With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

The next morning, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

As usual, Chen Sha, a personal guard of Prince Ningxiang, rode back to the palace from the Yulin Army's training ground.

As he passed through the market, he smelled the aroma of freshly steamed meat buns. Just as he turned his head, he unexpectedly bumped into a girl walking briskly with her head down.

"Ouch!"

A woman's soft cry.

Chen Sha was startled and apologized repeatedly, "I'm so sorry! Are you alright, young lady? I wasn't watching where I was going..."

Upon closer inspection, he realized that this was Qiluo, the maidservant who served Miss Yun Nian.

"Miss Qiluo? It's you?"

Chen Sha saw that her eyes were red and swollen, clearly indicating that she had been crying a lot, and was even more puzzled. "You... what happened? Why are you crying like this?"

Qi Luo then saw who she had bumped into and recognized him as the commander of the guards beside Prince Ningxiang. All the grievances and anger she had been holding back surged up at once.

She glared at Chen Sha with annoyance, hastily wiped away her tears, and muttered under her breath, "Isn't this all because of your prince..."

"What?"

Chen Sha didn't hear clearly and asked again, "Miss Qi Luo, what did you say? What does this have to do with my master?"

Seeing his bewildered expression, Qi Luo became even angrier, raising her voice, "How can it be nothing? It's all your fault! It's all your fault!"

Chen Sha was even more bewildered, looking completely blank: "Miss Qi Luo, please explain yourself clearly, I really don't understand. How did Master harm Miss Yun Nian?"

"snort!"

Qi Luo huffed angrily, her eyes reddening again. "If it weren't for the Prince's meddling at the banquet yesterday, how could my young lady have been punished by the Prime Minister to kneel in the ancestral hall as soon as she returned to the manor? And what about her...?"

She hesitated, but then, thinking of her mistress kneeling alone in the cold ancestral hall, tears streamed down her face again. "Our mistress is already frail; how can she withstand such torment... Waaah..."

Chen Sha finally understood the gist of it, and his brows furrowed.

Miss Yun Nian was punished again after returning home?

They were still forced to kneel in the ancestral hall, denied food, water, and medical treatment.

This cloud formation...

That's just too unreasonable.

Anyone with eyes can see some clues about what happened yesterday.

Although the prince's actions were heavy, they were still to protect Miss Yun Nian.

How did it become Miss Yun Nian's fault when she arrived at the Yun Prime Minister's residence, and why is she being severely punished?

"Miss Qiluo, please don't cry."

Chen Sha awkwardly tried to comfort her, "But yesterday, my master clearly stood up for Miss Yun Nian and punished those who were truly at fault. How... how can we be blamed for this?"

Qi Luo looked up with tearful eyes and glanced at him as if he were an idiot. "You pig-brain! I don't want to talk to you anymore! I need to hurry and get some medicine for Miss. If we delay any longer, Miss's health will really collapse!"

After saying that, she wiped away her tears and hurriedly ran towards the pharmacy on the street corner, bypassing Chen Sha.

Chen Sha stood there, his mind a complete mess.

-

Inside Canglang Pavilion, the morning light streamed in through the carved windows, carrying the unique crispness of early morning.

Qin Jiuchen leaned against the couch by the window.

He was wearing a loose-fitting dark-colored casual suit, the collar slightly open, revealing a section of his beautifully shaped collarbone.

One hand rests casually on his bent knee, the other hand props up his cheek, and he closes his eyes to rest.

Chen Sha walked in quietly, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Master."

"Hmm." Qin Jiuchen didn't open his eyes, but only responded softly through his nose.

Chensha recounted in detail what she had met Qiluo that morning and what Qiluo had said.

Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Master, I'm too foolish to understand. Why would Miss Yun Nian's maid blame us? You were the one who protected Miss Yun Nian and punished the person who framed her yesterday. This doesn't make sense."

Qin Jiuchen listened quietly, his face expressionless.

He slowly opened his eyes only after Chen Sha finished speaking.

Those eyes, illuminated by the morning light, appeared exceptionally deep and cold, like obsidian immersed in a cold pool, seemingly able to see through everything.

He pondered for a moment, then calmly instructed, "Go and see what medicine Qiluo bought at the pharmacy."

"what?"

Chen Sha was stunned, even more confused.

But knowing his master's temper, he dared not ask any more questions and quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, I will go right away."

Chen Sha hastily withdrew.

Qin Jiuchen closed his eyes again, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on his knees.

Yun Nian...

interesting.

-

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today is the monthly family banquet at the Ningxiang Prince's Mansion.

With Qin Senyao and Yun Nian's wedding date approaching, the old lady specifically instructed Yun Nian to come as well.

The family banquet at the Prince Ningxiang's residence was held in the warm pavilion next to the main hall.

Although it was a family banquet, due to Qin Jiuchen's status and the old lady's imperial decree, the table setting and etiquette could not be taken lightly.

The matriarch of the Qin family was a first-rank imperial consort personally bestowed by the late emperor.

Her maternal family was the Jiang clan, a powerful military family that held a prestigious position in the Jin Dynasty.

She is now over sixty years old, with her full head of silver hair neatly combed, wearing a jade headband, and with sharp eyes and a serious expression, she sits regally in the main seat.

The seat to her left was empty; it belonged to the late old prince.

To the right is Qin Jiuchen.

Qin Jiuchen did not participate much in the small talk with the others at the table, only occasionally taking a sip of wine, his eyes indifferent.

The old lady looked at her grandson, whom she was most proud of and who also gave her the most headaches, and sighed, "Chen'er, you are now of age to get married. Senyao's marriage is just around the corner. After their matter is settled, you should also consider your own life's important matter."

Qin Jiuchen didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice calm: "Grandmother, you've gone to so much trouble. I understand. We'll talk about it after Senyao's wedding."

Upon hearing this, the old lady sighed helplessly once again.

Qin Senyao and Qin Jiaxue were both adopted children. Although they changed their surnames and were included in the family genealogy, they were ultimately not Qin Jiuchen's bloodline.

What she was most worried about was how the true direct bloodline of the Ningxiang Prince's Mansion would continue if Qin Jiuchen was so indifferent to women.

However, she also knew her grandson's temperament well, and pushing him too hard would backfire, so she had no choice but to put the matter aside for the time being.

Her gaze swept over everyone at the table.

Sitting at the lower end of the table were Qin Jiuchen's uncle, Qin Yanting, and his wife, Madam Cheng.

Next were the second uncle, Qin Yuanzhan, and his wife, Meng, and a concubine named Yanniang, who stood behind the wife to serve her and were not entitled to sit at the table.

Next up are Qin Senyao and Qin Jiaxue.

The old matriarch looked at Qin Senyao, her brows furrowing slightly: "Senyao, didn't you say that the Yun family's daughter would be coming today? Why is she still nowhere to be seen even though the banquet has already started?"