Soon, the carriage swayed and jolted to a stop at the entrance of the Meng residence.
Xiao Ce dismounted and stood by the carriage, extending his hand inside. Meng Anxian was the first to place her hand in his.
Her hand was pale, delicate, and slender, so even before seeing her face, Xiao Ce knew it wasn’t Meng Yanzhi.
“Thank you, Crown Prince Brother!”
Meng Anxian stood blushing beside the Crown Prince, tugging at his sleeve as she tried to lead him inside.
But Xiao Ce remained rooted to the spot, instead taking Meng Yanzhi’s hand and assisting her down from the carriage before proceeding inward.
Back at the Crown Prince’s Residence, Meng Anxian had already noticed how Xiao Ce’s gaze seemed to drift unconsciously toward Meng Yanzhi. Now, she was almost certain that Xiao Ce held special feelings for Meng Yanzhi.
This realization nearly drove Meng Anxian mad with jealousy.
Her eyebrows furrowed tightly as she silently trailed behind them into the Meng household.
The Meng parents were caught off guard by the Crown Prince’s unexpected visit and hurried out to receive their esteemed guest, ensuring every detail was of the finest quality.
“Your humble servant pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Why has Your Highness graced us with your presence in person?”
Meng’s Father performed a formal bow, though confusion was evident in his eyes as he looked at Xiao Ce.
Xiao Ce smiled faintly before speaking bluntly, “I came to see for myself whether the Meng family is facing financial constraints—whether the salary His Majesty grants you is insufficient.”
What could he mean by this?
Meng’s Father’s smile froze on his face, utterly bewildered by Xiao Ce’s implication.
With a perplexed expression, he knelt on the ground, trembling with apprehension. “This humble official is filled with trepidation!”
“Meng Yanzhi is my lifesaver, yet in your household, she suffers from poor meals and restless sleep, toiling like a servant with washing and mending. It seems the Meng family truly cannot afford to hire another maid!” Xiao Ce clapped his hands sharply.
Immediately, four delicate and comely young maids filed in from outside.
“These are servants trained meticulously by the Crown Princess Consort. Their monthly wages will be drawn from my accounts. I bestow them upon Miss Meng Yanzhi.” Xiao Ce’s tone dripped with sarcasm.
Finally, Meng’s Father grasped the situation.
Flushing crimson with shame, he instinctively glanced toward Meng’s Mother.
Meng’s Mother forced an awkward smile. “Your Highness must have misunderstood. Our family has never mistreated Yanzhi. It’s just that she’s accustomed to rural labor, so… so…”
“So you treat her like a beast of burden?” Xiao Ce snorted coldly in displeasure. “She is my lifesaver!”
At this, Meng’s Mother fell silent, rendered speechless.
Meanwhile, Meng Anxian stood with red-rimmed eyes, overwhelmed with grievance.
She never imagined that Xiao Ce, who had previously treated her with such tenderness, would now sternly reprimand everyone in the room—all to defend Meng Yanzhi!
“Yes, Your Highness’s reprimand is justified. It is my failure in managing the household affairs. Your Highness may rest assured, I will treat this daughter with the utmost care.” Meng’s Mother smiled obsequiously, hastily creating an excuse to save face.
Satisfied with this response, Xiao Ce finally nodded, not sparing Meng Anxian another glance before turning to leave.
The moment he stepped out, Meng’s Mother’s expression darkened. She rose to her feet and swung her hand, delivering a stinging slap across Meng Yanzhi’s face.
However, her slap did not actually land on Meng Yanzhi’s face. One of the maids stepped forward and grabbed Meng’s Mother’s hand: “Madam Meng, His Highness the Crown Prince just stated that the eldest young lady is his savior. How dare you attempt to unjustly strike the Crown Prince’s lifesaver?”
“You!”
Meng’s Mother never expected to be reprimanded in her own home.
Her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she gritted her teeth: “This is the inner quarters of the Meng residence! Those who spread malicious gossip deserve proper discipline!”
“Daughter didn’t do it.”
Meng Yanzhi immediately knelt on the ground, looking at her mother with urgent desperation.
“Daughter truly said nothing!”
Meng’s Father had finally seen enough.
“Enough! Hasn’t there been enough commotion for one day?”
“Yanzhi, you may return to your quarters first!”
Meng Yanzhi stumbled to her feet and silently walked outward, all four maids following closely behind her as she departed.
“Foolish!”
“I’ve told you repeatedly not to mistreat Yanzhi, but you wouldn’t listen! Now that the Crown Prince has publicly shamed us, are you satisfied?”
Meng’s Father’s eyebrows remained tightly knit as he glared disapprovingly at his wife, venting his anger.
The management of the inner quarters should have been Meng’s Mother’s responsibility, yet she had created such chaos that Meng’s Father had suffered tremendous humiliation before the Crown Prince.
Seeing this, Meng’s Mother felt wronged: “When have I ever mistreated her? She’s merely a country girl—where has our Meng family ever wronged her?”
“Father! Mother!”
Meng Anxian was genuinely growing anxious. What was wrong with these two?
Could they not grasp the crucial point?
“Brother Crown Prince didn’t announce our engagement today at all! Instead, he stood up for Meng Yanzhi! Don’t you see how abnormal this is?”
“Before, Brother Crown Prince was always indifferent toward Meng Yanzhi—why is he so concerned about that wretch now!”
Meng Anxian approached and took her mother’s hand, her face full of anxiety.
With reddened eyes, she whispered: “I know elder sister saved the Crown Prince, and it should be her marrying him… but… but sister cannot bear children. I… I was only afraid she would bring shame upon the Meng family and implicate us all.”
Seeing Meng Anxian’s tearful eyes, Meng’s Mother immediately felt heartbroken and hurriedly comforted her: “There, there, don’t cry. This isn’t your fault at all—it’s all that Meng Yanzhi’s doing for not knowing her place!”
“Mother! What should we do now?” Meng Anxian looked pitifully at her mother.
Could they really let this secured marriage slip away?
“Don’t worry, Mother will definitely find a way to secure your position as Crown Princess Consort. No one will ever surpass you!”
Meng’s Mother held Meng Anxian’s hand, gently comforting her.
Nearby, Meng’s Father softened his tone: “Our Xian’er has been cultured and refined since childhood, noble and graceful, accomplished in all the arts. Only a young lady like you is worthy of His Highness the Crown Prince. As for Yanzhi, she’s just some country girl—our Meng family would never marry such a daughter to the Crown Prince’s Residence. We couldn’t bear the shame.”
“Xian’er, you just focus on your embroidery in your chambers. Father will handle everything else.” Meng’s Father gently stroked Meng Anxian’s cheek, speaking to her in soft, reassuring tones.
On the other side, four maidservants followed Meng Yanzhi. After walking for quite a while without reaching their destination, they couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
“Young Miss, is your room really this far from the main courtyard?”