Chapter 24 - Chapter 24

In the next second, Duan Mu Yan's body fell to the ground, weightless like a broken kite. Luckily, Xiao Yuxuan caught her right in time! As her blurry eyes looked at that anxious face, Duan Mu Yan really wanted to struggle free from Xiao Yuxuan, but she had already sunk into the endless darkness… 'Mother… Mu Yan is really tired...'

"What's going on?!" When Xiao Yin arrived, he saw the commotion in the main hall. When he saw that Duan Mu Yan was unconscious, the corner of his heart trembled with unease!

"Mu Yan... I won't let anything happen to you!" Ignoring Xiao Yin, Xiao Yuxuan tightly embraced Duan Mu Yan as he attempted to leave the main hall. However, she was stopped by Xiao Yin!

"Steward Zhou! Send two maids to escort the Royal Consort back to her room! Get the doctor to treat her!" The deep voice didn't have the slightest chance of returning.

Steward Zhou immediately summoned two maidservants to receive Duan Mu Yan from Xiao YuXuan's embrace! Seeing Duan Mu Yan being carried back to her room, Xiao Yuxian glared at Xiao Jin Feng before angrily leaving the main hall!

"You are not allowed to enter Duan Mu Yan's room! She is your royal sister-in-law! You'd better behave with dignity!" Xiao Yin spoke coldly and forcefully!

"Father, you are asking me to behave with self-respect?! Why don't you control that good son of yours? The one who should behave with dignity here should be him! What right did he have to say that Mu Yan could not even be compared to a maid? What right did he have to imprison Mu Yan into her room like some sinner?! He's not worthy of her, and would never worthy of her!" Xiao Yuxuan pointed viciously at Xiao Jin Feng!

"Mu Yan is Ji Feng's concubine! No matter how much they argued, it was still between him and his wife! It has nothing to do with you! Yuxuan... If you do this, it will only make it harder for Mu Yan!" Xiao Yin turned around and looked at Xiao Yuxuan.

Due to frustration of how was this going against Duan Mu Yan, "Why are you all like this... Mu Yan doesn't deserve all this..." Xiao Yu Xuan covered his ears as he frantically ran out of the hall.

Turning around, Xiao Yin looked coldly at Xiao Jin Feng! "Jin Feng! Don't go too far! After all, Duan Mu Yan was still a princess of this Kingdom! It's fine if you don't feel sorry for her! But you had to say those malicious words? She just lost her loved one, too. The pain in her heart is no less than yours… " Xiao Yin let out a deep sigh as he left the main hall.

The main hall once again regained its tranquility. Xiao Jin Feng slowly walked towards Chu Shirou's coffin, and gently caressed the ice-cold coffin with his thick palm. "Shirou… Don't worry, I won't change. I, Xiao Jin Feng, will only love you in my entire life, and no one can take your place in my heart… Shirou… I miss you so much…" He slowly closed his eyes as he kneeled down beside Chu Shirou's coffin.

Chu Shirou's funeral was finally over. Indeed, Duan Mu Yan did not appear. It wasn't because she acted according to Xiao Jin Feng's wishes, but because she was still unconscious and had yet to woke up.

"An Imperial Edict…!" A sharp voice came from outside, Xiao Yin led everyone in the Xiao manor to kneel down and receive the decree!

"On this day of the Emperor's decree, the Prince of Ping, Xiao Yuxuan, has both the literary and the martial arts at his disposal. He has both the skills and talent to understand astronomy and the geography of the land, and today, he was bestowed upon the Seventh Princess requests the position of Imperial Grand Tutor, giving him the position of the Head of the Tutor Hall in the Imperial Palace! To thank you for this…" Eunuch Li folded the imperial edict and prepared to hand it to Xiao Yuxuan.

"Whose idea is this?" Xiao Yuxuan stood up and did not accept the imperial edict. A sharp light flashed through his gentle eyes!

"Ugh… Duke Xiao… Why do all your sons have so much difficult personalities! This is the command! Otherwise, how many heads do you have in your Xiao Manor that can be chopped off!" Eunuch Li looked helplessly at Xiao Yin!

"Yuxuan! Don't be rude! You do not accept the decree yet?!" Xiao Yin glowered at Xiao Yuxuan and smiled at Eunuch Li from time to time.

What Eunuch Li said was right! If it were anyone else, their Xiao General Manor would have had to suffer! When Eunuch Li saw that Xiao Yuxuan still had no reaction, he took two steps forward and stuffed the imperial edict into Xiao Yuxuan's hands!

"I say, Prince Ping, this is the imperial edict. Tell me, who was it from?" Eunuch Li shook his head and left the Xiao family.

Looking at the imperial edict in his hand, Xiao Yuxuan's sword-like eyebrows tightly knitted together. He abruptly threw it onto the ground and angrily left! Xiao Yin hurriedly picked up the imperial edict from the ground and looked at the departing Xiao Yuxuan. Was it because this world had changed, or because he was old! Why were his sons so unafraid of death?! Xiao Yin really couldn't understand, so he took the imperial edict and returned to the study.

Phoenix Storage Pavilion

Looking at the busy palace maids and eunuchs around her, the corners of Duan Zitong's mouth couldn't help but curl up!

"Elder sister's mood is pretty good…" A clear and cold voice came out from Duan Xingyi's thin lips. Under the illumination of the sunlight, the beauty of his gorgeous figure became even stranger!

"How do you know?" Duan Zitong's dainty eyebrows slightly raised as she turned her sparkling eyes towards Duan Xingyi. Her slender, jade-like hands pointing, as if presenting, at the three golden words signage under the sunlight.

"Imperial Tutor Hall? Heh… Elder sister, you seem to be a little proud of yourself! In this harem, men were not allowed to live inside the imperial palace unless they are sons of imperial family! Now that you asked imperial father to let Xiao Yuxuan live across from you, the ambition in your heart is obvious. Aren't you afraid that the wind will destroy the graceful tree and the forest? Don't forget, in this palace, other than you, Seventh Princess, the other three princesses aren't very friendly to you…" His gentle silhouette exuded an indescribable arrogance.

Duan Xingyi eyes at Duan Zitong. 'Women... tsk tsk, they never learn to hide their true colors!' If somebody showed their strength, they would surely become the target of public criticism! So why would they?

"I don't care about them. They are not worthy to be in my eyes…! If we were to allow Xiao Yuxuan to remain in Xiao General Manor, wouldn't that be letting Duan Mu Yan off the hook… " Duan Zitong said indifferently, a strange light flashing across her eyes!

"Since elder sister is confident, then it can be said that Xing'han has gone overboard…" Duan Xingyi shrugged and turned to leave!

Looking at Duan Xingyi's departing figure, Duan Zitong could not help but sigh lightly. She really couldn't fathom what was in her brother's mind nowadays.

Xiao General Manor

Her head was in a daze, Duan Mu Yan could feel her entire body burning up, the sweat on her forehead trickling down from her cheeks onto the embroidered quilt.

"Water…" In a trance, Duan Mu Yan couldn't help but mumble as she subconsciously stretched out her jade-like hand!

"Wangfei… You're awake!" Her tender voice carried a trace of pleasant surprise as the fifteen-sixteen year old maidservant ran over to Duan Mu Yan's side and spoke excitedly!

"Water... I am so thirsty…" In a trance, Duan Mu Yan seemed to feel that someone was talking to her. Her eyes struggled to open, then she saw a young and tender face appeared before her!

"Wangfei, wait a moment…" The maidservant swiftly went to the table and poured a cup of tea, gently lifting Duan Mu Yan up before bringing the cup to her lips!

"You are?" Duan Mu Yan took the cup and gulped it down before returning it to the servant girl beside her!

"My name is Qiu Yue, you can call me Yue'er!Everyone in the mansion calls this humble servant that. Steward Zhou has assigned me to attend to your needs, Wangfei. From now on, I will be in charge of your daily necessities! Yue'er knows that you have a noble identity. If there's anything you're not fond of my work in the future, please forgive this humble servant, Wangfei. Yue'er will definitely work hard to correct it!" A trace of innocence could be seen on her snow-white face.

Duan Mu Yan couldn't help but smile. Why does anyone still think that way now? She smiled bitterly. Duan Mu Yan lifted her gaze and discovered that the sky had turned dark.

"Was it midnight already?" Duan Mu Yan's was of anxious feeling ashamed for sleeping the entire day.

"Not yet, Wangfei." Yue Er replied. She didn't feel that anything was wrong.

"Oh my… How long have I been unconscious? What about the funeral of the first wife?" Duan Mu Yan struggled to get up, trying to get off the bed!

"Esteemed Wangfei, don't move! The royal doctors said that you suffered from wind chill and internal injuries, so you must recuperate!" Yue'er hurriedly stopped Duan Mu Yan, her face was anxious as she spoke!

"But…" Just by standing up, Duan Mu Yan already felt a dull pain in her chest. It was hard to imagine the consequences if Xiao Yuxuan's palm strike was to land on Xiao Jin Feng's body!

"The funeral of the first wife ended early in the morning! There's probably nothing left for you to do now, so you should just relax and rest!" Yue'er brought Duan Mu Yan back to his bed!

At this moment, a series of hurried knocks came from outside! "Who?!" Yue'er turned around and asked! "Xiao Yuxuan! Quickly open the door!" Xiao Yuxuan's voice was slightly hurried as Qiu Yue glanced back at Duan Mu Yan!

After some time of deliberation, she shook her head lightly. "The Wangfei has already gone to bed. If the Prince Ping has any matters to attend to, come back tomorrow!" Yue'er tried her best to soften her voice so that Xiao Yuxuan would believe her!

"Mu Yan! I'll enter the palace tomorrow! I am not sure when will I be able to return…" Xiao Yuxuan's voice was clearly urgent! He knew that Mu Yan wasn't sleeping, and she was just avoiding him.

Inside the room, Duan Mu Yan abruptly got up, 'Yuxuan was to enter the palace?'

"Yue'er, quickly open the door!" Duan Mu Yan leaned heavily on the bed as she struggled to lean on the edge of the bed. The pain in her chest was akin to being pierced by needles!

"Mu Yan...!" Xiao Yuxuan rushed in and walked to the bedside. Looking at Duan Mu Yan's face, which was as white as snow, he felt a sense of guilt!

"Yue'er...! Go outside and wait. If anyone asks, tell them that the Princess has gone to bed! " Xiao Yuxuan instructed!

"Yes…" Although Yue'er had just joined the Xiao family not long ago, she had heard of the matters between the Prince Ping and the Third Princess. Since she was Duan Mu Yan's maid now, she naturally had to place importance on her.

Seeing that Yue'er had tightly shut the door, Duan Mu Yan hurriedly spoke up. "You are to enter the palace? Why? Did Imperial Father summoned you? Do you want to…" Duan Mu Yan looked worriedly at Xiao Yuxuan!

"None of them... It was an imperial edict that bestowed me the title of Imperial Tutor. From tomorrow, I will be living in the Imperial Palace. That is to say, if I want to leave the palace, I need someone's permission!" Xiao Yuxuan said angrily!

Other than the heirs of the Imperial family, since when had the harem become a place for foreign officials to live? And a mere tutor at that?

"It's the Seventh Princess, Duan Zitong! Mu Yan, this is clearly a trap. Duan Zitong is trying to lure me out of the Xiao Manor and doesn't want me to stay by your side! You have also seen your elder brother's attitude! He wasn't good to you! Mu Yan, I've thought about it. Let's run! We still have a chance!" A trace of anticipation bloomed in his crystal clear eyes. He really hoped that Duan Mu Yan would wake up! If she continued to stay in the Xiao family's manor, she would only be destroyed!

"Stop it! Yuxuan... I have no way back! If I had gone with you before the wedding, I would be implicating mother and big brother. If I am to go with you now, not only will I implicate big brother, I will also bring shame to Prince Qi and the entire Xiao manor! Besides, I don't want to implicate you!"

"And even if I am to die, I won't leave with you…" Her clear, cold voice contained a hint of decisiveness. Duan Mu Yan couldn't help but lower her gaze. Her fate belongs to the heavens, not to her.

"Yuxuan… I beg of you..." Duan Muyan seemed to have thought of something, and she slightly raised her clear eyes.

Xiao Yuxuan choked on his words. Things had already gotten to this point. Even if he kidnapped Duan Mu Yan, she would still return!

"I know, you don't have to say anything. I will take good care of Jing Yang. I will not let anyone to harm him!" In Duan Mu Yan's heart, other than Consort Li, there was only Duan Jingyang. Xiao Yuxuan really didn't know when she would start to think for herself.

"That's good then… I don't know why, but I keep having the feeling that Duan Xingyi will do something bad to big brother! Right now, because of me, Big Brother has been imprisoned again. I truly fear that one day, Imperial Father will… " Not daring to think about it, Duan Mu Yan shook her head in pain...