CHAPTER 193 — HIS HIGHNESS' PUNISHMENT (3)
"Brother, why are you standing there like a stunned duck? Come in."
Qing Feng's gentle voice drifted from behind her — warm, polite, and absolutely murderous beneath the surface.
Tang Kexin shot him a tight smile. He was every bit as treacherous as his master, only wrapped in silk instead of steel. But she had no choice. With nowhere to run and no way to fight, she could only force her feet forward and step into the Prince's Mansion.
Ahead of her, Ye Lanjue didn't turn. He didn't slow. He didn't acknowledge her existence. He simply walked, long strides steady and unhurried, as if he were taking a casual stroll rather than escorting his runaway bride back into captivity.
But the faint curl at the corner of his lips betrayed him.
He was enjoying this.
Tang Kexin followed him through the corridors, past courtyards and carved pillars, her heart thudding harder with each step. She kept waiting — any moment now — for him to stop, turn, and unleash the storm she'd been dreading.
But nothing came.
He led her all the way to the main courtyard without a single word.
Tang Kexin's confusion grew with every silent step.
Why hasn't he confronted me? Why hasn't he punished me? What is he waiting for?
Just as she was about to drown in her own thoughts, his voice drifted back — calm, cool, utterly unreadable.
"Qing Feng, arrange a place for him to stay."
He stopped, glanced at her — a single, fleeting look — then turned and walked into the hall without another word.
Qing Feng bowed. "Yes, Your Highness."
Tang Kexin stood frozen.
What? That's it? He brings me back, and then… gives me a room?
Had he truly not recognised her?
It seemed impossible. Ye Lanjue was too sharp, too perceptive, too terrifyingly observant. But he had shown no sign of recognition. No anger. No suspicion. No cold interrogation.
Nothing.
"Brother, come along," Qing Feng said, smiling warmly. "I'll show you to your quarters."
Tang Kexin exhaled slowly. She followed him, mind racing.
If she could just get out of Ye Lanjue's sight — even for a moment — she might find a way to slip out of the mansion. Perhaps she could—
But the moment she stepped out of the courtyard, Ye Lanjue's gaze followed her from the shadows of the hall.
A faint, dangerous smile tugged at his lips.
And he had endured the urge to drag her into his arms, kiss her senseless, and then scold her until she cried.
But he couldn't touch her yet.
Not when the capital was crawling with people searching for her — the Crown Prince's men, and another hidden force he still couldn't identify. The Northern Kingdom had made their stance clear; they weren't the ones lurking in the shadows.
Someone else was hunting her.
Someone dangerous.
Until he uncovered who it was, he couldn't risk exposing her identity — not even inside his own mansion.
Qing Feng led her to a small courtyard on the far side of the estate. It was simple, quiet, and — most importantly — empty.
"This will be your room," he said pleasantly. "If you need anything, just ask."
Tang Kexin narrowed her eyes. "Are you always this… available? I can find you anytime?"
Qing Feng smiled. "What a coincidence. I'm in charge of this part of the mansion."
Tang Kexin's smile froze.
In charge? You mean you're here to watch me. To guard me. To make sure I don't escape.
She clenched her teeth behind her polite expression.
Master treacherous. Subordinates treacherous. All of them too clever for their own good.
After escorting her inside, Qing Feng returned to the main hall. Ye Lanjue stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, gaze fixed on the courtyard where Tang Kexin had disappeared.
"Master," Qing Feng said respectfully, "the arrangements are complete."
"I know," Ye Lanjue replied, not turning.
Qing Feng's lips twitched. His master's hearing was terrifying. He had probably heard every word spoken in that courtyard.
"The princess consort must be in turmoil," Qing Feng added lightly. "She's probably terrified."
Ye Lanjue frowned. "Turmoil? She looked perfectly carefree."
Qing Feng nearly choked.
Carefree?
The woman had been trembling like a rabbit in a wolf's den.
But Ye Lanjue continued, voice low and cold.
"She ran from me right after our wedding night. Then she swaggered into a military doctor selection as if she owned the place."
He didn't bother hiding anything from Qing Feng. The man was vice‑sect master of Suo Hua Sect, a master of Wind‑Listening, and one of the few people Ye Lanjue trusted.
"How does Your Highness plan to deal with her?" Qing Feng asked.
Ye Lanjue's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing through them.
"How?" he murmured. "Naturally… I won't let her off easily."
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CHAPTER 194 — HIS HIGHNESS' PUNISHMENT (4)
Qing Feng's lips curved faintly, though the expression never reached his eyes. He was already praying for Tang Kexin in silence. At this point, the princess consort could only pray for herself. No one else could save her — not even the Empress. No one even knew she had been brought back. If Ye Lanjue wanted to deal with her quietly, she would vanish without a whisper.
"Find out who else is looking for her."
Ye Lanjue's voice dropped to a low, lethal murmur. A sliver of killing intent flashed through his narrowed eyes — cold enough to make even Qing Feng stiffen. If he hadn't been forced to avoid those hidden forces, he wouldn't be this furious now.
He couldn't allow her to fall into anyone else's hands. And he needed to know who dared to hunt her in the shadows. If they discovered he had already found her, they might retreat — or strike harder.
This time, he had mobilised every channel of information he controlled.
"Yes," Qing Feng replied, his tone turning sharp and icy. Gone was the gentle warmth he used with Tang Kexin. This was the voice of a man who had killed without blinking.
---
Night fell.
In a secluded pavilion far from the Prince's Mansion, a man in black knelt in the shadows, head bowed.
"Master," he whispered, voice trembling, "the Third Prince brought someone back from General Gu's selection today."
"Oh?" The figure before him did not turn. His voice was deep, emotionless, and chilling. "Who?"
"I… I'm not certain. Gu Xiuran was selecting military doctors. The man passed the first round, but he seemed ordinary. The Third Prince appeared to choose him casually."
The man in black swallowed hard. Even speaking felt dangerous.
"A casual choice?" The figure turned slowly.
The man in black flinched. Those eyes — cold, flat, unreadable — could freeze blood.
"That was how it appeared," he stammered. "The man followed the carriage back to the mansion. The Third Prince did nothing to him. After arriving, the guards placed him in the servants' quarters. His Highness showed no special attention."
A thin, cruel smile curved the man's lips.
"Covering his tracks."
The smile widened, but it was hollow — a smile that made the air feel colder.
Ye Lanjue was hiding something.
"Since Ye Lanjue doesn't care," the man said softly, "kill that person."
The man in black jolted. "Y‑yes! At once!"
He scrambled to leave, but the cold voice stopped him again.
"What of the Northern Kingdom?"
The man in black froze. "They… they seem aware of Tang Kexin's abilities, but they did not inform the Third Prince. They appear to be protecting her from the shadows."
A low, humourless laugh escaped the man's throat.
"Of course they are. Naturally."
The man in black didn't understand, but he dared not ask.
"Go."
He fled.
Moments later, another figure emerged from the darkness.
Wrapped head to toe in thick cloth, only a pair of eyes were visible — eyes that gleamed with malice. The figure looked like a mummy, small and slight, but radiating a suffocating aura.
The man's expression shifted — the coldness easing into something more complicated.
"Why have you come out?" he asked quietly.
"How is the plan progressing?" The mummy‑like figure stepped closer, voice hoarse and painful, impossible to identify as male or female.
"Everything is proceeding smoothly," the man replied, bowing his head.
"Good." The figure's eyes narrowed. "Remember — I don't just want her dead. I want her to suffer. I want her life to be worse than death."
The man bowed deeper. He had heard these words for years.
"I will not tolerate mistakes," the figure hissed. "I have waited far too long for this."
"You need not worry," the man said, voice low and cold. "I have waited just as long."
The figure's eyes softened — disturbingly gentle. "I know. I trust you. I look forward to the day she begs for death."
---
Back in the Prince's Mansion, Tang Kexin lay awake in her small courtyard room, nerves stretched thin. She had expected interrogation, punishment, something — but the mansion was eerily normal.
Someone had even brought her dinner. Afterwards, everyone dispersed as if nothing unusual had happened. No guards stood watch outside her door. No one hovered nearby.
It was wrong. All of it.
The more normal things seemed, the more her instincts screamed.
She was a trained psychologist — she should have been able to read the situation. But Ye Lanjue was unreadable. His silence was more terrifying than his anger.
Exhaustion finally dragged her under. She lay on the bed, still fully clothed, and drifted into a restless sleep.
But she hadn't been asleep long when her door creaked open.
A shadow slipped inside — silent, swift, predatory.
The figure crossed the room in a heartbeat and stopped beside her bed.
Tang Kexin didn't stir.
The intruder reached out a hand.
And the night held its breath.