At the Emperor's command, the entire Ruan family was arrested and taken to prison.
Midway through the journey, the Marquis of Dingjun's residence learned that its members had been impersonated and framed, and were almost implicated. They rushed over with a large group of officials to demand an explanation, but were dismissed by the Grand Prince.
Because of the "assassin incident" at the Chinese Academy, the students were dismissed early.
The Ninth Prince dismissed the other officials and led Yuan Yao through the Imperial Academy.
Once outside the corridor, the Ninth Prince said, "Come out."
A dark figure landed silently and knelt down without making a sound.
The Ninth Prince raised his foot and kicked the dark figure, sending it flying several meters away.
Only after the dark figure fell to the ground did Yuan Yao recognize it as the bodyguard who had saved her.
The Ninth Prince narrowed his eyes and said, "I asked you to protect the Princess, but you almost caused her to fall into the hands of the Ruan family. Do you know your crime?"
The guard clutched his chest, his deep voice becoming hoarse: "Please punish me, Master."
"Punishment is inevitable." The Ninth Prince opened his jade fan, glanced at Yuan Yao, and said, "Little Yao'er is afraid of blood, so turn around and cut off one of your fingers. If you make the same mistake again in the future, I will make you suffer unbearable pain!"
Without hesitation, the guard accepted the order and replied, "Yes."
A severed finger?
The ten fingers are connected to the heart; how painful would it be to lose one?
"Wait a moment!"
Yuan Yao released the hand of the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince looked down at her.
The guard also looked up at her.
Although his face was shrouded in a layer of black mist, Yuan Yao still knew that the expression beneath the mist must be one of confusion.
Yuan Yao took a breath, puffed out her cheeks, and said in a childish voice, "Daddy, can we change the punishment? If he breaks his finger, he won't be able to protect Yao'er."
Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince pinched the bun on her head: "He is a secret guard who has been trained since childhood. Even if he loses an arm, let alone a finger, he can still protect you."
“But I’ll feel insecure!” Yuan Yao sighed.
The little guy sighed and explained things in a very serious manner, which was quite adorable.
The Ninth Prince was amused: "Then tell me, how should Father punish him?"
Well...
Yuan Yao's eyes darted around: "Punish him...do a thousand push-ups with one hand!"
push-up?
The Ninth Prince's eyes flickered: "What is that?"
Yuan Yao was speechless.
Oops!
Perhaps the term "push-up" doesn't exist here?
But she's already said it, what should we do?
Well, I guess I'll just have to make something up!
Scratching the back of his head, Yuan Yao looked at the Ninth Prince and explained, "Push-ups are a new form of punishment I came up with!"
This push-up involves lying face down, with your toes and palms on the ground, keeping your shoulders, hips, and ankles in a straight line, and repeatedly doing push-up and push-down movements..."
As she spoke, she simply rolled up her sleeves and lay down on the ground to demonstrate.
With her short arms and legs supporting her weight, Yuan Yao said with difficulty, "I did it with both hands. If you do it with one hand, you only use one hand for support, like this..."
"puff……"
A not-too-loud laugh came from above her.
The Ninth Prince lightly waved his jade fan, looking at her with amusement: "Where did you learn this from?"
As soon as this was mentioned, Yuan Yao came up with an excuse.
Without a second thought, she got up from the ground and said with a bitter face, "Father doesn't know, but two nights ago I had a dream that I did something bad and was caught red-handed by Father. This is what I was punished with."
"Oh, really?" The Ninth Prince bent down and lifted her up. "So, in Xiao Yao'er's heart, Daddy is so fierce to you?"
“That’s right!” Yuan Yao chimed in, “The father in my dream was just too wicked!”
Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince covered his lips with his fan and smiled, his eyes narrowing: "You little dumpling, you really know how to climb up the pole."
She had no choice!
Yuan Yao opened her little arms: "Daddy, hug me."
The Ninth Prince picked her up with one hand and said to the guards, "Lie down and do what the princess just did ten times."
The guard obeyed the order, straightened his robes, and did ten push-ups in a standard posture.
The Ninth Prince looked him over and asked, "Are you tired?"
The guard shook his head: "Not tired, very relaxed."
easy?
The Ninth Prince lightly tapped his chin with his fan, pondered for a moment, and said to the guard, "You, stand on tiptoe, switch your palms to your elbows, lie down properly, and don't move unless I tell you to."
The guard responded and immediately adjusted his posture.
Yuan Yao took a look and exclaimed, "Good heavens, isn't this the 'plank exercise'?"
Doing this, where you can't move for a long time, is much more painful than push-ups!
The Ninth Prince was in high spirits. He ordered the eunuchs to light an incense stick, bring over chairs, and serve tea and snacks. He sat in the pavilion, enjoying his tea while observing the guards.
The small kitchen at the Chinese Academy even cooked rice porridge for Yuan Yao and brought it over.
The sun rose high in the sky, and the sunlight became a stark, blinding white.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the guards' sweat began to fall to the ground like a fine drizzle...
The Ninth Prince narrowed his eyes, a smile appearing on his face.
interesting.
After Yuan Yao finished drinking the rice porridge, she looked at the guard.
A cup of tea takes fifteen minutes.
For a normal person who exercises regularly, five minutes of planking is probably the limit.
The guard held out for a full fifteen minutes.
No, he had lasted at least five minutes before the incense was lit.
A full twenty minutes!
That's incredible physical fitness!
Yuan Yao jumped off the chair, walked to the guard, and said to the Ninth Prince, "Father, let him get up. He has held on long enough."
If we keep going like this, I probably won't even be able to lift my sword anymore. How will I protect her then?
However, the Ninth Prince looked at the guards and said, "Wait a little longer."
What are you waiting for?
“Okay.” Yuan Yao sat back down.
The huge courtyard was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard, along with the sound of the guards' sweat dripping onto the floor tiles.
One stick of incense was lit, then another…
When the fourth incense stick burned out, there was a "thud" as the guard finally gave way and fell to the ground, his abdomen exposed.
The Ninth Prince opened his jade fan and stood up: "An hour and a half is a little short."
The guard lay on the ground, barely able to get up, and too weak to even speak.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, dripping water without needing to be wrung out.
Seeing this, Yuan Yao said to him, "Don't lie there. Get up and do some stretching, move around a bit, and loosen up your limbs."
"yes……"
The guard gritted his teeth and struggled to get up from the ground.
In front of the Ninth Prince and Yuan Yao, he assumed a horse stance, his legs trembling, and began to practice his boxing.
Yuan Yao: "???"
stunned.
Does boxing stretch your limbs?
Yuan Yao was both annoyed and amused: "You're so stupid! Let me show you!"
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward.
At this moment, a young eunuch relayed a message: "Your Highness, the Marquis of Dingjun has arrived with his young master, saying they have come to apologize to the Princess."
Apologize?
The Ninth Prince smiled, his voice tinged with a chilling coldness: "Let them come over."
Then he said to the guard, "You, go back to the same position and lie down."
Bodyguard: "Yes..."
Upon seeing this, Yuan Yao immediately became excited.
Lin Xuan, that brat, is going to get punished!
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