The eunuch's mockery undoubtedly brought Wang Yuan's anger to its peak. She raised her hand to slap the foul-mouthed eunuch, but then she heard the voice of another eunuch behind her.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Xiao Xuan had just finished the morning court session and was thinking of coming over to see what would become of this lowly servant girl, but when he arrived, he saw Wang Yuan's arrogant and domineering appearance.

Granny Guan showed mercy after all.

Wang Yuan immediately turned around, her arrogance vanished, replaced by a look of grievance and vulnerability. She quickly walked to Xiao Xuan's sedan chair and bowed to him.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Her voice was soft and weak, and several bloody handprints remained on her face.

"No need for formalities. How are you doing today?"

Xiao Xuan sat in the sedan chair, his captivating eyes filled with coldness. Half of his meticulously sculpted features were hidden in the shade of the trees, which only made his aura appear more imposing and majestic.

Wang Yuan didn't notice Xiao Xuan's expression; she only heard the man ask, "Are you getting used to it?"

Sure enough, how could His Highness allow those old women to humiliate him like this? It must be that bitch Ning Yin.

Her fox-like eyes instantly welled up with tears. She brushed aside her hair with her fingertips, revealing her flushed face, her voice choked with sobs.

"Your Highness, I only want to serve you wholeheartedly and I'm trying my best to learn the rules, but... but those old women are just too mean to me, you see..."

The accusations, filled with resentment and bitterness, reached Xiao Xuan's ears, and the man subtly curled the corners of his lips.

Granny Guan went too far; otherwise, she wouldn't have the strength to cry and whine here.

"Did Granny Guan really slap you like that?"

Xiao Xuan casually stroked the jade thumb ring in his hand, his tone cold and aloof, like a thousand-year-old ice.

"It was indeed those old women who beat me; I dare not utter a single lie."

Wang Yuan pursed her lips, thinking of the humiliating scene just now, and regardless of whether it was shameful or not, she told Xiao Xuan everything.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan remained unmoved, but the disgust in his eyes was quite evident.

“Junzhu, perhaps Granny Guan is too strict. I will have a good talk with them later. As for this inspection, it is indeed in accordance with the rules. Every woman who wants to become a mistress will go through it.”

Xiao Xuan deliberately emphasized the last sentence, and Wang Yuan didn't understand the implied meaning, thinking that Xiao Xuan really meant well for her.

"I have been busy with state affairs lately, and I may have neglected you. But if you learn well from the nannies and learn the rules as soon as possible, I can give you a proper title sooner. I will give you whatever you want."

He still didn't look directly at Wang Yuan, but instead raised his hand to touch the sachet that Ning Yin had embroidered for him. Wang Yuan's line of sight was just right to see Xiao Xuan's actions.

She squinted to examine it closely. It was a sachet embroidered with cloud patterns, the embroidery was exquisite, and she could faintly smell a medicinal fragrance.

So His Highness likes sachets. He was implying this to me, and if I still didn't understand what it meant, I would be too stupid.

"Yes, Your Highness, this servant will study diligently and will not disappoint you, but..."

Wang Yuan was about to ask Xiao Xuan to change her bedroom and send her some palace maids when she was interrupted by an old eunuch.

"Your Highness, the abbot of Huguo Temple requests an audience..."

Xiao Xuan paused, his hand still touching the sachet. His face remained expressionless, the dappled shadows of the trees swaying across his face, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

Let's go!

The man spoke calmly, and the sedan chair was quickly lifted and headed towards Changxin Palace, without giving Wang Yuan even a glance.

Although Wang Yuan felt somewhat wronged, Xiao Xuan was, after all, the crown prince of a country, and he couldn't be with her every moment.

Thinking about it, she turned around to go back to the courtyard, but unexpectedly, the little eunuch took advantage of her inattention and tripped her to the ground.

With a thud, Wang Yuan landed heavily on the marble floor, the pain instantly shooting through her, making her feel like her whole body was about to fall apart.

The young eunuch made a move to help her up, and when his hands touched Wang Yuan's soft skin, he couldn't help but pinch it a couple more times.

"Miss Junzhu, how could you be so careless? If you break anything, His Highness won't like it..."

The young eunuch wore a kind mask, but his eyes held a cold and ruthless glint. The servants in the palace loved to fawn over the powerful and bully the weak. With such a punching bag around, they would certainly take advantage of him.

Sitting in the sedan chair, Xiao Xuan thought about what Ning Yin had told him yesterday about the abbot of Huguo Temple being a spy from Chu. He and Ning Yin shared the same idea: these spies within the Great Qi territory must be eradicated.

Therefore, he does not intend to expose him at present. He wants to turn the tables and find out who is behind the scenes and bring them all down in one fell swoop.

Shen Yun's successful prison break this time shows that these traitors have infiltrated the imperial court, so he has to be extremely cautious.

"Qingying, have you found the grandchildren of that old woman in the dungeon?"

After getting off the sedan chair, Xiao Xuan asked casually.

"Your Highness, they have been successfully rescued and are on their way to the palace. As soon as the old nanny sees them, she can identify Consort Chen as having plotted to harm the imperial heir. Even if she doesn't die, she will be sent to the Cold Palace."

"Hmph, being sent to the cold palace is worse than death..."

Xiao Xuan chuckled softly, lifted his robes, and strode into the study of Changxin Palace.

"Let that old bald monk in!"

Before long, the fake abbot of Huguo Temple, dressed in a red brocade robe and holding prayer beads in his hand, respectfully bowed to Xiao Xuan.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"No need for formalities..."

Xiao Xuan sat in the main seat, glancing at him indifferently, his eyes filled with a strange and gloomy light. This old bald monk was quite the actor, almost harming A Ning and his own child. If he didn't need to eradicate this group of thieves, he would probably have made this old man wish he were dead by now.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!