I'm in trouble again! My best friend, the princess in the group, please save me!

"Where do you want to go?" Jiang Xingkuo called out to An Huanyan, who was sneaking outside the house with a bag on her back.

"...Run away!" An Huanyan was neither justified nor angry.

"Do you think you can leave this palace now?" Jiang Xingkuo pulled her back into the house without further ado.

"What do you mean?" An Huanyan was stunned.

"You've been here for so long, why are you still so stupid?" Jiang Xingkuo sighed. "You're about to get married, will he still allow you to run away?"

Such a naive person, if in the harem, would have died countless times.

Luckily she is a princess.

"The prince has always loved me very much. I don't believe he would really be willing to do that to his own sister..." An Huanyan said, but her voice faded away.

But the imperial edict has been issued.

She was even given a princess's residence, a luxurious mansion right on the edge of the imperial city.

However, no one in the court opposed this marriage. After all, both of them were of noble status and well-matched.

Instead, Prime Minister Hai suddenly retired and returned to his hometown, shocking the court and the public.

Prime Minister Hai's faction submitted petitions one after another to retain this "pillar of the country", while the Crown Prince's faction quickly responded that Prime Minister Hai was old and should enjoy his retirement in peace, resulting in a fierce argument.

In the end, it was Prime Minister Hai who stepped out to respond and said that he was feeling unwell today and needed to rest and recuperate, thus calming the dispute.

The prince smiled confidently, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

No one mentioned the disappearance of the imperial seal again.

Occasionally, a few nosy palace maids and eunuchs mentioned a few words, but they disappeared the next day and were only said to have been sent out of the palace.

Now no one mentioned it anymore, and the news was gradually blocked.

"Princess, he's here. Do you want to see him..." Songyan stood outside the door, her tone full of caution.

"Him?" An Huanyan, who was lying on the bed, blinked and looked at Jiang Xingkuo beside her with complicated eyes.

"Hey! Don't look at me! Make your own decision!" Jiang Xingkuo turned his back and studied several drawings on the table.

"Yes, yes, yes! My Boss Jiang!" An Huanyan climbed up helplessly.

Under the cypress trees outside the palace gate, the setting sun made Hai Yanqing's tall and slender figure even longer.

"What are you doing here?" An Huanyan said unhappily, waving her hand and asking the palace maids beside her to disperse.

Hai Yanqing turned around slowly, but his face looked a little pale under the setting sun.

He half-raised his eyelids to glance at An Huanyan, then turned away: "You... look fine, I'll leave first."

"Hey hey hey! Come back! Who told you to leave!" An Huanyan grabbed Hai Yanqing's clothes on the back, but he trembled all over as if he was electrocuted before he slowly turned around without saying a word.

"What's wrong with you?" An Huanyan could see that something was wrong with him.

"Nothing. I thought you would cry and make a fuss if you wanted to marry me, but now it seems that you are still full of energy and annoying, and your attitude is good!" He teased with pretending to be nonchalant, suppressing the guilt in his heart.

An Huanyan suddenly remembered the open relationship between men and women in this dynasty, and couldn't help but put her hands on her hips and replied arrogantly:

"Tsk, this princess has seen all kinds of storms and waves. It's just getting married. Don't forget, without my summons, you can't even see my toes! Even if I have dozens of lovers, you can't control it!"

"As long as the princess is happy."

Hai Yanqing seems to be different from usual.

Without his usual argumentation, An Huanyan always felt something was wrong.

She raised her head and looked straight at Hai Yanqing.

Meeting her inquiring gaze, he was startled and couldn't help but take a step back, but his body swayed a bit, so he quickly held onto the tree trunk to steady himself.

"...Your leg injury hasn't healed yet?" An Huanyan reacted.

"It's just a minor injury, not worth mentioning." He smiled faintly, "...After all, it is the Hai family who has let you down."

"You still know!" An Huanyan curled her lips, "But... when was the drug administered? I was extremely careful. I only drank one glass of wine, which I secretly switched to the one next door. I didn't dare to eat a single bite of the food..."

“…It’s… grapes. They asked someone and heard that you like to eat grapes, so they soaked the grapes in the medicine for a long time.” Hai Yanqing lowered his head.

As proud as he was, he felt too ashamed to face An Huanyan again at this moment.

"Mad! I was so careful! But I still got hit!" An Huanyan gritted her teeth and hammered the tree trunk, "Ouch!"

She took back her fist and rubbed it angrily, "It hurts a little, hehe."

Hai Yanqing raised his head, a smile on his face that concealed his momentary relief.

"Why do you look a bit like my Maomao?"

"Who is Maomao? Your brother? Your sister? Your son?"

“…It’s my dog.”

"Fuck you!" An Huanyan's desire to swear reached its peak, and the swear words slid smoothly from her heart to her lips.

She lifted up the hem of her skirt and kicked forward.

Who knew that Hai Yanqing didn't react at all, and was kicked hard and fell to the ground again.

"Hiss——" He grimaced in pain, but he could only endure the pain and not cry out.

"Uh..." An Huanyan quickly pulled him up, "I'll teach you not to joke with me again!"

"...Why don't you come in and I'll apply medicine on you!"

"No, no." Hai Yanqing got up with difficulty and waved his hands quickly.

"The palace gates are about to be locked. I have to leave." He left An Huanyan, who was stunned, and staggered away in the afterglow of the setting sun.

As soon as he turned the corner of the palace wall, he leaned against the wall, panting, and squatted down.

When he heard the sound of the palace gate closing, he gritted his teeth, stood up with the help of the wall, and slowly moved away.

The dark clothes were permeated with barely noticeable traces of blood.

After finally returning to the sedan chair, he collapsed against the door due to exhaustion.

The servant in the sedan quickly pulled him up, the coachman whipped the horse, and the carriage galloped out of the city.

It didn't take long to reach Hai Mansion.

They hurriedly got out of the car from the back door and rushed into Hai Yanqing's own yard.

The servant helped him slowly take off his bloody clothes, but before he finished taking them off, he was already sweating profusely.

It turned out that the strong and broad back was covered with hideous whip marks, and blood was still oozing out of it.

The servant found some healing medicine and sprinkled it gently on his face, causing his whole body to tremble again.

He bit a piece of cloth and let the pain quickly consume him.

In another room, candlelight flickered.

"Dad, my second brother just came back. He has been punished once, can you let him go this time? If you still want to punish, punish me!" Hai Yanze knelt down respectfully in front of a serious old man.

"Humph. A man who wants to accomplish great things cannot be soft-hearted! I just spoiled him too much, which is why I keep giving in like this!"

"father……"

"Lock him up for me! Don't let him go out before we get married!"