ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 144

Xiao Rulei had been poisoned and, being in a weak state, showed signs of fatigue after speaking for a while, prompting everyone to leave so she could rest peacefully.

Li Zhizhi was the last to leave, overhearing Emperor Jing Ming and the Grand Princess conversing. “Let’s not make a fuss about A’yang being poisoned; I will send someone to investigate,” the Emperor said.

The Grand Princess agreed, then added, “With so many mixed people in the palace, should we let A’yang stay in my residence?”

After a moment of thought, Emperor Jing Ming replied, “There’s no need; I will arrange it properly myself.”

Upon hearing this, the Grand Princess stopped pressing the issue. After saying a few more words, she took Li Zhizhi and departed. Once outside the Ganqing Gate, the three walked along the long palace path, conversing. The Grand Princess, with a tone of barely concealed anger, said, “I can’t believe someone would be so hateful as to harm a mentally impaired child and try to frame you for it. It’s truly malicious, and when the Emperor finds out, that person will definitely face a slow death.”

Li Zhizhi frowned, confused. “But why would anyone want to poison A’yang? With her temperament, can she really have made enemies?”

“Who knows?” The Grand Princess scoffed. “There are always those with malicious intentions; even a single glance at them can be a mistake. A’yang is straightforward and direct, unaware of taboos, so she must have offended someone and made them resentful.”

With a sigh, she continued, “The inner palace is just like this. Even an innocuous comment can offend someone. Fortunately, the Emperor is better now; you wouldn’t believe how it was during the reign of the late Emperor. The concubines fought like roosters, creating chaos every few days, and many lost their lives for no reason.”

When the Grand Princess was young, she often witnessed the dirty business of intrigue and backstabbing, including her mother, who also perished in the struggles of the palace, her beauty turned to dust and her memory buried in fragrant jade. This was one of the main reasons she did not want Li Zhizhi to marry Xiao Yan.

But fate was cruel; what one fears often comes to pa.s.s…

Thinking of this, the Grand Princess glared at her nephew with resentment and carefully cautioned Li Zhizhi, “Regarding today’s incident, whether the person behind it is targeting A’yang or you, you must be more cautious and vigilant in the future.”

Li Zhizhi responded, “I understand.”

The Grand Princess remained worried. Seeing her like this, Xiao Yan rea.s.sured her, “Aunt, don’t worry; I will protect Zhizhi.”

The Grand Princess: …

Suddenly, she felt even less at ease.

…

As for the poisoning incident involving Xiao Rulei, Emperor Jing Ming did not publicize the investigation. Aside from Li Zhizhi, the Grand Princess, and Xiao Yan, no one else was aware of the situation, and Ganqing Palace was as tight-lipped as a sealed barrel.

After a few days, suddenly, a rumor quietly spread: Emperor Jing Ming had been poisoned, and someone intended to harm the Emperor.

In just half a day, the news spread rapidly—one pa.s.sed it to ten, and ten pa.s.sed it to a hundred. The capital was in an uproar, with everyone in a state of panic. Prime Minister Zhao and other officials rushed to the palace to seek an audience but were stopped at the Ganqing Gate. The guards on duty were tight-lipped, stating only that the Emperor was resting and did not see outsiders, knowing nothing else.

At a time when everyone was worried and at a loss, Prince Xiao Yan arrived. The officials hurriedly surrounded him, eager to probe for information. Xiao Yan said, “I have just learned of the news, just like all of you.”

However, even for His Highness the Crown Prince, Emperor Jing Ming did not make an exception; he kept him outside and sent a message saying: “You all come to see me; are you inspecting how close I am to death?”

These words were heavy, and the officials felt a wave of fear rise within them. They couldn’t help but think of the Emperor’s unpredictable temperament, filled with suspicion and doubt. Seeing Xiao Yan standing there, they couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him.

Although the Emperor had been treating the Crown Prince better lately, allowing him to partic.i.p.ate in court affairs, there was still a rift between father and son. No one knew what the future would hold…

The officials each speculated in their hearts and gradually dispersed.

…

Ning w.a.n.g’s residence.

“The Emperor has been poisoned?!”

Xiao Wen sat up straight in surprise, his expression incredulous. He asked a servant, “Is this true? When did this happen?”

The servant bowed his head and replied, “This is the news just received from the palace.”

Xiao Wen thought for a moment, downed the wine on the table, and suddenly laughed: “This is a blessing from the heavens!”

After saying this, he stood up and walked outside, his steps somewhat unsteady. He looked exceedingly lazy as he made his way to the flower hall, where voices of conversation could be heard. Xiao Wen raised his hand to smooth out his disheveled robes and then stepped inside.

“Father.”

Ning w.a.n.g was sitting in a large chair, talking with the w.a.n.gfei. Upon seeing him, he instinctively frowned and scolded, “Look at your disheveled appearance; what kind of manners are these?”

Xiao Wen shrugged it off, casually adjusting his clothes as he sat down. He immediately asked, “I heard the Emperor has been poisoned?”

Ning w.a.n.g glanced at him and replied lightly, “It’s just some hearsay; we don’t yet know if it’s true or false.”

Xiao Wen said, “You could go see for yourself, and you’d know.”

Ning w.a.n.g frowned and said, “It’s not that easy. Today, those who tried to visit the Qing Palace numbered not in the dozens, but at least in the teens, and they were all turned away. Even the Crown Prince was no exception.”

Xiao Wen chuckled and said with malicious glee, “Isn’t this just perfect? It shows that the Emperor is wary of him. I think this poisoning is at least eighty or ninety percent true; I just wonder who did it…”

At this point, he paused, his expression suddenly suspicious: “Could it really be the Crown Prince?”

The two exchanged glances, and Ning w.a.n.g slowly shook his head, whispering, “Who knows? It doesn’t make sense either. His Majesty has been quite reliant on him recently. I’ve heard that the Crown Prince has occasionally been allowed to enter the imperial study to discuss state affairs. As the heir apparent, after His Majesty pa.s.ses away, he will naturally ascend the throne. Why would he take such a risk at this critical moment?”

Xiao Wen, however, disagreed. Holding a teacup, he said, “Although my grandfather is old, he is still in good health, without any sickness or pain. Not everyone can be as patient as you are. The Crown Prince is eager to ascend the throne; it’s not unusual.”

As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, “Father, in my opinion, this is your great opportunity!”

“Don’t speak nonsense,” Ning w.a.n.g glanced at him, his tone cold as he said, “You have been increasingly audacious lately.”

Despite this, his gaze gradually darkened. Although Xiao Wen’s words were straightforward, they struck a chord with him. In the past, it was fine because Xiao Yan was useless, and Emperor Jing Ming did not value him, not even allowing him to partic.i.p.ate in court affairs. However, ever since Xiao Yan successfully completed the task in Luyang, things had been subtly shifting.

No matter how patient Ning w.a.n.g was, he couldn’t help but feel a bit restless at this point.

Xiao Wen was reprimanded a few times but remained thoroughly unconvinced. He returned to his room and habitually took out a small jade-colored porcelain bottle from a hidden compartment in the bookshelf. He gently weighed it in his hand and found that there was only a little five-stone powder left inside.

Xiao Wen’s expression suddenly darkened.

…

Meanwhile, the Princess’s Residence also received news about Emperor Jing Ming being poisoned. The Grand Princess was somewhat worried, but Li Zhizhi rea.s.sured her, saying, “I don’t think it’s true. You don’t need to worry too much. A’yang was poisoned, and the Emperor must have taken precautions. How could he fall into the trap again? Perhaps this is a feint to draw the snake out of its hole.”

Upon hearing this, the Grand Princess felt a bit more at ease and sighed, saying, “I hope so.”

By evening, Xiao Yan arrived. His words were basically in line with Li Zhizhi’s speculation, urging the Grand Princess not to worry.

The Grand Princess asked him, “Have you seen the Emperor?”

Xiao Yan paused, and the Grand Princess immediately understood something, instead comforting him, “Don’t overthink it; the Emperor might not mean that.”

Xiao Yan nodded, saying, “Aunt, I understand.”

The aunt and nephew talked for a while longer, and when a servant came in to report, the Grand Princess got up to leave. For a moment, only Li Zhizhi and Xiao Yan remained in the hall. The air grew quiet, and for some reason, Li Zhizhi suddenly felt a bit nervous.

When Xiao Yan looked over, she couldn’t help but slightly avert her gaze, not wanting to meet his eyes. This feeling was quite strange.

Li Zhizhi hoped he would say something to break this sudden silence, yet she also wished he wouldn’t speak.

Then she heard Xiao Yan say, “Zhizhi, do you want to go horseback riding?”

Li Zhizhi glanced at the evening sky, her face showing slight surprise: “Now?”

Xiao Yan set down his teacup and looked at her, his gaze deep and making her feel as if she were being tenderly watched. He said, “I want to take you to a place.”

Not long after, the two arrived at the Royal Horse Ranch. A servant led out a horse from the stable, but it wasn’t Taxue; it was a pure white Kanggju horse. Compared to Taxue, this one appeared even taller, adorned with a golden saddle and purple decorations. Its entire body was covered in snow-white fur without a trace of mixed colors, and its long mane lay smoothly along its neck. Its hooves were like pale green jade, quiet and gentle.

For the first time, Li Zhizhi felt that a horse could be described as beautiful.

Xiao Yan nimbly mounted the horse and extended his hand toward her, saying, “Come.”

Just then, the golden sunset cast a slanting light from the horizon onto his profile, making him appear even more handsome. His sword-like brows and phoenix eyes, along with his finely sculpted features, combined with his deep black eyes that resembled the midnight sky, made him look like a meticulously carved piece of exquisite jade.

Even though she was used to seeing his face on a daily basis, she couldn’t help but exclaim: the Crown Prince was indeed extraordinarily handsome.

Li Zhizhi momentarily lost her focus. Suddenly, Xiao Yan bent down low, stretching out his arms to pull her into his embrace. She felt her body lift off the ground in an instant, instinctively letting out a soft gasp as she tightly grasped Xiao Yan’s arm. The next moment, she found herself securely placed on the horse’s back.

All of this happened in a flash; Li Zhizhi hadn’t completely processed it yet and was a bit dazed. Perhaps thinking her reaction was amusing, Xiao Yan’s soft laughter echoed in her ears, like a gentle feather brushing against them, making her feel a pleasant tingle.

Unable to help herself, Li Zhizhi covered her right ear with her hand and turned to glare at him, her youthful face flushing a peach blossom pink. Her bright eyes sparkled like spring water, and this glance, full of shyness and feigned anger, resembled a lively and adorable deer, crashing into Xiao Yan’s heart.

An uncontrollable impulse surged through him, making him want to do something, like kiss her beautiful eyes or embrace her tightly, pulling her into his very bones, or perhaps kiss her, holding her on his tongue, swallowing her whole to satisfy the insatiable hunger within him.

However, in the end, Xiao Yan did nothing. He simply reached out and gently tucked her hair behind her ear, his actions tender and restrained, as if afraid of scaring her away. “The sunset at Luoxia Mountain is beautiful. I’ll take you to see it,” he said.

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