The princess regretted it.

Chapter 36 Mu Zixuan was beaten

At nightfall, outside the walls of the Prime Minister's Mansion, a figure quietly looked around, like a cat waiting for its chance. Then, he tilted his head slightly, listening intently to the sounds within the courtyard.

After a moment, the man seemed to notice that there was no sound in the yard. He jumped lightly and landed steadily on the wall like an agile monkey. He did not jump into the yard immediately, but hunched over and carefully looked into the yard again.

The courtyard was completely dark, with nothing visible except for the faint glow of two lanterns in the corridor not far away. After confirming that no one was visible, the figure instantly straightened up and leaped down without hesitation. However, a loud "pop" was heard, followed by a clear, young voice: "Ouch! Stop it! Stop it!"

At that moment, lanterns suddenly lit up all around. Wherever the light reached, a man lay sprawled on the ground, caught in a net. He held his hands behind his back, tightly clutching his buttocks, moaning non-stop. Three servants from the prime minister's residence stood around him, pulling at the net's ropes.

Standing behind the man trapped in the net was none other than the prime minister's wife, Zhong Wenqing. She had lost her usual dignified demeanor. Her eyebrows were raised like two sharp swords, her almond-shaped eyes wide, her teeth clenched. One hand on her waist, the other tightly gripping a three-finger-wide strip of bamboo, she pointed angrily at the man on the ground. Beside her stood the housekeeper and two maids carrying lanterns.

"Mu Zixuan, you bastard, you still remember to come back! What time is it now? Don't you know? How dare you climb over the wall! I'll break your legs." Zhong Wenqing said angrily, and raised the bamboo strips in his hand again, preparing to hit the man on the ground.

The man on the ground turned over and sat up in the net bag, like a frightened rabbit, and hurriedly backed away, begging for mercy: "Mom, mom, I was wrong! I was wrong! There are so many people here, please don't spank me." This was none other than the young master of the prime minister's mansion, Mu Zixuan, the lovely young man in Jiuxian Tower before.

But at this time he looked a little embarrassed, his clothes were a little messy and covered with a lot of dust; even his face was covered with dust, making him look like a cute little cat.

"Oh, are you afraid of losing face? Haven't you lost face enough since you were a child?" Zhong Wenqing shouted angrily while walking towards Mu Zixuan.

Seeing this, the housekeeper stepped forward at the right moment, bowed slightly, and stood in front of Zhong Wenqing, saying respectfully, "Madam, please calm down. The young master knows his mistake. Please forgive him this time."

At the same time, Mu Zixuan, standing behind him, saw the housekeeper's hands gently swaying behind his back, and immediately understood what he meant. He easily ripped the net bag open, and then, like a wild horse, he took off running. As he ran, he shouted, "Mom, you can't blame me. It was my cousin who dragged me out to play. If you want to hit me, go hit my cousin."

This was a classic case of "a friend's death is better than the poor fellow's." Mu Zixuan had no choice. He knew his mother meant what she meant by beating him, but his cousin was different. His uncle and aunt wouldn't hit him. He could only ask his cousin to intervene. Of course, he'd inevitably get beaten by his cousin afterwards, but it was better than being beaten by his mother.

Zhong Wenqing watched the figure scurry away like a rabbit, her expression complex and shifting, a mixture of anger, helplessness, and a subtle hint of fondness. She glanced at the housekeeper and said, "Old Han, don't think I don't know you're covering for him."

Butler Old Han grinned, revealing a simple and honest smile. He said, "The young master is just young and lively, but he has a very good nature. Madam, just teach him slowly. Once he gets married, he will naturally become more mature."

Zhong Wenqing knew her son's true nature well. He was sweet-tongued and endearing, and there was hardly anyone in the mansion who disliked him. She had also long been accustomed to the family's almost universal protection of the brat. She dropped a single sentence, "You've spoiled him," and slowly left with her two maids.

Seeing his mistress walk away, Butler Han turned and approached the three servants working on the string of the net bag. He gave each of them a kick in the buttocks. While the kicks were a bit rough, the force was not strong. "You three bastards, don't you know how to relax while pulling the string? If you really do fall, I'll see how you'll explain it to the general. You three stubborn idiots! Pack up and get back home."

The three men weren't upset, but instead laughed like three naughty children. "Old Han, how many times has this young master been beaten up since he was little? Don't worry, we know the severity of the situation. Besides, you know how hard the Madam is going to hit him! And if we really hold him tight, with our three strengths, there's no way the young master will get away."

Butler Han glanced at them and said, "Still showing off! Be smarter next time! This isn't a military camp, and the young master isn't one of you soldiers. How can he withstand your brute force?"

The three of them quickly responded, "Okay, okay. We understand!"

Butler Han straightened his back, waved his hand, and left. The three of them packed up their net bags and shoved their way out. Darkness and silence once again fell over the walled courtyard.