After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

After she finished speaking, she turned and left, taking Zhang Mama and the two old women with her. She didn't even glance at the Lady Hou again, and walked straight towards the gate of the mansion.

Granny Cui hurriedly chased after her, wanting to explain, but was forced back by Granny Zhang's cold glare.

"Princess, this...they're leaving already?" Granny Cui rushed back to the Lady of the Marquis's side in a panic.

Lady Hou leaned against a pavilion pillar, her lips trembling with anger. The flower-viewing banquet she had meticulously prepared was meant to create an opportunity for her son and the Princess of Qinghe, but it had turned into this mess. The Princess of Qinghe had stormed off without even a word, a slap that landed squarely on Lady Hou's face.

"That wretched child!" Lady Hou cursed through gritted teeth, though it was unclear who she was cursing. She watched Xie Yun help Afu leave, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Madam, what should we do now? The county princess is gone, and what about the eldest princess..." Granny Cui was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"What can we do!" Lady Hou abruptly flung her sleeve. "Go, tell everyone below to keep their mouths shut! Anyone who dares to utter a single word about what happened in the pavilion today will be beaten to death and their entire family sold off!"

Her chest heaved violently; she had utterly lost face today.

The banquet ended hastily.

In the evening, Xie Xun returned home from Dali Temple.

Several suicides have inexplicably occurred in the Dali Temple prison today. He stayed at the yamen with some colleagues to review the cases, which took some time.

He first went to the male guests in the front courtyard. The banquet had long since ended, leaving only a few young men who were old friends of the Marquis's family, still drinking tea and chatting. Xie Xun went over to greet them, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then went straight back to Shi'an Courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet.

When Yunxi saw him return, she quickly came to greet him and serve him.

Xie Xun unfastened the sword from his waist and casually asked, "Where's Afu?"

At this time of day, she would usually be either organizing his books in the small study or checking the accounts in the courtyard under the lamp.

Yunxi's expression was somewhat unnatural, and she lowered her head, saying, "Miss Afu... hasn't come back all afternoon."

Xie Xun paused in his change of clothes, and was about to ask Changsong to inquire when a series of hurried footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

The maidservant beside Lady Hou lifted the curtain, and Lady Hou walked in with an angry and weary expression.

"So you finally decided to come back?" She dismissed everyone as soon as she entered, her voice brimming with barely suppressed anger. "I told you to return home today, but you ignored me completely! Do you know how long the Princess of Qinghe has been waiting for you all afternoon?!"

Xie Xun hung his official robes on the hanger, his expression indifferent: "Mother, I said long ago that I am not suitable for the county princess."

"What's wrong with her?" Upon hearing this, Lady Hou became even more furious. "Family background, appearance, character—in what way is she unworthy of you? Today's flower-viewing banquet is attended by noble ladies from all over the capital; none of them are as distinguished as her! What exactly are you nitpicking about!"

"My career path does not require nepotism."

Xie Xun walked to the table, poured a cup of cold tea, and said in his usual calm voice, "My wife doesn't need to be too noble. As long as she is a tolerant, proper, and well-mannered woman, that will suffice."

"Tolerance in a proper manner?"

Lady Hou stared at her son's cold profile, her eyes reddening with anger. "In the end, it's all so you can tolerate that concubine in your courtyard!"

Xie Xun stopped drinking his tea, turned his head, and looked calmly at his mother.

His eyes were devoid of emotion, yet they inexplicably unsettled Lady Hou. But having already spoken, she decided to throw caution to the wind and vent all her resentment.

"I'm telling you, don't even think about it."

Lady Hou's voice turned shrill, "For her sake, you even dared to turn down a marriage with the Princess's mansion. Let me tell you, it's too late. Her face has already been ruined by the Princess of Qinghe today."

She thought her son would be shocked, angry, and would argue with her.

However, Xie Xun simply stood there quietly, the light in the room falling on his face, making his already deep features appear even colder and harder.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly, then inch by inch, it turned into ice.

"Mother," he finally spoke, his voice terrifyingly low, "You mean, you handed her over to the Princess of Qinghe County?"

Lady Hou was frightened by his appearance, but she still forced herself to remain composed: "So what if she is? A maid is meant to be beaten and scolded by her master! What's wrong with the county princess disciplining her future concubine in advance?"

Xie Xun looked at her and slowly uttered a sentence that made Lady Hou feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

"If Mother insists on this, I will move out of the Marquis's mansion and find another place to live."

Lady Hou's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him. "You... what did you say?"

"This Shi'an Courtyard, Mother can let whoever she wants live there. This position of Crown Princess, Mother can let whoever she wants be." Xie Xun's tone was completely calm, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him. "From now on, it has nothing to do with me."

After saying that, he didn't even glance at Madam Hou again, and strode out of the house.

"Xie Xun! You stop right there, you unfilial son!" The Hou Madam's cries were left behind by him. He didn't even turn his head, and the black sleeves of his robes drew a cold, hard arc in the night wind.

Changsong was waiting outside the courtyard. When he saw the young master come out with an icy expression, his heart skipped a beat and he quickly followed.

"Go to Zhenliu Courtyard." Xie Xun's voice was as cold as ice.

As soon as Xie Xun stepped out of the courtyard, he asked Changsong, who was waiting nearby, "Where is Afu?"

Changsong quickly bowed and replied, "Your Highness, Miss Afu... is at the Eldest Miss's Jinghong Courtyard."

Xie Xun didn't say a word and walked straight towards Zhenliu Courtyard.

The atmosphere in Jinghong Courtyard was equally heavy at this moment.

After examining Afu's injuries, Doctor Lu stroked his beard and sighed, "Fortunately, it's just a superficial wound and hasn't damaged any bones or tendons. But the blow was too heavy. If it had broken the skin a bit more, her face would probably be scarred."

Afu leaned against the soft couch, her face mostly covered by a white gauze, revealing only her eyes. In her hand, she held a handkerchief filled with ice, which she gently pressed onto her swollen left cheek.

The cold touch couldn't suppress the burning pain.

Xie Yun sat beside her, her eyes red with anger: "That Qinghe County Princess is simply a madwoman. Afu, don't be afraid. When my brother returns, I will definitely make him seek justice for you."

Afu wanted to say something, but the movement aggravated her wound, causing her to gasp in pain and give up.

She knew perfectly well how she could seek justice. The other woman was the daughter of the eldest princess, the future princess consort. As a mere maidservant, she could only suffer in vain.

If Xie Yun hadn't barged in today, she probably would have suffered more than just a facial injury.

As Xie Xun stepped into the room, he heard Doctor Lu say, "This face will probably be scarred."

He paused in his steps.

Hearing the noise, everyone inside turned around.

"Brother!" Xie Yun was both surprised and delighted, and immediately stood up.

Xie Xun's gaze bypassed everyone else and landed directly on Afu on the soft couch.

She was dressed in the most ordinary blue cloth maid's uniform, her hair was somewhat disheveled, and half of her face was covered by gauze. The exposed half of her cheek was also bloodless, making her look exceptionally pale and fragile. She was still holding that simple ice handkerchief in her hand, and she was huddled in a corner of the soft couch, looking pitiful.

A surge of inexplicable anger, mixed with an indescribable and inexplicable malevolence, suddenly rose from the depths of Xie Xun's heart.