Chapter 135: Is the Crown Princess Satisfied with My Service?

Master Xie’s eyes flickered for an instant.

He was feeling guilty.

“This concerns the Ministry of Justice’s case,” Xiao Ji saw through him at a glance and refused coldly, “This palace cannot interfere.”

Besides, Xiao Ji trusted that Pei Chen was not someone who acted recklessly. If he had taken such action, there must be a reason.

“Your Highness…”

Master Xie was about to press further when Xiao Ji’s icy gaze fell upon him.

Seeing the Crown Prince and Xie Yao dressed all in white, Master Xie belatedly remembered what day it was today. Though unwilling, he had no choice but to swallow his words.

“I only beg that Your Highness speak a word with the Ministry of Justice and that this matter not spread. It concerns Ru’er’s reputation.”

Master Xie’s manner looked exceedingly humble.

But Xie Yao only regarded him with cold eyes.

She was his daughter too, yet Master Xie had never once considered her in such a way.

Fortunately… she didn’t need him to.

Xiao Ji gave no answer, only signaled the steward to send the guests away.

Lady Qingqing grew anxious, but unable to withstand Master Xie’s warning glance, she had no choice but to follow unwillingly behind him.

No sooner had they left than her muttering drifted back inside, “The dignified Crown Princess, but she can’t even save her own younger sister, what use is she at all…”

Zhuqing sneered coldly and strode out, deliberately raising her voice so it carried clearly inside.

“Go and tell the gatekeepers, don’t let just any stray cats or dogs wander into the Crown Prince’s residence again.”

Lady Qingqing’s nose nearly twisted crooked with anger, this was plainly scolding her by name!

But no matter how furious she was, she could do nothing.

She might be the birth mother of Xie Jing and Xie Yuru, but in the Xie family she was only a concubine; her ties to the Crown Prince’s household could hardly be called close.

Zhuqing’s words… were not wrong.

Lady Qingqing’s face went pale. The moment she stepped out of the Crown Prince’s residence, she flung herself straight into Master Xie’s arms.

“Husband, I am at least the Crown Princess’s stepmother, and yet she allows her servants to insult me so…”

With tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain, she clung to his arm, sobbing pitifully. “It is all my fault. If I hadn’t admired Husband, following you without name or title… I would not have suffered such humiliation today. Wuu wuu wuu…”

Master Xie looked at the woman in his arms; graceful in figure, weak in temperament, foolish yet devoted only to him and pulled her close.

“Don’t fret, Qingqing. One day, I will see you avenged.”

Her sobs halted, her eyes lifting to him, shining with hope. “Does Husband mean it?”

Thinking of a piece of news he had recently learned, a cold light flashed in Master Xie’s eyes. “When have I ever deceived you?”

Lady Qingqing instantly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and smiled through them. “But the Crown Princess is also Husband’s daughter. Can you truly bear it?”

Master Xie clasped her hand firmly. “In my heart, only the son and daughter born between us are my true children.”

Then he ordered aloud, “Go to the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate.”

Since the Crown Prince’s side was a dead end, he would go seek out the Marquis of Zhenbei.

But Master Xie was fated to waste the trip.

No sooner had they departed than Pei Chen arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence. He entered carrying a chill, picked up a teacup, and drained it in one gulp.

Xiao Ji asked, “What happened?”

Pei Chen’s voice was cold. “A few days ago I had people check the accounts at the Arsenal Bureau and found discrepancies.”

“Someone was filing false reports of scrap materials, forging extra weapons, and secretly transporting them away. Yesterday I got word of one participant and kept watch all night.”

“I was just about to seize him, when—”

Pei Chen was truly enraged!

“Your Highness, I was wrong.” He sighed. “I had never taken this Third Lady Xie seriously. Now I see, I underestimated women.”

Useless in everything, but first in causing trouble!

Xiao Ji sighed helplessly. “These people must be extremely cautious. Now that he’s been startled off, it will be hard to catch him again.”

Pei Chen gave a cold snort. “The only way to catch him now is in the underworld.”

“This man had barely escaped the encirclement for half an hour before he turned up dead in the moat.” Pei Chen’s voice was frigid. “They silence their own people quickly enough.”

Xiao Ji understood completely.

No wonder Pei Chen was so furious.

A lead as solid as iron, almost in his grasp was ruined by Xie Yuru, leaving the trail cut off for good…

Pei Chen drew a deep breath and said, “I know it puts Your Highness in a difficult position. I’ll release Third Lady Xie when I return.”

After all, she was the Crown Princess’s younger sister…

“What difficulty?” Xiao Ji raised a brow and looked at him. “Even a prince who breaks the law should be punished like common folk.”

“The Marquis of Zhenbei should simply act according to the law.”

Pei Chen hesitated. “But the Crown Princess…”

Xiao Ji’s eyes sharpened instantly. “This is also my Crown Princess’s will.”

He was staking his claim.

Pei Chen did not understand, only finding the Crown Prince a little strange. “Yes, Your Highness.”

After sending him off, Xiao Ji returned to the main courtyard.

Xie Yao had already bathed and was drying her hair, the room filled with a warm fragrance.

He washed his hands, came to her side, and took the towel from Zhuqing’s hands, carefully drying her long, soft black hair.

Sensing the change in pressure, Xie Yao opened her eyes and saw Xiao Ji’s focused expression. She reached up, hooking his sleeve with her fingers, her voice soft and sweet, “Your Highness.”

After bathing, she was dressed in loose sleeping robes. At her lifted arm, the sleeve slipped down, revealing her slender, dazzlingly pale arm.

Xiao Ji’s gaze softened. After finishing drying her hair with gentle movements, he asked, “Is the Crown Princess satisfied with her husband’s service?”

Xie Yao pretended to think seriously for a moment, and then answered, “Not bad.”

“Reward me then.”

“And what reward does Your Highness want?” she teased, already knowing from his look what he had in mind.

Leaning closer, she kissed his cheek. “Is that enough?”

Xiao Ji shook his head. “Not enough.”

She glared at him. “Your Highness is far too greedy.”

Sweeping her into his arms, he laid her on the bed. “The Crown Princess’s reward will be saved up for later.”

Tonight was not the time.

He kissed her softly before going to bathe.

—–

The next morning.

No sooner had Xie Yao awoken than Zhuqing hurried inside, her expression grim. “Your Highness, something terrible.”

“Third Lady did not return to the Xie family last night. The news has spread throughout the capital.”

Xie Yao drew a deep breath. “Explain.”

A woman spending the night out, such rumors would be foul beyond imagining. If it concerned only Xie Yuru, that was one thing.

But she and Xie Yujiao were both daughters of the Xie family, and they would both be tainted.

By rights, whether it was herself, Madam Zhang, or Lady Qingqing, all should have suppressed this matter.

Not to mention His Highness and the Marquis of Zhenbei, the story should never have leaked.

“It was Lady Qingqing,” Zhuqing said. “She spoke ill of you to the wives of your father’s colleagues. In the midst of her talk she slipped up, saying… Third Lady went to find the Marquis of Zhenbei, and never came home all night…”

Xie Yao: “……”

How could anyone truly be so stupid?