperor are strict. It should also show them that this Consort is not a talisman for them to refute and ignore the Imperial power. Hopefully, it will make them restrain themselves in the future and not dare to do it again.”

Emperor Lin nodded thoughtfully and said, “If I severely punish the Xiao family, my Consort, outsiders will also criticize you. outsiders will also criticize you.”

Xiao Lan pulled her lips together and smiled, “It is enough for Your Majesty to understand this Consort’s intentions, so why should Your Majesty be afraid of outsiders?”

Emperor Lin took her into his arms at a loss, “I love your beauty and your righteousness. Because of that, I am pleased,” He hugged her delicate body. Out of concern that Xiao Lan was feeling a little cold, Emperor Lin ordered the Imperial Kitchen to make some nourishing hot soup. Xiao Lan stayed back to play the qin with him and then stayed even longer in the Yangxin Palace until late into the evening before she left.

A few days later, the Zhaoyin Administration received the Imperial Decree from the palace.

For the past few days, the officers in the Zhaoyin Administration were in a tight spot due to a son of the Xiao family who was still in prison. From early dawn to late dusk, this person had been protesting that he was the nephew of Consort Lan. Yet, he was irrefutably sent into confinement by the Fifth Princess herself. With the ever-changing variables, the Jing Zhaoyin could not decide whether the son of Xiao family should be sentenced to light or heavy punishment.

Unexpectedly, when they received an Imperial Decree, its orders were to execute the heaviest punishment of his offense following the laws.

According to the ‘Law of the Great Lin Dynasty’, this person was, at best, going to be beaten 80 times. Instead, the Emperor’s decree was to tattoo his face and send him into exile!

But the Imperial Decree could not be faked. Although the Governor of the Zhaoyin Administration did not know why this person had angered His Majesty as such, he still obeyed the decree and enacted the sentence.

The Xiao family bully, who had thought that he would get out of this sticky situation after being locked up for a few days, immediately fainted when he heard about this. Although he was not from a direct family and was only a distant relative with Xiao Lan, he was a powerful child of the branch family. He had a very close relationship with his own family branch. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to run amok either.

The Xiao family was furious after hearing about it. They felt that the Jing Zhaoyin deliberately targeted them and did not take the Xiao family seriously. The younger generation of the Xiao family representative, who had a seat in their leading roles, knocked on their doors to ask for an explanation. Instead, The Jing Zhaoyin showed him the Imperial Decree.

Seeing the Imperial Decree, the representative’s face turned pale, and he returned home in a state of despair. When he reported the matter, the entire Xiao family was stunned.

His Majesty was clearly killing chickens to warn the monkeys(2), and this fact shocked them to no end.

(T/N: Means to give off a warning when a matter was small to make it an example)

How could this be??? Could it be that Xiao Lan fell out of Imperial favour?!

They sent their people to inquire, but they found out that on the day after the Imperial Decree was issued, Emperor Lin had rewarded Xiao Lan with the natural East Sea Jade Coral Tree, which the Imperial Household Department newly provided.

The gifting of the Coral Tree was a good thing. In the Great Lin Dynasty, such an act symbolized auspiciousness and peace. In many places, the natural Jade Coral Tree was widely regarded as a fairy tree for blessings and worship, making the gift very precious.

The gift also meant that she did not fall out of Imperial favor.