Mingnan straightened up and put away all her expressions for a moment. She said softly, "Because I want you to see with your own eyes how everything you care about is taken away by others."

"This is your retribution, Xiao Zhe, just bear with it."

Xiao Zhe was instantly enveloped by a chill, feeling numb from head to toe. His teeth chattered, and he finally felt a little regretful.

"Aren't you afraid that the prince will know you like this, and he——"

"Nannan."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted.

Xiao Zhe turned his head with difficulty and saw that the prince had been standing at the door. He didn't even look at him, but only stared at Mingnan, stretched out his hand and said, "It's time to go home for dinner."

Mingnan raised his eyebrows and glanced at Xiao Zhe's suddenly pale face, agreed happily, and walked towards him briskly.

"coming."

She placed her hand in the prince's palm. The prince slowly closed his five fingers, held her hand, and led her out.

The two of them were very intimate, as if no one was around.

From the back, they look like a perfect match.

Xiao Zhe was so angry that his eyes were about to bleed, a bloody smell rose in his throat, and his whole body was in excruciating pain. He wanted to get up from the ground, but his eyes went black and several images suddenly flashed by.

The person in the picture is him, but not him; it is Mingnan, but not Mingnan.

She sat on the swing among the flowers, and he stood behind her and pushed it gently. The spring breeze was gentle, and the flowers were falling like rain. The scene was beautiful like a dream.

I don't know what he said, but she suddenly turned her head and smiled shyly.

At that moment he clearly heard the sound of his own heartbeat.

The next moment, the picture shattered and reassembled, and it became that she was crying and begging him to let her brother go. He coldly pulled back her sleeves and locked her in the room.

Such a bright and beautiful person now looks haggard and pale like a withered flower.

Then he saw another woman he had never seen before. He seemed to love her too. They were supposed to have a child, but she stood in front of him, so the child was gone, and then she left too.

Later, he ascended the throne, captured the person and kept him by his side.

There was no light in her eyes by then.

……

Scenes flashed before his eyes like a kaleidoscope. He felt a sharp pain in his head and fainted after a loud scream.

Before his consciousness faded, he remembered Mingnan's words "retribution" and vaguely understood something.

*

After leaving Xiao Zhe's mansion, Ming Nan stood on the steps, took a deep breath, and asked, "Don't you have anything to ask me?"

The prince stood side by side with her, looking at the carriage not far away, "Do you want to say something?"

Mingnan thought for a moment and said, "It's OK."

The prince smiled and said, "Then don't say it."

He turned his head and looked at her, the bright sunlight reflected in his eyes, and his pupils were as clear as glass.

"Come to me when you really want to talk. I'll always be there for you."

Mingnan stared into his eyes for a moment, then smiled, "It depends on my mood."

After saying that, she was the first to go down the stairs and walked towards her carriage.

The prince did not follow as there were many spies watching nearby. This place was different from Xuncheng and if he walked too close, it would be easy for trouble to arise.

I still have to find a way to get myself a reputation as soon as possible.

The prince thought secretly.

Unfortunately, the more people want something, the more obstacles they will encounter from all sides.

The flood problem in the south was solved without any danger, and the emperor was very happy.

The leading prince performed extremely well, and the news that people lined the streets to see him off when he set off also reached the capital. Now the officials who had previously doubted the prince's ability shut up and were amazed.

The emperor rewarded officials based on their merits, and those officials who contributed to the disaster relief were promoted to varying degrees.

The prince specifically petitioned for credit for Yan Xueyi, praising her for her righteousness in solving the food and medicine supply problems in many places in Xuncheng and sacrificing her family's wealth to help others in need. She was truly a heroine and deserved a reward.

After reading it, the emperor waved his hand and rewarded her with 100 taels of gold, 1,000 taels of silver and some good land, and named her Princess Jiayi.

Many officials in the court questioned whether the reward was too high. The Imperial Master said with a smile, "If anyone is dissatisfied, you can donate all your wealth to the national treasury. Then you can ask His Majesty for a reward."

An official jumped out and said, "What do you mean by that, Imperial Master? If all our wealth is put into the state treasury, what will happen to my family?"

"So your Excellency is unwilling?" the Imperial Master asked.

The official sneered and looked around, "Not many people would agree to something like this, right?"

Many people echoed.

The prince chuckled, "You couldn't do it, but Yan Xueyi did. Not only did she do it, she also went to Xuncheng in person to help distribute porridge and medicine. She did so many good things, why can't she get this reward?"

The official's face turned red and he was speechless.

The Crown Prince and the Imperial Master exchanged a glance and said in a clear voice, "I have laid out my words here, and here are the standards as well. If any lord is willing to follow Yan Xueyi's example and destroy his family to help others in need, I will petition His Majesty to confer a reward on him and announce it to the world."

The emperor also nodded, "I approve."

All the civil and military officials in the court looked at each other in bewilderment. For a moment, they didn't know if there was poison in the air, otherwise why did they all become mute?

The emperor raised his lips in a mocking arc, and stood up and said, "Do you think the reward is too much, or do you feel uncomfortable with Yan Xueyi's rapid rise to fame?"

"Oh, I don't want to expose your thoughts. In life, no matter whether you are a man or a woman, you should be strong and self-respecting. Those who are beneficial to the family and the country should be rewarded. Only in this way can the world be united."

"If you don't have this much tolerance, how can you be an official and govern a country?"

All the ministers knelt down and apologized, without any objection.

At this point, everything has settled.

The imperial edict was brought back to the Imperial Master's Mansion by the Imperial Master himself.

When Yan Xueyi and Mingnan came back, they originally wanted to stay in an inn, but at Mingnan's invitation, they stayed in the National Master's Mansion, in the yard next to Mingnan.

After receiving the news, Mingnan and Yan Xueyi came out together to receive the order. Mingnan also made a lot of efforts this time, but her current status was beyond any promotion, so she was rewarded with a lot of things.

The rewards were moved to the warehouse box by box. The emperor knew that Yan Xueyi had no place to live, so he rewarded her with a house. However, the house had just been renovated and could not be lived in for a short time, so the things were kept in the Imperial Master's Mansion for the time being.

Immediately afterwards, the palace held a welcoming banquet to welcome the disaster relief officials who returned from the South City.

Mingnan and Yan Xueyi were also invited to attend.

Yan Xueyi was a little nervous as it was her first time attending a palace banquet. While combing her hair, she couldn't help but ask, "Is my makeup too heavy? Is this jewelry too ostentatious?"

Mingnan held down her restless hand and leaned over to look at her in the mirror. The two beauties were in the mirror at the same time. Their eyes met in the mirror, and after looking at each other for a moment, they couldn't help but laugh together.

Mingnan stroked the tassels on her golden hairpin and said, "You are a princess now, so you should dress elegantly, especially when attending a palace banquet. You not only represent yourself, but also His Majesty and the Crown Prince, so you can't be careless. This is just right."

"Yes."

The Imperial Master leaned against the door at some point and looked at them leisurely.

"Your Highnesses, are you done with your makeup?"

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