Su Tiyue soaked in the water for a while, and Xiao Heye didn't speak for a long time. He just kept his head down and focused on cleaning her wounds.

Su Tiyue knew he was all-powerful and influential, but she still couldn't help asking, "How does the Chief Seal intend to clean up the mess?"

Xiao Heye's gaze was fixed on the wound on her shoulder. He moved his hands very gently and said, "What's so difficult about that? This servant will throw the Rong Prince's body out tonight without anyone noticing. As long as he doesn't die in this servant's South Garden or in the palace... this matter won't be traced back to Your Majesty."

The method is simple and crude, but it sounds like it makes sense.

Su Tiyue couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "As expected, with great power comes the ability to do whatever one wants."

This little thing was no more than a wave of the hand or a blink of an eye for Xiao Heye.

Perhaps because it's winter, the water temperature dropped very quickly.

Su Tiyue's wounds have been mostly cleaned up.

Xiao Heye straightened up and respectfully extended his hand to lead her out of the bath. He took a thick towel, warmed by the charcoal fire, and wrapped it around her body, patiently drying the remaining water from her hair.

Then I helped her change into that loose nightgown.

Su Tiyue sat quietly and obediently on the soft couch, her nightgown half-on, half-off, revealing her smooth back, while Xiao Heye stood behind her and helped her apply the medicine.

Whether it was because she had just finished bathing or because of the intimate behavior between the two, Su Tiyue's cheeks were burning red.

After applying the medicine to the wound on her back, Xiao Heye thoughtfully pulled up her nightgown, then walked up to her, knelt on one knee, and gently applied some ointment to the wounds on her neck, shoulders, and chest with his index finger.

She looked at that impeccable face and frowned slightly: "The palm print doesn't have to be like that."

Su Tiyue never expected him to kneel. What did she do to deserve such a powerful figure serving her like this?

"What do you mean by that, Your Highness?" He looked up and glanced at her. Her face was so clear and beautiful, gentle yet alluring, that one could be captivated by her beauty.

Xiao Heye snapped out of his daze and continued to focus on applying the medicine to her.

Su Tiyue swallowed hard, then, mustering her courage, gently grabbed his wrist, preventing him from moving his hand while applying the medicine: "The Chief Inspector holds a high position and wields great power; I really dare not let you serve me..."

Since entering Yelan Pavilion, Xiao Heye has personally handled everything—bathing, dressing, applying medicine—all by himself. Does this vast Yelan Pavilion really have no servants?

Su Tiyue even thought that it would be fine if the person serving her was a palace maid or a eunuch, but the person she least wanted was Xiao Heye.

He smiled, his eyes calm: "Your Majesty, I was just about to remind you."

“You are the master, and I am the servant. In front of a servant, Your Highness should refer to yourself as ‘this palace’ instead of ‘I’.”

"Serving the master is a servant's duty."

Speaking of this, Su Tiyue felt a deep sense of unease. Having been in the palace for so long, she still wasn't quite used to this self-designation, so to avoid saying the wrong thing and giving others cause for gossip, she spent most of her time hiding in the small Jinxiu Palace and rarely went out. So much so that the newly arrived eunuchs and maids didn't recognize which palace she belonged to.

Su Tiyue nodded and said, "I understand, I will in the future..." She paused, then changed her words:

"I will remember this from now on."

She was very well-behaved and obedient, which pleased him greatly.

Xiao Heye nodded slightly, stood up, capped the jar of ointment, and handed it to her.

"This servant has had a sedan chair prepared. Your Highness, please go back and rest well. Don't forget to apply this medicine twice a day, morning and evening."

"Then thank you very much, Master Xiao."

Su Tiyue pulled her nightgown tighter, and after taking a few steps, he called her back: "Wait."

Su Tiyue turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He then took another dark blue cloak and wrapped her petite body tightly inside it. Xiao Heye whispered a reminder, "Your Majesty, keep a close eye on the people around you, otherwise... this servant might as well discipline them for you."

After speaking, Xiao Heye glanced thoughtfully at the door.

The person waiting outside the door was Liu Wan, Su Tiyue's personal maid.

Su Tiyue nodded and said, "Thank you for reminding me, Master Xiao. However, Liu Wan and Qing Wu are both my personal maids whom I brought from my residence to the palace. I trust them."

Seeing her say that, Xiao Heye could only give up any other thoughts he might have. According to his way of doing things, Liu Wan could not be kept no matter what.

Liu Wan waited for a long time by the sedan chair outside. When she saw Su Tiyue come out of the room, her furrowed brows finally relaxed.

But when she saw that Su Tiyue had changed into clean clothes, and glanced at Xiao Zhangyin standing at the door with an inscrutable expression, her heart suddenly tightened... A bad premonition surfaced in her mind, but she dared not say anything, and simply lowered her head to help Su Tiyue into the sedan chair.

The sedan chair swayed and rocked as it left Yelan Pavilion.

Everyone says that Xiao Heye wields immense power, holds the reins of life and death, and that he controls the government, forms cliques for personal gain, embezzles and perverts justice, and frames loyal officials. He is a treacherous minister and a demon.

They wished they could use every derogatory term in the world to describe him. Even his father, Su Sui, repeatedly warned Su Tiyue before she entered the palace not to provoke Xiao Heye, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Su Tiyue knew from the beginning that he was not a good person.

But in this harem, who can always be a good person?

Although the thought of killing Prince Rong with her own hands still evokes fear, Su Tiyue has never regretted it.

Although she is as delicate as a flower, she will not let anyone get away with crossing her line.

Her younger sister, Su Nianyue, is her bottom line; her family is her bottom line.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!