Didn't see that coming, did you? I'm a princess

Not long after Guagua finished speaking, Mao Qiantao's furious voice rang out from behind the door.

"What do you two bastards think you're doing? Stop right now!"

Mao Qiantao had already been furious enough to discover that the children he had doted on for so long were not his own. Yet when he investigated, he discovered that these two bastards had two different faces.

In front of him, they were gentle, respectful, humble, and obedient, honoring their elders and respecting their teachers. Behind his back, they bullied men and harassed women, then used the General's Residence's influence to smooth over the trouble. His achievements already threatened to overshadow the sovereign—were they afraid he wasn't dying fast enough?

Especially since the troublemakers weren't even his own flesh and blood, he was all the more enraged.

After hearing that the two had arrived, he had intended to have someone bring the bastards to him. But for some reason, unease stirred in his heart, so he came over himself.

The moment he arrived, he heard Jiang Nuan's thoughts. Before he could even wonder why the Ninth Princess was here, he heard that bastard's outrageous declaration.

Whose nine generations of kin was he going to send to hell? The Ninth Princess's? If those words got out, never mind nine generations—even the earthworms on his family's land would be split lengthwise!

In his fury, Mao Qiantao kicked the two bastards, sending them flying several meters.

When Mao Yonghong's already injured area scraped against the ground, he felt as though his precious member had snapped.

"Father, what are you doing? She attacked me first! I was only fighting back!"

Mao Yonghong protested indignantly.

Jiang Nuan nearly laughed in anger at the way he turned black into white. Hadn't he been the one who forced them to come to the General's Residence in the first place? And hadn't he been the first to lay his hands on her sister? Now he actually had the nerve to say this.

"Ninth Princess, these two failed to recognize Mount Tai and offended you. I'll punish them immediately. Please forgive us."

"The Ninth Princess? Her? She's the Ninth Princess?"

Hearing Mao Qiantao address her, Mao Yonghong blurted out in shock.

Jiang Nuan planted both hands on her hips and lifted her chin.

[Didn't see that coming, did you? I'm a princess!]

For the first time, Jiang Nuan felt that status was a wonderful thing. So this was how satisfying it felt to throw her rank around.

Mao Yonghong's pale face grew even paler. Even Mao Yi hadn't anticipated this turn of events.

But Mao Yi, who was comparatively clever, was more concerned about the word "bastards" that Mao Qiantao had used.

Unlike the foolish Mao Yonghong, he was clever enough to have noticed clues in his mother's behavior. He had even cleaned up after her.

He knew that everything he possessed now rested on his identity as the general's son.

In fact, because Mao Zhonglin was determined to join the army, while he had chosen the Imperial Examination and earned his licentiate degree, his standing had begun to show signs of surpassing Mao Zhonglin's.

Yet Mao Qiantao's words today inevitably set his mind racing. Still, an even more serious matter lay before him now.

Jiang Nuan had no intention of letting them off so easily.

"Great General Mao's children certainly are bold. What was it you wanted to do to my nine generations of kin? Send them all to hell? Oh, I'm so scared! Let me think about how I should tell my imperial father, my imperial mother, and my brother the Crown Prince about this..."

Jiang Nuan put on a troubled expression.

At this moment, Mao Qiantao truly wished he could strangle the two brothers. They had actually landed him in such enormous trouble! If only this had happened one day later, he could have severed all ties with them!

Wait, couldn't he sever ties with them right now?

Even if Jiang Nuan weren't here, she would eventually learn about it through that system thing anyway. There was no reason he couldn't settle matters in front of her now.

Having made up his mind, Mao Qiantao said bluntly, "Ninth Princess, there is something you do not know. These two brothers are not my children. They were born of an affair between my concubine and a Wei guard. I was just about to settle matters with them today!"

Hearing this, Mao Yi could no longer maintain his image as a graceful young gentleman and collapsed to the ground.

Mao Yonghong, on the other hand, knew nothing. He simply thought his father wanted to abandon him because of what he had said. How could he accept that? If that happened, death would be his only fate!

Ignoring the pain in his body, he hurriedly crawled to Mao Qiantao, clutched his leg, and pleaded through tears and snot:

"Father, I'm your own son! How can you say that? I'll apologize to the Ninth Princess and beg her forgiveness! Please don't throw me out!"

After Mao Qiantao kicked him away, Mao Yonghong dropped to his knees in front of Jiang Nuan.

"Ninth Princess, I failed to recognize Mount Tai! I spoke without thinking! Please just let me go like a fart!"

Jiang Nuan found this utterly boring. She preferred Mao Yonghong's arrogant, untamable manner when he had forced them to come to the General's Residence.

"Sister, what do you want to do with him? Just say the word. I'll back you up."

When An Yan heard the title Ninth Princess, she felt that her suspicions had been confirmed. For Jiang Nuan to be so fearless, her status had to be frighteningly high.

She simply hadn't expected Jiang Nuan, a noble princess, to follow her around, calling her "sister" at every turn.

Had Heaven seen how bitter the first half of her life had been and sent Jiang Nuan specifically to save her?

"Sister, there's no hurry to deal with him. Great General Mao seems to have some unfinished family matters. Why don't we wait until he's settled them?"

Since Jiang Nuan wanted to feast on the gossip, she would certainly lend a hand.

"Guards, bring those two adulterers here!"

Soon, a woman whose lingering charms were still visible despite her disheveled hair was brought in alongside a thoroughly ordinary-looking man.

Mao Qiantao had never noticed before, but now, the more he looked at Mao Yi and Mao Yonghong, the more the brothers resembled this Wei guard.

It left him feeling utterly revolted.

"General, I'm innocent! Someone must have framed me! They want to drive a wedge between us! General—we've shared more than twenty years of affection!"

The moment the woman arrived, she began defending herself, tugging at Mao Qiantao's sleeve in an attempt to make him believe her.

Looking at the face that had once seemed so gentle and attentive, Mao Qiantao now felt nothing but disgust.

"I see you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! Bring me the evidence."

"General, this is the lady's dudou, found in the Wei guard's room, along with the letters they exchanged."

A servant came over carrying the items.

Upon seeing them, the woman knew she had been exposed. She looked at the man beside her, and her anger boiled over.

"You wretch! Didn't I tell you to burn the letters after reading them? Are you trying to get me killed? And that thing—you, you actually dared to keep it!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, making her look truly pitiful.

The Wei guard seemed to know what awaited him. He offered no defense, merely staring fixedly at Mao Qiantao with intense hatred in his eyes.

Just then, Guagua spoke.

[Host, this Wei guard has some juicy gossip! And it's a big one!]