Su Xinyi quietly listened from the sidelines, proficiently playing the role of a guard.
Regardless of the Magistrate's fear, Prince Xiang's helpless explanation, or Prince Rong's furious scolding, the Crown Prince remained calm, seemingly unfazed by anyone else's reactions.
The last to arrive were the Wang brothers, Wang Shao and Wang Daoji, from the Wang Family. Wang Shao, at the age of fourteen or fifteen, displayed the typical boldness and defiance of a teenager, with his disdain for his uncle evident in his eyes.
Compared to Wang Shao, Wang Daoji appeared much older than his early-twenties. The hardship etched on his face could not be erased, and his eyes, empty and unmoved as a dry well, looked upon his nephew as if a stranger.
Su Xinyi was familiar with such gazes; it mirrored her own at the end of her previous life, when she no longer cared or wondered about anything. All she wanted was to do what she desired, such as choosing to die with Princess Pingjing.
