After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

The wall fell and everyone pushed.

This statement couldn't be more fitting for Xiao Jingchen today.

The release of the ledgers in the Southwest corruption case was like ripping the string of beads.

One after another, the filthy and shameful things that couldn't be brought to light were exposed.

First, Fu Yibai's remains were unearthed in an abandoned manor outside the city.

Immediately afterwards, a secret camp of assassins deep in the mountains outside Beijing was completely eradicated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The most outrageous thing was that the hunter who assassinated Xiao Jingshu and Shen Jingque was found bound hand and foot, along with the physical evidence, and dumped at the gate of the Ministry of Justice.

The evidence is conclusive, and every single point points directly to Xiao Jingchen.

In Yingzhu Garden.

Shen Jingque was sitting on the veranda, petting the two dogs that Xiao Changqi had brought back earlier.

She had run away from home to the southwest, so Xiao Changgeng put the two dogs in Yingzhu Garden to raise.

She scratched at the dog's chin with her fingers, listening intently to Xuan Qi's report.

He hired a killer to murder his sister, kept assassins, and embezzled disaster relief funds.

She guessed that her older brother must have been behind the scenes in pushing things along.

Only that hunter must have been sent by Rong Jing.

I wonder how he is now.

"However, His Majesty's reaction is truly strange."

Xuan Qi's words drew Shen Jingque's attention back.

Xiao Changgeng was sitting by the window wiping his longsword when he heard the sound and looked up.

"What was the outcome?"

Xuan Qi's expression was somewhat strange.

"His Majesty did not strip him of his princely status, but merely ordered him to be confined to Chang Le Garden, where he is not permitted to leave without imperial decree."

Shen Jingque turned her head, her clear almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion.

Just confinement?

The crime of treason was not punished by being deposed or exiled; he was merely confined to the Chang Le Yuan within the palace.

What kind of punishment is this?

"Big brother, something's not right." She frowned slightly.

"The emperor hates those who form cliques, seek personal gain, and covet imperial power. Xiao Jingchen has violated such a taboo; how could he possibly take it up high and let it go easily?"

With a crisp "clang", Xiao Changgeng sheathed his longsword.

He stood up and walked to Shen Jingque's side, looking towards the direction of the palace, and slowly shook his head.

"When I entered the palace to meet His Majesty today, His Majesty did not mention the case of the Third Prince at all."

"Now he spends all his time cultivating the Dao and discussing metaphysics. No one knows what he is thinking at the moment."

Xiao Changgeng's words sparked a flash of inspiration in Shen Jingque.

The original book didn't mention that the emperor liked cultivating immortality.

When did the emperor start making this kind of thing?

……

The Imperial Palace, the Purple Pole Terrace.

This palace was renovated and built on the site of an old palace, and now it is the place where Emperor Xiao Chengyu practiced his spiritual cultivation.

At this moment, a rich, exotic fragrance filled the main hall.

The octagonal bronze incense burner was filled with cinnabar and unknown spices, and the smoke swirled around it, making the entire hall look like a fairyland.

Xiao Chengyu sat cross-legged on a bright yellow futon.

His eyes were dark and swollen, but his cheeks were flushed with an unnatural redness.

Sitting opposite him was the Taoist priest Tantai Liang, dressed in a loose robe.

"The cycle of nature dictates that prosperity inevitably leads to decline."

Tantai Liang fiddled with a string of sandalwood prayer beads in his hand, his voice ethereal and otherworldly.

"The Third Prince's birth chart is perfectly aligned with His Majesty's fortune, and he can protect His Majesty from this calamity."

Xiao Chengyu shuddered, a flicker of clear-headed struggle flashing in his murky eyes.

"But he keeps assassins and embezzles money; he's trying to kill me!"

Tantai Liang sighed, then produced a blood-red pill from who-knows-where, presented it to the emperor with both hands, and spoke words full of seductive meaning.

"Worldly power is nothing but fleeting smoke. If Your Majesty desires immortality, you cannot view cause and effect with worldly eyes."

"If the Third Prince is demoted and exiled, his ability to protect His Majesty will be completely dissipated."

"By imprisoning him in the palace, we can not only appease the officials, but also lock his fortune to your side to nourish Your Majesty's immortal roots."

"This is the best solution."

The crimson pill emitted a faint fragrance, like an invisible hand gripping Xiao Chengyu's soul.

He stared at the pill, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Then, with trembling hands, he reached out, grabbed it, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it dry.

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, a scorching stream of energy rushed straight to the top of his head.

The struggle on Xiao Chengyu's face gradually faded.

What surfaced on his face was a relaxed, almost listless expression.

His gaze began to glaze over, and his pupils lost focus.

"Locked close at hand... to nourish the immortal root..."

And so, like a puppet on a string, she mechanically repeated Tantai Liang's words.

Tantai Liang looked at him quietly.

"Your Majesty is wise; confining him to the palace is the best arrangement."

"Yes... being imprisoned in the palace is the best arrangement..."

Xiao Chengyu's voice grew softer and softer, his eyes gradually closed, and then his body went limp, falling straight onto the prayer mat.

Fall asleep.

Tantai Liang stood up, looked down at the emperor on the ground, and his eyes were full of disgust.

Then he turned around, pushed open the palace door, and walked into the night.

Chang Le Yuan was located in the most remote northwest corner of the inner palace.

Although it was a place where princes were imprisoned, it was not dilapidated inside.

Tantai Liang bypassed the patrolling imperial guards and skillfully pushed open the side door.

A few dim palace lanterns were lit inside the main hall.

Xiao Jingchen, dressed in a silver-gray casual robe, sat on the couch, holding a white chess piece in his hand, with a half-finished chess game in front of him.

The wine jug beside him was half empty, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared blankly at the chessboard.

Hearing footsteps, he suddenly looked up.

Once he saw who it was, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he tossed the chess piece into the chess basket.

"You've arrived."

Tantai Liang walked to the other side of the chessboard, his gaze cold.

"I have done what I promised you."

Xiao Jingchen picked up his wine cup and drank the strong liquor in one gulp, suppressing the lingering palpitations in his chest.

Today in the imperial court, he almost thought he was going to be beheaded.

If it weren't for the hidden move of having Tantai Liang planted beforehand, who used the guise of cultivating immortality to bewitch the Emperor...

This time, he's really being driven to a dead end.

"Sir, you have quite the methods." Xiao Jingchen put down his wine cup and gave a cold smile. "I, of course, keep my word."

Tantai Liang's expression did not soften in the slightest; his indifferent pupils surged with a chilling stubbornness.

"Then when are you going to keep your promise to me?"

Xiao Jingchen lifted his eyelids.

Looking at this madman who was risking his life for a woman, a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.

"Why the rush, sir?" He slowly twirled the empty wine cup. "Once the storm has passed, my plan will naturally continue."

He leaned forward slightly, staring at Tantai Liang.

"Once I sit on that throne, not only will I be free to do with any woman, but I will also be free to do with everyone in this harem."

At this point, Xiao Jingchen smiled, a hint of malice in his expression.

"However, I am curious, is a middle-aged woman really worth all this trouble?"

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind swept in.

Xiao Jingchen felt a blur before his eyes, and then he was lifted up.

Tantai Liang had somehow crossed the chessboard.

That thin, bony hand was now gripping Xiao Jingchen's throat like a pair of pliers.

The wine cup fell to the ground and shattered, leaving a mess on the floor.

Xiao Jingchen's eyes widened as his legs kicked painfully in mid-air.

He never expected that this seemingly frail Taoist priest would have such great strength.

Tantai Liang's face drew closer to him, his once ethereal and otherworldly features now twisted into a demonic contortion.

"You filthy, vulgar creature, you don't deserve to speak to her like that!"

He increased the pressure on his hands, and Xiao Jingchen's face turned blue and purple, his eyes rolled back, and he made a "gurgling" sound in his throat.

"She is the purest, kindest, and most sacred woman in the world!"

"If you dare utter another insult to her, I'll crush your throat right now!"

Xiao Jingchen frantically slapped Tantai Liang's hand, managing to squeeze out a few broken syllables.

"Let me go... I... was wrong..."

Just as he rolled his eyes, Tantai Liang released his grip.

Xiao Jingchen fell to the ground in a disheveled state, clutching his neck and coughing violently.

Tantai Liang didn't look at him again and turned around and walked out of Chang Le Yuan.

The night breeze ruffled his wide Taoist robe as he stood on the steps of Chang Le Yuan, calming his breathing.

Then he slowly raised his head.

My gaze passed over the layers of palace walls and lingered for a long time on the very center of the palace.

Phoenix Palace.