Chapter 287 Nobody Plays with Him Anymore

Xiao Qingxi retorted, "She's just trying to hurt me. She blames her for my fall and even poked holes in the jujube cake to scare me!"

Princess Ning glared at her: "How come I didn't know you had become so timid? You used to keep tigers as pets. You cried when they were sent away. During the autumn hunt in the palace, you caught the most prey by riding horses and shooting arrows. Now you're scared by a hole poked in a pastry? If you're going to blame her, at least come up with a decent reason. If this kind of reason gets out, I'll feel ashamed for you."

Xiao Qingxi hummed in response and fell silent.

After all, even she herself felt that being frightened by Shen Wantang was a very embarrassing thing.

When she looked up, she saw that Granny Kang was still wiping away tears, and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Besides her mother, the person who loved her the most was Granny Kang. When she fell and bled, Granny Kang was so ashamed that she couldn't even speak, and could only shed tears.

She grabbed Kang Mama's hand: "Oh dear, Mama, don't cry. I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? I'll be more careful next time I walk, and I definitely won't fall again. I'll listen to you from now on and won't walk so fast."

Hearing this, Kang Mama's tears fell even faster: "It's all my fault for not supporting the princess in time. If I had, the princess wouldn't have fallen."

"Oh dear, it has nothing to do with you, Granny. Blame Shen Wantang if you want. If you're upset, Granny, go and give her a good scolding for me!"

But here's the problem: Xiao Qingxi's fall this time had nothing to do with Shen Wantang. Granny Kang knew in her heart that Shen Wantang had suffered an undeserved misfortune, and that it was Xiao Qingxi who had been careless while walking. She, as the nanny, had also failed to protect the princess, and this was her inescapable responsibility.

Princess Ning, who was standing nearby, had already figured it out. Her daughter had indirectly admitted that her fall was no one else's fault but her own. Even Granny Kang had advised her to slow down, but she was used to being a whirlwind and hadn't listened.

Moreover, Granny Kang did indeed fail in her duty this time, failing to take good care of Xiao Qingxi.

However, seeing how much Kang Mama was blaming herself, Princess Ning softened and did not punish her.

A new bowl of medicine to prevent miscarriage was brewed, and Princess Ning personally served it to her daughter.

Xiao Qingxi took a sip, her brows furrowing so deeply they seemed to knot together: "It tastes awful! Shen Wantang must have done it on purpose. She can't kill me, so she's trying to make me suffer!"

After the initial panic of bleeding subsided, Princess Ning had calmed down.

She glanced at the medicine in the bowl, and a thought surfaced in her mind: "Xi'er, do you really want this child? If not, then you don't need to drink this medicine."

She spoke very seriously, which startled Xiao Qingxi. She quickly snatched the medicine and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.

After taking the medicine and eating the candied fruit, she grumbled unhappily, "If Mother wants me to take medicine, she should just say so. Why does she have to scare me in all sorts of ways like Shen Wantang?"

“I’m not trying to scare you. I’m seriously asking about your plans. You need to understand that once a child is born, it can’t be put back in. If you really want to divorce Huo Yunzhou, it’s best not to have this child. It’s better for both you and the child.”

But Xiao Qingxi didn't think too far ahead. She only looked at the present: "I will have the child no matter what. It was not easy for me to get pregnant. I don't think it's bad for me or the child. At most, the child will not have a father. It's enough for the child to have me as his mother!"

Princess Ning sighed upon hearing this. She had already mentioned this to her daughter before, and her daughter was very determined to give birth then, and she still is now.

It wouldn't be a problem for the Prince Ning's mansion to raise a child, but she was worried that the child would blame Xiao Qingxi, his mother, in the future. After all, his parents divorced before he was even born, and he would definitely face a lot of criticism as he grew up.

"Has Huo Yunzhou come to visit you at the manor these past few days?"

Xiao Qingxi's eyes reddened slightly: "No, he must have gone to coax that vixen and forgotten about me long ago!"

Does he know you're pregnant?

"Of course he doesn't know. I will never tell him about this. After the child is born, I will not let the child recognize him as his father. I want him to feel guilty and remorseful for the rest of his life!"

Princess Ning said earnestly, "Xi'er, it's not wise of you to hold a grudge against him over the child."

"I don't care, I want him to regret it!"

Princess Ning shook her head and said nothing more.

——

Ministry of Justice.

Seeing everyone bustling around, Xiao Qingyuan felt a surge of resentment.

The Xin family's case has been almost over, so all he can do here is listen to Lü Qiying ask Shen Guannian some trivial questions.

According to Gu Qianhan, Shen Guannian knew nothing about Xiang Meng's murder of the Xin family of thirteen.

He said this, and everyone in the Ministry of Justice believed him. They all admired him immensely, as if solving a case meant his words could be used as imperial edicts.

Xiao Qingyuan himself was ignored by everyone. Even Xin Huailin, who used to follow him around every day, stopped following him and stood next to Gu Qianhan.

Only Xiao Qingyuan himself knew how unbearable this feeling was.

He had been well protected by Prince Ning and Princess Ning in the past, and had never experienced such coldness and warmth in human relationships, nor had he ever felt such a huge difference.

Looking at Gu Qianhan, who was surrounded by admirers, he felt a surge of resentment and jealousy.

Unfortunately, when he was jealous of Gu Qianhan before, he could still complain to Yuan Zheng and then get drunk at Wan Hua Lou. Now, he doesn't even have anyone to complain to.

He only realized now that he had devoted all his attention to Chu Yanluo for the past two years, and even became a monk for her sake.

So two years have passed, and he has made no progress. His friends have all drifted away, and apart from Yuan Zheng, who has ulterior motives, no one wants to hang out with him anymore.

He seems to have been detached from worldly affairs for far too long, and has forgotten that people love to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak.

The only thing that could offer him a sliver of comfort was that even a genius like Gu Qianhan had no friends.

Even though he was married and had a princess consort, Gu Qianhan was still single. He was already twenty years old and still couldn't get married or marry Liu Nanshi, the woman he wanted to marry.

As darkness fell, Shen Guannian was released.

This means that all remaining doubts in the case have been resolved, and the case can be officially closed.

Lu Qiying gathered his men together: "The case is solved, everyone has worked hard! You haven't been home these past few days, working day and night, you must be exhausted. Today, I'll treat you all to a meal at a restaurant!"

The crowd cheered and rubbed their hands together, eager to head to the restaurant.

Lu Qiying naturally invited Gu Qianhan as well, but Gu Qianhan declined: "I have something to do at home, so I won't go."

He finished speaking indifferently, not caring about other people's opinions, and strode out with his servant.