77: My unfilial nephew Duanhui begs for the best wishes from Your Majesty!

Shang Xi's eyes widened, and the shock in his eyes seemed real.

"How dare you touch my..."

Shock turned to anger.

His ears and cheeks turned red.

When Shang Xi slapped him, Xiao Ning dodged.

"...No, I'm trying to help you."

Shang Xi said angrily: "I don't need your help!"

Doesn’t he have hands?

"No... calm down. At worst, I'll just let you touch my face!"

Shang Xi: "Who wants to touch your face? Disgusting!"

Xiao Ning didn't like what he heard, "...No, what do you mean by disgusting? I'm not ugly!"

When Shang Xi was about to slap her again, she grabbed his wrist.

"you--"

Shang Xi became even angrier.

He clenched his other hand into a fist and punched forward, but was blocked by Xiao Ning again.

She crossed his arms and pulled them against the wall.

"Alright, stop making trouble. If you keep going, it will be dark. Are you going back to Shengjing?"

Shang Xi: “…”

He glared at Xiao Ning angrily.

Xiao Ning was helpless: "I just touched your face, and my original intention was not to take advantage of you, I just wanted to help you, why did you do this?"

"I really know I was wrong, and I won't do it again next time."

"Don't be angry, I'll let go, and you don't hit me anymore. Let's go back to Beijing first, okay?"

Xiao Ning said as he let go of his hand.

Unexpectedly, just as he let go of his hand, Shang Xi slapped him again.

Xiao Ning subconsciously grabbed his wrist.

"...Didn't we agree on this?"

Shang Xi's eyes turned red with anger: "You've always been the one saying this, have you ever asked me what I think?"

Xiao Ning: “…”

Xiao Ning looked into his eyes and asked seriously, "Do you really have to slap me to vent your anger?"

Shang Xi: “…”

He didn't know why, but his cheeks began to heat up when she stared at him like that.

The two of them were so close.

He avoided her gaze and struggled, "Let me go!"

Xiao Ning said "Oh", let go of him, put his hands behind his back, and stretched his face forward, "Fight me, I won't hide."

Shang Xi rubbed his wrist, snorted coldly and left.

Xiao Ning: “…”

Why don’t you fight again?

The princess is really...hard-mouthed but soft-hearted.

Xiao Ning curled the corners of his mouth, patted the dirt on his hands onto his body and face, and raised his feet to follow Shang Xi's pace.

Shengjing City is as prosperous and bustling as ever.

The way they were dressed made them stand out among the crowd in Shengjing City, and they attracted a lot of strange looks.

"Stay away, be careful they may have lice..."

A woman grabbed a child who was running around.

"Why are these two beggars not begging under the North Bridge? Why are they here on the main street?"

Xiao Ning: “…”

She looked down at her outfit and the corners of her mouth twitched.

Isn't it just like a beggar?

We crossed the main street and arrived at the palace gate.

"Where did you come from, beggar? Go away!"

"This isn't the place for you. Leave now, or I'll take you to jail and flog you!"

The guards at the palace gate scolded and drove away the two men.

Shang Xi raised his head, stood up straight, opened his arms, slowly knelt down, bowed towards the palace gate, and performed a standard palace etiquette.

"I, your unfilial nephew Duanhui, beg Your Majesty for your well-being!"

Duanhui?

Princess Duanhui!

The guard approached with surprise and doubt, "You, you...are you really Princess Duanhui?!"

Shang Xi raised his head, exposing his entire face to the crowd.

Although there was dirt on her cheeks, this face... was undoubtedly Princess Duanhui.

The dead Princess Duanhui is resurrected!

The guard nodded to his companions and hurried towards the palace gate.

Xiao Ning looked around, then walked forward and knelt on the ground side by side with Shang Xi.

People passed by the palace gate from time to time, and their eyes always wandered here.

The guard advised them, "Princess, Prince Consort, why don't you two get up first? It takes time to pass the message..."

Shang Xi knelt upright, his eyes fixed on the palace gate.

"Duan Hui is guilty of causing Your Majesty to worry about me. I am not worthy of rising."

Xiao Ning didn't say anything, but he made it clear that "If the princess can't afford it, then neither can I."

The guards could only wait anxiously.

I thought they would be summoned into the palace, but unexpectedly the emperor came out in person, followed by the beautiful concubine from before.

The queen and several concubines followed closely behind.

"Duan Hui...it's really you, you're still alive..."

The emperor, with trembling hands, went to help Shang Xi.

Shang Xi's eyes also turned red, and two lines of tears flowed down at the right time, washing away the dust on his face.

"Your Majesty...Duanhui almost didn't get to see you..."

Shang Xi bowed and knelt before the emperor.

The sobbing was very sad.

The concubines present all picked up their handkerchiefs to wipe their tears.

The queen squatted down to support him, gently patting his back with her palm.

"Good boy, it's okay, don't be afraid, get up quickly..."

Shang Xi sobbed and stood up with the Queen's help, mumbling "Auntie" and "Duan Hui is so scared..."

Tears streamed down my face.

Xiao Ning, who was squeezed out by the crowd and was still kneeling, said: "..."

The princess is such a great actress.

Tears come when they come.

She seems a bit redundant here.

So why did she just kneel here with the princess?

Xiao Ning quietly moved to the side to avoid the actors stepping on her clothes.

Shang Xi sobbed and cried, and the queen and concubines all tried to comfort her.

It was the emperor who first noticed Xiao Ning kneeling beside him and gestured for her to stand up. "You were the one who protected the princess all the way back to the capital?"

Xiao Ning lowered his eyes and bowed, then replied, "Your Majesty, the princess is my wife, and I should protect her."

The emperor nodded, "Yes, well done!"

"Go into the palace first, Dezhong, and have the princess and her husband clean out the palace where she once lived. Let them bathe and wash up first."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Eunuch Li bent down and took a few steps back, then turned around and told other young eunuchs to pass on the message.

"No need, Your Majesty..."

Shang Xi's voice was thick with nasal sounds. "Duan Hui, just go back home and rest. I have come all the way back to Shengjing after going through so much hardship. I just wanted to greet His Majesty first, so that His Majesty won't worry about Duan Hui."

The emperor's eyes also turned red.

He placed his palm on Shang Xi's shoulder and squeezed it: "Good boy, don't be afraid of trouble. The palace is your home. Take a shower and get a good sleep. I will hold a welcoming banquet for you in the evening."

Shang Xi seemed flattered and bowed deeply again: "Thank you, Your Majesty..."

"Why are you kneeling again? Get up quickly, Dezhong, and have someone prepare a sedan chair to take the princess to Chunxi Palace."

Eunuch Li should be.

The emperor, empress, and concubines from various palaces dispersed.

Shang Xi sat in the sedan chair, and Xiao Ning followed behind him to Chunxi Palace.

Chunxi Palace was Shang Xi's former palace, and many people inside are familiar faces.

Everyone's eyes were red when they saw Shang Xi.

"Your Highness..."

Shang Xi raised her hand to signal them to excuse themselves from the formalities. "Why are you crying? I'm fine."

Soon the bathtub was filled with hot water.

The air is filled with steam.

There were palace maids carrying small baskets, walking around the bathing pool and scattering flower petals into the water.

Shang Xi said, "Qiulan, stay and serve. Everyone else, please leave."

The palace maids responded in unison and left the palace.

Qiulan closed the door and came to Shang Xi, wanting to help him undress.

Shang Xi stopped her, "I can do it myself, you go and guard outside the screen."

Qiulan responded, then lowered her eyes and retreated behind the screen.