When Shangguan Yan left the Xiao Manor, it was around noon. It wasn’t early nor late. If she successfully picked up the three children, she could still make it back to the Xiao Manor in time for lunch.
An extremely luxurious carriage that was almost comparable to an Empress carriage swaggered all the way.
“Shangguan Yan again!”
“She always makes herself look like a Princess Consort, afraid that others won’t know that she’s here!”
“If I were her, I would find a hole in the ground and hide myself. I wouldn’t go anywhere!”
“Yes, she still has the cheek to go out…”
Shangguan Yan had heard such comments for ten to twenty years, and her ears were about to turn calluses. The new maidservant’s face turned red and white, but Shangguan Yan did not even lift her eyelids. She only gently blew on her newly trimmed nails.
However, Shangguan Yan was probably in a good mood because she was about to see the little fellows. She surprisingly lifted the curtains.
The moment the curtain was lifted, the carriage stopped.
Everyone was shocked by the carriage that suddenly stopped beside them.
An extremely beautiful face appeared from the side window. Shangguan Yan smiled. “Continue, why aren’t you continuing?”
Everyone swallowed their saliva. It was unknown if they were frightened because they were caught red-handed or stunned by this soul-stirringly beautiful face.
Shangguan Yan looked at a well-dressed noblewoman and said, “You’re so ugly, yet you dare to go out. So why wouldn’t I dare?”
The noblewoman who had just scolded her that she had the cheek to go out was immediately angered!
Shangguan Yan looked at another woman with thick makeup. “Also, what do you mean by making myself look like a Princess Consort? I’m the Princess Consort. I’m both Mrs. Xiao and Princess Consort Yan. Why? Are you jealous? Do you have that luck?”
“You… you…” The woman was trembling with anger, and her makeup powder fell down. “You’re shameless!”
Shangguan Yan held her cheek and smiled. “If I were to have your old face, I would really rather not have it.”
The woman who was clearly the same age as Shangguan Yan but was old enough to be Shangguan Yan’s mother was finally so angry that her eyes rolled back and she fainted on the spot.
After this incident, everyone gritted their teeth at Shangguan Yan.
However, Shangguan Yan was in a good mood. She lowered the curtain and let the carriage continue to the Young Master’s Manor.
There was naturally no need for anyone to report her visit to the Young Master’s Manor. She went to Yan Jiuchao’s courtyard with ease.
Yan Jiuchao happened to walk over from another path and bumped into her.
“Where did you go?” She asked.
Yan Jiuchao only had a servant with him. Uncle Wan was nowhere to be seen. The servant bowed and tactfully retreated.
Yan Jiuchao glanced at her indifferently and did not answer her. Instead, he said, “Why is Mrs. Xiao here?”
Shangguan Yan said as usual, “Not for you, of course. Where’s the children?”
“What business is it of yours?” He didn’t ask her how she knew that the three little fellows had already moved into the Young Master’s Manor.
Shangguan Yan entered Yan Jiuchao’s courtyard openly. “I came today to inform you that I’m taking the children with me. Before the wedding, they will all live with Miss Yan. If you want to reunite with your sons, quickly marry Miss Yan.”
In the end, Yan Ruyu still misunderstood Shangguan Yan. Shangguan Yan did not want to help her get her children back. She just wanted to force her son, who was unwilling to get married, to get married obediently.
Shangguan Yan continued, “Don’t be in a hurry to refuse. Although I have the intention of forcing you to get married, it’s for the sake of the children. The children are so young. They can’t lose their mother.”
Yan Jiuchao seemed to have thought of something and scoffed. “Is that so?”
Shangguan Yan knew that Yan Jiuchao would not give in so easily. If she forced him too hard, it would only backfire. Fortunately, she had a countermeasure.
Before she could speak, a pageboy suddenly stumbled in.
Shangguan Yan frowned, and the pageboy fell to the ground with a thud. He tore his throat and said, “Not good—Little Young Masters… Little Young Masters have been captured!”
In the dungeon of the Magistrate Prefecture, Yan Xie walked through the long and narrow passageway. He swung the key in his hand while humming a tune smugly.
Yan Xie was in a very good mood at this moment. When he heard that the Princess Consort had arranged a job for him as a city inspector, he was a little unhappy.
What was so good about being a city inspector? He was just a street patrol officer. It was so tiring to be exposed to the sun and rain. With the status of the Princess Consort and Xiao Zhenting, they should at least give him the title of chief constable.
However, from the looks of it, even with his own abilities, he would soon become a chief constable or even a city censor.
The city censor was a fourth-grade official, an entire grade higher than his father!
“The theft of the palace…” Yan Xie couldn’t help but laugh. “Why is my luck so good? It’s really a blessing from the heavens!”
“Young Master Yan!” A prison guard ran over with a frightened expression.
Yan Xie looked at him impatiently. “What are you panicking for? Don’t you have any manners?”
The prison guard said fearfully, “No, Young Master Yan, Young… Young Master Yan and Mrs. Xiao are here!”
Yan Xie’s eyes lit up. “What? My brother-in-law and the Princess Consort are here? Why didn’t you say so earlier?! Where are they? Have they already entered the magistrate court? I’ll personally welcome them!”
With that, he strode away without waiting for the prison guard to answer.
In the hall, Yan Xie saw Yan Jiuchao and Shangguan Yan.
The two of them were really outstanding in terms of looks. Yan Xie had lived for so many years and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was his younger sister. However, compared to Shangguan Yan, her younger sister’s beauty lost some of its flavor.
Speaking of Yan Jiuchao, how could a man like Yan Jiuchao be so beautiful? Also, why did he feel like he had seen him somewhere before? These eyes, this nose… They looked very familiar…
On the other side, the magistrate had also arrived. He lowered his head and stood in front of Yan Jiuchao and Shangguan Yan, not even daring to breathe loudly.
When Yan Xie saw how scared the magistrate was, he thought to himself that the magistrate was only so-so that when he saw his brother-in-law and Mrs. Xiao, he was scared out of his wits!
But he was different. He had confidence!
Yan Jiuchao calmly played with the cup in his hand. “I heard that Mother recommended him.”
Yes, Brother-in-law! Yan Xie straightened his back.
Shangguan Yan’s expression turned very ugly.
The magistrate wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. “Yan… Yan Xie, I heard that you’ve worked on a case. Young Master Yan and Mrs. Xiao… came to see you…”
Yan Xie straightened his back even more. “Aiya, it’s just a small case. Why did you trouble my brother-in-law and the Princess Consort to come over personally? This makes me so embarrassed! It’s not worth mentioning!” Although he said that it was not worth mentioning, he kept talking.
The magistrate turned his face away, feeling that he couldn’t watch anymore.
“I just caught a few thieves! But that man ran away!”
The magistrate also wanted to run away.
“But I’ve detained the village girl!”
The magistrate couldn’t run anymore…
“There are also a few children with bad habits too. I locked them all up!”
The magistrate knelt down with a thud…
Yan Xie’s eyes widened. He took a step forward to support the magistrate. “Lord, what’s wrong? Princess Consort, look at him…”
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Shangguan Yan pick up the heater in her hand and ruthlessly smash it at his head!
