After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

At this moment, Zhao Rui and Tang Wenshu were surrounded, yet they remained remarkably calm, as if they had anticipated everything that was unfolding. The crowd around them surged forward, trying to get closer to the two men at the center of the vortex, but Zhao Rui and Tang Wenshu remained as steady as a rock, facing the crowd without flinching.

Tang Zixin's sharp eyes swept through the crowd. When she saw Zhao Rui, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah, isn't this the poor scholar from the chrysanthemum viewing banquet?" Her voice was filled with surprise and disdain. Wu Yu, who was standing nearby, heard this and also cast his gaze towards Zhao Rui, a hint of contempt in his eyes.

Seeing this, Tang Zigui quickly lowered her voice to explain to Wu Yu. She said, "This young man is nothing more than a nobody, ignorant of his own limitations. He even dared to break into the Duke's residence and attempt to abduct one of their girls! This is unforgivable!" Upon hearing this, Wu Yu's face darkened. He waved his arms and shouted, "Come! Capture them immediately!" At his command, numerous servants swarmed over, quickly subduing Zhao Rui and Tang Wenshu, escorting them to their uncle Tang Jili's study. Along the way, the two remained silent, silently accepting their fate.

At that moment, several Tang family members were gathered outside the study, enthusiastically discussing current events within the Imperial City. Suddenly, a commotion caught their attention. A group of people, accompanied by Zhao Rui and Tang Wenshu, slowly approached, each with a serious expression on their face.

The leader was none other than Tang Zipan, the eldest son of the first wife. He was the first to ask, "What's going on?"

When Tang Qi saw this scene, he walked forward quickly and pushed away the maids who were holding Tang Wenshu.

Wu Yu frowned slightly upon seeing this, but didn't say anything to stop them. At his signal, Tang Qi and Tang Zhengrong quickly stepped forward to support the shaky Tang Wenshu, allowing her to rest for a moment.

Meanwhile, Wu Yu had quietly dispatched a servant on the way to inform the master to return home immediately to deal with this sudden change. Now, everyone could only wait quietly outside the study, awaiting Tang Jili's return and his final decision on the matter...

You know, in this Duke's Mansion with strict family rules, any man from another family who commits adultery will not have a good ending. As for the woman involved, she is destined to spend the rest of her life beside the green lamp and ancient Buddha, and die alone.

About a quarter of an hour later, Duke Tang, his eldest uncle, and his second uncle returned to the mansion. As they entered, they saw a crowd gathered. They frowned and asked in unison, "What are you all doing here?" At this moment, Tang Zixin, the second daughter of the eldest wife, hurried forward and replied respectfully, "Grandfather, Tang Wenshu from the third wife was having an affair with a man outside, and my mother just happened to catch him red-handed."

Confronted with the imposing Duke, concubines like Tang Tian naturally dared not speak easily. After hearing Tang Zixin's response, the crowd dispersed, and the detained Zhao Rui finally appeared before everyone's eyes. Tang Wenshu was standing with Tang Qi and Tang Zhengrong. Because their position was not very conspicuous, they did not attract much attention at first.

However, after walking such a short distance, the wound on Zhao Rui's body, which had been treated, opened again, and blood continued to seep out from his clothes. Against the backdrop of the blood, Zhao Rui unexpectedly showed a unique sense of poignant beauty.

Suddenly, the Duke of Tang cried out in surprise, "Your Highness!" With this cry, the servants who were holding Zhao Rui captive were instantly frightened out of their wits and immediately let go of their hands. Zhao Rui, without support, instantly collapsed to the ground.

Seeing this, Duke Tang was extremely anxious and hurried over with big strides. Although he was nearly sixty years old, his steps were as agile and swift as those of a young man. He stretched out his hands without hesitation and helped the fallen Zhao Rui to his feet.

"Your Highness, how do you feel? Who dared to let you suffer such a serious injury?" Uncle Tang Jili at the side asked with concern, and then gave an order, "Okay, everyone go away. Remember to keep your mouths shut and don't talk about this matter carelessly!" After that, he waved his hand to signal everyone to leave.

Tang Zigui and the others were horrified, their faces filled with disbelief. They exclaimed, "What? He's actually the Crown Prince!" Then, everyone looked at each other, each pondering their own plans. However, the situation was pressing, leaving them no time to linger. They hurriedly departed, leaving only the three siblings from the third house behind.

"This matter is truly difficult to explain... Could the Duke send some men to escort me back to the palace?" Zhao Rui whispered, a hint of fatigue and resignation in her tone. In fact, during the earlier discussion, Tang Wenshu had already offered to personally escort Zhao Rui back to the palace. However, as a woman of the boudoir, she was unable to enter the palace's important areas, and she was also worried that if she escorted him herself, unexpected troubles and accidents might arise along the way.

After all, Zhao Rui often traveled with the Grand Tutor, often missing from the palace for as little as three or five days. Therefore, even if she hadn't returned for an extended period, the Emperor wouldn't necessarily have sent anyone to investigate. Therefore, having Duke Tang personally escort her back to the palace was undoubtedly the most appropriate option, allowing for quicker arrangements to search for the Grand Tutor's remains. Thinking of this, Zhao Rui's face was once again clouded with sorrow, tears welling in his eyes.

Just as the palace gates were about to close and lock, a richly decorated carriage slowly arrived and stopped steadily in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The palace maids, who had been waiting there, hurried forward, carefully helped Zhao Rui out of the carriage, and led him to the bedroom. The head of the Imperial Hospital had already been informed of the Crown Prince's return from injury and had been waiting there for a long time.

While at the Duke of Tang's residence, Zhao Rui hadn't asked the palace's doctors to examine her injuries. Now at the palace, she forced herself to report everything to her father. After she had explained everything, she finally closed her eyes, relieved, and began to rest and recuperate. Before long, exhausted, she fell into a deep sleep. Only by her father's side could her anxious heart find true peace and comfort.

The Empress was not Zhao Rui's biological mother; her mother tragically passed away during childbirth when Zhao Rui was born. From then on, Zhao Rui was personally raised by the Emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation until he turned five, when he was officially recorded under the Empress' name and canonized as Crown Prince. However, despite this, Zhao Rui never lived with the Empress.

Unexpectedly, the Queen knew nothing about Zhao Rui's true gender. In this huge palace, the only person Zhao Rui could trust was his father.

At this moment, every corner of the Duke of Tang's mansion was filled with an unusually tense atmosphere, as if the entire residence was enveloped by an invisible pressure. People whispered to each other, and the topic of conversation invariably revolved around the extremely noble Crown Prince.

Amidst this clamor, Tang Wenshu felt uneasy. Her petite frame was bearing the stern barrage of questioning from Zeng Yuan and her two brothers, like darts of arrows. Their gazes gleamed like cold stars, so sharp that one dared not look directly at them; their words were like knives, each one piercing the heart.

Tang Wenshu felt like a helpless lamb surrounded by a pack of ferocious wolves. Her heart pounded, nearly leaping out of her throat. Yet, despite the fear and anxiety, she gritted her teeth and fought to remain calm. With a trembling voice, she cautiously confessed to everyone her secret engagement with the Crown Prince.

Zeng Yuan's face suddenly changed when Tang Wenshu uttered these words. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She could never have imagined that her eight-year-old, usually well-behaved and sensible daughter would do something so bold and outrageous! Regret, anger, and helplessness washed over Zeng Yuan, leaving her heart in a turmoil.