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

After laughing, Xie Jingchen's expression turned serious again, and he lowered his voice, saying, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

Xiao Yi suppressed his smile and said seriously, "Your Highness, please speak."

"My father sent two experts to accompany Jiang Zhen on my journey north."

Xie Jingchen's voice wasn't loud, but every word was exceptionally clear.

"They're ostensibly here to protect me, but in reality, they're here to spy on me."

Xiao Yi frowned.

The emperor is clearly not at ease with Xie Jingchen.

They claimed to be sending people to protect him, and that they were sending experts, but in reality, they were just planting spies around Xie Jingchen to keep an eye on his every move and report his every word.

Such "protection" is more unsettling than open and direct threats.

"How did Your Highness handle it?" Qingfeng asked.

Xie Jingchen's lips curled into a very faint smile, a smile that held a hint of coldness and composure: "I hired assassins from the Seven Kill Pavilion to take care of those two people."

Xiao Yi and Qingfeng exchanged a glance. Qingfeng spoke first, his tone filled with admiration: "In this way, even if the Emperor loses his men, it can't be blamed on the Prince."

The prince's hands were clean; no evidence could be found against him.

Xiao Yi nodded in approval, saying, "The Seven Kill Pavilion never leaves anyone alive when it does something. Once they accept a job, they won't reveal the employer's identity."

Even if the imperial court investigates, they can only trace it back to a feud within the martial arts world, and cannot suspect the prince.

"Your Highness's move is truly brilliant."

Xie Jingchen waved his hand, his expression showing no smugness, but rather a hint of seriousness that was hard to detect: "It's just a temporary measure."

If Father is determined to investigate, he will eventually find something.

"We can only delay for now. Once we reach the north, where the emperor is far away, we won't be so constrained."

He picked up the teacup; the tea had gone cold, but he didn't care and drank it all in one gulp.

Xiao Yi looked at him, feeling fortunate that Xie Jingchen did not know that he was the master of the Seven Kill Pavilion.

Qingfeng chuckled inwardly; the Northern King was actually sending money to his master!

On that day, Prince Cheng brought his men to find Xiao Yi, while Xie Jingchen was in a house in the next courtyard.

There was a wall separating them, and since he had amnesia at the time, Tao'er was still guarding the other side, so Xie Jingchen had no idea that they were from the Seven Kill Pavilion.

I don't know the relationship between Xiao Yi and the Seven Kill Pavilion.

In Xie Jingchen's eyes, Xiao Yi was still the youngest son of the Xiao family, the young general of yesteryear.

Xie Jingchen never expected that Xiao Yi was a member of the Seven Kill Pavilion, and even more so, the fearsome leader of the pavilion in the martial arts world.

Xiao Yi doesn't plan to reveal this secret for the time being.

Some things aren't about distrust, but rather about the lack of need for it.

"Although I have regained my memories, we will still get along the same way as before, so you don't need to be reserved with me."

He turned to look at Xiao Yi, his gaze gentle yet solemn, "Once you're free of the poison, we'll head north together."

Xiao Yi bowed and clasped his hands in greeting: "Xiao Yi obeys."

After exchanging a few more words, Xiao Yi and Qingfeng took their leave.

"Young master."

Qingfeng walked beside him and whispered, "Is the Northern King...trustworthy?"

Xiao Yi did not answer immediately.

He took a few steps before whispering something.

"If he is not trustworthy, then there is no one trustworthy in the world."

Upon hearing this, Qingfeng did not ask any further questions.

He recalled Xiao Yi three years ago, that dashing and spirited young general.

Xiao Yi is now thinner and heavier, with a touch of vicissitude and forbearance in his brows, but the loyalty and fortitude in his bones have not changed at all.

The Xiao family members are indeed all loyal ministers and generals.

But the fates of loyal ministers and virtuous generals are often the most heartbreaking.

Xie Jingchen slowly closed the window.

"The Xiao family..."

A loyal and capable general throughout his life.

The royal family has let them down...

Father, why are you so confused!

He muttered to himself, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

"Since you're not good enough to be emperor, let's find someone else to sit on the throne!"

Xie Jingchen's words were like a knife hidden in its sheath; even before it was drawn, it was already chilling.

Xiao Yi walked into the courtyard and went straight to Tao'er. Dong Kui, being very perceptive, led A Yan and Huan Huan to another courtyard.

Tao'er and Shi Qi were left alone in the courtyard.

Tao'er glanced at Xiao Yi and asked, "How is Young Master Chen?"

You've been discussing this inside for quite a while, but what plan have you come up with?

Xiao Yi nodded. "Yes, Young Master Chen asked Qingfeng and me to escort him north."

He said that the men who injured him before were assassins sent by King Cheng.

Xiao Yi did not hide anything and told the truth.

"Oh, so you agreed?"

Although Tao'er already guessed the answer, she still asked.

"Yes, I agree."

He said he would exonerate our Xiao family.

And he is indeed the right person to sit in that position.

I have to help him, both for personal and professional reasons.

Tao'er: Just as she expected, she had long guessed that this would be the end result.

"That's good. He is, after all, the Northern King, the emperor's son. Perhaps he will be the one to inherit the throne in the future."

With his promise, the Xiao family's injustice should be redressed soon.

"Does he have the crime of deceiving the emperor to punish you?"

If it were just Xiao Yi alone, it probably wouldn't be so easy to clear the Xiao family's name.

"No, he was actually quite happy to see that I wasn't dead."

The Northern King is not like the King Cheng.

He even felt guilty for not protecting the Xiao family.

He also said that he had implicated my elder brother and our Xiao family.

Xiao Yi told him the truth.

"It seems that Xie Jingchen is a good person, and he may become a good emperor in the future."

If he were to ascend the throne in the future, it would also benefit the Xiao family.

By the way, when are you heading north?

Your cold poison hasn't been completely cleared yet...

She estimated that the cold poison in Xiao Yi's body should be cleared up soon.

Because she would brew medicine for him, and she would always add spiritual spring water to the brewing process.

And when he took a medicinal bath, she would always secretly add some spiritual spring water while Sister Dongkui was boiling water.

I wonder if Xiao Yi sensed it.

"My cold poison should be getting better soon; I'm feeling much better lately."

I don't know if it's because I took the antidote and soaked in the medicinal bath.

Yesterday, Elder Li said that my cold poison was almost gone, and that I would be completely cured in a few days at most.

He said I recovered too quickly, which surprised him, and even he couldn't figure out why.

Xiao Yi had a clear smile on his face when he said these words.

Tao'er could tell he was in a good mood.

"Really?"

That's great!

Congratulations, Brother Shi Qi.

Your cold poison has been cured; you can live to be a hundred years old from now on.

She said it herself, her spiritual spring water couldn't possibly be useless.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she dared not add too much.

"I may soon be going to my fiefdom with the Northern King, but I can't bear to leave you... Ayan and all of you."

I'm worried about your safety..."

Xiao Yi finished speaking with great difficulty.

Tao'er smiled nonchalantly, "Seventh Brother Shi, why are you worried about us? I have Dongkui by my side."

Although her kung fu skills weren't particularly impressive, they were decent enough to handle some petty thugs.

Besides, King Cheng is now crippled, so he probably won't be causing trouble anytime soon.

"Tao'er, because Prince Cheng has become a disabled prince, I'm afraid he'll be even more vengeful."

Although we left behind the Seven Killings Pavilion's unique mark, we were still afraid he would hold you and Ayan accountable for this.

After all, such people are ruthless and selfish; once they've ruined themselves, they'd want to destroy the whole world.