Chapter 123

Wei Chun had a grudge against Shen Shuangning; when framing her, he felt not the slightest guilt—he just hadn't managed to harm the person he truly wanted to harm, which was truly a pity.

Although the person before him was not what Prince Chen wanted, Shen Shuangning was this beautiful, not at all inferior to Song Xizhi—who in this world would refuse a beauty delivered to his door?

Anyway, she would never become Prince Chen's consort, so let Shen Shuangning be this scapegoat!

A flash of malice crossed Wei Chun's eyes.

Just in case, she stripped Shen Shuangning down to nothing but a pink dudou, then bundled her clothes up and hid them away.

She then produced a medicine bottle from her bosom and tipped out a black pill.

This had originally been prepared for Song Xizhi, and she had even spent fifty taels of silver on it!

Wei Chun shoved it into Shen Shuangning's mouth and only left after seeing her swallow it.

Elsewhere.

Song Xizhi only then learned that Xiao Jingyuan had never invited her out; she first felt embarrassed, then quickly realized something was amiss.

"Is the Heir here to see Prince Chen, Your Highness?"

Xiao Jingyuan didn't hide it, simply replied yes, his attitude still aloof.

Song Xizhi's hairs stood on end instantly, as if facing a formidable foe, and she completely shoved Xiao Jingyuan to the back of her mind!

Because in her previous life she had suffered terribly at Prince Chen's hands, Song Xizhi almost instantly suspected him!

The usually composed Miss Song of the Song family uncharacteristically lost her composure; she bid Xiao Jingyuan farewell in a flustered manner and hurried toward the exterior of Yunxiao Lou, as if evil spirits were pursuing her.

Xiao Jingyuan gazed oddly at her retreating back; having examined many criminals, he had developed a keen insight.

He keenly noticed the flash of fear on Song Xizhi's face—it wasn't because of him, but clearly because of Prince Chen.

That's right—in her previous life, Song Xizhi willingly gave herself to Prince Chen, and it's said she did not have a pleasant time.

And within two years of marriage, Prince Chen "died suddenly."

But as far as he knew, Prince Chen's death was highly suspicious, likely connected to Song Xizhi.

But in this life, Song Xizhi is hardly acquainted with Prince Chen—perhaps they've barely met a few times—so why is she so afraid of him?

Xiao Jingyuan pondered for a moment, and soon someone came to summon him.

"Heir, the Prince is waiting for you in the upstairs elegant chamber."

Prince Chen also had some eyes and ears in the capital; as soon as Xiao Jingyuan set out toward this place, someone in Yunxiao Lou hurriedly came to report.

Prince Chen could roughly guess that this Heir of Prince Yan's mansion had been sent by the dog emperor to act as a persuader urging him to restrain himself.

Prince Chen originally wanted to turn him away at the gate, but then thought better of it—he couldn't very well slight the emperor.

One still ought to meet him.

Just because he had to see him didn't mean he had to make him comfortable. Since the emperor intended to cause him trouble, he would take the person the emperor sent and have some fun with him.

It was said that Heir Xiao kept his distance from women, was stern and austere, hardly had any romantic scandals, and there was hardly any dirt to be found on him.

Such a person was like a bronze wall and iron gate—one could find no chink in his armor.

Precisely such a person, Prince Chen instead felt a competitive spark and was determined to drag him down from his pedestal.

Thus he had prepared a great gift in advance.

Outside the elegant chamber stood several sword-wielding guards; Xiao Jingyuan glanced at them, his expression unchanged.

Before even stepping into the elegant chamber, he could already hear peals of laughter and flirtatious chatter from within.

A guard raised his hand to block Qing Yun, saying coldly, "The Prince's orders: only the Heir may enter."

Qing Yun looked toward Xiao Jingyuan.

Xiao Jingyuan gave him a look, and Qing Yun stepped aside.

As Xiao Jingyuan lifted the curtain and entered, he glanced up and saw Prince Chen with a lovely woman in each arm, while several soft-waisted maidens knelt beside him, their eyes full of spring, murmuring flirtatiously around him.

The room was thick with heavy, pungent perfume mixed with the smell of wine, assailing his nostrils.

Xiao Jingyuan's steps halted, his long brows instinctively knitting, a flicker of disgust crossing his eyes, and he instinctively wanted to lift his foot and leave.

But thinking of the emperor's command, he forced himself to stay.

Seeing him enter, Prince Chen not only failed to restrain himself, he tightened his hold on the woman in his arms, kneading her roughly until she begged for mercy before he let up.

Xiao Jingyuan gave it no further glance, lowered his eyes, and performed a salute: "Your servant pays his respects, Prince."

Only then did Prince Chen seem to notice his arrival, smiling as he said, "Last time I invited you to Yunxiao Lou for a sit, you made all kinds of excuses, but today you're rare—what wind blew you here?"

Xiao Jingyuan replied expressionlessly, "It's not that I refused; I've been busy with official duties these past days and simply couldn't spare any leisure."

Prince Chen appeared magnanimous, waving a hand: "Someone, bring a seat."

After Xiao Jingyuan adjusted his robe and sat down, Prince Chen directly pushed the woman in his lap aside, smiling as he ordered, "Go, attend to the Heir; if you manage to please him, I'll richly reward you."

The maidens in the room had already fixed their eyes on Xiao Jingyuan the moment he entered.

Such a handsome, upright, and exceptionally bearing young man was truly a rare sight.

The woman who had been pushed out blushed, took a dainty step forward, about to sway her waist toward Xiao Jingyuan, but froze on the spot under his icy glare.

Xiao Jingyuan remained unmoving, his gaze sweeping past her to the intrigued Prince Chen behind, his eyes as deep as a cold pool, and he said, "Your Highness, are you aware that His Majesty flew into a great rage last night because you injured an imperial censor while riding recklessly in the western suburbs hunting grounds?"

Prince Chen drained his cup in one gulp, sneering, "He may lord over heaven and earth, but he still tries to dictate how I ride my horse."

He snorted inwardly, "He's handed over his military power so meekly—what's the harm in being a bit wilful? If you've got the guts, strike him down with a single blade and let all the world see just how 'benevolent' this Son of Heaven really is!"

"His Majesty, mindful of brotherly affection, has sent me to advise you." Xiao Jingyuan spoke in a flat tone, devoid of any persuasive intent.

"Brotherly affection?" Prince Chen snorted, then fixed his gaze on Xiao Jingyuan's face with a touch of teasing, asking, "And how do you intend to advise me?"

Xiao Jingyuan replied, "I've already finished advising."

Prince Chen found him somewhat interesting.

He then glanced at the women in the room and asked, "Among all these beauties, not one satisfies the Heir Xiao?"

Xiao Jingyuan said nothing.

Prince Chen feigned regret, sighing, "What a pity I went to all this trouble arranging things, yet not a single one meets your taste—since that's the case, keeping them is useless; might as well kill them all."

Those girls had just been secretly delighted at being able to get close to the powerful and noble, but upon hearing this they were instantly stunned; after reacting, each turned deathly pale, and with a "plop" they knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and begging for mercy.

Who would have thought Prince Chen was not joking; as soon as his words fell, several sword-wielding guards rushed in from outside the private room.

The leader, without a word, drew his waist sword in a backhand motion; in the instant the cold light flashed, the woman nearest to him had already collapsed in a pool of blood.

The move was so swift that even Xiao Jingyuan hadn't anticipated it, and his pupils involuntarily contracted.

A shrill scream suddenly tore through the private room's clamor, and the remaining girls were so frightened their souls seemed to flee.

Seeing the guards' blades about to fall again, Xiao Jingyuan sprang to his feet and shouted in a low voice, "Stop!"

The blade that was about to fall hovered just above a woman's neck; the guards paused, then all turned to look at Prince Chen, awaiting his signal.

Prince Chen leisurely rubbed the rim of his wine cup with his fingertip, glanced at Xiao Jingyuan's tense profile, then lazily raised his hand.

The guards immediately sheathed their blades and retreated to the side, yet remained glaring tigerishly.

Only then did Xiao Jingyuan coldly say, "Under the emperor's feet, the law is clear; how dare you, Prince, recklessly take lives?"

"'They're merely prostitutes; if military courtesans fail in their service, they deserve death.' Prince Chen drank several cups, his face flushing with drunkenness, yet his tone remained utterly cold: 'Whether they live or die today depends entirely on the Heir Apparent's will.'"

Xiao Jingyuan sneered mockingly, "Prince, you certainly have refined tastes."

The girls on the ground, hearing the meaning in Prince Chen's words, tearfully knelt before Xiao Jingyuan, begging the Heir Apparent Sir for pity.

A wave of annoyance rose in Xiao Jingyuan's heart; he could simply turn and leave, pretending he hadn't seen this farce.

But if he left, Prince Chen could turn around and have those women killed, then turn back and smear dirt on him, claiming he refused to give face, which was why they lost their lives.

Prince Chen's despicable tactics truly opened Xiao Jingyuan's eyes, and the chill in his gaze deepened somewhat.

Seeing Xiao Jingyuan sit back down, Prince Chen burst into loud laughter, immediately ordering good wine to be served and filling the Heir Apparent's cup.

As if the bloody slaughter and threats just now had never happened.

Here, Xie Lin and Su Mu'er had already arrived at Cloud Pavilion Tower, yet Shen Shuangning's figure was still nowhere to be seen.

As the hour of hai approached, the guests in the building had mostly left, the stage was dismantled, the bustle gradually faded, leaving only a quiet emptiness.

Su Mu'er sighed softly, "Looks like we can't wait any longer."

Xie Lin held his cup, the light in his eyes gradually dimming.

Su Mu'er rose from her seat, yawned, and said, "I'm leaving; are you coming?"

Xie Lin said nothing.

Seeing his useless demeanor, Su Mu'er grew angry, grabbed him and pulled him up, "Still waiting? She probably won't see you at all; you might as well go home and sleep."

Xie Lin frowned, shook off her hand, and walked ahead.

The nearby guard complained, "This man doesn't know gratitude; the princess should give him a proper lesson."

Su Mu'er waved her hand, "Never mind, never mind; who asked him to save me? Besides, don't you think a man acting a little spoiled is rather sexy?"

The guard said nothing.

All the drinks Prince Chen had found for Xiao Jingyuan were strong liquor, cup after cup; this relentless guzzling would overwhelm even someone with a huge capacity.

Who would have thought the first to collapse would be Prince Chen.

He slammed his wine cup onto the table, his body slumped, and he fell flat on his back upon the case.

Snoring immediately began.

Xiao Jingyuan remained seated in the grand master's chair, raising a hand to support his forehead, fingertips pressing against his throbbing browbone; his usual stern outline softened somewhat, clearly he was already seventy percent drunk.

He waved his hand without lifting his eyelids, his voice hoarse from drink: "All of you, go."

The girls, as if pardoned, forgot to thank him and fled, lifting their skirts as they ran out.

As Xiao Jingyuan rose, his stature swayed, but it was Prince Chen's guards who came to support him.

The man respectfully said, "Heir Apparent Sir, Prince Chen has prepared a guest room upstairs; allow me to escort you there to rest."

Xiao Jingyuan closed his eyes slightly: "Where are my people?"

The man did not answer.

Xiao Jingyuan was already quite drunk; in this state he could not return on his own, and if he encountered assassins he would be unable to cope, only putting himself in danger.

Xiao Jingyuan glanced at Prince Chen, drunk to the point of unconsciousness, then nodded.

After Xiao Jingyuan left, the earth-shaking snoring in the private room abruptly ceased.

All that could be seen was Prince Chen sitting up; aside from his whole face flushed red, there was not a trace of drunkenness left in his eyes.

A sly curl rose at the corner of his mouth, and a dark gleam flickered in his eyes.

What lay ahead was merely a bewildering formation; the real pit was still behind.

It was said that the Miss of the Song family had already been captured.

In fact, if he wished, he could go over and deal with that woman right now; whether he gave her to his subordinates or kept her for himself, it would be enough to cause trouble for the emperor and crown prince.

But he knew deep down that he would eventually leave the capital; once that woman was no longer under those two's noses, no amount of petty scheming would do more than an itch through a boot—at most it would merely make them unhappy for a moment.

But with Xiao Jingyuan, it was different.

The minister most favored by the emperor, who had dared to meddle with the crown prince's beloved, would surely stir up a long-lasting turmoil, enough to give his royal brother a headache.

Xiao Jingyuan stepped into the room with uneven footsteps; all around was dim, and the door shut behind him as he entered.

Xiao Jingyuan staggered to the bedside, supporting himself with one hand on the bed frame, and lowering his gaze saw a graceful figure behind the pink gauze curtains.

From within came a faint, painful panting, tinged with suppressed discomfort, especially clear in the silent night.

A flicker of coldness passed through Xiao Jingyuan's eyes.

Prince Chen indeed had another trick up his sleeve!

Xiao Jingyuan was heavily drunk, yet he forced himself to retain a sliver of clarity; without another glance, he lifted his leg to sit on a distant chair, intending to wait until the wine's effects waned before leaving.

This room could not hold him.

But just as he lifted his foot to step forward, a soft call drifted from within the curtains, faint and trembling like vapor.

"My lord......"

Xiao Jingyuan's heart trembled, he almost couldn't believe it, and instantly froze in place.