Granny Xing, who had been a discipline nanny for so many years, admitted that this was the first time she had ever encountered a group fight. And a group of girls at that!

What kind of mess is this?!

"You! You're going to drive me crazy!" Granny Xing gasped for breath, gripping the armrest of the armchair as she looked at the ragged, disheveled women kneeling on the ground. "Who started this?"

She shouted, startling those kneeling on the ground who flinched. Qin Man immediately pointed at a woman and yelled, "She attacked first! I was only trying to defend myself, and they all hit me!"

Granny Xing: "..."

I don't know what you did to make everyone beat you up.

"Why did you hit her!" Granny Xing asked the girl whose face was scratched all over, feeling a little sorry for her. Her pretty little face was now covered in scratches, swollen, and her mouth was split open.

The girl was crying so pitifully that if it weren't for Granny Xing's imposing presence, her wailing would have shaken the entire house.

"She said those nasty things first! I was so angry that I hit her!"

Granny Xing: "......" She was so angry that she hit someone, but she lost and ended up with her face scratched.

Doesn't he deserve it?

"Five against one, and they were all wiped out?" Yongle exclaimed in disbelief, his tone filled with the glee of watching a spectacle unfold. "Is this Qin Man really that powerful? I'll have to see him."

On that day, Qin Man was taken into the Prince Xuan's residence.

Qin Man had long anticipated that she would be punished after this fight, but the worst punishment she could receive would be being sent back to Yanzhou, which was exactly what she wanted.

Even with this mental preparation, she was still very uneasy when she arrived at the Prince Xuan's residence.

Yongle has been staying at the Xuanwang Mansion recently. Since there is no mistress in the Shen family, the elders in the family spoil her, and she is lawless.

In the entire capital city, who dares to speak ill of her!

Led by her maid, Qin Man followed a secluded path and entered a charming little courtyard. Yongle was standing in front of the pond feeding the fish.

Seeing Qin Man approaching, she tossed the fish food in her hand to the maid and went to greet him.

"You're Qin Man?" She walked around her curiously, staring at her without any restraint.

She's petite and delicate, looking like a soft, cuddly little rabbit. But this rabbit bites quite hard; she can actually take on five people at once.

"I heard you can take on five opponents at once, that's pretty impressive!"

Qin Man couldn't tell whether Yongle was genuinely praising him or deliberately mocking him, so he could only keep apologizing.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, I only wanted to protect myself!"

Being able to fight five opponents at once to protect oneself is quite impressive.

"I heard you want to go back to Yanzhou?"

Qin Man subconsciously looked up at her, but the moment their eyes met, she looked away in fear.

"yes......"

"Why? Don't you look down on the wealth and status of our Prince Xuan's mansion?"

Qin Man bit her lower lip and said, "I know that I am not worthy of such a position, so I dare not hope for more."

"Miss Qin, why belittle yourself? Look at your fellow villagers, they are all full of confidence!"

Qin Man sensed the mockery in Yongle's tone, then mustered her courage and said, "I already have someone I love, and I have no reason to betray him for the sake of wealth and status."

Yongle crossed his arms and pondered, "You are indeed a man of deep affection and loyalty, but I wonder if your beloved will remain chaste for you."

Qin Man looked at her in astonishment, not understanding the meaning behind her words.

"Given your status, what is the identity of your lover that he knows you?"

Qin Man hesitated for a moment before saying, "He is my family's stableman."

Yongle: "..."

She looked at Qin Man with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot, seemingly unable to understand why such a seemingly nice girl was so slow-witted!

In an instant, she lost all interest in communicating with her.

Yongle slumped back into her rocking chair and said to Qin Man, "As you know, I have my own reasons for bringing you all to the capital. I've also had my nanny observe you all for a long time, and you are the one who best suits my taste."

Qin Man immediately understood that Yongle wanted to use her. She seized the opportunity and said, "What are your orders, Princess? I will do my best."

"I'll give you only one chance. If you can find evidence of your father's or other officials' crimes in Yanzhou, I will spare your and your mother's lives."

Qin Man was taken aback. Her?

She's just a lowly child born to a concubine, how could she possibly have such abilities!

"Princess, if I don't agree..."

“If you don’t agree, I’ll send you back to Yanzhou, but you should also know that if you don’t do it, someone else will. When your father’s crimes are exposed, you and your mother will both be doomed. Why don’t you fight for your and your mother’s sake?”

"But since ancient times, a son has not spoken ill of his father..."

"Sigh!" Yongle waved his hand. "Those are all old-fashioned ideas! You're putting righteousness before family! If you succeed, I'll have my uncle bestow upon you the title of county princess."

Since the title of county princess was just a title and she didn't have any fiefdom, the emperor's uncle was naturally happy to do it.

Qin Man was terrified, but then she realized this was an opportunity for her! A chance to escape the Qin family! She had to seize it!

"Qin Man obeys!"

Soon, Qin Man was sent back to Yanzhou by Granny Xing on charges of fighting, along with the young lady whose face had been scratched.

Accompanying them were clothes that Princess Xuan had brought for Shen Qingque.

After a bumpy journey, when they returned to Yanzhou, everything was inspected by the soldiers guarding the city. Only after confirming that everything was in order were they allowed to enter the city.

Qin Man was sent back to the Qin family, where the county magistrate Qin found her eyes and nose to be neither eyes nor nose.

"The Qin family has raised you for so many years, and this is how you repay them! You actually got into a fight in a place like the capital! You even scratched that girl's face like that! And now I have to shamelessly apologize to her!"

Qin Man retorted defiantly, "They bullied me, so I can't fight back?! If I hadn't fought back, I'd be the one with a bruised face now!"

"You dare talk back! Guards, lock her in the woodshed! No one is to release her without my order!"

Qin Man snorted coldly, unconvinced. Being locked in the woodshed was nothing new to her; she wasn't inexperienced. She turned and went inside.

That evening, Qin Man's aunt secretly brought her a steamed bun, and the mother and daughter talked through a hole gnawed by a rat.

"Your return already upset your father, why did you talk back to him? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"

"Aunt, if there's a chance, let's go live separately."

The aunt paused for a moment, then said, "I wish I could, but alas, I don't have that kind of luck. Look at your father and your mistress, neither of them looks like they're destined for a short life."

As Qin Man munched on his steamed bun, he secretly resolved to make sure the Qin family members suffered the consequences! He also vowed to protect his aunt!