Xu Yunci had sharp eyes and had spotted her coming out long ago. She must have a lot on her mind, so he waited here to save her the trouble of searching for him.

This thought popped into his head, and even Xu Yunci himself found it unbelievable, after all, he wasn't a very patient person.

Perhaps from the very beginning, just as his elder sister had said, he truly harbored different feelings for his younger cousin. He had previously thought it was excessive attention, but he would understand in the future. Just like now, with each passing moment, he would surely realize his own feelings soon.

Beneath the wide sleeves, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists. He didn't miss the hint of surprise in his little cousin's eyes; was she happy to see him, just like him?

Li Shiyue, unaware of his change in mood, lifted her skirt and walked over: "Cousin."

Li Shiyue had a lot to say, but with Xu Yunci right in front of her, she suddenly didn't want to ask. It was pointless anyway. Even if the Prince of Yan's injury was related to Xu Yunci, it was probably because of yesterday's events, which, to put it bluntly, was related to her.

"Cousin, are you hurt?"

The news of the assassination attempt on the Prince of Yan spread last night, but it wasn't actually the work of an assassin. It was Xu Yunci who did it, and it wasn't an impulsive act; it was something Xu Yunci intended to do.

Both hands touched her; it was already merciful that neither hand was spared.

Xu Yunci's little cousin's clear eyes were filled with obvious worry. The words of rebuttal were on the tip of Xu Yunci's tongue, but he couldn't say "no".

"I did it."

Xu Yunci sighed softly, raised his hand to pinch his furrowed brows, and for some reason, looking at his little cousin's face, he couldn't bring himself to say anything false.

He couldn't just keep hiding like this, so he lowered his hand, his gaze complicated: "Yesterday I saw the Earl of Yunyang at the Prince of Yan's residence."

Earl Yunyang... isn't that Li Shiyue's father?

"Father? When did Father have any connection with the Prince of Yan?"

Xu Yunci shook his head, looking at him intently: "The Prince of Yan must have promised the Earl of Yunyang some benefits, because when I saw him, even his clothes were much more luxurious."

"Do you know that the Marquis of Huayang, the garrison commander of Huayuan County, was implicated in a corruption case and was stripped of his title?"

Li Shiyue listened for a while and shook her head. All she knew was that Xu Yunci had been living in the Jingzhao Prefecture for some time because of the corruption case in Huayuan County.

The city of Dayong is adjacent to the county seat. The Li family ancestors inherited the title of Earl of Yunyang and were stationed in Yunzhong County. The Marquis of Huayang's mansion, on the other hand, is located in Huayuan County and, in a sense, holds a much higher position than the Earl of Yunyang's mansion.

"I suspect that Fan Tong's sudden death at the polo match in Jingzhao Prefecture that day was related to his master. And coincidentally, the words of the Prince of Yan at that time actually gave me a clue."

Li Shiyue's eyes were filled with doubt, but when she met Xu Yunci's meaningful gaze, her expression couldn't help but turn panicked. Could it be... that her father didn't have that kind of guts!

The panic in Li Shiyue's eyes desperately needed a reassurance, but as Xu Yunci sighed softly, the last trace of panic in her eyes was replaced by disappointment.

“That shouldn’t be the case. The Yunyang Marquis’s Mansion is now just an empty shell. If the Prince of Yan is after the position of Crown Prince, he should win over the court officials instead of bothering to win over a fallen marquis’s mansion.”

Xu Yunci looked at her, his gaze deep: "Don't leave the manor these days."

"Cousin, are you worried that the Prince of Yan is actually targeting me?"

Li Shiyue's eyes were vacant, filled with doubt and fear, but as she stood before us, her lips twitched as she spoke, giving off a sense of helplessness that evoked pity.

She had only met the Prince of Yan once at a polo match, and the second time was at the grandson's first birthday banquet. Why would he go to such lengths to make her go to this extent?

Xu Yunci, with his hands behind his back, saw her sway and look at her with disbelief on her face. He reached out to support her. His voice was deep and steady, gradually calming her unease: "I hope I'm just overthinking it."

We can't just let him gamble.

“I’m telling you this because I don’t want to hide it from you. First, I will handle what happened yesterday with the Prince of Yan, so you don’t need to worry about it. Second, if the Earl of Yunyang really gets involved, I hope you won’t interfere, and I will spare his life.”

They won't clear his name, but at least they'll spare his life in front of the officials.

When Li Shiyue looked up, her clear eyes, beneath her long eyelashes, seemed to moisten. She sniffed, placed her hands in front of her, and knelt down, saying, "Thank you, cousin."

If he is truly involved in the corruption case in Hwawon County, being spared his life would be the best outcome.

She dared not make any demands, but she was curious as to why the Prince of Yan was doing this and why he was going to such lengths to keep her father here.

"When the Prince of Yan was assassinated, I was only with my cousin and didn't hear anything. When my grandmother asked, that's what I said too."

When Li Shiyue raised her head, her gaze fell on Xu Yunci. She saw no injuries on his face, body, or exposed skin.

She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Xu Yunci was not injured, otherwise she would have been unable to eat or sleep.

She's really quite clever, Xu Yunci thought with a faint smile, keeping her little thoughts hidden in his eyes.

He's a bit clever, but he can spot things easily, which has a strangely endearing quality to him.

After watching Li Shiyue enter Chengyu Pavilion, Xu Yunci returned to his residence with peace of mind. He had only been sitting down for a short while when Chang Shun walked in with a serious expression.

Although Chang Shun and Chang An are full brothers and look alike, their personalities are quite different. Chang Shun, in particular, is exceptionally active, so for him to have such a serious expression means that it is no small matter.

Chang An glanced at his younger brother, then walked to Xu Yunci's side, his expression serious: "The Prince of Yan's mansion sent something, but I intercepted it. They said it was to apologize to Miss Xu, and I hope Miss Xu will accept it."

"This servant has seen it; it's a chest full of gold and silver jewelry. They said it was for Miss Biao. Someone go find the young master and say that the Prince of Yan asked the young master to give it to her on his behalf."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yunci crushed the ring in his hand.

The fine mutton-fat jade was shattered into pieces. Xu Yunci glanced at it indifferently out of the corner of his eye before looking away. He took out a brand-new thumb ring from the drawer and put it on again; its color was even purer than the previous one.

“Our Duke’s mansion has no shortage of those things, and Miss Cousin certainly does not lack them either. But how to deal with them? Please give me your instructions, Your Highness, so that I may act accordingly.”

That box of gold and silver jewelry, once exchanged for money, was enough for an ordinary family to live comfortably for generations.

The Prince of Yan is truly generous! But the Rongguo Duke's Mansion is not short of such a small favor from the Prince of Yan. Is he looking down on the Rongguo Duke's Mansion, or on Xu Yunci?

"Once you've exchanged the money, go to the outskirts of the city to distribute porridge. Remember to say it's a gift from the Prince of Yan to the Xu family. The Prince does good deeds anonymously, so the Xu family can keep it for him."