Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Eunuch Zhao swallowed hard. "Someone from His Majesty's side has come and says they wish to see the Prince."

"Does Father wish to see me now?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

It was Eunuch Li from the Emperor's court who arrived; he was already waiting outside the hall.

Xie Jingxing was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you know why Father Emperor summoned me?"

Eunuch Zhao shook his head: "This...this servant does not know."

However, when Eunuch Li arrived, his expression was normal, which didn't seem like...

"It doesn't seem like something big has happened?"

What is he here for?

"Do you know?" Xie Jingxing asked with a sneer.

Eunuch Zhao bowed his head and said, "It is said that His Majesty has issued an edict, and Your Highness is to receive the decree."

Xie Jingxing stared at him for a moment, then slowly sat up.

The pain from his injury was so intense that he could barely stand, but he gritted his teeth and stood up.

Eunuch Zhao rushed forward to help him, but he pushed him away.

"Change your clothes!"

He changed his clothes, which barely covered the disheveled state of his injuries.

After everything was tidied up, someone was asked to invite Eunuch Li in.

Eunuch Li was an old man serving the emperor, around fifty years old, with a fair complexion and no beard. His eyes were always smiling, making it impossible to discern his true nature.

After he entered, he first greeted Xie Jingxing and then said some polite things like, "Your Highness looks well."

Xie Jingxing listened patiently until the end before asking, "What orders does Father have for me, Eunuch Li?"

Li Defu smiled and said, "His Majesty has decreed that Your Highness is requested to go to the Imperial Study."

"Now?"

Li Defu nodded. "Your Highness, this is what His Majesty said."

Xie Jingxing stared into his eyes, trying to discern something from them.

But Eunuch Li's eyes were like a stagnant pool; he couldn't see anything.

He was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

"Please wait a moment, Eunuch Li. I will change my clothes and then go."

Li Defu smiled and said, "Your Highness, there's no need to rush. His Majesty isn't in a hurry either."

only……"

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "His Highness the Crown Prince's men have just returned to the capital and are waiting in the Imperial Study."

Xie Jingxing's heart sank, and his expression immediately changed, but he quickly recovered, so quickly that it was hard to notice.

However, Li Defu still saw it and thought to himself that the assassin who killed the crown prince was indeed sent by Prince Cheng.

What an idiot!

At this critical juncture, instead of properly reflecting on his actions, he went and plotted to murder his own brother.

Does this mean they think they're not stupid enough already?

The Crown Prince's men?

Everyone around Xie Jingchen is dead, so where did this person come from?

He remained expressionless, simply saying, "His Highness the Crown Prince's people?"

"Isn't my elder brother, the Crown Prince, on his way to the North?"

Li Defu smiled but didn't reply. He simply cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Your Highness, I have conveyed His Majesty's message. I will take my leave now."

After he left, Xie Jingxing stood there, motionless for a long time.

Eunuch Zhao approached cautiously and asked, "Your Highness, this..."

Xie Jingxing suddenly turned around and swept everything off the table.

Teacups, brush washers, and inkstones shattered on the floor.

"Li Defu, you eunuch, how dare you be so disrespectful to me?"

"The first thing I'll do when I'm in that position is tear you apart limb from limb!"

Xie Jingxing's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Your Highness, please calm down. Eunuch Li's arrogance is all because of His Majesty."

It'll be his turn to deal with sooner or later.

Now you need to figure out how to deal with His Majesty.

"Eunuch Zhao, you're right. We'll deal with that scoundrel later."

What should we do now?

Xie Jingxing felt a little flustered, wondering who had returned from the Crown Prince's side.

Only Jiang Zhen and Wang Meng escorted the Crown Prince to the north.

But didn't Liu Wei say they were all dead?

So who is still alive?

"This servant doesn't know what to do either!"

Eunuch Zhao shook his head; he dared not make a decision rashly.

Xie Jingxing, panting heavily, his chest heaving with anger, kicked Eunuch Zhao on the spot, yelling, "Useless! Useless! All of you are useless!"

Despite the pain, Eunuch Zhao knelt on the ground and kowtowed desperately, pleading, "Your Highness, please calm your anger!"

You wretch deserve to die!

"You wretch deserve to die!"

After a while, he gradually calmed down and said coldly, "Get up and come with me to the Peace Conference Hall."

He wanted to see what kind of trouble Xie Jingchen, that dying man, could possibly cause.

His men are back, and even if they wanted to accuse him, they probably wouldn't have any evidence, so he doesn't need to panic.

Eunuch Zhao scrambled to his feet and immediately bowed and helped King Cheng out of the palace.

Xie Jingxing and Eunuch Zhao stood outside the Hall of Peace, and through the heavy doors, they could hear the conversation inside clearly.

Jiang Zhen did not die.

That lowly commoner didn't die!

Not only did he not die, but he also returned alive, met his father alive, and told him everything!

Xie Jingxing's fingers clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

Assassins on the run? The Crown Prince has gone missing?

No, this isn't right...

His men clearly reported that Jiang Zhen and Wang Meng were both dead, and Xie Jingchen had no survivors.

Those assassins were carefully trained by him for many years and had never failed. How could he possibly let Jiang Zhen escape alive?

Also, Jiang Zhen said he went to fetch a doctor...

Xie Jingxing's pupils suddenly contracted.

When Jiang Zhen went to fetch the doctor, wasn't Xie Jingchen left alone in the inn?

He said he paid the shopkeeper to take care of him, but when he returned, the place was empty; both the prince and the shopkeeper had disappeared…

The prince couldn't have wandered far on his own after being poisoned. Could he have been rescued by someone?

Xie Jingxing felt increasingly uneasy as he thought about it, so he closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down.

It's okay, it's okay.

Jiang Zhen has no evidence.

He had just heard clearly that Jiang Zhen only said that the Crown Prince was being chased and that he went to fetch a doctor, but when he returned, the man had disappeared.

He did not identify anyone or say who sent him.

Even if the Emperor has doubts, it's just doubts.

He has no evidence.

Xie Jingxing slowly loosened his fingers, feeling the stinging pain in his palm.

What's a little pain?

Compared to the panic in his heart at this moment, this pain was nothing compared to the tickle.

However, it seems that the Emperor suspects him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent Eunuch Li to deliver the message, nor would he have dispatched several imperial guards to go with Jiang Zhen to find the Crown Prince and escort him to the North.

I need to be able to improvise and never admit to those crimes, no matter what.

Footsteps could be heard inside the hall.

Xie Jingxing immediately adjusted his expression, making himself appear calm and composed.

He looked down at his clothes, a dark python robe, dignified and proper, without a trace of injury.

The palace doors opened from the inside.

Li Defu came out, followed by a burly man.

Xie Jingxing's gaze fell on the man, and for a moment he could hardly control the murderous intent in his eyes.

Jiang Zhen.

It really was Jiang Zhen.

The man was dressed in black, and his hair was somewhat disheveled, as if he had rushed here.

But he stood there, his back straight, his gaze steady, showing no trace of the disheveled state of someone fleeing for their life.

Jiang Zhen also saw him.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Jiang Zhen bowed slightly and clasped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Cheng."

The sound was steady, and there was nothing unusual about it.

Xie Jingxing twitched the corner of his mouth: "Commander Jiang?"

You are not...

Did you go to the northern lands with your elder brother, the Crown Prince?

Why did you come back alone?

Jiang Zhen lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness, I have returned to report to His Majesty on my mission."