Father, who is both a heir and a descendant, is still biased; the bound system has gone berserk.

"Commanders, what has happened? And who are these two?" Yuan Fuhai looked hesitantly at the two refugees behind Sheng Dong and Ji Xi, as well as several guards from his residence.

With his keen eye, he naturally noticed that the two vagrants were treated with exceptional respect by the feint and the attack, and that they possessed an extraordinary air about them, unlike ordinary vagrants.

Sheng Dong said coldly, "Lord Yuan, these two are His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo. The Crown Prince and Princess Anguo were just killed by your manor's guards to silence them."

Yuan Fuhai was stunned.

The soldiers who had been brought back by feints and attacks were also bewildered.

The people they want to kill... are His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo?

Yuan Fuhai's vision went black. What... what on earth is going on?

After realizing what was happening, Yuan Fuhai hurriedly knelt down: "This old minister Yuan Fuhai greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo."

The Crown Prince said coldly, "Yuan Fuhai, you seem to have all the power in Yuzhou, yet you kill two refugees as you please, is that it?"

Yuan Fuhai raised his head, his face full of terror, "Your Highness, this old minister has been loyal to Your Majesty to the utmost!"

Although I am mediocre, I have done my best in Yuzhou over the years and would never dare to wantonly harm people.

"I will certainly investigate today's events thoroughly and provide His Highness the Crown Prince with an explanation."

Then, his gaze turned cold and sharp as he looked at the guards: "What exactly happened? Speak up now!"

The guards had been terrified upon hearing the Crown Prince's identity, and upon hearing this, they hurriedly began to chatter amongst themselves:

"Reporting to you, sir, it was Granny Zhou, who serves the Second Miss, who ordered a few of us to kill two refugees who were disturbing the soup kitchen. We... never expected it to be His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo!"

Yuan Fuhai's expression turned grave. He immediately turned around, gave his attendant a look, and ordered, "Go and investigate quickly."

The attendant clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and departed.

After saying that, he added, "Your Highness, would you and Princess Anguo like to bathe and change your clothes first?"

The Crown Prince said, "No need. I will wait here for Lord Yuan to investigate this matter and see who is trying to kill two refugees."

Yuan Fuhai broke out in a cold sweat. He cursed the person who did it in his heart as he said, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, Princess Anguo, please follow this old minister to the main hall and wait a moment."

Upon arriving at the main hall, Yuan Fuhai invited the Crown Prince and Ying Yufu to take their seats, while he sat to the side to accompany them.

Before long, the woman in pink who had been distributing porridge earlier came over.

She glanced in surprise at the two refugees seated high in the main hall, wondering what was going on between them.

She bowed respectfully, saying, "Granddaughter greets grandfather, and the two commanders..."

She glanced at the "two refugees" and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Yuan Fuhai quickly stood up and said, "Your Highness, Princess Anguo, this is my eldest granddaughter, her given name is Yingshuang."

"Yingshuang, why don't you hurry up and greet His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo?" Yuan Fuhai winked at Yuan Yingshuang.

Yuan Yingshuang's heart was filled with shock. These two refugees were actually the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo?

What Qiu Huan's cousin did in front of the soup kitchen earlier...

And then there's the second sister. Knowing her character, she would definitely have attacked these two, but here they are, perfectly fine...

Suppressing her unease, Yuan Yingshuang stepped forward respectfully, curtsied, and said in a gentle voice, "This humble woman, Yuan Yingshuang, greets His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo!"

She chose a perfect angle to bow, revealing her beautiful profile and fair neck to the prince.

Ying Yufu looked over and thought the girl was quite pretty.

She is gentle and quiet, truly a lady from a respectable family.

After waiting for a long time, the Crown Prince still didn't say that the formalities were off.

Ying Yufu couldn't help but turn her head to look at the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was like a gourd with a sawed mouth, staring blankly ahead, as if he hadn't seen Yuan Yingshuang at all.

Ying Yufu was quite puzzled.

But seeing that Yuan Yingshuang's body was trembling from bowing, she had no choice but to say, "Miss Yuan, you may rise."

Yuan Yingshuang couldn't help but glance at the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince seemed to have nothing in his eyes. She could only say, "Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you, Princess Anguo."

Yuan Yingshuang smiled gently and said, "At the porridge stall earlier, I was unaware of the identities of you two noble ladies and was quite impolite. I hope Your Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo will not take offense."

As she spoke, her eyes glanced at the Crown Prince almost imperceptibly. This time, she took a small step forward, and as she walked, a warm fragrance emanated from her body.

Ying Yufu blinked and sniffed lightly; the girl smelled quite nice.

The Crown Prince then stirred, and a smile flashed in Yuan Yingshuang's eyes. The Crown Prince had finally reacted!

The next moment, the crown prince suddenly opened his mouth—

"Achoo!"

The prince sneezed, his nose turning slightly red. He rubbed his nose and asked, "What's that smell?"

He looked very uncomfortable.

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Ying Yufu also looked worried, "Your Highness, are you... are you allergic to fragrances?"

Crown Prince: "Yes, somewhat!"

Yuan Yingshuang's expression changed, and after a moment, she took a step back and knelt on the ground with a thud, saying in a panic:

"Your Highness, please forgive me. It may be related to the sachet I was wearing. I was unaware that Your Highness is allergic to perfume. Please forgive me."

After saying that, she quickly took off the sachet from her waist and handed it to the maid behind her. "Yan'er, quickly take this sachet away and get rid of it. You don't need to prepare any more sachets for me in the future."

Her attitude truly moved the man.

However, His Highness the Crown Prince is a blockhead.

He pretended to be deaf again.

Yuan Yingshuang glanced at the Crown Prince again and again, but the Crown Prince only stared straight ahead, his eyes lifeless.

Ying Yufu: "Miss Yuan, please get up. It was an unintentional mistake, and His Highness the Crown Prince is not blaming you."

Yuan Yingshuang glanced at the Crown Prince again, confirming that he indeed ignored her. She then thanked Ying Yufu before getting up.

After getting up, she stood a little further away, her slightly furrowed brows.

It seems that this Crown Prince is not easy to approach.

Princess Anguo, on the other hand, seemed easier to talk to.

If all else fails, she will first try to get close to Princess Anguo.

Just then, Yuan Fuhai's attendant returned, accompanied by a large group of people.

Besides Fang Qiuhuan, Yuan Yingxue (the second young lady of the Yuan family), and her old nanny, the Second Prince and his entourage, as well as Shangguan Hong, also came.

The servant stepped forward and said, "My lord, I have brought Granny Zhou here."

Granny Zhou lowered her head and knelt down without saying a word as soon as she arrived.

Fang Qiuhuan and the woman in blue, who was also the second young lady of the Yuan family, Yuan Yingxue, turned pale.

Fang Qiuhuan, in particular, looked at the two people in the head seat, who were the two refugees.

She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "You—you are really His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo?"

"Qiu Huan, you mustn't be rude to His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo. Why aren't you bowing to them?"

Before the Crown Prince and Ying Yufu could speak, Yuan Fuhai immediately shouted out in rebuke.

Fang Qiuhuan looked at the two of them, biting her lip tightly, feeling extremely embarrassed.

A hint of resentment flashed in her eyes.

How did that woman, whom she regarded as a foot-washing maid, become Princess Anguo?

Seeing her act this way, the woman in blue, Yuan Yingxue, immediately stepped forward, lifted her skirt, and knelt down, while also pulling Fang Qiuhuan along.

Fang Qiuhuan was pulled down to her knees.

Yuan Yingxue said, "Your Highness, Princess Anguo, I did not know you were two noble people at the soup kitchen. I was very impolite and hope you will not take offense."

Seeing this, Fang Qiuhuan, though unwilling, had no choice but to apologize, considering the identities of the two men.

"Your Highness, Princess Anguo, I was unaware of your identities and have offended you greatly. I beg your forgiveness!"

As she spoke, she looked up at the two men and saw that although they were dressed as refugees, they had an extraordinary air about them and exuded a sense of oppression as they sat there.

A sudden sense of fear rose in her heart.

Neither Ying Yufu nor the Crown Prince intended to speak.

"Your Highness, this matter cannot be entirely their fault. You and Ying Yufu dressed up like this, whose fault is it?"

Princess Mingluan stepped forward, her brows furrowed, her face full of disapproval.

The crown prince gave her a cold look but said nothing.

Mingluan pursed her lips and said, "Could it be that my elder brother, the Crown Prince, intends to use his power to oppress others?"

Yuan Yingxue and Fang Qiuhuan both lowered their heads. A hint of joy appeared in Fang Qiuhuan's eyes. With Princess Mingluan speaking up for them, the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo would certainly not blame her.

"What a fine example of abusing power! Mingluan, kneel down!" The Crown Prince suddenly lowered his voice.

"Crown Prince, you—"

"What, are you going to disobey me?" The Crown Prince stared at Mingluan, his dark eyes filled with pressure. For a moment, Mingluan saw the shadow of her father in him.

The same majesty, the same fear.

Mingluan knelt down reluctantly. "Fine, I'll kneel then."

Cang Mingze frowned and stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness, Mingluan is still young. If she does anything to displease you, please don't hold it against her."

The Crown Prince glanced at him indifferently. "Didn't she say that I abused my power? Then I'll teach her what it means to abuse power. She'll kneel here today and won't get up."

"Crown Prince, my brother!" Mingluan looked at the Crown Prince in disbelief. How could he treat her like this!

Cang Mingze frowned, about to speak again, when Ying Yufu suddenly said, "Previously, when the Crown Prince and I disguised ourselves as refugees to get food from the soup kitchen, this Miss Fang would rather throw the food on the ground and trample on it than give it to us."

"And just now, His Highness the Crown Prince and I were assassinated by several guards from Lord Yuan's residence. Princess Mingluan arrived without asking any questions and immediately accused His Highness of abusing his power. I'm curious, where did Princess Mingluan get the idea that His Highness abused his power?"

Princess Mingluan looked up and glared at Ying Yufu resentfully, but was speechless.

Cang Mingze paused for a moment, then said, "Is that so?"

Yuan Yingxue lowered her eyes, her expression inscrutable.

Yuan Fuhai then said, "Your Highness, it is indeed true. Those guards have already confessed."

After saying that, Yuan Fuhai's brows furrowed, and he looked at Zhou Mama kneeling below, saying, "Zhou Mama, those guards said that you ordered them to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo?"

Granny Zhou trembled and kowtowed, saying, "Your Excellency, this old servant did not know that the two refugees were His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo."

The old servant only decided to kill the two refugees on his own because he saw them disturbing the soup kitchen and offending Miss Biao.

Although I serve the Second Miss, this matter has nothing to do with her. I did it without her knowledge, and I am ashamed of my trust in her!

This old servant knows he has committed a grave offense, and this old servant is willing to atone for his sins with his death!

Without saying a word, Zhou Momo finished speaking and spat out black blood.

She had actually taken poison beforehand.

As Zhou Momo's body slowly collapsed, lifeless, the atmosphere instantly became deathly silent.

After a moment, Zhou Fuhai stood up, knelt down, and said, "Your Highness, it is all my fault for failing to properly manage the servants in my household. I beg Your Highness to punish me for my lax management of my household!"

The Crown Prince and Ying Yufu looked at him, their eyes flashing with coldness.

That old fox!

He acted ruthlessly and decisively.

The Crown Prince said, "Even the most meticulous plans can have oversights. As the magistrate of Yuzhou, you are usually very busy, and it is inevitable that there will be times when you cannot attend to everything in your household. Get up, this matter is not your fault."

Yuan Fuhai was immediately filled with gratitude: "This old minister thanks Your Highness for not blaming me, but those guards truly deserve punishment. This old minister will punish them severely according to the rules of the manor!"

The crown prince nodded.

At this moment, Yuan Yingxue also said, "Your Highness, Princess Anguo, Zhou Mama is my daughter's personal nanny. Although the assassination was done by her on her own, my daughter is also responsible for failing to supervise her properly. I beg you two noble ladies to punish her."

The Crown Prince ignored her, so Ying Yufu said, "Since that Granny Zhou has confessed to Fuzhu, let's let this matter rest. Your Highness and I will not hold it against you."

Having said that, Yuan Yingxue quickly replied, "Yes, thank you, Your Highness, and thank you, Princess Anguo."

Yuan Fuhai quickly said, "Your Highness, Princess Anguo, although my residence is not as grand as the Emperor's, it is still quite beautiful. Would Your Highness and Princess Anguo please stay for a while?"

The Crown Prince said, "It's just right. When I came in with Anguo just now, I also thought your residence was quite nice, so I stayed here as you suggested."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Anguo. This old minister will host a banquet tonight to welcome you back!"

The Crown Prince and Ying Yufu both agreed.

Yuan Fuhai personally led the Crown Prince to his accommodations.

Ying Yufu, on the other hand, was led to her residence by the original young lady.

The male and female guests in the mansion naturally stayed separately, with the male guests in the courtyard on the east side of the mansion and the female guests in the courtyard on the west side.

When Ying Yufu arrived at her residence, she found that her room was right next to Princess Mingluan's.

Princess Mingluan arrived at that moment as well.

She looked coldly at Ying Yufu and said, "Without your Crown Prince brother protecting you, you'd better be careful tonight."

This Yuzhou is not like the capital. I've heard that bandits are rampant lately, and there are also womanizers who specialize in robbing women from the mansions of the powerful and wealthy.

Ying Yufu glanced at her, her face showing fear: "Really? That's terrifying, Princess Mingluan! You're a princess, you must be careful!"

Mingluan originally intended to annoy her, but instead she was disgusted by it.

Mingluan snorted coldly, "Ying Yufu, don't think that just because your elder brother, the Crown Prince, is protecting you, you'll be safe and sound."