Of course, she had the capital for it. Her skin was as smooth as cream, her figure graceful, her beauty like a blooming flower. She combined the best features of both Han and Central Asian women—there was not a single aspect that didn’t inspire affection, not a single feature that didn’t captivate the soul.

“Who is the most beautiful in this palace now?” She gently stroked her baby-soft skin and murmured.

“Of course, it’s Your Grace,” the palace maid beside her quickly flattered.

“You only know how to make me happy.” Diana gave a coquettish hum.

“It’s true! Originally, Grace Sanders could still compete with Your Grace, but now she’s so ill she’s nothing but skin and bones.”

“That’s right, she can’t even compete with Your Grace for the title of the most beautiful anymore.” Another palace maid, not to be outdone, chimed in with praise: “Once the position of Noble Consort is vacant, it will surely belong to Your Grace.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! If someone hears you, won’t they tear your mouths apart? Hohoho…” Diana covered her mouth with the back of her hand and let out a string of delicate laughter.

“No outsiders can enter our palace…” the palace maid hurriedly replied with a smile.

The last word “palace” had barely left her lips when a dark shadow suddenly flashed before their eyes and darted into the west side room where Prince of Qi resided.

Everyone was shocked.

“Did you all see what it was?” After a long moment, Diana asked in a trembling voice.

“It seemed like a dog…” the palace maid whispered.

“Shut your mouth!” The attendant eunuch rushed in, panting, and scolded, “What the hell is wrong with your eyes? That was Prince of Qi!”

“Ah…” The palace maid immediately knelt down and slapped her own face hard. “This servant deserves to die, this servant knows her guilt!”

“What, Henry?” Diana ignored her, standing up in surprise. “How did he come back?”

She glanced at the sky—it was not yet noon, still a while before the main hall’s classes were dismissed.

“I don’t know either,” the old eunuch said, waving the palace maids away before quietly reporting, “I just saw His Highness running out from the Wenhua Gate. He didn’t respond when called, and we couldn’t catch up. Never seen His Highness run so fast since he was a child.”

“Oh?” Diana hurried toward the west side room. Lifting the curtain, she saw her son, still in his boots, sprawled on the bed, his head buried in the bedding, trembling like a leaf, muttering something indistinctly.

“Henry, what’s wrong?” Diana stepped forward, trying to pull her son out from the pile of bedding.

But Henry Johnson struggled violently, kicking his mother in the stomach, sending Diana reeling.

“No, no! I didn’t mean to, don’t catch me, please don’t!” This time, they could clearly hear what he was saying.

Chapter Eight: The Consort Summons

The old eunuch hurried to help her up, but Diana didn’t care about herself. She rushed forward again to hug her son, crying and wiping her tears: “Heavens, what’s going on? He was fine when he left this morning…”

“Could it be a sudden fit of hysteria? Or maybe he’s possessed,” the old eunuch guessed.

“Then what are you standing around for? Go get the imperial physician, get a priest!” Diana screamed, her hair in disarray. “And hurry, go fetch His Majesty!”

That last command was extremely effective—upon hearing it, Prince of Qi immediately snapped out of his madness.

“No, don’t tell Father!” He looked up in panic.

“You beast, what have you done?” Diana understood at once, immediately letting go of her son and rubbing her stomach.

But no matter how she questioned him, Henry Johnson clammed up and said nothing.

What mother can’t handle her own son?

Diana immediately called in a few young attendants, pinned His Highness to a stool, pulled down his pants, and exposed his backside.

Then she personally wielded a rattan cane and lashed him hard.

Usually, it took less than ten strokes for Prince of Qi to give in.

This time, he held out until the thirtieth stroke before breaking down and begging for mercy, showing just how serious the matter was.

“Speak! What on earth happened?” Diana threw down the bloodstained cane, panting and demanding fiercely.

By now, her makeup was ruined, her hair disheveled, her voice hoarse—she looked every bit the fierce demon, with not a trace of beauty left.

“Sixth Brother, I pushed him into the water…” Henry Johnson lay on the stool, weakly confessing.

But in his heart, he felt a wave of relief. He’d been so scared lately that he couldn’t sleep for nights on end. At such a young age, he already had dark circles under his eyes—it had been pure torment.

“What, it was you?!” Diana exploded again. So the culprit who had thrown the palace into chaos all this time was right here!

“Are you trying to defy the heavens?!” She picked up the cane to beat him again.

The old eunuch quickly intervened. “Your Grace, you can’t hit him anymore, or something serious will happen!”

“I wanted to avenge Mother, I thought it would make her happy.” Henry Johnson wasn’t stupid—he quickly shouted in his own defense:

“And I just wanted to make him a drowned rat, embarrass him. I never meant to kill him! I just got scared afterward and ran away…”

“You fool, still trying to explain? For something like this, you must never admit it, not even if you’re beaten to death!” Diana was so angry her chest hurt. She pointed at the old eunuch and the others, threatening viciously:

“If any of you dare to spread a word of this, I’ll have your whole family killed!”

The eunuchs turned pale with fright and hurriedly swore they wouldn’t dare. In times of chaos, no one was soft-hearted—if she said she’d kill your whole family, she meant it!

“It’s too late…” Henry Johnson whispered.

The west side room instantly fell silent—you could hear a pin drop.