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Xiao Jinyan’s eyes paused as he looked toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao shook his head, indicating difficulty. This was not a case of being asleep or unconscious—kicking him wouldn’t simply wake the man up.

"I can’t do it," he said.

Shen Chuwei tugged Xiao Jinyan’s sleeve, her bright eyes exuding confidence, "Your concubine can do it. This drunkard must have seen Concubine Xu."

As soon as Shen Chuwei stepped into this guest room, she recognized the familiar scent of perfume powder.

Concubine Xu habitually used a powder with a faint scent of begonia flowers, and as a doctor of traditional medicine, she was particularly sensitive to various fragrances.

Shen Chuwei was also concerned about Concubine Xu, which is why she was in such a hurry.

Xiao Jinyan frowned, but considering Concubine Xu’s safety, he finally nodded in agreement.

With the command received, Shen Chuwei released Xiao Jinyan’s sleeve and squatted down in front of the drunkard. She took a silver needle from her sleeve.

Before the crowd could react to how Shen Chuwei applied the needle, the drunkard woke up.

His first words were, "Mercy, good sir, mercy!"

Xiao Jinyan commanded in a cold voice, "Qin Xiao, conduct a thorough interrogation."

"Your subordinate obeys." Qin Xiao stepped forward, drew his sword, and pressed it against the drunkard’s neck. The cold touch and sharp blade only needed a little pressure to cause death.

The sobered drunkard noticed the man in purple was gone and heaved a sigh of relief, moaning "ouch" several times.

The next thing he saw was a sword at his neck amidst the flash of blades, turning his just-recovered face even paler.

"Mercy, good sir, mercy!"

"Did you see a woman in green clothes?"

With Qin Xiao’s emotionless voice, the drunkard nodded repeatedly, scared, "I saw her. I thought she was pretty and wanted to take advantage, but before I could even touch her, she was rescued by someone."

"Who rescued her? Where did they go?" Qin Xiao asked further.

"This—this lowly one has no idea. That person was truly fierce, kicking me several times, I fear my ribs are broken," the drunkard said, then added with self-pity, "That woman looked like a prostitute, I was going to pay..."

Before the drunkard could finish speaking, Shen Chuwei kicked at the drunkard’s ribs.

He howled in pain and rolled on the ground.

Shen Chuwei huffed, "Breaking a few of your ribs is getting off easy."

The incident occurred so swiftly that it stunned everyone present.

Who would have thought that the usually delicate and fragile Crown Princess would kick without a second thought?

The muffled thumps had made it clear to those skilled in martial arts—those were the sounds of breaking bones.

How vicious must a kick be to break a man’s ribs?

Xiao Jinyan was also taken aback, recalling how two years ago, after he drunkenly kissed her, she kicked him.

Thinking back, that kick seemed mild.

Xiao Jinyan stepped forward and pulled Shen Chuwei into his embrace, then glanced coldly at the drunkard on the ground without a trace of emotion, "Qin Xiao, take him to the dungeon."

Qin Xiao saluted, "Your subordinate obeys."

Xiao Jinyan led Shen Chuwei out of the guest room.

The drunkard was confused as to why he was being taken to the dungeon until Qin Xiao explained. Only then did he realize that the woman he had lusted after was the Crown Prince’s Concubine and General Xu’s legitimate daughter.

Locked in the dungeon, there was no hope of release in this lifetime.

The drunkard now regretted his actions deeply.

The subtle scent of begonia flowers lingered in the air.

Shen Chuwei followed the scent, moving forward.

Xiao Jinyan watched her actions with confusion, "What are you doing?"

Shen Chuwei explained, "Your concubine smelled the scent of powder associated with Concubine Xu. Just now in the guest room, it was the scent of begonia flowers."

Naturally, Xiao Jinyan was unaware that Concubine Xu’s powder was scented like begonia flowers, and even if he knew, his sense of smell was not as acute as Shen Chuwei’s.

"Is that why you bothered waking up the drunkard?" he asked.

Shen Chuwei nodded, "Yes, otherwise why would your concubine waste time waking him up?"

"..." Xiao Jinyan thought. So a few moments equate to wasting time?

Shen Chuwei looked around for people and finally spotted Concubine Xu’s figure on the second floor of the inn.

Opposite Concubine Xu stood a tall man wearing a purple-gold crown and a purple-black brocade robe. Though they could only see his profile, he was unmistakably handsome.

Was it this man who had rescued Concubine Xu?

Xiao Jinyan noticed Shen Chuwei’s gaze and followed it to see the two figures on the second floor.

Shen Chuwei wondered if, given the close proximity between Concubine Xu and the other man—since Concubine Xu was officially Xiao Jinyan’s concubine before leaving the palace—how would Xiao Jinyan feel seeing this? Would he be angry?