A guard struck the back of her neck with the edge of his hand, knocking her unconscious.
"Miao..." Su Yuxin was at a loss, fear and dread in her eyes as she pleaded with the Fourth Prince beside her.
The Fourth Prince gritted his teeth and looked at Xi Hanzhou. "Eldest Imperial Brother..."
Xi Hanzhou slowly turned the cool jade balls in his hand, feeling the faint chill seep into his palm as he forcefully suppressed the frenzy in his heart.
He did not even look at Xi Muyan. Instead, his gloomy gaze swept toward the guards in the distance. "Can't you even understand my orders? What use are you?"
"This...?" The guard hesitantly looked toward the Emperor.
The Emperor's face remained calm. He did not intervene, but his meaning was clear: this matter was for the Crown Prince to decide.
Seeing this, the two guards strode forward and each seized one of Su Yuxin's arms, preparing to drag her away.
Su Yuxin froze for a moment, then finally panicked. She no longer had any thought of standing up for Ling'er. "You... what are you doing?"
Several princes grew anxious, but in front of the Emperor, they did not dare show it, much less behave recklessly. They could only place their hopes in Xi Muyan, whose mother held the highest rank among the imperial concubines and who could usually speak before their Imperial Father.
Xi Muyan gritted her teeth, stepped forward, cupped her hands, and bowed. "Eldest Imperial Brother, Second Miss Su is young and ignorant. I beg you to show mercy."
Xi Hanzhou snorted coldly. His contemptuous gaze swept toward the woman, and he found the sight of those clothes on her unbearably glaring. He wanted nothing more than to erase her at once.
"She has offended her superior,