Jiuyang was stunned.

Ever since being picked up by Sheng Xiyan, the little girl has felt nothing but kindness.

This sudden malice made Jiuyang feel dazed, as if he had returned to the past.

"Zhou Jingxun." Sheng Xiyan's heart was burning with anger, and he shouted, "Let go of your feet."

Zhou Jingxun's eyes revealed undisguised disgust and hatred.

If it weren't for Sheng Xiyan, how could he and Rou'er have ended up like this? !

He and Rou'er had always been fine, and they finally got to live together forever, all because of Sheng Xiyan! If Sheng Xiyan hadn't stopped Rou'er from passing on the throne, and Rou'er hadn't been upset with him because of it, they would have been able to get married long ago, and Qin Wei wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

Sheng Xiyan was targeting them everywhere and couldn't bear to see them doing well, all because she and Rou'er were in love with each other and she lost face!

When the Phoenix Fate event came out today, even though Zhao Yuanrou had not mentioned anything to him, Zhou Jingxun still instinctively felt that this was not accidental and was most likely the work of Zhao Yuanrou. Rou'er was fooled by Qin Wei, otherwise, with her intelligence, how could she not know that the Phoenix Fate event was not good for her and that if she was not careful, she might be regarded as a discarded child.

Zhou Jingxun wanted to persuade her, but he didn't know how. He was afraid that if he said too much, Zhao Yuanrou would be annoyed with him and leave in anger.

He was already upset, and when he saw Sheng Xiyan, all the new and old grudges came flooding back to his mind.

Zhou Jingxun stepped on the safety lock with his toes and completely flattened it. Then he sneered and turned away.

Sheng Xiyan handed Jiuyang's hand to Xigui, silently pulled out the whip from her waist, and without giving him any chance to react, she whipped him directly.

Zhou Jingxun was a martial artist. When he heard the whip sound, he turned around suddenly. The long black whip brushed past his shoulder, and the strong wind caused a slight pain on his face.

Zhou Jingxun raised his hand to his cheek and said angrily, "Sheng Xiyan, are you crazy?"

Sheng Xiyan chuckled and raised his hand to whip for the second time.

She moved quickly, without any hesitation.

Zhou Jingxun reached out his hand to grab it with disdain, but Sheng Xiyan pulled it back. He let go of his hand in pain. The sharp barbs left a deep bloody mark on his palm, and the blood dyed his right palm red.

Then came the third whip.

Each of these three whips is faster and more accurate than the previous one.

Zhou Jingxun was at the lakeside and could not retreat any further. The whip had barbs on it and he could not grab it, so he had to raise his arm to block it. As a result, the whip hit his arm mercilessly.

Zhou Jingxun groaned in pain.

The whip had many sharp barbs, and as it slashed across his arm, it easily tore off a large piece of his sleeve. Faintly, one could still see the blood marks on his arm left by the barbs.

Zhou Jingxun was so angry that he was about to attack Sheng Xiyan when a small stone came from nowhere and hit his knee. Although the stone was small, it was very powerful. His knee hurt and he fell to the ground.

Jiuyang was touching the dagger at his waist, ready to go up and help in case his sister was defeated.

This dagger was given to her by Jingle.

Jingle saw that Jiaoyang was carrying a heavy curved knife all day long, and was afraid that she would accidentally hurt herself if she lost control of it, so she found a dagger from the storeroom. This dagger was light and sharp, and in Jingle's words, it was perfect for a young girl to use for self-defense. Jingle also told her that if anyone dared to bully her, just stab them directly, because the Zhenbei Palace would back her up in everything.

Jiuyang's eyes were fierce, like a falcon ready to pounce, staring at its prey.

Zhou Jingxun supported himself on the ground with his hands and struggled to get up.

The two sides glared at each other, with swords drawn.

I heard that the left building was not very big, and the movement here quickly attracted the attention of others.

They rushed over to persuade them to stop fighting, but when they saw the bloodstains on Zhou Jingxun's body, they couldn't help but think of Yun Yangzi's prediction of a "bloody disaster".

It really works!

"This girl..."

Just as someone was about to speak, he recognized Sheng Xiyan.

The Sheng family has no status at all in the capital, but Sheng Xiyan is different. She is the fiancée of the King of Zhenbei, and once she gets married, she will be the Princess of Zhenbei.

I'm afraid there is no one here who is more noble than her.

When someone comes, you can't do anything in secret. Jiaoyang let go of the dagger at his waist with some disappointment.

Princess Qingyue strode over, glanced at them, and asked directly without wasting words: "Miss Shengda, what's the matter? Let's talk it over. Did I hear that Zuolou didn't entertain us well?"

At first glance, these words may sound insignificant, but she only asked Sheng Xiyan and did not ask Zhou Jingxun, which clearly shows her bias.

Qingyue is about the same age as Sheng Xiyan, and is the eldest daughter of Prince Cheng.

The Prince Cheng's Mansion is an old royal family in Darong. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, it was granted a hereditary title without any downgrade due to its great contributions. In fact, it is already five generations apart in terms of bloodline, and is quite marginalized in the court. Despite this, a prince is still a prince, and others will always give him more face.

I heard that the left building was the property of Prince Cheng's Mansion, and Zhou Jingxun and others were invited by Qingyue. To Qingyue, Sheng Xiyan's behavior of whipping people in public was a complete disrespect to her.

"Princess." Sheng Xiyan held the whip in her hand and said with a smile, "I am sorry to bother you and the princess with my personal grudge."

She didn't shy away from his gaze, and her expression was frank, clearly not feeling guilty about it. And she was taking care of a child, so it was impossible for her to whip someone in front of the child for no reason. With this thought in mind, everyone looked at Zhou Jingxun with a somewhat subtle look.

Zhou Jingxun covered his arm with his hands, blood was still oozing out, and his knee was in so much pain that he couldn't stand up straight, his face looked a little gloomy.

"Cousin Yan." Zhao Yuanrou also rushed over from the waterside pavilion upon hearing the news. She walked hurriedly, her skirt fluttering as she walked.

Zhao Yuanrou's gaze fell on Zhou Jingxun's arm, and a hint of shock and heartache was revealed in her eyes that was difficult to conceal.

No matter how much she hated Zhou Jingxun, she couldn't allow others to be so cruel to him!

"Cousin Yan," Zhao Yuanrou said in a cold voice, "You have always disliked me, that's fine, but why are you so aggressive? Prince Zhou has never offended you."

Zhou Jingxun stared at Zhao Yuanrou silently, feeling a surge of joy at being protected by the one he loved.

He remembered that when they proposed that day, although Rou'er was still angry with him, she rushed out from the inner courtyard when she heard that he was beaten by Qin Wei.

In fact, Rou'er has always had him in her heart.

Zhao Yuanrou took a step closer to Sheng Xiyan: "Cousin Yan, I have given in repeatedly, but you are still so stubborn. Don't blame me for no longer caring about our past friendship!"

Sheng Xiyan smiled and asked back: "What kind of relationship do we have?"

Qingyue gently pulled Zhao Yuanrou's sleeve, signaling her to calm down, cleared her throat, and said, "Miss Shengda, we have a rule in the left building. If anyone hears something going on in the left building, we will not receive them."

This is an unwritten rule in Tingzuolou.

Anyway, Prince Cheng's Mansion is a wealthy and powerful place, so they don't care whether they will offend their guests or not.

"Miss Shengda," Qingyue said proudly, "If you don't give face to Prince Cheng's Mansion, then please forgive me for not entertaining you in the left building."

Her words were like an order to expel the guest.

If this really happened in front of so many people and I was kicked out, you can imagine how humiliating it would be.

Some people felt that it was very inappropriate. On one side was the future Princess Zhenbei, and on the other side was the Princess of Chengwang Mansion and Zhao Yuanrou who had just been granted the "Phoenix Fate". It seemed that it would not be good to offend either side.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Qingyue then added, "Miss Shengda, your expenses today will be recorded in this princess's account." She looked generous.

Sheng Xiyan waited for her to finish her words, then spoke calmly: "Princess Qingyue..."

"elder sister."

Before she could say anything, Jiaoyang's eyes turned red and filled with crystal tears. She was born thin, and although she had gained some weight in recent days, she still looked delicate and petite, which made people feel sorry for her.

Sheng Xiyan was slightly surprised, then understood something and looked at her with gentle eyes.

"My peace lock..."

His handsome peach blossom eyes were slightly narrowed, and the tears in his eyes seemed like they would roll down his cheeks at any time.

She sobbed, and although her voice was unclear, everyone could still clearly hear the three words "safety lock".

They followed her gaze and immediately saw the flattened safety lock on the ground.

"He stepped on it. He did it on purpose."

Jiaoyang couldn't stop his tears from flowing down his cheeks. He raised his finger and pointed at Zhou Jingxun.

Even though she didn't explain it completely, everyone understood it and couldn't help but cast mocking glances at Zhou Jingxun.

Stepping on a child's safety lock is too vile. No wonder Miss Shanda couldn't help but whip him.

Jiaoyang clutched his handkerchief and sobbed, "He also said that I deserved it, because it was my fault that my sister and I didn't go to congratulate this sister."

Zhou Jingxun was stunned. Did he ever say this?

Jiuyang added: "Sister ignored her, so he stepped on my safety lock and broke it."

Jiuyang pursed his lips, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.

"My mother gave this to me."

Zhou Jingxun was simply dumbfounded, and subconsciously said, "I didn't."

He was the one who stepped on the safety lock. He was just angry and wanted to embarrass Sheng Xiyan and make her unhappy.

He didn't ask them to go and congratulate Rouer. He's not stupid.

Jiaoyang's eyes were filled with tears: "There are your shoe prints on the safety lock." What she meant was that it would be useless even if Zhou Jingxun denied it, even if what Zhou Jingxun denied was just a "congratulation".

At this point, Zhou Jingxun was simply speechless, and the looks cast upon him became even more complicated and disdainful.

Jiaoyang didn't stop talking, and continued: "My mother always said that people in the capital are very friendly. ... Sister, our northern border is still the best."

Her voice was quiet but with a tearful tone, as if she was chatting with Sheng Xiyan, but every word could be heard clearly.

What does it mean that Northern Xinjiang is good?

Considering her age and how close she is to Sheng Xiyan, could it be...

That Miss Chu who just returned to Beijing?

Everyone was shocked.

Miss Chu's return to the capital was a grand occasion. It was thought that after her return, the Zhenbei Palace would hold a banquet for everyone. However, after waiting for a long time, the Zhenbei Palace never sent an invitation.

Is this the Miss Chu in the legend?

Although Sheng Xiyan said that she was going to marry into the Zhenbei Palace, as long as she was not married, she was just a member of the Sheng family.

This Miss Chu was different. She was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Zhenbei Palace. She was asked to congratulate Zhao Yuanju? Not only did she not congratulate him, but she also stepped on her longevity lock? What kind of temper did Zhou Jingxun have?

To put it bluntly, it is still unknown whether Zhao Yuanrou's fate as a phoenix is ​​true or not. Even if it is true, as long as she has not become a "phoenix", she will never be as noble as Miss Chu.

From an angle that no one else could see, Jiuyang stared at Zhou Jingxun and Zhao Yuanrou expressionlessly.

Let him step on her safety lock! And dare to say bad things about my sister! These two people are equally hateful.

Sheng Xiyan smiled at her gently. She didn't say anything until Jiaoyang spoke up, letting Jiaoyang take charge. Anyway, no matter what happened, she would have her own back.

The child is smart and knows how to use her advantages.

Zhou Jingxun stepped on Jiaoyang's safety lock. It was not appropriate for him to say this. The safety lock was worthless. If he whipped him, anyone would think that he was unreasonable. If he repeatedly argued about the meaning of the safety lock, it would be even worse.

The same thing is different for Jiaoyang.

Qingyue's face was filled with embarrassment. She had just been defending Zhou Jingxun, but now she felt even more embarrassed.

She endured it again and again, and said in a conciliatory way: "Prince Zhou, you stepped on Miss Chu's safety lock and broke it, so you should apologize to Miss Chu."

Zhou Jingxun: “…”

Not only did he get whipped, but he also had to pay compensation?

This is not just a matter of making amends. If he really makes amends, wouldn't he have to admit that what the girl surnamed Chu said is true? !

So what if it's the Zhenbei Palace? There's no reason for it to be so confusing!

It's not that he really can't afford to offend.

Zhou Jingxun said, "It was this prince who accidentally stepped on the safety lock and broke it. This one hundred taels of silver is considered as compensation."

He said "accidentally", then took out a banknote from his sleeve pocket, threw it on the ground, and snorted, "That's enough."

Sheng Xiyan grasped the whip again and asked calmly, "Doesn't Prince Zhou think he's wrong?"

Zhou Jingxun sneered back.

Qingyue's face was a little stiff. Zhou Jingxun was her guest, but Sheng Xiyan was unyielding, which made it clear that he didn't take her seriously.

Qingyue hesitated for a moment, and then pretended to be fair and said, "It was the fault of the prince Zhou to accidentally break Miss Chu's safety lock. Miss Sheng, you should not listen to Zuolou's private punishment. Since Miss Sheng feels that the prince Zhou's sincerity in apologizing is not enough, I can only let you two down and leave together."

She was effectively issuing two orders of expulsion at the same time, one to Zhou Jingxun and one to Sheng Xiyan.

Qingyue felt that she had saved some face, and said gracefully, "Miss Shengda, please." She paused, and then said, "I will go to the Zhenbei Palace in person tomorrow to explain this matter to Princess Jingle."

She acted as if she was treating the matter fairly and made a gesture of request to Sheng Xiyan.

Sheng Xiyan had no intention of backing down: "Today, if Prince Zhou does not sincerely apologize for his mistakes, no one can think about this matter anymore."

To others, this may be just a small matter.

Such a safe lock is not worth much money.

But for Jiuyang, this peace lock is very special.

Jingle had kept this for more than ten years, and she didn't even let Jiang Yuanyi wear it when he was a child. To Jiuyang, this was unique to her and as precious as her little blanket.

It is definitely not something that can be brushed aside in a few words.

"Miss Shengda, do you really want to cause trouble here?" Qingyue's face turned cold.

Sheng Xiyan smiled slightly: "It's okay if you don't have to apologize. Just let me whip you three more times and the matter will be written off. Don't worry, Princess. I will pay for the medical expenses and won't make it difficult for you."

She took a silver ingot and threw it casually. The silver ingot rolled over the silver bills on the ground and rolled to Zhou Jingxun's feet.

Qingyue couldn't save face and said coldly, "Miss Shengda, do you think you can make the decision for the Zhenbei Palace?"

Sheng Xiyan was only engaged to the Zhenbei Palace, and Qingyue's words were meant to say that Sheng Xiyan was overstepping her authority.

"I don't know whether Miss Shengda can make decisions for the Zhenbei Palace, but she can make decisions for the Dongchang to some extent."

As soon as this sharp voice came out, everyone shuddered.

East Factory!

The word alone is enough to send chills down one's spine.

Everyone subconsciously looked towards the sound.

This young man in a green robe had an ordinary appearance and brought only four people with him. He looked like an ordinary nobleman. However, his voice and his beardless face were enough to prove his identity.

Sheng Xiyan smiled and nodded. Of course he recognized this man. He was just following Xiao Shuo and pouring tea for him. His surname seemed to be Wu.

"This eunuch." Qingyue was shocked and reluctantly went to greet him, "You are here..."

No one in the capital city is willing to deal with Dongchang. Qingyue doesn't even know when the Dongchang guys came, not to mention that his intention is clearly to make the decision for Sheng Xiyan!

Eunuch Wu said with a fake smile: "Look, what's going on? Are you all here to bully Miss Shengda? You are bullying us because there is no one left in the East Factory."

How dare you! How dare you! Everyone was busy forcing smiles.

Who dares to bully the Dongchang factory because there is no one there?

No! How did the girl from Shengda get involved with Dongchang? She even asked the father-in-law from Dongchang to come and support her!

Everyone looked at Sheng Xiyan in shock, feeling that his brain was not enough.

Sheng Xiyan was actually a little confused.

She dared to confront Zhou Jingxun with Xiao Jiaoyang because she knew that with the distance between the restaurant and the garden, Chu Yuanchen would definitely be able to see them.

The stone that just hit Zhou Jingxun's knee certainly couldn't have been blown by the wind. Sheng Xiyan understood that there must be someone around them and they would not suffer any loss.

Sheng Xiyan originally thought that the person coming would be Chu Yuanchen, but she didn't expect it to be this Eunuch Wu?

Could it be that Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo actually have other intentions?

Sheng Xiyan thought quickly in her mind, and put on an unfathomable look on her face.

"Prince Zhou, please come with our family." Eunuch Wu said in a sarcastic tone.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at Zhou Jingxun with sympathy. No one dared to plead for mercy, not even a word.

How unlucky Zhou Jingxun must be to be targeted by Dongchang. Is it just because he offended Sheng Xiyan?

When they looked at Sheng Xiyan again, everyone's eyes were filled with awe, and some people secretly felt lucky that they did not speak rashly just now.

"What a joke." Zhou Jingxun swallowed his saliva and said in a strong but weak tone, "Do you really think that this prince is afraid of you Dongchang?"

"Don't be afraid, Prince Zhou." Eunuch Wu said with a smile, "As long as Prince Zhou comes with us, that's all."

Eunuch Wu gave a signal, and his men immediately stepped forward to subdue Zhou Jingxun.

The Dongchang bandits had their own ways of capturing people, and before Zhou Jingxun could even put up a fight, their hands were like pliers, tightly clasping his shoulders.

Not only did Zhou Jingxun become paralyzed all over, he was in so much pain that he couldn't even speak. Cold sweat kept rolling down his forehead. In this cold winter, he felt like he had just been pulled out of the water.

"Jingxun!" Zhao Yuanrou covered her lips with her hands and blurted out softly.

Initially, she had kept silent when she saw that Zhou Jingxun was not at a disadvantage, but now... Sheng Xiyan was going too far! She had to make a big deal out of a small matter just for a safety lock.

"Princess." Eunuch Wu had no intention of giving up and asked in a good-tempered manner, "Just now, the princess said that anyone who heard the trouble in the left building should be driven out. The princess also wants to drive us out?"

Qingyue's pupils shrank slightly, and she trembled as she said, "I dare not."

She dared to yell at Sheng Xiyan because she was a princess, and Sheng Xiyan had not yet married, had no imperial title, and was just an ordinary court lady. But she did not dare to be dissatisfied with Eunuch Wu, and she could only suppress all her dissatisfaction in her heart, not daring to say a word.

"I am rude." Qingyue was flexible. She bowed to Sheng Xiyan and said with difficulty, "I hope Miss Sheng will forgive me."

Eunuch Wu smiled and said, "We have heard that the left tower of Prince Cheng's mansion is very elegant. Today I see that it is no different."

Qingyue didn't dare to say anything.

Others were also afraid to speak.

Then, Eunuch Wu continued, "Our governor said that the left floor is too noisy. What's the matter with Feng Ming or not? If you want to perform a play, go somewhere else and stop making noise. It disturbs our governor's meal."

Everyone was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat. So, Governor Xiao was here too?!

Eunuch Wu waved his hand and said, "Take it away."

"Wait!" Zhao Yuanrou tried to stop them, "Where are you taking them?!"

"Of course, please go to Dongchang for a drink. Does Miss Zhao want to come with us?"

Zhao Yuanrou was startled by Eunuch Wu's sinister expression.

Zhao Yuanrou clenched her fists and did not back down. Instead, she took a half step forward and questioned, "Does Dongchang take people without regard for the law? What crime did Prince Zhou commit?"

"As for making trouble, my cousin Yan has also made trouble. If we need to arrest them, it would be fair to arrest them together."

Zhao Yuanrou held her head high. She did not back down because she was facing the Dongchang. She looked straight at the other party and said, "If the Dongchang does this, I will not give up even if they beat the drum of denunciation."

"Da Rong also has the Da Rong Law, so we should also follow the law!"

"Miss Zhao!" Qingyue frowned secretly and pulled Zhao Yuanrou's sleeve from behind, secretly blaming her for being nosy.

Talking about the law with the Dongchang is simply crazy!

"Miss Zhao." She reminded quietly, "The Governor is here too."

Her original intention was to remind Zhao Yuanrou to stop, and Xiao Shuo was also there.

Zhao Yuanrou smiled faintly, revealing a bit of coldness and arrogance, and said: "Yes, Governor Xiao is here too. Governor Xiao tolerated his subordinates' recklessness so much, shouldn't he also reflect on himself?"

Everyone silently took a few steps back, moving further and further away from her.

The saying of "Phoenix Fate" had originally made Zhao Yuanrou the center of attention, and some people even came to try to curry favor with her, but now...

It doesn’t matter whether it’s the life of the phoenix or not, saving your life is more important!