[It's over, the devil princess has driven the prince mad.]

"Yes, Your Highness, it was the Princess who burned it." The guard nodded repeatedly.

"It's good to burn it, it's good to burn it."

[I never imagined that Duoduo would care about me to this extent.]

I came all this way just to burn this painting.

Jin Jinzhi laughed heartily, then bent down and reached out his hands to help the kneeling guard to his feet.

"Don't kneel down so easily."

"Well done today."

"I remember you've only been in this manor for less than a year. You haven't been back home to visit your family in a long time, have you?"

The guard stared blankly at Jin Jinzhi.

Is the prince trying to send me away?

"I'm giving you a month's leave. Go back to your hometown and see your mother and family," Jin Jinzhi said with a loving expression.

"Really? Your Highness, you're not going to send me away, are you?"

The guard looked at Jin Jinzhi with fear, his lips trembling slightly.

How could that be?

"You did a great job today. I'll keep this job for you. When you come back, you'll still be guarding this study."

Even if it's... uh... paid leave!

Jin Jinzhi thought for a while and came up with the words that Yun Duoduo had once told him.

The guard on night duty cast an envious glance at the guard on day duty.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I swear to serve you to the death! Uh, I swear to serve the Princess Consort to the death!"

Seeing Jin Jinzhi's expression, the guard pledged his loyalty, kowtowed repeatedly, and then went back to pack his things, preparing to go home to visit his elderly mother.

Jin Jinzhi was very pleased with the good news she received as soon as she returned to the manor. In a rare good mood, she looked at Military Advisor Cao and said, "Alright, go to sleep first. We'll talk about the Jiangning matter tomorrow."

Cao Canjun was so happy that he was stunned for a moment. He wished he could go forward and hug Jin Jinzhi.

The prince's attitude changed so drastically!

[Your Highness, Your Highness, please marry me soon!]

Cao Canjun retracted his earlier thought that Yun Duoduo was a demon princess. The princess was clearly Guanyin Bodhisattva, saving them from their dire straits!

Jin Jinzhi walked outside with a beaming smile, her mind filled with the image of Yun Duoduo angrily burning the painting.

[It's rare to see Duoduo angry.]

Jin Jinzhi was lost in thought when she accidentally bumped into the door frame of the study.

Ouch!

"Your Highness!"

The guards exclaimed in surprise, but Jin Jinzhi waved her hand dismissively, indicating that she was fine.

He hit the ground hard, and although a large red mark appeared on his forehead, his good mood at the moment made him feel no pain at all.

...

Inside the Sun residence, all was quiet; not a sound could be heard.

The insects in the grass and the birds flying in the trees seemed to sense the master's anger and dared not make a sound.

Sun Ren sat on a stone bench in the pavilion in the courtyard with a cold face, holding a note in his hand.

The servants of the Sun family saw their master sitting alone on the stone bench in the middle of the night, looking displeased, but they didn't dare to go up to him to offer him a cup of hot tea or a cushion.

Sun Huohuo staggered back from the training ground. The wounds on his body inflicted by Xi Jing had mostly healed thanks to Yun Duoduo's treatment.

He walked into the mansion and vaguely saw that a person seemed to have been placed in the pavilion.

[Who's mentally unstable? Why isn't they indoors in this freezing weather, instead sitting in the pavilion wallowing in self-pity?]

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be his own father.

Sun Huohuo cursed himself inwardly for being unfilial.

"Dad, it's so cold outside, why are you sitting here?"

Sun Huohuo wiped his nose with his sleeve and took off his black fur cloak, draping it over Sun Ren's shoulders.

Sun Ren glared at him with eyes bigger than copper bells and asked fiercely, "Hmph, do you even care if your father lives or dies?!"

Sun Ren ripped off the fur cloak that Sun Huohuo had draped over his body and threw it on the ground.

A gust of cold wind made Sun Ren, an old man, shiver violently.

"I never expected you to be so cunning."

"Is there something you can't tell your father?"

"Why would you insist on committing such a heinous act as annihilating nine generations of your family?!"

[A crime involving the extermination of nine generations of a family?]

Sun Huohuo sniffed, wondering if his father was drunk and talking nonsense, but he couldn't smell any alcohol.

What kind of nonsense is this?

"Tell me, when did you become involved with the King of Western Chu?"

Sun Ren slammed the note on the stone table. "The Ninth Princess was betrothed by His Majesty. What, have you grown too big for your britches and don't want your head anymore? You want to defy the imperial decree?!"

"The princess is getting married to that Jin family boy on the fifteenth of next month. Are you and Xi Jing going to try and steal her away?"

"Are you trying to send the entire Sun family to their deaths with you?!"

As he spoke, Sun Ren picked up a stick and was about to hit Sun Huohuo.

Sun Huohuo looked completely bewildered and remained utterly confused.

Sun Huohuo was very confused by his father's outburst. He had heard everything clearly, but he just didn't understand what was going on.

"Dad, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?"

"The King of Western Chu is mentally unstable. Last time at Duo'er's coming-of-age ceremony, he insisted on fighting with me."

Sun Huohuo touched his face with a lingering fear. Fortunately, the injury on his face had healed and there were no scars left. Otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to find a wife.

"And there's Duo'er's wedding. I'm preparing the wedding gift, aren't I? The wedding is on the fifteenth of next month, there's still time."

"What do you mean by defying the imperial decree? I don't understand!"

Sun Ren was completely unmoved by reason and wouldn't listen to Sun Huohuo's explanations. After reading the note, he was convinced that his son had colluded with the King of Western Chu to steal Yun Duoduo and Jin Jinzhi's bride before their wedding.

Sun Huohuo screamed and jumped around, trying to dodge his father's 360-degree attack.

Why is it so noisy?

Madam Sun, heavily pregnant, emerged with the assistance of her maids.

When Sun Renyi saw his wife come out, he dropped the stick he was holding and quickly went to his wife's side to help her.

"Please slow down, my dear wife. It's all my fault. Did I startle you?"

Madam Sun didn't say anything and walked towards the front hall. Sun Ren helped Madam Sun, and Sun Huohuo picked up the stick on the ground and followed behind the two of them.

Upon arriving at the front hall, Madam Sun's maid went to prepare hot tea, leaving only the family of three in the hall.

Oh no, including the baby in Mrs. Sun's belly, it's a family of four.

"Tell me, what happened?"

“Yes.” Sun Ren nodded.

"Madam, this is a letter secretly sent by the King of Western Chu. If I hadn't happened to return to the manor today and stumbled upon this, I'm afraid that rebellious son Sun Huohuo would have dragged his unborn sister to the executioner's block!"

Madam Sun rolled her eyes at him, displeased with his bloody words.

Sun Huohuo swallowed hard. How could he be so sure that the baby in his mother's belly was a girl?

"Take a look."