Not far away, Xuan Mingye took in the entire scene before him. He had seen a living soul shattered before, but he hadn't expected Qian Youxue to possess such high levels of skill at such a young age. It seemed he had underestimated her abilities; her abilities were far too well hidden.

This enigmatic woman requires him to spend more time understanding her thoroughly. However, his current situation dictates that their interactions will be limited to infrequent meetings. Therefore, in order to have more opportunities to understand each other, he needs to give her a more suitable identity.

...

Kunning Palace.

In the pitch-black night, the palace gates were wide open, and a cold wind swept in, making those outside shiver.

In the dim light, the Empress had been sitting there for several hours, while the servants had been kneeling on the ground for just as long. In addition, the Crown Prince was also kneeling outside the room.

The Crown Prince rubbed his rumbling stomach in frustration, truly not understanding why his mother was still so angry even though his father had agreed to dissolve the engagement.

"Go in and see what's going on," he winked at Xiao Xuanzi.

Xiao Xuanzi dared not make a sound in the Empress's palace, but he could not disobey his master's orders, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go inside.

Clang!

The Empress glanced back at Xiao Xuanzi, then picked up a vase from the table and smashed it at him.

Xiao Xuanzi didn't dare to dodge and took the blow hard, causing blood to flow freely from her forehead, quickly covering her face and making her look gruesome.

"Get out! Bring that unfilial son in! All of you, get out of here!" The Empress roared at her servants before finally speaking.

The servants scrambled away, and Xiao Xuanzi, regaining her senses, retreated to the front door, clutching her bleeding wound. The Crown Prince shuddered at the sight; it seemed his mother's anger this time was extraordinary.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty requests your presence," Xiao Xuanzi said, her voice trembling.

The crown prince straightened his clothes and strode inside. Seeing that only Wang Mama, who was serving him, remained in the room, he shivered again.

When Wang Mama saw the Crown Prince, she winked at him, reminding him not to say the wrong thing, or he would be in trouble if he offended his master.

"Kneel down!" The Empress shouted before the two could finish exchanging information.

thump!

The prince's knees touched the ground, tears welling in his eyes from the pain. He had been kneeling for hours; why was he still being made to speak while kneeling?

"Do you know where you went wrong?" The Empress glared fiercely at the ignorant Crown Prince. She had been so worried about him, but the child was ungrateful, which broke her heart as a mother.

The Crown Prince was frustrated. Was it wrong to reject a marriage proposal from an ugly woman? It seemed his mother was getting more and more confused. However, thinking that there were many things his mother needed to do to deal with his father, he still softened his tone and said, "Your subject shouldn't have angered Your Majesty."

Clang!

The empress became even angrier after hearing this and picked up a cup to smash it.

The Crown Prince was no ordinary prince. He turned his head away and complained, "Why should Mother get angry over an ugly woman? If you won't let me marry Qian Muxue, then I won't marry her."

The Empress was so angry that her cheeks puffed up, but upon reflection, she realized that since the Emperor had already spoken, the marriage was off the table. If she let Qian Muxue go, there would be even less chance of the Qian family getting closer to her.

She took a deep breath and raised her hand: "Get up!"

"Thank you, Mother!" The Crown Prince stood up with a grin, and seeing that his mother's expression had improved slightly, he added, "Mother, which young lady has caught my eye?"