Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

"Your Highness, rest assured, I was never able to get in and could not have colluded with the enemy."

Faced with her sarcastic remarks, Xiao Ce simply stared at her intently, his expression serious.

Ling Xi pouted, then couldn't help but speak again:

"I, the heir apparent of the Prince Rui's mansion, can't even enter your study in the Chuixing Courtyard, so how could I possibly enter the Wanfang Pavilion?"

A fleeting look of surprise crossed Xiao Ce's eyes. Sure enough, she was unhappy because Lu Ming had stopped her from entering the study.

Ling Xi said that on purpose. Although she was somewhat unhappy, she wasn't upset about such a small matter.

"Don't worry, since we have a prior agreement, I will definitely not cause any trouble for Prince Rui's mansion."

Xiao Ce hesitated for a moment, then stopped himself from speaking. He wanted to explain about the study, as he had never liked anyone else to enter his study except for his elder brother and Wan Ning, but then he remembered Wan Ning's words from earlier that day.

"If Your Highness has nothing else, I will return to my room now."

Xiao Ce sat there quietly, watching her close the door to the inner room. After a moment, he picked up the military books on the table again.

That night, in the Linfeng Courtyard of Wanfang Pavilion.

Ling Heng leaned casually against the couch, now dressed in a loose, dark-colored robe, the teacup in his hand lingering between his lips.

"What time is it?"

He glanced out the window; the courtyard was silent.

"Your Highness, it's just past the hour of Xu (7-9 PM)."

Standing to the side were two guards, a man and a woman, dressed in black. It was the male guard who answered. He also glanced out the window, hesitated for a moment, and then did not speak again.

The next moment, a rhythmic, gentle knocking sounded at the door.

"It is unparalleled."

The male guard's eyes lit up with surprise as he looked at Ling Heng. Ling Heng merely glanced up slightly in acknowledgment, then gently set down his teacup. The guard immediately understood and quickly stepped forward to open the door.

"Peerless!"

A slender, dark figure stood at the door, dressed in a sharp, tailored outfit. Seeing that it was Qingyun, an acquaintance, who opened the door, Wushuang smiled slightly, a gesture of greeting.

A few snowflakes fell on her shoulders. As soon as she stepped inside, she was instantly enveloped by the warm and cozy atmosphere of the room, along with that familiar, faint fragrance.

"Your Highness."

"come over."

Ling Heng's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable tone.

The candlelight flickered in the room, and Wushuang slowly stepped forward, finally able to see the prince on the bed whom she hadn't seen for a year.

He remained as cold and solemn as I remembered, with sharp eyes and a deep, imposing aura, unchanged in the slightest.

But she also clearly sensed that there was a hint of warmth in his eyes when he looked at her, perhaps because he had always been cold and stern.

Wu Shuang frowned almost imperceptibly, quickly shifting her gaze from his face. Her eyes swept across the room and she noticed a beautiful face standing beside Ling Heng, also dressed in sharp black clothes, exuding a cold and austere aura, clearly just like her.

Is she the Crown Prince's current personal bodyguard?

Wushuang paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across her eyes.

For many years, the Crown Prince had never had a second female guard besides her. It seems that she was someone the Crown Prince transferred from the Xuanji Camp after she came to Daliang with the Princess.

The thought only crossed her mind before she suppressed her unusual expression and regained her calm and respectful demeanor.

"Tell me, how has Xi'er fared this past year at the Prince Rui's residence in Chu?"

Ling Heng straightened up from the couch, picked up the teapot, and poured himself another cup of hot tea. When he looked up at her, his gaze was calm, as if he was seriously waiting for her reply.

A Wushuang clenched her fingers, a moment of hesitation flashing across her eyes.

When the princess first arrived in Daliang, she indeed suffered a lot, but now she lives peacefully with the people of Prince Rui's mansion. Although it's not exactly a good life, the princess isn't unhappy. Now, the princess is living in Chuixing Courtyard so as not to worry him…

A slight dryness rose in her throat, but she ultimately decided to suppress the truth.

"Your Highness, the Princess gets along quite well with everyone in the Prince Rui's residence. The Prince Rui's residence doesn't have many rules, and the Princess is as comfortable as she was in the residence before."

Ling Heng took a small sip of the hot tea in his hand and placed it steadily on the table.

"What is the nature of her relationship with the Crown Prince Rui?"

Wushuang was surprised that he would ask questions, and her heart sank. She looked up and saw that he had put down his teacup at some point and leaned slightly closer to her.

She immediately lowered her head, concealing the panic in her heart that no one could see.

"Your Highness, the Princess and Prince Xiao... have a harmonious relationship and have always treated each other with respect, living in perfect harmony."

Wushuang noticed that his gaze was still fixed on her, so she looked up and saw that he had a faint smile on his lips and his eyes were slightly dark, clearly not entirely believing her.

Qingyun, watching from the side, felt a tightness in her chest and secretly broke out in a cold sweat for her. The young master had already found out everything about the princess's situation at the Prince Rui's residence.

"It seems you've learned to lie after being gone for a year?"

Wu Shuang was startled and looked up sharply. Although she remained relatively calm, she was still intimidated by the coldness in Ling Heng's eyes.

"Your subordinate knows his mistake and begs for punishment, Your Highness."

Ling Heng stared at the person in front of her. Her eyes and brows were no longer as cold as before, but had become gentler. It seemed that she had not killed anyone for a year. Her face seemed to have become thinner, but she was more beautiful than before.

"Go back tonight and come back in two days to receive your punishment."

He withdrew his gaze and leaned back onto the couch. With the distance between them, Wushuang finally slowed her breathing.

"Yes."

Wushuang stepped out of the room, a slight smile playing on her lips. Having served Ling Heng for many years, this was the first time she had been punished. Ling Heng was known for his strict discipline, and although she didn't know how she would be punished, she felt no fear. She felt reassured that the young master's arrival in Jinling had given her a sense of security.

The next day, when Xiao Ce returned to the mansion, Ling Xi was not there.

The servants prepared the dinner meticulously as she had instructed. He suddenly remembered that she had said she would fulfill her duties as the Crown Princess, and she really did keep her word.

He looked at the table full of delicious food, but had no appetite at all. He only ate a few bites before putting down his chopsticks.

"Your Highness ate very little for dinner today. Are you feeling unwell?"

Lu Ming knew that the young master was always self-disciplined and had a fixed appetite, never eating too much. He would only behave abnormally when he was unwell.

Xiao Ce shook his head, his expression solemn.

"Go and find out what the Crown Princess has been doing these past two days."

"Yes."

"It's the Crown Prince's wife again," Lu Ming thought to himself. "The Crown Prince has been paying more and more attention to his wife lately."

In fact, Lu Ming didn't need to investigate; he could guess that she was trying to get a meeting with her brother.

But why didn't she ask him for help? Who could she turn to for help in Jinling City?

In fact, Ling Xi had only just left home, since she had to wait until Prince Yu returned to his residence to receive the Ministry of Rites' ultimatum.

When she returned to Lin Chui Xing Courtyard, the situation was exactly the same as yesterday. Pushing open the bedroom door, Xiao Ce was leaning against the couch again. The only difference was that he was holding a different book today.

Ling Xi was in a great mood, carrying the Ministry of Rites' ultimatum, but she didn't need to share this joy with Xiao Ce.