"Your Highness, I have something to report."
"Whatever it is, wait until I get back. I'm in a hurry now." Jing Xinche ignored Hong Yi. Nothing could stop him from finding Qier now.
"It's about the mistress, Your Highness." Hong Yi originally planned to confess to Jing Xinche after the palace banquet, but before he could speak, he was sent out on a mission by Jing Xinche.
Hearing that it was about Mu Fengqie, Jing Xinche changed his steps and headed for the study.
"Speak. What happened to Qier?"
Hong Yi didn't say a word but knelt on the ground all of a sudden. Mu Nan frowned at his action. He always felt that what Hong Yi was going to say was not good news. He'd better stay away to avoid being implicated.
"Your Highness, I'm guilty. The mistress's departure back then was related to me."
"What did you say!? Hong Yi, say that again!" Jing Xinche looked at Hong Yi kneeling on the ground in disbelief.
"I'm telling the truth. It was all my doing that the mistress left back then..."
Jing Xinche wanted to strike out with his palm, but was stopped by Mu Nan. "Your Highness, it's not too late to take action after hearing what Hong Yi has done." Mu Nan glanced at Hong Yi with a complicated look in his eyes.
He never expected that it was Hong Yi who caused Mu Fengqie to leave all those years ago. This was quite a bombshell. If it was really the case, the master probably wouldn't spare Hong Yi lightly.
"Hong Yi, speak! You'd better pray that you'll still be intact after you've finished speaking."
"That day in the inn, after Your Highness fainted in a fit of anger, I imitated Your Highness's handwriting and wrote a letter to the mistress..."
"A letter about what?" Jing Xinche had an idea in mind, but he couldn't believe that Hong Yi would have the audacity to do such a thing.
"A letter of divorce with the seal on it... Puff—"
As soon as Hong Yi finished speaking, he was sent flying by a palm strike from Jing Xinche. "Hong Yi, you're so bold! Who gave you the nerve to do this!" No wonder no matter how he explained to Qier, she remained unmoved.
So... so it was like this? Did what he did that day seem to be with an ulterior motive in her eyes? Did she misunderstand him again?
Hong Yi was struck by Jing Xinche's palm onto the pillar in the room. He tried to get up several times but failed. However, he still crawled and knelt up to continue.
"At that time, I thought the mistress was just a country woman who was not worthy of Your Highness at all. Moreover, following us would only hold us back and bring us a lot of trouble. So I wrote a letter of divorce to the mistress behind Your Highness's back.
I just wanted her to leave on her own initiative. But I didn't expect that my good intentions would turn out to be a bad thing. I didn't expect the mistress to have such a high status."
Mu Nan looked at Hong Yi in shock, not understanding why he would have such an idea. Was status really that important?
"Then when we sent people to look for the mistress back then, you..." Mu Nan asked.
"I never went. I just put on an act in front of Your Highness. Moreover, I secretly stopped those who wanted to look for the mistress."
Mu Nan looked at Hong Yi, speechless. It was really ingenious. He didn't leave any way out for himself.
"Hong Yi, how could you? How could you!?" Jing Xinche looked at Hong Yi, who was struggling to kneel on the ground, with bloodshot eyes. His fists were clenched tightly.
"At that time, I saw that Your Highness was always dealing with the mistress's matters and put aside your own revenge. I was anxious for Your Highness, so I came up with this bad plan."
"I thought that Your Highness would just be sad for a couple of days and then be fine. There are plenty of noble ladies in the capital. The mistress was not worthy of Your Highness, so I did that."
"I know I've caused a great disaster. Please punish me, Your Highness."
Jing Xinche stared at Hong Yi for a long time without saying a word. Finally, he walked past him and left.
Hong Yi felt relieved when he sensed Jing Xinche's departure. He came here with the determination to die today. But before he could fully relax, his heart tightened again.
"I'll spare you because you saved me back then. Leave on your own and never let me see you again."
Jing Xinche's voice came from outside, but it was filled with infinite exhaustion and a hint of helplessness that was hardly noticeable.
"Your Highness!" Was the master really going to drive him away? "Your Highness, Hong Yi is willing to accept any punishment. I only beg Your Highness to keep Hong Yi."
But there was no sign of Jing Xinche outside anymore.
"The master has left. You've made a big mistake this time, Hong Yi. I can't protect you either. If you really don't want to leave, go find the mistress.
The master will surely listen to the mistress. But you have to explain this matter to the mistress first."
"I understand. I won't leave. I'll go find the mistress right away." It was his mistake, and he would definitely make it up.
When Hong Yi, supported by Mu Nan with his injured body, arrived at the place where Mu Fengqie lived, he saw Jing Xinche being driven out by Mu Fengqie's people.
Mu Nan finally understood why the master was so angry. So the master couldn't see the mistress now?
Just as he was about to support Hong Yi and walk over, a carriage passed by them. The Crown Prince of the Jin'er Kingdom got out of the carriage.
"Brother Zhu, please inform me. I'm here to see Fengqie." The Crown Prince of Jin also noticed the commotion at the inn gate, but he didn't care. He was here to find Heng'er.
He forgot to give something to Heng'er when he came yesterday. It was something exclusive to the direct descendants of the royal family of their Jin'er Kingdom.
"Your Highness of Jin can just go in directly. Our master has said that you and the Princess can go in directly when you come."
"Thank you."
Seeing the Crown Prince of the Jin'er Kingdom enter without any hindrance, Jing Xinche questioned, "Why can an outsider go in, but I can't!"
Jing Xinche was a little flustered at this sight. Did Qier take a fancy to this Crown Prince of the Jin'er Kingdom? But they separated because of a misunderstanding. He never wrote a letter of divorce to her.
"Lord Zhongning, have you forgotten what you've done to our master? Our master would only get hurt if she followed you. Now that our master has finally had a peaceful life, can you stop disturbing our master's life?"
"I didn't! There's a misunderstanding between Qier and me. I have to explain it clearly to her." Jing Xinche held back from taking action because they were Qier's people. If he did something to them, Qier would definitely be angry.
"Brother, there's a misunderstanding between our master and the mistress. Could you let our master go in and explain? You don't want your master to be unhappy, do you?"
Mu Nan supported Hong Yi and walked over. He looked at Zhu Yan and hit the nail on the head. He thought that Zhu Yan would let their master in after he said this, but...