With a thud, Mu Xueshi dropped to his knees.
His mind was blank.
“Your Highness—while you were away, someone did break into your chamber! I heard things crashing—but since you said my face must not be seen easily, I hid beneath the blanket and dared not look!”
The Third Prince nodded as though enlightened.
“According to you, then, the state of this room is the work of an outsider?”
Mu Xueshi nodded vigorously and even gave a thumbs-up. “Congratulations, Your Highness—you’ve mastered buzzing in first!”
Though the prince did not understand the gesture, he sensed it was praise.
He did not press the matter. Instead, he wished to see what further fabrications Mu Xueshi might produce.
Seeing doubt still lingering in the prince’s eyes, Mu Xueshi bolstered his courage and spoke solemnly:
“Since this person dared intrude into your inner chamber in broad daylight and then fled in panic, it must be a servant from within the courtyard. He likely intended to steal valuables to sell—so his elderly parents and young children might eat their fill. Risking his life for his family’s survival—what filial devotion! I humbly beg Your Highness not to pursue the matter harshly. Or at least grant leniency. And afterward, perhaps distribute more silver to the servants, so their elders may enjoy peaceful retirement.”
He spoke with such righteous fervor that one might truly believe he advocated for the household staff.
The Third Prince sighed.
“Rise. I shall heed your advice. If the culprit is found, his life will be spared. The punishment shall be light—merely fifty strokes of the rod.”
Mu Xueshi’s composure shattered instantly.
Forgetting his status, he stepped forward and grasped the prince’s hand in plea.
“Your Highness, you are as compassionate as a Bodhisattva! Who else in this palace is as magnanimous as you? You even saved a criminal like me. He merely stole some property—why pursue it further?”
The prince was startled that Mu Xueshi dared grasp him so freely, his face filled with rare supplication.
Though he despised those who sought comfort at any cost, something in Mu Xueshi’s pitiful expression stirred a flicker of hesitation.
“You speak as though you already know the culprit. If you confess boldly, I shall pardon your crime of concealment.”
“If I say it… I’ll be spared punishment?” Mu Xueshi asked eagerly.
The prince smiled faintly. “Yes. But the perpetrator shall still face discipline.”
Mu Xueshi deflated like a punctured balloon.
If he admitted it was himself, the consequences would surely be worse. Had he known, he would not have lied in the first place. But if he blamed another servant—would the prince believe him? The way he asked suggested he already assumed Mu Xueshi had seen something.
After much internal struggle, Mu Xueshi finally said:
“Fine… I’ll tell you. It was the one shouting outside earlier. He resented your treatment of the servants and vented his anger in your chamber.”
The Third Prince had expected he would not implicate himself.
“Guards. Bring that Ning Yue to the courtyard. Fifty strokes. All servants shall witness as warning.”
Then, deliberately, he added:
“You as well. You shall watch.”
Mu Xueshi stiffened.
Guilt flooded him. Hearing the name he had pushed forward in self-preservation filled him with unease.
The Third Prince, however, interpreted the reaction differently—
As though Ning Yue held special meaning to Mu Xueshi.
After all, no one would normally show concern for a mere servant.
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment