Pang Xiao naturally kept his eyes and ears open to everything around him. When someone behind them focused their gaze on him and Li Helan, he had already sensed that their every move was under observation.

His mind rapidly calculated who the observer might be. He respectfully bowed to Li Helan and said seriously: “Princess Imperial, please conduct yourself with dignity.”

“Dignity?” Li Helan saw Pang Xiao’s attitude and finally felt despair. She looked up at him in a daze, tears streaming down her face: “All these years, all I’ve thought about is growing up to marry you. If you had no feelings for me, why didn’t you refuse when Mother and Imperial Brother were joking about us back then? If you had refused early on, would I, Li Helan, be someone who shamelessly entangles herself with others? You gave me hope, you made my entire growing-up dream filled with you, and now you’re backing down! Pang Zhixi, are you even a man!”

“Since the Princess Imperial says it was a joke, why take jokes seriously? Moreover, this Pang has never had any interaction with the Princess Imperial. You and I are not acquainted. Princess Imperial, please watch your words.” Pang Xiao frowned and stepped back several paces. Behind him, Huzi inconspicuously wrote the character “North” on his left palm, which was clasped behind his back.

Pang Xiao immediately understood – the person secretly watching them was Ji Zeyu!

Ji Zeyu couldn’t possibly be passing by coincidentally; someone must have tipped him off!

Princess Imperial An’yang was already betrothed to Ji Zeyu and would marry him soon. Even if Ji Zeyu had no feelings for An’yang, any man seeing his soon-to-be wife entangling herself with another man – especially when that man was his good friend – would surely feel uncomfortable.

Among Great Zhou’s military generals, north and south were represented by him and Ji Zeyu respectively.

If the two of them were intimately united, as long as they joined forces, it would be an earth-shaking matter of dynastic change. How could the Emperor allow them to continue being brothers? That’s why schemes to sow discord kept emerging endlessly.

Pang Xiao could understand the Emperor’s methods but couldn’t let go of his resentment or forgive them.

His back molars ground together with a creaking sound. It seemed that from the moment An’yang first came to his mansion looking for him, he and Ji Zeyu had unknowingly stepped into a trap – and this matter was an unsolvable deadlock!

Ji Zeyu couldn’t possibly defy the imperial edict to refuse the marriage. An’yang would definitely become his wife, and how could a man of spirit tolerate his wife harboring feelings for another?

At this moment, Pang Xiao felt that no matter what he did, it would be wrong, and anything he did would cause Ji Zeyu to misunderstand. This was the brilliance of His Majesty’s scheme – no matter how clearly they understood the situation in their hearts, they would inevitably misunderstand each other and develop grudges.

But was Pang Xiao someone who could be molded and shaped at will like a soft persimmon?

Even if misunderstandings would inevitably arise, he absolutely wouldn’t meekly swallow this hidden loss! Even if he had to suffer losses, he would do so magnificently, making everyone know he had suffered them!

With this thought, Pang Xiao’s words became less courteous.

“The Princess Imperial must have caught a chill and is speaking nonsense due to high fever clouding her mind. If the Princess Imperial is ill, she should see the imperial physicians. It would be better not to wander about outside.”

“What did you say! I’m not ill! I’m not speaking nonsense either! Pang Zhixi! If you’re not man enough to admit it, then just say you don’t dare – why blame everything on me! Saying I’m ill? Ha! I’m very clear-headed now! Clearer than ever before!”

“Being clear-headed yet still acting like a shrew throwing tantrums means your etiquette wasn’t learned well. His Majesty is busy with court affairs, and Her Majesty the Empress is occupied managing palace matters – has this delayed the Princess Imperial’s education? This prince, as His Majesty’s sworn brother, counts as half a brother to the Princess Imperial. This matter absolutely cannot be allowed to continue with the Princess Imperial’s nonsense, ruining proper conduct and losing the imperial family’s dignity.”

Pang Xiao’s face darkened as he instructed He Xiang and the other palace attendants behind Li Helan: “Help the Princess Imperial into her carriage. This prince will personally escort the Princess Imperial to see His Majesty!”

“You, you actually dare say I lack proper conduct!”

“You have proper conduct?” Pang Xiao sneered coldly. “I’ve never seen a properly brought-up young lady from a good family disregard her future husband’s reputation to block people in the street and throw tantrums! You don’t want dignity, but His Majesty still wants the imperial family’s reputation, and Third Brother still needs to preserve his dignity! Princess Imperial, please get in the carriage. Don’t force me to speak even more harshly!”

Pang Xiao was a ruthless character who wouldn’t blink when beheading enemies on the battlefield. Now, in his fury, his full majesty was displayed. That bloodthirsty dominance made all of Li Helan’s hair stand on end. No matter how defiant she felt, out of awe for the strong and fear of danger, she couldn’t help but shrink back.

Li Helan said with false bravado: “The one who needs to learn proper conduct is you, Pang Zhixi! You’re merely a prince who’s currently idle at home without even an official position – where do you get the dignity to lecture this princess!”

Pang Xiao’s expression grew even colder, his phoenix eyes brewing with dark anger and an approaching storm.

Only after finishing her tirade did Li Helan feel regret. After all, men valued dignity, and the reason Pang Xiao currently had no official position was because her imperial brother wouldn’t give him one.

Could it be that Pang Xiao was distancing himself from her because Imperial Brother wasn’t promoting him?

Just as Li Helan was wildly imagining several possibilities for herself, He Xiang and several palace attendants had already approached. They prepared a stepping stool for boarding the carriage and forcibly helped Li Helan into it.

Even after getting in the carriage, Li Helan continued to struggle until her maids pressed her down to quiet her.

Pang Xiao mounted his horse with a dark expression. Not bothering to look at residences anymore, he had Xie Yue return to the mansion first and took only Huzi to “escort” Li Helan back to the palace all the way, like having caught a misbehaving child and marching them to see their parents.

Throughout the entire incident, Pang Xiao never once looked back at Ji Zeyu, acting as if he didn’t know he had come.

Xie Yue was also very tactful. Watching the direction Pang Xiao’s group departed, he sighed while talking to himself as he backed away, then walked up the steps with his head lowered, muttering as he returned to the prince’s mansion.

Looking at the trampled, dirty snow in front of the mansion gates, Ji Zeyu’s face, like an ice sculpture, showed no expression, nor could any joy or anger be seen in his eyes. He turned around and mounted his horse.

Seeing Ji Zeyu like this, his attendants couldn’t help but fall silent. For a fiancée to entangle herself with one’s good brother before marriage – if this matter spread, it would be utterly humiliating. Who knew if there was already a green cloud hanging over his head! The attendants absolutely didn’t dare say half a word, nor did they dare speculate what emotions were hidden beneath Ji Zeyu’s seemingly calm facade. They could only lower their heads and follow behind.

After Xie Yue returned to the mansion, he immediately changed from his previous expression of regret and confusion, rushing toward Suxue Garden like flying.

Qin Yining was teaching Lian Xiaozhou to read characters. Hearing the announcement from outside, she quickly set down her brush, had Lian Xiaozhou practice on her own first, and went out to meet him.

“Master Xie, what has happened to make you so urgent?”

Xie Yue cupped his hands toward Qin Yining: “Miss Qin, originally today His Highness was going to look at a newly found residence, but who would have thought that just as we exited the mansion gates, we encountered the Princess Imperial…”

Xie Yue carefully recounted everything that had just happened at the gates to Qin Yining, finally adding: “The Marquis of Dingbei was hiding at the corner at that time and saw everything clearly. Who knows what he’ll think. His Highness cleverly positioned himself as a sworn brother and is now escorting the Princess Imperial back to the palace to see His Majesty.”

Qin Yining frowned in thought for a moment, then smiled and shook her head: “You needn’t worry. His Highness should be able to escape this matter unscathed. His Majesty won’t do anything to His Highness.”

“Oh?” Xie Yue asked, “Why do you say so?”

“Because His Highness left you at the mansion, and this incident happened in broad daylight with many witnesses – finding eyewitnesses would be far too easy. If Princess Imperial An’yang doesn’t want to bear the reputation of being an unchaste woman of loose morals and stain the imperial family’s dignity, then His Majesty cannot pursue this matter. Even when facing His Highness’s questioning, His Majesty will only push the blame onto the Princess Imperial and will properly educate her.”

Xie Yue smiled and nodded: “You’re absolutely right. To sow discord between His Highness and the Marquis of Dingbei, His Majesty truly stops at nothing. That also explains why His Highness seized their weakness. His Majesty is someone who values face and absolutely won’t allow this matter to spread. It’s just that the situation with the Marquis of Dingbei is truly difficult to handle.”

Speaking of this, Xie Yue shook his head helplessly and sighed: “His Majesty’s planning is thorough. The original intent of this matter was to create a rift between His Highness and the Marquis of Dingbei. Perhaps that goal has already been achieved.”

“The imperial heart is truly unfathomable. Once someone truly sits in that position, in order to preserve what they possess, they inevitably lose some things.”

Qin Yining slowly paced to the window and pondered for a moment before saying: “At this point, we can only hope that the Marquis of Dingbei is a perceptive person.”

“The Marquis of Dingbei is extremely intelligent and wouldn’t fail to know that His Majesty deliberately arranged for him to see this.” Xie Yue said, “But even so, as a man, he absolutely won’t tolerate such things. This is where His Majesty’s brilliance lies.”

Qin Yining nodded in agreement, feeling that Pang Xiao’s current situation was truly very difficult. In the past in Great Yan, seeing Pang Xiao’s unlimited glory, in reality he was being roasted over fires – and not just one fire at that.

If she wanted to be with Pang Xiao and live a peaceful life together, she must do her utmost to strategize for him without a moment’s relaxation.

“Miss.” Just then, a maid’s voice came from outside the door.

“What is it?” Qin Yining went to the door and lifted the warm curtain.

Qian Yun bowed in the corridor: “Miss, someone has come to report that Old Madam Qin and Second Madam Qin have come to visit. They’ve also brought your three maids with them.”

Qin Yining was startled and looked back at Xie Yue.

Xie Yue was also quite surprised: “We knew that people from your household had arrived at the guest lodge, but there had been no news. Unexpectedly, they’ve come calling today.”

Qin Yining pondered for a moment: “Please trouble Master Xie to meet my grandmother and second aunt on my behalf. Tell them that I’m currently under house arrest by His Highness and it’s inconvenient for me to go out. My three maids are respectively named Bingtang, Qiu Lu, and Ji Yun. If the names match, please trouble you to bring them to see me.”

“Miss doesn’t plan to see the household’s Old Madam?”

Qin Yining shook her head: “The Old Madam is accustomed to pursuing profit above all else. I want to see what she intends to do. Besides, I’ve currently been abducted by His Highness – how could I move about freely?”

Xie Yue nodded in understanding. Qin Yining wanted to see whether, after learning of Qin Yining’s current tragic circumstances of being kidnapped, Old Madam Qin would still consider her as family.