When the Crown Prince and He Xue arrived at the entrance of the General's Mansion, Su Hetai and Lady Tongjia were already waiting at the gate with the rest of the household.

Su Hetai had been craning his neck to wait for Hexue. When he saw the carriage arrive, he excitedly shouted to Madam Tongjia, "Madam, look! Hexue is back! Hexue is back!" His eyes even reddened as he spoke.

"Shuyi, keep an eye on your father, don't let him embarrass himself here!" Madam Tongjia was too ashamed to look at him.

"Father, please calm down, or your little sister will be upset too!" Shuyi couldn't understand Su Hetai's actions at all.

[He kills like slicing watermelons on the battlefield, one slice after another, without even blinking an eye, so why does he always cry and whine when it comes to his little sister!]

"You've gone too far! How dare you lecture your own father!" Su Hetai said, glaring at him.

"No, Father!" Shuyi quickly said, "Father, look, my little sister has arrived!"

When Shuyi saw Hexue arrive, it was like seeing a savior.

"Father, Mother!" He Xue ran towards Su Hetai and Tongjia Shi.

"Slow down!" the Crown Prince urged He Xue as he followed behind.

Suhetai led the group in preparing for the Crown Prince and Hexue to pay their respects.

"No need for formalities, everyone. We're family, no need to stand on ceremony!" the Crown Prince said.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Su Hetai said immediately upon hearing this. [The Crown Prince not only married He Xue, but I also have to bow to him. What a loss!]

"Mother!" He Xue said affectionately, linking arms with Tong Jia Shi.

Seeing He Xue's appearance, Lady Tongjia knew that she was doing well, and she felt half relieved. The Imperial Noble Consort had written to her before, but she was still uneasy without confirming it in person, as the rumors about the Crown Prince were quite detailed.

"You're married now, how come you're still like you were when you were a child!" Madam Tongjia said lovingly to He Xue.

“Now that you’re married, you’re still your father and mother’s daughter!” He Xue said. “Mother, you didn’t splash water on me at the wedding, did you?”

He Xue knew that when a woman got married, her family would throw a basin of water on her, symbolizing that once a daughter is married, she is like water that has been poured out!

“How could your mother splash water? You are your mother and father’s precious daughter!” Tongjia said with a smile.

"Let's go back to the manor first, and we can talk about it slowly once we're there!" Su Hetai beckoned the Crown Prince into the manor.

Suhetai spoke a few words with the Crown Prince, and then had Jingshu and Shuyi accompany him.

Suhetai felt he should have as little contact with the Crown Prince as possible. He held military power, and if it weren't for Hexue marrying the Crown Prince, he really wouldn't want to have any contact with these princes.

Tongjia sent everyone out of the room, leaving only herself and her daughter Hexue inside.

"He Xue, how does the Crown Prince treat you?" Lady Tongjia asked.

He Xue could tell from Tong Jia's expression what Tong Jia wanted to ask. She wondered who it was that said the Crown Prince was no good, and how could they be so irresponsible with their words?

"Mother, the Crown Prince is really fine! All those rumors outside are just meant to slander him!" Since she was facing Lady Tongjia, He Xue spoke frankly without any reservations.

"Mother understands!" Tongjia was completely relieved when she heard Hexue say this.

"Go back to your courtyard and rest for a while. Your mother will make your favorite fish soup!" Tongjia said to Hexue.

"Thank you, Mother!" He Xue said.

Inside the study, Jing Shu told the Crown Prince about the news he had recently received.

"In the next day or two, people from Jiangnan will be going to the capital to file complaints with the emperor!"

Previously, the Eighth Prince had sent men to hunt down these people, and of the original ten, only three remained.

"If it weren't for our people secretly protecting them, these three probably wouldn't have been able to reach the capital!"

"This eighth prince is so ruthless! He disregards the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Jiangnan for the sake of Guo Yunjin!" The crown prince's eyes revealed a hint of anger.

"Now, almost all the disaster relief funds in Jiangnan have been embezzled by Guo Yunjin, and a portion of them have been given as tribute to the Eighth Prince by Guo Yunjin!"

"The Eighth Prince will definitely protect Guo Yunjin; protecting Guo Yunjin is the same as protecting himself!" Jing Shu said.

After a moment of contemplation, the Crown Prince said, "We cannot let these people die in vain. We must continue to protect them well. We must ensure they successfully enter the capital to meet the Emperor!"

“I’ll make the arrangements!” Jing Shu replied. “How do you plan to deal with Ulanara Rouze?”

If his father finds out and misunderstands, it won't be good for either him or the Crown Prince; his father won't let it go easily.