Yang Chengrong expressed that he would keep the Emperor's teachings in mind, stood up, and backed out of the room.

Once the door was closed again, the Emperor turned to Xiao Hongtao with a smile, "Beloved Xiao, you really have a good eye, to have found such a fine son-in-law."

"Your Majesty is too kind, your humble servant doesn't deserve such praise," Xiao Hongtao said respectfully, "The young couple is truly in love; it's only right for your humble servant to support them."

A meaningful smile played upon the Emperor's lips, "Beloved Xiao speaks wisely; as long as the children are happy, parents can rest easy. Eunuch Sun, bring over the Twin Wishes Jade Ruyi and bestow it upon the young couple."

Eunuch Sun immediately went to the Emperor and Empress's suite and soon returned with a brocade box. Upon opening it in front of everyone, the entire Jade Ruyi was transparent and flawless, clearly no ordinary item. More importantly, it was a gift from the Emperor with a good omen, and then he handed it to Xiao Hongtao.

"Your humble servant accepts this on behalf of the children and thanks Your Majesty for your generosity!" Xiao Hongtao joyfully received it with both hands, a great weight finally lifted from his heart. With the Emperor's approval, Prince Su would surely dare not cause any trouble.

Old Hai and the others also relaxed, little knowing that the person they were wary of was at that moment on his way to Yangliu village.

Observing the swiftly moving carriage and the five expressionless guards on both sides, Hai Tang, who was already waiting in the woods by the roadside, saw the vicious intent in their eyes, "Miss is truly prescient; someone indeed harbors ill intentions."

"Miss, those five are Prince Su's confidant guards," Sister Jin whispered, "Surely that means Prince Su must be inside the carriage."

A prince of the current dynasty, stooping to such petty and covert actions, Sister Jin couldn't hide her contempt as she thought about how he was bringing shame upon the royal family.

As the carriage drew nearer, Yang Mengchen's expression remained serene, with a depth in his eyes like an abyss, and the corners of his mouth hinted at a faint sneer.

Ever since learning that Prince Su would be accompanying them, she felt uneasy; hence, she claimed she was going to Qinghe Prefecture, but in reality, she stayed in Yongchang County all along.

The moment Prince Su's group left the inn, she led Sister Jin, Hai Tang, and Shan Cha, taking a shortcut to wait here with the intention, of course, to stop Prince Su.

With two Elite Guards arranged to protect Aunty Xiao and Uncle Xiao, with Xiao Guai and Xiao Bai guarding her elder sister, and her personally taking care of Pingping and Anan (Lv Luo and Hong Ling, among others, were protecting Pingping and Anan in a safe place), she was curious to see how Prince Su could possibly harm Uncle Xiao's family.

Inside the carriage, Prince Su's face was covered with frost, and his pupils were flashing with ruthless, bloodthirsty light.

For Xiao Wanxue, a mere County Magistrate's daughter, to become his concubine was her good fortune.

If it weren't for Xiao Mingya's claim that Xiao Wanxue was as beautiful as a celestial fairy, he would never have spared her a glance. It was unexpected that Xiao Wanxue would marry some country bumpkin so quickly, causing him to lose face. How could he swallow such an insult?

He had gone to great lengths to follow his father here, intending to harshly humiliate Xiao Wanxue. He had initially planned to have his guards capture her but then decided to go personally. Once Xiao Wanxue became his woman, she could never escape his grasp again.

As Prince Su contemplated how to degrade Xiao Wanxue, a horse's whinny suddenly interrupted his thoughts, and the carriage came to an abrupt stop. Caught off guard, he nearly crashed into the table and managed to steady himself, "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice thick with anger.

"My lord, a group of feeble beasts suddenly appeared and startled the horses," a guard replied. "Don't worry, my lord, we will drive them away immediately."

Prince Su, without patience, spoke: "Hurry up! If you delay my important matters, I will not forgive you!"

After the commotion, it became quiet outside. Prince Su thought he could leave, but when the carriage did not move for a long time, he couldn't help but shout angrily: "Why are we not moving?" Sadly, no one responded. Alarmed and suspicious, he lifted the carriage curtain to look out and saw five guards lying on the ground with their eyes tightly closed, motionless.

Countless birds were circling above, and before he could react, white smoke sprinkled down from above. His vision blurred, and soon he closed his eyes and passed out.

Hai Tang stepped forward to inspect and then gestured to Yang Mengchen, who approached with Sister Jin and Shan Cha in tow.

Having completed their mission, the birds, following Yang Mengchen's orders, quickly flew away.

Seeing half of Prince Su's body sticking out of the carriage, handsome and elegant with an inherent nobility, Yang Mengchen raised an eyebrow. Although Prince Su was a handsome man, he was not as pleasant to look at nor as commanding as Long Xuanmo.

Suddenly realizing her thoughts were straying, she quickly gathered her wits and called out to Qing Hen and others hiding in the shadows (Long Xuanmo, not feeling assured, had ordered them to secretly protect Yang Mengchen) and gave them a few instructions.

Upon hearing her orders, the corners of their mouths twitched, but they still threw Prince Su and the other six into the carriage, then drove at high speed back to the town.

"Miss, don't you want to go back and enjoy the show?" Hai Tang asked, puzzled.

Yang Mengchen shook her head: "Pingping and Anan will cry and make a fuss if they wake up and don't see me, and Lv Luo and the others won't be able to calm them." She turned and walked back toward the carriage, and the group left.

In the evening, the Emperor, Grand Prince, Prince Ning, several Princes, and important officials were preparing to eat dinner, but Prince Su was nowhere to be seen.

Although the Emperor did not favor Prince Su, he was still his son. Especially since Prince Su had complained of feeling unwell after the morning blessing ceremony and returned to the hotel early, the Emperor was inevitably worried and ordered Sun Chuanmao to summon Prince Su.

Before long, Sun Chuanmao hurried back and whispered a few words into the Emperor's ear, which caused the Emperor's face to transform abruptly.

The others, all with sharp minds, could tell that something serious had happened and it was related to Prince Su, especially since Eunuch Sun had just gone to summon Prince Su.

The Emperor said in a grave voice, "Grand Prince, Prince Ning, Momo, accompany me." He stood up and led the men to Prince Su's room as he spoke.

Though those left behind did not dare to inquire openly, at least not in a manner that was visible, they could not help but feel curious about what had happened to Prince Su.

Unexpectedly, there was not a single guard in the corridor. The Emperor's gaze darkened instantly, and as they reached the door of the room, bursts of extremely vile and unbearable sounds reached their ears, darkening everyone's expressions.

"Open the door!" the Emperor commanded, his usual restraint imbued with immense fury, suggesting an ominous storm brewing.

Sun Chuanmao hurriedly stepped forward to push the door open. Once the Emperor and the three men entered, he immediately closed the door behind them and signaled the guards and eunuchs to stand guard outside.

Meanwhile, as the Emperor and his companions walked into the room, they all showed surprise and disbelief at the scene before them.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.