The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

As dawn broke, the official road outside the city gate was already crowded with people.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites, onlookers, and servants from various prefectures sent to gather information... blocked the city gates completely. After all, the surrender of the Northern Desert and the marriage of a princess were major events that rarely occurred in decades.

Su Yaoyao, wrapped in a moon-white cloak, her small face pale from the cold, stood beside Jiang Jingchen. Both of them stared at the end of the official road, having not slept all night, with dark circles under their eyes.

Jiang Jingchen felt sorry for her and whispered, "Yaoyao, the delegation won't arrive for at least another half hour. Why don't you go and rest in the carriage for a while?"

"No need." Su Yaoyao shook her head, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the edge of her cloak. "I'll wait here."

"Cousin," she said, her voice trembling as she stared at the end of the road, "you mean my brother...?"

"You'll be alright." Jiang Jingchen held her hand and noticed that her fingertips were icy cold. "The Crown Prince personally went to greet you, and he even brought the head of the Imperial Hospital. He'll definitely be able to stabilize your injuries."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another carriage came to a stop.

Marquis Yongning, Su Cheng'an, also arrived. He was exchanging pleasantries with several officials, his face beaming with smiles, looking as if he were honored to be there.

Upon seeing him, Su Yaoyao immediately frowned and lowered her voice to ask Jiang Jingchen, "What's he doing here?"

Jiang Jingchen followed her gaze and sighed, "My cousin has just performed a great service and is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. He's here to bask in his glory and, incidentally, repair his relationship with the Grand Tutor's family."

"Dream on." Su Yaoyao sneered. "My brother has been at the border for many years, and he has never once asked about me. Now he suddenly remembers that he is our father."

As they were talking, dust rose at the end of the official road, and the banners of the caravan could be vaguely seen.

"They're here!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd stirred.

Su Yaoyao's heart tightened, and she subconsciously took two steps forward. Jiang Jingchen quickly grabbed her: "Don't rush, wait for the convoy to stop."

The convoy slowly approached.

At the very front was the Crown Prince's entourage, with moon-white banners fluttering in the morning breeze.

Xiao Chenyuan rode a white horse, dressed in the crown prince's everyday clothes, his back straight and his expression normal.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that his face was paler than usual, and his lips were also pale.

But Su Yaoyao's gaze only lingered on him for a moment before quickly sweeping towards the carriage behind.

Where is my brother?

She couldn't wait for the convoy to come to a complete stop, so she lifted her skirt and ran forward.

"Yaoyao!" Jiang Jingchen hurriedly followed.

When Xiao Chenyuan saw her rushing over, he reined in his horse and stopped. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that she didn't even glance at him, but ran straight past his horse and headed for the simple blue cloth carriage behind him.

His hand gripping the reins tightened almost imperceptibly.

He dismounted with swift movements, though his body swayed almost imperceptibly upon landing.

"Your Highness!" An official from the Ministry of Rites hurriedly greeted him, "You must be tired from your journey..."

"It's alright." Xiao Chenyuan raised his hand to stop them, but his gaze passed over the crowd and landed on the moon-white figure.

Su Yaoyao abruptly lifted the car curtain.

"elder brother!"

Su Qingrun was still unconscious in the car. Her face was even thinner than when she left the capital, and her jawline was much sharper.

His eyes were closed, his breathing was weak, but his chest was still rising and falling.

Su Yaoyao's eyes welled up with tears, and she almost lunged at him.

She opened her mouth, wanting to wake him, but was afraid of disturbing him.

Finally, I simply held his hand, which was hanging by his side, gently. His hand was rough and cold, and his palm was covered with thick calluses.

"Brother..." Her voice choked with sobs, "I'm here, you're home..."

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Xiao Chenyuan walked up to her side without her noticing. "The imperial physician said that the arrow poison has been neutralized, but she has lost too much blood and needs to rest."

Su Yaoyao then looked up at him.

Upon closer inspection, she froze. She noticed the bandage wrapped around his left arm, with faint traces of blood seeping through. His face was pale.

"How did Your Highness get injured?"

"It's nothing," Xiao Chenyuan said calmly. "I encountered bandits on the way."

As he spoke, he swayed almost imperceptibly.

Ling Feng, standing nearby: "..."

Your Highness, weren't you riding quite steadily just now? How come Miss Su suddenly looks so weak and about to faint as soon as she looks over here?

Ling Feng dared not expose him, and could only silently support Xiao Chenyuan's arm, feigning concern: "Your Highness has lost too much blood, and you've been traveling all this way..."

Xiao Chenyuan coughed twice at the opportune moment.

"Your Highness," Su Yaoyao hesitated, "your injury..."

"I'm fine." Xiao Chenyuan swayed slightly and leaned closer to her. "I'm just a little... dizzy."

Ling Feng: "..."

Su Yaoyao held his arm, and could feel his body trembling slightly. He was truly badly injured…

She looked up and met his gaze as he looked down at her.

His eyes were slightly red at the corners, shimmering with tears, revealing a rare vulnerability. He was completely different from the aloof and cold crown prince he usually was.

Su Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat.

"Miss Su, there's no need to worry," Xiao Chenyuan said in a lower voice. "I'm fine. Your brother's injuries are more serious."

As he spoke, he swayed again.

Su Yaoyao: "..."

Why did she feel that this Crown Prince was unusually...delicate today?

At this moment, a person jumped out of the carriage in the northern desert.

Anar was dressed in northern desert riding attire, her braids flying in the wind.

Her gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Su Yaoyao. Her eyes lit up, and she strode over, circling Su Yaoyao once:

"Huh? Didn't they say that women from the Central Plains are all so delicate and frail, like willows in the wind, that they'd fall over at the slightest breeze?"

As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and touched Su Yaoyao's face. "Your skin is so soft! This young lady is really stunning! That waist, those breasts, that bottom—more shapely than the fattest ewe on our grasslands!"

Then, without warning—

"Snap"

He slapped Su Yaoyao on the buttocks.

I even pinched it.

"It feels so good! So soft and bouncy!" Anar smiled, her eyes crinkling.

The entire room fell silent.

Su Yaoyao froze on the spot. Had she been sexually harassed by a woman?

Xiao Chenyuan's expression darkened visibly.

The fist hardened.

"Your Highness!" The Northern Desert envoy was terrified and scrambled over, stammering, "No, no, this is a noble lady from Yong Kingdom, you can't..."

"What's the big deal?" Anar said nonchalantly. "We're all girls, what's wrong with touching each other? In our grasslands, girls even bathe together!"

The envoy's vision went black.

Anar, oblivious to everything, leaned closer to Su Yaoyao and asked curiously, "You're Su Qingrun's sister? What's your name? How old are you? Are you engaged?"

As she spoke, she tried to touch it, but her wrist was grabbed by a cold hand.

Xiao Chenyuan had already approached without anyone noticing, his phoenix eyes as cold as knives: "Princess, please have some self-respect."

"Self-respect?" Anar blinked, looked at him, then at Su Yaoyao, and said "Oh" as if suddenly realizing something, with an ambiguous smile: "I see~ His Highness the Crown Prince is really protective of her."

Xiao Chenyuan released her, took a half step back, and resumed his usual indifference: "Princess, you have come from afar, so please go into the city and settle in first."

The envoy quickly stepped forward to smooth things over and arrange the follow-up matters.

"This humble official greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and the Princess." Su Cheng'an bowed, but his eyes kept glancing into the carriage. "How is my son's injury? Perhaps we should send him back to the Marquis's residence to recuperate..."

"No need," Su Yaoyao interrupted directly, "Brother is going to the Grand Tutor's residence."

Su Cheng'an's expression changed: "What are you saying... Run'er is the legitimate son of the Marquis's mansion, how can he go to his maternal family to recuperate?"

"The Marquis's mansion?" Su Yaoyao sneered. "When my brother was risking his life at the border, did the Marquis's mansion offer him even a shred of support? Now that he's seriously injured and unconscious, he suddenly remembers he's the 'legitimate son'?"

Su Cheng'an, embarrassed by her question, frowned and said, "Yaoyao, how can you talk like that? Your brother is back in the Marquis's mansion, he will naturally receive the best care..."

"The best care?" Su Yaoyao pointed to the blood-soaked bandage on Su Qingrun's chest. "If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince sending people to protect him along the way, it's hard to say whether my brother would have made it back to the capital alive. Is the Marquis's 'best care' just sending a few quack doctors who can't even bandage a wound?"

"you--!"

"Wherever I am, my brother is!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chenyuan's eyes flashed, and he suddenly spoke.

"Let's go to the East Palace."

Everyone looked at him.

His expression was calm, and his tone was matter-of-fact: "General Su was wounded for the country. The imperial physicians and medicines have been prepared, making it easier to take care of him."

Ling Feng: "???"

Your Highness, when did our Crown Prince's Palace prepare imperial physicians and medicines? How come I didn't know?!

He silently took a half step back, and when no one was looking, he quickly gave the guard behind him a wink. The guard understood, turned around, and ran back into the city—he had to hurry back to make arrangements! Otherwise, they'd be exposed!

Anar immediately objected: "Then I want to go to the East Palace too!"

The envoy was terrified: "Princess! Absolutely not! You haven't even had a formal audience with the Emperor of Yong yet, how can you go to the Crown Prince's Palace first? This is against etiquette!"

"How can she go?" Anar pointed at Su Yaoyao.

Xiao Chenyuan looked at Su Yaoyao, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, then turned to Anar, his tone calm yet dignified:

"Miss Su is General Su's younger sister. After all... General Su is in a coma and cannot be separated from his family."

"If the princess is worried about General Su's injuries, she can send someone to visit him every day. The Crown Prince's Palace will be waiting at any time," Xiao Chenyuan said calmly.

Anar narrowed her eyes, stared at Xiao Chenyuan for a long while, and suddenly laughed: "Alright, Your Highness. Then this princess will bother you every day."

Before turning around, she winked at Su Yaoyao again: "Little sister, wait for me to come play with you~"

Su Yaoyao: "..."

The convoy resumed its journey and headed into the city.

Su Yaoyao sat in the carriage carrying her brother, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked at Xiao Chenyuan riding slowly outside.

The morning light fell on his profile, outlining his handsome features. He seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.

Eyes facing each other.

A barely perceptible hint of...grievance flashed in his eyes?

Su Yaoyao: "..."

She silently lowered the carriage curtain.

Fine.

She's learned to feign helplessness now; that's progress.