Chapter 154 Going to Settle Things

Prince Jiu naturally did not have so many complicated thoughts. In his heart, his little wife was his entire world. If anything were to happen to her, he would certainly not wish to live alone, nor would he ever let off the group of people who had bullied her back then.

"It doesn't matter. You should have told me about such things in the first place. Actually, I am to blame for making the wrong decision originally; I should never have allowed that woman to enter the Prince's Mansion as my concubine. Although I did it back then to save face for Cen Changxiao, and perhaps partly because I had too much to drink, I muddle-headedly took that woman in as my secondary consort. Even though I have never touched her, keeping her in the mansion remains a constant source of trouble. Your words today have served as a reminder that I should go and get rid of this trouble as soon as possible," Shen Hezhi said with utmost sincerity.

It was precisely because of Prince Jiu's earnest attitude that Yan Heru felt a greater sense of reassurance in her heart. With Shen Hezhi treating her this way, what more could she possibly ask for? Perhaps because she had been hurt in the past, she was afraid to trust anyone easily. Yet, if she refused to place her trust in someone, how could she ever embark on a new relationship or begin a fresh chapter in life? Yan Heru admonished herself inwardly to strive for a new existence, rather than shrinking back in fear and hesitation due to past mistakes.

"However, since Your Highness has already welcomed that woman into the mansion and made her a secondary consort, is there really no way to resolve this anymore? Surely Your Highness doesn't intend to make her leave the mansion..." As Yan Heru spoke, she felt a slight pang of guilty conscience, for she would actually be overjoyed if that woman could truly be driven away. Although this was a fictional realm, it was still an ancient world governed by polygamy and male chauvinism. Yan Heru did not possess ancient mindsets; imbued with modern values, she found it impossible to accept polygyny. It was simply that previously, she had not harbored feelings for Prince Jiu and thus cared not how many women he took. But now that he was her husband and she had fallen deeply in love with him, how could she possibly endure the presence of other women by his side?

Therefore, when Prince Jiu proposed dealing with that woman, Yan Heru was secretly filled with anticipation, hoping he would make her leave the Prince's Mansion.

Shen Hezhi had no idea his little wife had so many thoughts running through her head; he genuinely just wanted to clear up the mess caused by that woman. He had been in the wrong before, so now that he had a chance to make amends, he naturally wanted to do so. Besides, he only loved his little wife and did not wish to see any other women lingering in his courtyard—servants excluded, of course.

With a pampering touch on his wife's head, Prince Jiu said, "My lady need not worry about such matters. Rest assured, I will handle this matter thoroughly so that you will have no further worries, and I will never let that woman provoke you again." With that, Shen Hezhi turned to leave. Yan Heru parted her lips, wanting to say something to detain him, but the words failed to reach her mouth. She simply watched his retreating figure as he departed.

Knowing he had blundered, Shen Yi hurried to catch up with Prince Jiu to see if there was anything he could do to make up for his fault.

Watching Prince Jiu walk away, Yan Heru felt a warm glow in her heart alongside a trace of lingering guilt. Since there was nothing urgent for her to handle at the moment, she returned to the bedchamber to make the bed.

Meanwhile, Shen Hezhi arrived at Cen Changjing's courtyard, where he found the brother and sister engaged in cheerful conversation and laughter. Whether the sound of their merry laughter pricked at Shen Hezhi's nerves or something else entirely, Prince Jiu was furious.

In truth, Cen Changxiao had noticed Prince Jiu entering the courtyard long ago, yet he deliberately pretended not to see him, continuing his conversation with his sister until she finally spotted the Prince's arrival.

"Your Highness..." Upon discovering Prince Jiu's presence, Cen Changjing immediately broke off her conversation with her brother, stood up in surprise, and stared at the figure standing at the courtyard entrance.

Seeing that the siblings had finally noticed him, Prince Jiu stepped fully into the courtyard, walked over to a nearby pavilion, and seated himself. "You two are having a grand time here. Changxiao, it seems you had no idea I had returned."

Prince Jiu no longer possessed the patience or inclination to continue entangling himself with this former sworn brother.

What capability did Cen Changxiao possess? How could Prince Jiu possibly be unaware? He had been standing in the courtyard for quite some time, yet Cen Changxiao had acted as though he noticed nothing—which was utterly impossible. He knew Cen Changxiao's martial arts skills well; the moment he stepped foot into the courtyard, Cen Changxiao should have detected it.

Since Cen Changxiao had noticed his arrival yet made no move, waiting instead for his sister to sound the alarm, it was proof that his heart no longer belonged to Prince Jiu. During the time Prince Jiu was away from the mansion, someone had likely recruited him. Combined with the existence of Cen Changjing—whom Prince Jiu had long suspected of serving another master—their attitude today only served to confirm his suspicions. It was highly likely that Cen Changxiao had been recruited by someone introduced by Cen Changjing.

It had to be said that Prince Jiu's guess was remarkably close to the truth; he was now merely a tiny step away from the actual reality.

"Well... because it was rather late, I did not wish to disturb Your Highness. My intention was to pay my respects tomorrow morning. But considering that Your Highness might have to attend court tomorrow, I decided to wait until Your Highness had finished dealing with all your affairs before visiting," Cen Changxiao replied, his tone laced with deliberate detachment.

Prince Jiu truly could not fathom what he had ever done to wrong Cen Changxiao to merit such treatment. Back then, he had never even explicitly told Cen Changxiao that he favored his sister. While he admitted to having a certain fondness for her, it was hardly the deep passion of romance, nor had he ever deliberately engaged in any ambiguous behavior with her.

The whole affair between Prince Jiu and Cen Changxiao's sister was entirely a product of Cen Changxiao's own wishful thinking. Cen Changxiao had always believed that Prince Jiu was deeply enamored with his sister, but reality was quite the opposite. Prince Jiu had explained this at the very beginning, but finding that no amount of explanation made any difference, he eventually ceased trying.