Yuwenzhang toyed with the teacup in his hand, his eyelashes lowered. His gaze eventually fell upon Ping'an, his cold, grim voice laced with threat.
"Very well. Since you do not wish to serve me, then let your child do it instead."
The little brat was just like his mother—at first glance, one could see he suffered from a congenital deficiency. Despite being two years old, he had thin arms and spindly legs, with nothing of a man about him. He must have taken after his biological father—that base, nameless man—weak and spineless!
"A child of this age is at the perfect time to be castrated. His grandfather is a scholar, so he must be clever. He shall stay by my side and serve me. What do you say?"
As the words fell, Xie Zhixue snapped her fingernails, digging them into her palms until blood began to trickle out.
Ping'an was the life she had carried for ten months, a child born through a brush with death, a treasure she had meticulously raised for three years. How could she possibly bear it if Yuwenzhang made him a eunuch with a single sentence?
Xie Zhixue kowtowed heavily. "He is an innocent child! I beg your Highness to show mercy! I beg your Highness to show mercy!"
Seeing the bruises forming on her forehead, a strange emotion flickered through Yuwenzhang. He waved his hand impatiently.
"Enough, get up. Either you become my personal maid, or your son becomes a eunuch. Choose!"
Xie Zhixue had nowhere left to turn. She could only nod in agreement.
"I am willing to be your Highness's servant. I only pray that your Highness will show mercy and pardon the Xie Family for the crime of deceiving the Emperor, and spare my son."
Yuwenzhang chuckled and nodded. He set down his teacup, strolled over to Xie Zhixue, and tilted her chin up.
"Xie Zhixue, you refuse to be the noble Crown Princess, choosing instead to debase yourself as a lowly maid. You truly do not know what is good for you!"
Having conquered ten cities in the North, Yuwenzhang was shrouded in a murderous, blood-soaked aura honed on the battlefield, making it impossible for others to look him in the eye.
Xie Zhixue kept her eyes lowered, her body trembling slightly as two trails of tears rolled down her cheeks. The Xie Family could not afford the wrath of a man in his position. She only hoped that after Yuwenzhang had vented his anger on her, he would leave a path for her family and Ping'an to survive. She did not care about her own life; she only feared for her loved ones.
Ping'an was only three; he could not understand the talk between adults. He only knew that the man in black had made his mother cry, and that the man was a bad person. He trotted over on his short legs and bumped into Yuwenzhang, who, caught off guard, staggered back.
Yuwenzhang looked down at the little brat of unknown paternity, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.
Seeing her son collide with the Crown Prince, Xie Zhixue's heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She hurriedly pulled Ping'an behind her. "Your Highness, the child is still young. Please, do not take offense!"
Before Yuwenzhang could speak, Ping'an poked his head out from behind her, pointing at him and saying in a milky voice, "You bullied my mother, you're a bad guy! When I grow up, I'll make you pay!"
Yuwenzhang was amused by the toddler’s boldness, but his tone turned sinister. "You just collided with me. Are you sure you’ll live long enough to grow up?"
"Guards! Drag this little brat out and feed him to the dogs!"
As the order was given, two armored guards immediately entered and moved to grab Ping'an. Xie Zhixue was terrified; she clutched the boy tightly, refusing to let them take him away.
"Your Highness, I beg you, punish me instead! I am willing to take the punishment for Ping'an!"
Yuwenzhang remained silent, watching the mother and son clinging to each other. The more he looked at the child in her arms, the more he loathed him. That wild man had stolen his woman, and now this little brat dared to challenge him—he was asking for death!
Since the Crown Prince did not rescind the order, the guards were forced to pry the child away. Xie Zhixue was a weak woman and was no match for them; her knuckles were pried open one by one, and she could only watch in agony as her son was dragged away.
In the courtyard, three ferocious dogs had already been brought in. They stood half as tall as a man, their bared fangs glinting, saliva dripping from their jaws.
Facing the hounds, no matter how brave little Ping'an was, he was still just a three-year-old child, and he could not help but wail in terror.
Hearing the piercing cries of her son, Xie Zhixue felt her heart shattering. She knelt at Yuwenzhang’s feet, pleading bitterly. "Your Highness, I beg you, use me to feed the dogs instead! The child is small and has little meat on him—please, let him go!"
Yuwenzhang could not stand her submissiveness for the sake of the child. How much could she possibly love that wild man, to risk her life to protect his spawn?
Seeing that Yuwenzhang remained unmoved, Xie Zhixue pulled the silver hairpin from her hair and pressed it against her throat. "Your Highness, if you insist on killing my child, I will follow him into death!"
Ping'an was her life; if anything happened to him, she would not want to live. Xie Zhixue pressed the pin slightly, and a drop of blood began to stain her fair skin.
Yuwenzhang met her gaze and saw only cold, unwavering resolve in those watery eyes. Very well. She was the first woman who had ever dared to threaten him. He would keep this account for now, but he would collect on it tenfold in the future!
"Release the child!"
The guards complied, immediately letting go. Xie Zhixue dropped the hairpin and lunged toward her son, holding him tight. Ping'an, still shaken, buried his face in his mother's neck and sobbed.
Yuwenzhang, weary of their display of motherly love, waved his hand and ordered an old nanny to take them away.
The nanny led them to a small courtyard in the back. "From now on, you and the young master will live here. If you need anything, just let me know."
Ping'an had cried himself to sleep in her arms. Xie Zhixue scanned the area; the courtyard had three rooms and a small, independent kitchen. Though it could not compare to her boudoir at the Xie Mansion, it was far better than the farmstead.
Under the eaves of another's roof, one must bow one's head. Xie Zhixue curtsied to the nanny. "The nanny and I are both servants; I dare not 'command' you. I only ask for your care for my son and me in the future."
The nanny smiled warmly. "Do not belittle yourself, miss. The Prince has never brought anyone else to this Crown Prince's Villa." She was the Crown Prince's wet nurse, and she had never seen him show such interest in any woman before. "The Crown Prince has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Once you spend more time together, you will see his true nature."
Xie Zhixue offered a bitter smile, placed Ping'an on the bed, and tucked him in carefully. Once the child was settled, the nanny gestured for her to follow her to bathe and change.
Xie Zhixue followed her through the hall and into an indoor hot spring. "Miss, this water is drawn from the peak of Yulong Mountain. Soaking in it will help expel the cold from your body."
She removed her outer robe and stepped slowly into the pool. As she brushed the flower petals aside and washed, her mist-filled eyes were clouded with worry about an uncertain future. She had only just arrived at the villa, and the Crown Prince had already nearly fed her son to the dogs. She could only imagine what other calamities lay ahead.
She wanted to seek help from her parents, but she was afraid of dragging them into danger. The rumors in the city said the Crown Prince was a virtuous heir, wise in military strategy—now, it seemed those claims were hollow.
How was she to carve out a path of survival for herself and Ping'an here in this Crown Prince's Villa?