MCSCPM -Chapter 37 Entering the Palace for Examination

Yin Qingyue frowned and pondered. “Nangong Xiao? Why would he come here? Could it be that his illness hasn’t been cured? That’s impossible—if he were on the brink of death, how would he have the strength to come all the way to the Luocheng Courtyard?”

Could it be that Nangong Xiao had already found out about her situation in the Luocheng Courtyard?

Outside, Nanny Zhao urged her again. Irritated, Yin Qingyue frowned and shouted, “I’m not acquainted with the Crown Prince. I won’t see him!”

Nanny Zhao was stunned. She twitched the corner of her mouth and turned back awkwardly to Nangong Xiao. “Your Highness, you see? This ugly woman is not only unchaste, but also so ignorant of propriety. Even the servants in the courtyard are very dissatisfied with her.”

Nangong Xiao shot her a cold glance. “So you remember that you are servants? You were sent here to serve these girls, yet you dare to be picky and complain? Whoever is dissatisfied with her—call them out. I’ll deal with them personally! A bunch of slaves daring to turn the world upside down!”

Nanny Zhao shuddered violently and immediately knelt down, wailing loudly. “Your Highness, this old servant knows her fault! From now on, I will serve the girls with all my heart and never dare complain again!”

With Nangong Xiao speaking so clearly in defense of these prayer girls, Nanny Zhao was no fool—how could she bring trouble upon herself? Still, she couldn’t understand why Nangong Xiao, a royal noble, would protect these women who lived in constant uncertainty.

Nangong Xiao cast her a cold glance, snorted, and stepped forward to knock on the courtyard door. “Miss Yin, it’s me. Please open the door—there’s something very important.”

Mei’er froze upon hearing this, eyes wide as she looked at Yin Qingyue. What was going on? Why was the Crown Prince of Xize speaking to her miss in such a familiar tone? Though her miss was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Yin family, the Yin family were mere merchants and had no dealings with officials at all!

Yin Qingyue knew from his words that Nangong Xiao was determined to see her today. Helplessly shaking her head, she walked over and opened the courtyard door. “The Crown Prince’s presence brings glory to my humble abode. May I ask what important matter brings Your Highness to such a shabby place?”

Before Nangong Xiao could speak, the guard beside him already wore an ugly expression. This woman was actually this ugly—and with an unchaste body, she still dared speak to the Crown Prince like this?

He drew his blade and pointed it at Yin Qingyue, shouting sharply, “How dare you! You ugly woman, how dare you be so disrespectful to His Highness!”

Nangong Xiao’s gaze turned cold as he spoke calmly, “Miss Yin is an old acquaintance of mine. There’s no need to adhere to vulgar formalities. Stand down!”

The guard’s eyes widened in disbelief. The Crown Prince actually knew this ugly woman—and was even speaking in her defense?

Unwilling but obedient, he responded with a “Yes,” sheathed his sword, and retreated behind Nangong Xiao, glaring resentfully at Yin Qingyue.

Such an ugly woman—and she was worthy of the wise and mighty Crown Prince’s concern?

Yin Qingyue smiled faintly, glanced at the guard, then turned back to Nangong Xiao. “As the saying goes, one does not visit the Temple of Three Treasures without a reason. Your Highness has come all the way from the palace in such haste—surely it isn’t just to make my acquaintance?”

The guard behind Nangong Xiao wanted to flare up again upon hearing this, but seeing Nangong Xiao’s expression, he swallowed his anger. This ugly woman seemed to hold no small place in the Crown Prince’s heart. He wasn’t foolish—making things hard for her would only bring trouble upon himself.

Nangong Xiao stared into Yin Qingyue’s bright eyes and, for a brief moment, lost himself. Only after hearing her words did he come back to his senses.

He frowned, his expression turning solemn. “Miss Yin, do you know that someone has accused you of secretly consorting with a guard, claiming that you are no longer chaste?”

A trace of surprise appeared on Yin Qingyue’s face, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by understanding. “Just some people spreading malicious rumors. Does Your Highness believe them?”

“You unchaste ugly woman, how dare you spout nonsense here!” Nanny Zhao panicked when Yin Qingyue denied it and immediately stepped forward to berate her. “You seduced a guard and lost your chastity—there is solid evidence! Why won’t you hurry up and confess!”

Yin Qingyue tilted her eyes and curled her lips into a half-smile as she looked at Nanny Zhao. “His Highness the Crown Prince hasn’t spoken yet, and Nanny Zhao already dares to make such a final judgment? Are you trying to make decisions on behalf of His Highness?”

Nangong Xiao’s face darkened as well, and he shouted angrily, “Is this your place to speak?”

As he spoke, the guard astutely drew his blade and placed it against Nanny Zhao’s thick, short neck.

Startled by the cold, sharp edge, Nanny Zhao trembled, and the blade immediately cut a line of blood across her rough skin. She was about to scream, but the guard pressed the blade even closer. “His Highness hasn’t spoken yet—who gave you the right to interrupt? Shut up!”

Trembling all over, Nanny Zhao clamped her hand over her mouth, her heart filled with fear. Nangong Xiao was actually protecting Yin Qingyue like this? Why? Yin Qingyue was just an unchaste ugly woman—there was no reason for the Crown Prince of Xize to guard her so fiercely! Who on earth was backing this ugly woman?

At this thought, Nanny Zhao’s eyes suddenly widened in shock.

She had been scared out of her wits—how could she forget? Yin Qingyue was someone under Prince Jing! Nangong Xiao, as the Crown Prince of Xize, naturally wanted to maintain friendly relations with Beihuao!

She must have been blind and pig-brained to dare act so arrogantly toward Prince Jing’s person in front of the Crown Prince!

Nanny Zhao’s whole body wilted, her head drooping in dejection. She didn’t dare say another word, afraid that a single misstep might anger either Yin Qingyue or Nangong Xiao. With just a wave of their hands, the guard could strike and end her life.

“So then, what does Your Highness plan to do?” Yin Qingyue leaned against the doorframe, her graceful figure displayed to perfection, raising her brows and smiling brightly. “Take me somewhere to examine my body, or execute me on the spot?”

“Indeed, you are to be taken into the palace for an examination,” Nangong Xiao replied, surprised. “But how did you guess?”

“The Luocheng Courtyard is no ordinary place. Every move the women here make concerns Xize’s safety. While alive, we pray for blessings for Xize; in death, we must die for Xize to be considered a worthy death. His Majesty would never execute a courtyard girl just because of a single slanderous remark. But if I truly lost my chastity, that would be no small matter, so His Majesty would certainly handle this personally. The first step, naturally, is to verify whether I have indeed lost my chastity.” Yin Qingyue smiled sweetly as she explained her reasoning.

Seeing the surprise and admiration on both Nangong Xiao’s and the guard’s faces, Yin Qingyue knew she had guessed correctly and continued, “Your Highness brought only one guard. You wouldn’t personally conduct the examination, would you? I’ve heard the Crown Prince is accomplished in both civil and martial arts, but I doubt you possess that particular skill. So naturally, I must be taken to a specific place and examined under His Majesty’s watchful eye.”

After hearing her words, the guard’s impression of this ugly woman changed greatly. He wouldn’t say he liked her, but he no longer found her as detestable as before.

Though ugly, this woman was exceedingly sharp-minded. Judging solely from who had come, she deduced nearly the entire matter—truly not simple. The Crown Prince was indeed wise and mighty; the people he associated with were all extraordinary!

Nangong Xiao, too, was impressed by Yin Qingyue’s keen intelligence. Such a clever woman—what a pity she was born with such an ugly face!

He nodded and said solemnly, “That’s right. That is exactly what Father Emperor intended, so he sent me to bring you to the palace.”

Yin Qingyue nodded, her expression utterly relaxed, as though she were not going to the palace for a body examination, but to some scenic place for leisure.

She turned back to look at the already stunned Mei’er, then smiled again at Nangong Xiao. “Your Highness, I have no problem going with you. However, as you can see, my situation in the Luocheng Courtyard is truly not very favorable.”

Her face turned cold as she glanced at the dejected Nanny Zhao with a sneer. “I really don’t feel at ease leaving my maid behind in the Luocheng Courtyard. Might Your Highness be magnanimous enough to allow her to accompany me to the palace?”

After a brief moment of thought, Nangong Xiao nodded. “That won’t be a problem.”

It was just one more maid—she couldn’t possibly stir up any trouble.

Thinking this, Nangong Xiao looked at Yin Qingyue again, a trace of worry clouding his brows.

In truth, when he first learned that a woman in the Luocheng Courtyard had lost her chastity, his original intention had been to seize the opportunity to make the accusation stick, then use the impurity of the courtyard as grounds to advise Nangong Lin not to trust in mystic arts anymore. If mysticism were truly accurate, if the heavens were truly omnipotent, how could they have chosen an unchaste woman to enter the Luocheng Courtyard? Wouldn’t that prove that so-called mystic arts were nothing but a sham?

But once he confirmed that this ugly woman was none other than Yin Qingyue—the woman who had saved his life—he had no choice but to stop. If he didn’t, he would be harming his savior. How could he commit such an act of ingratitude?

What a pity—a perfect opportunity to bring down the Luocheng Courtyard and its so-called mystic arts!

Yin Qingyue, of course, had no idea what Nangong Xiao was thinking. Her understanding of the Xize royal family came purely from a few bits of hearsay on the day she transmigrated. She simply smiled faintly and bent in a respectful salute. “Qingyue thanks Your Highness.”

Nangong Xiao came back to his senses, nodded, and said, “Let’s go.”

At this moment in the Xize imperial palace, two elderly matrons responsible for body examinations were already waiting.

Nangong Chen glanced at the two matrons and raised his brows slightly. He had summoned them overnight and successfully bribed them. The charge of impurity against the woman from the Luocheng Courtyard was certain to be firmly established!

Nangong Xiao—let’s see what excuse you’ll use then to protect these wretched women! Aren’t you soft-hearted, eager to pity them? I’ll make sure they die miserably right before your eyes!

As Nangong Chen thought this, the smile on his face grew ever more brilliant and sinister, lending his originally handsome features a touch of cold-blooded cruelty.

At this time, Nangong Lin was breathing heavily, coughing incessantly. “Cough, cough… why is Xiao’er taking so long? Has that woman not been brought yet? This concerns Xize’s fate—how can it be treated so carelessly!”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience!” The young eunuch outside ran in quickly and knelt to report.

“Summon him at once!” Nangong Lin slammed the table, triggering another bout of coughing. “I want to see exactly what kind of woman she is—to dare commit such a crime deserving of death in the Luocheng Courtyard!”

Yin Qingyue followed behind Nangong Xiao as she entered the hall. Everyone who saw her widened their eyes—not in amazement at her beauty, but in shock at her ugliness!

Everyone in the hall—even the previously confident Nangong Chen—felt a doubt rise in their hearts.

With a face this ugly… would any guard really be willing to secretly consort with her?