After my whole family overheard my thoughts, they went berserk.

"Master, please let go." Xia Yu snatched the silver note from his hand.

Wu Bende said with a resentful look, "Is the little princess here to confiscate our property?"

This is his salary accumulated over more than a decade!

All the money from before was confiscated and donated to the people of the city. All that was left was this little bit of money for his coffin!

"The little princess is only one year old. What kind of business could she do? Does Emperor Huayao need money? Like father, like daughter. She even wants to take my life savings."

Xia Yu snatched away the last bit of silver.

"This is clearly a case of using business as a pretext to rob the mansion!" Wu Bende sat on the ground, almost in tears.

"Don't feel wronged, sir. Madam will surely understand your heartache."

Wu Bende quickly stood up and took out a silver ingot from his pocket: "Xia Yu, you are the madam's trusted maid, you must understand the master's predicament, right?"

Xia Yu looked at his bulging clothes and said, "Don't worry, sir, I will never tell Madam that you are hiding money."

With a dark expression, Wu Bende handed over all the money he had to Xia Yu.

Looking at this empty warehouse, I feel so wronged!

Things are getting worse and worse; even his secret stash of money has been taken away.

Qingya Building.

After receiving Qiu Tang's message, Shi Chenfeng went to Qingya Tower to meet her.

As soon as the door opened, Qiu Tang threw herself into his arms, crying with tears streaming down her face.

"Third Prince, Qiu Tang really misses you." She hugged his waist, feeling a little better.

Now, she is finding it difficult to move around in the princess's residence and cannot get away. She can only confide her grievances to Shi Chenfeng.

"What happened to Tang'er?" Shi Chenfeng helped Qiu Tang up, stroking her swollen face. "How did you get hurt?"

Qiu Tang hadn't seen him for some time.

She did not tell Shi Chenfeng about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Bai Haoxing; the scars on her body were a source of shame for her.

She didn't want to face the man she loved most in this disheveled state.

“I…” she found it difficult to say.

She worked for the Third Prince willingly, not wanting to burden him.

But if she didn't say anything, she wouldn't know how much longer she could hold on.

"Your hands are injured too?" Shi Chenfeng held her hand and looked at her wrist, which was covered in bruises.

"Bai Haoxing hit you?" Shi Chenfeng asked coldly, his words filled with displeasure.

Seeing his nervousness, Qiu Tang felt that all the hardship was worthwhile.

Soon, Shi Chenfeng noticed that there were also marks on her neck from being strangled.

"Tang'er, don't cry. Tell me, did Bai Haoxing hit you?" he pressed.

Qiu Tang's eyes were blurry with tears: "Third Prince, are you worried about Tang'er?"

Shi Chenfeng tenderly pulled her into his arms and held her hand.

"Tang'er, if I had known that marrying into the princess's household would cause you so much suffering, how could I have bear it?"

These words made Qiu Tang feel guilty.

"Third Prince, I'm sorry, Bai Haoxing is impotent, has a violent temper, and behaves pervertedly. I had no chance to persuade him."

"Tang'er originally thought that by marrying into the princess's mansion, she could use him to win over Princess Lingyang. However, she did not expect that the princess's enemies in Sangnan Kingdom would come knocking on their door and cripple Bai Haoxing's legs. He is now a useless person."

And she doesn't know how much longer she'll have to waste.

"What did you say?" Shi Chenfeng asked instinctively.

Before Qiu Tang married into the princess's mansion, he had people investigate carefully and found that Princess Lingyang was from the Mu family of Sangnan Kingdom.

The Mu family wields considerable power in the Sangnan Kingdom; if they can be won over, the outcome will be much easier.

But now that her enemies have come knocking, it shows that she has no power in the Sangnan Kingdom.

"Tang'er heard that Princess Lingyang has a grudge against the Mu family of Sangnan Kingdom, and that the people who came are very powerful. Today they came directly to kill us."

Shi Chenfeng seemed to be deep in thought.

It seems that Qiu Tang made a wrong move.

No matter how lustful Bai Haoxing may be, he is now just a useless cripple.

"Third Prince, what are you thinking about?" Is he blaming her for not helping him win over the Princess's family's influence?

Shi Chenfeng smiled and gently comforted her.

"Tang'er, you've suffered these past few days." He took out some medicine powder from his pocket and wiped Qiu Tang's wounds.

Qiu Tang was deeply moved, but felt even more guilty.

"Third Prince, I'm sorry, I'm useless and have only caused you trouble."

After saying that, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Shi Chenfeng's lips.

Shi Chenfeng tilted his head slightly, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes.

"Does the Third Prince dislike Tang'er?"

Just now, she seemed to have seen his disgust.

But in just a moment, she felt that she had seen wrong.

"How could that be?" Shi Chenfeng smiled, gently kissed Qiu Tang's forehead, and pulled her into his arms.

Qiu Tang hugged his waist tightly, rubbing her body against him.

"Third Prince, these days, Tang'er has been thinking of you every moment. I only hope that the Third Prince can take Tang'er away as soon as possible."

Shi Chenfeng remained silent, holding her tightly.

He knew that Qiu Tang was asking him for something, but he didn't do what he used to do, satisfying her as soon as she got close.

"Tang'er, let me treat your injuries first. You need to take good care of yourself, otherwise, I will feel sorry for you."

Qiu Tang initially sensed his coldness, but his words still showed the same concern for her as before.

"Mm." Qiu Tang walked to the bedside, her hands trembling as she unbuttoned her clothes.

The scars on his body were visible.

Shi Chenfeng looked at the disgusting scar, left by another man.

"Third Prince, do you despise Tang'er?" Qiu Tang asked, tears welling in her eyes. The thing she feared had finally come to pass.

"How could that be? Don't overthink it." Shi Chenfeng helped her lie down on the couch and applied medicine to her wounds.

As he applied the medicine, his gentle hands roamed lightly over her body.

Qiu Tang could no longer contain her bitterness and longing, and longed for his comfort.

Ignoring the pain, she got up and threw herself into Shi Chenfeng's arms.

"Third Prince, Tang'er misses you. Could you stay and keep Tang'er company?"

Shi Chenfeng was taken aback at first, then helped her put on her clothes.

"Tang'er, don't you understand my feelings for you? You are injured now, how could I bear to hurt you?"

Qiu Tang was disappointed.

This time, she felt that the Third Prince was not treating her the same way as before.

It must be because she didn't do a good enough job and failed to help the Third Prince, so the Third Prince is blaming her.

"Tang'er, don't overthink it." Shi Chenfeng pulled her into his arms.

Qiu Tang held him tightly, refusing to let go.

Shi Chenfeng looked slightly impatient and quietly tossed a sachet to his pillow.

Qiu Tang then fell into a deep sleep.

After leaving Qingya Tower, Shi Chenfeng instructed his attendant: "Go and find out who from Sangnan Kingdom has come recently."

"And what about Miss Qiutang?" the attendant asked.

Shi Chenfeng's eyes turned cold: "Ignore her. If she comes in the next few days, there's no need to inform me."