The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 311: Don’t Easily Let Them Off

Chapter 311: Don’t Easily Let Them Off

Yu Chunhua’s body trembled uncontrollably, her legs weakening until she involuntarily knelt down. She kept her head low, not daring to look Ye Siheng in the eye. "I... I... I didn’t mean it like that..."

Ye Siheng looked down at her with a commanding presence, disdain evident in his gaze. "Those who dare to speak rashly of me, it seems County Princess Yu also needs to remember this lesson well."

Everyone present gasped in shock. Their eyes held pity and schadenfreude. To teach County Princess Yu a lesson, wouldn’t the lightest punishment be cutting out her tongue? Oh my, County Princess Yu hadn’t even married yet; if her tongue were cut out, what future prospects would she have?

Yu Chunhua’s mind went blank. Despite resenting Xie Beihan’s cunning, she now understood that if she continued to act cowardly and compliant, she might indeed end up with her tongue cut out by Ye Siheng as a warning.

"I have followed my father’s teachings, always straightforward in my actions and words. Therefore, I inadvertently spoke out of turn. I ask Your Highness and Princess for forgiveness." Yu Chunhua mentioned her father to make Ye Siheng consider the consequences of his actions.

She was the only daughter of the General’s household! The emperor had personally bestowed upon her the title of County Princess!

Ye Siheng understood her intention. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Are you trying to use me?"

Yu Chunhua’s heart trembled again, still not daring to lift her head. "I dare not."

Ye Siheng fixedly stared at her and continued, "Your father guards the southwest, repelling the elite forces of the Border Nation, earning military merits. He should be arriving in the capital tomorrow, right?"

Yu Chunhua felt relieved. Indeed, Ye Siheng did have some fear.

"Yes, my father will arrive tomorrow," she replied with a hint of satisfaction.

"Then you should stay at home tomorrow, welcome General Yu properly, and don’t go running around everywhere," Ye Siheng instructed. Then he turned to Nanli and said, "A’Li, how about we go to Chunxi Tavern for dinner tonight?"

Since they were already out.

Nanli nodded. "Alright."

The people present were even more puzzled. Was that it? The Ninth Prince was letting County Princess Yu off?

Indeed, it was all about relying on one’s family. It was because General Yu had made military merits that County Princess Yu was spared punishment for the first time in history.

A maid helped Yu Chunhua to her feet. Because she had knelt down, her skirt was soiled, and she looked back with a displeased expression.

She glared fiercely at Xie Beihan. "You’ve gone to such lengths, but this is all you’ve achieved."

Xie Beihan didn’t care. "Don’t be too pleased with yourself."

Yu Chunhua mocked, "I have the protection of my parents and brothers. What’s there for me to be pleased about? I’m not like Lord Xie."

Xie Beihan’s expression darkened slightly. He gritted his teeth but ultimately didn’t continue arguing with Yu Chunhua, turning and leaving instead.

Seeing this, Fan Yunxi immediately followed him.

Yu Chunhua still felt unsatisfied and stared at Lu Yanyan. "Miss Lu, there’s no need to send invitations to me in the future."

She definitely wouldn’t attend such banquets anymore.

Lu Yanyan rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Even if I sent them, you wouldn’t come. I won’t waste my effort."

"Ridiculous," Yu Chunhua muttered angrily and left in a huff.

The guests began to disperse one by one.

They had expected to witness County Princess Yu being punished, but unexpectedly, it all ended without incident. They couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Had Ye Siheng become more temperate, or had he stopped protecting his relatives so much?

This would have been new gossip, but they had learned from past experiences and dared not utter a word.

Chunxi Tavern.

Due to Madam Qian’s properties, there was a private room here exclusively for Ye Siheng’s use, elegantly decorated.

The dishes were served on the table.

Ye Siheng wasn’t in a hurry to eat; instead, he instructed Qing Feng to handle the matter properly. Just because he didn’t take action himself didn’t mean others couldn’t.

"If it’s nothing," Nanli said, "she didn’t say much."

"Just saying she dresses plainly isn’t a big deal, she won’t lose any face," Ye Siheng shook his head lightly. "If it were just that, Beihan wouldn’t have invited me here."

"Is there something else?" Qing Feng explained from the side. "County Princess Yu, along with those high-born ladies, used an embroidered needle to prick Lady Hou during the banquet."

"What?!" Nanli’s reaction was strong, her face turning cold. "They call themselves high-born ladies, yet they behave so atrociously?"

"Indeed," Qing Feng agreed. "Even when Lord Xie questioned Lady Hou, she refused to speak. It was only after His Highness summoned spies from the Prime Minister’s residence that we learned what they had done."

Nanli pursed her lips. "This silly girl probably feared implicating her family and Beihan, so she thought it better to let sleeping dogs lie."

Although the Fan family was far away in Ruyang, they had several relatives serving as officials in the Capital. These high-born ladies were from prestigious families with extensive connections. Fan Yunxi feared that speaking out might implicate her family. While Xie Beihan was the nephew of the current Empress and cousin to the Royal Heir, they still had to consider their political power and couldn’t always support Xie Beihan.

"Fan Yunxi truly... considers everyone’s feelings," Ye Siheng nodded slightly. "If it were just a quarrel, I wouldn’t bother, but their behavior... if we don’t give them a lesson this time, they might become even more brazen in the future."

Nanli’s expression turned icy, clenching her fists. "Then don’t let them off too easily."

Ye Siheng couldn’t help but smile. He picked up a piece of chicken for her and said, "Alright, Beihan rarely asks me for favors. I won’t disappoint him."

Nanli raised an eyebrow. "He rarely shows such cleverness. Using me as an excuse like this, County Princess Yu and those high-born ladies won’t blame Yunxi."

Ye Siheng remarked, "Having a wife really makes a difference."

But Xie Beihan was also someone who protected his own.

Back when Xie Beizhe was alive, Xie Beihan had always doted on his younger brother.

Nanli sighed. "I hope Yunxi understands his intentions."

Ye Siheng raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.

Meanwhile, in the Xie family carriage.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was tense.

Xie Beihan hadn’t wanted to get involved, but he couldn’t shake the unease in his heart and continued to ask, "How did they bully you exactly?"

Fan Yunxi remained composed, looking unperturbed. "Lord Hou, I’ve told you many times, they really didn’t bully me."

Xie Beihan bit his lip, his face turning grim. "Fan Yunxi, you’re going to stick to this story? Shouldn’t there be no secrets between husband and wife?"

Fan Yunxi was also angered.

"Husband and wife? You know very well how we ended up like this. I’ve told you before, I don’t like attending these banquets. If you really cared about my feelings, you shouldn’t have let Miss Lu send me invitations in the first place!"

"I..." Xie Beihan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Fan Yunxi turned her head and looked ahead. "Lord Hou, there’s no need to put on a show in front of others like today. I will respect you as my husband and fulfill my duties as a Xie family’s daughter-in-law, without causing any worry to the Empress."