Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

Xiao Fang's eyes were so sharp that Yun Shuwen felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, and her legs began to tremble again.

But he didn't look away; he didn't hide today.

"I'm telling the truth!"

Yun Shuwen's voice rose half a beat, carrying an urgent tone that bordered on collapse.

"You believe me, brother-in-law—no, Your Highness, Prince Xiao."

Trust me this once.

I admit I did a lot of bad things in the past. I was a bastard, I wasn't human.

But this is true.

As he spoke, his voice suddenly lowered, as if he were talking to himself.

"Whether I live or die, that's all that matters; I'm just a worthless life."

But I can't let him harm my mother, and my grandfather too.

Yun Shuwen's eyes reddened, and his lips twitched twice, as if he had used a great deal of strength to finish speaking the next sentence.

He looked at Yun Shuyao with a look he had never seen before.

It wasn't greed, nor resentment, but rather a clumsy and heartbreaking plea.

"...I can't let him harm my sister, or you."

Xiao Fang stared at him for a long time, then turned and exchanged a glance with Yun Shuyao.

Yun Shuyao's expression did not change much.

But her gaze lingered on Yun Shuwen's red-rimmed eyes for a moment, and then she nodded almost imperceptibly.

Xiao Fang withdrew his gaze and looked back at Yun Shuwen, his tone indifferent.

"understood."

He paused for a moment, then tilted his head toward Mingrui, who was standing at the door.

"Go and get him five hundred taels of silver."

Yun Shuwen felt a jolt, as if she had been whipped, and suddenly raised her head.

He waved his hands frantically in front of him, his gesture of refusal carrying an almost frantic urgency.

He took a half step back and spoke hastily, his voice without the slightest hesitation.

"No! I don't want the money!"

He swallowed hard, his voice lowered, a mixture of guilt and pleading, yet more honest than before.

"I've come to deliver this message to you."

I don't want a single penny.

But... the Wing King has his eye on me now, and the steward must have already discovered that the seal is broken. I can't go back.

I am afraid.

"Could you... let me hide in your house for a while?"

Xiao Fang leaned back in his chair and looked at him for a moment.

Keeping Yun Shuwen under your watchful eye has two advantages.

Firstly, when investigating this matter, it is necessary to be able to find the person at any time. If they are placed under house arrest by the Wing King or silenced, it will be troublesome.

Secondly, while he did believe Yun Shuwen's words, he didn't entirely believe them. Keeping the person in the manor to watch over them was the safest option.

"Can."

Xiao Fang spoke in a flat tone.

Yun Shuyao understood Xiao Fang's meaning and turned to instruct the maid to prepare the guest room.

Yun Shuwen stood in the center of the hall, feeling helpless for a while.

In the end, he bowed to Xiao Fang and Yun Shuyao respectively before following the maid out.

He walked very fast, as if afraid that if he slowed down even a step, he would be kicked out.

But when he reached the door, his steps suddenly slowed down, and then he stopped.

Yun Shuwen turned his head and glanced at Yun Shuyao.

The look in his eyes was complex.

There was guilt, hesitation, and a cautious, somewhat unspoken expectation.

"I……"

Yun Shuwen's voice was very soft, and it trembled even more violently than before.

"I miss my mother a little, and I want to go see her."

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he lowered his head, as if he were talking about something he didn't dare to hope for.

"Little sister, when...shall we go together?"

Yun Shuyao was stunned for a moment.

She subconsciously tried to find that familiar greed in that face.

But what she saw was someone avoiding her gaze, someone who didn't dare to look at her, waiting for her answer, yet afraid that she wouldn't agree.

Yun Shuyao's gaze softened for a moment.

"it is good."

Her voice was softer than usual.

"Let's go together after this is over."

Yun Shuwen's lips moved, as if she wanted to say thank you, but then felt that saying thank you was too inadequate.

He simply nodded, turned around, and followed the maid out of the main hall.

The hall fell silent.

As Yun Shuyao watched that slender figure disappear at the end of the corridor, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her.

She hated this person; she truly hated him.

He once personally whipped her back until it was bloody and mangled, and the scars still remain to this day.

But today, as he stood here, clenching his fists and stammering out those words...

This person seemed to be a completely different person from the arrogant Yun Shuwen she remembered.

When Yun Shuwen didn't take the money, she almost thought she was dreaming.

Xiao Fang walked up from behind and put his arm around her shoulder.

Yun Shuyao leaned on his shoulder and sighed softly.

After a month of confinement, the Wing King returned to the court.

He was still wearing a moon-white python robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown, and a gentle and polite smile on his lips.

It's as if nothing had happened before.

But before his smile could even settle on his face, Xiao Fang stepped forward again.

"Your subject has something to report."

Familiar gestures, familiar voices, a familiar glance back.

The Wing King's fingers, holding the jade tablet, unconsciously tightened.

"Wei Qiyuan, the Vice Minister of War, privately transferred grain and fodder for the border troops, embezzled military pay, and lined his own pockets."

The inspectors found three military ration ledgers and seventeen smuggled salt transport slips in his private residence.

And several secret letters exchanged between him and the border general.

Xiao Fang pulled a letter from his sleeve, unfolded it, and read a few sentences.

"...His Highness has instructed that the transportation of grain and supplies to the border should be handled entirely by Lord Wei, without needing to go through the Ministry of War..."

The entire court was in uproar.

The words "Your Highness" echoed in the hall, and all eyes turned to the Wing King.

His gaze held shock, suspicion, and schadenfreude.

The Wing King stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt down.

His movements remained composed, and his expression remained calm, but his eyes had begun to redden.

"Father, this is a complete frame-up!"

His voice was half a beat higher than usual, and he had lost his usual composure.

"Although Wei Qiyuan has worked under me, I have never instructed him to do anything illegal."

To point the finger at your son based solely on a vague salutation in a letter is far too frivolous for the Censorate to handle this case!

Xiao Fang, you have repeatedly targeted me; what are your true intentions?

He turned and stared intently at Xiao Fang.

Xiao Fang looked at him without flinching, his gaze calm as still water.

"Your Highness is too kind."

Your subject merely has a memorial to present, and reports the facts accordingly.

As for who exactly the "Prince" mentioned in the letter is, I am also very curious.

Why not bring Wei Qiyuan to the palace and question him in front of the entire court?

The Wing King's pupils contracted slightly.

He knelt on the ground and looked up at the dragon throne.

The old emperor looked at him expressionlessly, without pity or emotion.

"Your son..."

The Wing King's voice softened, adopting an almost pleading tone.

"Since childhood, I have been taught by my father, the emperor, to read the books of sages and learn the way to govern the country. How could I do something that would harm the country?"

Father, you watched me grow up, you know my character.

"This must be someone who is jealous of my current favor with the Emperor and is deliberately trying to—"

That's enough.

The old emperor rubbed his temples and waved his withered hand as if shooing away a fly.

"Wei Qiyuan was dismissed from his post and investigated. He was imprisoned in the Censorate prison and personally interrogated by Xiao Fang."

Prince Yi was lax in managing his subordinates, and despite repeated admonitions, they did not change their ways. Therefore, he suspended his princely salary for one year, confined himself to his residence for three months, and was forbidden from leaving his residence without imperial decree.

This time, the emperor didn't even let him finish explaining.

When all the civil and military officials knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

The Wing King knelt on the ground and did not stand up for a long time.

His back remained ramrod straight, but a fine layer of sweat had appeared on the back of his neck.

During the three-month confinement, no guests visited the Prince Yi's residence.

Those who usually rushed to send invitations to the Prince's residence all fell silent.

They are more sensitive than anyone else to the winds of change in the imperial court.

A month-long house arrest.

People also felt that Prince Yi had only temporarily received a few reprimands from the emperor, and that the emperor's favor was still intact.

What does three months mean?

This means the emperor is starting to take things seriously.