However, the two of them remained solemn throughout the journey, and surprisingly, they didn't utter a single word.

Upon returning to Tianxiang Tower, they discovered that the king had already sent people to fetch the little princess.

"I won't leave! I won't leave!"

"Father already agreed to let me stay, so why should I go back now? If you want me to go back, you must bring Sister Xu with you. Otherwise, I would rather die here than go back with you!"

The little princess sat sullenly to one side, pressed tightly against the pillar, as if she might ram her head into it at any moment.

Those below were simply following orders, so naturally they dared not offend her, much less harm her in the slightest. For a moment, the group was at a stalemate.

Zhou Wan was unaware of the issues involved and was worried that something might happen to the little princess at Tianxiang Tower, so she quickly advised, "Princess, the king urgently summoned you back, which means he misses you. Why don't you go back first and see what's wrong? If there's nothing serious, you can come back later."

"I don't want to!" the little princess refused.

"A man like my father would never let me out again once I go back. In that case, I might as well not go back. Let's see what my father can do to me!"

"Little Princess." A group of people were kneeling in the room, and none of them could do anything about this little princess.

Xu Yuehuai glanced at Qi Guze and immediately went inside, chuckling, "Wouldn't this make things difficult for the servants, little princess? They're just following orders. If they can't take you back, they'll definitely be beaten. Why don't you take pity on them and go back with them?"

The little princess heard the voice and immediately looked over, then asked, "Do you want to come back with me?"

“No.” Xu Yuehuai shook her head. “Tianxianglou can’t do without me right now. I can’t leave yet.”

The little princess's expression, which had just softened, turned into a pout again upon hearing this: "Then I don't want to go back!"

Upon hearing this, everyone below looked at Xu Yuehuai with hopeful eyes.

Xu Yuehuai hesitated for only a moment before speaking again: "You all go back first. In a couple of days, I will take the little princess back to the palace."

The people below looked at each other in bewilderment. In the end, it was the old nanny who knelt down first, her face full of difficulty: "Miss Xu, we know your good intentions, but if we can't take the little princess back today, I'm afraid we will be in big trouble. Please, Miss Xu, be merciful and help us go back to the palace with the little princess."

Xu Yuehuai originally intended to help these people, but after hearing these words, she felt somewhat displeased.

If they were to say something even harsher, wouldn't that constitute moral blackmail?

I really think I'm a great philanthropist.

She pursed her lips and began, "Show mercy? Your words make it sound like I'm not letting the little princess go back."

The old nanny immediately realized she had misspoke, lowered her head slightly, and denied it: "Miss Xu, please don't misunderstand this old servant. This old servant was just speaking casually."

Xu Yuehuai's expression turned cold, and she chuckled, "Oh? It's alright if you just said it casually, but if someone with ulterior motives hears it, I can't bear the consequences. It's better to let the little princess decide for herself."

"This!" The old nanny was clearly flustered when she saw that Xu Yuehuai refused to help. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Yuehuai wisely took two steps back, leaving the old nanny speechless.

The sound of swords clashing against armor came from the doorway, and a large group of soldiers surrounded the house inside and out.

Finally, Maimaiti slowly walked in, knelt down on one knee in front of the little princess, and said: "Long live the princess! I am too late, which is why the villains are so arrogant here!"

Maimaiti suddenly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light as he stared intently at Xu Yuehuai, his gaze fierce and menacing. He interrogated her as if she were a criminal: "Xu Yuehuai, you kidnapped the princess, a crime deserving of death! Why don't you kneel down and confess your guilt?"

The surrounding soldiers, like cold, inanimate tools, drew their swords in a flash and pointed them at Xu Yuehuai.

Xu Yuehuai remained composed, her simple white dress accentuating her elegant demeanor. Her tone was calm and even: "You accuse me of kidnapping the princess, where is your evidence? Does the general know the crime of defamation?"

In Maimaiti's eyes, Xu Yuehuai was like a grasshopper struggling on a hot pan. He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and would not give her any chance to catch her breath!

"The princess is here. If she hadn't been kidnapped by you, how could she not even be able to go home? Now that you're about to die, let's see how you try to deny it."

Xu Yuehuai's face remained completely calm, even showing impatience: "The princess has her own mouth and legs. If I kidnapped her, why didn't she put up any resistance? As for the general, he can't even keep an eye on his own princess. To put it nicely, he's late; to put it bluntly, he's neglected his duty!"

"Don't forget, it was the king who ordered the little princess to leave the palace with me. If you say that, doesn't that mean the king is also an accomplice?"

On the field, everyone was surprised, knowing that failing to protect the princess was punishable, ranging from demotion to confiscation of property!

Maimaiti was completely unreasonable. He drew his knife and roared, "Witch, stop spouting nonsense! Whether you kidnapped her or not, I'll arrest you and send you to the Dali Temple for trial. Arrest her and lock her up!"

The Dali Temple was a place for trials, but it was for interrogating serious criminals who did not confess. Once someone entered the temple, they could not leave. They were subjected to various tortures every day until they were forced to confess.

Unable to bear it any longer, the little princess rushed in front of Xu Yuehuai, blocking the general's sword, and said arrogantly: "Miss Xu did not kidnap me. I am still here. It is not up to you, a general, to make the decisions. You are pointing a sword at me. Do you want to rebel?"

The princess ran out and got in the way. Maimaiti hesitated and put down his knife, but he was unwilling to miss this opportunity to teach Xu Yuehuai a lesson. He retorted, "Princess, you have been deceived by this witch. You should go back to the palace quickly! Let me deal with the villains here. Don't let them offend your eyes."

The princess, arrogant and domineering, commanded: "Guards, teach Maimaiti a lesson! How dare he disobey this princess! Without my order, you are not to stop punishing him!"

The servants froze on the spot. This Maimaiti was a great general. If they dared to lay a hand on the great general, they would be courting death.

However, the princess on the other side had more power, and neither side could afford to offend the other. They were all in a difficult position and couldn't hold their heads up, so they pretended to be deaf and dumb.

The little princess approached Maimaiti alone and sneered, "What kind of general is he? He's just petty, arguing with a woman in public. I think he's just a pretentious snob!"