Soon, the carriage came to a halt right in front of the main gate of the Protectorate Duke’s Residence.
Mo Qingchen stepped down from the carriage, carrying Ye Yun in his arms. Before they even reached the entrance, they saw a row of people standing at the main gate.
Without a doubt, from the moment the incident occurred until its conclusion, the Protectorate Duke’s Residence had been fully aware of how the situation had unfolded.
“Your parents and brothers are all here. Aren’t you getting down?” Mo Qingchen lowered his gaze to the person he was holding, who still had her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, showing no intention of letting go and walking on her own.
Ye Yun shook her head and deliberately leaned close to Mo Qingchen’s ear, whispering softly, “My legs are weak. If you put me down to walk on my own, I’m sure I’ll end up collapsing to the ground. Would you really have the heart to do that?”
Of course, Mo Qingchen went along with Ye Yun’s words and walked straight ahead.
Ye Heng, Qin Yao, Ye Yang, and Ye Fan did not make too much of a fuss about the scene before them.
Then, Ye Heng cleared his throat twice and reminded her, “Yun’er, we’re already home. Are you still going to let someone carry you?”
Ye Yun blinked at her father and said in a coquettish tone, “Father, we’re still standing at the main gate. We haven’t even entered the residence yet.”
Qin Yao chuckled immediately, “Yun’er is right. We’re still standing at the entrance, and it’s not proper to talk here. Let’s go inside first.”
For a moment, they all entered the residence together and headed toward the main hall.
Ye Yang and Ye Fan followed behind. The two brothers exchanged a glance. Indeed, their younger sister was the first—and so far, the only—person who could make Prince Chen go to such lengths. Given Prince Chen’s character, it was unlikely to change in the future.
In the main hall…
Mo Qingchen carefully placed Ye Yun on a seat to one side.
Ye Heng gestured to Mo Qingchen and said, “Wang Ye, please have a seat. Speaking of today’s events, we are all aware of what happened. I heard that Fu Zhaoyan, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, personally led the team there. Wang Ye, you have been very thoughtful.”
“Maintaining order in the capital is the duty of the Imperial Guards. I merely informed Fu Zhaoyan to pay extra attention to certain areas these days. Moreover, by the time they arrived today, the matter had already been resolved. The Hidden Guards of the Protectorate Duke’s Residence are truly exceptional.”
Qin Yao continued along Mo Qingchen’s line of thought, “Even so, the fact that Wang Ye made such arrangements shows your consideration.”
Ye Fan spoke bluntly, “Mother, of course. Prince Chen is our younger sister’s future husband. When it comes to matters concerning her, how could he not be attentive?”
Ye Yang didn’t say anything, but sat upright beside them. In truth, the underlying implications behind this incident…
Mo Qingchen spoke with utmost seriousness, “The root cause behind these events and the real issue at stake—I believe the Duke and I both understand. Some people are restless and cannot sit still. But since I have made a promise, I will naturally ensure her safety and not let her suffer the slightest harm. As for those behind these actions, I will deal with them thoroughly.”
Ye Heng and his wife smiled. Ye Heng could clearly discern the meaning behind Mo Qingchen’s words. This “dealing with them thoroughly” was certainly not just empty talk. Perhaps… “With Wang Ye’s assurance, we have no reason to worry.”
Seeing this, Ye Yun said lazily, “Father, Mother, I’m so tired. I want to return to my own courtyard to rest.”
Ye Yang remarked lightly, teasingly, “I think our younger sister isn’t tired and wanting to rest in her courtyard. Rather, she feels that having all of us here is interrupting her time with Prince Chen.”
“Um…” Ye Yun rubbed her forehead, was she really that obvious? Slightly lowering her head, she called out to Ye Yang with a hint of embarrassment, “Second Brother…”
Ye Fan, however, spoke without any reservation, “Second Brother, let Little Sister think whatever she wants. Honestly, why do you have to say anything? Can’t you just go along with her?”
Ye Yang promptly admitted his mistake, “Yes, Little Sister, Second Brother spoke out of turn. I apologize.”
Ye Heng looked at Ye Yun but addressed Mo Qingchen, “In that case, I’ll trouble Prince Chen to escort Yun’er back to her courtyard so she can rest properly.”
Sitting there, Ye Yun reached out and tugged at the sleeve of Mo Qingchen, who was seated beside her, saying, “Carry me back.”
In the past, Mo Qingchen would never have done such a thing in public, nor would anyone have been able to make him act this way. But now, he didn’t hesitate and simply followed the little girl’s request.
Watching Mo Qingchen carry Ye Yun out of the main hall, Ye Yang earnestly asked his parents, “Father, Mother, what did Prince Chen mean when he said he would ‘take care of it thoroughly’?”
Ye Heng replied firmly, “We don’t need to dwell on Prince Chen’s words. When the time comes, everything will become clear. As for those who want to scheme in the shadows, our Protectorate Duke’s Residence is not afraid of them. If they dare to make a move, we’ll simply cut off their hands and feet.”
Ye Yang nodded, “Father, rest assured. Little Sister’s side is guarded by the best Hidden Guards. There won’t be any mishaps.”
Meanwhile, in Ye Yun’s courtyard.
“Earlier, when you spoke with Father and the others, you said you would ‘take care of it thoroughly’ regarding the person behind this. On the carriage ride back, you told me that even without evidence, we both know who is pulling the strings behind the scenes at a time like this. But to ‘take care of it thoroughly’…”
“Don’t overthink it. Leave it to me. Born into imperial power, one must tread carefully, but if one becomes too scheming, there will be no era of wise rulers and loyal ministers. His Majesty shares this view. Even if one ascends to the position of Crown Prince, it doesn’t mean they have truly reached the highest throne. One misstep could mean falling short forever.”
“I don’t care about any of that. With you and Father handling things, I won’t bother with such worries.”
“Mm, you don’t need to. You just need to live peacefully as the cherished young lady of the Protectorate Duke’s Residence, and in the future, become my Princess Consort.”
Hearing Mo Qingchen’s words, Ye Yun playfully went along with him, “Well, in that case, if I really turn into a spoiled, useless little thing…”
“I’ll still provide for you and dote on you. I’ve said it before—you will be my one and only Consort of the Prince of Imperial Order. That will never change.”
Ye Yun simply smiled happily at Mo Qingchen.
…
In the inner hall of Zhengyang Palace, within the imperial palace.
Upon learning the outcome of the events outside the palace, Mo Heng anxiously rushed to see his mother. “Mother, I never expected that the men deployed by Grandfather and Uncle would fail, with none surviving. The Imperial Guards have hung the corpses outside the city gates, and now the matter has caused quite an uproar.”
“What’s the rush? As long as there’s no evidence, this matter won’t affect anything,” Su Yuning said coldly. “I heard that when Prince Chen and the imperial guards arrived, Ye Yun wasn’t harmed in the slightest, and the Hidden Guards of the Protectorate Duke’s Residence remained uninjured. Instead, all the people we sent were eliminated. No matter how strong those Hidden Guards are, it’s impossible for them to resolve all the Death Warriors in such a short time without suffering any repercussions themselves. There must be something wrong here. It seems we were still too careless.”
“But, Mother, all our people are dead. Even if there are issues, we can’t investigate them now. When Fu Zhaoyan reported to Father Emperor, he only gave a general account. After Father Emperor confirmed Ye Yun was unharmed, he handed everything over to the imperial guards to handle.”
“Since we’ve already failed, we shouldn’t act recklessly again. We’ll make further plans after investigating thoroughly.”
“Understood.”