Chapter 540: Chapter 540

Xie Changan pouted and questioned aggrievedly after hearing her words, “Why don’t I get to do that? Xu Zongyu is always allowed to do it at his house.”

“The Xu Family is the Xu Family whereas we are us,” Mu Mingtang held onto his hand and led him back to the Xuanzheng Palace, “The trees in the Xu Family are only so high and there are many siblings in the family. Therefore, there are a lot of older brothers and sisters that can keep a lookout for Xu Zongyu, so it’s different.”

Xie Changan still wouldn’t give up as he continued to ask, “Well then, how are we different?”

Mu Mingtang noticed something was slightly amiss as soon as she entered the palace. The servants stationed both inside and outside the palace curtsied and bowed before the royals, “Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Royal Highness the Empress and Your Highness the Prince.”

Sure enough, Xie Xuanchen walked out of the palace, held Mu Mingtang’s hand as soon as they met, and threw Xie Changan’s claw away.

Xie Xuanchen ignored his son who was left behind entirely and pulled Mu Mingtang inside. As he walked, he asked warmly, “Where did you go just now? When I came, I heard from the palace officials that you went to the Yanying Palace. I immediately sent someone over to ask for you, but they didn’t see you either.”

Mu Mingtang said, “Xu Wuniang and Xu Qiniang came today, so I was indeed talking to them in the Yanying Palace before I went to the garden. Maybe the timing of your arrival was unlucky, so you just missed me.”

Xie Xuanchen nodded. He glanced behind him and asked, “I heard you guys say that something was different? Do tell me what this is about.”

When Xie Changan saw Xie Xuanchen, the boy immediately did not dare to move. He put his hands by his legs and his eyes drooped, becoming as obedient as a domestic cat.

Now that he heard his father asking about him, Xie Changan trembled all over and looked at Mu Mingtang for help.

Mu Mingtang ignored the child and said truthfully, “He just went to the garden to climb a tree. I didn’t allow him to climb any trees after that but the child even used Xu Zongyu as an example. I answered that our family was different from Xu Zongyu’s, so he just questioned the differences.”

Xie Changan suddenly felt like a deflated rubber ball as his entire body felt like it was drooping. Xie Xuanchen let out an ‘oh’ before he proceeded to glance at Xie Changan calmly, “So that’s what you two were talking about. Nowadays, you don’t even listen to your mother’s words and you dare even question her?”

The boy had become bolder— even Xie Xuanchen didn’t dare question Mu Mingtang. Xie Changan was dejected as Xie Xuanchen said, “Return to your chambers and copy the Holy Scripture 3 times; do not come out until you are done with it.”

Xie Changan was then led back to his residence, aggrieved, by his servants. After the boy left, Mu Mingtang said to Xie Xuanchen, “He is still quite young, do you think that you’re being a bit too harsh on him?”

“Harsh?” Xie Xuanchen frowned as he expressed his disbelief, “Am I not a loving father? This is harsh?”