MCSCPM -Chapter 11 At His Mercy

“Prince Jing? The Prince Jing of Beihai? You know him?” The man sneered coldly, his eyes full of mockery. “If you’re Prince Jing’s woman, then I’m his father! You ugly woman—what ridiculous fantasies!”

As soon as his words fell, the man moved swiftly, seizing Mei’er and pinning her against the wall. His other hand reached to lift her skirt. At that very moment, a wooden hairpin shot through the air with fierce force. The man’s scream mixed with a woman’s shrill cry.

The handle of the wooden hairpin was soaked in blood. The man’s hand pressed against the wall had been firmly pierced through by the hairpin. His expression could only be described as utterly horrified and ferocious.

Yin Qingyue’s calm voice sounded, “I am but a weak woman—why would I know martial arts? All of this was taught to me by Prince Jing. Though I am ugly, Prince Jing’s taste is different from others’. When I was still in the Yin residence, I already knew him. This time, his coming to the capital was also for my sake.”

The man’s eyes widened as he looked at the woman before him, whose presence was completely different from before. Could it be true that Prince Jing was backing her? Had he really come to Xize for this woman?

In an instant, he recalled the discussions he had heard among the common people—that Prince Jing had entered the capital but then turned back, searching all around the outskirts of the city for a woman. Could it truly be for Yin Qingyue?

“You laid a hand on Prince Jing’s person. Given his temperament, do you think he’d let you off? Get out of here—now!” Yin Qingyue’s eyes gleamed sharply, her aura surging. The man was so frightened that he froze, then shuddered violently. Without even pulling out the wooden hairpin, he fled in haste.

“Miss!” Mei’er, terrified, rushed to Yin Qingyue’s side, tears already streaming down her face.

“It’s fine.” As soon as she spoke, Yin Qingyue began coughing violently. This body was weak to begin with, and after the commotion just now, she needed nourishment immediately.

“Miss, do you really know Prince Jing? If that’s the case, then we won’t need to stay in the Luocheng Courtyard in constant fear anymore! He must have seen your true face and fallen in love with you, right?”

Yin Qingyue said nothing. The news of Prince Jing of Beihai entering Xize had spread like wildfire. Using his reputation to scare off that crude man had been the best option. As for Prince Jing—she didn’t know him at all.

“Miss, the porcelain bowl is shattered. I’ll clean it up right away and bring you another dinner,” Mei’er said, steadying her emotions as she bent down to pick up the fragments.

Looking at Mei’er, Yin Qingyue sighed softly. With this body, she probably wouldn’t be able to leave the Luocheng Courtyard anytime soon. The matter of buying and selling clothes would have to wait. For now, she would secretly take some red dates and almonds from Nanny Zhao—those were good for replenishing the body, and she needed to eat more of them.

“Miss, just keep lying down! Mei’er will be back very soon.” With that, Mei’er hurried out of the room, closing the door tightly behind her. She hadn’t expected that her miss actually knew Prince Jing! Seeing the wooden hairpin pierce straight through the man’s palm, she could tell he was badly injured. Her miss was truly hiding her strength! It seemed all her worries and fears had been unnecessary—having Prince Jing meant there was nothing to fear at all.

Yin Qingyue sat by the bed and opened the bundle, carefully examining the clothes inside. From the feel alone, she could tell they were of excellent quality. Moreover, the embroidery at the hem was extremely distinctive. She narrowed her eyes, gently stroking the patterns with her fingers.

If that man woke up, he would probably be furious, wouldn’t he? There was no one around, and there were no shops near the outskirts of the capital. He would have to go out like that… completely naked…

But he’s a man—being naked doesn’t really matter, does it? Even if people saw him, so what?

Meanwhile, the man she was thinking about was currently in the imperial palace courtyard.

The Emperor had arranged a grand palace banquet to warmly receive Prince Jing of Xize. At the banquet, many young women couldn’t help but secretly admire Chu Jingcheng.

The usually reserved Third Princess, Nangong Wan, kept glancing toward Chu Jingcheng as if unintentionally. Under the moonlight and the red glow of lanterns, he was exceptionally striking. His tall, upright figure made her heart race, even though this was the first time she had ever seen him. Her once-quiet heart had never beaten so fiercely—she felt as though her entire face was burning.

“Third Sister, I see your face is even redder than the lanterns hanging in the trees,” the Eldest Princess, Nangong Xiaoxiao, teased with a smile. Prince Jing’s reputation had long been renowned, and seeing him today, he was even better than the rumors. She approved of him, but unlike Nangong Wan, she wouldn’t show it openly. Men—especially those in high positions—didn’t like infatuated women.

“Prince Jing,” the Emperor said, “I’ve heard that you were attacked on the outskirts of the capital. Describe the assailant’s appearance to me. If they are from Xize, I will certainly seize them!”

Standing beside Chu Jingcheng, Leng Feng raised his brows slightly. He wanted to see how his prince would answer. From the Emperor’s words, it was clear he didn’t know that the one who ambushed the prince was a woman!

Soon, a cold and resolute male voice reached everyone’s ears. “No need to trouble Your Majesty. This person was a bold woman. If this prince encounters her again, I will certainly recognize her.”

As his words fell, the entire hall fell silent. Nangong Wan’s heart sank—he had just arrived in Xize, yet a bold woman had already disregarded her status to seduce him!

“Third Sister, why don’t you try using some tricks yourself?” Nangong Xiaoxiao leaned close to her ear and whispered.

Nangong Wan glanced at her coolly and said nothing more. Bound by palace rules and the teachings for women, she believed that the woman who dared to entice him must be a vulgar country woman, accustomed to coarseness and utterly shameless.

“Then why not describe her appearance? I will hasten the search and give you an explanation,” the Emperor suggested.

“I did not see her face,” Chu Jingcheng replied.

As soon as those words were spoken, the hall erupted in astonishment.

Even such a formidable Prince Jing hadn’t seen the face of the woman who attacked him! It seemed this woman was not only bold, but also highly skilled.

Only Chu Jingcheng remained calm. After the murmurs died down, he spoke again, “Though I didn’t see her face, I can identify the scent on her body. As long as she appears again, I will definitely capture her.”

What’s more, she had taken his clothes. As long as he found the clothes, he could follow the trail and catch her!

Leng Feng’s eyelids twitched repeatedly. His prince’s words were like fire—he had thrown fuel onto the flames twice already. Tonight’s palace banquet was bound to be lively.

While everyone was still discussing animatedly, Leng Yi walked steadily to Chu Jingcheng’s side and whispered into his ear, “Your Highness, this subordinate has investigated thoroughly. In all the villages near the outskirts of the capital, no women have gone out. I also checked the drying racks in those villages—the women’s undergarments there are mostly coarse gray cloth, none in bright red. So it can only be a woman from the capital. Your Highness, what do you think…”

He trailed off. After all, only the prince could recognize the woman’s scent—it wasn’t possible for the prince to go door to door smelling women.

Chu Jingcheng nodded. “No rush. This prince will wait for her to reveal herself.”

As long as she took out his clothes, that would be enough. He had already made up his mind—if he didn’t capture this woman, he would stay in Xize indefinitely!

The King of Xize coughed lightly, signaling for silence. Once the hall quieted down, he spoke,
“In that case, I cannot be of further help. When this woman is captured, she shall be left entirely at Prince Jing’s disposal.”