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Xiao Yunxuan’s figure shook; he never expected that despite his perfect disguise, he would still be recognized by Xiao Jinyan.

He glanced at the bed and saw it was clearly just two pillows under the bedding.

It seemed Qiukui’s death was real, but it was just a trap laid by Xiao Jinyan to deceive him.

Now that Qiukui was dead, as long as he didn’t confess, Xiao Jinyan would be helpless against him.

Suddenly he tore off his face mask to reveal his true features and sneered with a grin, "Your Highness, the guards of the East Palace are too negligent. I was merely testing them. You really ought to be more cautious."

Xiao Jinyan looked at the shameless Xiao Yunxuan and sneered, "Big brother, you sneak into the East Palace at night, intending to kill and silence, and you still want to deny it?"

Playing dumb, Xiao Yunxuan asked, "What do you mean, Your Highness? I don’t understand."

Xiao Jinyan methodically said, "Big brother, you’ve entered the wrong room. Qiukui is in the next room, and she has already confessed."

Xiao Yunxuan’s complexion changed; was Qiukui really alive?

Impossible!

Impossible.

Xiao Yunxuan continued to deny, "Your Highness, I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand; you can explain it to our father," Xiao Jinyan said, as he stepped back.

Xiao Yunxuan had a bad premonition. He looked towards the door and saw the emperor, dressed in his dragon robe, walking in slowly, leaving him stunned on the spot.

The emperor’s sharp eyes coldly fixed on Xiao Yunxuan, his voice stern, "King Xuan, you dare break into the East Palace at night, what is your intention?"

Terrified, Xiao Yunxuan knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed, "Father, your son has been wronged, I am being framed."

Xiao Jinyan, I had no idea you were so cunning, I’ve been fooled by you.

Now I only have to steadfastly deny it; maybe there’s still a slim chance.

The emperor roared, "You dare to argue? Dressed in black, armed with sword, you break into the East Palace at night. Do you think I am a fool?"

"Father, your son, I was just..."

Xiao Yunxuan’s words were cut off by the emperor’s cold interjection, "I have said I hate it most when brothers turn on each other, and yet you still dare to poison the Crown Prince, taking my words lightly. I have no son like you."

Trembling, Xiao Yunxuan quickly looked towards Xiao Jinyan, "Your Highness, please clarify with father, I did not poison you, it’s all a misunderstanding..."

Qiukui slowly walked in from outside. Looking at the kneeling Xiao Yunxuan, her eyes were filled with towering hate.

"King Xuan, I was deceived by you to poison His Highness, promised to be made your concubine; yet after I did it, you ordered people to poison me. Had His Highness not turned the tables, I would be dead already," she said.

After speaking, Qiukui knelt down with a thud in front of the emperor and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I was instructed by King Xuan to poison His Highness. Every word I say is true, there is no deceit."

Xiao Yunxuan, seeing Qiukui alive and in front of him, was completely stupefied; he had been completely played by Xiao Jinyan.

How infuriating!

The emperor’s cold voice rang out, "Xuan King, now that both eyewitness and physical evidence are present, what else do you have to say?"

Xiao Yunxuan turned pale and crawled forward a few steps, grabbing the hem of the emperor’s robe, he pleaded for mercy, "Father, your son is wrong, please show mercy, Your Majesty, show mercy!"

The emperor coldly commanded, "Guards, take King Xuan to Ancestral Residence. Without my order, he is not to take a single step outside."

Two members of the Imperial Guard walked in and forced Xiao Yunxuan up from the ground, leading him out.

"Father, your son knows his wrong, please show mercy, Your Majesty!"

As the Imperial Guard walked away, Xiao Yunxuan’s cries also gradually weakened.

The emperor’s face was grim, but when he looked at Xiao Jinyan, it softened slightly, "How is Lady Shen’s health?"

Xiao Jinyan bowed his head in agreement, "Replying to Father Emperor, after being treated by the Imperial Doctor, there are no serious issues now."

The Emperor nodded, "That is good. If it were not for Lady Shen, one dreads to think of the consequences."

After the Emperor had left, Xiao Jinyan knew his father could not bear to act on his murderous intent towards Xiao Yunxuan, considering he was his son.

Yet if Xiao Yunxuan were not removed, he would undoubtedly be a calamity in the future.

At midnight, as Xiao Jinyan passed by a crossroad back to his sleeping quarters, he glanced in the direction of Xiyun Pavilion, pondered for a moment, but ultimately continued walking towards it.

Xiyun Pavilion was quiet, everyone else had gone to sleep, except for the watchful little rabbit and Chun Xi, who were still awake.

Chun Xi was fighting sleepiness when she heard footsteps. Suddenly fully alert, she lifted her head to see a tall figure entering by pulling aside the curtain.

She quickly scrambled up, bowing respectfully, "Your Highness."

Xiao Jinyan gave a faint order, "Prepare hot water, I wish to bathe."

"Yes," Chun Xi hurriedly ran out.

The hot water was ready in no time.

Chun Xi stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Your Highness, may I undress you?"

Xiao Jinyan rejected coldly, "No need, you may leave."

"Yes," Chun Xi complied, then left.

Xiao Jinyan started to undress himself and stepped into the bathtub.

The warm water wrapped his body, easing the fatigue of the day.

He had not closed his eyes for a moment since the previous night.

Now, dealing with Xiao Yunxuan’s affair was like removing a weight from his heart, and he felt much lighter.

He cleaned his body, his hand accidentally brushed against the scar on his chest, which normally did not bother him, but caused a heart-piercing pain when touched.

He clutched his chest until the pain subsided, then continued cleaning himself.

After his bath, Xiao Jinyan wiped his body with a dry towel, then dressed unhurriedly and stepped out from behind the screen.

Only four lamps were left burning in the room, casting dim light.

Xiao Jinyan walked slowly to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, and saw Shen Chuwei curled up in the bedding, sleeping soundly.

He dropped the curtains, sat down slowly at the edge of the bed, and lifted the corner of the quilt, about to get into bed, but realized he couldn’t cover himself with the quilt without her releasing it.

The temperature at night in winter was extremely low, and despite the burning charcoal in the room, it was very cold.

Xiao Jinyan pulled at the quilt in her arms, but instead of letting go, she clutched it even tighter.

Xiao Jinyan, out of options, had to wake her, "Little Ninth, how can I sleep like this?"

Shen Chuwei was deeply asleep, and Xiao Jinyan’s soft voice did nothing to rouse her.

Xiao Jinyan had no choice but to call out again, "Little Ninth?"

Shen Chuwei, groggy, heard the ’Little Ninth’ and thought she was dreaming again. She muttered discontentedly, "What is it now? Always calling me in dreams."

Xiao Jinyan stroked her plump cheek, and his gaze fell upon her soft pink lips, reminiscing about the brief kiss from the previous night, the tender feel of them blended with the scent of peach blossoms and tea.

It felt as though it was right at his lips again, sparking the desire to taste them once more.

Shen Chuwei felt something tickling her cheek, finding it slightly itchy, then it crawled to the corner of her mouth.

Annoyed, she swatted at what she thought was a caterpillar, intending to whisk it away, but instead of getting rid of it, her hand was caught by a large one, waking her up instantly.