Chapter 101: The Emperor Fainted

A cold glint flashed in Xie Yao’s eyes.

She had long wanted to make a move against Xiao Hong, especially when she thought of the way he looked at her… it was disgusting.

“Alright,” Zhao Ying agreed without hesitation. Naturally, she had no objections, after all, she herself was a victim of the epidemic.

Xie Yao kept Zhao Ying for lunch and ordered someone to pass a message to the study.

When Yuyan arrived, Pei Chen had already gotten up and walked to the door. After hearing Yuyan’s report, he turned back, sat down opposite the Crown Prince again, and stared fixedly at him.

Xiao Ji raised his brows slightly, as though he had already seen through everything yet said nothing, merely lowering his gaze to read the letter just delivered by the Crown Princess.

The handwriting of his Crown Princess… she needed more practice. Though the brushstrokes were sharp, the foundation was clearly lacking… And the book he had left for Yao-yao last time, he had yet to check her progress…

Xiao Ji silently made plans in his mind. All the way until lunchtime, Pei Chen never left, instead casually finding a book to read on his own.

When Xiao Ji rose to head to the main courtyard for lunch, Pei Chen followed right on his heels…

So the lunch was with the four of them together.

Xie Yao and Xiao Ji were accustomed to eating without attendants, and there was no rigid rule of silence at the table, yet this meal was strangely quiet.

Xie Yao glanced at Marquis of Zhenbei across from her, then at Zhao Ying at her side.

“Crown Princess.”

Xiao Ji placed food into Xie Yao’s bowl. “Focus.”

Xie Yao’s face flushed bright red. Those two words meant nothing on their own, but… Xiao Ji often reminded her like this in other situations, and her thoughts immediately strayed.

After lunch, Zhao Ying left the Crown Prince’s residence to take care of business.

Pei Chen also followed along. The man who had just been shamelessly refusing to leave now strode away quickly.

Zhao Ying got into her carriage.

Pei Chen, as if it were only natural, positioned himself right beside it to guard.

Zhao Ying took a deep breath, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked outside, her eyes seeming to burn with flames. “I don’t understand how long Marquis intends to follow me.”

Would this ever end?!

Pei Chen pressed his thin lips together. “These next few days will be very dangerous for you.”

Since word of the Second Prince was to be spread, she would certainly be targeted. If they couldn’t touch the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, they could still go after Zhao Ying.

“I will protect you,” Pei Chen said.

“I don’t need it.” Zhao Ying rolled her eyes. “I already told you, what happened last time was just an accident. I don’t care about it, can you stop chasing after me?”

Pei Chen’s eyes were full of seriousness and stubbornness, showing no sign of giving in. “Then… you have to take responsibility for me.”

Zhao Ying: ???

She actually laughed in anger.

Casually pulling a silver note from her sleeve, she tossed it to Pei Chen. “Is this enough?”

Pei Chen snatched the note, his face dark, his eyes burning with raging fire as he looked at Zhao Ying.

What did she take him for?!

But before he could explode, Zhao Ying had already urged the driver to speed up, leaving him behind with his anger.

Inside the carriage, Zhao Ying’s expression was perfectly calm.

Take responsibility?

Heh. She could never, ever be anyone’s concubine.

Besides, what Zhao Ying loved most was making money.

Marrying someone? Forget it.

Pei Chen sat astride his horse, frozen in place, watching the Zhao family carriage flee as though in desperation. He crumpled the silver note tightly in his hand, his face dark, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

Was he… really that worthless?

———

At the Crown Prince’s residence.

As soon as the two had left, Xie Yao asked Xiao Ji, “Your Highness, what’s going on?”

She hadn’t pressed Zhao Ying about it today, but she had noticed that when Sister Ying mentioned Marquis of Zhenbei, there was clear resistance in her tone. Yet judging by Marquis of Zhenbei’s behavior… something seemed off.

Xiao Ji gave her a sidelong glance, raising a brow slightly. “Yao-yao still has the leisure to care about others?”

Xie Yao’s eyelid twitched. “Your Highness?”

“The books I gave to the Crown Princess before going to Nanzhou, how has she been studying them?” Xiao Ji’s gaze turned dangerous. “If you haven’t been studying seriously, I will have to punish you.”

Punish?

Xie Yao was taken to the study.

She had been studying seriously, but she had many other affairs to handle; she had even traveled to Nanzhou and recently she had been busy with preparations for the Emperor’s birthday celebration…

Facing Xiao Ji’s questioning, her answers were a bit forced.

She looked at him, somewhat nervous.

At this moment, Xiao Ji seemed like an entirely different man, laying open the pages she hadn’t memorized properly on the desk.

Standing beside the desk, Xie Yao stammered through the text.

Her body trembled again and again from being jolted, her reading voice broken, her gaze so blurred she could hardly make out the words on the page.

And yet Xiao Ji leaned close behind her, softly biting her ear. “Yao-yao, have you memorized it?”

Xie Yao whimpered, drenched in sweat, even her toes curling into the carpet.

If she didn’t answer, Xiao Ji just kept asking.

In the end, she could only stammer back, “I-I remember…”

She really did remember.

With this kind of method, how could she not?

Her Highness had truly gone astray…

Within two days, rumors spread through the capital: the Second Prince was the true mastermind behind the corruption case in Nanzhou, and even the epidemic had been deliberately spread by him.

What had been quieted for the Emperor’s birthday was once again dragged into the light.

And it wasn’t just rehashing old crimes but new charges had been brought forth.

That day.

At court, Pei Chen also presented this matter in a memorial.

“You’re lying!”

The Second Prince was the first to retort, speaking with righteous indignation. “This prince absolutely never did such a thing!”

Revenge.

This was definitely revenge!

Pei Chen and Xiao Ji were as close as brothers. It had to be that Xiao Ji knew he had been spreading rumors about that cheap woman Xie Yao, and so he was retaliating.

Pei Chen gave Xiao Hong a single look, then ignored him outright. “Your Majesty, this minister has evidence.”

The Emperor did not immediately speak, instead fixing his gaze heavily on Pei Chen.

Last time, the evidence for the Nanzhou corruption case had been submitted by Pei Chen as well.

He had spared Xiao Hong, trusting that Pei Chen understood his intent.

But today…

Pei Chen did not meet the Emperor’s eyes, only knelt respectfully, offering the memorial with both hands.

“Bring it up.”

A young eunuch quickly took the memorial to Chief Chief Eunuch Li, who then presented it to the Emperor.

“Father Emperor.”

The Second Prince was still swearing earnestly, “Your son absolutely never did such a thing, please clear my name…”

Before he could finish, the Emperor flung the memorial straight at him!

The force knocked Xiao Hong’s remaining words right back down his throat.

The throne hall immediately filled with the sound of officials kneeling, “Your Majesty, calm your anger.”

Xiao Hong was struck head-on, caught off guard. Instinctively dropping to his knees, he picked up the memorial and opened it; his face instantly changed. “Impossible!”

“Father Emperor, this is a false accusation!”

He really hadn’t done it!

Framed. He was definitely being framed!

But… the people named in the memorial were indeed his subordinates, and they had personally testified against him…

Although the Li family had fallen, there were still many who supported Xiao Hong in court. They immediately stood up to speak for him, trying to shield him.

The imperial court turned into chaos, noisy as a marketplace.

The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, hearing what sounded like thousands of ducks quacking in his ears, his head throbbing.

“Enough!”

He roared in fury, but as soon as he stood, his body staggered, his legs gave out and he collapsed on the spot, unconscious!