The old woman was convulsing in pain, screaming in agony, but she still refused to reveal the mastermind behind it all.

Xiao Xuan was afraid that the old nanny's voice would frighten Ning Yin and the child in her womb, so he ordered the eunuch to tightly gag the old nanny with a tattered rag and then throw her into the dungeon.

It doesn't matter if she doesn't speak; the Qingyu Guards in the East Palace dungeon have plenty of ways to torture people. Let's see how long the old nanny can keep her mouth shut.

Ningyin slept for an hour in her bedchamber. When she woke up, it was already dark. Suxin and Zhang Mama had been keeping watch outside the palace, just in case Ningyin felt unwell and they could quickly go in to take care of her.

Fortunately, Ningyin's appetite was not greatly affected during dinner. She still ate a bowl of sweet fermented rice balls, two red bean steamed cakes, several large pieces of braised pork, a small plate of green vegetables, and a bowl of fish head tofu soup.

Seeing Ning Yin's good appetite, Xiao Xuan's eyes sparkled with emotion.

There was a royal custom that if the ladies in the palace became pregnant, they would go to Huguo Temple to pray for a good luck charm for their unborn baby.

Xiao Xuan wanted Ning Yin and the child to be well and safe, so he planned to take Ning Yin to Huguo Temple in a few days.

A few more days passed peacefully, and on the day they were to leave the palace, Shen Yun, who was supposed to be executed in the autumn, suddenly disappeared from the death row.

He committed a heinous crime that would lead to the extermination of nine generations of his family. Apart from himself, Wang Shi, Shen Jia, and even Wang Yang's entire family would not escape punishment.

The reason for scheduling the executions after the autumn harvest was to have Shen Yun bring these people to justice.

However, the Wang siblings seemed to have vanished into thin air. No matter how many soldiers the imperial court sent to search, they could not find Shen Yun's family.

Now, things are even worse. We haven't caught the person, and even Shen Yun is nowhere to be found.

Xiao Xuan's dark and sinister eyes were incredibly deep. He clenched his fist, but ultimately did not tell Ning Yin about this.

However, he could roughly guess that the person who helped Shen Yun escape from prison was most likely a traitor from the State of Chu.

The carriages and horses were already prepared. Xiao Xuan received the news at the last minute. Although he was unhappy, he did not want to spoil Ning Yin's mood.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Xiao Xuan had three times as many guards on this trip.

There are over a thousand Qingyu Guards on the surface, and two to three thousand secret guards in the shadows.

The carriage was surrounded by metal partitions to prevent thieves from finding any loopholes.

Xiao Xuan and Ning Yin sat side by side. He put one arm around the woman's slender waist. Although the road was flat, the carriage moved very slowly in order to take care of Ning Yin.

“Ah Ning, I think it’s highly likely that Consort Chen was behind the old nanny’s incident last time. If we can get the evidence this time, I will make sure they never have a chance to recover.”

When Xiao Xuan spoke of Consort Chen, his eyes turned cold, and his features were filled with a terrifying murderous aura. He had no worries and no rivals now, so eliminating Xiao Ling and Consort Chen would be a piece of cake.

However, no matter what, if someone commits murder, they must find a plausible reason. As long as the old nanny identifies the perpetrator, Consort Chen will surely die.

He knew perfectly well that the old nanny endured the ten most cruel tortures by gritting her teeth and persevering, simply because Consort Chen had a weakness she could exploit.

What he needed to do was to quickly address the old woman's weakness.

About half an hour later, the extremely luxurious carriage stopped in front of Huguo Temple.

Xiao Xuan jumped off the carriage first, then carried Ning Yin directly down.

Su Xin and Granny Zhang followed behind, holding an umbrella for Ning Yin, as the sun was too strong and Ning Yin's skin was easily sunburned and developed rashes.

This time, the people did not know that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would be coming. In addition, the area around Huguo Temple was under the control of the Qingyu Guard, so there were no outsiders around.

The same abbot who had received them last time was already waiting at the gate. After bowing and greeting the two, Xiao Xuan led Ning Yin into the temple with the abbot.

Besides asking for a peace charm, Xiao Xuan also wanted to take Ning Yin for a walk under the persimmon tree, the place where they first met.

While Xiao Xuan was pondering, the abbot had already prepared amulets for Ning Yin and the child in her womb. These amulets could be worn close to the body.

Xiao Xuan helped Ning Yin up from the futon and personally hung the other one around her neck, while he carefully placed it inside his own clothes.

Ning Yin wanted to ask him why he didn't ask for a peace charm for her, but Xiao Xuan said that the royal child already had a peace charm before he was born, so there was no need to ask for a second one.

After the two left the main hall, the abbot's eyes suddenly changed from a kind expression to one of malice.

The next second, the abbot slipped into a secret room behind the Buddha statue.

“Master, I have tampered with the peace talisman. Even the most skilled healer would not know the secrets inside.”

After speaking, the man ripped off his mask, revealing an extremely ferocious and terrifying face.

"Fine, first take the lives of his woman and child, let him taste the pain of losing his beloved. I will settle this score with Xiao Xuan bit by bit!"

The woman above spoke in a stern tone, her entire body shrouded in a black cloak, revealing only a pair of sinister and ruthless pupils that gleamed with a cold light.

The man kneeling on the ground clasped his hands in a gesture of loyalty, saying, "Master, I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"

"Yes, you did a great job. All these years of training you have been worthwhile!"

…

Ning Yin and Xiao Xuan sat under the persimmon tree for a while, talking about some things from their childhood, and their memories were suddenly pulled back to ten years ago.

At that time, Xiao Xuan was thin and timid, with a very weak body, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

On the contrary, Ning Yin, who was two years younger than him, was a full head taller than him. Ning Yin was like a caring older sister back then.

She not only sang for Xiao Xuan, but also told him that he should try his best to get what he wanted.

Before leaving, she gave Xiao Xuan the sachet she had been carrying at her waist. It was this sachet that helped Xiao Xuan get through many nights plagued by nightmares.

Later, however, he fell seriously ill with a high fever, and the precious sachet disappeared without a trace.

Later, the image of that sweet and lovely little girl smiling in the afterglow of the setting sun would often appear in his dreams.

Xiao Xuan could never see the girl's face clearly, but the scent of the medicine was unforgettable for him.

This is why, the first time he smelled Ning Yin's hair in the breeze, he instantly lost control and became inappropriate.

It was a unique aura, a redemption for him, and a new life for him.

Xiao Xuan and Ning Yin sat side by side under the tree. She rested her head on the man's chest and gently comforted him, "So it turns out that what you told me about the hard times you had when you were a child was all true. I thought you were just making it up. Our fates have really been bumpy. But now we have each other and our child. From now on, the three of us will walk together!"