Chapter 1554

Even if Xie Zhiwei's consciousness was blurry, he still remembered the weight.

When he had drunk about enough, he stopped sucking, licked the wound still bleeding, but did not promptly rise from his embrace.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?" Xie Zhiwei rubbed against his neck, glanced out of the corner of his eye at the servants kneeling all over the hall, hooked his hand onto Jin Chen's shoulder and asked, his tone soft and alluring.

Jin Chen was caught by that glance, he lifted Xie Zhiwei's chin and kissed him, then softly recounted what had just happened.

"So that's how it is."

Xie Zhiwei chuckled lightly, nestled in Jin Chen's embrace without moving, only raising his hand to play with the fingers stained with a few traces of blood, "It seems some people can't wait for me to die."

He chuckled to himself for a while, then sighed coldly and softly: "If it weren't for Your Majesty, what would I do?"

Jin Chen: "……"

Now the mastermind behind the scenes has probably been dragged out and killed by you.

Seeing that Jin Chen wasn't playing along with his act of weakness, Xie Zhiwei also found it boring, finished drinking the medicine, then lay limp in Jin Chen's arms, as relaxed as if the person who had almost been killed by the deadly poison wasn't him.

"Your Majesty..." Xie Zhiwei bit Jin Chen's lip, the corners of his eyes slightly red, pressed against his skin and said: "You must uphold justice for me."

"If I die now, I won't be able to enter your harem later."

He had already turned from the blood‑slaying prince into a living, breathing concubine who is arrogant due to favor.

Jin Chen wiped the blood from his lip, "Understood, I will certainly find the culprit and uphold justice for you."

Not long after, Imperial Physician Liu entered the inner hall again with a bowl, knelt and reported: "Your Majesty, Prince, this is the configured deadly poison."

"The poisoner must know the Bihua Hall well—the hall's incense, the medicine the Prince drank today, and Your Majesty's blood are all indispensable. Perhaps they also obtained the Prince's blood at some unknown time, allowing this toxin to take effect."

The first few factors still need investigation, but when Imperial Physician Liu mentioned the Prince's blood, Jin Chen suddenly recalled the day Yun Xiao came to deliver soup, which accidentally caused Xie Zhiwei to get injured.

That day Yun Xiao himself was also badly injured, and could not tell whether his body or hands were stained with Xie Zhiwei's blood.

Jin Chen summoned the senior palace maid and asked: "When was the incense in the hall last changed?"

The senior palace maid, fearing punishment for negligence, dared not conceal anything and replied: "Your Majesty, it was the Noble Attendant Yun."

This is, after interrogating the little eunuch, Liu Feng also hurried back, "Your Majesty, that eunuch has confessed, it was Attendant Yun who bribed him."

Indeed, it's him.

Jin Chen originally thought only Yu Huayao was the undercover agent sent into the palace, but it turned out Yun Xiao was no pushover either.

Perhaps even in the dark, he is the more formidable one.

"Liu Feng, personally take people and invite Attendant Yun over." Jin Chen emphasized the word 'invite', the meaning obvious.

Yes.

Physician Liu also withdrew with his disciple silently.

This could be considered Xie Zhiwei having caught a leverage; he propped himself up on his arms, his thin lips lightly rubbing against Jin Chen's neck, his tone seeming soaked in sensual rose juice, each word carrying a hook.

"Your Majesty, after you brought the favored attendants into the inner palace, they all want your and my lives."

Jin Chen deliberately ignored that 'they', feigning a sigh: 'It is I who failed to discern people.'

Xie Zhiwei deliberately wanted Jin Chen to know that besides himself, no one truly cared for him; yet upon truly seeing Jin Chen in such a troubled state, he first felt heartache.

"Your Majesty, don't be sad," he said, covering Jin Chen's lips with a kiss, half-coaxing, half-fierce: "I will personally settle everything for you."

With a beauty in his arms, and the hall finally empty after much effort, Jin Chen kissed back without hesitation; Xie Zhiwei's slight jealousy only then eased, and he let out a few soft hums, allowing the kiss.

——

Yun Xiao waited in vain for the hidden message signaling plan success, and knew that the useless eunuch had surely been exposed.

The reason he didn't rely on others to do this is that, first, the inner palace now only has him and Yu Huayao as attendants, so even if he tried to frame someone, there's no one to frame; second, he never intended to stay long tonight, and regardless of whether he completes the task of assassinating the Regent Prince, someone will come to meet him and escort him away.

After all, he holds many secrets of the palace; the Prince will surely not give up so easily.

Yun Xiao changed into a dark outfit for easy movement, and was about to leave amid the chaos when he saw Yu Huayao hurrying over.

"Why are you still here?" Yu Huayao exclaimed in shock, stepping closer: "Are you planning to leave tonight?"

"Otherwise, should I wait for that dog official to kill me?" Yun Xiao dropped the gentle pretense, each word like a blood‑seen dagger, yet he did nothing to Yu Huayao.

He knew Yu Huayao was another undercover agent planted in the palace by the Prince, merely with a different mission, but ultimately both aimed to kill the foolish emperor or the dog official.

"The Prince sent a letter tonight, it especially mentions you." Yu Huayao walked over, pulled out a letter from his lapel, and said, "Even if you're leaving, at least finish reading the Prince's instructions."

Upon seeing the hidden markings on the envelope, Yun Xiao finally had no doubts and stepped forward to receive the letter.

At that very moment, he failed to grasp the sharp dagger in his hand, and Liu Feng caught him alive, along with the evidence.

"You..." Yun Xiao only reacted when the guards pressed him down, but even with all his martial prowess it was useless now; he glared at Yu Huayao, eyes bursting with rage: "How dare you betray the Prince!!"

Yu Huayao lightly brushed the dirt from his sleeves, lowered his eyes, and handed the envelope to Liu Feng, no longer retaining his former vitality: "Regardless of whom I serve, I only want to stay alive."

His father, the Grand Tutor, was a supporter of the Prince; before the emperor he couldn't be protected, so he could only stake his own life.

Yun Xiao was caught red‑handed and taken by Liu Feng and the guards to the Azure Splendor Hall.

But strangely, in front of Xie Zhiwei, Jin Chen seemed not to believe that the mastermind behind the scenes was Prince Mu Zhengzheng.

Even Liu Feng, who personally went to arrest Yun Xiao, was said to be acting suspiciously; perhaps the true culprit was someone else, merely seeking to drive a wedge between the emperor and the Prince.

Hearing their two‑person analysis, Xie Zhiwei: ……

Xie Zhiwei gritted his teeth, his gaze deep, and said, "Your Majesty, you really trust the Prince."

All the evidence lay before them, everything pointing to Mu Zhengzheng, yet Jin Chen could still find a chance to exonerate him!

What gives Mu Zhengzheng the right? How dare he earn such trust from Jin Chen!

"Before Father Emperor passed away, he once said that my older cousin was his only disciple, and that I should treat him well when I grew up."

Jin Chen pressed his lips, his brow full of trust in Mu Zhengzheng, and said, "Over the years, my older cousin has treated me extremely well."

"Liu Feng, take people again to investigate, and by the way inform the Prince so he can be careful too."

"Yes, subordinate receives the order!"

Liu Feng received the hint and immediately set out.

On the surface they pursued the true culprit of the poisoning, but secretly they followed the line involving Mu Zhengzheng that had been 'tainted', seeking the medicinal ingredient whose whereabouts only he knew.

Xie Zhiwei was so angry he didn't want to speak to Jin Chen, his mind full of the fine tactics Mu Zhongzheng had used—so much so that Jin Chen actually trusted him to this extent.

A wave of vexation and jealousy that wouldn't dissipate surged back, clearly wanting to storm out of Azure Splendor Palace under cover of night and return to the Regent Prince's mansion—but as soon as Jin Chen coaxed him, Xie Zhiwei couldn't move his feet, only wanting to stay in his embrace a little longer.

"In my presence, you trust the assassin who dares to harm me, and you…… indulge him in every way." Xie Zhiwei had not yet recovered from the backlash's heat wave, and he felt himself about to flare up in anger again; his voice carried heat and resentment.

You care about Mu Zhongzheng—indeed, more than you care about me!

Jin Chen: "……"

What an undeserved disaster—how can everyone swallow a mouthful of vinegar?

All this painstaking effort to obtain medicine—who is it for!

Jin Chen realized he couldn't explain himself by telling the truth, nor did he want to spin lies to deceive him; thus he sealed his lips with a kiss, leaving the jealous, beautiful prince unable to utter another word.